Nature Beat #36
Updates, stories, resources and opportunities
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.
Taking The Pulse
Trade in endangered species: The animals-focused scientific advisory body to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) is meeting on 15-19 July in Geneva, Switzerland. The CITES Animals Committee will discuss international trade of species including African carnivores, pangolins, sharks, amphibians, songbirds, and marine ornamental fishes — see the press release and meeting documents. The CITES Plants Committee met on 8-12 July. Both committees work to complete tasks given to them by the 19th Conference of Parties to CITES in 2022, and their findings will feed into decisions at the 20th Conference of Parties in 2025.
Seabed scandal: On 4 July, journalist Eric Lipton exposed problems at the heart of the International Seabed Authority, the UN agency that governs mining in international waters. The ISA is meeting soon in Jamaica where, among other things, its 36 member states will elect a secretary general for the next four years. Lipton reports allegations of payments to secure votes, misuse of funds and other dubious acts, all linked to the election.
The ISA Secretariat issued a statement and published responses from its current secretary general, Michael Lodge, who is standing for a third term. Both rejected suggestions that Lodge had tried to unduly influence votes. Opposing Lodge is Brazilian oceanographer Leticia Carvalho, who explains her reasons for standing in this recent interview by Elizabeth Claire Alberts. The meeting in Jamaica from 15 July to 2 August is the second part of the ISA’s 29th Annual Session. See ENB’s preview and daily coverage.
Key biodiversity areas: A two-year project has confirmed more than 700 'key biodiversity areas' (KBAs) in seven countries in South America and the Congo Basin, highlighting priority areas for protection and conservation. The project — implemented by the Key Biodiversity Areas Partnership of conservation organizations — assessed 575 previously identified areas and 248 new ones. In related news, the government of the Philippines committed to using KBAs when identifying sites to protect, and a reassessment of KBAs in South Africa has brought the country’s total to 263 sites.
Advocacy in the UK: UK-based environment and development organizations issued a joint statement urging the new UK government to advance global action on halting and reversing the destruction of nature, including by appointing a global 'People and Nature' envoy — see the summary or the full statement.
Separately, the Environmental Investigation Agency urged the government to adopt regulations to prevent imports and trade of commodities produced on deforested land, matching the ambition of the EU Deforestation Regulation.
Global Witness agrees with this need and also says that the government must enshrine into law targets to reverse deforestation and biodiversity loss by 20230, and stop British banks from funding companies responsible for deforestation.
EU biodiversity finance: Environmental organizations including WWF, ClientEarth and BirdLife International published a joint paper outlining how and why the European Union should increase funding for biodiversity in its next long-term budget. They propose a dedicated biodiversity conservation and restoration fund, greater integration of biodiversity into all EU funding programmes, and preventing EU funds from financing investments that damage biodiversity. The proposals concern the EU budget for 2028 to 2035, which is due to be finalized in 2025. ClientEarth also recently proposed that the European Commission should have a Vice-President for People and the Environment and outlined in detail that person’s mission.
Debt-for-nature: In a new debt-for-nature swap, Indonesia will redirect US$35 million that it owes to the United States into coral reef restoration — read the story by Nikita Pandey explain how the deal will work, or see Mary Kate McCoy's blog post for Conservation International, which is providing US$3 million to support the swap.
In The Spotlight
Congratulations to the winners of Covering Climate Now’s 2024 Journalism Awards — find the winning stories here.
Shuchita Jha reported on the ecological consequences of mass deaths of fruit bats in parts of India experiencing intense heatwaves.
Feng Yingxin wrote about how China’s ‘most futuristic city’ has restored its mangroves and other wetlands — boosting habitat for migratory birds and shifting public attitudes towards conservation.
Harriet Barber reported from Brazil on the fires devastating wildlife and communities in the Pantanal, the world's biggest wetland.
Phoebe Weston and Peter Muiruri wrote about a heated debate among scientists, conservationists and community groups about whether trophy hunting benefits local people enough to justify the loss of super-tusker elephants.
Tips And Resources
The Society of Environmental Journalists published a backgrounder — by Joseph A. Davis — for journalists covering the coming global treaty on plastic pollution.
The latest episode of the ODI’s Think Change podcast asks what can be done to generate the finance needed to ensure the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity.
The International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea recently concluded that states are obligated to protect the ocean from climate change — register here for a webinar on 23 July to find out what this means.
Media accreditation for the COP29 climate change conference in Baku, Azerbaijan is now open.
The Ecological Society of America’s annual meeting is on 4-9 August in Long Beach California — journalists can register at no cost.
See past editions for more tips and resources.
