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TOP STORY
FEATURE: Resumed COP16 talks eye nature finance deal amid resurfacing tensions
The COP16 UN biodiversity conference resumed on Tuesday in Rome after talks were abruptly halted in November, with negotiators facing increasing pressure to hammer out a deal on nature finance amid fears that long-standing political divisions may prove too challenging to bridge.
MARKET
The Nature Conservancy calls for EU nature credit standard
The Nature Conservancy (TNC) has called on the EU Commission to introduce a standard to accelerate the development of compliance and voluntary nature credit markets in Europe.
Scottish nature law proposals trigger biodiversity credit concerns
The Scottish government’s proposals to give politicians the power to modify key environmental legislation have triggered biodiversity credit concerns from a market actor.
BUSINESS & FINANCE
Earth observation data provider acquires forest analytics platform
A Canada-headquartered provider of Earth observation data announced on Thursday it has acquired a wildfire and forest analytics platform to help clients improve environmental risk monitoring and management.
POLICY
INTERVIEW: EU biodiversity agenda jeopardised by poor enforcement of nature bills
The poor enforcement of existing regulations on nature could derail the EU’s biodiversity agenda, as disparities in implementation across member states and sectors remain largely unresolved, the head of EU policy at an environmental NGO told Carbon Pulse.
Brazilian commission sets out path forward for national biodiversity plan
Brazil’s National Biodiversity Commission (Conabio) has issued recommendations on the targets that should underpin the country’s National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP), including halting deforestation, reducing harmful subsidies, and increasing public funding.
SCIENCE & TECH
Biomass industry to triple by 2030 with massive impacts on forests, study says
The global biomass energy industry is set to triple by 2030, posing unprecedented threats to intact tropical forests worldwide, according to a report released on Tuesday.
Study flags gaps in research on chemical pollution impacts on biodiversity
There is a misalignment between studies of chemical impacts on nature and biodiversity measurements, according to a study led by the EU Commission’s Joint Research Centre (JRC).
COMMENTS
Nature – the hottest investment of 2025 that global superpowers can’t afford to ignore
On paper, the world’s plan to protect nature has almost everything it needs – except the money, writes the Zoological Society London.
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BITE-SIZED UPDATES FROM AROUND THE WORLD
BUSINESS & FINANCE
Growing crew – A Brazilian coalition for nature restoration and bioeconomy finance that launched last year, aiming to reduce CO2 emissions by 1 bln tonnes by 2050, has welcomed two new members. Suzano, the world’s largest pulp producer, and WRI Brazil, a think tank under the World Resources Institute umbrella, have joined the Brazil Restoration and Bioeconomy Finance Coalition (BRB), according to local media reports last week. Suzano owns one of the largest private areas of native forests in Brazil, totalling 1.1 mln ha. Its goal is to connect 500,000 ha of priority areas in the Cerrado, the Atlantic Forest, and the Amazon by 2030 through the creation of ecological corridors. (Carbon Pulse)
On the rise – The economic use value of ecosystem services in the Netherlands grew by 50% between 2013 and 2022, hitting €15 bln at the end of the 10-year period, according to the Dutch governmental institution Statistics Netherlands. Forests contributed the most to economic benefits, with an estimated €4.7 bln, followed by grasslands (€3 bln), arable and horticultural areas, and dunes and coastal regions (€1.6 bln), said researchers. Overall, the study showed that benefits of ecosystem services significantly outweigh the costs associated with managing natural resources, they added.
Withdrawing – Indian renewable energy company Green Energy, owned by Indian conglomerate Adani Group, has pulled out of a wind power project in Sri Lanka following concerns over its environmental impacts, Mongabay has reported. Over the past few months, environmental organisations the Wildlife and Nature Protection Society, the Centre for Environmental Justice, and the Environmental Foundation filed lawsuits against the company, citing the project’s consequences for the environment and the lack of competitive bidding for the awarded contract. “We would respectfully withdraw from the said project,” Adani Group said in a statement. “As we bow out, we wish to reaffirm that we would always be available for the Sri Lankan government to have us undertake any development opportunity.”
POLICY
CSRD at risk – The EU Commission will propose cuts to the its climate and nature reporting requirements in a bid to reduce red tape, according to a document obtained by Politico. More smaller businesses would be exempt from complying with the corporate sustainability reporting rules, a leaked document said. Only the largest companies with more than €450 mln turnover would have to comply with CSRD – which has requirements for biodiversity – up from €8 mln.
Plastic treaty – The Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives (GAIA) has called for enhancing transparency and inclusiveness in the UN negotiations on the global plastic treaty. GAIA penned a letter to the bureau of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) raising concerns over the “intentional exclusion of observers from intersessional work between INC-4 and INC-5”, and asked that they be actively involved in all meetings. “The INC chair must govern the INC process in a manner that is conducive to a meaningful international agreement to end plastic pollution,” said the letter. “This can only be achieved through a transparent and inclusive process that includes the demands and knowledge of the groups most affected by plastic pollution across the full lifecycle of plastics, whether rights holders or member states.” In Dec. 2024, negotiators failed to reach an agreement on a first-ever global treaty aimed at tackling plastic pollution, with countries deciding to resume talks in 2025 due to unresolved divergences between parties.
Forest protection – Laos’ Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry plans to revise national laws to better manage biodiversity-rich areas across the country, Xinhua news agency reported. The announcement came after a meeting held last week, aimed at addressing unlawful land use in the Phou Phanang National Conservation Area and Phou Khao Khouay National Biodiversity Conservation Area. Measures will be implemented to enhance forest management, protection, and sustainable use, said the ministry.
Liverpool strategy – Liverpool City has launched a public consultation on a nature recovery strategy for the region. The mayor urged the public to respond, saying there had been “a worrying decline in our habitats and biodiversity”. The strategy maps out potential opportunities for nature recovery. The region has lost 5% of land habitats since the 1980s, including 10% of its most biodiverse grasslands.
SCIENCE & TECH
COP15 cop-out – More than half the world’s countries have no plans to protect 30% of land and sea, despite committing to doing so under the COP15 agreement in 2022, The Guardian has reported. Out of the 137 who have submitted plans, 51% of countries do not include proposals for the 30% target, and 10 are unclear on the goal. Another 61 nations are yet to submit any plan on meeting the targets. Countries meet in Rome this week to finish the COP16 negotiations.
BNG data – A dataset with analysis of all the sites currently on England’s off-site BNG register has been launched by Mark Ashdown, BNG advocate for Bristol Tree Forum. It includes details in one place such as: baselines, improved habitats, allocations taken up by developers, and local planning authority involvement. The dataset will be refreshed weekly. The information could be a valuable open resource for mining with AI, said Francis Hesketh, technical director at The Environment Partnership.
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