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TOP STORY
GreenCollar issues first NaturePlus credits, releases details on standard
Almost a year after the scheme was officially launched, Australian carbon project developer GreenCollar has announced the very first issuance of its NaturePlus Credits, which it hopes to establish as a leading global biodiversity credit type.
MARKET
Environment Bank markets biodiversity credits through equity shares to avoid inertia
UK-headquartered conservation company Environment Bank is marketing voluntary biodiversity credits through a “biodiversity equity shares” system to encourage demand, an executive has said.
Investor outlines much-needed changes in rapidly evolving biodiversity market
Investor and advisory firm Pollination has identified a series of areas where the fledgling, but fast-evolving biodiversity credit market needs or is likely to see significant developments in coming years.
US outfit launches sheep grazing credits for vineyard systems
Regen Network has established an environmental stewardship credit class for sheep grazing on vineyards, with a first batch of units issued to an estate in California.
Plan Vivo developing biodiversity credit pricing guidance
Plan Vivo aims to launch guidance on the pricing of biodiversity credits within a year, Carbon Pulse has learned.
BUSINESS & FINANCE
Global initiative targets $12 bln in public, private finance to protect and restore coral reefs
An international network that includes 45 countries has launched the Coral Reef Breakthrough, planning to raise at least $12 billion in public and private finance this decade to stop the drivers of coral reef loss and accelerate restoration.
French nature fund opens applications for biodiversity projects
The ‘MAIF pour le vivant – Nature 2050’ fund has opened a call for projects across mainland France and its overseas territories that contribute to the adaptation of territories to climate change and act to preserve biodiversity by relying on nature-based solutions.
Responsible investor group launches new initiative to drive corporate engagement on biodiversity loss
A new initiative on nature stewardship will initially focus on forests and land degradation and aims to ramp up pressure on companies to disclose nature-related risks and engage politically.
POLICY
ASEAN launches regional invasive species action plan, lacks detail on financing
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has set out a transboundary action plan to address invasive alien species across the region, however, no detail was provided on how it would be financed or the delivery partners that would lead its components.
PROJECTS
Spirits producer distills American butterfly protection programme
The Americas branch of spirits producer Remy Cointreau has teamed up with WWF-Mexico to protect and regenerate the Monarch butterfly across the Americas.
MARKET
No mono, please – Massive tree-planting carbon offset projects, including those growing single species, are inadvertently degrading tropical ecosystems and biodiversity by focussing solely on carbon sequestration. That’s according to new research published in Trends in Ecology & Evolution, which argues that while the financial initiatives for planting single-species plantations like pine, eucalyptus, and teak are robust, the environmental costs are significant. (Carbon Pulse)
BUSINESS & FINANCE
Impact equity – Investment firm Federated Hermes released its annual Biodiversity Equity report 2022-23, built on data from its proprietary biodiversity impact database. The report uses three main metrics for demonstrating their impact on biodiversity: hectares of land preserved or avoided change, biodiversity intactness index (BII) adjusted hectares avoided, and risk of species loss. According to the report, the firm’s investments have resulted in 7.4 mln hectares of preserved land, 5.7 mln BII hectares of their normalised footprint avoided, and 21,400 species avoided risk of loss. Federated Hermes aims to have a net positive impact on biodiversity across its portfolio by 2025.
Natural opportunity – Venture capital firm At One Ventures has closed a $375 mln fund that it says will be used to invest in planetary health startups including soil, water and biodiversity, Bloomberg reported. VC boss Tom Chi said that while many investors have targeted climate tech, there is a “lane open” to startups addressing other environmental problems. The firm has already invested in five biodiversity-focused startups, including Dendra Systems, from its 35-company portfolio. It said it wants to ramp up that proportion by 2025, aiming to achieve 20% of startups within its portfolio targeting ecosystem health.
POLICY
Taking a stand – Ahead of an Oct. 13 EU Council vote on whether to renew the licence for glyphosate to be used as a pesticide, green group Avaaz has launched a petition for governments to vote against, collecting almost 3.5 mln signatures at the time of writing. Glyphosate is an ingredients in weedkillers applied to crop lands, but has been found to play a huge role in biodiversity, having adverse impacts on flowers and blossoms and other insect foods as well as marine life. It has also been shown to negatively impact human health. Dutch bank Triodos this week joined the group of financials that have come out in support of the Avaaz campaign.
SCIENCE & TECH
Cryo bio – US non-profit Revive & Restore, the US Fish & Wildlife Service, ViaGen Pets & Equine, the US Department of Agriculture, and San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance have joined forces to launch a pipeline for systematic biobanking of threatened and endangered species in the US. Currently, only 14% of the more than 1,700 threatened species in the country have had living tissue cryopreserved. This new biobanking pipeline includes tissue collection, the creation of living cell lines, and a national repository for cryopreservation, the partners announced.
Nobody expects – Spanish transitional sites appear to be hotspots for invasive species following results from a new EU-funded study that found 129 non-native species across 30 locations. The study sampled transitional water sites where salt and fresh water meet, including estuaries, deltas, marshes, and coastal lagoons. The report references the severe economic cost of invasive species like those found at the sites; a non-native zebra mussel cost Spanish authorities €11.6 mln in control measures between 2005-09. Researchers found Asian tiger mosquitoes were the most common species and were present at every survey site. The Mediterranean Sea generally is a global hotspot for invasives, with more than 1,000 reported, half of which are established, the study said.
Wild games – Computer game companies Muse Games and Kwalee’s new game Wildmender have joined forces with the Rainforest Alliance to encourage the 1.8 bln gamers globally to reduce their impact on nature. Wildmender launched across Steam, Xbox and Playstation platforms and sees the main character restore life to a dying world. The game introduces players to natural cycles, environmental damage, and concepts in restoration. Rainforest Alliance will benefit from a funding boost and increased exposure to the gamer audience through the partnership, including through a downloadable “Rainforest Alliance Frog Hat”.
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