In Focus: Biodiversity Benefit-sharing
Mark Schapiro wrote about how Brazil regulates corporate access to its biodiversity, reporting that while indigenous communities can get a share of the resulting profits, loopholes limit the law’s application.
SV Krishna Chaitanya reported on a new UN proposal for a biodiversity benefit-sharing mechanism and fund that could channel billions of dollars into conservation each year. It would require companies to share some of the profits they gain by selling products developed using digital information on the genetic sequences of living things.
The mechanism is set to be agreed in October at the 16th Conference of Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity in Colombia, after a final negotiating session in Montreal, Canada.
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What Caught My Eye
Rachel Donald interviewed science journalist Peter Brannen, author of The Ends of the World, about mass extinction.
More than 2,000 insect species are known from human diets and 1,000 are used in medicines, writes Cassandra Quave.
The Science Based Targets Network released new and updated technical guidance and resources for companies that want to set science-based targets for reducing their impacts on nature.
Deforestation in Colombia fell to its lowest level in 23 years last year, reports Luke Taylor.
A former police officer in Malaysia will spend years in jail for illegal possession of endangered pangolins.
Rapid reductions in carbon emissions are needed to avert widespread and steep declines in the mass of harvestable fish in the ocean, says a new report from the UN Food and Agriculture Organization.
South Africa's national statistics agency released data on biodiversity-based tourism.
Arpan Rachman wrote about the state of science journalism in Indonesia.
In six months, researchers found more than 200 individuals of 35 wildlife species had drowned in open-to-air water canals in Argentina’s Gran Chaco.
Karen Landmark wrote about the UN Environment Programme's renewed mandate to assess the environmental impacts of war.
The Latin American Journalism Review interviewed Brazilian journalist and researcher Eloisa Beling Loose about media coverage of climate change.
InfoAmazonia selected more than 1,400 trainees to complete its course on environmental investigative journalism and geojournalism.
Stephen Hazell and Rodrigo Estrada Patiño call for amendments to Canada's new Nature Accountability Act to give the law targets and teeth.
The former President of Ireland, Mary Robinson, urged rich countries to meet their pledges on biodiversity finance.
Elena Ares summarized the United Kingdom’s commitments to reducing biodiversity loss, within the context of the international Convention on Biological Diversity.
UNESCO has designated new biosphere reserves in 11 countries.
The Global Fund for Coral Reefs will provide over US$25 million in new grant funding to boost reef resilience through market-based approaches in 23 countries.
From The Journals
A review of 120 studies found that air pollution harms beneficial invertebrates such as pollinating insects but leaves invertebrates that are pests largely unaffected — read the press release or the full paper.
African elephant population trends in 102 protected areas are strongly linked to funding and government effectiveness — read the full paper.
Researchers says historical maps can accelerate identification of unprotected forests in Europe that are old and so may have high conservation value — read the full paper.
Jobs And Opportunities
The Secretariat of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification is organizing a training session on sustainable land management during the African Ministerial Conference on the Environment in Abidjan in September — French-speaking journalists in Africa can apply by 21 July.
Nigeria Health Watch is seeking pitches from journalists on climate change and health — deadline 22 July.
Dialogue Earth has an open call for pitches for stories on climate, environmental justice and human rights, or the green energy transition, in Southeast Asia — deadline 31 July.
The AAAS Kavli Science Journalism Awards are open for entries — submit work by 1 August.
The African Climate Change and Environmental Reporting Awards are open -- apply by 6 August.
Thomson Foundation's Young Journalist of the Year award is open for entries — deadline 9 August.
The Forth Worth Report is hiring an environment reporter — deadline 15 August.
The 2024 Waldo Proffitt Award for Excellence in Environmental Journalism in Florida seeks entries — deadline 16 August.
UNDP Uzbekistan has a contest for photos and articles on "adverse impacts of the ecological disaster in the Aral Sea region" — deadline 15 September.
Bonus content: There are 34 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
22-26 July 2024: The 27th Session of the FAO Committee on Forestry takes place in Rome, Italy. See ENB’s preview and daily coverage.
4-9 August 2024: The 17th International Peatland Conference takes place in Taizhou, China.
6-9 August 2024: The 8th Global Botanic Gardens Congress takes place in Singapore.
20-22 August 2024: IUCN's USA Regional Conservation Forum takes place in Washington, DC.
25-31 August 2024: The 12th World Wilderness Congress (WILD12) takes place in the Black Hills of South Dakota, United States.
Bonus content: The full calendar for Global Nature Beat’s supporters includes 45 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 an indri. Photo credit: Pavel Kirillov / Flickr — Creative Commons
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