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TOP STORIES
INTERVIEW: Governments, financiers urged to back expansion of nature insetting
A high-level initiative led by governments and financial institutions should be established to expand insetting beyond just carbon, as deep transformation across supply chains is unlikely to happen unless businesses address their impacts on nature, a member of the International Platform for Insetting (IPI) has told Carbon Pulse.
Brazilian carbon developer eyes biodiversity credits amid increasing corporate interest
A Brazilian carbon developer is planning to explore biodiversity credit opportunities in the Amazon and Atlantic forests, amid increasing corporate interest in nature-related claims, the company project director told Carbon Pulse.
MARKET
Travel company inks deal to buy biodiversity credits from restoration project in Portugal
A London-headquartered travel company has clinched a deal to acquire a batch of biodiversity credits generated through a nature restoration project in Portugal.
UK consultancy, online platform team up to scale nature markets
An England-based consultancy has joined forces with a digital environmental marketplace to scale nature markets across the UK, seeking to reward farmers and landowners who implement biodiversity restoration projects.
Some UK small sites delivering over 100% biodiversity net gain, report says
Some small development sites in England have achieved biodiversity net gain (BNG) at least 10 times greater than the legal requirements, according to a report released Monday.
BUSINESS & FINANCE
Tech firms partner to tackle UK water monitoring challenge
Two technology companies on Tuesday announced a partnership to scale UK water quality monitoring in a bid to confront the industry’s pollution impact on nature.
French investor announces coalition to support €350 mln NbS fund
A French asset manager announced last week a coalition of investors and partners to support its €350 million natured-based solutions (NbS) fund focused on sustainable agriculture.
German nature tech firm secures €5 mln to develop risk management platform
A Germany-based nature tech company has raised €5 million in seed funding to advance its platform aimed at enabling companies to assess and manage their environmental impacts.
Petrobras launches bioeconomy fund eyeing carbon, biodiversity credits
Brazilian state-owned oil company Petrobras has established a bioeconomy fund to support climate- and nature-focused initiatives in the country, with plans to target carbon and biodiversity credit projects.
TOOLS & GUIDANCE
French companies launch public nature tech database
A public database of approximately 1,000 early-stage nature technology companies was launched on Tuesday by Paris-based organisations Motherbase and CDC Biodiversite.
POLICY
Muhamad steps down as Colombian environment minister
Susana Muhamad has resigned as Colombian environment minister following a protest over a cabinet appointment, with one expert saying the move could be a “major distraction” at resuming COP16 negotiations even though she intends to remain as president of the UN summit.
Major US nature study cancelled via executive order to bolster the energy industry
A major US-wide nature study has been cancelled amidst the deletion of multiple environmental government sites through a recent executive order (EO) by President Donald Trump aimed at boosting energy production.
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BITE-SIZED UPDATES FROM AROUND THE WORLD
BUSINESS & FINANCE
Deep seabed – US-based solar panel manufacturer First Solar has announced it will exclude minerals mined from the deep seabed from its supply chain until adequate scientific study evaluates the associated environmental risks. This commitment follows a shareholder proposal led by non-profit As You Sow, Edie reported. To date, commercial seabed mining for critical minerals such as cobalt, manganese, and nickel is not permitted since too little is known about the deep sea ecosystem and the negative impact of drilling the seabed with large excavators. Countries are in the process of negotiating a mining code under the International Seabed Authority (ISA), with the next Council meeting due to take place in July.
Priorities – Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI) has sent an open letter to COP16 President Susana Muhamad, highlighting two key priorities for the upcoming biodiversity talks in Rome. PRI emphasised the need for parties to focus on resource mobilisation strategies to create a clear framework for increasing private investment in nature, as well as on establishing a monitoring framework for relevant indicators. “Investors recognise that biodiversity loss exacerbates system level risks which threaten financial systems… But voluntary action is not enough,” PRI said.
POLICY
Straw wars – President Trump announced plans to issue an executive order (EO) next week to reverse the Biden administration’s policy to phase out single-use plastics in US federal agencies by 2035. Trump made the announcement on Truth Social, a social media platform, stating that he will be “ending ridiculous Biden push for paper straws, which don’t work”. The policy, signed by former President Biden last summer, aimed to eliminate single-use plastic products in federal food service, packaging, and events by 2027, with a full phase-out across federal agencies by 2035. It remains unclear if any additional policies may be rescinded under the proposed EO. The latest announcement follows a series of EOs recently signed by Trump aimed at rolling back environmental initiatives implemented under the Biden administration.
Falkland farms – The Falkland Islands government is consulting on a possible land recovery programme that seeks to address environmental, economic, and social challenges. The proposals focus on restoring degraded land, improving agricultural productivity, and protecting biodiversity through sustainable farming. The consultation addressed payment models for farmers, levels of public funding, and private contributions. The maximum annual payments to landowners could be £3.6 mln, supporting 360,000 ha across 30% of the islands.
Animal attacks – Indian politician Priyanka Gandhi has vowed to pressure the government to increase funding for tackling human-animal conflict, Onmanorama reported. The Keralan MP said she would try to minimise the conflict while seeking to raise social funds on the issue. This year seven people have lost their lives to elephants, four to snakes, and one to a tiger. Authorities have said they are short of funds to confront the issue.
SCIENCE & TECH
Satellites – The European Space Agency (ESA) will launch its seventh Earth explorer mission in April, Nuno Miranda, project manager at ESA, said on Tuesday during an event at the ongoing ‘Biospace’ week in Frascati, Italy. Dubbed Biomass, the five-year initiative is designed to deliver key information about the state of forests and how they are changing, as well as to enhance knowledge of the role forests play in the carbon cycle.
Space mission – A team of researchers has launched a project aimed at monitoring biodiversity from space. Dubbed Bioscape, and backed by NASA, the initiative aims to explore innovative methods for monitoring life on land and in water, using data gathered from aircraft and satellites, Earth.com reported. “In a year from now, we will have new findings and better insights,” said Erin Hestir of the University of California, Merced, among the researchers involved in the project.
Bangladeshi fishing – Methods of fishing, such as the use of wetland-draining pumps, are driving fish species to extinction in parts of Bangladesh, the Dhaka Tribune reported. The Jamalganj region is seeing a sharp decline in fish stocks due to illegal practices, sparking concerns over wider biodiversity loss. Local residents said excessive pesticide use and destructive nets were also contributing to the loss of snails and turtles.
Indicators – The existing gap in the coverage of biodiversity indicators at local scales must be urgently bridged to ensure that progress towards the Global Biodiversity Framework targets is adequately tracked, according to a study led by researchers at Canada’s McGill University and published in the journal Biological Conservation. The paper called for incorporating local data sources into global biodiversity indicators, while also evaluating their performance at a range of actionable scales. “Verifying whether we are suitably equipped to detect changes before 2030 is critical to ensure that political and conservation actions can be proactively assessed to meet the 2030 targets,” said the study.
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