The UK's Department of Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs released their "Natural Environment White Paper" today, which will guide environmental policy in the country. Unsurprisingly the White Paper strongly aligns environmental protection and restoration with economic growth, especially considering it follows on the heels of the Natural Ecosystem Assessment, which found that the UK is consistently undervaluing its ecosystem services. The possibility of including a biodiversity offset scheme has been thrown around recently, and sure enough it was included as an upcoming program. Like we predicted, the approach to biodiversity offsets is completely voluntary.

  – Read the story from Ecosystem Marketplace here

The policy-driven carbon market contracted in 2010, but the voluntary market achieved its highest volume ever - thanks in part to renewed spending on corporate social responsibility and the release of new methodologies for forest carbon.  Indeed, the number of participants based in the developing world more than doubled in response to demand for REDD credits.

  – Read more at Ecosystem Marketp

Brazil’s 75-year-old Forest Code has been stripped of many provisions that protected sensitive areas by an overwhelming vote in congress. The new bill exempts small-scale farmers from the Forest Code and opens environmentally sensitive to cultivation.  It also grants amnesty to small-scale farmers who violated the law before July, 2008. The results could be disastrous for the country’s forests. A group of six scientists had a letter published in Science last year warning that 100,000 species might be put at risk of extinction if the proposal becomes law, not to mention the increase in emissions. The bill has yet to pass the senate or be signed by the president Dilma Roussef, who promised to take a hard stance in preserving the law.

  – Read more at Ecosystem Marketp
                                                  – Read coverage from the BBC here

  – Read more here

  – Read about the ups and downs here

BBOP has opened a public consultation process on the biodiversity offsets Principles, Criteria and Indicators framework the group has developed.  This is the foundation for the  draft standard on biodiversity offsets that is expected to launch in mid 2012.   A BBOP Advisory Group member, Derek Melton of Golder Associates is presenting it this week at the International Association of Impact Assessors conference in Puebla, Mexico.

  – See the consultation materials here

The UK’s Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has released its much anticipated Natural Environment White Paper, the first of its kind in 20 years. Following on the heels of the National Ecosystem Assessment, concluding that the country was undervaluing its ecosystem services by billions of pounds. The inclusion of a biodiversity offset program was no surprise , nor was the proposal of a purely voluntary offset program, set to begin as a trial in several pilot areas in spring 2012 for two years.

  – Read more here
                                                  – And here

The European Union's Environment Commissioner unveiled a plan to reduce biodiversity loss in the EU as part of the larger global Convention on Biological Diversity goal  "At least halve and, where feasible, bring close to zero the rate of loss of natural habitats, including forests." The strategy is set to run through 2020 and focuses on just six targets and their related measures. Called "Our life insurance, our natural capital: an EU biodiversity strategy to 2020," the idea of biodiversity as a provider of ecosystem services is at the core of the strategy, which includes a call to "promote the development and use of innovative financing mechanisms, including market based Instruments." The plan still needs to be presented to the European Parliament and EU governments for discussion and endorsement. The strategy also specifically mentions 'no net loss ' : "The Commission will carry out further work with a view to proposing by 2015 an initiative to ensure there is no net loss of ecosystems and their services (e.g. through compensation or offsetting schemes)."

  – Read more here
                                                  – And here
                                                  – And read the strategy here

Almost a year has passed since the release of The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (TEEB), and the leader of the report, Pavan Sukhdev, already sees the ideas laid out in the report gaining traction. Puma, for example, is putting environmental costs on the books/a>  and the World Bank has launched the Wealth Accounting and the Valuation of Ecosystems Services (WAVES) - basically, an initiative to 'green' national GDP measures with six developing countries signed up to pilot the initiative .  Sukdev not only wants to wake up the private sector about the benefits of accounting for nature (and the perils of not doing so), but wants a reforming of our economic models towards a green economy. But he won't be doing it under the aegis of TEEB anymore, but from a private sector consulting firm called GIST advisory, based in India, and also serving as a McKluskey Fellow for Yale University in the US.  Godspeed, Mr. Sukdev.

