Mighty Earth

We're proud to launch our new film telling Mighty Earth's story of how we deploy our "perfect storm" campaign approach to stop the destruction of nature and shift whole industries to adopt sustainable practices. We use several strategies, from satellite monitoring to pinpoint deforestation in supply chains to scrutinising companies to see if they're “greenwashing” their climate and ESG credentials. Our reports and investigations have revealed that many industries still don’t have control of their supply chains, allowing deforestation and human rights violations to seep in through direct and indirect suppliers. We work alongside Indigenous communities on the frontline of deforestation, amplifying their voices and seeking new platforms for their stories to be heard. Watch the trailer ⬇️and see the full film here: https://lnkd.in/eXYpfqTK

We must ensure that mining across the world is conducted in a responsible way that upholds human rights and minimizes adverse environmental impacts. A new brief from Mighty Earth and Rainforest Foundation Norway analyzes the strengths and weaknesses of mining standards in addressing biodiversity and deforestation.  We examined the limitations of three existing mining standards IRMA Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance The Copper Mark/RMI and Towards Sustainable Mining (TSM) to avoid deforestation and minimize impacts on critical ecosystems like rainforests. Conserving tropical rainforests and stopping deforestation is critical to meet our global biodiversity and climate goals, but tropical forests are being disproportionately impacted by mining activities. Read the brief here: https://lnkd.in/eYE7JjSm      #deforestation #biodiversity #transitionminerals #mining #nature #environment #climate #Norway #biodiversity #enddeforestation #MightyEarth #RainforestFoundationNorway  

🇮🇩 The world's new Nature and climate superpower? Indonesia's new presidential administration has massive conservation, restoration and clean energy plans, and that's a very good thing. In my meeting with Indonesia's chief Climate Envoy (and President Prabowo's brother) Hashim Djojohadikusumo, as well as Minister of Forestry Raja Juli Antoni and Minister of Environment Hanif Faisol Nurioq, we discussed their ambitions to restore more than 30 million acres of degraded land, designate new protected areas, and create a clean energy economy. This kind of vision shows why Indonesia has become known for success in protecting Nature. The country has driven a huge reduction in deforestation for palm oil, paper, and rubber, even while boosting production about 40%. Indonesia has shown it's possible to increase agricultural production while protecting and rewilding native ecosystems. It's a gigaton scale climate win, and an emerging model for the world. President Prabowo also announced his plan to retire all coal and other fossil fuel power plants within the next 15 years, build 75 gigawatts of clean energy, and meet its net-zero climate targets a decade earlier than previously committed. Of course, the trillion dollar question is how to achieve this vision with speed and scale. The Government of Indonesia's own policies and enforcement will be at the core of this effort. Large-scale finance can supercharge action. We discussed how opportunities like the Tropical Forest Finance Facility, Leaf Initiative, high-integrity carbon markets, and the Montreal-Kungming Biodiversity Framework could deliver the finance to ensure Nature has value over the long term. We also candidly discussed the challenges that could undermine Indonesia's Nature superpower status and the ability to attract commensurate finance. The single largest threat is the so-called Food and Energy Estate program that would replace up to 7 million acres of intact ecosystems in Papua with commercial sugarcane bioethanol and export rice plantations. This project is so giant that the destruction it causes could completely undercut the benefits  of the administration’s other policies. The images of bulldozers driving deforestation could make it difficult for investors passionate about Nature to finance the visionary plans. Similarly, Indonesia's decarbonization plans could be undermined by continuing its build-out of captive coal. The good news is that these are easily avoidable challenges: Indonesia has tens of millions of acres of degraded land where agriculture can expand without threatening native ecosystems; the country can tap its enormous geothermal, solar and wind resource, as well as heaps of clean energy finance. We're ready to help tackle these challenges by working with the private sector, government and civil society. I left our meeting more hopeful about the future of "wonderful Indonesia" - and its potential to truly become the world's Nature and climate champion.

“B.C. must not allow the biomass industry to contribute to the destruction of primary forests. The province has a responsibility to protect its natural heritage, not only for its own residents but for the world.” In an op-ed cowritten by Rachel Holt (principal of Veridian Ecological Consulting) and Suzanne Simard (of the The Mother Tree Project), the two share how the wood pellet industry puts undue pressure on British Columbia’s forests. The industry makes its fortune cutting down trees to produce wood pellets to be burned for biomass fuel. Wood pellet manufacturers claim that biomass energy is carbon-neutral, but since trees take hundreds of years to regrow, logging and burning of trees accelerates carbon emissions at a time when the world is in dire need of immediate emissions reductions.   Another false claim the wood pellet industry makes is that their pellets are made from wood waste but, in reality, whole trees from primary forests in British Columbia and elsewhere make up much of their feedstock.  Holt and Simard present some solutions to British Columbia’s biomass problem:  -First, biomass policies must clearly define waste so that whole trees are never used in pellet production.   -Second, British Columbia should ban the export of wood pellets. Countries worldwide, including the UK and Japan, must phase out harmful subsidies that encourage woody biomass.  We must protect what’s left of the diverse, ancient and vast forests of British Columbia. Leaders worldwide have an opportunity to “drive true climate solutions that lie in protecting and restoring forests, not in cutting them down.” Read the full article in The Vancouver Sun here: https://lnkd.in/eZN_uFaQ  #BigBadBiomass #BioenergyDestroysBiodiversity Roger Smith Katie Y. Amanda Hurowitz Glenn Hurowitz

