N4C Weekly Briefing
15 December - 10 January 2023
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Drama, dismay, triumph: nailbiting climax to the world’s biodiversity deal
The Guardian, Patrick Greenfield, 22 December
The Guardian reviews the final outcomes and the challenging process to agree upon a new Global Biodiversity Framework at COP15. Several negotiators from developing nations called the close of negotiations preemptive and the final deal "a fraud". For others, the final results were more than many had hoped for: ambitious targets on nature backed by big funding announcements, with respect for Indigenous rights and territories at its heart. A major outcome centered on the 30x30 conservation goal becoming '30x30x30x30' in the final agreement by the Chinese presidency and David Cooper, second in command at the UN’s biodiversity convention, who helped draft the text: 30% protection and 30% restoration in exchange for $30bn of funding for conservation by 2030." Grist digs into how countries will need to work to define what this new agreement means and how they will work together to achieve it. China Dialogue reports that for many participants the final deal was a result of wealthy nations prioritizing unrealistic conservations targets over providing necessary global funds to developing nations to protect biodiversity. Inside Climate News covers the new EU Nature Restoration Law and how it could be the first big step in securing the outcomes of the COP15 agreement for biodiversity protection. Newsweek shares a commentary piece by Isack Bryson, Project Manager at Carbon Tanzania, that eloquently argued the final COP15 agreement should include provisions to improve the state of Indigenous land rights, which did make the final cut of the agreement. The New York Times carries a commentary that asks if recent increased action on climate change had blinded the world to the biodiversity crisis?
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Brazil’s Lula returns with Amazon dream team aiming to save the rainforest
Politico, Karl Mathiesen, 1 January
Politico covers the inauguration of Brazil's newly elected President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and his promises to reverse and eventually end the deforestation of the world’s most important rainforest, which accelerated under his predecessor Jair Bolsonaro. The moment was a cause for celebration amongst environmental and Indigenous activists that had suffered under the Bolsonaro administration that oversaw increasing levels of deforestation. Unfortunately, the celebratory period ended on January 8th as The Guardian reports Brazilians loyal to former President Bolsonaro stormed the Brazilian Congress, Supreme Court and Presidential palace buildings. The Guardian digs further into the riots that are a stark reminder of the challenges President Lula will face in keeping his promises on protecting the environment and Indigenous Peoples as Bolsonaro's political allies hold the majority in Brazil's Congress and wish to continue 'his war on nature'. The New York Times shares a commentary from Brazilian investigative journalist Heriberto Araujo who has covered Amazon rainforest issues extensively focused on how Brazil's Congress and strong agribusiness lobby will pose significant opposition to his agenda. Mongabay reports that the new President's first actions in office have been focused on issuing six decrees revoking or altering anti-environment-and-Indigenous measures from his predecessor. Climate Home News covers Lula's move to revive the USD $1.2 Billion Amazon Fund to protect the nation's main rainforest which prompted Norway to hint it could immediately start contributing to the fund again. The UK’s environment minister Therese Coffey said the UK was “seriously looking at” joining the fund. News360 reports that Brazil’s new environment minister, Marina Silva announced the creation of a secretariat to curb deforestation.
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EU ban on deforestation-linked goods sets benchmark, say US lawmakers
The Guardian, Arthur Neslen, 5 January
The Guardian reports that US lawmakers are primed to launch their own legislation targeting deforestation after the passage of the EU Deforestation Law in late 2022. The US FOREST Act is a similar piece of legislation that would bar imports of agricultural commodities tied to deforestation conducted illegally in the country of origin. The EU law covered deforestation more broadly leaving some critics to claim the US legislation would be too weak. With Republican control of the US House of Representatives the FOREST Act will face major challenges to being passed. Vox also digs into the EU law's potential impact on US legislation passing in 2023. Mongabay reviews the EU Deforestation Law and the potential ways it could burden or boost the economic outlooks for Indonesia's smallholder palm oil farmers. Reuters shares a commentary from Matthew Spencer, global director of landscapes at IDH - The Sustainable Trade Initiative - who describes why the EU Deforestation Law could turn the tide on deforestation. The Conversation carries a separate commentary focused on the ways the EU law should be improved or paired with other policies to avoid deforestation leaking to other markets from a set of academic experts.
