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TOP STORIES
INTERVIEW: New consultancy looks to tap Asia Pacific’s biodiversity market potential
A Sydney-headquartered consultancy launched this week aiming to advance investments in nature projects across the Global South, with a focus on helping scale the biodiversity credit market in the Asia Pacific region, its founder told Carbon Pulse.
ANALYSIS: Corporate action on nature following shareholder proposals doubles in 2025
Many more corporations have voluntarily acted on nature this year following a steady stream of nature-related shareholder proposals, despite growing US opposition to environmental action.
MARKET
Verra opens registrations for pilot projects under its Nature Framework
Crediting standard Verra has announced that pilot projects are now officially allowed to seek registration under its Nature Framework.
Investment firm signs first US offtake deal for voluntary biodiversity credits
A US-based timberland investment portfolio firm has signed what is claimed to be the country’s first ever offtake agreement for voluntary biodiversity credits, from a project in Louisiana.
BUSINESS & FINANCE
NGO accuses Santander of financing deforestation in Latin America
NGO Global Witness has accused Spain-headquartered bank Santander of funding deforestation through backing an Argentine agribusiness firm allegedly responsible for the destruction of 170,000 hectares of forest on its farms across Latin America.
Natural capital investor grows assets by a quarter
A US-headquartered global investor specialising in regenerative agriculture and forestry announced on Thursday that its assets under management grew by 24% last year.
TOOLS & GUIDANCE
Nature data and analytics platform adds NGO’s forest datasets
A Swiss-based nature data and analytics company has added two forest datasets to its platform with the aim of helping banks and investors manage deforestation risks, it announced this week.
POLICY
Brussels proposes simplifications to agri policies, drawing fire from environmental advocates
The European Commission’s proposal to cut the red tape for agriculture quickly drew criticism from environmental advocates on Wednesday, who warned the new Omnibus measures could significantly weaken environmental protections and further erode the European Green Deal.
Thailand to attract $200 mln for biodiversity over the next five years
Thailand has released its second Biodiversity Finance Plan (BFP) for the period 2023-27, aiming to mobilise $200 million for nature-positive initiatives.
SCIENCE & TECH
German startup raises €37 mln to scale wildfire management technology
A Munich-headquartered startup announced on Wednesday that it has raised €37 million in Series B funding to advance its technology for wildfire management and risk assessment.
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EVENTS
Ecology Calling events are returning with a morning of soil health and an afternoon of soil carbon on June 13. Join them at the Royal Linnean Society, central London to explore how to measure, conserve, and restore the subterranean realm. Register now, using the promotional code ‘pulse20’.
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BITE-SIZED UPDATES FROM AROUND THE WORLD
MARKET
Sea trees – A Kenyan project has been launched with the aim of generating 300,000 marine biodiversity credits over 10 years. The “first of its kind” Marereni Kenya Biodiversity Block initiative from ocean project developer SeaTrees has targeted planting more than 775,000 mangrove trees and creating 1,200 local jobs. Seatrees has partnered with data company Ocean Ledger to explore monitoring options using location-based information. (Carbon Pulse)
BUSINESS & FINANCE
OECM certificate – Japan’s Ministry of Environment issued a certificate of support for Other Effective area-based Conservation Measures (OECMs) to Tokyo-headquartered tech company Transcosmos. In 2023, the ministry started trialling a system to certify areas where biodiversity is being conserved by the private sector. Transcosmos received the certificate for promoting biodiversity conservation in a forest located on Japan’s Kyushu Island.
Free to flow – In 2024, a record 542 river barriers were removed across 23 countries in Europe, up from 487 in 2023, according to the Dam Removal Progress report. Four countries – Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, the Czech Republic, and Turkiye – dismantled river barriers for the first time. “It is reassuring to have another record-breaking year for barrier removals in Europe, as this is one of the most powerful tools for boosting the biodiversity of European rivers,” said Dragana Mileusnic, director of conservation at The Nature Conservancy in Europe. Over 1.2 mln barriers, such as dams, weirs, and culverts, fragment rivers across the continent.
Wetland restoration – Bangladesh has launched a five-year project aimed at improving biodiversity in Tanguar Haor, among the country’s most important wetlands. Funded with over $4 mln from the Global Environment Facility and supported by the UN Development Programme, the project will be implemented by the national Department of Environment. Key goals include engaging local communities in co-management and restoring swamp forest and aquatic habitats.
POLICY
Sustainable again – The UK has reopened the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) scheme after facing criticism from MPs, farmers, and conservationists over its earlier decision to close applications for the year. The proposed halting of the nature-friendly farming payments in the UK was described by farmers as a “shattering blow” to the sector, while conservationists said it showed the budget for the scheme was “inadequate”. Applications are now open to around 3,000 farmers, according to Sustainability Online.
Less is more – A paper on the EU Commission’s omnibus proposal to streamline reporting requirements, in areas including biodiversity, has been published by the UN-backed Principles for Responsible Investment. Some of the proposed changes to disclosure and due diligence rules risk creating data gaps and additional costs for both investors and businesses, said Elise Attal, head of EU and UK policy at the PRI. The paper proposed retaining a streamlined list of indicators aligned with global standards, while achieving a 24% reduction in mandatory disclosures.
A stronger pact – A group of “blue” NGOs has called for a stronger EU Ocean Pact following the leak of a draft document that revealed its significant shortcomings. According to the group, the draft does not propose concrete measures to tackle the fisheries sector’s resilience in the face of climate change and ecological collapse, nor does it address key issues such as bottom trawling in Marine Protected Areas, growing microplastic pollution, and a lack of funding commitments. “The Ocean Pact, as it stands, fails to address the elephant in the room: the bad status of European seas comes from human activities on land and at sea,” the NGOs wrote in an open letter. The final Pact is expected on June 4, just before the UN Ocean Conference in Nice, France.
SCIENCE & TECH
More bio-data – The University of St. Andrews published its BioTIME 2.0 database on Thursday in the Global Ecology and Biogeography journal. It is the largest biodiversity database that deals with time-based data, with 12 mln observations recorded since 1874. It tracks 553,000 locations in terrestrial, freshwater, and marine ecosystems. The data includes 56,000 species, helping researchers to calculate biodiversity richness in certain areas.
Sweet peat – Some 80% of England’s peatlands habitats are degraded, a government-backed assessment has found. The country’s peatlands and peaty soils were mapped for the first time using satellite imagery, AI, and data analysis to create the most complete map to date, reported The Guardian. The open source map, launched this week, models the condition of England’s peat, including draining channels. Peaty soil covers roughly 8.5% of England’s surface, it said.
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