Today’s first “trialogue” between the European Commission Council of the European Union, and European Parliament on proposed changes to the European Union Deforestation Regulation #EUDR has ended in a tense standoff. The Commission and Council will only agree to a 12-month delay to the law’s implementation timetable – as proposed by the Commission on October 3 – while the political attack dogs from the Parliament are still angling to take a bite out of the substance of the law itself. The stalemate will last until the next trialogue, which will take place on, or before, December 3. So the wait continues to see if a law fundamental to protecting the world's forests will be delayed but left intact; or whether it will suffer a major blow, with critical impacts for people, wildlife and the climate. Ursula von der Leyen Manfred Weber European People's Party Renew Europe European Greens Socialists and Democrats Group in the European Parliament The Greens/EFA in the European Parliament Julian Oram Isabel Fernández Cruz Boris Patentreger Thea Parson Glenn Hurowitz João Gonçalves Alex Wijeratna Alex Armstrong Jurjen de Waal Carlos Bravo Villa Fern NGO Deutsche Umwelthilfe

Last week, we kicked off our Rewilding initiative with an incredible community of collaborators, experts and supporters. Together, we took the first steps towards a bold idea: restoring mountain lions to their historical home in the wilds of the Northeastern United States. The evening was full of big ideas and bold commitments to heal our forests and bring back the keystone species that keep our ecosystems in balance. Thanks especially to our host Ben Goldsmith who embodied the spirit of generosity and imagination that characterized the evening. We had inspiring speeches by L. Mark Elbroch from PANTHERA, Kristine Tompkins from Re:wild, and Beth Pratt, and saw footage from Ben Masters upcoming American Lion. This is just the beginning. We hope you will join us in our journey to rewild hearts and minds everywhere and help people reconnect to the magic of nature. https://lnkd.in/e89HZ4Ns #rewilding #conservation #mountainlion #pumas #cougars #catamounts #environment #nature #climate #ecosystems #rewildamerica #rewilding #rewildingefforts 

Today’s decision by parliamentarians in Europe to approve a raft of amendments to the European Union Deforestation Regulation #EUDR sets in train a dangerous game of cat and mouse between the Parliament, European Commission and member states. While the forthcoming trialogue looms, the future of the world’s forests, and the people and wildlife that depend on them for survival, is left hanging by a thread. And it leaves companies and producer countries who have readied themselves for compliance in legal limbo. History will judge these Parliamentary shenanigans badly, while in the meantime forests will fall with all the impacts that brings for the climate and Nature emergencies. More analysis on next steps from our Policy Director Julian Oram who is in Brussels. Read more here: https://lnkd.in/ex9CV49T Ursula von der Leyen European People's Party Renew Europe Party European Greens Socialists and Democrats Group in the European Parliament The Greens/EFA in the European Parliament Thea Parson Carole Mitchell Glenn Hurowitz Alex Wijeratna Alex Armstrong Amanda Hurowitz Jurjen de Waal Isabel Fernández Cruz Boris Patentreger João Gonçalves

It’s a dark day for democracy and Europe’s environmental credentials. The European Parliament has just approved a raft of destructive amendments to the European Union Deforestation Regulation #EUDR and voted for a one-year delay to the implementation of the law, which had been due to come into force at the end of this year. Amidst chaotic scenes in the Parliament, with the computer voting system not working properly and some politicians unable to cast their vote, MEPs voted to include a new “no risk” category will which allow many countries to be considered risk-free, even if deforestation, degradation and illegal practices are still occurring. Read Mighty Earth’s statement here: https://lnkd.in/ex9CV49T Ursula von der Leyen European People's Party Renew Europe Party European Greens Socialists and Democrats Group in the European Parliament The Greens/EFA in the European Parliament Fern NGO Deutsche Umwelthilfe Julian Oram Boris Patentreger Isabel Fernández Cruz Alex Wijeratna Glenn Hurowitz Thea Parson Jordan McDonald Jurjen de Waal

It’s decision day for the zero-deforestation law known as the #EUDR. To say it’s been a bumpy road of late is an understatement. First the Commission proposed a one-year delay just weeks before the law was due to start being enforced. Then last week, Ursula von der Leyen’s European People's Party waded in with a raft of destructive amendments designed to gut the legislation. As our Policy Director Julian Oram explains the vote taking place at the European Parliament in Brussels today will determine if the Regulation is delayed and what other amendments may or may not be adopted. Boris Patentreger Isabel Fernández Cruz Thea Parson Alex Wijeratna Jordan McDonald Glenn Hurowitz Fern NGO Deutsche Umwelthilfe Jurjen de Waal

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