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Why Is Wall Street So Hot for Biodiversity Right Now?
Bloomberg, Eric Roston, 15 December
Bloomberg digs into why the finance sector has a growing interest in developing a biodiversity credit market and having companies disclose their biodiversity impacts. Coming on the heels of COP15 in Montreal where a new Global Biodiversity Framework has been established, the financial sector seems poised to propel more action on preserving and restoring biodiversity in the near-term future. ESG Investor reports that biodiversity disclosures truly will become the norm despite mandatory disclosure not making it into the final Global Biodiversity Framework agreed upon at COP15. Eco-Business covers the launch of a new investment firm called Terratai focused on scaling up biodiversity conservation projects in Indonesia to capitalize on the growing level of natural capital. GreenBiz reports that overall nature reporting will be easier to develop with new guidance expected from the Science Based Targets Initiative and the Science Based Targets Network soon.
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Doubts over World Cup’s carbon neutrality underline need for high-integrity credits [Commentary]
Euractiv, Giulia Carbone and Jenny Ahlen, 15 December
Euractiv shares a commentary from Jenny Ahle, director of Net-Zero at We Mean Business Coalition, and Giulia Carbone director of the Natural Climate Solutions Alliance at the World Business Council for Sustainable Development, that digs into the issues of the 2023 World Cup's questionable carbon neutral claims. The article explores why it is important that claims of neutrality relying upon carbon credits be thoroughly reviewed against the latest scientific understanding or risk tarnishing the reputation of the broader market. Carbon Pulse carries a commentary from Charles Bedford, Chief Impact Officer at Carbon Growth Partners, who walks through some of the common myths surrounding carbon markets and provides evidence to refute them. The Australian Financial Review shares a commentary from John Connor, CEO at the Carbon Market Institute, arguing that Australia needs a carbon market that is both trusted and large enough to meet the scale of the climate crisis for cheaper and faster climate action.
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FOR YOUR INFORMATION
The World Economic Forum releases the Global Risks Report 2023, which explores some of the most severe risks the world may face over the next decade. The top four risks the world may face over a 10-year period are failure to mitigate climate change, failure to adapt to climate change, natural disasters and extreme weather, and biodiversity loss and ecosystem collapse.
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The World Economic Forum and Deloitte share a new report titled Embedding Indigenous Knowledge in the Conservation and Restoration of Landscapes to inform how investors should engage with Indigenous peoples in both the conservation and restoration of landscapes.
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Instituto Igarapé releases its second Global Futures Bulletin – The Amazon Climate Bomb – which highlights the threats facing the Basin and possible global, national and regional solutions.
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Tropical Forest Alliance, FECO and WRI share an Action Plan for Greening China's Soft Commodity Value Chains.
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Rubicon Carbon launches a new white paper detailing their strategy and purpose behind funding voluntary carbon market credits to support the net-zero transition.
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Nature Finance shares a paper that maps the emerging legal developments at the intersection of nature, law, and human rights, with a specific focus on the implications of Rights of Nature for nature market governance.
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FAO releases its 2022 on REDD+ reporting by countries providing an overview of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) modalities for REDD+ reporting, measurement and verification for those looking to access Results-Based Payments.
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The Biodiversity Consultancy publishes a technical working paper exploring design principles for the development of scalable voluntary biodiversity credits and discuss the challenges in delivering high integrity positive outcomes.
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AlliedOffsets shares its new carbon offset buyer rating system and rankings.
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Verra and leading conservation organizations have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to develop a nature crediting framework to drive finance to high-integrity nature conservation and restoration activities.
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VCMI releases the public feedback it received in response on the Provisional Claims Code of Practice it developed in an effort to develop standards for high-integrity carbon credits.
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Environmental Investigation Agency shares a report detailing how illegal cattle ranching tied to Amazon deforestation is supplying leather to some of the world's largest automakers.
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Commonwealth Climate and Law Initiative publishes a new report on the Biodiversity Risk: Legal Implications for Companies and their Directors.
