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TOP STORIES

ANALYSIS: Green crediting scheme taken to India’s Supreme Court, as govt advances plantation drive

Two environmental groups have filed a petition in the Supreme Court of India challenging the country’s Green Credit Programme (GCP), which they claim is expected to wreak havoc on the country’s natural ecosystems.

FEATURE: US insurers seen to ignore the nature-based wildfire solutions that could save communities

Nature-based solutions can reduce the risk of wildfires in the US, but insurers would rather abandon at-risk areas than acknowledge their benefits, experts have told Carbon Pulse.

MARKET

BioCarbon updates biodiversity credit methodology

BioCarbon has released an updated version of its biodiversity credit methodology, including a more detailed process for quantifying biodiversity gains.

BRIEFING: Experts call on private markets to plug public funding gap to restore UK environment

This week’s pause in England’s Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) applications could signal a wider cut in public funding for the environment in Britain, leaving a vacuum for private markets like carbon and biodiversity credits to fill, experts told a webinar Thursday.

POLICY

Spanish port rolls out new phase of artificial reef programme for carbon, biodiversity benefits -media

A Spanish port and a Mediterranean nature project developer have joined forces to roll out the first post-pilot phase of a programme that places reef-like structures on the walls of port quays.

Road to Belem: Highway project to COP30 cuts through Amazon, as Brazil’s Atlantic Forest sees “alarming” illegal deforestation

A new 13-km (8-mile) four-lane highway on the perimeter of Brazil’s Belem is cutting through protected Amazon rainforest to accommodate traffic for this year’s COP30 climate, according to media reports.

Canadian govt ringfences C$100 mln to advance biodiversity conservation in Quebec

The Canadian government has allocated C$100 million ($69.2 mln) to advance biodiversity conservation across the province of Quebec, including through expanding protected areas and preserving vulnerable species.

Industry to push for deep-sea mining permits at UN talks as global code still uncertain

The metals industry is intensifying its push for deep-sea mining permits despite the absence of a regulatory framework, as a key UN-established meeting approaches, with a global mining code remaining unlikely in the near future, observers have said.

PROJECTS

Canadian non-profit joins Re:wild in $1 mln Madagascar conservation effort

A Canadian non-profit is joining up with Leonardo DiCaprio’s global conservation group Re:wild to spend $1 million to help protect biodiversity in Madagascar.

SCIENCE & TECH

Larger forests are richer in biodiversity than fragmented habitats, study says

Nature conservation efforts should focus on protecting and restoring large, undisturbed forests as they are better for hosting biodiversity than fragmented landscapes, according to a paper released this week.

Researchers flag shortfalls in widely used methods to assess corporate impacts on biodiversity

Commonly used biodiversity assessment approaches face numerous challenges that are often overlooked by businesses and could hamper their efforts to mitigate impacts on nature, according to a study released this week.

Poor wastewater treatment flushes billions of dollars away, report says

Poor wastewater treatment costs economies billions of dollars annually in marine environmental, agricultural, and healthcare costs, said a report published on Wednesday.

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BITE-SIZED UPDATES FROM AROUND THE WORLD

BUSINESS & FINANCE

Sustainable farming – Indonesian agritech startup Elevarm has secured $4.2 mln in pre-Series A funding to scale AI-driven farming solutions that enhance productivity while enhancing biodiversity and soil health, Heaptalk reported. The round was led by Intudo Ventures, with participation from existing investors including Insignia Ventures and 500 Global. “Elevarm’s approach integrates AI with traditional agricultural wisdom, offering scalable solutions that not only strengthen global food systems but also ensure sustainable farming practices,” said Khailee Ng, managing partner at 500 Global.

POLICY

Rollback – The US administration has suspended a legal opinion that held companies accountable for accidentally killing birds, the Washington Post reported. This decision clears the way for revising the government’s interpretation of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, marking a victory for the oil and gas industry. The industry has long argued that it was unjust for companies to face penalties for unintentional harm to birds. “This is going to affect a significant number of migratory birds, and we’re already seeing plummeting populations of certain species,” warned Tara Zuardo, a lawyer with the Center for Biological Diversity.

Fund filed – A Nature Restoration Fund bill was officially introduced to the UK Parliament this week in a potential step towards a new system for nutrient mitigation and protected species. Under the proposals, which will not substantially affect biodiversity net gain (BNG), a public body will decide how much developers pay into the fund for their environmental impacts. The fund will “ensure there is a win-win for both the economy and nature by ensuring builders can meet their environmental obligations faster”, the government said in a statement. Stakeholders have said the fund could be disastrous for nature. (Carbon Pulse)

Western Balkans – The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) will lead two initiatives aimed at enhancing biodiversity protection in the Western Balkans. The Greening the Western Balkans project will focus on improving collaboration across various sectors, as well as increasing efforts in monitoring and research. Meanwhile, the Adapt 2.0 project aims to integrate nature-based solutions into national and regional policies. Funded by the Austrian Development Agency and Sweden, respectively, these two projects are part of the Green Agenda for the Western Balkans, which serves as the region’s roadmap to align with the European Green Deal and the EU’s 2030 Biodiversity Strategy.

Pick up a penguin – The South African government has endorsed a landmark settlement agreement reached in principle between the fishing industry and conservation organisations to safeguard endangered African penguins, according to Engineering News. The settlement represents a science-based, collaborative effort to implement fishing closures around key penguin breeding islands. The agreement affects the islands of Dassen, Robben, Dyer, and Bird.

PROJECTS

Forests forever – WWF France has launched its second Nature Impact call for projects, targeting French forest owners dedicated to biodiversity conservation and climate change mitigation. The initiative aims to protect 15,000 ha of forest and sequester an additional 400,000 tonnes of CO2. With a goal of raising €40 mln over 10 years, the outreach follows a first call in 2023 that enabled five projects to be funded for a total of €3 mln.

SCIENCE & TECH

Sea monsters – Greenpeace UK revealed on Tuesday that giant supertrawlers have spent 7,380 hours fishing in UK marine protected areas each year since Jan. 2020, damaging marine habitats and fish populations. Supertrawlers operated legally despite the UK government having had the power to ban them from operating in UK waters after Brexit, the NGO said in a press release. “The shocking figures revealed by Greenpeace UK reflect half a decade of broken government promises on ocean protection, during which time these ‘protected’ areas … have been exploited beyond sustainable limits,” it said.

Toad invasion – Australian mining company BHP has partnered with Curtin University to fund a project aimed at reducing the impact of cane toads on Australia’s biodiversity. Researchers plan to create a 150-km containment zone between Broome and Port Hedland, forming a waterless barrier that will protect endangered species across more than 26 mln ha of land, according to the company. “Modelling shows that the plan has a greater than 99% chance of halting the toad invasion for more than 50 years,” it said.

Under the sea – As many as 866 marine species have been newly discovered as part of an initiative led by global alliance Ocean Census, said UNEP-WCMC, which participated in the project. New species of shark, sea butterfly, mud dragon, bamboo coral, water bear, and shrimp were among the most notable discoveries. “The past two years have been transformative for the Ocean Census: we’ve pioneered new methods, established a global network of participating scientists, and overcome the hurdles of a truly global mission,” Oliver Steeds, director of the the organisation, said in a statement.

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