GlobalWarming & ClimateChange News Desk – The UN climate talks start haggling over how to protect the oceans on Saturday – and one woman will be closely watching.
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Ace Press News From Cutting Room Floor: Published: Dec.09: 2023: By Georgina Rannard: Climate reporter at COP28, Dubai TELEGRAM Ace Daily News Link https://t.me/+PuI36tlDsM7GpOJe
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Mervina Paueli, 25, has come to Dubai to negotiate a future for her home, Tuvalu – a group of low-lying Pacific islands.
We owe the oceans a lot – by absorbing heat, they protect us from the full cost of global warming.
If this summit agrees to slash fossil fuel use, oceans could be a big winner.
This is Mervina’s first COP summit – she was in the air for 24 hours, flying from Fiji to Hong Kong before finally landing here in the United Arab Emirates.
“We all have that umbilical cord attachment to our lands. Anything for my country is worth it,” she says.
Around 11,000 people live on Tuvalu’s nine islands
As a negotiator with Tuvalu’s team, she belongs to a club no-one wants to join – a community facing a wipe-out of home and history.
“The numbers are not looking good for Tuvalu. Picturing it just not being there anymore makes me feel really sad,” she says.
She talks about the white sands and beautiful clear waters lying either side of her family home.
Sea levels are 0.15 metres higher than 30 years ago, with an average increase rate of 5mm a year. That increase is expected to speed up and by 2050 the sea will be be 20cm higher than it is today.
The islanders’ culture, history and livelihood is totally reliant on the seas. They need healthy oceans with good fish stocks, and crucially, limited or no rise in sea levels.
That relationship is not unique to this population of a few thousand.
The oceans have provided a “great service” to Earth and everything that lives on it, says Ko Barrett, senior climate advisor at the US’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and vice chair of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).
Their dark waters have absorbed 90% of the warming humans have created by burning coal, oil and gas and releasing greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.
But that service could soon end. Oceans are showing signs of huge stress from climate change, pollution and loss of habitats.
The UN says Tuvalu is extremely vulnerable to climate change
In Tuvalu, tuna are relocating to cooler waters, pushing fishermen further and further away from the shores, Mervina explains.
Despite this, oceans are the “poor cousin” of climate talks, the UN Special Envoy on Oceans Peter Thompson says, speaking at the Oceans Pavilion at COP28.
The first time oceans were mentioned in a UN climate talks deal was just two years ago, he explains.
On Saturday ministers from major ocean nations – including the US, Norway, and the Seychelles – meet to discuss next steps and how they can provide climate solutions including renewable power from tidal energy.
More than 100 organisations have signed the Dubai Oceans Declaration – including scientists anchored on a ship off the coast of Peru, frantically working to understand how long oceans have left before they start pumping out heat.
Collette Kelly from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution is on board, hanging instruments from the ship’s side to measure nitrogen levels and acidification, both signs of higher ocean temperatures in the waters deep below.
The Dubai Oceans Declaration calls for investment in ocean science, so experts can better understand issues like rising sea levels and the death of coral reefs.
“Put simply, the ocean is one of the best solutions we have to tackle climate change. Governments must commit to ocean-based action in their national climate goals, strategies and policies,” says Tom Pickerell, director of the ocean programme at the World Resources Institute.
But it may be too late for Pacific Islanders. Sea level rise has been baked into Earth’s system by melting glaciers, and it is uncertain whether sea surface temperatures will stabilise at cooler levels.
Mervina says she would not take up the offer. “No. I just love Tuvalu. I would lose my culture and community where everybody knows each other, everybody helps each other,” she explains.
She describes a New Year’s eve party on her grandmother’s island.
“We were children but we stayed up until four o’clock in the morning. Everyone was dancing the traditional fakaseasea – the kids beating tin cans. Whenever you hear it, you join it. Whoever wants to join starts dancing,” she says.
She plans to stay and fight for this community and tell COP28 it must save her island home.
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AceDailyNews Says Here’s Todays Newspaper Headlines: The Daily Telegraph leads on an article by the former immigration minister, Robert Jenrick, who argues that integrating migrants into British society is impossible while the numbers are so high.
