ALIGN: Enhancing understanding and improving practices
The Advancing Land-based Investment Governance (ALIGN) project generates evidence and shares lessons among key government, civil society, local community and other relevant actors on improved practices to strengthen the governance of land-based investments, linking insights from local practices to global policy and vice versa.
Participatory resource mapping to identify village resources including agricultural land, forest and water sources as part of work to support women to claim their rights to land in India (Photo: copyright Swadhina)
While many challenges and opportunities to improve land-based investment governance are context-specific, there are also many commonalities across countries and regions. Building an evidence base and sharing strategies on overcoming challenges can be key to enabling governments and non-government actors to pursue progressive legislative and policy reforms and ensure their implementation.
This includes key actors gleaning insights from other countries on approaches to, for example, strengthening regulatory frameworks, investment approval processes, transparency and accountability mechanisms, social and environmental safeguards, and public participation. This might be in sectors such as mining, renewable energy, carbon markets, conservation or agriculture.
It also involves linking marginalised voices and challenges faced at the grassroots level to national and global-level decision-making, and unpacking the ways in which international governance frameworks affect national priorities.
What is ALIGN doing?
ALIGN aims to enhance understanding and improve practices among key actors, globally and in specific contexts, through documenting and disseminating innovative responses to key challenges, including via dynamic peer learning spaces and convening debate.
This work focuses on three main themes:
- Aligning investment with climate and nature action
- Protecting community rights, and
- Addressing and navigating politics to effect change.
All resources and insights for practitioners and governments are free to access, and links can be found below.
- Hear country specific insights and debates on land-based investment governance shared through the ALIGN webinar series in partnership with the Land Portal Foundation
- Read how civil society and impacted communities are working to change the governance of land-based investments in the ALIGN insights series, and
- Find out more about ALIGN's work with partners in Indonesia, Zambia and in more than 20 countries under the technical support facility.
Publications
Additional resources
Toolkit: Enhancing women’s meaningful participation in community engagements: insights from experience related to land-based investments, Anna Bulman, Thierry Berger, Rachael Knight (2026), CCSI, IIED
Working in politically savvy ways to improve land-based investment governance, Leila Kazemi (2025), CCSI, ALIGN issue paper
Land banking for large-scale land-based investment: a responsible investment perspective (PDF), IIED, CCSI (2025), ALIGN issue paper
Impact story: Supporting communities to tackle the environmental impacts of mining in Zambia (October 2024)
Event: Powering a fast and fair transition to renewable energy (September 2024), Climate Week NYC
Incorporating climate considerations into investment assessment processes: guidance for national and local governments (2024), CCSI Guidance
How national legislation can advance carbon justice: a policy toolkit (2024), Namati toolkit
How to address the corporate community engagement gap: the case for a pooled fund for legal and technical support (PDF) (2024), Namati Report
Enabling a just transition: protecting human rights in renewable energy projects (2023), CCSI Briefing
Nature-based insetting: a harmful distraction from corporate decarbonization (2023), CCSI Commentary
Insight: The push for clean energy: how nickel mining expansion is impacting agrarian economies in Indonesia, Mutmainnah Adenan, Imran Tumora (2023) | Dalam bahasa Indonesia
Respecting the human rights of project-affected communities in wind and solar energy project deployment (2022), CCSI Business guide
Getting from ideas to reality: building political support to translate good ideas into actual practice (2021), CCSI Primer
COVID-19 and land-based investment: changing landscapes (2021), CCSI Briefing
Repository: online repository of Open Land Contracts, Openland Contracts
Advancing Land-based Investment Governance (ALIGN) webinar series
Webinar: Land tenure and national carbon frameworks (March 2025)
Webinar: Land rights and critical minerals: what’s necessary for a just energy transition? (November 2024)
Webinar: When carbon markets go wrong: how to ensure access to remedy for land tenure violations (February 2024)
Webinar: The role of African traditional authorities in land-based investment governance (November 2023)
Webinar: The Maledu Judgment: the power of tenure rights recognition (March 2023)
Webinar: The new Customary Land Rights Act in Sierra Leone: bringing informed community consent to responsible investment (November 2022)
Advancing Land-Based Investment Governance (ALIGN) insight series
Insight: Towards a secured future: an ongoing journey for the right to land, Saswati Roy Patnaik (June 2025)
Insight: Recognising women’s land rights in Togo: a glimmer of hope, Abdou-Rachidou Matcheri, Adiavou Mawuvi (June 2025)
Insight: How Ekiti State is advancing transition-ready investment decision making, Kayode Adeniyi (May 2025)
Insight: How are civil society and impacted communities working to change the governance of land-based investments?, Nathaniah Jacobs, Amaelle Seigneret (July 2024)
Insight: Traditional authorities need a clearer role in land governance, Jesinta Kunda (April 2024)
Insight: Mining contract transparency improves local planning in Mali, Nouhoum Diakite (April 2024)
Insight: Civil society organisations are key to creating better land policies: lessons from Zambia, Jesinta Kunda (April 2023)
Insight: Mining and Community Development Agreements: a panacea for community justice in Uganda?, Kevin Bakulumpagi (November 2022)
Blog: Land rights on air: how Land Voice supports Indigenous communities in Cameroon, Sandrine Kouba (July 2022)
Insight: Moving forward with communal land rights in Ethiopia: what are the legal solutions?, Nathaniah Jacobs, Daniel Behailu (June 2022)
Insight: Navigating the challenges of land-based investment governance, Amaelle Seigneret, Nathaniah Jacobs (June 2022)
Blog: Investment governance in Cambodia: a window of opportunity, Thy Try, Anna Bulman, Thierry Berger (May 2022)
Blog: Land-based investment in Tanzania: how simplified legal guides are empowering communities, Masalu Luhula (April 2022)
Blog: Mining and land rights in South Africa: how has the Maledu judgement empowered rural communities? Louise de Plessis (March 2022)
Blog: Moving forward with communal land rights in Ethiopia: what are the legal solutions? Daniel Behailu, Nathaniah Jacobs (March 2022)
Insight: Mineral exploration goes unchecked as demand escalates, Abbi Buxton (February 2022)
Insight: Secure land rights are now more important than ever, Nathaniah Jacobs, Tehtena Mebratu-Tsegaye (January 2021)
