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TOP STORY
FEATURE: Why Trump’s return might not derail the global nature agenda
US President-elect Donald Trump’s influence on the global nature agenda may be limited, with policy leaders in areas such as Europe continuing to strengthen action on biodiversity risks unabated, according to experts.
MARKET
INTERVIEW: Biodiversity credits could help African smallholders access global markets
Biodiversity credit markets have the potential to finance African smallholders’ transition towards sustainable practices and help them meet new regulations such as the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), the vice president of a Nairobi-headquartered organisation told Carbon Pulse.
Restoration project in England sells second batch of biodiversity credits
A Newcastle-headquartered software consultancy and a London-based property investment company have purchased the second batch of voluntary biodiversity credits generated through a nature restoration project in England.
Food giant pulls out of plastic offsetting project in Indonesia
A food and drink multinational has dropped a plastic offsetting project in Indonesia, withdrawing its accreditation request under Verra’s plastic programme.
Insurance industry key to de-risking biodiversity credit markets, UNEP FI says
The UN Environment Programme Finance Initiative (UNEP FI) released on Thursday the first global guide for insurers to prioritise actions for nature, stressing their role in achieving global biodiversity goals, including through scaling emerging markets.
BUSINESS & FINANCE
Major asset managers lead opposition to biodiversity resolutions, NGO finds
Shareholders submitted a record number of biodiversity-related resolutions this year, though most of them have been blocked due to the opposition of some of the world’s biggest asset managers, an NGO has said.
Brazil’s BNDES, Conservation International issue $3.8 mln call for forest restoration
Brazil’s National Bank for Economic and Social Development (BNDES) and the NGO Conservation International Brazil have launched the Forest for Well-Being call for proposals, featuring funding of up to R$23 million ($3.8 mln).
Asset manager sets up Europe-focused biodiversity fund, targets raising €200 mln
A Luxembourg-headquartered asset manager has launched a fund aimed at supporting European companies and projects that contribute to biodiversity conservation and restoration, with the target of raising €200 million.
POLICY
IPBES reveals massive unaccounted cost of environmental crises
Current decision-making has largely failed to consider the interlinkages between the ongoing crises in biodiversity, climate change, water, food, and health, with unaccounted-for costs estimated at up to $25 trillion per year, according to a landmark report released Tuesday by the Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES).
Australian state consults on draft biodiversity handbook for renewable energy project developers
The Victorian state government has published a draft guide for renewable energy project developers, proposing that each project must ensure there will be ‘no net loss’ to species of concern.
England proposes environmental overhaul to unblock development
The English government is consulting on plans to overhaul its environmental rules for the construction of buildings, aiming to shift away from a fragmented approach on topics such as nutrient mitigation towards a system centralised around a new fund.
Australia’s peak land conservation body urges govt to ramp up nature spending
Australia must significantly increase its spending on and administration of nature, including putting more money into its planned biodiversity market and change its approach to generating carbon credits, according to the country’s peak conservation body.
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BITE-SIZED UPDATES FROM AROUND THE WORLD
BUSINESS & FINANCE
Nature-positive concrete – The real estate subsidiaries of Danish pension funds AP Pension and PensionDanmark have teamed up with the Planetary Responsibility Foundation (PRF) to develop a biodiversity standard for the construction sector. Backed by a €134,000 grant from the philanthropic association Realdania, the standard aims to outline a method for measuring and reducing the industry’s impact on biodiversity, IPE reported.
POLICY
$1.5 bln – Ecuador closed on Tuesday its second debt-for-nature swap, which will allow the country to buy back $1.53 bln of its international bonds. The new debt conversion, the first of its kind in the Amazon region, is expected to secure approximately $460 mln to support the implementation of the Amazon Biocorridor Program, the Nature Conservancy, among the facilitators of the initiative, said on Tuesday. The programme aims to preserve around 4.6 mln ha of existing protected areas in the Ecuadorian Amazon and conserve an additional 1.8 mln ha of forests and wetlands. In May 2023, Ecuador closed what was at the time the world’s biggest debt-for-nature swap arrangement to date, establishing a $656-mln bond linked to conservation of the biodiversity-rich Galapagos Islands.
Crackdown – Paraguayan authorities arrested 26 people as part of an investigation into illegal deforestation near the borders with Brazil and Argentina, Associated Press reported. According to Interpol, 12 companies were allegedly involved in crimes such as illegal logging, timber trafficking, and the use of fake documents. “This operation highlights the urgent need for continued multi-agency and sustained cross-border cooperation to tackle the criminal networks devastating our environment for profit,” said Kat Henn, Interpol’s assistant director of environmental security.
Orangutan Symposium – The US Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Indonesian Ministry of Forestry launched last week the Orangutan Symposium project, an initiative aimed at incentivising orangutan conservation efforts in Indonesia. “We are encouraging private sector partners, civil society, and NGOs to work hand in hand with the government of Indonesia in safeguarding orangutan populations and their habitats,” said Jeff Cohen, USAID Indonesia mission director. Over the last 23 years, the US allocated over $50 mln through USAID to protect Indonesia’s orangutans and their habitats, as the country is home to 70% of endangered primate species – three of which are orangutans native to Indonesia.
Save the Caspian Sea – In Kazakhstan, a group of environmental activists and scientists has launched a movement aimed at pressuring decision-makers into prioritising conservation efforts for the Caspian Sea. Dubbed Save the Caspian Sea, the movement seeks to promote research, raise funding for restoration activities, organise international events to engage relevant stakeholders, and develop partnerships with governments, NGOs, and companies.
Crane breeding – Vietnamese province Dong Thap has announced a 10-year project designed to restore and expand the population of sarus cranes at Tram Chim National Park, VietnamPlus reported. The initiative targets breeding and releasing 100 crane individuals, with a goal of ensuring that at least half of them survive.
Corals and mangroves – Vietnam has approved a project to establish 27 marine protected areas over 442,230 ha, according to Vietnam News. The initiative seeks to effectively manage 59 fishery resource conservation zones, alongside 63 temporary no-fishing zones in marine areas, in measures designed to protect spawning grounds. It will also restore coral reefs, seagrass beds, mangrove forests, and wetlands. Vietnam will integrate data on the project into its national databases.
SCIENCE & TECH
Discovery – As many as 234 new species were discovered last year in the Greater Mekong region, Southeast Asia, according to a report released by WWF. These include 173 vascular plants, 26 reptiles, 17 amphibians, 15 fishes, and three mammals across Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam. The newly announced discovery brings the total number of vascular plant and vertebrate animal species found in the region over the past 27 years to 3,623, WWF said.
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