Land

Campaigners call on António Guterres to rescue ‘imperilled’ biodiversity deal

With five months to the critical summit, a “Paris Agreement for nature” is floundering as finance and political leadership fall short

It’s time to put Indigenous Peoples first at the UN biodiversity talks

As talks on a global deal to protect nature begin in Nairobi, Kenya, countries need to create a new conservation designation for Indigenous Peoples’ land

Tanzanian authorities seen opening fire on Maasai people in game reserve dispute

Rights NGO Survival International has accused the government of “shocking violence” and evicting Maasai people from their land to make way for trophy hunting

Slow progress on Great Green Wall prompts soul-searching at UN desertification summit

African leaders expressed frustration at UN talks in Abidjan over funding barriers as climate impacts in the Sahel outpace action to address them

DR Congo approves auction of oil blocks in one of the world’s largest carbon sinks

At least three of 16 oil blocks earmarked for drilling overlap with the world’s largest tropical peatland complex, posing a double threat to the climate

As 1.5C overshoot looms, a high-level commission will ask: what next?

Fifteen former leaders and ministers are set to address sensitive questions on the role of CO2 removal and geoengineering in climate action

War in Ukraine is triggering a food crisis – and climate change has more in store

Governments must fund humanitarian relief and prioritise cropland for feeding people, not livestock or cars, to guard against future shocks

Pakistan’s tree-planting ambition in doubt after Imran Khan’s exit

Climate experts are urging Shehbaz Sharif’s government to continue Khan’s flagship forest restoration initiative

DR Congo audit exposes ‘lawless’ logging sector, implicating six former ministers

As Norway, UK and Germany commit millions to protect the Congo rainforest, a damning report shows governance in chaos

Australian carbon traders defend troubled offset market against whistleblower claims

Policy upheaval and stark criticism of the quality of carbon offsets from a former official have thrown Australia’s ability to deliver on carbon targets into doubt

Land

Agriculture

War in Ukraine is compounding a hunger crisis in East Africa, charities warn

Up to 28 million people are facing severe food insecurity as soaring wheat prices follow failed rains, Covid and desert locusts

Hackers throw Indonesian palm oil seminar into chaos, fuelling blame game

As experts debated a controversial proposal to classify palm oil plantations as forest, their event in Jakarta was disrupted by swearing and pornography

EU’s reformed agricultural policy fails its climate goals, say green groups

Lawmakers have approved a reform to the Common Agricultural Policy, which critics say fails to deliver on the bloc’s Green Deal and climate goals

Why I am calling on EU lawmakers to put climate at the heart of agricultural policy

The proposed reform to the EU’s farming subsidy programme continues a business-as-usual approach to farming that we cannot afford in a climate emergency

Modi’s ‘gamechanger’ palm oil push raises concerns for Indian forests and women

Prime minister Narendra Modi has big plans for palm oil cultivation. But the experience of farmers in Mizoram does not bode well

Ethiopia to shift from beef to chicken production under updated climate plan

The government is promoting smaller livestock to limit the rise of methane emissions, in a plan that is 80% dependent on international finance

Flooding and drought fuels mental health crisis in Kenya

Many Kenyans are suffering post-traumatic stress, depression and anxiety after being hit by extreme weather, but lack access to mental health services

Southern Madagascar at risk of famine amid worst drought in 40 years

UN agencies are urgently calling for international support as a million Madagascans go hungry, with some surviving on insects and wild roots

Agriculture

Biodiversity

Conservationists set out ‘nature positive’ vision for global biodiversity deal

The IUCN Congress has come up with a blueprint for a “transformative” deal to protect plants and wildlife, which members hope governments will embrace in Kunming

Conservationists back indigenous peoples’ call to protect 80% of the Amazon by 2025

Members of the IUCN Congress overwhelmingly backed the motion but Brazilian experts warn the verdict will likely be ignored by Bolsonaro’s government

After 20 years, talks on scrapping fishing subsidies enter final stretch

The World Trade Organization is nearing a deal to end harmful fishing subsidies, but exemptions for developing countries could give China a pass

UN draft accord sets out new biodiversity goals but delivery plan is lacking

Experts welcomed the proposed targets to protect and restore nature, but said without funding and national accountability they would achieve little

Biodiversity talks are running out of time for robust deal, says top diplomat

Pandemic delays and gruelling online talks threaten the ambition of a Kunming global pact to protect nature due to be finalised in October

US, UK and Norway launch $1bn initiative to protect tropical forests

The Leaf Coalition aims to mobilise $1 billion of public and private finance this year to cut emissions from deforestation and forest degradation

Pakistan explores debt-for-nature scheme to accelerate its 10 billion tree tsunami

Creditors could grant Pakistan debt relief in exchange for meeting nature restoration targets, under a proposed first-of-its-kind bond

Cop26 dream team: The people setting the climate agenda on seven key issues

From Denmark’s Dan Jørgensen to Malawi’s Nancy Tembo, here are the leaders to watch ahead of UN climate talks in Glasgow, UK

Biodiversity

Forests

Prison, party mansions and a naval base among urban areas India claims as ‘forest’

The government has long used a broad definition of forests which is at odds with UN guidance and overstates India’s climate credentials

Amazon indigenous community restores giant freshwater fish and thrives

Through control of their territory, the Deni people sustainably manage stocks of pirarucu, boosting their numbers 425% in 11 years

India falsely claims forestry progress in ‘skewed’ report, experts warn

By counting plantations and urban parks as forests, the Indian government hides deforestation caused by industrial projects

Norway underpaid Indonesia for forest protection results, study argues

British research sheds light on why Indonesia might have cut ties with donors, finding that funds were inadequate to compete with palm oil sales

Haven of African elephants at risk, say park rangers decrying poor pay and conditions

Forest guards in Gabon say their salaries are often paid several months late and are threatening to go on strike

Five WWF Pakistan staff monitoring forest protection die in car crash

WWF Pakistan described the victims whose car plunged into a ravine in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as “young and passionate environmentalists”

Kenyan forest communities sidelined as government misses two billion tree target

Community groups say they are willing to restore forests but have been ignored by government and rely on international non-profits for funding

Donor nations commit $1.7bn to help indigenous people protect forests

The funding from US, UK, Germany, Norway and the Netherlands confronts the weakening of indigenous land rights in countries like Brazil

Forests

Cities