  – Read coverage fro mthe BBC here

Unrelated to the World Bank's WAVES initiative mentioned  above, the European Parliament has supported legislation that would set up  ‘green balance sheets.’ The proposed regulation on environmental economic  accounts would allow member states to compare data on air emissions,  environmental taxes and material flows. The legislation did encounter some  resistance from member states, particularly those that currently have no way to  capture environmental statistics at a national level, but will likely come into  effect next month, making 2011 the reference year for statistics. The 27 member  states will only have to track statistics for air emissions, environmental taxes  and material flows, but the list will likely expand to cover waste, forests,  energy and ecosystem services.

  – Read about the initative here

Athletic apparel manufacturer Puma has become the first company to release an environmental profit and loss account. Their accounting tallied the direct ecological impact of its operations at £6.2m, and an additional £74 million environmental cost along the length of their entire supply chain. While the current accounting method only takes into account greenhouse gas emissions and water usage, Puma hopes to expand the scope to measure costs to biodiversity and society.
                                               
                                                While Puma has yet to tackle the trickier issue of biodiversity, a group of European businesses appear to be leading the effort to recognize the importance of biodiversity in their operations. Ten companies have performed a Biodiversity Check as part of the European Business and Biodiversity Campaign. The companies are from a broad range of sectors, each having a unique impact on biodiversity, whether direct or indirect. The Check allowed each of the companies to develop strategies to avoid and mitigate environmental impacts. The European Business and Biodiversity Campaign hopes to mainstream the measurement and reporting of biodiversity impacts in the private sector through this initiative. 
                                               
                                                Other companies are not quite so far along. A group of 23 cement producers  (the Cement Sustainability Initiative, a WBCSD initiative)  are in the scoping phase of determining how to reduce the industry’s negative impact on water use, biodiversity and land management. And at a recent conference on global supply chains   hosted by Ceres, a nonprofit that aligns the private sector with sustainability, companies like Disney and Hewlett Packard noted that keeping track of the sustainability of global supply chains is a difficult task. But as issues of sustainability and human rights become more prominent in the discussion those companies and others are taking steps toward greening their supply chain.
                                               
                                                …and they should. Or else Greenpeace will be targeting them in their next negative ad campaign. Newly in Greenpeace's crosshairs: Barbie. The toy manufacturer Mattel is the subject of a recent campaign  by Greenpeace criticizing Mattel's sourcing of paper for packaging.  The campaign centers around Barbie/Ken break-up because of Barbie's rainforest destruction habits . The activist non-profit is increasing the savvy of consumers in understanding links in the supply chain, saying "The trail leads directly from Mattel to Asia Pulp and Paper and its suppliers in a chain of destruction that spans the globe."
                                               
                                                While palm oil has been the target of a past Greenpeace campaign , the industry has been on the offensive  to remedy its image as an environmental scourge. Their engagement with the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil appears to be paying off, as nine percent of global palm oil supply is now certified by the group – a definite PR plus for the beleaguered industry. Meanwhile, a coalition of palm oil industry groups from Malaysia and Indonesia, the world’s two leading producers, are engaged in an effort to promote palm oil within the European Union by establishing the European Palm Oil Council. Ministers from both countries were also visiting Washington to lobby the US government over trade barriers for palm oil imports.
                                               
                                                The UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) has published its  "REDD-plus and Biodiversity" study , providing scientific and technical information on ways to ensure that the design and implementation of policies for REDD+ support the objectives of the CBD. REDD+, a forest conservation and carbon mitigation program, could have potential biodiversity co-benefits if designed with those benefits in mind, and as REDD+ comes center stage in international conservation, the inclusion of biodiversity safeguards in a REDD+ program are increasingly important.
                                                

  – Puma story
                                                  – Biodiversity check story
                                                  – Sustainable palm oil story

South Africa is trying to work out a different balancing act – trying to satisfy the mining and tourist industries, which often see each other as enemies. In the past decade several mining operations have had permits rejected or been shut down during operation because of concerns over impact to tourism revenues. The South African National Bio-diversity Institute (SANBI) may be able to resolve some of the conflict. They have generated maps that show priority wetlands, threatened ecosystems and nature-reserve-based tourism opportunity areas, allowing mining firms to make better decisions about where to pursue mining operations and regulators to make better informed decisions.

