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The climate crisis and biodiversity loss are deeply interconnected global emergencies. Climate change drives biodiversity loss through Habitat Loss and Degradation and Extreme Weather Events, amongst other causes. Biodiversity loss worsens climate change by reducing ecosystems’ ability to sequester carbon and regulate climate. This creates a negative feedback loop: degraded ecosystems release stored carbon, accelerating warming, which further damages biodiversity.Restoring resilient forests can break this negative feedback loop, hence mitigate climate change and restore habitats for most relevant species. In its 2026-2029 Programme, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) decided to intensify its focus on the nature-climate nexus for mutually beneficial solutions for the planet. In practice, IUCN supports innovative restoration strategies like the WALD Innovation Facility (immovationfacility.org), which act cross-scale and provide co-benefits for biodiversity and people. This assures biodiversity is moving from an afterthought to a key outcome of forest restoration (cf. Brancalion et al., 2025)Following the Species Threat Abatement and Restoration (STAR) metric (Mair et al. 2021), integrating data on species’ level of endemism and conservation status according to the Red List of Species, this contribution to session BG3.12 presents an integrated approach to deliver Nature-positive Restoration outcomes. It does so through the example of three forest restoration projects set to leverage funds from nature credits (carbon markets, in particular), each facing different challenges induced by climate change:Case 1 - Brazil: Transitioning coffee production in Minas Gerais, Brazil, to agroforestry systems is crucial to counteract extreme droughts and balance economic and conservation needs. A pilot initiative with 1,000 farmers integrates coffee with native trees and diverse crops, enhancing resilience against climate shocks. Initial biodiversity assessments highlight two focus species: the Critically Endangered Mantiqueira Atlantic Tree Rat (P. mantiqueirensis) and the Endangered Maldonado Redbelly Toad (M. maldonadoi), both threatened by habitat loss and climate change.Case 2 - Zanzibar: In the Zanzibar Archipelago, Tanzania, mangrove areas declined by 35.5% over the last 30 years due to urbanization and land conversion. Coastal zones are severely degraded, reducing mangroves' effectiveness as buffers against erosion and storm surges. Shifting rainfall patterns challenge the Zanzibar Community Restoration Project. Initial biodiversity assessments suggest focusing on species like the Critically Endangered Madagascar Pond-heron (A. idae), the Endangered Zanzibar Guitarfish (R. zanzibarensis), and the Endangered Green Turtle (Ch. mydas), all threatened by habitat loss.Case 3 - Malaysia: The Pahang Peatland Restoration Project focuses on restoring and conserving close to 100,000 hectares of peatland and marshland in Pahang State, Malaysia. Blocking drainage canals dug in an illicit manner during the last decades helps to restore the water table, hence drastically decrease the number of fires and emissions while also prevent floods. Malay Crestless Fireback (L. erythrophthalma), Malay Peacock-Pheasant (P. malacense), and Painted Terrapin (B. borneoensis) are rare, threatened species which will benefit from decreasing fires, habitat restoration and anti-poaching measures.