The Nature Brief for Business.

The Big Picture

Regulatory and political shifts are creating new uncertainties for nature-related corporate reporting in Europe. Meanwhile, new tools and sector guidelines are helping businesses set actionable nature targets, and biodiversity finance and markets continue to gain traction. Technology is driving breakthroughs in nature monitoring, while biochar and nature-based carbon solutions move toward industrial scale.

Key movements this week:

• Political headwinds threaten EU sustainability reporting and due diligence laws.
• New biodiversity finance tools and credit markets are advancing globally.
• Industrial-scale biochar signals next phase of nature-based carbon markets.

Market Essentials

Finance: ESG legal risks rise, while nature-based finance continues to scale.

• The US Department of Justice and Federal Trade Commission have backed a Texas-led anti-ESG lawsuit against major asset managers. The case intensifies political and legal risks for ESG investing.
• Gresham House raised £375M for its new forestry fund, its largest to date. Investor appetite for forestry and nature-based assets remains strong.
• A new paper urges sovereign credit rating agencies to integrate biodiversity risks. Linking biodiversity to sovereign credit profiles would reshape how environmental factors impact national borrowing costs.

Reporting: EU corporate disclosure faces new uncertainty.

• A recent survey indicates that a majority of European companies oppose the European Commission’s “Omnibus” initiative to reduce CSRD reporting requirements. Many prefer regulatory stability and the current CSRD scope.
• The EU Ombudsman has launched an inquiry into the European Commission’s process on proposed sustainability reporting and due diligence changes. This adds procedural uncertainty to regulatory outcomes.
• Companies adopting TNFD guidance report difficulties in collecting supplier traceability data. Complex value chains are making practical implementation of nature-related disclosure challenging.

Targets: New tools and policy gaps shape corporate and government nature action.

• Experts urge the EU to focus on enforcing the Nature Restoration Law, existing regulations, and funding to meet 2030 biodiversity targets. Implementation remains a key challenge.
• IUCN has launched new guidelines for the mineral and spring water sector to mitigate biodiversity impacts. The sector-specific approach supports better corporate action.
• Business for Nature unveiled a 2030 strategy to accelerate a nature-positive economy. The strategy aims to drive systemic business engagement on nature goals.

Trend Watch.

Biodiversity Credits: Market momentum builds.

• The EU is considering regulation and public funding to support nature credits. Proposals include adding biodiversity dimensions to carbon credit methodologies.
• US-based SeaTrees launched a new “premium” marine biodiversity credit class. This reflects innovation and segmentation in emerging biodiversity credit markets.
• Guyana will host a global biodiversity markets summit in July. International collaboration and standardization are key priorities.

Nature Tech: Data tools driving better nature governance.

• Papua New Guinea launched a national GIS platform for land use planning. The tool will support more sustainable land management and development.
• Australian researchers used eDNA technology to map biodiversity in NSW estuaries. The project demonstrates cutting-edge applications of genetic monitoring for conservation.
• The “Satellites for Biodiversity” initiative has expanded with new projects and an insight hub. Satellite-based biodiversity monitoring is scaling globally.

Nature & Net Zero: Nature-based carbon removals gain traction, but risks remain.

• Canada’s largest biochar facility, Carbonité, is now operational. It aims to sequester 75,000 tonnes of CO₂ equivalent per year and has secured significant purchase agreements.
• A Brazilian study shows Amazon coffee farms can act as net carbon sinks. Sustainable agriculture practices offer climate co-benefits.
• A new report warns that extreme climate events can transform mangroves from carbon sinks to carbon sources. The resilience of natural carbon sinks is increasingly under threat.

Quick Hits.

Policy:

• Brazil’s Senate approved a bill weakening environmental licensing, drawing COP30 criticism.
• Scotland proposes criminalising severe environmental damage.
• 28 of 32 EU states have ratified the UN High Seas Treaty.

Markets:

• São Paulo nears approval for private sector use of public lands for restoration and credit generation.
• Revenues for Nature (R4N), a UN-backed incubator, is supporting seven global nature market initiatives.
• The US Family Forest Carbon Program reached 1,000 participating landowners.

People:

• 75% of human rights attacks target environmental defenders; Indigenous people are disproportionately affected.
• Guyana will allocate $19.2M from carbon credit sales to Indigenous communities.
• A Peruvian court ruled in favor of Indigenous land rights, impacting a REDD+ project.

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