Welcome to the latest edition of Global Nature Beat. If you are new here, read my About page to find out what this newsletter is, who I am and why I am doing this. Or just dive in. You’ll find news, reporting resources, job postings, links to some great stories and a look ahead to what’s coming up in the world of biodiversity and nature policy.
A Quick Message
Global Nature Beat is six months old today. In that time, more than a thousand of you have signed up to receive the newsletter. Thank you so much. Knowing you are out there gives me the energy to produce the newsletter. Special thanks to those of you who have become paying supporters, or have shared the newsletter with new readers. I’m grateful to you all.
Taking The Pulse
Plastics treaty: Negotiations towards a global plastics treaty are underway in Canada from 23-29 April. More than 100 organizations have signed a letter urging the UN Environment Programme and the secretariat running the talks to address the role of undisclosed lobbyists for the plastics and fossil fuels industries.
The Environmental Investigation Agency says an ambitious treaty could halve carbon emission from plastic production by 2050. Legal expert Magnus Løvold, who writes so engagingly about this process, points to some positive signs from more ambitious governments and a new chair overseeing the talks.
In last week’s Nature Beat, I included some resources for anyone following the talks. To those, I add this list of the Ocean Conservancy’s scientists and policy experts. As usual, I recommend the Earth Negotiations Bulletin’s daily updates, the first of which is here.
Trade in Endangered Species: The Secretariat of the Convention on Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) says no country has offered to host its 20th Conference of Parties, which must take place by the end of 2025. The Plan B is to hold the meeting in Geneva, Switzerland. It will cost US$1.8-2 million to organize, but there is no budget for this. While the CITES Trust Fund can plug the gap, the Secretariat is asking parties to contribute to replenish the fund.
US conservation policy: The Biden Administration announced enhanced protection for 13 million acres (52,600 km2) in Alaska (see WWF’s reaction). The move brings the total area of land and water protected under this administration to more than 165,000 km2. The White House also announced the America the Beautiful Freshwater Challenge, which aims to protect, restore and connect more than 160,000 km of rivers and 32,000 km2 of wetlands by 2030. The Bureau of Land Management finalized a new rule putting conservation and restoration of public land on a par with mining, grazing and oil drilling.
Finance for nature: Former heads of state and other leaders in the Campaign for Nature’s Global Steering Committee wrote to leaders of the G7 group of nations, urging them to meet their promise of investing US$20 billion in nature. As Thomas Cox reports, Mongolia and The Nature Conservancy have raised US$198 million for conservation and sustainable communities, with plans for similar initiatives in 20 more countries. Meanwhile, Bhutan’s government and the Tiger Conservation Coalition issued a statement committing to ‘catalyze’ US$1 billion in new funding for tiger conservation by 2034. See press releases from the Wildlife Conservation Society, WWF and TRAFFIC.
Environmental defenders: The 3rd Conference of Parties to the Escazú Agreement is underway in Chile (22-24 April). The agreement is the first regional environmental treaty for Latin America and the Caribbean. One outcome of this week’s meeting is the adoption of an action plan aimed at strengthening protection for environmental defenders, around 1,500 of whom have been murdered in the region in the past decade. See the press release in English or Spanish. Staying on this subject, Emily Barritt shares three reasons to support environmental defenders.
In Focus: Forest-Risk Commodities
The Center for Biological Diversity and more than 25 other organizations want the US State Department to ban imports of avocados linked to deforestation in Mexico. As Stephanie Feldstein explains, clearing forest to produce avocados threatens migratory monarch butterflies.
Palm oil in the supply chain of the food and drink conglomerate PepsiCo has been linked to deforestation and the invasion of indigenous lands in the Peruvian Amazon, according to reporting by Elisângela Mendonça, Aramís Castro and Andrew Wasley.
An investigation by Earthsight says top fashion brands Zara and H&M are using cotton linked to illegal deforestation, land grabbing and human rights violations in Brazil.
In The Spotlight
Eva Corlett wrote about a remarkable transformation in New Zealand’s capital Wellington where populations of native birds have bounced back, bucking a global trend.
Asia Murphy wrote about the lasting impacts on people — and wildlife — of racialised nature inequity in the United States.
Tracy Keeling reflects on the lack of media coverage of the legal trade in wildlife and of threats to biodiversity more broadly.
With a story about pelicans and a lake shared by three countries, Fred Pearce explains how nature restoration can heal conflicts.
Photographer Federico Borella and journalist Tristen Rouse tell the story of rising conflict between people and elephants in Sri Lanka.
Nicholas Muller reported how abalone poaching to meet demand in China is devastating coastal communities in South Africa.
Tips And Resources
Yvette Cabrera has produced an in-depth guide to reporting on lead pollution.
The Society of Environmental Journalists has shared video and audio recordings of sessions at its recent annual conference.
On 26 April, Forrest Fleischman of the University of Minnesota is giving a talk about the social side of ecological restoration — register here to watch it online.
See past editions for more tips and resources.
