N4C Weekly Briefing
November 23 - 30 2022
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10 key takeaways from COP27 on nature's critical role
World Economic Forum, Lucy Almond, 25 November
Lucy Almond, N4C's Chair and the Head of Communications for WEF's Nature Pillar, pulls together a crowd-sourced summary of the top ten nature-related takeaways from COP27. Critical reading as we head toward COP15 in Montreal.
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To learn more about the other major outcomes, both nature and non-nature related, we've developed a list of some of the best posts and commentaries capturing the results of COP27 from a range of partners. Read through the list.
N4C Round-Up: Top outcomes from COP 27
Nature4Climate, Patricia De Matta, 30 November
3 things you may have missed at the UN climate talks
Conservation International, Mary Kate McCoy, 21 November
COP27 Agrees on Key Milestones and Historic Consensus on Funding for Loss and Damage
Environmental Defense Fund, Angela Churie Kallhauge, 20 November
CEO Statement: Takeaways from COP27 - Eleventh-hour progress, but who pays?
The Nature Conservancy, Jennifer Morris, 20 November
Our planet “still in the emergency room”: Mixed results for climate and nature at COP27
BirdLife International, Rhiannon Niven, 21 November
IUCN expresses concern over slow progress at COP27 while welcoming recognition of Nature-based Solutions
IUCN, 21 November
Loss and damage fund risks becoming ‘fund for the end of the world’ due to COP27 failures
WWF, 20 November
What you need to know about the COP27 Loss and Damage Fund
UNEP, 29 November
COP27: Five things companies need to know after this year's UN climate summit
We Mean Business, Maria Mendiluce, 28 November
8 key takeaways from COP27 on forests’ critical role
UNDP, 29 November
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COP15 PREVIEW
COP15 starts next week pressure building that a new global deal to protect the world's vital biodiversity must be agreed. This year's biodiversity conference in Montreal will assess the world's progress on protecting wildlife. With recent reports from leading NGOs and academics finding alarming decreases in wildlife populations worldwide, it could not be more critical to achieve a global consensus that supports life on Earth. Here are a few key articles to learn about the high-stakes negotiators face at COP15 and some events to attend both in-person and virtually.
QUICK READS
‘We need a breakthrough deal on biodiversity’: can Montreal summit deliver for nature?
The Guardian, Robin McKie, 27 November
China calls for ambitious, pragmatic biodiversity deal
Reuters, 27 November
COP15: Pressure mounts on UK to bolster nature protection ahead of critical global summit
BusinessGreen, Cecilia Keating, 29 November
Cop15 essential reading: seven books that explain the biodiversity crisis
The Guardian, 28 November
COP15: Why the world needs a new deal to protect nature
Context, Michael Taylor, 28 November
Nature is Trapped Within A Cage of Brackets, Will Leaders At COP15 Find the Strength to Break Them?
Capitals Coalition, 28 November
EVENTS
The Nature Positive Pavilion at COP15 has a full schedule of events for COP15 from December 7th through the 16th. Check out their calendar here to find events to attend in person or online.
Also, if you're on the ground, check out the March for Biodiversity and Human rights.
Date: December 10th
Time: 1:00 PM Local Montreal Time
Location: Monument à sir George-Étienne Cartier
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Climate advocates see a path forward in the farm bill: Lining farmers’ pockets
Politico, Garret Downs, 24 November
Politico reviews the growing support for paying US farmers to adopt regenerative agricultural practices amongst climate activists and conservatives. From a climate perspective, regenerative agricultural can help reduce the use of fertilizer, a product with a significant emissions profile and which produces an unsustainable level of harm to local biodiversity. Conservatives in the US are becoming more accepting of these practices due to the rising prices of fertilizer and see paying for regenerative agriculture as a means to provide economic security for farmers. Across the pond, BusinessGreen reports that Natural England's chair urges government to stay the course on green farming subsidy plans.
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Honduras to Follow Gabon With Sovereign Carbon Credit Issue
Bloomberg, Antony Sguazzin and Natasha White, 24 November
Bloomberg shares the news that Honduras plans to follow Gabon in attempting to issue a new form of carbon credit that they say has the potential to help countries get the funds they need to protect their natural assets. Honduras will convert REDD+ units, created within a UN framework to incentivize forest protection, into sovereign carbon credits to raise money from countries and corporations keen to cut their CO2 footprints.
