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TOP STORY
China establishes government-led alliance for blue carbon trading
Regulators in one of China’s major coastal cities have established a national alliance for the development of blue carbon trading.
INTERNATIONAL
AI tool for nature credit developers reveals information gaps limiting its use
A group of experts has developed an AI tool to support nature credit project design, identifying critical limitations to its use by market practitioners.
Scaled-up crediting needs stronger safeguards as CORSIA, Article 6 demand rises, OECD says
Scaled-up carbon crediting, which covers emissions reductions measured across entire jurisdictions or sectors, or linked to specific government policies, needs stronger safeguards as demand from aviation and Article 6 buyers grows, the OECD said in a report released Monday.
EU supply chain laws raise compliance bar for Brazilian beef, leather imports -report
Companies importing Brazilian beef and leather into the European Union face “serious obstacles” in complying with a new wave of EU supply chain legislation designed to eliminate deforestation, forced labour, and human rights abuses from global value chains, according to a new report.
Countries overlooking large marine animals in environmental impact assessments -paper
Many countries do not explicitly require environmental impact assessments (EIAs) for industrial projects to consider large marine animals such as sharks, a study has found.
EMEA
Asset manager secures $253 mln for environment co-investment fund
A Switzerland-headquartered investment manager has raised $253 million for its first fund aimed at supporting action on climate mitigation and biodiversity protection.
New biochar firm targets African agricultural waste for carbon credits
A newly launched biochar company plans to help African agricultural processors convert biomass waste into biochar and generate verified carbon removal credits for corporate buyers, it announced last week.
Long-term ecological recovery key to effective biodiversity offsetting -study
Biodiversity offsetting under the UK’s biodiversity net gain (BNG) scheme can only deliver meaningful conservation outcomes when restoration areas are larger than impacted habitats and protected over timescales that match ecological recovery, according to a study published Friday.
AMERICAS
US forestry policy needs bipartisan collaboration, management redesign -NGO report
A US NGO is arguing for bipartisan cooperation in forest management policy in the face of increasing climate-related risks and market pressures threatening forest health.
Global livestock dataset launched to improve dynamic environmental monitoring
Researchers have released a set of global annual maps of livestock distribution to help monitor environmental change, assess land-use impacts, and improve climate and biodiversity analyses, as part of a broader pasture data suite.
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BITE-SIZED UPDATES FROM AROUND THE WORLD
ASIA PACIFIC
Heavy machinery – Forest owners in New Zealand spend an average of NZ$8.1 mln ($4.7 mln) on fire protection annually, according to a survey of 21 businesses by the NZ Forest Owners’ Association. The funding goes towards training, specialist equipment, vehicles, prevention activities, and insurance, it said in a press release. Forest owners pay to maintain crews, water supplies, pumps, and heavy machinery to tackle fires, while supporting the emergency services.
Flood management – An environmental group has proposed employing nature-based solutions (NbS) as a way to mitigate flooding in the city of Davao in the Philippines. Interfacing Development Interventions for Sustainability said it is calling on the authorities to integrate NbS such as green spaces into its land use plan and future flood management programmes, reported Sunstar. The group said doing so would make the city more resilient, climate-adaptive, and cost-effective in reducing flood risks while protecting ecosystems.
Gains – Thailand-based digital services firm Ditto’s digital token tied to 400k carbon credits from a mangrove project rose on its trading debut on Thailand’s Bitkub exchange on Monday, opening more than 8% above its THB 1.20 ($0.04) offer price, Kaohoon International reported. The company had raised THB 480 mln through 400 mln tokens to fund the restoration and maintenance of 2,805 ha of mangrove forests. Ditto projects an average annual internal rate of return of 10% under its base case, rising to 20% in the best-case scenario, while targeting a minimum 3% return in the worst case, with carbon credit-linked payouts expected after the first four years.
