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TOP STORY
INTERVIEW: Indian developer turns to birdsong to win over buyers
An Indian carbon project developer is deploying bioacoustic monitoring across its agroforestry projects, betting that hard data on biodiversity can convince cautious corporate buyers to enter the voluntary carbon market.
EMEA
MPs urge UK govt to disclose detail on national security threat from global biodiversity loss
Members of Parliament have called on the UK government to share more information on the threats global biodiversity loss poses to national security following accusations that the current publicly circulated document is merely a redacted version of the intelligence chiefs’ full report.
UK spent nearly £400 mln on international nature finance over four years, FOI data shows
The UK invested almost £400 million in international climate finance for nature between 2021-25, according to government data released this week under a Freedom of Information (FOI) request, revealing funding for more than 40 international programmes spanning biodiversity, forests, oceans, and multilateral environmental agreements.
AMERICAS
Mexican state signs agreement to explore jurisdictional ART carbon programme
A Mexican state has signed an agreement to assess the development of a jurisdictional forest carbon programme under the Architecture for REDD+ Transactions (ART) TREES standard covering almost 3 million hectares, it announced this week.
Environmental NGO files lawsuit against US for failing to designate critical habitat for threatened coastal species
An environmental non-profit is suing the US National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) for what it called a failure to protect a critical coastal habitat of a threatened large sea snail.
Colombia’s incoming environment minister vows carbon market revival, reversing outgoing government’s measures -media
Colombia’s incoming environment minister has pledged to revive the country’s carbon market by reversing key policies introduced under the outgoing administration, including a cap on the use of carbon credits to offset the national carbon tax and controversial draft regulations governing carbon projects.
INTERNATIONAL
Mining for critical minerals puts deep-sea species at risk of extinction, IUCN says
Mining for critical minerals threatens nearly two-thirds of mollusc species found only around deep-sea hydrothermal vents, according to a new assessment published as part of the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
Attracting private finance for nature does not automatically lead to conservation success -report
Providing routes for private finance to flow to biodiversity projects such as via nature credits and ecotourism does not automatically lead to conservation success, a group of researchers warned this week.
Researchers propose new framework to classify carbon credits by mechanism rather than project type
A group of German researchers has proposed a new framework for classifying carbon offset projects based on the underlying mechanisms by which they reduce or remove greenhouse gases, arguing that existing taxonomies obscure important differences in project quality and accounting approaches while lumping together fundamentally different activities.
Carbon market “co-benefit premiums” could steer finance towards higher-impact nature projects -researchers
Adding “co-benefit premiums” to carbon markets to reward nature-based climate projects that deliver measurable adaptation, biodiversity, and social benefits alongside carbon sequestration, could redirect investment towards higher-impact projects that are currently overlooked.
ASIA PACIFIC
Non-profit launches certificate scheme to finance shift from fossil-based plastics
A Singapore-headquartered non-profit has launched a market-based certificate scheme aiming to support companies in transitioning away from fossil-based plastics.
European Parliament blocks EU bid to strip soy biofuels of green label
The European Parliament on Wednesday blocked a European Commission proposal that would have stripped soy-based biofuels of their renewable status.
Temasek sustainability portfolio value grows to S$49 bln, maintains net zero goal
Singapore sovereign investor Temasek recorded 7% year-on-year growth in its sustainability portfolio value to S$49 billion ($37.8 bln) and opted to maintain its focus on enabling carbon market solutions as a pillar of its net zero goal, according to financial year-end figures published on Wednesday.
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BITE-SIZED UPDATES FROM AROUND THE WORLD
INTERNATIONAL
Oceans on radar – UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) has adopted decisions to advance global ocean science, strengthen early warning systems, improve ocean monitoring and data-sharing, and support the implementation of the Agreement on Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ). The measures were agreed during the IOC’s 59th session, which concluded on July 3. Member States also supported the Commission’s role as a technical partner in developing the BBNJ Clearing-House Mechanism, while stressing the importance of continued consultations on future contributions.
Phase three – Luxembourg and the IUCN will progress to the next phase of their nearly decade-old marine funding facility, the duo announced on Thursday. The third phase of the Blue Natural Capital Financing Facility (BNCFF) will seek to work directly with people on the ground to try and direct finance to the most locally important coastal and marine conservation and restoration projects. The government of Luxembourg and the IUCN originally launched the BNCFF to provide technical assistance to blue natural capital projects across Latin America, Africa, and Asia
EMEA
One step closer – Cameroon progressed a landscape restoration programme this week, taking the initiative nearer to UN approval, Business in Cameroon reported. The project, backed by the UN Environment Programme and the GEF, is aimed at improving land management across almost 100,000 ha. Once approved, the initiative will run for 36 months in the Western Highlands and the country’s Mpem-Djim region. It also seeks to restore 10,000 ha of degraded land in addition to improving land management practices.
