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TOP STORY
UK non-profit launches urban biodiversity credit standard
A UK non-profit has launched a global crediting standard for measuring urban biodiversity and ecosystem services, in a bid to tackle urban crises such as air pollution, flooding, and the heat island effect.
MARKET
Portuguese organisation launches initiative to support roll out of plastic credit projects in developing countries
A Lisbon-based organisation has launched an initiative to support collection and recycling projects entering the inaugural plastic credit market, aiming to scale private financing towards developing countries, its co-founders told Carbon Pulse.
INTERVIEW: Acoustic indices unfit for monitoring species richness in biodiversity markets, expert says
Acoustic indices used in biodiversity monitoring often fail to accurately reflect species richness, representing a potential challenge for the nascent biodiversity credit market, a conservation expert told Carbon Pulse.
Taiwan’s proposed mangrove methodology draws criticism over potential biodiversity loss
A proposed mangrove methodology under Taiwan’s voluntary carbon scheme has met with criticism from scholars and environmental groups, amid concerns over its potential negative impacts and exaggerated carbon sequestration benefit.
BUSINESS & FINANCE
UK charities join forces to scale nature-based solutions in Kenya
Two UK-based NGOs have partnered to scale nature-based solutions (NbS) in Kenya, aiming to advance conservation and restoration efforts across freshwater and mangrove habitats, they announced on Tuesday.
Investor raises additional £27 mln for nature-based solutions, BNG projects
A London-based investor announced Monday it has raised an additional £27 million ($33.7 mln) to advance investments in nature-based solutions and biodiversity net gain (BNG) projects across the UK.
POLICY
INTERVIEW: Mid-year ocean conferences to mark turning point for High Seas Treaty
Several countries are on track to announce the ratification of the UN High Seas Treaty at two major ocean conferences in mid-2025, paving the way for the hard-fought agreement to come into force nearly two years after it opened for signature, a senior member at a large philanthropic organisation told Carbon Pulse.
Australian state commits almost A$120 mln to protect land, sea, and biodiversity
Queensland’s newly elected conservative government on Friday promised A$117.84 million ($74.44 mln) for natural resource protection over the next four years.
SCIENCE & TECH
Brazilian Amazon deforestation drops 7% in 2024, degradation jumps -report
The Brazilian Amazon witnessed a 7% annual drop in the amount of deforested land in 2024, even as the area affected by degradation increased multiple times over, according to a report published Friday by a scientific research nonprofit.
Afforestation, bioenergy projects may do more harm than good to nature, study says
Nature-based solutions (NbS) designed to curb climate change, such as afforestation and bioenergy cropping projects, could lead to unintended consequences for biodiversity, as they alter vast areas of land and habitat, according to a new paper.
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BITE-SIZED UPDATES FROM AROUND THE WORLD
BUSINESS & FINANCE
Feeding NbS – Nature-based solutions (NbS) are among the most effective means to reduce livestock emissions but receive just 45% of climate-focused public funding, according to a report published by the FAIRR initiative. Authors called on investors to urgently integrate NbS into their portfolios to achieve climate and nature goals. “We are feeding 80 bln animals a year for 8 bln humans. The harms of intensive animal agriculture to people, planet, and portfolios are too great to be ignored in the net-zero and nature transition,” said Jeremy Coller, chair and founder of FAIRR.
Forest fund – A major Canadian global asset manager announced Monday the third close of its forest fund designed to invest in sustainably managed forests for carbon sequestration. Manulife Investment Management – a segment of the global insurance and financial services firm Manulife Financial Corporation – announced that its Forest Climate Fund closed with $480 mln in commitments. The total brings it within spitting distance of the $500 mln target it set when launched in Dec. 2022. (Carbon Pulse)
Urban planning – The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and Holcim, the world’s largest cement maker, have released a report outlining recommendations for cities to integrate nature into urban planning policies. The report also assessed the potential impacts of several measures, including green roofs and walls as well as initiatives aimed at safeguarding wildlife against building hazards like reflective surfaces. Over the next few years, IUCN and Holcim will investigate how nature-based solutions could be applied to built ecosystems.
POLICY
Sanctuary – The Republic of the Marshall Islands announced on Tuesday the creation of the first marine sanctuary in the country, protecting two of the most pristine ecosystems in the Pacific Ocean. The sanctuary, which covers 48,000 sq. km of water, encompasses the remote and northern isles of Bikar and Bokak. The nearby deep sea will be fully protected from fishing, government officers said. “The only way to continue benefiting from the ocean’s treasures is to protect it. I am proud of our country’s first marine sanctuary, which certainly won’t be its last,” the Republic of the Marshall Island president, Hilda Heine, said in a statement.
Umpteen agreements – The Odisha government in India has signed three agreements with IIT Bhubaneshwar, World Food Programme (WFP), and Council on Energy, Environment, and Water (CEEW), to tackle climate change challenges, promote sustainable livelihoods, and protect the state’s biodiversity and coastal ecosystems. Under the Enhancing Climate Resilience of India’s Coastal Communities (ECRICC) project, the state forest department and IIT will work on the protection and restoration of seagrass beds and salt marshes along the Odisha coast. In an MoU with WFP, the state government will work on a regional adaptation project between India and Sri Lanka called Adaptation for Resilience (ADAT4R) to strengthen the resilience of vulnerable farming communities facing increased impacts of climate change. Lastly, under the agreement with CEEW, the government will work on developing a net zero roadmap for the state.
A minister for nature – The Irish Wildlife Trust (IWT) has called for the establishment of a minister of state for nature as a “good first step” to demonstrate the Irish government’s commitment to addressing the climate and biodiversity crises. The IWT stated last week that, despite the government declaration of a “climate and biodiversity emergency” six years ago, no significant targets have been set since then. “One particularly striking omission is the complete lack of commitment to ringfence funds from the infrastructure, climate, and nature fund to enact the EU Nature Restoration Law”, IWT said in a statement.
Delayed – A proposed UK law to make climate and environmental targets legally binding amid a more joined-up approach has been delayed after a contentious debate in parliament. The Climate and Nature Bill, introduced by Liberal Democrat MP Roz Savage and supported by MPs from other parties, sought to establish enforceable strategies to reduce carbon emissions – with annual targets – and to reverse environmental degradation. Plans would be formulated in collaboration with a citizens’ assembly made up of members of the public. However, the Labour-led government blocked the bill’s progress in the House of Commons this week, arguing that existing frameworks such as the Climate Change Act 2008 and national carbon budgets already set binding targets. (Carbon Pulse)
SCIENCE & TECH
Indigital – Australian Indigenous firm Indigital and mining giant Rio Tinto have partnered to combine Indigenous knowledge with innovative technology for biodiversity conservation. Dubbed “Caring for Country”, the three-year initiative aims to engage members of four remote Indigenous communities in Queensland, including Weipa, Aurukun, Napranum, and Mapoon, in developing innovative and more targeted solutions. “We’re equipping the next generation with digital skills and conservation tools, while centering cultural wisdom to preserve the country and drive long-term sustainable change,” Indigital founder said in a statement.
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