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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

TOP STORY

INTERVIEW: UK supports biodiversity credit pilots, national registry in Peru

The British Embassy in Lima is supporting two pilot projects to test biodiversity credit mechanisms and a national project registry in Peru as part of its broader agenda to promote green finance and reduce deforestation in the Amazon basin.

MARKET

Carbon marine research could underpin biodiversity credits

The findings of an ongoing survey of ocean carbon stocks could help inform the data behind biodiversity credits, according to an executive with an insurer backing the work.

BUSINESS & FINANCE

Biodiversity credits could help finance food sector’s transition, says KPMG

Companies across the food sector must urgently rethink their operations to avoid harming nature, with biodiversity credits among the tools that have the potential to finance this transition, accounting firm KPMG said in a report released this week.

Major financial analytics providers lack data on corporate biodiversity risks, study says

Two of the world’s leading financial data and analytics providers fall short in capturing nature-related corporate risks, potentially leading to incomplete assessments by investors, a paper has found.

TOOLS & GUIDANCE

Stacking can make it less risky for financial institutions to invest in biodiversity, report says

Stacking several types of environmental crediting projects or other revenue streams on the same land can help financial institutions overcome some of the risks of investing in more nascent nature-based solutions, including biodiversity credits, according to a report released this week.

POLICY

INTERVIEW: As poorly planned reforestation backfires, Brazil’s approach gains attention

Recent initiatives taken by Brazil’s federal and local governments could serve as a blueprint for biodiversity-friendly reforestation worldwide, amid growing evidence that indiscriminate tree planting can harm native ecosystems, an expert told Carbon Pulse.

SCIENCE & TECH

Agroforestry supports animal species twice as fast as intensive tree plantations, study says

Agroforestry supports biodiversity better than intensive forest management methods, showing significant improvements in about 40 years, roughly half the time needed for tree plantations, according to a paper released this week.

Combining rewilding, sustainable farming may save biodiversity without impacting food production -study

Dedicating at least 20% of agricultural lands for rewilding and adopting wildlife-friendly practices on remaining areas could reverse biodiversity declines while maintaining food production, according to a study released this week.

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BITE-SIZED UPDATES FROM AROUND THE WORLD

BUSINESS & FINANCE

Restoration revived – NatureScot has reopened applications to its Nature Restoration Fund after receiving more funding from the Scottish government, it announced this week. The fund supports biodiversity, marine, and terrestrial projects with grants, ranging from £25,000 to upwards of £250,000. NatureScot is inviting its first round of applications until 12 noon on July 14, but has said it will open a second application window for projects starting in 2026. Since it was established in 2021, the Scottish government has invested £65 mln in the Nature Restoration Fund.

POLICY

Environmental reform – In a bid to overhaul Australia’s environmental legislation, Environment Minister Murray Watt convened working groups with business leaders, miners, environmentalists, farmers, urban developers, and other stakeholders to find common ground on long-awaited reforms to the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act. The act has seen little change since 1999, reported ABC News. Minister Watt described the current laws as “broken”, noting widespread agreement that the legislation is failing both the environment and industry. The initiative follows a 2020 review that called for stronger national standards and an independent environmental watchdog.

New nature plan – Nigeria has updated its National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP), the country’s environment minister said this week in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital. This newly validated strategy contains 23 national targets for Nigeria to hit by 2030, in line with the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. Voice of Nigeria reported that Environment Minister Amah Moses said he looked forward to implementing the plan.

Marsh mongoose – Rwanda is preparing to protect several islands on Lake Kivu by 2028 in a bid to boost conservation and tourism, reported The New Times. The 10 islands on the Rwandan side of the lake will become the country’s fifth national park and are home to species such as the marsh mongoose, the forest cobra, and the Senegal data palm, some of which are endangered. The decision follows the government announcing a resettling programme of over 25,000 island residents, on the basis of the areas having lack of access to utilities.

Conservation alliance – Botswana, South Africa, and Zimbabwe have signed an agreement to establish the Greater Mapungubwe Transfrontier Conservation Area. This initiative aims to promote cross-border environmental preservation, while fostering sustainable socio-economic growth and protecting local communities. The countries will work together to safeguard both the natural environment and cultural sites within the Greater Mapungubwe region by enhancing livelihoods and conservation efforts. According to local media, communities in the area currently face significant challenges, particularly human-wildlife conflicts to which approximately 300 people in Zimbabwe lost their lives between 2019-23.

Chipping in – Oman aims to advance biodiversity conservation efforts through strengthening 30 natural reserves throughout the country, state news agency ONA reported. Spanning some 15,000 square kilometres across the Muscat, South A’Sharqiyah, Al Wusta, A’Dakhiliyah, and Dhofar governorates, the reserves will benefit from a $144-mln investment. The funding is aimed at developing projects to enhance sustainable development, protect ecosystems, promote ecotourism, and ensure the sustainable use of natural resources.

SCIENCE & TECH

Deposit return dream – Vietnam could stop up to 77,000 tonnes of plastic waste from reaching landfill if it started a deposit return scheme, a study has found. The proposed scheme would offer consumers between $0.03 and $0.06 for every single-use PET bottle or aluminium can returned. Vietnam Plus reported that the scheme would align with the country’s extended producer responsibility policies and could potentially prevent 265,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions from entering the atmosphere. The Norwegian embassy in Hanoi commissioned Eunomia Research and Consulting to run the study.

Ship, ship, hooray – A digital tool has been created, aiming to help Danish ships avoid important areas for biodiversity. Vessels will be able to use the tool, developed by Danish Shipping, to navigate safely while minimising harm to marine ecosystems. Free to use, the tool will suggest the least damaging routes by which to sail through Danish waters. This launch has followed the UN Ocean Conference in Nice, where Denmark reaffirmed its commitment to ban bottom trawl fishing in parts of its territorial waters.

Marine highways – The WWF has launched a new initiative, dubbed ‘Blue Corridors for Turtles’, aimed at mapping blue corridors for turtles across more than 50 countries worldwide. The programme will connect movement data with genetics data for the first time, bridging significant knowledge gaps about marine turtle connectivity in every ocean basin. “By establishing protected blue corridors, we can safeguard the critical feeding grounds, nesting beaches, and migration routes that turtles depend on for survival, while simultaneously advancing international commitments under the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals, the Convention on Biological Diversity, and the new High Seas Treaty,” said Pepe Clarke, leader of WWF’s Ocean Practice.

Fast fashion graveyard – Clothes discarded by UK consumers have been found in Ghana’s protected wetlands, including the internationally designated Densu Delta Ramsar site, according to an investigation by Unearthed and Greenpeace Africa. Garments from brands such as Next, George at Asda, and Marks & Spencer ended up in the wetlands after being illegally dumped, the research found. “Dumping of refuse at any part of the wetland contravenes best international conservation protocols,” said Eric Atta-Kusi, wetlands operations manager at Ghana’s Forestry Commission.

Holes in the boat – Canada’s federal government has announced an almost C$7 mln ($5 mln)–investment for 20 projects through its Flood Hazard Identification and Mapping Program, as part its National Adaptation Strategy. This comes amid record-breaking climate events, ranging from wildfires and heat waves, to floods and extreme cold. Environment and Climate Change Canada is investing C$3.3 mln in nine projects focused on advancing flood mapping science nationally and bringing together Canadian research institutions and departmental scientists. Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) is investing C$2.8 mln in eight projects to develop and improve regional flood modelling approaches to advance coverage of this hazard throughout Canada. NRCan is also investing C$750,000 to support three projects focused on the exchange between Indigenous Traditional Knowledge and other scientific practices related to flood hazard mapping. 

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