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FEATURED NEWS
‘Milestone moment for nature finance’: Hundreds of firms gear up for nature-related corporate reporting
BusinessGreen, Cecilia Keating, 16 January
Mongabay recaps the outcomes for forests at COP28 finding that the climate summit in Dubai was a mixed bag for forest conservation as a climate mitigation strategy. The final text included the goals from the 2021 Glasgow Declaration, which calls for halting deforestation by the end of the decade. However, the summit failed to make progress on paying countries to keep forests standing to offset emissions elsewhere, which has run into trouble following carbon offset scandals. Observers say the COP30 summit in Brazil in 2025 will see a larger push for forest protection. The Independent shares a commentary from Lord Zac Goldsmith and CEO of Conservation International M. Sanjayan explaining why restoring nature is the best thing we can do to ensure the safety and prosperity of our world. The Guardian previews what we can expect at COP29 in Azerbaijan with a look at the nation’s chosen COP-President, another former oil executive. Carbon Pulse reports that the next biodiversity COP has been confirmed to be held in Colombia starting in late October and will be the next major international moment for nature on the global calendar. Reuters covers the World Economic Forum’s Global Risk Report 2024 that finds for the second year in a row that over the next ten years executives interviewed for the report perceive environmental risks, including biodiversity loss and critical change to the Earth’s systems, as the most important issues.
Deforestation surges in Brazil’s sensitive Cerrado region
Financial Times, Bryan Harris and Michael Pooler, 14 January
The Financial Times covers the 43 percent increase in deforestation compared last year in Brazil’s ecologically sensitive Cerrado biome according to official data that cast a pall over the government’s success in reducing destruction of the Amazon rainforest. The Cerrado, a vast tropical savannah that spreads across almost a quarter of the country, stores large amounts of carbon and helps provide a buffer against climate change, according to scientists. It also operates as a giant basin to collect and distribute water resources across the continent. Climate Home News shares comments from a spokesperson for the German government expressing concerns that finance directed towards Amazon Fund meant to preserve the rainforest it is named after could be directed towards road-building projects that would threaten forests.
Study: Higher quality carbon credits commanding price premium of around 200 per cent
BusinessGreen, Stuart Stone, 16 January
BusinessGreen carries a new study that finds higher quality carbon credits are commanding price premiums of around 200 per cent on the voluntary carbon market. The study conducted by carbon credit ratings agency BeZero Carbon found that credits rated AAA, AA, or A by BeZero commanded an average price premium of around 80 per cent compared to lower rated credits. Mongabay digs into the world of carbon credit accounting methodologies for forest conservation and attempts to demystify how credits are accounted for and the opposing views behind their integrity. Mongabay also shares a look at the diverging views of the future of carbon markets focused on nature-based solutions as the sector aims to prove the integrity of their efforts. E&E News reports that Republican State Attorney Generals in the US are petitioning the Federal Government to ban “natural asset companies” to trade on the New York Stock Exchange because of a belief that companies working to protect nature are a part of a secret Biden administration scheme to “lock up land” and prevent the use of public lands for extractive economic activity like mining or forestry. Environmental Defense Fund distributes a piece emphasizing the benefits of investing in Jurisdictional REDD+ emission reduction credits to protect the world’s forests before it is too late. The Washington Post shares a commentary commending Brazilian states for pursuing development of carbon market activities to finance the conservation of the Amazon rainforest.
Norway becomes first country to back deep-sea mining despite environmental concerns
Euronews, Rosie Frost, 11 January
Euronews reports Norway has become the first country in the world to greenlight the controversial practice of deep-sea mining. A bill passed by the Norwegian Parliament on 9 January will accelerate the undersea hunt for minerals needed to build green technology such as batteries for electric vehicles according to its supporters. Mongabay shares the views of experts who claim Norway’s arguments that deep-sea mining is necessary for the clean energy revolution are unfounded. “Destroying very sensitive and vulnerable areas and eliminating biodiversity … is a real risk… It’s really a sad day for Norway,” stated Peter Haugan, a scientist who serves as policy director of Norway’s Institute of Marine Research and director of the Geophysical Institute at the University of Bergen.
Why Brazilian investors need to be on the frontline of fighting climate change [Commentary]
Reuters, Jose Pugas, 10 January
Reuters shares a comment piece on why Brazilian investors need to think creatively and work cooperatively with companies at the centre of climate and nature-related challenges to end deforestation’s contributions to climate change. World Economic Forum carries an article highlighting the growing recognition amongst business leaders that stopping nature loss is essential and announcing the launch of the CEO Action Group for Nature to enable businesses to exchange best practices and build partnerships to support their nature-positive strategies. World Economic Forum covers the launch of a new mandatory traceability programme for cattle in the Brazilian state of Pará that could provide a model for nature-positive food production in other states in Brazil and beyond. With cattle ranching in Brazil historically accounting for 24% of global annual tropical deforestation, new approaches to ensure supply chains avoid deforestation are critical.
