Biodiversity
COP16 hands power to Indigenous people but fails to bridge nature finance gap
UN biodiversity summit produces mixed results, with gains for Indigenous people and disagreement on how to raise and manage funding for nature protection
Fossil fuel transition pledge left out of COP16 draft agreement
An earlier draft decision at the UN nature summit included a call to transition away from fossil fuels – but it has been cut from the latest version
At COP16, countries clash over future of global fund for nature protection
Some biodiverse developing nations want to replace it with a new fund that would give them a bigger say in how it’s run and easier access to its resources
It’s time to end the UN’s artificial divide between biodiversity and climate
The biodiversity and climate crises are interlinked – and failing to coordinate our response leaves critical ecosystems like forests and peatlands at risk
COP16 confronts “huge” challenge of protecting 30% of world’s land and sea
Ahead of the UN biodiversity summit, countries are urged to come up with strong new plans and funding to meet global nature goals
Biodiversity finance grew ahead of COP16 but came mostly as loans, says OECD
Funding for efforts to protect and restore nature increased to $15.4 billion in 2022 – mostly driven by concessional loans from multilateral banks
Shades of green hydrogen: EU demand set to transform Namibia
Backed by the EU, Namibia has a $20 billion plan to export green hydrogen. A secretive tender process raises concerns for nature and citizens.
Greta Thunberg protests wind farm “violating human rights” in Norway
Thunberg said the wind farm violates the rights of indigenous Sami people to herd their reindeer, as the sight and sound of the turbines scares the animals
‘Kunming-Montreal’ deal sets up new fund for biodiversity by 2023
Countries committed to mobilise $200 billion “from all sources” to protect 30% of the world’s land and water ecosystems by 2030
After developing country walkout, ministers arrive to rescue nature talks
Tensions are running high at the Cop15 biodiversity summit over a finance gap estimated at $700 billion per year
Governments split on ditching nature-harming subsidies in Montreal
Negotiators at the Cop15 biodiversity summit in Montreal have until Friday to agree a “nature pact” that can get rid of harmful subsidies
UN nature pact nears its ‘Copenhagen or Paris’ moment
Cop15 biodiversity negotiations in Montreal next month will determine how the world halts and reverses nature loss
Germany launches $1 billion biodiversity fund after world misses targets
The Legacy Landscape Fund aims to mobilise public and private finance to support an ambitious nature protection deal at this October’s Kunming summit
Australia green-lights controversial project in ‘gas-fired recovery’
Campaigners say the Narrabri gas project will destroy local biodiversity and water supplies as well as increase greenhouse gas emissions.
China host of major nature talks fails to step up at UN biodiversity summit
Campaigners had hoped President Xi would surprise the world again this week with tough measures to reverse biodiversity loss. They were left disappointed
EU plans to protect 30% of land and seas by 2030 for biodiversity
The European Commission set out a strategy to overhaul farming and strictly protect carbon-rich forests and wetlands, to benefit wildlife
‘Noah’s Ark’ Arctic seed vault gets new crops, recovers to one million samples
Britain’s Prince Charles, contributing wildflower seeds, says it is ‘exhausting, often demoralising’ to persuade people of vital role of biodiversity
Protect 30% of Earth to avert ‘irreversible’ biodiversity loss – former ministers say
Albright among 23 former foreign ministers calling for ‘strong protection’ of animals and plants at UN biodiversity summit, due in China in October
Biodiversity: the ‘stepchild’ of international talks
INTERVIEW: With little hard cash on the table at UN summit, biodiversity champions seek to link up with mainstream agendas
Ocean acidification causes US$1trn of damage a year – study
NEWS: Some 400 million people depend on threatened coral reefs for their livelihoods, British scientists warn at UN meeting