Land
Colombia banks on forest economy to deliver climate ambition leap
Since the end of a 50-year civil war, Colombia has seen a spike in forest clearance, that the government now hopes to reverse with agroforestry initiatives
France and UK lead push for climate finance to restore nature
Campaigners welcomed commitments to ramp up funding for biodiversity but raised concerns it came at the expense of other climate and aid spending
The net tightens around illegal logging operations in Pará, Bolsonaro’s stronghold
Uruará voted for Brazil’s rightwing president hoping for a more relaxed approach to illegal logging, but enforcement agencies are cracking down
In Kenya’s changing climate, women are claiming land rights to feed their families
Owning their own land allows Kenyan women to build resilience to drought and flooding, but many are unaware of laws intended to empower them
Brazil sets ‘indicative’ goal of carbon neutrality by 2060
Brazil is seeking to join the net zero club, but campaigners denounced its pledge as meaningless while deforestation rises under President Bolsonaro
Brazil must reverse deforestation trends before EU finalises Mercosur trade deal
Imazon study finds indigenous people’s territories at greatest risk from forest clearance as a result of growing agricultural activity under the agreement
Bolsonaro’s attack on the Amazon breaches Brazil’s constitution, climate lawyers argue
Brazilian campaigners are fighting in the Supreme Court to reinstate anti-deforestation policies and resources slashed by the Bolsonaro administration
Landless Brazilians are invading more and more protected areas of the Amazon
Emboldened by President Bolsonaro, landless people are settling in environmental reserves and indigenous territories
Mark Carney oversees blueprint for scaling up carbon market as offset demand soars
With more and more businesses setting net zero emissions targets, the voluntary carbon market needs stronger quality control to scale up, says UN special envoy
Mangrove revival: How tree-planting is financing women’s businesses in Kenya
Kenyan women are planting mangroves in Lamu County and using the revenue from selling “blue carbon” credits for microloans to start small businesses
Mayan communities are suing the Mexican government over a million solar panel megaproject
Indigenous communities say they did not give consent for a Total-backed solar megaproject on their land
Brazil’s military operations are not halting deforestation in the Amazon
Jair Bolsonaro has transferred the command of anti-deforestation operations in the Amazon to the military. But the army presence is making little difference
Covid exposes Mexico City’s water access gap between rich and poor
The coronavirus pandemic lays bare the impact of Mexico City’s mounting water crisis on vulnerable households, while gated communities enjoy reliable supplies
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
Despite socialist scepticism, Cuba shows interest in carbon trading
In its national climate plan, Cuba indicated it would like to sell carbon credits on an international market, a concept previously opposed by socialist allies
UN summit highlights $700bn funding gap to restore nature
A pledging conference to halt the decline of biodiversity worldwide yielded only a handful of vague financial commitments from European governments
Bolsonaro shifts blame for unprecedented Brazilian wetland fires
In a message to the UN, Brazil’s president denied responsibility for the worst fires on record in the Pantanal, despite having slashed environmental protections
Encouraged by Bolsonaro, land grabbers advance on Amazon indigenous territory
Illegal settlements are springing up on indigenous territories in the Brazilian Amazon, driving deforestation
World misses 2020 biodiversity goals: leaked UN draft report
Global Biodiversity Outlook draft finds funding shortfalls and failure to account for the role of women held back progress on restoring ecosystems