N4C Weekly Briefing
1 - 8 March 2023
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Biggest carbon credit certifier to replace its rainforest offsets scheme
The Guardian, Patrick Greenfield, 10 March
The Guardian reports that Verra will "scrap" its old methodology and introduce a new approach measuring and selling REDD-related rainforest deforestation reduction emission credits. The article claims that Verra will do so, "after a Guardian investigation found it was flawed." Verra responds to the article stating that "Verra is not scrapping its REDD methodologies" and that the coming changes to its methodology are occurring as a continuous multi-year process to review and improve its practices. Many have lodged complaints on LinkedIn on the misleading nature of the Guardian report. Carbon Pulse shares a commentary from Edward Mitchard, professor of global change mapping at the University of Edinburgh’s School of GeoSciences and chief scientist of service provider Space Intelligence, who recognizes that measuring avoided deforestation is hard but a close look using satellites and project specific measures shows a more positive picture than The Guardian's reporting when it comes to Verra's projects. Carbon Pulse shares another commentary from leaders at TerraCarbon, a carbon project developer, sharing how and why methodologies for carbon offset projects have advanced to provide more certainty of climate impact. Mongabay carries a commentary detailing how blended private-public finance can supercharge conservation. Conservation International shares a blog that defines High-Forest Low-Deforestation, a term that is opening up new frontiers in carbon finance.
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BBC will not broadcast Attenborough episode over fear of ‘rightwing backlash’
The Guardian, Katrine Bussey, 10 March
The Guardian shares that the BBC will not broadcast an upcoming episode of Sir David Attenborough’s flagship new series on British wildlife because of fears its themes of the destruction of nature would risk a backlash from Tory politicians and the rightwing press. Narrated by David Attenborough, it is expected to be a hit, with five episodes scheduled to go out in primetime slots on BBC One. A sixth episode has also been filmed, which is understood to be a stark look at the losses of nature in the UK and what has caused the declines. It is also understood to include some examples of rewilding, a concept that has been controversial in some rightwing circles. Express reports that the UK is now the least forested nation in Europe.
The New York Times covers the announcement that US President Joe Biden approved an enormous $8 billion plan to extract 600 million barrels of oil from pristine federal land in Alaska. The oil company that owned the leases to begin drilling would likely have sued the federal government if not allowed to drill, and the Biden administration did limit the overall plans for oil extraction, but the announcement has angered environmentalists and campaigners in the US. The Conversation shares an article from forestry and environmental professors that criticize the US approach to protecting its old-growth forests.
Reuters reports that the EU will expand its forests, marshes and other "sinks" that absorb CO2 from the atmosphere, to ensure this sector removes a net 310 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent by 2030 - a roughly 15% increase from today under a new law.
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Indonesia’s mangrove restoration will run out of land well short of target, study warns
Mongabay, Cassie Freund, 9 March
Mongabay reports the Indonesian government’s mangrove restoration plan faces a major hurdle, according to a new study: less than a third of the target area is actually viable for restoration. The finding isn’t all bad news; the researchers have been invited to collaborate with the national mangrove restoration agency on “fine-tuning where these areas are, and what kind of priority they need.” The study found the most promising sites for restoration are on the islands of Borneo and Sumatra, which largely match the government’s own priority areas. Successful mangrove restoration across Indonesia could secure healthy fisheries for coastal communities and improve fisheries-based economies, thereby reducing poverty and hunger, and improving health and well-being for 74 million people.
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Smallholders are key to EU’s deforestation law [Commentary]
China Dialogue, Aida Greenbury and Kyle Saukas, 8 March
China Dialogue shares a commentary that highlights how the newly passed EU Deforestation Regulation will require working with and supporting smallholder farmers in key sectors like palm oil to ensure the law is effective. The article notes that while many argue the EU law would be too harmful for smallholder farmers, in reality there are smallholder farmer unions that have expressed some support for the law as it could increase their revenues and help protect forests. The article concludes, "Designing additional policies and securing finance that puts smallholders in a leading role is the best way to ensure everyone wins." The Financial Times reports that the UK is repealing its tariffs on Malaysian palm oil as the price of joining an Asia-Pacific trade deal, according to people involved in the talks, prompting outrage from green campaigners.