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Ace Press News From Cutting Room Floor: Published: Dec.09: 2023: Ace Daily News: TELEGRAM Ace Daily News Link https://t.me/+PuI36tlDsM7GpOJe
Several of the papers lead with reports of growing dissent among Tory MPs over Rishi Sunak’s controversial Rwanda immigration scheme. Writing in the Daily Telegraph, Robert Jenrick, who resigned earlier this week as immigration minister, says the plans do not go far enough and integrating migrants into society is “impossible” at current migration levels.The Home Office has been ordered to reveal the full cost of the Rwanda scheme, as costs could exceed £400m, the Guardian reports. The paper says that the Home Office’s Permanent Secretary, Sir Matthew Rycroft, will face MPs on the public accounts committee on Monday, before Rishi Sunak tries to get court objections to the scheme overturned through the commons on Tuesday. The paper’s main image is of Lioness striker Alessia Russo, who has given the paper an exclusive interview.The i reports Rishi Sunak faces rebellions from “angry” Tory MPs who are “plotting to derail” the Rwanda scheme. A government source told the paper that “a gang of 30” backbenchers will launch a campaign to toughen up the legislation.The Times says Sunak’s Rwanda immigration scheme has a “50% at best” chance of success, according to the government’s latest official legal advice. Also on the front is a photo of the Princess of Wales with Prince Louis and Princess Charlotte, taken at the Together at Christmas carol concert at Westminster Abbey.Disruption in the Panama and Suez canals leave “supply chains at risk for Christmas”, the Financial Times reports. The head of an international body representing importers across the UK told the paper that there are “supplies that just won’t be here in time for Christmas”, due to a drought in the Panama Canal limiting the number of ships using the waterway – and attacks on cargo vessels.Royal Mail workers are being old to prioritise parcel deliveries, according to the Daily Mail, leading to a “post fiasco” that is seeing cards piling up in sorting officers. The paper says its investigation found depot managers were telling staff to focus on “premium products” instead of letters and cards.And a “Santa shortage” has hit Britain, the Daily Star reports. The paper claims British shops have been hit by a 33% drop in the number of Santa’s available to appear at Christmas grottos. According to the insurance firm Simply Business, millions of professional Santa’s quit their jobs during the Covid pandemic.The Daily Express says five million Britons will be spending Christmas abroad to escape the “cost of living gloom” and festive shopping, with Spain, Greece and the Caribbean the most popular destinations for the period. The paper also sees it as a possible sign of renewed consumer confidence.Keeping the royal “race row” on the front pages following the publication of a new book about the British monarchy, the Sun quotes sources as saying King Charles “won’t be emotionally blackmailed” by his son the Duke of Sussex.The Daily Mirror says Nigel Farage’s team is involved in a “desperate bid” to win public votes for the former UKIP leader on ITV’s I’m a Celebrity.
n his first comments since resigning from the government over the Rwanda bill, he says the Tories will face the “red-hot fury” of voters if they do not bring down high levels of immigration.
Mr Jenrick attacks Rishi Sunak’s Rwanda legislation, saying it does not going far enough and predicts it will result in “some symbolic half-filled deportation flights” due to what he calls a “merry-go-round” of legal challenges.
The paper believes the critique will provide ammunition for right-wing MPs preparing to vote against the bill at its second reading next week.
The former Home Secretary Suella Braverman and former Immigration Minister Robert Jenrick have both said the Rwanda bill will not work
The Times reports that the government’s own legal advisers have put the chances of flights taking off for Rwanda next year at 50% at best under Rishi Sunak’s emergency legislation. The paper says ministers have been told the law leaves a significant risk of flights being blocked by the European Court in Strasbourg.
A government source tells the paper the bill goes “as far as it can” within international law and “therefore ensures we can get flights off to Rwanda next year”.
The cost of the Rwanda scheme is the lead story in the Guardian. It reports that the Tories are “in disarray” over the plans and the Home Office has been ordered to disclose how much it is costing.
It describes the permanent secretary at the department, Sir Matthew Rycroft, as being “hauled” before the public accounts committee on Monday after the initial spending rose from £140 to £290m.
he head of a group representing British importers tells the FT that consumer electronics such as iPhones may not be readily available and some companies are finding it hard to acquire Christmas decorations.
The headline in the Daily Mail warns of a “Christmas mail fiasco”. It says Christmas cards, and letters about cancer appointments, are piling up in sorting offices, while postal workers are told to prioritise what the paper calls “money spinning parcels” such as Amazon deliveries.
Insiders have told the Daily Mail that the delivery of tens of millions of Christmas cards will be “sacrificed” in favour of packages. The Royal Mail denies having a policy to prioritise parcels, but says they may need to be cleared first to free up space in small sorting offices.
“Get Me out of Here!” is the declaration on the front page of the Daily Express, but it is nothing to do with celebrities in the jungle.
It reports that five million Brits are treating themselves to a Christmas getaway with Spain, Greece and the Caribbean the most popular destinations. The paper sees it as a possible sign of renewed consumer confidence.
