Presenting Biodiversity Pulse, Carbon Pulse’s free newsletter on the biodiversity market. It’s a twice-weekly summary of our news plus bite-sized updates from around the world. Subscribe here

All articles in this edition are free to read (no subscription needed). However, we require that all Biodiversity Pulse readers have a Carbon Pulse login to access our nature and biodiversity content in full. To get a login, sign up for a free trial of our news. If you’ve already had a trial, then you already have a login.

TOP STORY

INTERVIEW: African nature accelerator changes tack after biodiversity credit issues

An African nature accelerator has relaunched, aiming to help raise millions of dollars in a second cohort with a different focus following obstacles in the biodiversity credit market.

MARKET

Developer launches second biodiversity credit project in Colombia amid market flux

Biodiversity credit developer Terrasos will in May officially mark the first issuance from its new Aguadulce Habitat Bank, placing 20,233 Terrasos Biodiversity Units (Tebus) on the market.

BioCarbon launches water crediting programme

The BioCarbon environmental standard on Thursday launched a water crediting programme at the Colombia Carbon Forum in Bogota, following a 30-day public consultation.

TOOLS & GUIDANCE

Study outlines approach for maximising EU species, climate, land use benefits

An approach for the EU that maximises benefits for species conservation, climate mitigation, and agricultural land use has been proposed in an academic paper published on Monday.

Stakeholder group launches nature fintech taxonomy

The Nature Tech Collective on Monday launched a five-part taxonomy to help navigate the emerging sector of nature-related financial technology.

POLICY

High Ambition Coalition launches funding mechanism for biodiversity targets

The High Ambition Coalition for Nature and People (HAC for N&P) on Tuesday launched a financial mechanism to provide small-scale grants aimed at helping developing member countries achieve their “30×30” biodiversity targets.

Tunisian govt launches $24-mln project to restore forests, boost climate resilience

The government of Tunisia, in partnership with the African Development Bank (AfDB), has launched a $24 million initiative to restore degraded forests and boost climate resilience in the rural areas of the nation.

New Dutch nitrogen effort introduces 2035 emissions reduction goals

The Netherlands has announced nitrogen emissions reduction targets for point sources in industry, mobility, construction, and agriculture in a bid to tackle catastrophic pollution that has grounded building projects and is stalling even sustainability, according to the minister in charge.

Trump orders agency to set deep sea mining in motion

US President Donald Trump on Thursday ordered the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to expedite the process for reviewing and issuing seabed mining permits, seeking to set the nation up as a global leader even as scientists warn of potential disastrous consequences for the ocean.

PROJECTS

Venture-backed initiative launches first reforestation project in Brazil

A Brazilian reforestation venture has unveiled its first project with an aim to restore 1,200 hectares of rainforest in the country’s Atlantic Forest with over 70 native tree species, its CEO told Reuters in an interview.

SCIENCE & TECH

Seasonal deforestation in Brazilian Amazon up 18% YoY through March -report

Seasonal deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon is up 18% year-on-year (YoY) through the end of March, according to a report published Friday by a Belem-based scientific research non-profit.

—————————————————

BITE-SIZED UPDATES FROM AROUND THE WORLD

BUSINESS & FINANCE

Kick-off funding — The High Integrity Forest Investment initiative, led by the Wildlife Conservation Society, has successfully attracted private investment to support conservation efforts in strategic ecosystems across Latin America, Central Africa, and Southeast Asia, it announced Monday. Bank of America funded the structuring and stakeholder consultation of a pilot in the Jau National Park in Brazil. Good Energies Foundation and UBS Optimus Foundation funded project assessment and prioritisation in the Amazon Basin.

Plywood mill – Australia-based investor New Forests’ Tropical Asia Forest Fund 2 has acquired a majority interest in a timber plantation forestry company in Laos called Burapha Agro-Forestry. The timber company is comprised of 6,000 ha of planted forest, a plywood mill, and a voluntary carbon project, New Forests said. Burapha is highly regarded for its agroforestry, it said. As a result of the acquisition, TAFF2 now has access to close to 85,000 ha, with approximately 15,000 ha of planted area.

TOOLS & GUIDANCE

Nature not nurture – The English government is failing to support the natural regeneration of trees due to excessive focus on planting, throwing it off course from its woodland creation targets, campaigners have said. Only 5% of Forestry Commission grants for woodland creation have been spent on the natural regeneration of trees, while the remainder is spent on tree planting, The Guardian reported. Natural regeneration is when trees grow without human interference through self-seeding.

Singaporean guide – The Singapore Sustainable Finance Association has launched a practical guide for financial institutions to manage nature-related risks while leveraging climate action momentum. The document is its first publication since launching in 2024. The white paper offers ways to integrate nature into financial decision-making while unlocking opportunities that support nature protection. Financial institutions within agriculture, mining, manufacturing, and real estate in particular need to start assessing their risks, it said.

POLICY

Nature fun – Two funds founded by the Danish state to support the environment, the Nature Fund and the Climate Forest Fund, will receive a total of DKK 400 mln ($61 mln) for supporting natural areas in their country. The money from pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk’s foundation, one of the world’s largest charitable enterprises, aims to help accelerate the establishment of nature projects. The grants are part of the DKK 10 bln allocated by the non-profit to projects contributing to the green transition.

PROJECTS

Bottom trawling – France, Germany, and Italy are failing to protect vulnerable marine ecosystems, in violation of EU law, according to a legal complaint filed today with the European Commission. The NGOs behind the complaint are calling for the EU Commission to refer the issue to the EU Court of Justice. The filers are the Environmental Justice Foundation, Blue Marine Foundation, ClientEarth, Defense des Milieux Aquatiques, and Deutsche Umwelthilfe. Bottom trawling is taking place in 77% of France’s marine Natura 2000 sites, 85% of Germany’s, and 44% of Italy’s, they said.

SCIENCE & TECH

Galapagos microplastics – To address the threat of marine microplastic pollution in the Galapagos Islands, the International Atomic Energy Agency’s Nuclear Technology for Controlling Plastic Pollution has announced an Ecuadorian collaboration to build microplastic monitoring capacity. The group is partnering with Ecuador’s Oceanographic Institute of the Navy and Polytechnic School of the Coast. An estimated six tonnes of plastic waste wash ashore the islands each year.

Brazilian Cerrado – An academic paper has used standardised input data to estimate the biodiversity impact of land use change driven by agriculture in the Brazilian Cerrado across three indicators: Countryside Species-Area Relationship (cSRAR), Species Threat Abatement and Restoration, and Species Habitat Index (SHI). The paper, led by a researcher from Goethe University, Frankfurt and published by journal Nature Communications, found that the cSAR and SHI metrics were the most useful for exploring historical questions about land use change impacts, while STAR could assist understanding of impact risk hotspots.

Got a tip? How about some feedback? Email us at news@carbon-pulse.com