Nature Beat #99
Updates, stories, resources and opportunities
Welcome to the latest edition of Global Nature Beat. This edition includes:
Updates on missing biodiversity targets, US nature assessment, migratory species.
Features about bioprospecting, species turnover, pitcher plants in peril, bioeconomy.
Journal papers on helpful hyenas, Japan’s bear crisis, tropical insects, Nepal’s tiger boom, the power of awe, the Global Biodiversity Framework Fund, and more.
Plus, the usual mix of news from around the world, useful resources, jobs and opportunities for environmental journalists, and more.
Taking The Pulse
Biodiversity: More than 120 countries have now submitted their national reports to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). The CBD Secretariat’s press release implies that reports submitted after the 28 February deadline “cannot be considered in the global report now being prepared by the Secretariat”. This is worrying as some of the late reports are from countries — Brazil, China, India — that are among the most biodiverse.
The Secretariat’s report will take stock of progress towards the four goals and 23 targets of the Global Biodiversity Framework. Early indications are that there won’t be much to celebrate. India is only on track to meet two targets by the 2030 deadline, reports Shimali Chauhan. The United Kingdom says, in its national report, that it is on course to achieve only three targets. In response, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds published recommendations for getting back on track with seven of the targets — see the press release or the full report.
Target 3 — protect 30 percent of land and sea by 2030 — has received most media attention. In a new blog post, Frida Beatriz Arriaga Cinta of the Inter-American Development Bank covered recent analysis showing that achieving this ‘30x30’ target in Latin America and the Caribbean could cost only 0.2 percent of the region’s GDP. But the area protected is not all that matters. Jonas Geldmann of the University of Copenhagen says the ‘30x30’ target will fail unless parties to the CBD shift from simply expanding protected‑area coverage to prioritizing representativeness, connectivity, durability, effective management and fair governance.
US nature: Early in President Trump’s second presidency, he cancelled the inaugural National Nature Assessment, which would have provided the first full picture of the status of biodiversity in the United States. Undeterred, some scientists engaged in that process pushed ahead to produce an independent assessment, which they are calling The Nature Record. On 6 March, they released their draft report and opened a window for readers to comment. The report concludes that a third of plant species and 40 percent of animal species are at risk of extinction but also identifies a range of solutions. On 4 March, The Nature Conservancy released a related report, compiling research from 1,500 sources to identify the economic, health and safety benefits of investing in nature.
Migratory species: Nearly half of the species protected under the UN Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species (CMS) have declining populations and a quarter face extinction, according to a report published ahead of this month’s conference of parties to the convention. The report warns that these proportions have both increased in just two years — see the press release. When parties to the CMS meet from 23-28 March in Brazil, they will discuss how to improve the status of species protected by the convention and consider proposals to add more species to the list. See also the International Union for the Conservation of Nature’s position paper and webpage for the CMS conference of parties, the Earth Negotiations Bulletin’s overview of the CMS and the conference, and the Wildlife Conservation Society’s policy positions and CMS-focused podcast.
In The Spotlight
Feng Yingxin wrote about China’s efforts to develop new medicines from marine organisms, the challenges slowing progress and the need to consider ocean conservation and fair benefit‑sharing.
Fred Pearce wrote about research suggesting that species turnover — nature’s mechanism for maintaining diversity in ecosystems — is slowing down, undermining ecological resilience to climate change.
Pitcher plants in Sumatra, Indonesia are at risk from overharvesting to meet growing demand for a traditional recipe alongside a range of other threats, reports Gresi Plasmanto.
Sarah Derouin wrote about new research showing that restoring Brazil’s Atlantic Forest could succeed if landowners can earn income from the bioeconomic potential of native plants.
From The Journals
Many tropical insect species have limited scope for coping with rising temperatures — read the press release or the full paper.
Biodiversity benefits of high-tech, low-input ‘smart farming’ will not come automatically — read the full paper.
Assessing the aftermath of tripling the tiger population in Nepal — read the full paper.
How a climatic anomaly drove Japan’s 2025 bear crisis — read the full paper.
The economic and carbon values of waste disposal by hyenas and other scavengers in an Ethiopian city — read the press release or the full paper.
Mining threatens to pollute rivers in priority conservation areas worldwide — read the full paper.
Awe merits greater attention because of its influence on pro-environmental behaviour — read the full paper.
