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TOP STORIES
INTERVIEW: Mongolia government, Nature Conservancy launch $198 mln conservation finance scheme
INTERVIEW: African nature data platform could launch within a year
The African Natural Capital Alliance (ANCA) is spearheading efforts to establish a comprehensive nature data platform for the continent, in a bid to drive investment into nature-based solutions, an executive has said.
MARKET
UK Peatland Code likely to stack biodiversity credits with carbon from 2025
Peatland could generate voluntary biodiversity credits for sale in combination with carbon credits in the UK next year under Peatland Code proposals launched this week.
International panel launches second consultation on biodiversity credits
The International Advisory Panel on Biodiversity Credits (IAPB) has launched its second consultation on the emerging biodiversity market, seeking to gather views on possible basic models.
BUSINESS & FINANCE
Financial sector urges governments to align policies with global biodiversity targets
The Finance for Biodiversity Foundation (FfB) has released a set of recommendations for policymakers to align financial flows with the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF).
Global standards body to start researching biodiversity disclosures
An international standard-setting body on disclosures announced Tuesday it will include biodiversity research in its priorities for the next two years, paving the way for potential new requirements on nature for investors.
160 financial institutions call for investment in ending plastic pollution
Some 160 financial institutions, with $15.5 trillion in collective assets under management, have called for an ambitious international treaty to end plastic pollution, in a statement led by the UN Environment Programme Finance Initiative (UNEP FI).
Business alliance launches to enhance biodiversity strategies, hasten nature disclosures
A European business network and a US-headquartered conservation NGO have kickstarted an initiative to foster the integration of biodiversity in corporate decision-making, with nine corporations joining the programme ahead of its general launch next year.
SBTN launches first science-based targets for seafood value chains
The Science Based Targets Network (SBTN) has launched a corporate pilot to develop the first scientific targets for seafood value chain impacts, ahead of the full roll out in mid-2025.
Tech firms launch fund for projects aligned with global biodiversity targets
An environmental impact platform and a payments network have launched a fund for investing in projects that contribute to reaching global biodiversity targets.
TOOLS & GUIDANCE
The Biodiversity Consultancy launches nature impact investment framework
The Biodiversity Consultancy (TBC) has developed a globally applicable tool to assess the potential impact of investments on biodiversity, seeking to catalyse flows of resources towards nature-positive outcomes.
IUCN releases guidelines for monitoring biodiversity in protected areas and OECMs
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA) has released a set of standardised guidelines to develop biodiversity monitoring programmes in Protected Areas (PAs) and Other Effective area-based Conservation Measures (OECMs) worldwide, providing a snapshot of the most advanced tools and technologies.
Environmental consultancy releases metric to measure biodiversity in the Americas
A Copenhagen-headquartered environmental consultancy has released an open-access metric to measure the biodiversity value of sites in the Americas, seeking to better inform restoration projects as well as supporting corporate disclosures on nature-related impacts and dependencies.
POLICY
Northern Ireland launches consultations on marine protected areas, ‘blue carbon’ plans
The government of Northern Ireland has launched consultations on two initiatives aimed at enhancing ocean conservation, as it seeks to strengthen biodiversity monitoring and hasten the restoration of marine and “blue carbon” habitats.
Australia environmental offset audit an ‘important exercise’, webinar hears, though govt refuses to release full findings
The Australian government learned important lessons from its environmental offset audit process, officials told a webinar last week, but is refusing to publicly release the full report on its findings.
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CONFERENCE
The HackSummit, Europe’s largest gathering of ClimateTech builders and investors is coming to Lausanne, Switzerland on June 13-14. And you’re invited. You’ll be in great company with 1,500 of the brightest minds in climate and biodiversity, including Marty Odlin of Running Tide, Kevin Webb of Superorganism, Zoe Balmforth of Pivotal, Leo Caprez of BrainForest and Sonja Stuchtey of The Landbanking Group. And it’ll probably be the most fun you’ll have at a ClimateTech Summit this year. Ready to join? Use the code CARBONPULSE20 to save 20% on your pass.