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Zimbabwe’s forests threatened by rising demand for coal
The Independent, Nokuthaba Dlamini, 28 November
The Independent reports the demand for charcoal among households in Zimbabwe’s urban areas has been rising sharply due to rolling power cuts as a result of depressed electricity generation and the country’s inability to import enough power to cover for the deficit. This has accelerated the destruction of Zimbabwe’s fragile forests as the country loses about 60 million trees - some 33,000 hectares of forests – every year. A report by the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) says over 2.4 billion people (one in three) globally depend on firewood for cooking.
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The impact of the EU anti-deforestation law on Brazilian slaughterhouses
Capital Reset, Sergio Teixeira Jr., 30 November
Capital Reset shares a new report that finds over 70,000 hectares of deforested land may be supplying beef and leather products to Brazil's largest meatpackers. This supply could run afoul of the upcoming EU Deforestation Law since the land was cleared after the law's cutoff date and create serious risks for the meatpackers, their financiers and buyers. About 90% of the deforested area is in the Amazon, and the rest in the Cerrado.
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Anti-deforestation push putting other ecosystems at risk: study
The Hill, Saul Elbein, 28 November
The Hill covers a paper that finds guidelines passed in 2018 urging “zero deforestation” in producing palm oil have still allowed global producers to clear wide swaths of grasslands and dry forests around the world. Producers could clear 95 million hectares (235 million acres) of forests and grasslands worldwide — an area equivalent to about twice the size of the state of California — without technically violating the industry’s “zero deforestation” agreements, the study found. Mongabay reports that an Earthqualizer Foundation analysis finds that palm oil companies across Southeast Asia are liable for the recovery of a Puerto Rico-sized area of forest because of their history of environmental harm. They derived the figure of 877,314 hectares (2.17 million acres) based on the deforestation that the companies continued to carry out after they became aware that an increasing number of buyers had adopted sustainability policies.
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FOR YOUR INFORMATION
Science-Based Targets Initiative announces a call for experts to join its technical advisory group. The Technical Advisory Group (TAG) is a group of volunteer advisors with in-depth knowledge of global climate change mitigation and/or expertise in science-based target setting from a diversity of perspectives. It includes representatives from corporates, finance, academia, research, government, non-profit, and multilateral organizations.
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Chain Reaction Research shares a new report that identifies over 70,000 hectares of deforested land may be used for raising cattle entering the supply chains of Brazil's largest meatpackers that would make them noncompliant with the upcoming EU deforestation law. To lear more join a webinar tomorrow to hear more about the report and why supply chain traceability in Brazil's beef and soy supply chains is feasible.
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Conservation International releases a new report that identifies the natural areas that people need to support their everyday lives and livelihoods. The study published in the journal Nature Ecology and Evolution demonstrates how conserving nature can contribute to human wellbeing and maps the places – both lands and waters – that are essential for providing many of nature’s benefits to nearby communities, like food, freshwater and protection from storm surge or flooding.
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Dalberg Global Development Advisors launches a new report on how the forestry sector can help the world to meet ambitious climate change targets. The report digs into how forests, trees, and wood and fiber can become the backbone for a circular bioeconomy and sustainable future considering the anticipated increase in population and urbanization.
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World Resources Institute shares a new report that evaluates how forests both inside and outside city boundaries benefit cities and their residents, and what actions cities can take to conserve, restore and sustainably manage those forests.
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Until the early 2000s, the Chaco region was one of the last areas of undisturbed wilderness in South America. However, the combination of infrastructure expansion and converting forests for soybean production and cattle grazing has left the region susceptible to high rates of deforestation. Estimates suggest that all available land not protected by the government, NGOs or indigenous communities will be used for cattle production by 2025. To address the growing issue, the Corazón Verde del Chaco Project conserves 32,000 hectares of remaining forest, helping to avoid 2 million metric tons of carbon dioxide over the first 10 years of its timeline. The project’s organizers also intend to establish a hub for medical supplies and housing for medical volunteers that will support the region’s Indigenous communities and project employees.
N4C is compiling an index of NBS case studies, together with an interactive map, to highlight action on the ground. Each week, we will be choosing a case study to present, to help give concrete examples of work being done to bring NBS theory into practice.
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STAT OF THE WEEK
c
60 Million
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The number of trees cut down in Zimbabwe each year to be used for cooking fuel.
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GOOD NEWS
Indigenous cooperative restores forests to form ecological corridor in Bahia
An Indigenous Pataxó cooperative reforested 210 hectares (519 acres) of Atlantic Forest in the Monte Pascoal-Pau Brasil Ecological Corridor with species that covered the Bahian soil before the Portuguese colonization. The project, coordinated by the Natureza Bela Environmental Group and financed by BNDES (the Brazilian National Development Bank), included 50 hectares (123 acres) of agroforestry system planting in the Boca da Mata village, strengthening the Indigenous community.