The Global Biodiversity Framework Fund’s progress and challenges — read the full paper.
Pathways to a nature positive agricultural sector in Australia — read the full paper.
What Caught My Eye
A new report from Global Witness shows how powerful elites in Guatemala are using social media to run smear campaigns against anti-corruption activists, environmental defenders and Indigenous leaders — see the press release.
The Convention on Biological Diversity’s Cali Fund is a year old and now has a website — but has only a thousand dollars.
A new report by Earth League International — based on ten years of infiltrating criminal networks engaged in environmental and wildlife crime — shows how corruption works in practice.
The European Commission announced an investment of 103 million euros in seven environmental and climate projects across Europe.
On 10 March, Chile expanded marine protected areas, resulting in more than half of its territorial waters now being protected — exceeding the UN target of 30 percent.
Chile also is the only country on track to meet the UN target of halving pesticide risk by 2030, reports Mike Gaworecki.
“We risk putting the whole legislation into the trash bin” — Ashoka Mukpo interviewed Member of the European Parliament Delara Burkhardt about the ups and downs of the twice-delayed EU Deforestation Regulation.
What is environmental (in) justice? Meera Subramanian and Danica Novgorodoff answer in graphic novel style.
The International Finance Corporation announced its support for the launch of the Ecuador’s first biodiversity bond, which will raise private capital for conservation and ecological restoration.
Coverage of climate change by US television networks fell for the third year in a row in 2025, according to Media Matters for America, which showed that the four main networks devoted a total of only 505 minutes to climate change in their news shows.
The EU’s court of justice fined Portugal 10 million euros for failing to comply with laws to protect biodiversity, with further fines of 40,000 euros per day until it does, reports Lisa O’Carroll.
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Tips And Resources
Michael C. Bradbury and Madeline Ostrander wrote a ‘survival‑guide’ with practical advice to help environmental journalists stay safe, financially resilient and better connected with their audiences in an increasingly perilous media landscape.
On 17 March, Covering Climate Now is hosting a press briefing on new analysis from The Climate Majority Project showing that most people want systemic change but stay quiet as they think they’re in a minority — register here.
On 30 March, the Earth Journalism Network has a webinar on covering challenges to marine conservation in the Mediterranean — register here.
IUCN’s initiative on nature-based solutions for climate adaptation released factsheets on 14 projects in Africa.
Psychologist Colleen Crary’s new column at The Revelator aims to help readers “navigate the emotional and mental-health challenges of working toward a greener, healthier planet”.
See past editions for more tips and resources.
Jobs And Opportunities
Mongabay-India and ALT EFF invite journalists to apply for funding and support to develop short news documentaries on ’solutions for heat resilience’ —deadline 13 March.
Nigeria-based journalists can apply to join a two-day virtual training and story lab on climate–agriculture reporting — deadline 16 March.
Nature is hiring a US-based reporter — deadline 27 March.
The Earth Journalism Network is offering fellowships for journalists to cover the Global Environment Facility’s 8th Assembly in Samarkand, Uzbekistan — deadline 31 March.
The Carter Center has fellowships for journalists covering climate change and mental health — deadline 3 April.
The John B. Oakes Award for outstanding climate and environmental reporting is open for entries — deadline 22 April.
The FRONTIERS Science Journalism in Residency Programme is accepting applications — deadline 25 May.
Bonus content: There are 39 jobs, grants, fellowships and other opportunities listed here for Global Nature Beat’s paying supporters. Paid subscriptions are less than £1 per week.
On The Horizon
21 March: International Day of Forests.
23-29 March: The 15th Conference of Parties to the Convention on Migratory Species takes place in Campo Grande, Brazil.
21-24 April: The 4th Conference of Parties to the Escazú Agreement takes place in Nassau, Bahamas.
12-15 April: The 4th Global Soil Biodiversity Conference takes place in Victoria, Canada.
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 2028.
Whose Eye Was It?
The eye belongs to a leopard. Photo credit: Timothy A. Gonsalves — Wikimedia 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.
Take A Trip to Planet Ficus
My other newsletter Planet Ficus is devoted to stories about the world’s most fascinating plants — the strangler figs and their kin, which have shaped our world and our species in profound ways. Take a trip there for a rich mix of stories about the ecological and cultural importance of these trees.
great curation of the global trends and solutions across science, policy, and journalism.
Thank you for this fabulous roundup