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TOP STORY
BNDES announces more than R$970 mln nature-based funding package
Brazil’s National Bank for Economic and Social Development (BNDES) unveiled on Thursday a R$973 million ($184.9 mln) nature-based funding package, aimed at scaling up environmental and socioeconomic initiatives across the country.
INTERNATIONAL
FEATURE: Corporate non-market environmental donations are picking up, driven by employees and business value -experts
Voluntary giving by companies to environmental outcomes outside of formalised markets is starting to pick up this year after a few years of lacklustre growth, with more willingness to go public on action, and for reasons of talent acquisition and business value, according to experts in the field.
World Bank updates green bond framework, project eligibility list
The International Finance Corporation (IFC), the private-sector branch of the World Bank Group, has updated its Green Bond Framework to expand the range of projects eligible for financing.
TNFD opens consultation on refining nature risk assessment guidance
The Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD) has opened a public consultation on proposed updates to its guidance for assessing nature-related risks, aiming to improve how companies translate nature dependencies and impacts into financially material risks.
EMEA
Finland unveils 10-year roadmap to scale up voluntary nature credit markets
The Finnish government has published a roadmap for supporting the development of voluntary nature credits in the country, outlining actions to 2035 and aiming for integration with the EU’s forthcoming market.
Carbon credit insurers receive Verra approval for durability pilot
A Zurich-headquartered carbon credit insurer has received Verra approval for its reversal insurance under the standard’s durability pilot initiative.
EU set to consider €230 mln investment in biodiversity research
The European Union is preparing to analyse an amendment that could channel €230 million into biodiversity research and innovation.
ASIA PACIFIC
Australia advances water quality credit market with first methodology approval for nation-wide usage
A new Australian water quality improvement scheme has approved its first methodology, giving landowners across the country another pathway to generating revenue for land restoration activities.
The Philippines launches first policy framework for nature-based solutions
The Philippines has launched its first-ever national nature-based solutions (NbS) policy framework and catalogue, as the Southeast Asian country seeks to unlock more investment.
Carbon ratings agency deepens Japan expansion with new partnership
A carbon ratings agency on Friday partnered with a Japanese developer to launch an initiative to improve transparency around the quality of forest carbon credits.
Agriculture body seeks panel members to develop new livestock ACCU method
An Australian agriculture body is seeking expressions of interest to help it develop a new method it has been assigned by the government to create.
AMERICAS
Guyana pledges 32.7 MtCO2e annual emissions cut in UN targets, all from forest carbon
Guyana has released its third Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) to the Paris Agreement, in which it pledges to reduce forest carbon emissions by 32.7 million tonnes CO2e per year by 2030, depending on carbon finance.
Brazilian development bank seeks buyers for R$6 bln in reforestation carbon credits
Brazil’s National Bank for Social and Economic Development (BNDES) launched a public call on Thursday to attract large companies interested in buying carbon credits from reforestation in the Amazon Rainforest.
Pulp producer partners with IUCN to validate conservation management across 1.1 mln ha in Brazil
One of the world’s leading pulp producers has partnered with the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and two Brazilian conservation groups to validate the management of its 1.1 million hectares of protected natural areas against internationally recognised conservation standards, according to a Tuesday announcement.
COMMENT
Biodiversity credits need comparability, not consensus
Can biodiversity markets establish confidence that different approaches produce scientifically credible, transparent, and comparable outcomes?
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BITE-SIZED UPDATES FROM AROUND THE WORLD
EMEA
Forest funding – Morocco’s National Agency for Water and Forests has secured more than €580 mln from around a dozen international partners to finance its 2020-30 forest strategy, which spans 9 mln ha and aims to restore 600,000 ha by 2030, with about €175 mln already disbursed, Morocco World News reported this week. The country seeks to reverse recent annual forest losses of around 17,000 ha driven by degradation, and compounded by overuse of grazing land, firewood extraction, and climate change.
