Nature Beat #48
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
COP29: The COP29 climate change conference in Baku, Azerbaijan ended in acrimony. The headline is that developed countries agreed to channel US$300 billion a year to developing countries by 2035 to help them to reduce carbon emissions, adapt to climate change impacts or repair loss and damage.
This is three times the size of the current commitment but, with inflation, it will not feel so big. It is only a fraction of what is needed and much of the money will come as loans not grants. Developing countries point to the injustice of being required to further indebt themselves to rich countries so they can pay to fix problems that the rich countries have caused.
For details of the finance deal, and reactions to it, see the reporting by Megan Rowling, Joe Lo and Sebastian Rodriguez. For in-depth analysis of all the COP29 outcomes, Carbon Brief has it all covered in its epic round-up.
Time for reform? On 15 November, senior figures in climate change policy and science wrote an open letter calling for major reforms to the COP process — including stopping holding COPs in countries that do not support a move away from fossil fuels, and holding more frequent but smaller meetings that drive action.
“We need a shift from negotiation to implementation, enabling the COP to deliver on agreed commitments and ensure the urgent energy transition and phase-out of fossil energy,” they wrote. The signatories included former executive secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, Christiana Figueres, and Johan Rockström, Director of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Action Research.
Forest finance: Nature got relatively little attention relative in Baku compared to other recent COPs, but there was some news for forests.
Negotiators finalized the rules for international carbon markets, which — as Patrick Greenfield reports — could unlock billions of dollars for forest protection and restoration.
The United Kingdom announced £239 million in funding— most is for developing high integrity forest carbon markets and to unlock private investment in sustainable forest enterprises in tropical countries.
The Forest and Climate Leaders Partnership announced that 11 countries plus the European Union have contributed 83 percent of the US$12 billion they committed for forest conservation and restoration when they joined the Global Forest Finance Pledge three years ago.
G20: At the G20 Summit in Rio de Janeiro, leaders issued a lengthy declaration that included commitments to scaling up climate finance and reforming Multilateral Development Banks. They committed to “mobilizing new and additional finance for forests from all sources, including concessional and innovative financing for developing countries” and said that they “encourage innovative mechanisms that seek to mobilize new and diverse sources of funding to pay for ecosystem services”.
The G20 leaders acknowledged Brazil’s Tropical Forests Forever Facility, which could generate US$4 billion a year for countries that prevent deforestation, and also highlighted their recently agreed Bioeconomy Principles.
Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum proposed a fund that takes one percent of military spending and uses it to pay for reforestation — see press release in Spanish. US President Joe Biden announced the Brazil Restoration & Bioeconomy Finance Coalition. It aims to invest US$10 billion from public and private sources by 2030 to conserve and restore forests in Brazil — see the press release from coalition member Conservation International.
Plastics treaty: The multilateral merry-go-round moves next to Busan, South Korea, for the final session of negotiations towards a global treaty on plastic pollution, starting on 25 November. The Earth Negotiations Bulletin will have daily coverage here and has published a good preview by the leader of its reporting team, Tallash Kantai.
Research published last week showed that, without intervention, the amount of mismanaged plastic waste would nearly double by 2050. The authors simulated the effects of eight policies that could form part of the global plastics treaty. They found that just four of these could reduce the amount of mismanaged waste by 91 percent — see the press release or the full paper.
But there are already signals of weakening ambition for the treaty — Joseph Winters reports that the US government no longer supports the treaty putting limits on plastic production. For perspectives from nongovernmental organizations, see this press release from WWF and this blog post from the Center for International Environmental Law, or listen to the Environmental Investigation Agency’s podcast.
In The Spotlight
Chloe Williams reported on one of the world’s largest Indigenous-led land conservation agreements — covering 380,000 square kilometres of land and water in Canada through a new investment model called project finance for permanence.
Thomas Heaton reported on efforts to control invasive deer that pose a growing threat to the unique plants of Maui, Hawaii.
Tips And Resources
Carbon Brief has a webinar on 25 November to discuss the key outcomes from COP29 — register here.
The Balkan Network of Science Journalists announced a new guidebook for science journalists in Romania.
The World Resources Institute launched an online tool tracking the updated climate plans — called nationally determined contributions — that countries are producing over the coming months.
