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TOP STORY

INTERVIEW: Biodiversity footprint methodologies need more scientific rigour

Academics must be better involved in the development of methodologies for assessing the biodiversity footprint of companies and financial institutions, as current approaches largely lack scientific rigour, researchers have told Carbon Pulse.

MARKET

INTERVIEW: EU taxonomy proposal to benefit biodiversity credit technology

An influential advisory body has proposed recommending amendments to its biodiversity-related criteria, in the EU taxonomy of sustainable activities, which could benefit biodiversity credits, an expert has said.

Report flags “major problems” with UK biodiversity net gain small sites  

The UK’s biodiversity net gain (BNG) legislation’s burdensome requirements for small sites will cause the scheme to fail without action, said a survey by a professional body of ecologists published Wednesday.

TOOLS & GUIDANCE

Researchers develop framework to reduce biodiversity monitoring cost

A group of international researchers, led by the University of Kent’s Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology, has developed a framework for improving biodiversity monitoring while reducing associated costs.

POLICY

UAE pledges $40 mln for Brazilian conservation

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has committed to ringfence $40 million towards conservation and restoration projects in Brazil through a philanthropic entity backed by the Gulf state, local media reported on Wednesday.

Conservationists slam Indonesian govt over plans to convert forest lands for industrial use

The Indonesian government has announced plans to convert 20 million hectares of forest into agricultural land, triggering loud concerns from environmental organisations.

PROJECTS

Scottish coastal project seeks to develop innovative financing model

A government-backed Scottish coastal initiative is trying to develop an innovative business model to support large-scale nature restoration, potentially involving biodiversity and carbon credits.

SCIENCE & TECH

A quarter of freshwater animals at high risk of extinction, IUCN says

Nearly a quarter of freshwater animal species on the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List face a high risk of extinction, according to an assessment released on Wednesday.

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BITE-SIZED UPDATES FROM AROUND THE WORLD

MARKET

Greater than the Amazon – The Bahamas is preparing to launch a new seagrass meadows conservation project under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement in the coming months, with a senior official telling Carbon Pulse the area under consideration has a CO2 sequestration rate “greater than the Amazon forest”. The project is due to be launched in March, on the back of the deal reached at last year’s COP29 climate summit to establish a new global carbon market overseen by the UN. (Carbon Pulse)

BUSINESS & FINANCE

Salmon farming – The first salmon farming complex in South Korea will be built by the end of this year in the city of Pohang, according to the Maeli Business Newspaper. The complex, expected to produce 10,000 tonnes of salmon annually, will reportedly use an eco-friendly aquaculture method that recycles seawater and minimises environmental impacts, unlike conventional salmon farming techniques.

Restoring – Brazil’s National Bank for Economic and Social Development (BNDES) has approved R$5 mln ($800,000), matched by a multinational beverages company, for the restoration of territory in Ceara State as part of a nationwide initiative for ecological restoration and CO2 removal. This is the first funding approved for this region under the BNDES Floresta Viva programme, which has an overarching goal of investing R$693 mln over seven years – sourcing 50% of funding from the BNDES Socio-environmental Fund and 50% from supporting institutions. Floresta Viva aims to restore 25,000-35,000 ha of land, removing 8-11 mln tonnes of CO2. (Carbon Pulse)

Mussels protection – Banque de Luxembourg has partnered with Fondation de Luxembourg to back a project seeking to conserve local biodiversity, including through protecting freshwater mussels. Led by Fondation Hellef fir d’Natur, the project is part of a wider programme designed to contribute to tackling the climate and biodiversity crises across the country. (Delano)

POLICY

Community-led – The government of Western Australia has allocated A$7 mln ($4.3 mln) to finance community-led projects aimed at conserving and improving biodiversity. Grants of up to A$50,000 are available for short-term initiatives and up to A$450,000 for longer-term projects, according to the government. Under the programme, eligible activities include the protection and restoration of coastal, agricultural, pastoral, urban, bushland, river, estuarine, and marine environments.

Support – The EU and the European Investment Bank (EIB) have committed to helping Bangladesh advance biodiversity conservation efforts, according to government officials cited by the Financial Express. The collaboration could address areas such as afforestation, climate change mitigation, sustainable housing, green bonds, and waste management, Nicola Beer, vice president of the EIB, added on the sidelines of a meeting with Bangladeshi environment adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan.

SCIENCE & TECH

Deadly fungus – The US Fish and Wildlife Service has agreed to limit salamander imports for the pet trade, following a petition from the Center for Biological Diversity. The measure aims to prevent the spread into the country of a fungus that is deadly for the amphibians, the centre said in a press release. The US, home to over 200 salamander species, remains free of Bsal, a deadly pathogen spread via the pet trade. Carried on salamander skin, it has almost wiped out fire salamanders in parts of Europe.

Gone parrotfishing – The Kenya Wildlife Service, in partnership with Huawei-Kenya and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), has introduced a new monitoring programme to strengthen marine protection along their country’s southern coastline. The Tech4Nature project aims to protect coral reefs and biodiversity in the Kisite-Mpunguti Marine Park and Reserve, reported The Eastleigh Voice. The three-year programme will track marine life including parrotfish.

Deep mangroves – China, the US, and India are leading in research on mangrove species mapping, a paper on the topic has said. Remote sensing technology and machine learning are central to the research in general, alongside aircraft, said the paper, published in Global Ecology and Conservation by authors from Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University. Future research should work on methods that combine data from multiple sensors, using techniques like deep learning, it said.

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