Natural Climate Solutions
Weekly Briefing
Welcome to Nature4Climate's Weekly Briefing, which summarises content from international media outlets (and our partner organisations) on stories, developments and events that relate to natural climate solutions from 15 to 22 September, 2020. 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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US NATURE4CLIMATE LAUNCHES THIS WEEK
The U.S. Nature4Climate coalition is publicly launching this week, with a website focusing on the potential of Natural Climate Solutions going live and a formal launch on September 24th during Nature for Life’s “Nature for Climate” event. The goal of this partnership is to increase the salience of Natural Climate Solutions in the U.S. climate change conversation, particularly among leaders in the environmental, agriculture, forestry and sustainable business communities.
You can follow the activities of N4C US on Twitter and on LinkedIn.
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Nature For Life Hub
In two days, the Nature for Life Hub will bring together more than 300 heads of state, business leaders, youth activists, and more to call for the essential systemic transformations and messages that must be fed into UN biodiversity and climate-related discussions. You can explore the theme of each day of the hub below. Be sure to tune in for N4C's opening session at 9am on the 24th of September.
24 September: SDG DAY – Celebrating the value of nature in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
25 September: BUSINESS AND FINANCE DAY – Greening our wallets in development, finance and business
28 September: GLOBAL AMBITION DAY – A planetary response to our planetary emergency
29 September: LOCAL ACTION DAY – Celebrating the power of local action, and the role of local communities in our planetary response
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Featured News
Closing the Nature Funding Gap: A Finance Plan for the Planet
The Nature Conservancy, 15 September
The Nature Conservancy in partnership with the Paulson Institute and the Cornell Atkinson Center for Sustainability releases a new report titled Financing Nature: Closing the Global Biodiversity Financing Gap. The report offers the most comprehensive assessment to date on how much the world currently spends to benefit nature, how much more we need to be spending, and how we can close that nature funding gap now. The findings show the world should be spending an additional $598-$824 billion annually to reverse the biodiversity crisis by 2030—but much of that money can be found by changing existing spending flows. Bloomberg interviews former U.S. Treasury Secretary and Paulson Institute Chairman Hank Paulson to discuss the findings of the report. Axios reports that only one percent of the world's USD 12 trillion Covid-19 stimulus packages is directed towards any type of green finance.
The New York Times covers a report from the UN that finds the world failed to achieve any of the 20 Aichi biodiversity targets agreed in Japan in 2010 to slow the loss of the natural world. Mongabay reports on new concerns from scientists that climate change deniers will lead efforts to deny the looming biodiversity crisis the world faces.
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EU commission accused of 'cheating' on net-zero emissions accounting
The Guardian, Jennifer Rankin, 14 September
The Guardian reports on environmental campaigners' comments that the new EU Commission emissions reduction goals "cheats" because it relies on offsets to reduce emissions 55% by 2030. An earlier version of the proposal published in March set the same target but did not mention offsets. Campaigners stated that protecting nature is a vital goal in its own right "but must be additional to efforts to cut emissions in the most polluting sectors.” Climate Home News carries the response from the EU's climate chief Frans Timmermans insisting including carbon sinks in a proposed new 2030 emissions target does not weaken it. EURACTIV also carries the story.
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China’s 40-Year, Billion-Tree Project Is a Lesson for the World
Bloomberg, Emily Pontecorvo, 14 September
Bloomberg covers the decades-long effort by China to plant a "Great Green Wall" in it's northern regions. The program has faced multiple issues of "poor planning, the unrealistic demands of local party cadres, and a poor understanding of how and where a forest can successfully grow." Despite setbacks, tree planting has become ingrained as a popular climate action within China and is a feature within several of its "Belt and Road" initiatives for foreign aid development. Climate Home News reports that China signals it may be willing to consider a carbon-neutrality target after a virtual summit with the EU. Increased ambition from China will likely incorporate nature-based solutions or offsets given its leadership on UN biodiversity efforts and familiarity with these solutions.
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The Amazonification of Climate Change Is Here
Gizmodo, Brian Kahn, 17 September
Gizmodo reports on Amazon's announcement of the first companies it will invest in as part of its USD 2 Billion climate fund. The article explains why a lack of climate action from governments has left a power-vacuum leaving Amazon and other large companies to shape climate action in their own image. Axios covers the companies Amazon will invest in, including several carbon removal and nature-based solutions companies. Shopify also announces a set of startups it is investing in including Pachama, Indigo Ag, Nori and others looking to utilize reforestation or soils to sequester carbon.
Reuters covers a new statement from more than 560 companies with combined revenues of $4 trillion including Walmart, Citigroup, and Microsoft calling upon governments to take more action to protect nature.
