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TOP STORY

FEATURE: Lack of corporate demand holds back nature credit market as carbon developers sit tight

Voluntary nature credit suppliers are exploring strategies to spur companies’ appetite for units, including streamlining purchases and organising awareness-raising events, as players in the carbon space do not yet have the confidence to foray into the market.

MARKET

UK-France panel reveals extended biodiversity credits survey results

A UK-France biodiversity credits panel has published a more detailed version of its call for views on biodiversity credits, as the initiative prepares to launch an Indigenous-focused consultation.

Indigenous participation in biodiversity markets might exclude credits -specialist

The effective participation of Indigenous Peoples in nature markets could mean introducing initiatives other than biodiversity credits for boosting finance, a specialist on the topic said Thursday.

BUSINESS & FINANCE

Corporate disclosure standards on nature urged to align to ensure transparency

The lack of a common approach to biodiversity reporting among emerging standards for corporate disclosures is poised to hamper comparability of companies’ impacts on nature, a paper has said, calling for a global framework that integrates and aligns existing methodologies to be established.

TOOLS & GUIDANCE

CDC Biodiversite to launch free footprinting tool in “huge” step

French data company CDC Biodiversite will this week launch a free version of its biodiversity footprinting tool Global Biodiversity Score (GBS) with limited features.

Global farm alliance’s tool can enhance reporting on biodiversity in agriculture, paper says

A “first evidence-based” tool developed by a global alliance could enable farmers to better assess their impacts on biodiversity, as the need to address nature protection in the agricultural sector is being increasingly emphasised, according to an international group of researchers.

Advisory firm, NGO release how-to guide for corporates to create nature positive strategy

Companies should quickly establish and deploy nature positive aligned strategies, according to a global advisory firm and an NGO that on Monday released a step-by-step guide for doing so, in order to contribute to global conservation targets.

POLICY

Colombia forecasts Amazon deforestation to pick up, downsizes 2023 estimates

Deforestation in Colombia’s Amazon region is expected to climb again this year, as government data released on Monday showed a 40% surge over the first quarter of 2024 compared to the same period in 2023.

Private land conservation group fears Australia is weakening its nature targets

The Australian government appears to be downgrading its biodiversity conservation targets, a peak nature body has warned, based on information in a recent consultation.

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CONFERENCE

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—————————————————BITE-SIZED UPDATES FROM AROUND THE WORLD

MARKET

Sea forests – South Korea’s Hyosung Group, Wando County, and the Korea Fisheries Resources Corporation have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to launch a cooperation project on carbon neutrality and biodiversity conservation, the Maeil Business Newpaper has reported. The agreement aims to enhance marine ecosystem preservation through the creation and management of sea forests. Hyosung will run a blue carbon project in an area of approximately 1.6 sq. km in southern Wando County.

BUSINESS & FINANCE

APAC – US investment research firm MSCI has published a report on the biodiversity risks and opportunities on companies in Asia Pacific. Some 70% of the assessed firms faced “financially relevant risks” from one of three key issues: biodiversity and land use, toxic emissions, or waste and water stress, MSCI said. Companies in materials, consumer staples, and energy had the highest exposure to biodiversity risks, it said. The industrials sector generated the highest average percentage of revenue from products related to sustainable impacts.

POLICY

Observatory – France has announced it will launch a national observatory to monitor the impact of wind and solar farms on nature and wildlife. The observatory will be managed by the Office Francais de la Biodiversite and the Agence de la Transition Ecologique. Their task is to collect and analyse the available knowledge through existing studies and to evaluate the effectiveness of the “avoidance, reduction, or compensation mechanisms” accompanying the development of renewable energies.

Ahead of schedule – Nearly 100 delegates from Pacific island nations have gathered in Nadi, Fiji, to discuss efforts to enhance biodiversity conservation in the region. The meeting explored initiatives to support the review and implementation of National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs), due to be submitted by the COP16 UN biodiversity summit, which will be held in Cali, Colombia, from Oct. 21 to Nov. 1. According to the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP), many Pacific countries have already achieved the target of conserving 30% of land and sea by 2030 well ahead of schedule.

Nope – Australian Environment and Water Minister Tanya Plibersek has announced she will reject an residential and retail development on an internationally important wetland at Queensland’s Moreton Bay. Plibersek said on Tuesday she would refuse Walker Corporation’s Toondah Harbour project – first proposed eight years ago, and opposed by a long-running community campaign backed by scientists and conservationists – because it would have an unacceptable impact on the Ramsar site. (Guardian)

SCIENCE & TECH

N2K isn’t enough – A study published in the journal Biological Conservation has shown that land artificialisation in Europe continues to occur even within Nature 2000 sites, especially in coastal habitats, grasslands, and agricultural habitats. The analysis was carried out by researchers from the Frederick University of Nicosia, the Open University of Cyprus, and Trinity College Dublin. While expanding the N2K network can mitigate the artificialisation of habitats, it does not completely halt land conversion, authors said.

Scientists back nature – The European Academies Science Advisory Council (EASAC) has urged EU member states to help protect nature, climate and sustainable agriculture by backing the Nature Restoration Law. The states were meant to rubberstamp the law last month at the Environment Council, but a last-minute U-turn by some countries meant that the final vote on the law was postponed. The scientists said the law is important to address the severe biodiversity and climate challenged Europe faces and is also of vital importance for the well-being and sustenance of farmers and land managers. Over 80% of European habitats are in poor shape, according to the council.

Indigenous Canadian – Indigenous-led conservation can be an effective pathway for the protection of urban nature in Canada and beyond, researchers have argued in a paper led by the University of Guelph. Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas (IPCAs) are an important governance system for conservation, researchers said. The study examined the potential for establishing a new type of urban Indigenous-focused conservation.

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