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NATURE JOBS/OPPORTUNITIES
In this section, we'll be posting NBS-related jobs as a service to the community. If you have an opportunity you'd like featured in the newsletter, please send the details to us.
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Media Round-Up
Conservation
Closing the biodiversity funding gap: With ambitious Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework Targets
Biofin, 25 November
Catalysing Nature-based Solutions: Perspectives and Practices for Developing High-Quality Projects
Mana Impact, Patricia Chu, 21 November
Despite pledges, obstacles stifle community climate and conservation funding
Mongabay, John Cannon, 23 November
Using carbon credits as debt payments is a game-changer for climate finance [Commentary]
TIME, Connel Fullenkamp, 27 November
Indigenous and Local Communities
Tanzania drops murder charges against 24 Maasai land defenders
Grist, Joseph Lee, 23 November
The Story of the Shamans Guarding the Remaining Forest on Bangka Island
Rainforest Journalism Fund, Taufik Wijaya and Nopri Ismi, 12 November
Words that didn’t make the cut: What happened to Indigenous rights at COP27
Mongabay, Dimitri Selibas, 25 November
Carbon Markets
Joint media release: Technology helping farmers store carbon boosted by Albanese Government
Albanese Government, 18 November
It’s a deal: Europe will rely on carbon sinks to boost climate ambition
Euractiv, Kira Taylor, 28 November
US forest carbon firm lays off nearly half its workforce amid weak voluntary demand, buyer cynicism
Carbon Pulse, 28 November
Not all carbon removals are created equally [Commentary]
BusinessGreen, Josh Burke, 29 November
California’s carbon-offset forests aren’t trapping much carbon. Here’s how to do better [Commentary]
Los Angeles Times, Shane Coffield and James Randerson, 29 November
Nature Loss
European furniture giants buy products made in Belarusian labor camps: report
POLITICO, Tristan Fiedler, 25 November
Exclusive: U.S. aims to sanction Brazil deforesters, adding bite to climate fight
Reuters, Gabriel Stargardter and Brad Haynes, 23 November
Proforest publishes its generic Verified Deforestation and Conversion Free (V-DCF) methodology
Proforest, 18 November
Marine Conservation Society joins legal action against government sewage spill plan
BusinessGreen News, James Murray, 28 November
Indonesia’s Supreme Court rules President Widodo not liable in 2015 fires
Mongabay, Hans Nicholas Jong, 28 November
Restoration
Expedition Retraces a Legendary Explorer’s Travels Through the Once-Pristine Everglades
Inside Climate News, Amy Green, 23 November
COP27: Comifac demands the funding promised for its forests at COP26
Afrik 21, Boris Ngounou, 25 November
Nature Tech
Forest management tool could help rein in rampant wildlife trade in Bangladesh
Mongabay, Mahadi Al Hasnat, 28 November
Sustainable Forestry
COP27 boosts carbon trading and 'non-market' conservation: But can they save forests?
Mongabay, Alec Luhn, 22 November
Nuveen launches 'evergreen' global timberland strategy targeting natural climate solutions
Opalesque, 2 November
From tiny seeds: Government announces £20m sustainable timber funding boost
BusinessGreen, James Murray, 29 November
Agriculture and Soil Health
Bridging sustainable finance and sustainable land use initiatives to reduce deforestation by Climate & Company
Issuu, November
Agrifood Special CAPitals Brief: Farming side hustles
Euractiv, 25 November
COP27: Key outcomes for food, forests, land and nature at the UN climate talks in Egypt
Carbon Brief, 24 November
How COP27 became the food systems COP
Greenbiz, Theresa Lieb, 17 November
Berry Bros. & Rudd uncorks plan to promote regenerative winemaking
BusinessGreen, 29 November
The Food System Needs a Radical Rethink
Bloomberg, Akshat Rathi and Oscar Boyd, 24 November
Wholegrains: Key for ‘whole’-istic food systems approach
Euractiv, 25 November
Climate advocates see a path forward in the farm bill: Lining farmers’ pockets
POLITICO, Garrett Downs, 24 November
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Nature4Climate's Weekly Briefing summarises content from international media outlets (and our partner organisations) on stories, developments and events that relate to nature-based solutions. Our editorial policy is to circulate articles and opinion pieces whether we agree or disagree with viewpoints represented. Please submit NCS jobs, news, reports and events for the newsletter to info@nature4climate.org.
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