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TOP STORIES
GEF Council approves $916-mln spending on environment as biodiversity climbs the agenda
The Global Environment Facility (GEF) Council has approved a $916-million spending package on efforts to tackle biodiversity loss, nature degradation, climate change, and pollution, as its meeting in Washington is now set to open discussions on the governance of the Global Biodiversity Framework Fund.
Carbon Pulse ramps up news coverage ahead of crucial year for biodiversity
Carbon Pulse has hired two biodiversity market and policy correspondents to strengthen its coverage ahead of what will be a busy and critical year for this beat, while also adding to the team of reporters covering carbon markets and climate policy in the EMEA region.
MARKET
Australia seeks advisors to join Nature Repair Market committee
The Australian government has put the call out for advisors to sit on the board of its independent expert committee for its recently legislated Nature Repair Market (NRM), it announced Friday.
BUSINESS & FINANCE
PREVIEW: GEF Council eyes boosting biodiversity funding at first ever GBF Fund Council meeting
Scaling funding to tackle biodiversity loss will be one of the top priorities of next week’s Global Environmental Facility (GEF) Council meeting, as discussions on the newly established Global Biodiversity Framework Fund (GBFF) are set to take centre stage.
German billionaire sets up $1.5-bln nature fund
A German fintech billionaire has set up a $1.5-billion nature conservation fund through his family office to combat the mass extinction of species and help meet the Global Biodiversity Framework target of protecting 30% of the world’s land and oceans by 2030.
Nordic companies lag behind on biodiversity risk management, study finds
Three out of four of the largest Nordic companies are struggling to assess their biodiversity risks and integrate nature into their business models, a paper has found.
Biodiversity credits to play a critical role in boosting private investments in nature, study says
Further developing the biodiversity credit markets and reforming subsidies harmful to nature are among the top priorities to bridge the biodiversity finance gap, researchers have said.
Brazilian business coalition partners with impact data provider to support TNFD disclosures
A coalition of over 100 Brazilian businesses has partnered with impact data and analytics provider GIST Impact to accelerate the adoption of the Task Force on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD) recommendations.
Biodiversity offsetting incentivises ‘regulated destruction’, report warns
Biodiversity offsetting is failing to protect nature while enabling companies to carry out environmental destruction and human rights violations, a report has warned.
POLICY
EU Commission withdraws divisive pesticides bill
The European Commission has announced the withdrawal of the Sustainable Use Regulation (SUR), as the European Greens call for a new strong proposal to slash the use of pesticides in agriculture.
Wales pitches duty for ministers to protect biodiversity
The Welsh government is consulting on whether to introduce a duty for ministers to protect biodiversity, through embracing targets such as becoming nature positive.
Argentina’s new law to compromise glaciers, biodiversity -media
The recently passed Omnibus Law, introduced by Argentina’s new president, would compromise glaciers and periglacial zones with strong repercussions for biodiversity, a scientist specialising in the subject told local media.
BUSINESS & FINANCE
It’s a date – Last year Australia announced it will hold a Global Nature Positive Summit in Sydney this year to help drive private sector investment in nature conservation and restoration projects. On Friday, Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek announced the dates for the event have been set to Oct. 8-10. COP16 in Colombia is slated to begin 11 days later in what will be a busy month for nature and business.
Blue Monday – Emirates Nature-WWF and Accenture are joining forces to foster sustainable blue economy projects in the United Arab Emirates. The collaboration aims to scale blue finance in the country while protecting marine ecosystems, Emirates Nature-WWF announced on Monday. Accenture will conduct preliminary research to identify opportunities to attract investments in the sector and accelerate nature-based solutions.
POLICY
Greening up – Germany’s Federal Ministry of Environment and state-owned bank KfW launched a new funding programme aimed at fostering biodiversity protection in urban areas. Starting from Feb. 1, municipalities can apply for subsidies of up to 90% of the financing costs covering a wide array of initiatives, including planting trees, creating natural parks, developing urban forests and restoring bodies of water. “With our new grant funding, we are helping communities to make nature their ally and to quickly take effective measures from which citizens also benefit,” said Katharina Herrmann, KfW board member.
Reef protection – The state government of Queensland in Australia allocated A$5.5 million to fund projects aimed at supporting water quality in the Great Barrier Reef area. Project developers are encouraged to engage with communities, industry and other stakeholders, the state government said. The funding covers a wide array of initiatives, ranging from agricultural land and catchment management to natural capital opportunities.
Contribution – The EU has committed €5 mln to help conserve wildlife and forestry in Nigeria’s Cross River state as well as carrying out other interventions worth €1.5 mln, Tribune Online reports. The EU ambassador to Nigeria also said the bloc is willing to commit another €3.5 mln to prevent illegal logging, poaching, and to support communities outside gaming reserves.
More mines – The Indian environment ministry has “in-principle” approved expanding mining activities in several states, Hindustan Times reported. This included exploratory drilling in Assam state’s wildlife-rich Doyang Reserve forest, expanding a coalmine in Chhattisgarh, and increasing the size of a limestone mine in the forests of district East Jaintia Hills.
SCIENCE & TECH
National treasure – Nature reserves in the Netherlands have values per hectare per year in ecosystem services of between €13,500 in Biesbosch and €2,400 in Gaasp en Diem, a biologist has claimed. Arnold van Vliet of Wageningen University based his calculations on the Ecosystem Services Valuation Database. He also used UN FAO’s Adaptation, Biodiversity and Carbon Mapping Tool (ABC-Map) to visualise the value distribution in the reserves. (LinkedIn)
Saved soon, maybe – A new project is underway to save more New Zealand seabirds such as the Antipodean albatross from becoming victim to longline fishing boats, RNZ reported. The Southern Seabirds Trust and Department of Conservation are working to create a ‘seabird-safe longline fishing toolkit’ – that will be given to international fishing boats. Janice Molloy, trust convenor, said New Zealand was moving towards monitoring all of its fishing fleet, which was positive. However, international boats that fish outside the country’s exclusive economic zone were not covered by New Zealand’s laws, and that was where the birds were getting into trouble, she said.
Ready, study, go – World Wetlands Day on Feb. 2 marked the official opening of the Global Wetland Centre (GWC), a new research centre established at the University of Copenhagen in Denmark to investigate further the role of wetlands in absorbing greenhouse gas emissions. The GWC’s work – harnessing digital modelling tools, artificial intelligence, and satellite data – will inform a set of recommendations to be presented to decision makers. Case studies will be conducted in Vietnam, Tanzania, and Norway.
When elephants fight the grass suffers – The risks for conflict between elephants and humans could increase in the future due to climate change, according to new research led by an academic from the University of California. Crops and water can also lead to human-elephant interactions that result in elephant deaths, ABC News reported. The most conflicts already occur in east central Africa and India. The risk of the number of incidences for both African and Asian elephants is likely to increase by 2050 under various scenarios, the researchers found using data on human population density, cropland density and Asian and African elephant ranges.
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