Nature Beat #6
Updates, stories, resources and opportunities
Welcome to the latest edition of the The 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
Climate change: COP28 — the UN climate change conference — starts on 30 November and continues until 12 December. Get ready for a two-week rollercoaster ride. Want to know how nature fits into the conference agenda? See my brief guide with links to useful resources.
Crop diversity: The governing body of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture met from 20-24 November. The Earth Negotiations Bulletin has a detailed summary here.
EU regulations: The European Commission has adopted a proposed Forest Monitoring Law to improve resilience of European forests — see the press release or read press conference remarks by Commissioners Sinkevičius and Hoekstra. On 29 November, the European Parliament’s Environment Committee will vote on the adoption of the agreed text of the new Nature Restoration Law (see Nature Beat #4).
In The Spotlight
Matteo Civillini reports for Climate Home News on how an Italian fugitive is advising the UAE company gaining control of huge areas of African countries to generate carbon credits.
Writing for Down To Earth, Vibha Varshney goes deep on the Global Biodiversity Framework Fund and wider issues such as the 30x30 target and invasive species.
Journalist Brandi Morin’s powerful documentary ‘Killer Water: The toxic legacy of Canada's oil sands industry for Indigenous communities’ is now available on YouTube.
For Hakai, Andrew Chapman tells the tale of a mystery whale known only by its song.
Ryan Truscott reports for New Scientist on a decade-long conservation effort spanning 14 countries that has halted the decline of endangered vultures by preventing poisoning and electrocution.
For Mongabay, Shreya Dasgupta reports on the tricky business of commercializing invasive plants to death.
A trio of climate exposés
Days ahead of COP28 starting, journalists have produced a series of explosive exposés.
Lawrence Carter and Tom Costello revealed a Saudi government scheme designed to thwart efforts to reduce demand for oil and limit climate change.
Ben Stockton at the Center for Climate Reporting, Justin Rowlatt at the BBC and Alex Thomson at Channel 4 News reported on leaked documents that show that the COP28 president secretly used his climate summit role to promote oil trade with foreign governments.
Chloé Farand reported on whistleblowers raising concerns about the influence of US consultancy firm McKinsey on climate policy in Africa.
Tips And Resources
On 29 November, IUCN has a webinar on ocean defenders who are protecting the marine environment and human rights, often at great personal risk.
On 7 December, the Earth Negotiations Bulletin is holding a webinar to mark the mid-way point of the COP28 climate change conference. Register here.
IUCN has published a guide to the new treaty on conversation of biodiversity beyond national boundaries also known as the High Seas Biodiversity Treaty.
What Caught My Eye
Indigenous Peoples in 11 Asian countries set out their stance on the biodiversity, climate and pollution crises in the E-Sak Ka Ou Declaration.
Ignoring Indigenous people will put nature targets out of reach, says Levi Sucre Romero, coordinator of the Mesoamerican Alliance of People and Forests.
France will spend a billion euros on biodiversity next year under a new strategy.
At COP28, Brazil will propose a large fund to pay for tropical forest conservation in 80 countries and will launch plans for an ‘Arc of Restoration’ in Brazil.
Scientists and a community are bringing a Bornean river corridor back to life, reports Carolyn Cowan.
Big conservation NGOs are majority governed by finance-sector figures.
The number of threatened species in Australia’s northern rainforests has increased by 25 percent since 2020.
From Peru to Ghana: how technology is transforming community reforestation.
The world’s largest iceberg is now floating free of Antarctica and heading to warmer waters where it will melt, reports James Dinneen.
The UK-France biodiversity credit panel has called for views on pricing, stewardship and offsets.
Canada strengthens control over trade in elephant ivory and rhinoceros horn.
From The Journals
In case you missed it, last week’s roundup of new research included papers on: Illegal wildlife trade in Bali. Seagrass restoration. Conservation funding in South America. Polar biodiversity. Species moving out of Brazil’s protected areas. Nature’s best protectors. Invasive species — where next? Why plants work harder at weekends. Read the summaries here.
Jobs And Opportunities
Carbon Pulse is seeking a biodiversity correspondent to focus on emerging markets for biodiversity credits — apply here.
China Dialogue seeks an Asia-Pacific editor and so does The Third Pole — deadline for both positions is 1 December.
EJN is offering media organizations up to US$15,000 for projects that address environmental and climate news fatigue in the Asia-Pacific region — deadline 3 December.
Mongabay is hiring a newswire editor, a researcher on the solutions desk, and a video production coordinator.
GRID-Arendal has grants for journalists investigating environmental crimes such as poaching and illegal logging — deadline 4 December.
The European Press Prize 2024 is open for entries to journalists from 46 European countries — deadline 15 December.
Apply to join the Pulitzer Center’s Rainforest Investigations Network — deadline 20 December — or apply for a grant from the Rainforest Journalism Fund.
You can submit your work for the next edition of The Best American Science and Nature Writing, so long as it appeared in any North American publication in 2023 — deadline 20 December.
EJN has grants for journalists to cover environmental crime in the Amazon — deadline 8 January 2024.
The Pulitzer Center 's ocean initiative is also accepting proposals from journalists and will re-open applications for its Ocean Reporting Network in March-April 2024. Find out more here.
The Knight Science Journalism Program at MIT offers nine-month fellowships. I know a few journalists who have completed this program and they all loved it. Apply by 15 January 2024.
On The Horizon
12-17 February 2024: The 14th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS COP14), will take place in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.
3 March 2024: World Wildlife Day.
21-30 April 2024: The International Negotiating Committee developing a treaty to address plastic pollution will hold its fourth of five negotiating sessions, in Ottawa, Canada.
May 2024: The UN Convention on Biological Diversity’s two subsidiary bodies will meet to finalize the approach for monitoring implementation of the Global Biodiversity Framework.
16-21 June 2024: The World Biodiversity Forum will take place in Davos, Switzerland.
18-20 June 2024: The Nature-Based Solutions conference will be in Oxford, United Kingdom, and online.
21 October 2024: COP16, the 16th Conference of Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity, is due to take place on 21 October to 1 November.
Whose Eye Was It?
The eye belongs to a raccoon. Photo credit: Hans De Bisschop/ 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.