Carbon Pulse’s free Nature & Biodiversity Pulse newsletter – a summary of our news, plus bite-sized updates from around the world. Subscribe here
TOP STORY
BRIEFING: Beyond benefit sharing – Africa needs community ownership in nature markets, experts say
Nature markets in Africa must be built around community ownership and African-led standards, as benefit-sharing alone will not ensure meaningful participation from local stakeholders, according to experts.
EMEA
Ethiopia issues first credits under World Bank jurisdictional forest programme
Ethiopia has become the first country to issue carbon credits under a World Bank-managed programme supporting jurisdictional forest activities, with 12.4 million units available for carbon market transactions.
UK restoration company acquires 7,500 ha, targets nature credits
A London-headquartered company has taken on a 7,500-hectare estate in the North of England where it intends to generate nature credits to finance restoration work, it announced on Tuesday.
Puro issues first verified carbon removal credits from biogas-based BECCS
A Norwegian bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) project has become the world’s first to generate verified carbon removal credits from biogas production, the certifier, Finnish registry Puro.earth, announced Tuesday.
Biochar sector urges EU to open carbon market to all permanent removals
The EU should allow biochar carbon removal (BCR) into the EU ETS alongside other EU-certified permanent carbon removal pathways, an industry association has said, warning that a CCS-only approach would undermine competition and raise costs.
AMERICAS
Argentine provincial J-REDD+ seeks new private native forest land as programme expands -media
The first Verra-approved jurisdictional and nested REDD+ (JNR) programme, located in northern Argentina, is aiming to incorporate a batch of privately owned native forests in the coming months after the launch of a capacity-building programme, according to local media.
Area affected by fire in Brazil fell 58% in 2025, with Amazon registering the smallest burned area in 41 years -report
Brazil registered 12.7 million hectares burned in 2025, a 58% decrease from the previous year when the country experienced an extreme surge in fires, while the area burned in the Amazon hit a multi-decade low, a Tuesday report showed.
Texas approves research project towards coastal restoration blue carbon financing scheme
Texas officials approved Monday a research project to investigate the feasibility of a blue carbon financing model that will aid in a Gulf Coast shoreline restoration plan.
South Carolina conservation non-profit to support landowner, cooperative participation in VCM
The South Carolina chapter of the National Audubon Society will launch a programme aimed at enabling family landowners to generate revenue from the voluntary carbon market (VCM), the conservation charity announced Monday.
More public support for more “natural” CDR, early study results find
Low-carbon energy and CDR technologies perceived as more natural were judged as safer, more beneficial, and evoked less negative emotion among US study participants, according to a preprint published Monday.
Apple Watch buyers challenge dismissal of carbon neutral marketing lawsuit
Apple Watch buyers have asked a US appeals court to revive claims that the tech giant falsely marketed certain devices and its corporate operations as carbon neutral, arguing that a lower court improperly required scientific validation before allowing the case to proceed.
California consumers say court prematurely resolved disputed offsets in carbon neutral vape marketing case
A proposed class action challenging carbon neutral marketing for vaping products should be revived because the lower court misdefined the term and prematurely resolved disputed factual questions, three consumers have told a US appeals court.
INTERNATIONAL
Carbon ratings agency backs scientific study of global wildfire risks
A carbon ratings agency is funding an initiative to analyse the causes and impacts of extreme wildfires, which represent a growing risk for nature-based projects, it announced on Tuesday.
Marine CDR needs government support to scale, researchers say
Marine carbon removal (mCDR) will struggle to reach commercial scale without stronger government action to create reliable long-term demand beyond voluntary carbon markets, researchers argue.
Forest monitoring technologies are shifting power dynamics -report
The rise of technologies for monitoring forests are changing the power dynamics among communities, states, and companies, a report has said.
ASIA PACIFIC
NSW native vegetation clearing jumps as conservationists call for law reform
More than 80,000 hectares of native vegetation were cleared across Australia’s New South Wales (NSW) in 2024, a 15.8% increase from 2023, according to state government data.
COMMENT
Should cookstoves meet permanence requirements? The question Article 6.4 has yet to ask
A draft reversal-risk tool under Paris Article 6.4 is cementing permanence requirements to clean cooking credits for the first time. But before debating the numbers, the market should ask whether this category belongs in a permanence framework at all.
—————————————————
BITE-SIZED UPDATES FROM AROUND THE WORLD
INTERNATIONAL
COP17 – Preparations for UN biodiversity summit COP17 in October have this week been discussed by an Armenian minister and a negotiations expert. Minister of Environment Hambardzum Matevosyan met with Basile van Havre to tackle the negotiating process, according to a Facebook post by the minister published on Monday. They spoke about preparatory work, challenges, and the strategic priorities of the presidency, he said.