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Tropical Forest Alliance, Earth Innovation Institute, Helvetas and the Earthworm Foundation share a report on their Tocache Jurisdictional Initiative detailing the inner workings of the Tocache Jurisdictional Initiative, and presents important conclusions, recommendations and lessons learnt as an example to inspire others interested in pursuing jurisdictional approaches to protect tropical forests.
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Science Based Targets Network releases a call for companies to be a part of the SBTN initial target validation group to test out its initial methodology for setting science-based nature targets.
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Nature Finance publishes a report mapping the risks and equity implications of emerging nature credit markets as a rapidly growing asset class, and as new markers for ecosystem services develop.
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Verra invites digital measurement, reporting, and verification (DMRV) technology experts to participate in a pilot program that will develop and test the implementation of DMRV technology tools and platforms in the Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) Program.
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The Nature Data Project opens a call for data practitioners, scientists, researchers, and ecologists with hands-on nature data experience (e.g. impact measures and taxonomies) to join their initiative to enable a new global data infrastructure in support of nature-based decision making by leading biodiversity working groups in each of the following 4 realms: Land & Soil, Freshwater, Ocean, Atmosphere.
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North Darfur is one of the most drought-prone areas of Sudan. Climate change has made weather patterns less predictable. Practical Action’s targeted program focuses on water management by working with community members to build and restore five dams/hafirs and other earthworks, irrigation by installing solar pumping stations to irrigate small farms, forest planting by propagating seedlings, re-greening pastureland, and training farmers in new techniques such as crop rotation, crescent farming and crop spacing in order to improve harvests.
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.
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The final COP15 agreement set a new non-binding goal for signatory countries to achieve 30% protection and 30% restoration in exchange for USD 30 Billion of funding for conservation by 2030.
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NATURE JOBS/OPPORTUNITIES
In this section, we'll be posting NBS-related jobs as a service to the community. If you have an opportunity you'd like featured in the newsletter, please send the details to us.
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Media Round-Up
Conservation
Climate Asset Management closes over $650 million for Natural Capital projects
Climate Asset Management, 13 December
Suzanne Simard is on a crusade to save 'mother trees' for the climate
The Washington Post, Sarah Kaplan, 27 December
House to try to override veto of EPA spending bill
POLITICO, Marc Heller, 5 January
EU opens funding call for biodiversity projects
Carbon Pulse, 4 January
The hidden underwater forests that could help tackle the climate crisis
The Guardian, Lucy Sherriff, 2 January
2 New Funds Show Companies, Investors Putting Money Where Their Mouths Are on
Biodiversity Commitments
Sustainable Brands, 2 January
How to Rewild a Snowless Mountain Ski Resort
Bloomberg, Laura Millan Lombrana, 9 January
Bank floats $10 bln Brazilian bond plan to halt Amazon deforestation
Reuters, Marc Jones, 19 December
Mongabay’s Conservation Potential series investigates: Where do we need to protect biodiversity?
Mongabay, Liz Kimbrough, 19 December
COP15: Biodiversity experts share 7 reasons our environment is not yet doomed
Vox, Benji Jones, 20 December
Debt-for-nature swaps: Because the environment is worth it
Uxolo, Clara Amorim, 5 January
Argentina keeps up pace of reducing deforestation emissions over 2017-18
Carbon Pulse, Matt Lithgow, 10 January
Indigenous and Local Communities
New app tells donors what communities need to stop deforestation: Q&A with Health in Harmony
Mongabay, Abhishyant Kidangoor, 2 January
Climate crisis puts Indigenous Amazonians’ Quarup funeral ritual at risk
Mongabay, Maria Fernanda Ribeiro, 4 January
Locals fight to save ‘a piece of the sea’ in Venezuela’s Andes
Mongabay, María Fernanda Rodríguez and Jeanfreddy Gutiérrez Torres, 5 January
Alaska Native group protects land coveted by Pebble Mine developers
The Washington Post, Maxine Joselow, 22 December
Indigenous territories and protected areas are key to forest conservation in the Brazilian Amazon, study shows
ScienceDaily, University of Oklahoma, 6 January
Brazil keeps protecting Indigenous land in the Amazon. It’s not stopping deforestation.
