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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
UNOC
Pacific Islands pledge to protect oceans, ask for funding
All 22 Pacific countries and territories on Tuesday pledged at the UNOC conference in Nice to work together to protect their oceans under the Unlocking Blue Pacific Prosperity Initiative (UBPP), though funding remains a major challenge.
Nature Positive Initiative announces ‘ocean positive’ process
The Nature Positive Initiative (NPI) has begun the initial process to find metrics that corporations can use to work towards “ocean positive” actions.
Countries sign ocean accounts pledge to encourage financing
Fourteen countries have signed a pledge to implement ocean accounting by 2030 into their national systems in a bid to attract marine conservation investors.
High Seas Treaty approaches critical threshold
The third United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC) opened in Nice on Monday with announcements for the High Seas Treaty, 30×30, and Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).
European govts lead push to revive plastic treaty talks
The governments of Norway, Germany, and the UK are spearheading an initiative in Nice to get negotiations for a first-ever UN plastic treaty back on track, ahead of a make-or-break summit in August.
MARKET
UK standards body launches consultation on nutrient credits
A UK standard body has launched a consultation round on a framework for nutrient credits as part of its broader effort to boost confidence and interest in nature markets.
INTERVIEW: UK govt urged to plug into nascent EU voluntary nature market
The UK should find a way to plug itself into the EU nature credit framework being developed by the European Commission, as the government’s recent U-turn on the biodiversity net gain (BNG) policy risks undermining the voluntary market uptake in the country, an expert told Carbon Pulse.
BUSINESS & FINANCE
New UN initiative to unlock ocean-dependent industry financing
The UN has begun developing a global platform aimed at mobilising billions of dollars in blended and private capital from ocean-dependent industries, it announced Sunday.
FEATURE: Industry, agriculture majors using environmental DNA to tackle risk, boost profits
An environmental DNA company is working with oil majors, miners, and agricultural corporates to identify high risk areas for biodiversity in their supply chains, with the data used to inform business decisions and respond to regulatory drivers.
UK initiative launches to mobilise £500 mln in annual private investment for biodiversity
A new initiative launched on Monday in the UK aiming to unlock £500 million in annual private sector investment for biodiversity conservation and restoration.
TOOLS & GUIDANCE
Gold Standard releases framework for corporate action on nature
Gold Standard on Friday released a framework for feedback to help organisations address their impacts on nature and contribute to ecosystem conservation and restoration.
WWF guides companies on how to act for climate and nature action beyond their value chains -report
The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) released a new paper providing guidance for companies on how to take credible climate and nature action beyond their value chains.
POLICY
GBF Fund approves $26-mln spend for second round of projects
The Global Biodiversity Framework Fund (GBFF) on Friday approved nearly $26 million in funding for three projects aimed at supporting biodiversity conservation across five countries in Africa and Latin America.
BRIEFING: Australia set to miss Great Barrier Reef water pollution targets, will review marine park protections
Australia is likely to miss targets designed to shield the Great Barrier Reef from water pollution, a report this week has found, as environmental groups eye upcoming opportunities to push the government to increase broader ocean protection measures.
Taiwan launches OECM scheme, expects protected nature area to double
Taiwan on Friday became the latest to launch a framework for creating Other Effective area-based Conservation Measures (OECM) sites as part of its efforts to meet biodiversity targets, and said it expects the island’s protected areas to double by the end of the decade.
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EVENTS
Ecology Calling events are returning with a morning of soil health and an afternoon of soil carbon on June 13. Join them at the Royal Linnean Society, central London to explore how to measure, conserve, and restore the subterranean realm. Register now, using the promotional code ‘pulse20’.
