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TOP STORY
INTERVIEW: UN biodiversity chief sets out finance priorities as progress ‘not up to scratch’
Global progress on mobilising nature finance is falling short of 2030 goals, highlighting the need to boost domestic resources as donor budgets decline and explore innovative financing instruments such as biodiversity credits, the UN biodiversity chief told Carbon Pulse.
EMEA
INTERVIEW: Govts urged to use health budgets for urban nature-based solutions amid deadly European heatwave
Governments should allocate part of their health budgets to greening urban areas, as scaling up nature-based solutions is one of the most effective ways to tackle rising temperatures in European cities, an expert told Carbon Pulse.
LCAW26 roundup: Hope floats for climate action while London drips in heat
Scorching heat dominated this year’s London Climate Action Week – even amid talk of new challenges and ideas, ranging from the hopes and fears posed by AI, to the need and opportunity to quickly stem ultra-potent superpollutants.
INTERVIEW: French real estate pioneer shapes EU push to certify CO2 stored in buildings
France’s decade-old BBCA low carbon building label has provided the “laboratory” and much of the methodology now underpinning Europe’s push to create a single low carbon label and certification scheme for biogenic CO2 stored in buildings, its president Stanislas Pottier told Carbon Pulse in an interview.
European consortium lays groundwork for Mediterranean seagrass nature credits
A group of organisations presented on Monday a framework for Mediterranean seagrass restoration aimed at helping quantify ecosystem value and support the development of nature credits.
Nature branded “strategic infrastructure” as EU countries back credits push
EU environment ministers meeting on Thursday said protecting and restoring nature is now a competitiveness issue as much as an environmental one, with several countries branding nature-based solutions “strategic infrastructure” and backing new market tools such as nature credits.
Ghana approaches J-REDD+ issuance
Ghana is close to issuing forest carbon credits under its large-scale forest conservation programme, a minister announced in London this week.
Tanzania rejects claims carbon market deals surrender natural resources
Tanzania has rejected opposition claims that international carbon trading agreements amount to the sale or transfer of control over the country’s natural resources, insisting that its carbon market framework is designed to protect national sovereignty while generating new revenue.
Dutch NbS developer launches Congo cassava pilot after feasibility study
A nature-based (NbS) project developer in the Netherlands has completed a feasibility study for a proposed land restoration initiative in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), it said Friday.
African tropical forests remove enough carbon to offset most land-use emissions, study finds
Tropical moist forests across 18 African countries removed enough carbon to offset most land-use emissions between 2015 and 2019, though researchers said uncertainty means the region’s overall carbon balance remains unresolved.
ASIA PACIFIC
Indonesia weighs bid to host COP18 biodiversity summit
Indonesia is considering a bid to host the COP18 UN biodiversity summit, due to be held in late 2028, a government official said on Friday.
South Korea releases first national ecosystem assessment report
South Korea on Monday published the country’s first national ecosystem assessment report, reiterating the need for proactive policies to preserve biodiversity.
Indonesia, LEAF Coalition operator sign J-REDD+ MoU
Indonesia has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with a US-based nonprofit to explore opportunities for reducing emissions from its forests, with a focus on jurisdictional REDD+ approaches.
Australian carbon, water credit companies collaborate on method stacking trial
Two Australian carbon and water project developers have formalised a partnership and are launching a pilot programme involving stacking credits from their respective activities on top of each other, they announced Friday.
Indonesia forestry group, climate startup join hands for carbon push
A climate technology startup and the Indonesian Forestry Business Association (APHI) have signed an agreement to strengthen the capacity of forestry companies preparing to enter the carbon market.
Conservation should not over-rely on carbon markets, Singaporean NbS expert cautions
Conservation finance risks creating a “monoculture” by relying too heavily on carbon markets, a prominent Singaporean conservation scientist has warned.
INTERNATIONAL
Jurisdictional REDD+ standard updates, offers lifeline for World Bank forest programme participants
The Architecture for REDD+ Transactions (ART) has released version 3.0 of its jurisdictional REDD+ standard, adding a pathway for World Bank forest carbon programme participants to transition into the standard, it announced Thursday.
Researchers say nature-based insurance could unlock billions
Greater use of nature-based insurance could help reduce climate risks, mobilise private adaptation finance, support biodiversity conservation, and help curb rising insurance costs, researchers said in a paper published this week.
Global seagrass sediment stores 650 mln tCO2, according to satellite map
An American research team has found that roughly 650 million tonnes of carbon were stored in the top layers of seagrass sediment between 2019-20 as part of the construction of a global blue carbon map.
Longer reference periods could improve reduced deforestation emissions estimates -study
Longer historical reference periods could improve confidence in estimating emissions reductions from reduced deforestation initiatives, according to new research.
Farm-level GHG accounting methods need urgent harmonisation efforts, study says
Farm‑level greenhouse gas accounting methods remain fragmented and require urgent harmonisation efforts, with estimates for the same farm varying by more than 1,000%, a study said.
AMERICAS
Brazilian lender backs new Amazon REDD+ project targeting 7.5 mln credits annually by 2030
A Brazilian state-controlled lender will support a newly launched Amazon REDD+ carbon credit initiative targeting 5 million hectares under management, annual production of 7.5 mln credits, and around $50 mln in net yearly revenue by 2030.
Alberta publishes biomass waste combustion offset protocol
Alberta has published its biomass waste combustion for energy generation protocol, following a public comment period.
Multilateral bank debuts in Swiss market with CHF 100 mln blue bond
The private-sector arm of the Inter-American Development Bank, IDB Invest, has priced its inaugural CHF 100 million ($123 mln) 10-year blue bond to finance marine ecosystem conservation in Latin America and the Caribbean, among other activities.