Grist, Maria Parazo Rose, 6 January
Amid Brazil uprising, Indigenous Amazon bucks growing CO2 trend
Context, Andre Cabette Fabio, Jack Graham, 9 January
Carbon Markets
Hess makes first forest-saving payment to Guyana
Guyana News Room, 10 January
INTERVIEW: Wisconsin county to pursue largest forestry VER project of its kind
Carbon Pulse, 20 December
Cow carbon credits announced at CES 2023
PV Magazine, Anne Fischer, 5 January
IDB picks four projects for digital biodiversity token initiative
Carbon Pulse, 9 January
China to study the possibility of including soil and water conservation in national voluntary market
Carbon Pulse, 5 January
Maryland approves revolving loan guarantee for family forest offset programme
Carbon Pulse, Joan Pinto, 10 January
Carbon credit provider updates corporate climate target template
Carbon Pulse, Ben Garside, 10 January
China’s Sichuan, Guangzhou release regional plans for forestry carbon offsets
Carbon Pulse, Chia-Erh Kuo, 10 January
Guyana consulted with indigenous communities on credits - ART
QC Intel, 5 January
COMMENT: Along the curve – searching for value in the voluntary carbon market [Commentary]
Carbon Pulse, 4 January
Drivers to earn tokenised nature-based carbon credits from charging electric vehicles
Carbon Pulse, 6 January
US oil company to purchase $750 mln worth of jurisdictional REDD+ offsets from Guyana
Carbon Pulse, 2 December
Tech company launches exchange for trading UK nature credits
Carbon Pulse, 3 January
Where is corporate climate action headed in 2023? 8 experts share their insights
Patch, 21 December
Indonesia validates first REDD+ project under new carbon trading regulation
Carbon Pulse, 28 December
Indonesia’s East Kalimantan aims to sell credits for emissions reduction in World Bank agreement
Carbon Pulse, Peter Kiernan, 10 January
Australia Backs Carbon Credits Criticized as Failing Climate
Bloomberg, Sybilla Gross and Heesu Lee, 8 January
Forecasters see rapidly growing biodiversity market as nature crisis forces response
Carbon Pulse, Stian Reklev, 10 January
Carbon credit review raises questions about avoided deforestation in Australia’s biodiversity market
Carbon Pulse, Stian Reklev, 10 January
Nature Loss
The Forest in Your Chocolate
The New York Times, Somini Sengupta and Manuela Andreoni, 20 December
Wildfires Are Burning State Budgets
Inside Climate News, Anne Marshall-Chalmers, 7 January
How to respond to the inevitable climate and nature emergency
BusinessGreen, Amber Rolt, 10 January
Despite their net-zero pledges, deforestation remains a big blind spot for bankers
Reuters, Mark Hillsdon, 5 January
Witness to paradise being lost: my year in the dying Amazon
The Guardian, Jonathan Watts, 16 December
Climate boss Carney's firm linked with deforestation
BBC News, Ben King, 16 December
The Netherlands to stop paying subsidies to 'untruthful' biomass firms
Mongabay, Justin Catanoso, 23 December
GABON: Four illegal logging sites discovered in Bitam, north of the country
Afrik 21, Boris Ngounou, 4 January
Amazon deforestation may shrink Himalayan snow and Antarctic ice
New Scientist, James Dinneen, 5 January
Sierra Madre: Fighting to save what's left of a vital rainforest
BBC News, Laura Bicker, 6 January
Australian forests continue to be cleared at globally significant levels, reports say
Carbon Pulse, 5 January
Indonesia palm oil-driven deforestation rose in 2022 - analyst
QC Intel, 5 January
NSW forests could become net carbon emitters in coming decades, report finds
The Guardian, Lisa Cox, 4 January
Collapse, contamination: Mexican scientists sound alarm at Mayan Train
Cassandra Garrison and Jose Luis Gonzalez, 4 January
House to try to override veto of EPA spending bill
POLITICO, Carlos Anchondo, 3 January
What does the failure to ban the sale of peat tell us about the net zero transition?
