News
ADB Supports the Royal Academy for Justice Cambodia with Environmental Law Curriculum
ADB partnered with the Royal Academy for Justice of Cambodia (RAJC) to develop a groundbreaking judicial curriculum on environmental law and environmental judicial case management. This multi‑year initiative supports Cambodia in developing deeper capacity in environmental adjudication, reflecting Cambodia’s strong commitment to strengthening its environmental rule of law.
Fiji Enacts Landmark Forestry Act 2025
On 1 December 2025, Fiji’s Parliament enacted the new Forestry Act 2025, a transformative reform that replaces the 1992 Forest Decree and shifts the focus of Fijian forestry legislation from timber extraction to sustainable forest management. The act introduces an innovative operating model that modernizes the management of forest resources and supports economic growth. At the same time, its more efficient enforcement mechanisms will safeguard forest ecosystems and the rights of communities living in them.
ADB, ADBI, and UNEP Convene Policy Dialogue on Model Forest Act Initiative Ahead of COP30 in November
On 25 September 2025 in Tokyo, ADB, ADB Institute, and the UN Environmental Programme held consultations on a legal blueprint for modernizing national forest laws being developed under the Model Forest Act Initiative, supported by the ADB Law and Policy Reform Program and other partners.
ADB Launches Training on FDI Legal Framework and Domestic Policymaking Towards Green Economic Transition
On 25-29 August 2025, ADB's Law and Policy Reform Program, in partnership with the Uzbekistan Ministry of Investment, Industry and Trade, convened government officials across multiple ministries mandated to drive policy change. They participated in an intensive workshop to familiarize themselves with the legal framework for FDI critical for the green economic transition, as well as its interaction with domestic policymaking to enable them to contribute more effectively to reform process and help mitigate dispute risk for the government.
ADB and ADBI Hold Third and Final Workshop in the Carbon Markets Webinar Series, on Legal and Regulatory Frameworks for Attracting Financing
On 1 August 2025, the ADB Office of the General Counsel and the ADB Institute hosted the final webinar in the Carbon Markets Series, which focused on developing legal and regulatory frameworks. Attended by 35 participants, the session explored key elements for building effective carbon markets, managing risks and opportunities, and attracting financing. In particular, presentations highlighted private sector considerations for investing—for instance, market feasibility and safeguards against greenwashing—and the importance of integrity in climate-related disclosures.
ADB Launches Legal Blueprint to Guide Law and Policymakers on Carbon Markets
In July 2025, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) published the seminal Legal Blueprint for Developing and Regulating Carbon Markets to serve as a valuable and timely knowledge resource for law and policymakers in designing national carbon market laws and regulations. Developed under ADB’s Law and Policy Reform (LPR) Program, the legal blueprint focuses on the supply side—what countries hosting carbon crediting projects need to regulate to provide legal clarity to market participants and ensure social and environmental integrity to generate high-integrity carbon credits.
ADB and ADBI Hold Second Workshop in Carbon Markets Webinar Series, Focusing on Safeguards, Community Protection, and Benefit Sharing
On 3 July 2025, the ADB Law and Policy Reform Program and the ADB Institute hosted a webinar entitled "Strengthening Legal Frameworks for Equitable and Sustainable Carbon Credit Implementation," the second workshop in the 3-part Carbon Markets Webinar Series.
ADB and ADBI launch Carbon Markets Webinar Series to Support Policymakers and Public Sector Stakeholders on Legal and Policy Carbon Markets Infrastructure Development
On 28-29 May, ADB General Counsel Thomas M. Clark and ADB Institute (ADBI) Dean Bambang Brodjonegoro welcomed participants to the launch of the Carbon Markets Webinar Series, a capacity building workshop developed by the ADB Office of the General Counsel’s Law and Policy Reform Program in collaboration with ADBI.
ADB Supports Fiji’s Move to Modernize Forestry Legislation to Address 21st Century Challenges
Fiji is drafting a new forestry bill to replace its 1992 Forest Act—modernizing the law to provide more holistic protection to forests. With ADB’s Law and Policy Reform Program, Fijian officials are working to align the draft with domestic and international commitments, including the Climate Change Act 2021 and the Paris Agreement, and with stakeholders’ needs. In May 2025, the Ministry of Forestry and ADB held stakeholders' consultations, allowing affected communities, traditional landowners, and others to inform the final version before it reaches Parliament.
ADB Supports Interministerial Consultations on Fiji’s Draft Carbon Market Regulations
On 13 May in Suva, Fiji, Fijian line ministries convened to discuss the draft carbon market regulations to govern the country's engagement in international carbon markets, supported by ADB’s Law and Policy Reform Program.