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Seeding Hope
ProPublica, Caroline Chen, 7 March
ProPublica dives into the work of non-profit Health In Harmony that asked local communities in Madagascar, "What do you need from the world as a thank you to continue to protect this precious rainforest that the health of our planet depends on?” and set on a mission to meet those needs. The results show that providing the communities health care, job alternatives and help growing food helped prevent zoonotic diseases and successfully preserved forests. Researchers have shown that deforestation can drive outbreaks by bringing people closer to wildlife, which can shed dangerous viruses. Health in Harmony has managed to quantify its success at its pilot location in a rural part of Indonesia on the island of Borneo. With help from Stanford University researchers, Health In Harmony analyzed 10 years of patient records along with satellite images of the forest there, comparing 73 villages that signed its agreement to places that hadn’t. They estimated that the project averted 10.6 square miles of deforestation and achieved significant declines in malaria, tuberculosis, neglected tropical illnesses and chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases, even while the rates for some of these conditions increased in the surrounding region.
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A FRESH PERSPECTIVE
We are using our platform to share more diverse voices and perspectives in the global discourse around NCS. As part of this effort we are starting a new section in the newsletter that will highlight opinions and messages from stakeholders not normally covered in major media outlets. If you see an interesting perspective that you think more people should hear, please share it with us. Opinions shared do not necessarily represent the views of Nature4Climate.
Africa must see the wood for the trees
BusinessDay, Dr. John Maré, 7 March
"While the interwoven relationship between commercial forestry and natural forests is extremely relevant, unfortunately the full extent of the potential of forestry to drive Africa’s economic growth in the circular economic biosphere is often not appreciated. ... In developing its forestry sector and bio-economy generally, Africa can benefit from existing relevant experiences drawn from developed countries, and in some cases from a few African countries — Gabon, in particular, is notable."
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FOR YOUR INFORMATION
UNDP shares the deadline for nominating nature-based organizations for the Equator Prize will be March 20th. This year’s prize will recognize community-based organizations protecting nature to achieve the goals of the Global Biodiversity Framework and deliver on the SDGs. Each winner will receive USD $10,000, be supported in numerous policy dialogues this fall, and join a prestigious network of over 270 prize-winning organizations.
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Global Forest Watch announces the winners of its 2023 Small Grants Fund. After reviewing hundreds of inspiring proposals, the GFW team is pleased to welcome 15 Small Grants Fund (SGF) recipients in 2023 across Central and South America, Africa and Southeast Asia that are harnessing GFW tools to protect critical habitats and community lands. This year’s grantees will use satellite-based forest monitoring technologies to raise awareness and build capacity of communities, civil society, law enforcement and journalists to manage and protect forests and improve forest governance.
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Ecosystem Marketplace announces that it will work with the US Department of State to support developing country governments in considering how international carbon markets could enhance their national climate strategies.
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Nature Finance publishes a consulting paper on The Future of Biodiversity Credit Markets. The paper provides both framing and practical proposals for these markets to produce the scaled financing and incentives needed for businesses and economies to better align with the Global Biodiversity Framework and the Paris Agreement.
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World Economic Forum publishes recommendations for the digital voluntary and regulated carbon markets.
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The Iris Projects announces that it is accepting applications for its youth-focused Iris Prizes. Each year the Iris Project awards three grants in conjunction with a locally-delivered capacity building programmes and peer-to-peer mentoring facilitated by their Advisory Panel.
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Care Peru aims to improve the resilience capacity of vulnerable and poor populations through territorial and climate governance, the management of water resources, projects for adaptation and mitigation of climate change, alliances with Indigenous movements and local governments. This project helped to collaboratively develop water resources management plans to sustainably manage more than 200 new lakes. The project benefitted downstream communities and protected fragile high-altitude freshwater ecosystems.
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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NUMBER OF THE WEEK
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A new study reports the Indonesian government’s mangrove restoration plan faces a major hurdle - less than a third of the target area is actually viable for restoration.
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GOOD NEWS
Indigenous funding model is a win-win for ecosystems and local economies in Canada
First Nations in the Great Bear Rainforest and Haida Gwaii of Canada, have successfully invested in conservation initiatives that have benefited ecosystems while also increasing communities’ well-being over the past 15 years, a recent report shows. Twenty-seven First Nations spent nearly C$109 million ($79 million) toward 439 environmental and economic development projects in their territories, including initiating research, habitat restoration, and guardian programs, that attracted returns worth C$296 million ($214 million).