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BITE-SIZED UPDATES FROM AROUND THE WORLD
INTERNATIONAL
Growing crew – Jamaica has joined an initiative aimed at promoting international cooperation on nature protection. Launched by Guyana in Sep. 2024, the Global Biodiversity Alliance now counts 129 members, including governments and a wide range of organisations. The announcement was made last week by Guyana’s President Irfaan Ali during a meeting with Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness.
Asia-America cooperation – Uzbekistan and the United States have expanded environmental ties into a strategic partnership focused on climate change, biodiversity conservation, sustainable development, and scientific collaboration, reported APP. The cooperation aims to strengthen Uzbekistan’s climate resilience and address environmental challenges such as desertification, biodiversity loss, and pollution. So far, efforts have advanced through the C5+1 framework, a platform linking Central Asian countries and the US, as well as through exchanges and forums, with both sides seeking to deepen collaboration on forests, protected areas, ecosystem monitoring, and restoration.
Endorsement – The International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) published a release on Friday welcoming the Friends of the Cali Fund initiative and its recognition of the need for collaboration with the private sector in implementing the multilateral mechanism. The ICC, which represents businesses across industries and regions, said the private sector is ready to engage with the initiative, as companies support the principle of fair and equitable benefit-sharing as a means of contributing to biodiversity conservation. During London Climate Action Week, a group of eight countries, together with the EU, called for increased cooperation between governments and the private sector to unlock contributions to the Cali Fund. The fund targets major private-sector industries, including pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals, cosmetics, animal and plant breeding, and biotechnology.
EMEA
Woodland woes – The forestry industry called for a “step change” in tree planting in England last week after official figures showed new woodland creation fell in 2025-26 from the previous year. New statistics showed 5,250 ha of new woodland were created in England, down from 5,770 ha in 2024-25, while productive conifer planting edged lower to 670 ha. Across the UK more broadly, woodland creation declined to 13,480 ha from 15,690 ha a year earlier. Trade association Confor said the figures were disappointing, and not the direction needed to improve domestic timber security.
Biodiversity genomics – The European Reference Genome Atlas (ERGA), the International Barcode of Life Europe (iBOL Europe), and the Consortium of European Taxonomic Facilities (CETAF) have teamed up to advance research on biodiversity genomics in Europe. The agreement focuses on building a continent-wide system that applies genomics to protect European biodiversity.
Wastewater biochar – Edinburgh-based Carbogenics will launch a project in July to test whether wastewater screening waste can be converted into its patent-pending FilaChar carbon material and used to remove pharmaceutical contaminants from wastewater, it announced last week. The IBioIC-backed project will be carried out with Scottish Water and the University of the Highlands and Islands’ Environmental Research Institute, and will assess whether wastewater-derived carbon materials can offer a more circular approach to tackling emerging contaminants such as pharmaceuticals, PFAS, hormones, pesticides, and microplastics.
ASIA PACIFIC
New body – Australia’s National Environmental Protection Agency will officially launch on Wednesday, with tasks including issuing permits and carrying out environmental assessments in line with the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999. The new body aims to improve the consistency, transparency, and integrity of environmental decision-making at the national level, according to the government.
Reef plan – The Australian government has opened a public consultation on an updated plan aimed at protecting and managing the Great Barrier Reef. The review of the Reef 2050 Long-Term Sustainability Plan aims to improve alignment with the latest knowledge and science, according to the government. Feedback is due by July 13.
Protected gains – Malaysia has gazetted around 90,000 ha of new terrestrial protected areas under its Ecological Fiscal Transfer for Biodiversity Conservation (EFT) programme from 2019-25, New Straits Times reported Monday. The Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Ministry said the scheme has also funded measures to reduce human-wildlife conflict, including elephant translocations. Authorities reported elephant conflict complaints in the state of Johor fell by more than 30% from around 900 cases in 2024 to about 600 in 2025.
Big plans – Bangladesh has launched a project aimed at bringing the Halda River under UNESCO’s Man and the Biosphere Programme. Backed by just over $320 mln in funding from the Global Environment Facility, the initiative is implemented by the national Department of Environment with technical support from the UN Development Programme. It is expected to run until 2029.
Five-year plan – Nepal has proposed restoring 30% of its degraded ecosystems by 2030 under a draft national biodiversity strategy released for public consultation, the Everest Chronicle reported last week. The five-year plan would require about $1.5 bln to implement and includes proposed measures for businesses, particularly large companies and financial institutions, to assess, disclose, and reduce biodiversity-related risks by 2030. The strategy aims to mobilise $200 mln a year in public biodiversity finance and another $100 mln annually through innovative domestic financing, while expanding conservation incentives to $70 mln a year.
Indian threatened species – India’s National Biodiversity Authority has released a standard operating procedure guiding states and union territories in the scientific identification and notification of threatened species under the Biological Diversity Act of 2002, Section 38. The framework establishes a uniform process for assessments, stakeholder consultation, and conservation planning, aiming to accelerate species protection while supporting implementation of the country’s 2025 biodiversity regulations.
AMERICAS
Environmental licensing changes – The Brazilian government is set to publish a resolution allowing strategic mining projects to undergo an accelerated analysis process, according to Folha de S. Paulo. These projects would use a Special Environmental Licence (LAE), approved by Congress in late 2025, which sets a 12-month deadline for reviews and consolidates the three stages of the traditional licensing process into one. The measure could apply to projects involving minerals such as lithium, copper, nickel, and rare earths. Supporters argue it would reduce bureaucracy, eliminate redundant steps, and provide greater predictability for investors, while critics warn that shorter timelines could limit environmental assessments, particularly for projects near sensitive areas such as protected areas and Indigenous territories.
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