Nature @ COP 27 Daily Brief – Nov. 14

Briefing Room 14.11.22

Posted by NATURE4CLIMATE
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WEEK 2 BEGINS

Welcome to Week 2. Progress on negotiations during the first week was slow, and there is significant work ahead to bridge political differences. Whether the drive exists to tackle some of the difficult challenges ahead remains to be seen. There are significantly diverging views on a number of key items, and a wide range of proposed elements. On the nature front, we’re looking forward to Biodiversity Day on Wednesday to gather signals for linking the COP outcome to calls for a global deal for nature at the upcoming biodiversity summit.

Day 6 Round Up 

  • Brazilian Restoration. A group formed by Itaú, Marfrig, Rabobank, Santander, Suzano and Vale announced the creation of a company exclusively dedicated to the activities of restoration of degraded areas and conservation of forests in Brazil. Called Biomas, the company will have an initial contribution of R$ 120 million — R$ 20 million from each of the six partners. The idea is that it will be maintained in the following years through the sale of carbon credits, and to protect and restore 4 million hectares.
  • USAID Joins 1t.org. As part of USAID’s Climate Strategy and in alignment with the 1t.org global goal to conserve, restore, and grow one trillion trees by 2030, the Agency announced that it is joining the 1t.org US chapter and pledged to support the conservation, restoration, or management of 100 million hectares of forests with a climate change mitigation benefit this decade.
  • Farmers First Cluster. The Soft Commodities Forum (SCF), composed of six major agribusinesses – ADM, Bunge, Cargill, COFCO International, Louis Dreyfus Company and Viterra – is at the forefront of mobilizing partnerships that identify, invest in and scale solutions to eliminate deforestation and land conversion from soy production, and incentivize sustainable land use in Brazil and beyond. To administer and direct funds in the most strategic way, the SCF has created the Farmer First Clusters Initiative to provide a combination of solutions to address soy-driven deforestation and conversion in four key Cerrado landscapes: Western Mato Grosso, Southern Maranhão, Western Bahia, and Tocantins. Through this endeavor, SCF members will collectively invest USD $7.2 million to establish a financial model providing soy producers with adequate incentives to halt deforestation and conversion in municipalities where the risk of conversion is high.
  • Water for Women. The Water for Women Fund, a five-year inclusive water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) program on track to reach three million people across Asia Pacific by the end of 2022, will be extended for two years. The Australian government will invest a further $36 million to support climate-resilient, inclusive and sustainable WASH services and systems, and safeguard water security in our region.

Additional Round-Up and Thought Leadership

  • The Nature Conservancy Recaps US Midterm Elections That Boosted NBS
    In 2022, voters in 14 US states considered ballot measures that secured public funding and forward-looking policies to protect people and nature. As of the latest vote counts, 17 measures passed or are leading, totaling more than $7 billion for conservation.
  • Stolen Amazon: the roots of environmental crime in five countries
    This report from InSight Crime and the Igarapé Institute uncovers the motivators of environmental crime in the Amazon rainforest within the borders of Ecuador, Venezuela, Bolivia, Guyana, and Suriname, home to 20 percent of the Amazon Basin. They have collectively lost 10 million hectares of forest over the last two decades – an area equivalent to that of Portugal.
  • Environmental Defense Fund Highlights the Role of Indigenous Communities In Achieving Success for NBS
    Environmental Defense Fund kicks off a new video series “For the Forest, For the Future” that highlights why Indigenous Peoples must be included in the international climate table. The first two videos are now live and can be viewed here and here. They also share a blog recapping the major forest-related announcements during week one of COP27.
  • VCMI and We Mean Business Join Forces 
    Through a new partnership, VCMI and the We Mean Business Coalition will deepen engagement and feedback from companies in the VCMI process. WMB will support companies to follow VCMI’s Claims Code, helping to ensure carbon market investments strengthen – rather than undermine – global action towards achieving the goals of the Paris Agreement.

    Powerful op-eds (in case you missed them): 

  • Need To Meet Company Net Zero Goals? Be Sure To Choose The Right Tool
    Mark Moroge, Forbes
    EDF’s Vice President for Natural Climate Solutions, Mark Moroge, in which he cautions buyers against purchasing REDD.plus units to meet their climate commitments, as they lack important safeguards for integrity.
  • Protecting forests is even more powerful in the climate fight than we thought
    Frances Seymour & Michael Wolosin, MarketWatch
    Forests can deliver an estimated 1/3 of annual mitigation needed to keep global warming to 1.5 °C, the target set at the pivotal Paris meetings in 2015. But forests are even more powerful than we previously thought.
  • This could be the answer to tackling the climate crisis
    Boris Johnson & Ivan Duque, The Independent 
    In sawing down our ancient forests we are cutting our own throats. It is time to review our legislation so that these crimes face proper sanctions.

NBS IN THE NEWS

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Nature @ COP27 Daily Brief – Nov.15