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AceHistoryDesk – Today in History – U.S. diplomat Ralph Bunche, a key member of the United Nations(UN) for more than two decades, and winner of the 1950 Nobel Peace Prize for his successful negotiation of a truce between Arabs and Jews in Palestine the previous year, died on December 9, 1971, in New York City.
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Ace Press News From Cutting Room Floor: Published: Dec.09: 2023: TELEGRAM Ace Daily News Link https://t.me/+PuI36tlDsM7GpOJe
He attended the southern branch of the University of California—which later became UCLA—graduating summa cum laude, as class valedictorian in 1927. He earned his master’s degree in government at Harvard University in 1928 and then became an instructor at Howard University in Washington, D.C. Bunche established Howard’s first department of political science in 1929. In 1934, he was awarded a PhD from Harvard. He earned his doctorate in government and international relations while he was teaching at Howard.
Later, he collaborated with Swedish sociologist Gunnar Myrdal on the monumental study of U.S. race relations published as An American Dilemma: The Negro Problem and Modern Democracy (1944). The study is famous for presenting the theory that poverty breeds poverty.
During World War II, Bunche worked for the Office of Strategic Services and the State Department. Toward the end of the war, he played an important role in preliminary planning for the United Nations, the organization that he served for the rest of his career.
In 1947, UN Secretary General Trygve Lie appointed Bunche as his personal representative to the UN Special Commission on Palestine.
He also served as an aide to Count Folke Bernadotte, the chief UN mediator between the Arabs and Jews in the 1948-49 Israeli-Arab War. After Bernadotte was assassinated on September 17, 1948, Bunche became acting mediator. His successful negotiation of armistice agreements between the new state of Israel and the neighboring Arab states of Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria earned him the Nobel Peace Prize in 1950.
Bunche later oversaw UN peacekeeping missions to the Suez Canal in 1956, the Congo in 1960, and Cyprus in 1964. He also set up the UN Observation Mission to Yemen in 1963-64 and supervised the ceasefire that followed the 1965 Indo-Pakistan War.
Bunche served as a board member for the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) for twenty-two years; he also received that organization’s Spingarn Medal for outstanding achievement. After attracting some criticism for seeming to neglect the civil rights movement during the 1950s and 1960s, Bunche began to speak out more directly on U.S. racial discrimination.
In the last decade of his life, he became an increasingly vocal supporter of the civil rights movement in the United States, participating in the 1965 civil rights marches in Selma and Montgomery, Alabama.
The Black History Month website, a collaborative project of the Library of Congress, National Endowment for the Humanities, National Gallery of Art, National Park Service, Smithsonian Institution, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum and U.S. National Archives and Records Administration, celebrates contributions by African Americans in music and literature and also covers social issues.
The Civil Rights History Project online collection includes interviews with participants in the movement as well as articles and essays on significant events and aspects of the time.
The following Library collections provide information on countries that Ralph Bunche was involved in during his career at the United Nations.
The Library of Congress’ Country Studies, a series of books prepared by the Federal Research Division (FRD), provides information about 101 countries and regions including India and Pakistan. The country study for Israel includes a history of Palestine and Israel. There also are Country Profiles which offer brief, summarized information. Latest updates for the Profiles are noted and there will be no future updates.
The World’s Transportation Commission collection documents transportation systems, landscapes, and local inhabitants of countries in North Africa, Asia, Australia, and Oceania in the late 19th century.
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AceNewsDesk – Half a century after Slade recorded their massive hit single Merry Xmas Everybody, Noddy Holder said strangers still ask him to shout his “It’s Christmas” catchphrase.
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Ace Press News From Cutting Room Floor: Published: Dec.09: 2023: By Andy Giddings: BBC News, West Midlands: TELEGRAM Ace Daily News Link https://t.me/+PuI36tlDsM7GpOJe
Noddy Holder said the success of Merry Xmas Everybody had been “massive” and earned “serious dough” for Slade’s record label
In an interview with the BBC, the 77-year-old said the words were written after a trip to the pub.
The melody was taken from a song he wrote and discarded six years previously.
But the recording of the number one single was far from easy.
Speaking to BBC presenter Tony Snell for a special podcast, he said the band was inspired to release a Christmas song by John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s single Happy Xmas (War Is Over) the previous year.
Slade had already claimed five number ones by this stage, were at their peak and had been pushed by their record label to release a Christmas single.
They dug out the first song Holder had written in 1967, which he called Buy Me a Rocking Chair.
He said it had been written in their “hippy dippy psychedelic days” and had been dismissed by the band at the time.
But he said bassist Jim Lea had agreed that it could be revived.
