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TOP STORIES
INTERVIEW: Smaller developers in danger of bearing unnecessary biodiversity net gain costs
Smaller developers in England could incur unnecessary costs while aligning with the country’s biodiversity net gain (BNG) policy, with worse outcomes for nature, a consultant has said.
MARKET
Scottish highland estate to generate biodiversity credits
An environmental consultancy is helping a client prepare to generate biodiversity credits from a 2,000-hectare estate in the Scottish highlands, in collaboration with RePlanet.
BUSINESS & FINANCE
Fair trade company secures inaugural deal under Brazilian green finance programme
A US-headquartered food and beverage company has become the first firm to secure financing from Banco do Brasil as part of a newly-announced programme aimed at advancing the export chain of nature-friendly, low-carbon products from Brazil.
Solar farm developer commits to protecting biodiversity as UK project sparks criticism
A solar farm developer has committed to adopting measures to protect and enhance biodiversity, as criticism has mounted in recent weeks over the company’s plans to build a facility in the UK.
Swiss tech firm partners with German investor to develop nature-based solutions
A Swiss climate solutions and technology company and a German impact investor have teamed up to develop nature-based solutions aimed at tackling biodiversity loss.
TOOLS & GUIDANCE
Biodiversity enhancement tool poised for launch has “sizable” waiting list
A tool for guiding landowners on how to improve biodiversity on their property has attracted significant interest from potential customers, beyond those involved in the UK biodiversity net gain scheme, an executive has said.
POLICY
UN migratory species meeting announces global habitat connectivity initiative
A global initiative to identify, protect, and connect areas critical to migratory species has been launched at the ongoing 14th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species (CMS) in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.
Mexico strengthens ties with local communities to ramp up voluntary land conservation
The Mexican federal environment agency has worked with local communities to expand its programme for voluntary land conservation to protect more than 1.5 million hectares in total.
SCIENCE & TECH
Three-quarters of critical habitats in the Americas set to miss the GBF target -study
As much as 75% of critical habitats in the Americas is falling short of a key conservation target in the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF), held back by issues with monitoring, researchers have found.
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BITE-SIZED UPDATES FROM AROUND THE WORLD
BUSINESS & FINANCE
Looking for feedback – The Taskforce on Nature-Related Financial Disclosures (TNFD) has opened market consultations on its guidance and metrics for financial institutions and eight sectors – aquaculture, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, electric utilities, food and agriculture, forestry, metals and mining, and oil and gas. The TNFD encouraged market participants and corporations to review the publications available on its website and submit feedback by Mar. 29.
Commitment – Nature’s Pride has recently piloted the GLOBAL G.A.P.’s BioDiversity add-on to enhance its commitment to biodiversity conservation, the company has said during the Fruit Logistica trade show. This add-on is designed to help farmers showcase their biodiversity management practices to retailers and traders. Nature’s Pride is the first company outside of Europe to pilot the BioDiversity add-on.
POLICY
Farmer charmer – More than 10,000 farmers in England have applied for the updated Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) since it opened in September, one in eight of those eligible, the government has said. SFI pays farms of all sizes for supporting food production while protecting the environment through measures such as managing land without insecticide, handling hedgerows, and caring for grassland.
Carnivores – The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has signed a partnership with the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS) Secretariat to protect four African carnivores – lions, leopards, cheetahs, and African wild dogs. IUCN and CMS will work together to raise conservation funds and implement the African Carnivore Initiative (ACI). The partnership followed the release of the first ever report on the state of the migratory species.
Green lungs – The Vacaresti Nature Park Association has applied for five new urban protected areas to be established in Bucharest, Romania. Under the project, these areas – spanning 1,500 ha of land – will host bird, mammal, reptile, and amphibian species, and communities will be involved in on-site activities and awareness-raising initiatives. The project follows the establishment in 2014 of the Vacaresti Nature Park, Romania’s first urban nature park.
All eyes on Cyprus – Cyprus’s Akamas region remains under the scrutiny of the European Parliament’s Petitions Committee (PETI) following the decision not to close two petitions on alleged violations of the EU laws by the Cypriot government, Cyprus Business News has reported. The petitions waned against the growing environmental threats in the area and called for measures to protect biodiversity in the Akamas region.
SCIENCE & TECH
More from Romania – The Romanian ministry of environment has released its first spatial data sets to provide a comprehensive overview of the distribution of habitats and species from protected natural areas in the country’s territory. These tools will make finding the necessary information to carry out activities in those areas easier, the Secretary of State Jonut Sorin Banciu said.
Amazon tipping points – By 2050, some 10-47% of the Amazon rainforest will be threatened by increased disturbances, endangering adjacent forests through meteorological feedback loops and risking permanent degradation. That’s according to a study published on Wednesday, that identified global warming, annual rainfall, the intensity of rainfall seasonality, dry season length, and accumulated deforestation as five critical drivers towards a tipping point compromising the Amazon’s resilience.
Doubled – The Colombian ministry of environment has compiled a new list of threatened wild species in the country, with the total number now standing at 2,103. The list was last updated seven years ago. According to the report, the number of critically endangered animal and plant species has more than doubled since 2017, jumping from 182 to 465. The Minister of Environment and Sustainable Development, Susana Muhamad, said that the government will adopt the necessary measures to ensure the protection of wild flora and fauna species.
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