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TOP STORIES
INTERVIEW: Joint initiative on nature stewardship certificate standard enters last mile
A cohort including Verra aiming to advance the market for nature stewardship certificates without baselines plans to open a public consultation on a first version of its standard next month, one of its members has Carbon Pulse.
FEATURE: Consultancy launches natural capital model with three Scottish pilots
A property consultancy has launched an innovative way of funding natural capital with three different projects in Scotland, including highland cattle and capercaillie birds, in a vision it hopes to scale.
MARKET
Nature credit market forecast to reach $37 bln by 2032
The nature credit market is expected to reach $37.5 billion by 2032, driven by increasing corporate ESG commitments and strengthened biodiversity-focused regulations, a report said this week.
BUSINESS & FINANCE
JP Morgan secures $1.5 bln for forest, climate fund
JP Morgan Asset Management (JPMAM) has raised $1.5 billion for the Campbell Global’s Forest & Climate Solutions Fund II, surpassing its original fundraising target.
Flood protection the most financially important benefit of nature, investment bank says
Nature’s ability to protect from floods is now seen as the most financially important benefit provided for businesses, an investment bank has said.
TOOLS & GUIDANCE
TNFD announces IFRS collaboration
The Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD) and the IFRS Foundation have announced a formal commitment to deepening their work towards enabling nature-related disclosures.
Illegal gold mining keeps driving deforestation on Amazon Indigenous lands, Greenpeace finds
Illegal gold mining led to the destruction of 4,219 hectares of forest across four Indigenous territories in the Amazon region over 2023-24, according to a report by Greenpeace.
POLICY
Uzbekistan, World Bank launch project for restoration of forests, degraded lands
The government of Uzbekistan and the World Bank have launched the Uzbekistan Resilient Landscapes Restoration Project (RESILAND) as part of a broader regional programme aiming to support five Central Asian countries in rehabilitating degraded forests and lands.
EU seals agreement on soil monitoring law
The European Parliament and Council of EU member states reached agreement in the early hours of Thursday on a proposed EU directive to ensure soils are monitored across the European Union as 60-70% of them are currently considered to be unhealthy.
EU agrees on microplastic pollution regulation
The EU has provisionally agreed on proposals to regulate microplastic pollution that are expected to reduce plastic pellet losses by up to 74% in a bid to preserve biodiversity.
SCIENCE & TECH
Australian nature tech accelerator announces recipients of new funding round
Investor Founders Factory and the government of Western Australia have announced the recipients of the second round of funding under their Nature Tech Accelerator, which focus on biodiversity, oceans and water, land and forests, and nature-based industry.
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BITE-SIZED UPDATES FROM AROUND THE WORLD
MARKET
First of many – An afforestation project in Burkina Faso has become the first to be registered under Verra using a methodology approved by the Integrity Council for the Voluntary Carbon Market (ICVCM) for its Core Carbon Principles label, the standard announced Thursday. The Tond Tenga project has been registered under Verra’s Verified Carbon Standard and uses the Afforestation, Reforestation, and Revegetation methodology for restoring more than 12,000 ha of degraded land through native tree planting and agroforestry practices. The method was approved by the ICVCM in December last year, meaning the credits generated using this methodology will receive the CCP label. (Carbon Pulse)
BUSINESS & FINANCE
Bees on a plane – Air Dolomiti has launched a three-year biodiversity project in the town of Sommacampagna, Italy, in partnership with Italian nature tech company 3Bee. The project will focus on the creation of a small so-called “biodiversity oasis” a few kilometres from the company’s headquarters, where 100 nectar plants selected by 3Bee’s agronomic experts will be planted. The area will be monitored using Spectrum, an IoT bioacoustic sensor that detects pollinator abundance and diversity. Project progress will be showcased in real time through 3Bee’s environmental platform, XNatura.
More bees – Precision pollination company BeeHero announced the launch of an initiative aimed at tackling bee population declines. Dubbed the Global Million Hives Network, the initiative seeks to create a large database on bee health and behaviour, in a bid to enhance global monitoring and conservation efforts, according to the company. “Partnerships with governments, NGOs, and agricultural bodies will drive science-based pollination policies and research while advocacy efforts will encourage stronger regulations on biodiversity-friendly farming,” it said.
POLICY
30×30 – The Democratic Republic of Congo launched on Tuesday phase two of a national initiative aimed at advancing efforts towards protecting 30% of the country’s territory for nature by 2030. The Readiness 30×30 project has been funded by a grant to the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) from the Green Climate Fund through the UN Office for Project Services. Phase one focused on aligning the initiative with other national policies, including the Nationally Determined Contribution and the National Climate Change Adaptation Plan, said the Wildlife Conservation Society, which funded the initiative. Phase two aims to implement activities that will mobilise financing, it added.
High society – The European Environment Agency (EEA) has highlighted a need for more collaboration between governments, businesses, and civil society to scale up efforts to encourage greater engagement with nature. Some societal groups value nature primarily for the resources and services it provides, while others emphasise its role in enhancing human well-being its intrinsic value, the EEA said. It identified seven key factors to encourage societal engagement in protecting nature, including sustainable funding.
Indigenous update – Belize has launched consultations on updating its National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan. This week it will bring together stakeholders, including civil society groups and environmental co-managers, 10 years after Belize first introduced its plan. The updates will not introduce major changes, but will address gaps identified over the past decade including representation of Indigenous Peoples, said the government. (Channel 5 Belize)
SCIENCE & TECH
Horseshoe crabs – The Nature Conservancy (TNC) has urged the government of Hong Kong to designate coastal wetland of Pak Nai as a marine protected area. The conservation organisation outlined 10 recommendations for managing the 80-ha ecological hotspot in a report. The area is a nursery for threatened horseshoe crabs. “Hong Kong’s existing network of MPAs covers only around 6% of its territorial waters, compared to the 30% global target. More importantly, many marine biodiversity hotspots remain outside of protected areas, leading to ecosystem degradation and leaving vulnerable species at peril from ongoing threats,” said TNC.
Heavy metals – An improvement in freshwater biodiversity in England’s rivers before 2018 has been linked to the decline of coal burning and heavy industry, leading to a reduction in zinc and copper levels, researchers have said. Although sewage levels are important, they are unlikely to influence invertebrate diversity as much as the metals, the study concluded. A team of scientists led by the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology analysed data from over 1,400 sites between 1989 and 2018 for a study published in journal Environmental Science & Technology. (Water Magazine)
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