  – Read more here

Japan, along with seven other nations, signed the Nagoya Protocol,  one of the outcomes from last year’s CBD COP10. Responding to criticisms that  genetic resources have been utilized without proper payment or sharing of  resulting intellectual property, the Protocol is intended to spell out benefits  arising from the utilization of genetic resources should be shared in a fair  way.

  – Read more here

There’s good news and bad news. First, the good news: scientists reported in Nature that current estimates of extinction rates may be off by as much as 160%. Although it’s undoubtedly good news that species are not going extinct as fast as had previously been thought, the authors don’t let us forget the bad news – habitat loss is occurring at unprecedented rates. The current method to calculate species loss starts with the current amount of species in a given area and then estimates how the number of species grows as the area expands or shrinks when habitat contracts. The authors say this method is fundamentally flawed and is proven by their mathematical model. Although a new method isn’t put forward, a call for a more precise model is need, because as everybody knows, you can’t save something you don’t know exists.

  – Read about calculating species extinction here

The World Bank has  approved $23.5 million for a project that will conserve forested areas and  improve rural livelihoods in forest dependent communities in India. Called the Biodiversity  Conservation and Rural Livelihood Improvement Project, two areas will be the site  of pilot programs to refine biodiversity conservation methods under the  landscape conservation approach. And with millions dependent on forests for  their livelihood, it’s crucial to align positive biodiversity outcomes with  improved livelihoods.

  – Read more here

3,000 square km of biodiversity on the border between Zambia and Malawi will be jointly managed by the countries under a grant from the World Bank. The Nyika Trans-Frontier Conservation Area will safeguard some endemic species and Africa’s richest orchid communities, and also hopes to generate economic opportunity in the area, largely through nature tourism. The grant for the entire project is US$4.8 million ($2.24 to Zambia and the remaining to Malawi).

  – Read more here

ESA in the news: WildEarth Guardians is (finally) letting FWS set (some) priorities, and worthy books and articles defend the ESA, but opposition still abundant.

An environmental advocacy and conservation group operating  in the Western US, Wildlife Guardians, has made a deal with the US Fish and  Wildlife Service (FWS) to stop launching hundreds of legal petitions against  the agency in return for FWS going through an Endangered Species Act (ESA)  backlog that consists of over 250 plants and animals. Some of the species have  been on the list for three decades because of a loophole that puts some species  in a limbo where they are neither on nor off the list. The deal has yet to be  signed because some of the species Wildlife Guardians sees as needing  protection were not included in the current agreement. But this deal could lead  to greater cooperation between conservation organizations and the government,  both of whom are probably less interested in using resources on legal fees and  more interested in protecting species and habitat.

- Read more from the ESA Blog here

- And news coverage here

- And read Wild Earth's take here

Risk of Wetland Habitat Loss in Southern United States Predicted
                                                Baylor University, in collaboration with the U.S Forest Service have developed a model that predicts wetland loss over a 13 state area. One of the authors, Dr. Kevin Gutzwiller, professor of biology at Baylor, says that because resources for conservation are scarce, an accurate model of the most threatened wetland is critical to efficiently allocate those resources. The study investigate southern states, which hold the majority of US wetlands and are also at high risk because of the region’s rapid pace of urbanization and development. The model should not only help governments and conservation organizations prioritize protected areas but also measure the effectiveness of current conservation programs.

- Read about the study here

Wetland Banks on the Way in Washington
                                                Credits for two wetland mitigation banks have been certified in Washington by the state's Department of Ecology. Both restoration projects are reestablishing and rehabilitating existing wetlands. The Skagit Environmental Bank in Skagit county will generate 241 credits for its 400 acre site, while the East Fork Lewis Wetland Mitigation Bank in Clark county will generate 91 credits for its 113 acre site.

