Daily Maverick’s Post

We call upon the government of national unity to mainstream biodiversity and attend to the critical obligations of preventing biodiversity loss and conserving the variability and functioning of ecosystems.

Good article on requirements for nature positive in Australia (and elsewhere) by Hannah Thomas and co-authors. “Ultimately, a nature positive future can only be achieved if all nations commit to—and deliver—absolute net gain of biodiversity. Achieving this requires enforcing strict ecological compensation, adequate funding for biodiversity conservation beyond compensation for development impacts, and rigorous law enforcement, effective monitoring, and re- view.” https://lnkd.in/gVthZdku

Christine McCullum-Gomez, PhD, RDN sent this reminder along with a post about COP16 Biodiversity: 5 Things Countries (meaning you, too!) Can Do this Year to Stop Biodiversity Loss 1) Deliver strong and equitable National Biodiversity Plans 2) Mainstream nature in policies on food and water 3) Provide more finance and incentives to support nature and biodiversity goals 4) Recognize the land rights and the authority of Indigenous Peoples and other frontline communities 5) Effectively measure and track progress toward global targets https://lnkd.in/euaY336a

Here is the small film I made as part of my report https://lnkd.in/gv6Q6WGX

The global target to protect at least 30% of the world’s land and water ecosystems by 2030 faces “huge” challenges. According to the UN’s biodiversity agency, only 29 countries – out of 196 – have so far submitted key updates to their national biodiversity plans https://lnkd.in/deM7E-CP

The recent discussions at COP16 made it clear that innovative financial mechanisms will be essential to bridge the gap between conservation goals and available resources. Our latest BCG report dives deep into the world of biodiversity credits and assesses their potential to unlock private sector funding for biodiversity conservation. With biodiversity declining at unprecedented rates and a significant ~$700B annual financing gap, the need for innovative solutions has never been more urgent. Key highlights from the report: • There is significant interest and development in biodiversity credit marks, but increased global consensus around their intention and use is required • In our view, the efforts required to adequately scale biodiversity credits may not be justified by their expected demand and impact on bending the curve on biodiversity loss by 2030 • To meet the ambitions for increased private sector funding for biodiversity as outlined in the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, alternative instruments hold greater potential • Biodiversity credits need to be considered within a broader portfolio of nature investments Read the full report here: https://on.bcg.com/4edeyW2 Mills Schenck Torsten Kurth Dean Muruven Robin Lavers Katrina ole-MoiYoi, PhD Jester Koldijk Fabien H. #Biodiversity #Conservation

There is a lot of talk about #biodiversitycredits recently and #Guyana just announced a #Global #Biodiversity #Aliance to establish a regulated global market place for these biodiversity #tax incentives. Ultimatly, Biodiversity Credits can be a good thing if properly regulated by #government, and avoid the pitfalls we saw with #carboncredits. However, there they are not a silver bullet solution for private sector engagement to cover the £500-600 billion shortfall required to pretoect biodiversity over the next 25 years. #NGOs already struggle with regular grant reporting, let alone heavy burdens of proof around quantifying 'long lasting and non-immediately reversible impacts' of biodiversity #projects, required to attract private sector funding via biodiversity credits. Moreover, there are lots of issues that would be immediately reversible without continual funding - thus not meeting the criteria for biodiversity credits. I believe that for private sector companies to be eligible for biodiversity credits then they should have a track history of #conservation #donations prior to any incentivised scheme. Before they benefit, they should demonstrate that they actually care! Interested to hear others thoughts, Will Travers OBE, Michael Keigwin, MBE ? #environment #climatechange #ecology #animals #NGO

I am excited to share our latest white paper, "Corporate Commitment Meets Nature: The Reality of Biodiversity Credits", where we explore a critical yet overlooked aspect of this emerging financing tool: demand. Who should buy biodiversity credits, and why should they? 🔎 While market infrastructure and the supply of biodiversity credit pilots is quickly gaining momentum, we unpack why corporates aren't purchasing them at scale. As currently defined, biodiversity credits are essentially corporate conservation philanthropy but with increased administrative complexity and higher risk for greenwashing. Given the complexity and non-fungibility of biodiversity, credits typically cannot be used to make direct claims against business impacts, limiting their utility. This is different to carbon credit markets where a globally accepted measure of equivalence exists (CO2e) 🌱🌍 Biodiversity credits will likely play a limited role in closing the biodiversity funding gap and truly bending the curve on biodiversity loss by 2030, but one thing remains clear: there is an urgent need for increased involvement from the private sector. Our full report looks at alternative instruments which hold greater demand potential in the short-term, and outlines key 'unlocks' for longer term growth of the biodiversity credit market: https://on.bcg.com/4edeyW2. Thank you to my fellow co-authors for their collaboration and insight! #Biodiversity #Conservation

There couldn't be a more fitting occasion to announce our latest project, Food for Biodiversity, than on international #BiodiversityDay. Meo Carbon Solutions has joined forces with Global Nature Fund, Bodensee-Stiftung and Justus Liebig University Giessen as a consortium aimed at transforming biodiversity protection in the EU's food sector by contributing to more effective implementation and enforcement of compliance with binding EU instruments on nature and biodiversity. To achieve this goal, the Food for Biodiversity project will:  ⚖️ Support food companies in meeting biodiversity legislation through capacity building  📊 Develop a comprehensive joint database on biodiversity Meo's objective is to assess biodiversity credits as an alternative to financing restoration projects. Our role in the project will focus on capacity building on biodiversity credits, how they can help unlock finance for projects that restore and protect biodiversity and how to incorporate biodiversity into corporate strategies. Additionally, Meo will provide an overview of the biodiversity finance landscape and assess the potential of food companies to develop insetting projects and generate biodiversity credits.   The project is funded by the EU LIFE Programme, which is the European Union's funding instrument for environment and climate action. Our consortium applied to the sub-programme Nature & Biodiversity, which aims to protect and restore Europe's nature and reverse biodiversity loss, supporting the objectives under the EU's Biodiversity Strategy 2030 as part of the EU Green Deal.   Stay tuned for more project updates! #Sustainability #EUGreenDeal #ClimateAction 

"How do we act locally but think globally when it comes to biodiversity credits and conservation projects?" 🌍 This question, that was central to discussions at COP16, highlights the shift away from global biodiversity offsets towards a more tailored, local approach. The newly introduced biodiversity credits framework by the International Advisory Panel on Biodiversity Credits (IAPB) emphasizes that restoration and conservation efforts need to be locally specific. Unlike carbon offsets, which often lack direct relevance to specific ecosystems, biodiversity credits aim to address precise habitat losses with like-for-like compensation. While biodiversity credits hold real promise, with a $700 billion funding gap in conservation, challenges remain. Demand is still low, and there are concerns that focusing too much on credits could overlook deeper, systemic changes. The IAPB’s framework is a call to action, encouraging projects that directly support the ecosystems they impact rather than relying on broad, one-size-fits-all solutions. COP16 reminds us that meaningful biodiversity conservation requires localized, context-aware solutions – a mindset of acting local while keeping the global picture in view. What are your thoughts on how best to balance these priorities? #naturefinance #biodiversity #naturebasedsolutions #COP16 #communities https://lnkd.in/eyBS9yKX