Nations found to ignore Indigenous peoples, local communities in biodiversity plans

Published 09:22 on November 17, 2023  /  Last updated at 09:22 on November 17, 2023  / /  Biodiversity, International

The vast majority of countries overlook or insufficiently involve Indigenous people and local communities (IPLCs) when drawing up biodiversity action plans, despite a large body of evidence that including them makes for far more effective nature conservation strategies, a report has found.

Read More

ICAO body recommends immediate or conditional CORSIA eligibility for seven carbon offset standards

Published 03:21 on November 14, 2023  /  Last updated at 21:21 on February 1, 2024  / /  Americas, Asia Pacific, Aviation/CORSIA, EMEA, International, Japan, Other APAC, South Korea, Voluntary

ICAO’s Technical Advisory Body (TAB) has recommended that two carbon standards be immediately approved to supply credits to the global aviation sector’s carbon offset scheme for the 2021-23 pilot phase, while five others achieved conditional recommendations for 2024-26.

Read More

Australian bank to end land clearing support from 2026

Published 07:40 on November 6, 2023  /  Last updated at 08:44 on November 6, 2023  / /  Asia Pacific, Australia, Biodiversity

Australia’s Westpac on Monday announced it will end lending to the conversion of natural forest to agricultural land, as it became the nation’s first bank to release a natural capital position statement and pledge an ambition to become nature positive.

Read More

Japan pilots biodiversity support certificates to beef up nature spending

Published 10:35 on November 3, 2023  /  Last updated at 22:47 on November 3, 2023  / /  Asia Pacific, Biodiversity, Japan

Japan has started the first phase in a pilot for companies seeking to generate certificates by supporting government-certified biodiversity projects that they can use in reports under the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD).

Read More

Malaysia threatens repercussions as state reveals plan to remove forest protections

Published 04:30 on October 29, 2023  /  Last updated at 08:32 on October 30, 2023  / /  Asia Pacific, Biodiversity, Other APAC

Malaysia’s federal government on Saturday said it would end biodiversity-related payments to Kelantan if the state goes through with its plans to remove protections for vast areas of rainforest.

Read More

Talks fail again to agree protection of vast Antarctic marine regions

Published 10:10 on October 28, 2023  /  Last updated at 08:29 on October 30, 2023  / /  Biodiversity, International

Two weeks of negotiations among the almost 30 member nations of the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) ended Friday evening in Hobart, Australia with a fresh failure to establish three marine protected areas (MPAs) in the region representing more than 1% of the global ocean.

Read More

Japan certifies over 100 OECMs in bid to drive private sector biodiversity action

Published 10:21 on October 26, 2023  /  Last updated at 10:21 on October 26, 2023  / /  Asia Pacific, Biodiversity, Japan

Japan’s environment ministry this week concluded the certification of 122 sites across the country as Other Effective area-based Conservation Measures (OECMs), its core policy to incentivise businesses to contribute towards the country meeting its 30 by 30 biodiversity protection targets.

Read More

China releases four methodologies for revamped CCER scheme

Published 13:10 on October 24, 2023  /  Last updated at 13:10 on October 24, 2023  / /  Asia Pacific, China

China on Tuesday published methodologies for four project types that will be eligible to generate Chinese Certified Emissions Reductions (CCERs), providing clarity for developers and investors.

Read More

Nature remains niche in sustainable finance market but room for growth, report finds

Published 11:44 on October 11, 2023  /  Last updated at 11:44 on October 11, 2023  / /  Biodiversity

Investments in nature still make up only a minor part of the sustainable finance market, though their share of the ESG bond market is increasing and there is growth potential for carbon credits with nature-based co-benefits as well as in the emerging biocredit market, according to new analysis.

Read More

Biodiversity project developer eyes carbon exchange listings after Cercarbono deal

Published 07:55 on October 6, 2023  /  Last updated at 09:03 on October 6, 2023  / /  Americas, Biodiversity, South & Central

A company developing biodiversity credits in South America is in the closing stages of having its project methodology approved by standard body Cercarbono, after which it hopes to have its credits listed on two carbon trading platforms before the end of the year.

Read More