Funding Croatian parks – Croatia’s government has approved €3.8 mln in grants for habitat restoration projects in Plitvice Lakes National Park and Krka National Park, Portal.hr reported. The funding will support habitat and species conservation at Plitvice Lakes and the restoration of travertine barriers at Krka, with both projects financed under the Competitiveness and Cohesion 2021-27 Programme alongside national park co-financing.
River rift – A Montenegrin environmental official and activist has accused the government of removing the Cehotina River from the country’s proposed Natura 2000 network without public consultation, Vijesti reported. Vaso Knezevic said the change split what had been presented in April as the single protected area of Ljubisnja-Cehotina into two parts and removed the entire Cehotina River, which he said provides key habitat for protected species. Knezevic said he had filed complaints with the Directorate-General for the Environment of the European Commission (DG ENV) in Brussels, and the EU Delegation in Podgorica. The Cehotina River was released under pressure from economic and infrastructural interests, against public interest and international obligations of Montenegro, he said.
ASIA PACIFIC
APAC declaration – Governments across Asia and the Pacific this week signed an agreement aimed at improving cooperation on tackling climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution, Business Today reported. During a meeting of the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), the countries adopted the Ministerial Declaration on Environment and Development in Asia and the Pacific 2026, along with the Regional Programme of Action on Advancing Synergies for Sustainable Development in Asia and the Pacific, 2026-30. The overall aim is to better align policies and financing to accelerate implementation of environmental commitments.
Climate funding flood – The Green Climate Fund (GCF) has approved $9.3 mln in funding for a coastal resilience project in Indonesia’s Central Java, it announced Thursday. The project will help local populations adopt climate-resilient agriculture and aquaculture practices, establish flood preparedness measures, and support better water resource management in the low-lying Petanglong area. The five-year initiative will benefit 136,360 people directly and 1.2 mln indirectly, it said. The project is one of 10 that was approved at the 45th GCF board meeting this week, which confirmed $369.1 mln in new climate financing.
Malaysia expands FCO scope – The Malaysia Forest Fund (MFF) announced the creation of two new Sub‑Technical Working Groups (Sub‑TWGs) under its Forest Carbon Offset (FCO) Programme, part of the country’s National REDD+ Strategy. The new groups will focus on developing methodologies for urban forestry and agroforestry, expanding the scope of the FCO initiative. MFF is calling for experts, researchers, and practitioners to join the Sub‑TWGs and provide input for science‑based methodologies.
First forest management project – Taiwanese electronics manufacturer Wistron has gained government approvals for Taiwan’s first forest carbon sequestration project utilising a forest management methodology under the island’s voluntary framework. The company has been working with Yongzai Forestry on the 96 ha initiative in Pingtung county’s Checheng township, Wistron said in a statement, without disclosing more financial details. The project is currently slated for 20 years, with the possibility of extension.
Coming soon – Vietnam’s newest forest carbon decree will take effect on July 15, with accompanying national forest carbon standards and implementing guidance expected to be issued at the same time to enable its rollout, local media reported. The decree establishes Vietnam’s first comprehensive legal framework for forest carbon, introducing rules on project development, credit issuance, ownership, revenue sharing, and trading, including through domestic carbon exchanges and international transfers.
INTERNATIONAL
FAO meeting – A FAO expert group gathered from 30 June to July 2 to advance work on better conserving biodiversity for food and agriculture. The group stressed the need to strengthen implementation of the Framework for Action on Biodiversity for Food and Agriculture. Guidance should be prepared to support countries in translating the framework into actions across crop and livestock production, forestry, fisheries, and aquaculture, according to the group. The experts also called for strengthening alignment between nature and climate agendas and integrating biodiversity considerations into national climate policies.
AMERICAS
Sargassum fertiliser – Mexican company Sarga Agriscience is gearing up to expand exports of organic fertiliser made from sargassum to the US, Colombia, and Ecuador, Mexico Business News reported. The move comes amid increasing demand for its products, which improve crop yields and increase plants’ resistance to water stress, according to the company. Sarga Agriscience’s processing plant in Puerto Morelos currently has the capacity to process 27 tonnes of sargassum per day. To meet rising demand, it aims to install a second production line.
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