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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.
- Climate-Related Risk Senior Associate - Climate Advisers
- Senior Analyst, Asset Management (Agriculture & Natural Assets) - Macquarie
- Project Officer (Programme, Advocacy and Outreach) - FAO
- China Director, China Food and Nature Resources Program and China - FOLU
- Virginia Spencer Davis Fellowship - High Country News
- Associate Vice President, Climate Smart Agriculture - EDF
- Programme Management Officer - United Nations Environment Programme
- Policy Advisor, International Climate Policy/External Affairs/Climate - The Nature Conservancy
- Senior Comms Associate, Climate Science & Land Use, GSCC - European Climate Foundation
- Director for Innovative Finance, Forests & Climate Change - WCS
- Strategic Communications Director, Colombia & Peru - CLUA
- Account Director: Nature - Greenhouse
- Communications & Marketing Director - Conservation International
- NBS Technical Manager - Climate Impact Partners
- Head of Carbon Strategy -Terraformation
- Analyst / Associate, Relationship Management & Product Development - BTG Pactual Timberland Investment Group
- Graduate Trainee Programme - Proforest
- Responsible Sourcing Senior Professional - Proforest
- Portfolio Lead – Responsible Sourcing and Production - Proforest
- Portfolio Lead – Responsible Sourcing and Production (Cali, Colombia) - Proforest
- E-learning Project Manager - Proforest
- Power BI Developer - Proforest
- Senior Manager, Forest Investor Club - WBCSD
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Media Round-Up
Conservation
First Cop15, now the high seas treaty: there is hope for the planet’s future
The Guardian, Patrick Greenfield, 9 March
Commodity markets jittery as EU deforestation regulation looms
Farmer’s Weekly, Elizabeth Schroeder, 10 March
Manchin says he won’t advance Biden lands nominee
The Hill, Rachel Frazin, 10 March
On track for initial goals, $1-bln conservation fund launches incubation offshoot
Carbon Pulse, 8 March
Panama ocean conference draws $20 billion, marine biodiversity commitments
Mongabay, Elizabeth Claire Alberts, 6 March
Nuveen Invests in Barbados Blue Bond
ESG Investor, Jack Grogan-Fenn, 7 March
Islands conservancy receives funding to address biodiversity loss
Ladysmith Chronicle, 8 March
CONGO: Summit of the world's three great forest basins, scheduled for June 2023
Afrik 21, Boris Ngounou, 10 March
Scientists map nearly 10 billion trees, stored carbon, in Africa’s drylands
Mongabay, John Cannon, 10 March
The great tree debate: which varieties are best suited to our changing climate?
Financial Times, Tabi Jackson Gee, 10 March
How coconuts protect the Jersey Shore, other eroding coasts
E&E News, 13 March
Roadmap for Wildfire Resilience: How to Get There from Here
The Nature Conservancy, 8 March
Seaweed farming offers big carbon sequestration potential for China, researchers say
Carbon Pulse, 13 March
Indigenous and Local Communities
The Indigenous congressional climate push
Axios, Ayurella Horn-Muller, 9 March
Defending the Intag Valley: 30 Years of Community Resistance
Mongabay, 3 March
Lula government scrambles to overcome Yanomami crisis, but hurdles remain
Mongabay, Jenny Gonzales, 6 March
Podcast: What the 'Guardians of Life' can teach the world about saving biodiversity
Mongabay, Mike DiGirolamo, 7 March
Indigenous youths keep ancient forestry traditions alive in the Philippines
Mongabay, Keith Anthony S. Fabro, 6 March
Deforestation threatens local populations in Republic of Congo’s Sangha
Mongabay, Lawon Olalekan, 6 March
Brazil’s Indigenous groups demand a voice in new soybean railway project
Mongabay, Elizabeth Oliveira, 7 March
Element Africa: Claims of mining encroachment in DRC and broken promises in SA
Mongabay, 8 March
After Centuries of Exploitation, Will Indigenous Communities in Biodiversity Hotspots Finally Get Their Due?