- Read about the Skagit County bank here

- And the Clark County bank here

When Only a SAMP Will Do
                                                A federally-supervised plan is  underway in Minnesota to develop a Special Area Management Plan, or SAMP, for  Lino Lakes. SAMPs are used only rarely when an area is faced with particularly difficult  resource management issues or resource use conflicts, most often in coastal  zones. Under the SAMP, any compensation  for development impacts would have to occur within the city’s boundaries. The  permit process developers usually encounter will be bypassed, with developers receiving  a letter from the Army Corps of Engineers to go ahead with proceed if their  plans are within SAMP regulations.

- Read about Lake Lino's SAMP here

When Offsets go Wrong
                                                Final stages in the construction of a canal, proposed in 1992, are being held up by a federal requirement by the Army Corps of Engineers to mitigate the impact of construction on surrounding wetlands. The Corps is requiring 700 acres along the river where the canal is being built. Originally the Corps was responsible for purchasing land to be used for offsets, but that deal was voided after they had only acquired 67 acres by 2002. Purchasing land has become particularly difficult after a bill was passed that prevents the appropriation of private land for the project. It currently looks as though the project will be delayed until 2017.

- Read more here

Training Course for Mitigation Banking and In-lieu Fee Program Interagency Review Teams
                                                This comprehensive week-long training for federal and state regulators who serve on mitigation bank and in-lieu fee program Interagency Review Teams (IRTs) will provide IRT’s with a thorough grounding in the relevant federal policy, build IRT expertise at both the individual and team level, and develop the leadership skills necessary to be an effective member of an IRT. Free with limited space. 20-24 June. Shepherdstown, WV, USA.
                                                
                                                - Read more here

                                                Ecosystem Markets: Making them Work
                                                WRI and AFF host the fourth annual national conference on ecosystem markets. June 28 - July 1, 2011. Madison, Wisconsin.
                                                - Read more about the conference here
                                                
                                                Ecosystem Services in Urban Areas Seminar 2011
                                                This seminar will provide a platform to exchange information and ideas, based on the presentation of the cutting-edge research on the different perspectives on the value of ecosystem services in urban areas. 15-16 July 2011. Lodz, lódzkie, Poland.

                                                - Read more here
                                                
                                                The National Conference on Ecosystem Restoration
                                                Initiated by the University of Florida, U.S. Geological Survey, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service, NCER is dedicated to both small and large scale ecosystem restoration programs around the country. 1-5 August 2011. Baltimore, Maryland.

                                                - Read more about the conference here
                                                  
                                                Earth Stewardship: Preserving and enhancing the earth's life-support systems
                                                This conference brings together those practicing stewardship across all sectors to share ideas and innovations. 7-12 August. Austin, Texas.
                                                - Read more here
                                               
                                                13th BIOECON Annual Conference
                                                More information forthcoming. 11-13 September. Geneva, Switzerland.

                                                 - Read more here
                                                
                                                Ecosystem Services: Integrating Science and Practice 4th International ESP Conference
                                                This conference aims to provide a continuous platform for researchers, practitioners and policy-makers to exchange information and ideas about new developments and pressing issues on the Science and Practice of Ecosystem Services (and to strengthen the partnership). 4-7 October. Wageningen, Gelderland, Netherlands.

- Read more here
                                                
                                                UNEP-FI Global Roundtable "The Tipping Point: Sustained Stability in the Next Economy"
                                                UNEP FI's 2011 Global Roundtable is the perfect opportunity to cast a spotlight on what the sustainable development agenda means for the world's finance, investment and insurance sectors. 19-20 October 2011. Washington, DC.

- Read more here

Green Innovators in Business Network Webinar

Green Innovators in Business Network will host a webinar on June 2 to talk with Farron Levy, founder and president of True Impact, about the triple bottom line.

- Read more here
                                                

Short Term Consultancy: Support for the Economic Valuation and Revision of the Tourism plan for the Sperrgebiet National Park

The UNDP/GEF funded Strengthening the Protected Area Network (SPAN)  Project and the Critical Ecosystem Programme Fund (CEPF) funded  Succulent Karoo Ecosystem Programme (SKEP) are providing park planning  support to the Sperrgebiet National Park in preparation for the opening  up of the park to tourism related activities.
                                               
                                                - Read more information here
                                                - Read more information here