AMERICAS
Public lands guidance – A working group within Brazil’s finance and environmental ministries expects to publish a report on Sep. 9 providing guidance related to the development of carbon credits on federal public lands, Reset reported. The working group’s goal is to propose ways to resolve legal, land, environmental, and institutional bottlenecks for carbon credit projects on areas including conservation units, Indigenous lands, rural settlements, and public forests that have not yet been designated, aiming to address issues such as land tenure and protecting the rights of traditional communities and family farmers.
INTERNATIONAL
Spatial data – NatureAlpha and The Nature Conservancy have launched a geospatial science data platform to help financial institutions assess nature-related risks, Fintech Finance News reported on Friday. The initiative aims to integrate conservation datasets into investment analysis, improve access to biodiversity data, and support nature-positive decision-making ahead of global 2030 conservation targets.
New IFM leakage tool – Carbon standard Verra is developing a tool to calculate carbon leakage from improved forest management (IFM) projects that reduce timber harvest volumes. The tool, currently at the draft methodology development stage, will account for both activity-shifting leakage by the baseline agent and market leakage caused by other actors, Verra said on its website.
COP vibes – The TNFD will host a two-day programme of events in Yerevan on the sidelines of COP17. On Oct. 23-24, the organisation will convene a series of conferences exploring the latest developments in nature-related assessment and disclosure. The programme will include updates on TNFD adoption, technical discussions on topics like invasive alien species, forestry, transition planning, nature-related opportunities, technology, and water dependency, as well as the launch of a guide for Indigenous leaders during COP17.
EMEA
Coastal wildbelt – A partnership in the southwest of England aims to drive large-scale nature recovery across the region. Nature South West has secured £250,000 from The National Lottery Heritage Fund to help it to bring together environmental, business, and public sector organisations to coordinate nature projects, reported Exmouth Journal. It aims to help address barriers to investment by connecting organisations across different sectors, with initiatives including a ‘coastal wildbelt’ that boosts adaptation to rising sea levels.
Super authority – The lower house of Czech Parliament has passed an amendment to a building act that critics have said will significantly weaken protections for nature, reported Around Prague. The law will concentrate all building-related decisions in the hands of a ‘super authority’, raising the risk of corruption, placing decisions in the hands of construction officials, and restricting the rights of citizens to voice opinions, according to environmentalist Jaroslav Blaha.
Grants – The Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund has opened applications for projects aimed at enhancing biodiversity conservation in the Balkans and the MENA region. Up to $180,000 will be awarded to initiatives that promote traditional land-use practices supporting biodiversity conservation or strengthen the recovery of threatened plant species. The call focuses on Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Palestine, and Tunisia. Applications are due by Sep. 18.
Quiz answered – The UK government has accepted the majority of the Office for Environmental Protection’s 54 recommendations on improving England’s natural environment, while rejecting or deferring others requiring further evidence or outside the regulator’s remit. The Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs assessed recommendations individually in a policy paper published last Friday. The response supports the revised Environmental Improvement Plan published in Dec. 2025 and says future progress will be tracked through annual reporting as implementation continues.
Making it happen – Botswana has become the 14th country to receive support from the Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services Solution Fund, following the completion of its first national ecosystem assessment earlier this year, the institution announced last week. The catalytic funding will help translate the assessment’s findings on ecosystem health, biodiversity loss, and climate pressures into national policies and local action to support conservation and sustainable resource management.
Indigenous trees – Nigerian National Petroleum Company and First Exploration & Petroleum Development Company have partnered with the Nigerian Conservation Foundation to advance forest recovery in Nigeria. Under the initiative, 100,000 nursery-raised indigenous tree seedlings will be planted in designated restoration sites, according to The Nation. The project is part of a wider target to plant 500,000 indigenous trees across 11 communities over five years.
Coastal ecosystem insurance – The UNDP has launched a request for proposals to develop coastal ecosystem insurance programmes in Mozambique and Egypt, aimed at strengthening financial resilience against climate-related threats. The procurement, open until July 30, seeks to design insurance-based mechanisms that provide funding for ecosystem restoration and livelihood recovery following disasters. The initiative will focus on protecting Mozambique’s mangroves and Egypt’s coral reefs, which are increasingly threatened by cyclones, flooding, coastal erosion, coral bleaching, and pollution.
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