Civil Eats, 7 March
Gender Gains: Making progress towards empowering women through REDD+ implementation in DRC
UNREDD Programme, 7 March
Mobilizing Amazon societies to reduce forest carbon emissions and unlock the carbon market [Commentary]
Mongabay, Dan Nepstad, Monica de los Rios, Ronaldo Seroa da Motta, 13 March
Carbon Markets
What on Earth is ‘HFLD’? (Hint: It’s about forests)
Conservation, Bruno Vander Velde, 8 March
C-Quest hits back at cookstove critics, amid 'expose' rumours
QC Intel, 10 March
UPDATE – ICE announces auction for cookstove carbon credits to drum up corporate demand
Carbon Pulse, 9 March
Singapore adds ACR, ART TREES offset standards to basket of eligible credits for domestic market
Carbon Pulse, 9 March
Climate Action Reserve publishes carbon credit forecast methodology for avoiding US megafires
Carbon Pulse, 9 March
The Big Thinking of Carbon Credits in Guyana
Caribbean Financials, 9 March
US ag firm service aims to offer flexibility in offset generation
QC Intel, 9 March
MOL, Kobe Steel use REDD+ credits to offset iron ore shipment
QC Intel, 9 March
ICE to auction 500,000 credits from Ugandan cookstove scheme
QC Intel, 9 March
Xpansiv postpones first auction of Cambodian REDD+ credits
QC Intel, 9 March
African Energy Chamber: Africa Must Embrace Carbon Trading (By NJ Ayuk)
Benzinga, 9 March
Carbon credit ratings agency eyes role in biodiversity market
Carbon Pulse, 3 March
Fictitious commodities: the forest carbon market in PNG
Development Policy Centre, Andrea Babon, Colin Filer and Bryant Allen, 9 March
Student 'wages war on greenwashing' with startup that verifies carbon projects
Eco-Business, Robin Hicks, 6 March
Mexican offset platform to kickstart launch with pre-sale from unique blue carbon project
Carbon Pulse, 8 March
UK broker to offer VCS/CCB credits from Mexico wetlands project
QC Intel, 8 March
CfRN helping Nepal and Bhutan advance REDD+ implementation
QC Intel, 8 March
Malaysia commits $2.2m to 'kickstart' domestic carbon market
QC Intel, 8 March
Auditor validates controversial Congo reforestation project
QC Intel, 8 March
South Korean trio partner to boost forest carbon: reports
QC Intel, 8 March
DRC to cancel two illegal REDD+ forest concessions
QC Intel, 8 March
Officials target Q4 for preparing key Article 6 methodological guidance
Carbon Pulse, 10 March
Soil carbon hard to get off ground, but developer optimistic issuances will come soon
Carbon Pulse, 10 March
Shell manager leaves to set up nature-based carbon firm
Carbon Pulse, 10 March
Xpansiv delays first auction of Cambodian REDD+ credits
Carbon Pulse, 10 March
ANALYSIS: With ‘tighter’ contracts, CIX aims to resume voluntary carbon market’s standardisation push
Carbon Pulse, 10 March
Soil carbon credit platform receives $16 mln from French hedge fund
Carbon Pulse, 13 March
New Puro.earth biochar project registers credits on pre-sale
QC Intel, 13 March
Hedge fund invests $16m in Estonian soil carbon credit startup
QC Intel, 13 March
BRIEFING: Academic study alleges overcrediting in cookstoves
QC Intel, 13 March
COMMENT: The need for clarity around corporate climate claims – a review of the defining elements of corporate climate claims [Commentary]
Carbon Pulse, 13 March
Australian pension fund divests from land developer over biodiversity transparency concerns
Carbon Pulse, 13 March
Nature Loss
Deforestation in Brazil's Amazon up in February
Daily Mail, 10 March
In the once-cool forests of the Pacific Northwest, heat poses a new threat
Grist, Sarah Trent, 12 March
UK climate change advisors call for end to biomass subsidies for power
Carbon Pulse, 9 March
Climate change pushes corals and Amazon to critical limits, says study
Noticias, Carlos Madeira, 10 March
Smoke from Australian bushfires depleted ozone layer by up to 5% in 2020, study finds
The Guardian, Donna Lu, 8 March
House votes to overturn Biden administration water regulation
The Hill, Rachel Frazin, 9 March
Feds need aerial strategy for year-round wildfires — report
E&E News, Alex Hargrave, 9 March
Conservationists decry palm oil giants’ exit from HCSA forest protection group
Mongabay, Hans Nicholas Jong, 7 March
Why is Indonesia moving its capital from Jakarta to Borneo?