In Focus: Indigenous Issues
The UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues is meeting this week. Reporting from the meeting, Sarah Sax wrote about how the expansion of protected areas and rising demand for minerals risk criminalizing Indigenous Peoples. For more news from the meeting, see Grist’s Climate + Global Indigenous Affairs Desk. In related news:
On 18 April, Survival International published a report accusing the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) of complicity in conservation-related illegal evictions and abuses of Indigenous people — see the press release.
Lawyers for Indonesia’s main Indigenous alliance have launched legal proceedings against the government for its failure to pass a bill on Indigenous rights, reports Richaldo Hariandja.
For the first time in Canadian history, the government has recognized Indigenous title across an entire terrestrial territory, naming the Haida Nation as rightful owners of all 200-plus islands of Haida Gwaii archipelago, reports Serena Renner.
Happy Birthday to the Earth Journalism Network
The Earth Journalism Network (EJN) is celebrating its 20th anniversary. Full disclosure: I do some work for EJN as a consultant. EJN’s founder and executive director James Fahn has written up his reflections on two decades of supporting environmental journalism and his thoughts on what the future holds.
What Caught My Eye
A celebrity fashion designer has been jailed in the United States for recruiting couriers to smuggle handbags made from crocodile and snake skin from Colombia.
In the UK, the Royal Society published a special issue of its Philosophical Transactions journal focused on how to embed nature into political and economic decision-making — see the introduction and summary by Yadvinder Malhi and Gretchen Daly.
Jill Langlois interviewed Brazil’s environment minister Marina Silva about her fight against deforestation and illegal mining.
The US Global Change Research Program announced the list of authors for its first ever National Nature Assessment.
Nigeria and Cameroon signed an agreement to work together to address poaching and the illegal trade in wildlife.
Domestic ivory markets must not be reopened, says the secretariat of the 24-nation Elephant Protection Initiative.
Sarah Dolman of the Environmental Investigation Agency says Europe is slacking when it comes to protecting porpoises from dying in fishing nets.
Botanic Gardens Conservation International has a new global campaign to tackle the illegal trade in plants.
Rebecca Wisent is launching a directory of nature-based Substack newsletters. Find out more here.
BirdLife International announced the launch of the West African Vulture Conservation Action Plan with activities planned in 16 countries in the region.
More than 100 conservation groups urged the US Congress to increase the US Fish and Wildlife Service’s budget for endangered species conservation from US$329 million to US$857 million.
WWF-Norway is taking the Norwegian government to court in an effort to reverse the recent approval for deep-sea mining.
The China Dialogue family of environmental news sites has merged into a new single site called Dialogue Earth — chief executive officer Sam Geall explains the change.
IUCN published a report providing founding principles for a ‘regenerative’ blue economy.
The World Resources Institute’s Ocean Program will host a new permanent secretariat for the annual Our Ocean Conference.
Indonesia has published its plan for protecting biodiversity as it builds a new capital city in the rainforest of Borneo, reports Hans Nicholas Jong.
From The Journals
In case you missed it, my latest round-up of new research included papers on: Migrant bird mortality. Conflict-stricken biodiversity. Lingering oil impacts. Ocean philanthropy. Under-staffed protected areas. Gentrification and wild mammals. Plastic perils. And much more… Read the summaries here.
Can You Help?
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Jobs And Opportunities
The Society of Environmental Journalists invites entries for its 2024 Awards — deadline 17 June.
The Pulitzer Center invites journalists to join the second cohort of its Ocean Reporting Network — deadline 26 May.
Journalists in selected European countries can apply for EurekAlert! Travel Awards to attend the 2025 meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science — deadline 30 April.
Carbon Pulse is seeking a correspondent in Asia or Australia to cover environmental markets — apply here.
Bonus content: There are 31 jobs, grants, fellowships and other opportunities listed here for Global Nature Beat’s paying supporters. Paid subscriptions are less than £1 per week. A free seven-day trial is available.
On The Horizon
6-9 May 2024: The 18th International Conference on Community-Based Adaptation to Climate Change takes place in Arusha, Tanzania.
13-18 May 2024: The UN Convention on Biological Diversity’s Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice will meet in Nairobi, Kenya to, among other things, finalize the approach for monitoring implementation of the Global Biodiversity Framework — meeting documents are here.
15 May 2024: IUCN hosts the first World Species Congress as a 24-hour online event.
21-29 May 2024: The UN Convention on Biological Diversity’s Subsidiary Body on Implementation will meet in Nairobi, Kenya — meeting documents are here.
22 May 2024: International Day for Biological Diversity.
Bonus content: The full calendar for The Nature Beat’s supporters includes 57 nature-related intergovernmental negotiations, scientific conferences, report launches, and other events up until 2026. Paid subscriptions are less than £1 per week. A free seven-day trial is available.
Whose Eye Was It?
The eye belongs to a mandrill. Photo credit: Tambako the Jaguar / Flickr — Creative Commons
Thanks for reading. For past editions, see the Archive. If you found it interesting or useful, please share and subscribe. If you want to get in contact, you can reach me at: thenaturebeat@substack.com.