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Carbon offsets burning
CarbonPlan,12 September
CarbonPlan shares a deep dive into California's carbon market and offsets program, and how recent fires have affected the program's "buffer pool." The article reviews how fire damaged one of the largest forest offset projects currently operating and how the recent fires pose a sizeable threat to North America's largest carbon market's "insurance" mechanism.
The Economist explores the boom in purchasing carbon offsets and why these projects are being sold for far less than the estimated social cost of carbon.
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IMAGINE FOR ONE MINUTE
#ImagineFor1Minute what a better future looks like. Is it a world where we respect and honor nature? Where no more species go extinct because of humanity’s impact on the planet? Where leaders prioritize nature and the health of our planet? We have a responsibility to do better. Now is the time to talk about the future we want, one that is better for us all and built in harmony with nature.
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FIRES MONITOR
Fierce, frequent, climate-fueled wildfires may decimate forests worldwide
Reuters, Matthew Green, 21 September
It’s Not Just the West. These Places Are Also on Fire
The New York Times, Veronica Penney, 16 September
What wildfires in Brazil, Siberia, and the US West have in common
Vox, Lili Pike, 17 September
‘Off the chart’: CO2 from California fires dwarf state’s fossil fuel emissions
Mongabay, Elizabeth Claire Alberts, 17 September
Firefighters make headway in subduing U.S. western wildfires
Reuters, Brad Brooks, 17 September
The Most Important Number for the West’s Hideous Fire Season
The Atlantic, Robinson Meyer, 15 September
Game changer: NASA data tool could revolutionize Amazon fire analysis
Mongabay, Shanna Hanbury, 15 September
The view from above: How do we know what’s really burning in the Amazon?
Mongabay, Liz Kimbrough, 11 September
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STAT OF THE WEEK
c
$598-$824 Billion
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The funding gap the world needs to close to meet global biodiversity goals.
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Science-Based Targets for Nature
Business plays a vital role to ensure we stay within Earth’s limits and meet society’s needs. Today, as part of Climate Week, new guidance from the Science-Based Target Network, part of the Global Commons Alliance, on how to set #ScienceBasedTargets for nature has been published detailing for the first time how companies can protect and restore nature.
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Featured Commentary
How the EU could snatch defeat from the jaws of victory on climate
EURACTIV, Dr. Bert Metz, 16 September
The former co-chair of the Mitigation Working Group of the UN IPCC warns that the European Commission’s commendable move to aim for emission reductions of “at least 55%” by 2030 risks being completely undermined if the target also takes into account “reductions and removals” from forest growth and tree planting schemes.
How much is this planet worth? This is the real value of nature
World Economic Forum, Alexia Semov and Rebecca King, 21 September
World Economic Forum staff argue that if countries and businesses prioritize nature they could generate $10.1 trillion in annual business value and create 395 million jobs by the end of 2030.
The climate crisis will sweep away my country if the world doesn't keep its promises
The Guardian, President David Kabua, 20 September
Marshall Islands President David Kabua writes how his nation's existence is threatened by the possibility of promised climate finance funds left unfulfilled and current coronavirus stimulus packages incapable of putting the world on a firm path to limit greenhouse gases.
Congress must finish work on popular conservation bill before time runs out
The Hill, Jason Rano, 21 September
The federal executive director of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation argues that if Congress doesn’t act quickly, it will lose the opportunity to deliver conservation, environmental, and recreational benefits to the entire country through the America’s Conservation Enhancement (ACE) Act.
Prince Charles calls for 'Marshall-like plan' to combat climate crisis
The Guardian, Oliver Millman, 21 September
Prince Charles has called for the world to put itself on a “warlike footing” to tackle the “comprehensive catastrophe” caused by the climate crisis and the loss of nature.
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NATURE JOBS
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
Natural Climate Solutions and Nature4Climate Partners
In Brazil’s Bahia, peasant farmers and cowboys keep the Cerrado alive
Mongabay, Caio de Freitas Paes, 15 September
Carbon offsets burning
CarbonPlan, Claudia Herbert, Jared Stapp, Grayson Badgley, William R L Anderegg, 17 September
Europe’s primary forests: What to protect? What to restore?