BusinessGreen, Trewin Restorick, 3 January
A new EPA proposal is reigniting a debate about what counts as 'renewable'
Grist, John McCracken, 4 January
From declining deforestation to quitting coal, Indonesia marks a pivotal 2022
Mongabay, Isabel Esterman, 30 December
Argentina’s soy producers push for traceability to combat deforestation
China Dialogue, Jorgelina Hiba, 5 January
Global pollinator losses causing 500,000 early deaths a year – study
The Guardian, Damian Carrington, 9 January
Grijalva blasts provision in House rules package making it easier to transfer public land ownership
The Hill, Zack Budryk, 9 January
Has the Amazon Reached Its ‘Tipping Point’?
The New York Times, Alex Cuadros, 4 January
Low Salt Marsh Habitats Release More Carbon in Response to Warming, a New Study Finds
Inside Climate News, Hannah Loss, 9 January
Restoration
'Let's plant trees': SM Entertainment spearheads green movement in K-pop industry
The Korea Times, Dong Sun-hwa, 1 January
Japan’s example: Can forest planting reduce climate disaster risk?
Mongabay, Annelise Giseburt, 15 December
Dollars and chainsaws: Can timber production help fund global reforestation?
Mongabay, Gianluca Cerullo, 5 January
For restoration, microbes below ground are just as crucial as the plants above
Mongabay, Hans Nicholas Jong, 5 January
Indonesian start-up to fund, advise Southeast Asian biodiversity efforts
Carbon Pulse, 5 January
Healing forests with an eye toward human health [Commentary]
The Washington Post, 6 January
Trees planted by councils die after 'rush job to show off green credentials'
The Telegraph, Emma Gatten, 31 December
‘We’re being a little more picky’: How cities are rethinking their trees in the face of climate change
Fast Company, Alex Brown, 2 January
The fight over rewilding
Tortoise, Guy Taylor, 8 January
30x30 is conservation's flashy new goal. What does it actually mean?
Grist, Blanca Begert, 9 January
DATASET: A third of reforestation projects use fast-growing trees
QC Intel, 9 January
Nature Tech
This 3D-printed home is made from wood chips and sawdust
Fast Company, Nate Berg, 5 January
Planet closes forest carbon MRV transaction
QC Intel, 9 January
Sustainable Forestry
Forestry teams are the first line of defence against climate change. Here's what they need in 2023
WEF, Yishan Wong, 4 January
House to try to override veto of EPA spending bill
POLITICO, Marc Heller, 6 January
Building With Sustainable Wood Is Key to Greener Cities
Bloomberg, Feargus O'Sullivan, 4 January
From pollution to power: Canada's first Indigenous-owned bioenergy facility opens
CBC, Bonnie Allen, 2 January
Oregon farm recycles Christmas trees through 'biochar'
KGW News, 1 January
Major Chinese foresty firm commits to developing carbon sink projects
Carbon Pulse, 3 January
The outlook for sustainable forestry investment in 2023
Agri Investor, 30 December
CONGO: Ban on export of timber in log form comes into force
Afrik 21, Boris Ngounou, 6 January
Forests recovering from logging act as a source of carbon
Imperial College London, Hayley Dunning, 9 January
Sustainable forest management: Indonesia navigates a paradigm shift
Forest News, Monica Evans, 5 January
New study finds logged tropical forests are surprisingly vibrant and need protection
University of Oxford, 19 December
Logged tropical forests are a ‘substantial’ carbon source for at least 10 years
Carbon Brief, Orla Dwyer, 9 January
Agriculture and Soil Health
Just 224 farmers were paid under post-Brexit farming scheme last year
The Guardian, Helena Horton and Fiona Harvey, 4 January
Research could simplify process for calculating soil carbon credits
Phys.org, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 5 January
Farmers to be paid double for planting hedgerows to boost post-Brexit green schemes
The Telegraph, Emma Gatten, 5 January
Government to boost payments under environmental farming subsidy schemes
BusinessGreen News, Abi Kay, 5 January
Carbon farming: Are soil carbon certificates a suitable tool for climate change mitigation?
Journal of Environmental Management, January
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Nature4Climate's Weekly Briefing summarises content from international media outlets (and our partner organisations) on stories, developments and events that relate to nature-based solutions. Our editorial policy is to circulate articles and opinion pieces whether we agree or disagree with viewpoints represented. Please submit NCS jobs, news, reports and events for the newsletter to info@nature4climate.org.
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