Funding confirmed – Some 364 threatened species are set to benefit from a pot of funding announced by the UK government earlier this year, the Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs said this week. The governmental species recovery programme, backed with £60 mln, will focus on 130 projects across England. Initiatives will target species including beavers, moss carder bees, house martins, and the aptly-named ghost orchid – a plant so rare botanists found no record of it for 23 years. The focus on lesser-known species was welcomed by Chair of the British Ecological Society Policy Committee Christian Dunn, who suggested conservation success means protecting plants and animals most people have never heard of, as well as the famous ones.
Southern Africa ecosystems – The GEF has approved nearly $5 mln in funding for two IUCN-led projects in Southern Africa. The investments will support climate-resilient coastal planning in Mauritius through the development of a blue carbon framework, while also promoting cross-border investment in ecosystem restoration and water security across the Orange-Senqu River Basin, which spans Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, and South Africa. These approvals bring IUCN’s GEF-8 portfolio to a total of $237.3 mln. Announcements followed the conclusion of the 8th GEF Assembly meetings in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, held from May 30 to June 6.
Wildlife restoration partnership – Zimbabwe has launched a wildlife translocation programme to support conservation efforts in Equatorial Guinea through a bilateral government agreement focused on rebuilding animal populations in protected areas, All Africa reported. The initiative was developed in response to a request from Equatorial Guinea for expertise and support in restoring biodiversity and improving conservation management. Zimbabwe’s Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZimParks) said the operation involves the transfer of a small number of common plains game species and is not expected to have any significant impact on the country’s wildlife numbers.
Biodiversity lottery – Twenty eight biodiversity projects across France have been selected to receive funding, the West European country’s environment ministry announced this week. Programmes focused on wetlands, peatlands, grasslands, and coastal ecosystems are set to benefit from cash injections, as well as projects targeting individual endangered species including bats and mink. The funding will be delivered through the fourth edition of Mission Nature, a scheme run by FDJ United and the French Office for Biodiversity (OFB). The scheme directs a portion of lottery and scratchcard proceeds to nature projects. It has mobilised over €21 mln to date.
Climate Investment – Bosnia and Herzegovina has launched two new GEF-funded initiatives worth nearly $5.8 mln to strengthen climate transparency, protect biodiversity, and accelerate nature-based solutions for sustainable development. Implemented by the UNDP in partnership with the country’s Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations, the projects will enhance climate reporting systems, improve environmental decision-making, restore ecosystems, and support Bosnia and Herzegovina in meeting its climate and biodiversity goals. The two projects aim to improve management of over 42,500 ha of protected areas, introduce sustainable practices across 15,000 ha, and avoid an estimated 2.35 MtCO2e emissions over the next two decades. This announcement follows another joint effort by UNDP and Bosnia and Herzegovnia to establish three new protected areas in the country.
ASIA PACIFIC
Tokens – Thai conglomerate CP Group has partnered with the Mae Fah Luang Foundation to tokenise forest carbon credits, with the pilot project expected to generate around 10,000 credits, the Bangkok Post reported. CP has committed THB 30 mln ($930,000) to purchase the tokens, which will initially be available through the TrueMoney app for consumers to offset emissions from travel and daily consumption. The pilot covers forest across Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, and Tak provinces, with plans to expand the model and develop a fully tokenised system, subject to regulatory approval, the report said.
Community governance – Hempel Foundation, the majority owner of Hempel Group, and the NGO Planet Indonesia announced a new partnership on Thursday. Under the agreement, Hempel Foundation will provide financial support for the first two phases of Planet Indonesia’s long-term strategy in Gunung Naning, a landscape in West Kalimantan, Indonesia. The partnership will focus on strengthening community governance systems, supporting land tenure processes, enhancing monitoring, and advancing landscape-scale conservation planning. The grant will also support Menjadi, an Indonesian organisation that aims to strengthen local environmental civil society organisations and locally led conservation.
AMERICAS
Land seizure – An oil pipeline operator in California has reportedly asked the Trump administration to exercise eminent domain to condemn and seize miles of private and state-owned land to continue operation of the controversial Las Flores pipeline system, according to a statement from the Centre for Biological Diversity. In a letter to the US Department of Energy, Sable Offshore Corporation reportedly asked the administration to seize parts of a popular state park and submerged land off the coast of Santa Barbara, saying potential condemnation would be “required or advisable” to facilitate pipeline operations. The pipeline system has been shut down since 2015 following a major rupture that resulted in over 10,000 barrels of crude oil spilling at Refugio State Park, affecting 150 miles of California coastline, killing hundreds of birds and marine life, and shutting down beaches and fisheries. Sable purchased the pipeline from Exxon Mobile in 2024, and restarted operations in May 2026, following a direct order from the Trump administration.
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