European Forest Institute’s Resilience Research Programme, 16 September
Trees as a civil right: 'All we have is cement and pavement'
E&E News, Ariel Wittenberg, 16 September
ACTIAM employs satellite data to combat deforestation
ACTIAM, 16 September
Senate approves bipartisan conservation bill
E&E News, Manuel Quiñones, 17 September
Senators urge swift passage of forest policy overhaul
E&E News, Marc Heller, 17 September
Community Forest Management in Colombia: lessons learned, progress and challenges
UN REDD Programme, Johan Kieft, 15 September
Peru presents its first report on REDD+ safeguards
UN REDD Programme, Johan Kieft, 14 September
Ecological restoration as a tool for adapting and mitigating the impacts of climate change
UN REDD Programme, Johan Kieft, 14 September
Deforestation
Brazilian farmers and environmentalists jointly propose “Six Actions” to urgently reduce Amazon deforestation and protect country’s agricultural sector
Tropical Forest Alliance, 16 September
Impact of Effort to Reduce Amazon Deforestation Overestimated, Study Finds
NC State, Laura Oleniacz, 21 September
World’s top banks must stop funding factory farming to prevent future pandemics, say campaigners
The Independent, Jane Dalton, 21 September
Key EU States Worry South America Trade Pact May Hurt Amazon
News18, 21 September
How Morgan Stanley is linked to deforestation in the Amazon
Mongabay, André Campos, 16 September
Surge in forest loss seen if Brazil indigenous reserves opened to mining
Reuters, Mauricio Angelo, 18 September
Nestlé identified over 1,000 cases of deforestation per day in palm oil areas
Swiss Info, Anand Chandrasekhar, 15 September
'Shocking': wilderness the size of Mexico lost worldwide in just 13 years, study finds
The Guardian, Graham Readfearn, 18 September
BlackRock, other asset managers enabling deforestation, says Friends of the Earth
Mongabay, Ashoka Mukpo, 16 September
Reforestation
Justin Trudeau promised Greta Thunberg 2 billion trees. None have been planted
The Independent, Louise Boyle, 19 September
Reforestation can only partially restore tropical soils
Phys.org, University of Göttingen, 16 September
Lalong seeks end to deforestation, leads trees planting
Punch, James Abraham, 21 September
Sustainable Forestry
Uganda reverses forest destruction by inviting in ... loggers
Reuters, 17 September
Negative Emissions Technologies
Petra Nova is closed: What it means for carbon capture
E&E News, Carlos Anchondo and Edward Klump, 22 September
Norway preps project Longship for second attempt at carbon 'moon landing'
Reuters, Nora Buli and Nerijus Adomaitis, 21 September
Cemex to launch carbon-capture pilot program in early 2021
Reuters, 17 September
Agriculture and Soil Health
Can Loans Tied To Soil Health Save Agriculture? A New $250 Million Fund Wants To Find Out
Forbes, Chloe Sorvino, 11 September
On a mission to save our soils - the EU's plan to rebuild the land
euronews, Claudio Rosmino, 22 September
Experts: How do diets need to change to meet climate targets?
Carbon Brief, 16 September
How fertilizer is making climate change worse
E&E News, 16 September
Wetlands
Ministers accused of blocking plans to ban burning of UK peatlands
The Guardian, Toby Helm and Robin McKie, 20 September
Welsh seagrass meadow sows hope for global restoration
The Guardian, Paul Simons, 15 September
Missing mangroves are root of contention over Philippine airport project
Mongabay, Leilani Chavez and Susan Claire Agbayani, 17 September
Forget planting trees: This company is making carbon offsets by putting seaweed on the ocean floor
Fast Company, Adele Peters, 15 September
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New Science, Research, Policy and Tools
Overstated carbon emission reductions from voluntary REDD+ projects in the Brazilian Amazon
Proceedings of National Academy of Sciences, September 2020
Tree planting has the potential to increase carbon sequestration capacity of forests in the United States
Proceedings of National Academy of Sciences, September 2020
CCU Activity Hub
Global CO2 Initiative, University of Michigan, September 2020
University of Illinois awarded $4.5 million to develop commercial carbon credit tools
University of Illinois College of Agricultural, Consumer, and Environmental Sciences, September 2020
Foundations for net-zero target-setting in the corporate sector
Science-Based Targets, September 2020
Food production in China requires intensified measures to be consistent with national and provincial environmental boundaries
Nature, September 2020
The Opportunity Framework 2020
Rights + Resources, September 2020
Mixed Effectiveness of REDD+ Subnational Initiatives after 10 Years of Interventions on the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico
Forests, September 2020
Mapping pervasive selective logging in the south-west Brazilian Amazon 2000–2019
Environmental Research Letters, September 2020
Integrated assessment of deforestation drivers and their alignment with subnational climate change mitigation efforts
Environmental Science & Policy, September 2020
Spatial priorities for conserving the most intact biodiverse forests within Central Africa
Environmental Research Letters, September 2020
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Lucy Almond, Director and Chair of Nature4Climate
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