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BITE-SIZED UPDATES FROM AROUND THE WORLD
MARKET
Next step – The International Advisory Panel on Biodiversity Credits (IAPB) has announced it is transitioning to operate as a fully independent legal entity outside government. After being established in 2023 by the UK and France, the panel added it plans to develop a policy lab to help governments from the Global North and South implement regulations that underpin biodiversity credit markets. “This transition marks a significant milestone in the IAPB’s journey,” the panel said. “We warmly invite other countries to join us in this global effort to protect and restore nature.”
BUSINESS & FINANCE
Reforestation fund – The Brazilian arm of a Latin American alternative asset manager announced this week its reforestation fund has raised R$100 mln ($18 mln), while its CEO teased further investments to local media. Patria Investments Brazil said in a LinkedIn post Thursday that its Reforest Fund’s $100 mln fundraise marked “an important step in building an investment agenda focused on nature, climate, and regional development”. Launched in Sep. 2024, the fund is aimed at recovering and developing agroforestry assets in the Atlantic Forest region, targeting the region which is closer to Brazil’s major cities, infrastructure is more developed, and land ownership is more clearly established. (Carbon Pulse)
Disclosures – The Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD) has published new ocean-sector guidance tailored to the fishing, marine transportation, and cruise line industries. This initiative aims to support blue economy stakeholders in identifying, assessing, and reporting ocean-related risks and opportunities in line with the TNFD recommendations. “Our ocean is critical to life on Earth and the resilience of our global economy, yet it remains underrepresented in most corporate and financial decision-making,” said Razan Al Mubarak, TNFD co-chair. “With these new materials, TNFD aims to help organisations better understand and respond to the unique challenges and opportunities of ocean-related nature risks.”
Target – The Natural Heritage Foundation of Finland pledged to acquire and safeguard 10,000 ha of forest over the next three years, the Helsinki Times has reported. Established by the environmentalist Pentti Linkola, the foundation currently manages 238 protected sites covering some 6,000 ha. “There is a strong awareness of biodiversity’s importance. The direction of public policy and private responsibility is shifting,” said its CEO Timo Huhtamaki.
POLICY
Joint effort – India and Nepal have announced a collaboration aimed at ramping up efforts to better protect biodiversity. The two countries will strengthen the exchange of information on nature protection, establish local mechanisms to identify and monitor groups involved in the illegal trade of wildlife, and train frontline forest personnel engaged in conservation work.
Low risk – The Australian Beef Sustainability Framework (ABSF) has praised the European Commission’s recent decision to recognise Australia as low-risk under the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR). Patrick Hutchinson, chair of the ABSF steering group, said this designation reflects the industry’s commitment to effective vegetation management. “The ABSF will continue to objectively measurement of forests, woodlands, and grasslands managed within our industry,” he said.
Training programme – Ghana’s environment ministry hosted a training programme to improve access to biodiversity data in the country, in partnership with the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, local media reported. The workshop, which gathered stakeholders from government, academia, NGOs, and research institutions, aimed to unify fragmented biodiversity data into an accessible national platform through the Bioland tool, developed under the Convention of Biological Diversity. The tool will support policy, research, and reporting under frameworks such as the GBF. Currently, 36 countries use Bioland, with another 24 in the testing phases.
Ocean challenges – During the recent Blue Economy Finance Forum in Monaco, the Indian government pledged to implement marine spatial planning across the country, aiming to balance economic development with ocean conservation. In a bilateral meeting with Norway’s government, both countries underscored the importance of international cooperation in addressing major global challenges, including overfishing, pollution, and climate-induced changes to marine ecosystems.
SCIENCE & TECH
Hurry up – A group of 35 academics have sent an open letter to the UK’s prime minister calling for nature to be put at the centre of economic and climate policy. While the biodiversity net gain (BNG) legislation has positioned the UK as a leader in developing nature markets that link growth with environmental improvement, other actions, such as cuts to nature-friendly farming funds, are harming the country’s credibility. The researchers urged the government to consider establishing a National Nature Wealth Fund, funded in part by redirecting harmful subsidies, “to attract long-term private capital and create green jobs in areas left behind”.
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