SPOTLIGHT – Nature Talks
At COP28, the Nature Positive Pavilion promoted Nature Talks, a platform where influential speakers and experienced leaders converged to deliver impactful TED-style talks on leading nature for climate action. Diverse experts shared transformative ideas, innovative solutions, and personal insights that inspire change and ignite conversations surrounding the crucial role of nature in addressing climate challenges for people and the planet.
In this talk, we invite you to listen to Carl Gakran, a Brazilian Indigenous leader, and founder of the Zág Institute.
FOR YOUR INFORMATION
SPOTT opens up nominations of timber and pulp producers and traders for future assessments. Companies will be selected according to certain criteria, such as geography, market capitalization, landbank under management, and potential for impact.
The Nature Conservancy‘s Chief Scientist Dr. Katharine Hayhoe dives into what’s needed to unleash nature’s potential in efforts to solve climate change in her Talking Climate LinkedIn newsletter.
Green Finance Institute shares a new farming toolkit for assessing nature market opportunities, including a step-by-step guide for how nature market projects are developed in practice.
TNFD announces its inaugural cohort of Early Adopters, which are organizations which intend to start making disclosures aligned with the TNFD Recommendations in their corporate reporting by the financial year 2024 (or earlier) or 2025.
Bloom Labs shares a flowchart map of the Voluntary Biodiversity Market marking out many of the main stakeholders and market players.
Farmland Information Center publishes a guidebook providing an overview of agricultural carbon markets, focusing on the answers to ten common questions.
EDF shares a report exploring potential solutions for transforming agrifood systems amidst the climate crisis.
UB and The Nature Conservancy releases a report considering the role of natural climate solutions, which offer near-term, scalable, and cost-effective options to reduce emissions while capturing carbon in the biosphere. However, their deployment is hindered by insufficient policies and lagging investment.
UBS publishes a white paper on aligning technology and finance to address biodiversity challenges. The paper has insights on how to align finance, government, and partnerships to address biodiversity challenges.
GCBC announces its first round of successful grant applicants funding research into nature-based solutions to climate change and poverty reduction.
Salesforce, ERM, Planet & NatureMetrics announce the NatureTech Alliance, which will collaborate on biodiversity measurement, management, and disclosure for global corporations.
Birdlife International shares an overview of nature politics in 2023, as well as goals for 2024.
Food and Land Use Coalition shares an episode of RCN’s Tierra de Sueños podcast featuring Claudia Martinez, FOLU Colombia Country Director, discussing regenerative practices.
WCS publishes its 2023 impact report, describing its accomplishments for nature over the past year.
WBCSD announces the official merger of Business for Inclusive Growth (B4IG) with the Equity Action Imperative to create the B4IG Equity Action Platform, establishing a powerful joint initiative dedicated to tackling inequality and driving transformative business action.
COFCO International and COFCO Group’s China Sheng Mu Organic Dairy Co., Ltd., the largest organic dairy company in China, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to supply deforestation and conversion-free soybeans from Brazil to China.
Business for Nature opens for consultation an extensive list of draft policies inviting businesses and business organizations to share their views on which specific policies, legislation and regulations are needed to ensure the effective implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) and put nature at the heart of the global economy.
YOUR VOICE
Nature4Climate’s 2024 Trends in Nature Positive Investments Survey has just been released. And we need your answers now.This important survey is for financial organisations, corporations and enabling companies to identify what the market most needs to redirect finance towards nature positive investments.
CASE STUDY
N4C is compiling an index of NBS case studies, together with an interactive map, to highlight action on the ground. Each week, we will be choosing a case study to present, to help give concrete examples of work being done to bring NBS theory into practice.
Sustainable Land Management in the Churia Range
WHERE: CHURIA RANGE, NEPAL
TYPE OF NCS SOLUTION: MANAGE
Nepal’s Churia Range covers 13% of Nepal’s total area and has faced chronic land degradation and unsustainable management of natural resources. This pilot project in four key areas aimed to facilitate sustainable land and forest management practices alongside local communities.
NUMBER OF THE WEEK – 43%
The crucial Brazilian Cerrado savanna biome hit a new record for nature loss in 2023 seeing a 43 percent increase when compared to 2022.
GOOD NEWS
Forest restoration planned for Colombia’s Farallones de Cali National Park
Farallones de Cali National Park, located on the Pacific coast, will undergo long-term habitat restoration to reverse the damage done by illegal gold mining, the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development said in an announcement late last month. The $3.7-million project could take several decades because of the severity of the environmental damage done by illegal mining, which has deforested the park and polluted its rivers with mercury. The 196,364-hectare (485,226-acre) national park is an important biological corridor along Colombia’s Pacific coast.