Terminal Evaluation of the Land Use Finance Project: Leveraging private finance to systematically transition to sustainable land use decoupled from deforestation, climate and ecosystem impacts (PIMS ID 2009, 113.4, SMA ID 37605)

This report is a Terminal Evaluation of the UNEP Land Use Finance project implemented between 2018 and 2024.The project's overall development goal was for “Countries to increasingly adopt and implement forest-friendly policies and measures that deliver quantifiable emissions reductions as well as social and environmental benefits”. By partnering directly with private sector entities in the agricultural, finance and other sectors, UNEP aimed to support member countries to proactively transition to sustainable land use management at scale by providing (bottom-up) economic and financial incentives to smallholder farmers, supply chain companies, traders and finance institutions to systematically include climate, nature, social and restoration targets. The evaluation sought to assess project performance (in terms of relevance, effectiveness and efficiency), and determine outcomes and impacts (actual and potential) stemming from the project, including their sustainability. The evaluation has two primary purposes: (i) to provide evidence of results to meet accountability requirements, and (ii) to promote learning, feedback, and knowledge sharing through results and lessons learned among UNEP, and the relevant agencies of the project participating countries.