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BITE-SIZED UPDATES FROM AROUND THE WORLD
BUSINESS & FINANCE
The sound of music – Birds chirping in the forest, waves crashing in the ocean, and the sound of thunderstorms are some of nature’s beloved symphonies. These sounds are inseparable from the human experience not only as they have proven to be beneficial for our mental health and wellbeing, but also because they’re believed to have played an instrumental role in the evolution of human-made music. Drawing from this idea, Sounds Right, an initiative led by the Museum for the United Nations, has collaborated with Spotify to recognise Nature as an artist in its own right, letting it earn royalties that will be used for its own conservation. (Mashable)
Old as the hills – In Lithuania, Mano Bank has teamed up with the Ancient Woods Foundation, a grassroot movement that has so far preserved 118 ha of old-growth forests under pressure from the Baltic nation’s increasing deforestation rates. The bank has signed a support agreement with the foundation in order to help allocating funds to the group that will be used to buy old-growth forest properties and conserve them.
Fuelling deforestation – Companies sourcing cocoa from Cote d’Ivoire are fuelling deforestation in neighbouring Liberia, an investigation has found, calling on exporters and certification labels to strengthen their traceability mechanisms. The investigation was carried out by the Ivorian forest conservation group IDEF between Oct. 2023 and Mar. 2024. According to its conclusions, forests in Liberia are being cleared to create cocoa plantations, and beans are being trafficked into Cote d’Ivoire. The report also underscored that traceability mechanisms do not comply with the EU Deforestation Regulation.
Safe journey – The World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), UN Tourism, and the Sustainable Hospitality Alliance have released guidance to help the tourism sector mitigate its impact on biodiversity. The joint report comprises a set of recommendations aimed at advancing efforts in preserving nature, including a call for businesses to regularly assess their nature-related risks and impacts. “This report is a milestone for travel and tourism, representing our commitment as an industry to protect and conserve nature,” said Glenn Mandziuk, CEO of the Sustainable Hospitality Alliance.
Nature philosophy – A paper on leveraging natural capital accounting to support businesses with nature-related risk disclosures has been published in an edition of the Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B, which was on the theme of “bringing nature into decision making”. Led by Jane Carter Ingram, managing director of Pollination, and co-authored by Emily McKenzie, technical director of TNFD, the paper explores how nature data can inform business decisions.
POLICY
Mitigate more – A bipartisan law aiming at boosting the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) environmental mitigation efforts has been introduced last week. Under the bill, the corps will be allowed to contract with a third-party provider in order to mitigate the impacts of their projects. USACE Civil Works builds infrastructures for critical flood management, navigation, and water supply across the country, which often negatively affect terrestrial and aquatic biodiversity. Those impacts must be offset in a process known as “compensatory mitigation”, but currently USACE is mitigating only 58% of what’s required each year.
Conserving Bhutan – The government of Bhutan and the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) have teamed up to launch a Strategic Plan that will provide $30 mln for the country’s conservation efforts and sustainable development. The five-year plan (2025-29), presented on Friday in Thimphu, aims to conserve biodiversity, encourage environmental stewardship, and promote a nature-based economy for the improvement of human well-being and economic growth.
SCIENCE & TECH
In a prickle – Two alleged cacti poachers were set for a rare court hearing this week in the Italian city of Ancona. The individuals were accused of smuggling some of the world’s most threatened cacti from Chile. The case “reflects an increasing recognition of the harms caused by environmental crime”, said a joint press release by an IUCN group, Conservation-Litigation.org, and the Associazione per la Biodiversita e la sua Conservazione. “Cacti will have their day in court.”
Bad vibes – A recent study found that higher levels of both state and non-state conflict in Mindanao in the Philippines correlated with reduced biodiversity and forest cover, Mongabay reports. The security problems associated with conflict also mean there are gaps in knowledge about the biodiversity of conflict-affected areas, and difficulties in implementing and monitoring programs to protect natural resources.
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