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TOP STORY

Discussions underway in Indonesia to develop national biodiversity credit scheme

The Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) held a meeting with government officials on Monday to explore the development of a national scheme for biodiversity credits.

MARKET

Non-profit announces ratings agency for nature projects

UK-based non-profit Foundation For Nature has announced it is developing a ratings agency for nature restoration initiatives to help build nature markets.

Biodiversity credit projects must focus more on investors’ needs, report says

Conservation and restoration finance initiatives, including biodiversity credit projects, must prioritise investor needs over ecological considerations during the design phase to attract buyers and avoid economic loss, a US-based non-profit has said.

BUSINESS & FINANCE

Australian asset manager launches A$750-mln agriculture strategy eyeing biodiversity, carbon markets

A Sydney-headquartered investment manager has launched an A$750-million ($473 mln) strategy targeting sustainable agriculture projects in Australia and New Zealand, with plans to engage in the biodiversity and carbon markets.

Nature financing initiative launches with European Space Agency funding

A satellite data-driven nature financing initiative supported by the European Space Agency has launched with six pilots, including a biodiversity credit indicator project.

POLICY

Brazil launches $26 mln call for restoration of Indigenous lands

Brazil’s national development bank and environment ministry on Friday launched a R$150 million ($25.6 mln) call for the ecological restoration of Indigenous lands in areas of the country suffering from deforestation.

EU moves to include biodiversity among criteria for renewable energy auctions

EU member states have agreed to include biodiversity protection among the criteria that should be considered in renewable energy auctions under the bloc’s Net Zero Industry Act (NZIA).

SCIENCE & TECH

Study maps high-value protected areas in Africa

A team of researchers has identified 162 protected areas (PAs) across Africa with above-average potential for nature conservation, arguing that their effective management could play a critical role in achieving the region’s biodiversity targets.

Less than 10% of plastic made from recycled materials, study finds

Less than 10% of the plastic produced worldwide in 2022 was made from recycled materials, according to a paper released this week.

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BITE-SIZED UPDATES FROM AROUND THE WORLD

BUSINESS & FINANCE

Biodiversity committee – UK-based building materials and packaging group Mannok has established a committee tasked with ensuring biodiversity protection and restoration across its operations, Agg-Net reported. The team has already started working on a tree-planting project at the company’s insulation plant. “We firmly believe that tackling biodiversity loss requires collaboration between government, business, and community. By working with stakeholders at all levels, we aim to create lasting positive change in the areas where we operate,” said Mannok’s environmental manager, Stephen Linden.

Jaguar protection – China-headquartered multinational tech giant Huawei and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) have launched the second phase of a project aimed at enhancing jaguar protection in the Dzilam de Bravo State Reserve in Mexico. Announced at the Tech4Nature summit in Merida, Mexico, the second phase of the project will focus on collecting data about the distribution of jaguars and improving reserve management.

Mining for biodiversity – UK-based silver and gold mining company Hochschild Mining has entered into an agreement focusing on biodiversity action at a mine in southern Peru. The agreement, with the Center for Conservation and Sustainability of the Smithsonian National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute, aims to design, implement, and monitor grassland management. The centre seeks to align biodiversity conservation with the priorities of large infrastructure developments. (Directors Talk Interviews)

Kangaroo Island – Australia is on the verge of massively boosting its production of biochar due to a single large project, but its benefits are still relatively unknown in policymaker circles, according to proponents. South Australian company Re-Vi last week began commissioning the first of four planned pyrolysis units at its Kangaroo Island Biochar project. The project has been in the works since 2022 and will take around 5 mln tonnes of fire-damaged wood and turn it into about 1 mln tonnes of biochar, that will subsequently create 2 mln carbon removal credits. (Carbon Pulse)

POLICY

Time for action – Pakistan is ramping up efforts to restore blue carbon ecosystems to improve climate resilience, Maritime Affairs Minister Junaid Anwar Chaudhry has said, according to Mettis. He called for the protection of mangroves, seagrasses, and salt marshes, which act as carbon sinks and natural defences against rising sea levels. But a report earlier this year said that the carbon sequestration potential from these ecosystems may be overestimated. The minister also warned of growing threats from pollution, overfishing, and coastal development, urging immediate action.

Joining the game – South Korea has registered its first three Other Effective land-based Conservation Measures (OECMs) as part of efforts to meet its GBF obligations, Enews Today reports. Gariwangsan National Recreation Forest is the biggest of the three at 10,209 ha, while Geombongsan National Recreation Forest (751 ha) and the Baekdudaegan Arboretums (1,211 ha) were also included.

Bear necessities – Slovakia is planning to allow the hunting of 350 brown bears this year, after hunting 144 last year, to the dismay of some lawmakers in the European Parliament, according to Euractiv. The bear is protected under the EU’s Habitats Directive, which allows killing only under specific conditions, with some MEPs saying Slovakia is violating the rules. Environmentalists said Slovakia has not sufficiently considered preventative measures to avoid bear attacks. A 59-year-old man died in the country following a bear attack this month.

SCIENCE & TECH

Trouble in paradise – New Zealand’s ministry of the environment released last week a three-yearly environmental update revealing that many native species in the country are at risk of extinction, the Guardian reported. The Our Environment 2025 report said that 94% of reptiles, 93% of frogs, 78% of terrestrial birds, 76% of freshwater fish, and 68% of freshwater birds are threatened with extinction or at risk of becoming threatened. “New Zealand’s unique biodiversity has a high proportion of threatened or at-risk species, one of the highest amid the global biodiversity crisis”, the report said.

Bird control – Data firm Fugro and Oslo-based software company Spoor have signed a memorandum of understanding to develop a bird-monitoring tool for offshore renewable energy projects. The system will help protect bird populations while making environmental assessments more affordable, cleaner, and safer, Fugro said in a press release. Companies will use Fugro’s buoy-mounted cameras to capture high-quality video, even in harsh sea conditions, while Spoor’s advanced computer vision and AI software will be used to analyse data and identify bird species. The new bird-monitoring system was tested at Hywind Tampen offshore wind farm in the Norwegian North Sea, the companies said.

Wildlife corridors – US-based non-profit Saving Nature has acquired 350 ha in Colombia’s Western Andes to provide habitat for several threatened species living in the region. The area is home to endangered amphibians and the spectacled bear, while providing wintering habitat for North American migratory birds. “Wildlife corridors … help stitch nature back together. By restoring habitat and reconnecting what remains, we give species a real chance to survive – and even recover – in a rapidly changing world,” said Stuart Pimm, president of Saving Nature.

Research project – The Natural History Museum (NHM) has announced it will lead a three-year project aimed at advancing biodiversity research in the Amazon region. Funded by UK Research and Innovation, the project seeks to accelerate the discovery of plants and fungi in the Upper Rio Negro area. “The project will provide new insights into the evolution of Amazonian biodiversity that will directly aid conservation, as well as describing previously undocumented plant and fungal diversity in a global hotspot,” NHM said.

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