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TOP STORIES

INTERVIEW: Australian group looks to develop regions-based nature repair model

An Australian environmental conservation organisation is seeking local government funding to establish environmental accounts that could inform biodiversity pilot projects, create jobs, and spur conservation efforts for the region.

Brazil, France announce €1 bln plan to ramp up financing towards “bioeconomy” in the Amazon

The Brazilian and French presidents have announced a €1 billion investment plan to address climate change and deforestation in the Amazon, as Brazil strives to boost international funding for environmental protection under its G20 Presidency.

MARKET

Marine biodiversity credit market may need “new type” of units, RePlanet says

UK-headquartered biodiversity credit developer RePlanet has stressed the need to develop tailored biodiversity units for marine conservation due to critical challenges holding back the market.

Australia open to include OECMs in Nature Repair Market

Australia on Wednesday released its second public consultation on Other Effective area-based Conservation Measures (OECMs), saying they might be approved for biodiversity crediting under the nation’s Nature Repair Market (NRM).

TOOLS & GUIDANCE

NA100 publishes guide on engaging with priority sectors

A guide for investor members of the Nature Action 100 (NA100) initiative on engaging with companies in eight priority sectors has been published by non-profit Ceres.

UK biodiversity net gain tool for small developers launches

An online tool to help small developers comply with biodiversity net gain (BNG) laws has launched, ahead of the legislation coming into force for them on Apr. 2.

POLICY

Africa biodiversity advisor warns against relying too heavily on private financing, credit markets

Relying on private financing such as environmental credits as the main means to scale funding of nature could be “a risky strategy”, a top advisor to African biodiversity negotiators said Tuesday.

SCIENCE & TECH

Marine protected areas can benefit fishing, tourism with profits in the billions, study reveals

An assessment of marine protected areas (MPAs) in 34 countries has revealed that ocean conservation can generate significant economic benefits to the fishing and tourism industries, with some profits in the billions.

Surging food waste puts biodiversity under increasing pressure, UNEP says

Households worldwide squandered over one billion meals a day in 2022, as challenges in reducing food waste threaten to hold back progress towards achieving global biodiversity targets, a UN Environment Programme (UNEP) report has said.

Scientists say protecting biodiversity effective approach to avoid another pandemic

Conserving natural areas and promoting biodiversity are “efficient methods” to prevent future pandemics, a study has shown.

MARKET

BUSINESS & FINANCE

Disclosed – Singapore-based real estate company City Developments Limited (CDL) has released a sustainability report in line with Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD) recommendations, becoming the first firm in the country to do so. CDL was among the 320 companies worldwide that announced their commitment to adopting the TNFD recommendations at the annual World Economic Forum (WEF) meeting in Davos, Switzerland.

Biodiversity DEFCON – Foresight Sustainable Forestry has baselined 27 of its properties using its HAB-CON Alpha biodiversity monitoring tool, it said in its ESG report on Tuesday. The UK-based investor forecast biodiversity uplift of 8% over 60 years on average across the sites, it said. “Unlike other available metrics, HAB-CON Alpha acknowledges the transitional habitat value that rotational woodland and forestry provide, and extends the forward-looking assessment to 60 years,” Foresight said. SLR Consulting developed the tool, which is underpinned by the UK Habitats Classification system.

POLICY

Master plan – The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the government of Indonesia have presented the Biodiversity Master Plan (BMP) for the new capital city, Nusantara, to guide the city authority in developing policies, programmes, and targets for protecting biodiversity over the next five years. The BMP includes measures such as habitat preservation, species protection, and restoration efforts. Nusantara, which hosts at least 3,800 species of flora and fauna, is located on Kalimantan Island, one of the world’s richest biodiversity hotspots.

Historic ratification – Belize has officially ratified the UN Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) agreement, also known as the High Seas Treaty, becoming the fourth country in the world and the first Caribbean nation to do so. Seychelles, Chile, and the Pacific island nation of Palau have already ratified. Belize is also planning to host a Caribbean BBNJ workshop later this year. The global agreement seeks to promote the conservation and sustainable utilisation of marine biodiversity in a bid to reach the Global Biodiversity Framework target to protect at least 30% of seas by 20230.

SCIENCE & TECH

Conservation ASAP – The Asian Species Action Partnership (ASAP) will allocate at least $1.5 mln annually to conservation partners through grants, it said in its 2024-2030 strategy published on Tuesday. ASAP, a partnership platform of over 200 organisations with the mission of ending species extinctions in Southeast Asia, also aims to increase its investment in training programmes and organisational development to at least $1 mln annually.

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