New commitment – The SDG Impact Finance Initiative (SIFI) has committed $2.4 mln to the AGRI3 Fund, strengthening its blended finance efforts to scale sustainable agriculture, forest protection, and climate resilience across emerging markets in Africa, Asia, and Latin America, it announced last week. Selected through SIFI’s climate-focused funding window, AGRI3 aims to mobilise private capital for nature-positive investments alongside existing backing from the GEF. The AGRI3 Fund is an initiative by UNEP and Robobank, backed by the Netherlands government and GEF.
ASIA PACIFIC
NZ carbon and nature consult – The New Zealand government has opened a consultation on the criteria for an endorsement process for domestic nature and carbon markets, following its May announcement of an assurance framework to scale these markets. As well as the endorsement criteria, the government is looking for feedback on the integrity principles and suitability of the criteria for assessment of the schemes, project validation, and verification providers. Submissions close on Aug. 7.
Granted – In New Zealand, the Waikato Regional Council has approved an NZ$1.2 mln ($700,000) grant to help maintain Sanctuary Mountain Maungatautari’s pest-proof fence and conservation programmes, the Waikato Times reported. The funding, awarded through the council’s Natural Heritage Fund, will support threatened species work, sanctuary maintenance, environmental education, and repairs to breaches in the 47-km fence. The Maungatautari Ecological Island Trust had requested NZ$1.7 mln over three years, citing rising costs, ageing infrastructure, and damage caused by severe weather events.
Marine conservation – The Fiji Ministry of Environment and Climate Change announced that communities in Kadavu will receive support to protect fishing grounds and improve food security through a new marine conservation project. The Strengthening Fiji’s Network of Locally Managed Marine Areas project will cover more than 44,000 ha of marine and coastal ecosystems, including the Great Astrolabe Reef. Traditional resource owners and local communities will help manage marine areas while developing income opportunities through aquaculture, seaweed farming, mangrove restoration, and eco-tourism.
AMERICAS
Crop-funding – UN-backed Restoration Seed Capital Facility (RSCF) has approved asset manager Patria as a partner to support the development of its Brazil-focused Reforest Fund, aimed at scaling agroforestry and landscape restoration investments, it announced last week. The fund will build a portfolio of reforestation and agroforestry projects combining ecological restoration with production of coffee, cocoa, acai, avocado, and tropical timber crops. The partnership follows RSCF’s recent agreement with Natural Investments to expand restoration finance in Southern Africa and the backing of developer Fronterra to advance community-led initiatives in Peru.
Amazon protection – Inditex and Conservation International have launched a three-year partnership to support the protection and restoration of Amazon ecosystems across Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Suriname. Under the initiative, the company will invest €6.5 mln from 2026-28 to establish new protected areas and strengthen the management of existing conservation sites, covering more than 2 mln ha of rainforest. The project will support biodiversity conservation, Indigenous communities’ governance, and sustainable management of protected areas. It will include work in Indigenous lands and conservation areas across the six countries.
Reef safe – A reef insurance programme extending around 1,000 km of the Caribbean coast has expanded coverage to two additional areas in Quintana Roo, Mexico. Now in its sixth year, the Mesoamerican Reef Insurance Programme provides funding to repair coral reefs after hurricanes. The expansion follows collaboration with the Wildlife Conservation Society. The solution has been structured by Willis Towers Watson, with AXA Climate designing the product.
Degradation monitoring – Peru’s Ministry of Environment has updated its national assessment of land ecosystem degradation, finding that 14.6 mln ha had been degraded by 2024. The revised estimate, produced using improved methodologies, high-resolution satellite imagery, and advanced technological tools, provides a more accurate picture of the country’s ecosystems. The data will be used to support land-use planning, prioritise ecosystem restoration efforts, and strengthen evidence-based public policies, while also helping Peru meet its commitments under the UNCCD.
EMEA
Dumped – UK-based company Southern Water has been fined more than £7 mln for dumping sewage off the coast of Kent, reported the BBC. The fine follows the firm pleading guilty to illegal discharges at wastewater pumping stations between 2019-21. The actions had caused serious degradation of the environment, a risk to public health, and damage to the reputation of a coastal community, said the judge. A spokesperson said the company has since made significant changes.
—————————————————
ADVERTISE WITH US
Check out our 2026 Advertising Brochure & Media Pack, featuring updated offerings and prices. Bookings are open! The pack presents an overview of our content, products, and readership, as well as full details of our website and newsletter advertising opportunities.
Got a tip? How about some feedback? Email us at [email protected]