Nature Beat #50
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
Deforestation: The European Union’s Deforestation Regulation — which aims to prevent trade in commodities grown on deforested land — has a long and convoluted history. A new turning point came last week when the EU confirmed that the law’s implementation would be delayed by one year, to December 2025, but rejected proposed amendments that would have weakened the law considerably. Thin Lei Win tells the story of how the EUDR got to this point and the political chicanery that could have made the law a charter for laundering and fraud.
IPBES: Representatives of nearly 150 governments are meeting with biodiversity scientists from around the world from 10-16 December in Windhoek, Namibia, for the Plenary of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES).
The delegates are due to approve two major reports next week. One will highlight integrated solutions to the linked challenges of biodiversity loss, climate change, food production and human health. The other will focus on system-wide changes needed to address biodiversity loss. IPBES has published primers on each report. The Earth Negotiations Bulletin has daily reports from the meeting. The provisional agenda is here.
Fortress conservation: 0n 9 December, the UN Environment Programme published guidelines for preventing human rights abuses in conservation, following a steady stream of evidence of such abuses, particularly linked to protected areas in Africa. Survival International welcomed the guidelines but said they do not go far enough to address the ‘fortress’ conservation model that excludes people from protected areas.
In The Spotlight
Ben Crair reported on the clash between conservation and climate action in New Caledonia, whose unique biodiversity is at risk from nickel mining for electric car batteries.
Tracy Keeling wrote about the global trade in ornamental fish, which is worth billions of dollars but is poorly regulated — leaving scientists in the dark about its ecological impacts.
Fred Pearce reported on Indonesia’s plans to use its forests to generate billions of dollars from selling carbon credits.
Lauren Owens Lambert told the tale of the world’s most endangered sea turtle species and the people trying to save it.
Tips And Resources
Covering Climate Now has a webinar on 11 December climate journalists will discuss the recent COP29 conference in — register here.
The Ocean Investigations Guide is a new tool for journalists covering crimes at sea.
Rene Ebersole shared tips for reporting on illegal wildlife trade.
Register here for a Generation Restoration webinar on artificial intelligence and nature restoration on 12 December.
See past editions for more tips and resources.
In Focus: Illegal Wildlife Trade
IFAW has produced an interactive dashboard on wildlife crime in Latin America to accompany a new report showing a surge in cases linked to demand for wild pets.
As Sam Meadows reports, social media platforms have become key marketplaces for illegal wildlife trade worldwide, raising questions about the commitment of tech companies to eliminate advertisements for protected species.
New research from TRAFFIC shows the scale of the challenge in Vietnam, where products from endangered species are widely available for sale online. In the two years to June 2023, more than 2,500 sellers there posted 16,500 advertisements for tiger or elephant products.
What Caught My Eye
Mangrove forests provide flood protection worth US$855 billion according to a new World Bank report — see the press release or the full report.
A report from WWF says scientists described more than 700 new species from the Congo Basin in the past ten years — journalists can use the photos here.
Investing in nature-based solutions could create up to 32 million new jobs by 2030.
By sampling DNA in seawater, UNESCO has mapped 4,500 marine species in 21 World Heritage Sites.
Global consumer goods companies continue to drive deforestation and human rights violations in their supply chains, according to the Rainforest Action Network’s annual assessment.
Lauren Watson wrote about the Mongabay environmental news site and how it deals with the challenges its reporters face in telling stories from high-risk places.
Rat poison harms nearly 80 endangered species in the United States, reports Kiley Price.
From The Journals
Researchers think Australia has lost more than 9,000 invertebrate species to extinction since Europeans arrived there — read the full paper.
Climate change is pushing the ecological relationships between animal and plant species increasingly out of synchrony — read the full paper.
Bee honey gives clues about local toxic metal pollution — read the press release or the full paper.
European oyster reef ecosystems were once vast but have universally collapsed and need large-scale restoration — read the full paper.
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Jobs And Opportunities
Mongabay is hiring a reporter to focus on Californian biodiversity.
Causa Natura Media has a new training program for environment journalists in Mexico -- deadline 7 January 2025.
E&E News is hiring a climate finance reporter and an energy/public lands reporter — no deadlines listed.
Sierra Magazine is hiring an editorial fellow for up to six months.
The UN Environment Programme is hiring a head writer — deadline 19 December.
Bonus content: There are 27 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
16-20 December 2024: The 68th Council meeting of the Global Environment Facility, and the 3rd Council meeting of the Global Biodiversity Framework Fund will take place virtually.
10-13 December 2024: The annual meeting of the British Ecological Society takes place in Liverpool, England.
3-8 February 2025: The 78th meeting of the CITES Standing Committee will take place in Geneva, Switzerland (see agenda).
25-27 February 2025: The resumed 16th Conference of Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity takes place in Rome, Italy.
Bonus content: The full calendar for Global Nature Beat’s supporters includes 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 squirrel monkey. 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.