The Independent, Edna Tarigan, Victoria Milko, 9 March
As Indonesia’s new capital takes shape, risks to wider Borneo come into focus
Mongabay, Basten Gokkon, 8 March
Logged and loaded: Cambodian prison official suspected in massive legalized logging operation
Mongabay, Gerald Flynn, 8 March
As Indonesia’s new capital takes shape, risks to wider Borneo come into focus
Mongabay, Basten Gokkon, 8 March
Food industry urged to pull out of damaging palm oil deals and sharpen responsible purchasing
Food Ingredients First, 13 March
As Indonesia’s new capital takes shape, risks to wider Borneo come into focus
Mongabay, Basten Gokkon, 8 March
Amazon deforestation linked to reduced Tibetan snows, Antarctic ice loss: Study
Mongabay, Claire Asher, 8 March
Study: Increased wildfire risk could delay ozone layer's recovery
Axios, Jacob Knutson, 8 March
New Utah oil railroad by Colorado River raises health and climate fears
The Guardian, Nina Lakhani, 9 March
Pumping Oil Across the Amazon Rainforest Is a Money-Losing Business for Peru
Bloomberg, Marcelo Rochabrun, 8 March
Stakeholders cautiously welcome Australia’s proposed nature repair market, but litany of concerns remain
Carbon Pulse, 9 March
ANALYSIS: All sources of demand welcome to help build biodiversity market –experts
Carbon Pulse, 3 March
We Must Stop Treating Grasslands as Wastelands [Commentary]
Scientific American, Sutirtha Lahiri, 3 March
Exclusive: Colombia's Amazon reserves suffer staffing delays, risking environmental damage
Reuters, Oliver Griffin, 10 March
Scottish Widows calls for mandatory nature risk reporting
BusinessGreen News, Cecilia Keating, 14 March
Restoration
Cote d’Ivoire teams up with developers to explore potential for large-scale reforestation
Carbon Pulse, 6 March
Iraq to Plant 5 Million Trees to Combat Climate Change Damage
Bloomberg, Khalid Al Ansary, 12 March
Greening the desert: the architect regenerating Jordan’s native forests | Global development
The Guardian, Rawan Baybars, 9 March
Nature Tech
NASA Satellite Helps Track Carbon Emissions and Removals
Environmental Leader, Jessica Hunt, 9 March
AXA IM Alts Invests in Naturetech, Reforestation
ESG Investor, Jack Grogan-Fenn, 3 March
A deceptively simple technology for carbon removal
Greenbiz, Jesse Klein, 13 March
Climate Change Is Launching a Mutant Seed Space Race
Bloomberg, Jonathan Tirone, 4 March
A ‘Rights of Nature’ Fact-Finding Panel to Investigate Mexico’s Tren Maya Railroad for Possible Environmental Violations
Inside Climate News, Katie Surma, 9 March
Sustainable Forestry
Kentucky Residents Angered by US Forest Service Logging Plan That Targets Mature Trees
Inside Climate News, Marianne Lavelle, 5 March
Who’s behind Canada’s new pulp-and-paper powerhouse, and where’s the money coming from?
RCI, 9 March
New Mexico lawmakers seek assurances amid prescribed burns
AP News, Susan Montoya Brian, 8 March
Government promises £4m boost through forestry innovation funds
BusinessGreen News, James Murray, 14 March
Agriculture and Soil Health
Member states push to exempt low-input livestock from law to cut emissions
Euractiv, Natasha Foote, 8 March
Agroecology is a poverty solution in Haiti [Commentary]
Mongabay, Cantave Jean-Baptiste, Steve Brescia, 6 March
Impact fund, Kenyan bank team up to drive biodiversity, climate friendly agriculture in sub-Saharan Africa
Carbon Pulse, 8 March
DevvStream Announces Exclusive Carbon Credits Management Agreement with AgriLedger
DevvStream, 7 March
Ecuador shares experiences on deforestation-free production with Vietnam
UNREDD Programme, 8 March
Belterra's model for scaling up agroforestry
Capital Reset, Vanessa Adachi, 9 March
Fungi-tree planting could feed millions while capturing tonnes of carbon – study
The Independent, Katharine Hay, 13 March
Australian carbon developer launches sustainable agriculture venture
Carbon Pulse, 12 March
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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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