On 29 November, the Oxford Biodiversity Network will livestream what should be a provocative talk by John Payne about “the inevitable loss of large mammals in Malaysia” — I interviewed John for this story back in January:
On 3 December, the Pulitzer Center, Vox and the Ocean Reporting Network have a webinar on ocean journalism — register here.
On 4 December, the International Institute for Environment and Development is holding an in-person / online event on the recent climate and biodiversity COPs and what comes next — register here.
See past editions for more tips and resources.
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What Caught My Eye
A new report highlights progress in transforming food systems for people, nature and climate.
Nils Gilman and Mutesi Rusagara explain how the world’s first interspecies payment used artificial intelligence to help identify the interests of mountain gorillas, then paid local people to meet those needs.
Indonesia’s new Broadcasting Bill would restrict environmental journalism if adopted, reports Aurelia Joan.
Triodos Bank committed to investing 500 million euros in nature restoration and conservation to address climate change.
Peatlands are degrading in all 177 countries that have them, says the UN Environment Programme.
Nathalie Seddon and Audrey Wagner wrote about the risks of failing to address climate change and biodiversity loss together.
A report from Birdlife International says EU countries are not on track to hit the bloc’s biodiversity targets for 2030.
Tree islands boost biodiversity in oil palm plantations, reports Bobby Bascomb.
Conservation efforts in South America focus on forests at the expense of other threatened ecosystems, reports Andre Cabette Fabio.
In the United States, the Biden-Harris Administration announced a national strategy to prevent plastic pollution.
Researchers reported the likely extinction of a mainland European bird, the slender-billed curlew has not been seen since 1995— see the full paper or BirdLife International’s statement.
Officials in Indonesia seized more than 6,500 illegally trafficked birds in possibly the biggest case of its kind, reports Keith Anthony S. Fabro
Scientists in Argentina decry their government’s unsustainable policies.
Germany announced that from 2025 it would allocate 1.1 billion euros annually to restore its ecosystems.
Debt-for-nature swaps need a rethink to achieve their potential, say Daniel Ortega-Pacheco and Jonathan Glennie.
From The Journals
Reducing deforestation in the Amazon reduces hospitalizations and deaths from respiratory disease — read the press release or the full paper.
Removing beef cattle from high–carbon intensity pastures and increasing numbers elsewhere could store carbon equivalent to three years of global emissions without affecting overall beef production — read the full paper.
Researchers mapped the risk of collisions between ships and whales across the ocean — read the press release or the full paper.
If You Find This Useful…
… please consider supporting my work. If you can spare £1 a week for a paid subscription, you will be helping me to keep Global Nature Beat going for those who cannot afford to pay.
Jobs And Opportunities
Knight Science Journalism is offering nine-month fellowships to journalists from around the world.
CNN is hiring an extreme weather editor in Hong Kong.
KTOO Public Media is hiring a climate and environment reporter in Juneau, Alaska.
The Associated Press is hiring an oceans and climate reporter in Los Angeles, California — deadline 25 November.
The African Climate Policy Centre is running an online course on climate change journalism for women only — deadline 28 November.
CONNECTAS has grants for journalists covering environmental crimes in the Amazon regions of Colombia, Ecuador and Peru — deadline 1 December.
The Earth Journalism Network has grants for stories on environmental crime in the Amazon — deadline 9 January.
The American Association for the Advancement of Science invites minority students to apply for an 11-week science journalism internship at Science magazine — deadline 10 January.
Journalists in Africa and the Middle East can also apply for a semester-long fellowship with Knight Science Journalism — deadline 15 January.
Bonus content: There are 25 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
25 November - 1 December 2024: The International Negotiating Committee developing a treaty to address plastic pollution will hold its fifth and final negotiating session, in Busan, South Korea.
10-16 December 2024: The 11th Session of the Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services plenary will take place in Windhoek, Namibia. The provisional agenda is here.
2-13 December 2024: The 16th Conference of Parties (COP16) to the UN Convention to Combat Desertification will take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
10-13 December 2024: The annual meeting of the British Ecological Society takes place in Liverpool, England.
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 eclectus parrot. Photo credit: Bernard Spragg / 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.