Holder said: “I went to the local pub in Wolverhampton and went back to my mum and dad’s after and I sat up all night with a bottle of whisky and wrote the total lyrics that night.”
Slade were one of the biggest bands of their time in the UK and recorded six number one singles
The song was recorded on a hot September day at a studio in New York, but the band had been dealt a blow earlier in the year when drummer Don Powell was involved in a car crash in Wolverhampton.
He was severely injured and his fiancee, Angela Morris was killed. Holder said they were told at the time their drummer was close to death.
A loss of memory meant Powell had to relearn the drums and could only play them for a short time before having to stop.
But Holder said their engineer was a “clever cookie” and was able to stitch together the sections of the song they recorded, so that afterwards “you couldn’t tell”.
Looking back, 50 years later, he said: “It was the hardest song we ever had to record.”
Noddy Holder is still asked to shout his catchphrase but said “I take it in good heart, it’s what I’m known for”
Merry Xmas Everybody was released in the first week of December 1973 and thanks to the band’s popularity at the time, it sold 500,000 records through pre-orders, taking it straight to the top of the charts.
Holder said their record company, who had told him “we’ve got to put everything behind this record”, were over the moon at the sales, and added: “They were making serious dough from us.”
The song was able to hold off rival Christmas singles from both Wizzard and Elton John, selling a million singles over the festive period.
It was their sixth and final UK number one.
Holder, pictured here at the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, has been fighting oesophageal cancer
In 2018, Holder was diagnosed with oesophageal cancer and told he only had a few months to live.
He said while he would never be clear of it, he was “on a level playing field at the moment”, and determined to enjoy himself.
“I was more worried for my missus and my kids and my grandkids than I was for me,” he said.
“I do live life day to day, and I thought well I’ve done a lot of good stuff in my life, I’ve had a lot of fun if the end is within sight in six months I’ll see it through.”
Holder also said he still dresses up as Santa every year and wakes his wife on Christmas morning with a loud “It’s Christmas!”, before cooking the Christmas dinner and spending the rest of the day in his pyjamas.
One item of clothing he does not wear though is his famous mirrored top hat, which he showed off on Top of the Pops that year.
He said it is a “bit battered” now and was kept in a bank vault in New York for safety.
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Palm oil, cocoa, beef, leather and soy are to be included in new legislation aimed at helping ensure the products we buy do not harm the world’s forests.
At COP28 Nature Day (9 December), the government will set out how these new laws will ensure that there is no place on our supermarket shelves for products which have been produced on land linked to illegal deforestation.
This move will protect the habitats of some of the world’s most precious and endangered species, including tigers and leopards. It will give British shoppers assurance that the goods they buy are not contributing to deforestation that violates the laws and regulations of the countries where they come from.
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The biggest driver of deforestation is agricultural expansion, with an area the size of the UK ploughed up each year to meet UK demand for commodities.
It is a huge threat to rainforests, effectively the “lungs of the earth” because of their ability to absorb harmful gasses and provide a home to thousands of animal and plant species.
The legislation marks a step change from voluntary approaches already in place, protecting the future of the world’s forests that we need to help tackle climate change, and their wildlife-rich canopies.
Introduced through the world leading Environment Act, this legislation will see businesses that have a global annual turnover of over £50 million and use over 500 tonnes of regulated commodities a year banned from using them if sourced from land used illegally.
These businesses will also be required to undertake a due diligence exercise on their supply chains and to report on this exercise annually for transparency.
Environment Secretary Steve Barclay said:
I find it heart-rending to see the way illegal deforestation is destroying the habitats of tigers, jaguars, orangutans and many other endangered species, and I know many people across the world feel the same. Globally, we lose forests equivalent to the size of about 30 football pitches every minute.
It’s why we are cleaning up supply chains to make sure that big businesses in the UK aren’t responsible for illegal deforestation. It also means shoppers can be confident that the money they spend is part of the solution, rather than part of the problem.
Through our work at COP28 on forests, food, and nature we are reversing the loss of biodiversity, increasing food security, and tackling climate change – safeguarding these critically important landscapes for generations to come.
Tony Juniper, Chair of Natural England, said:
Halting the decline of the natural world isn’t just about saving rare species, it’s about safeguarding the web of life upon which humanity depends for our food, water and economic security. On the pathway to tackling climate change we must go high nature at the same time as low carbon, creating bigger, better and more joined up places for nature to thrive.
The commitments outlined today are welcome further steps toward UK environmental leadership, both at home and on the world stage. We look forward to supporting the government in delivering results through practical action on the ground”.
Tanya Steele, CEO of the WWF said:
Nearly eight million hectares of primary forest has been lost globally in the last two years alone, so this is an important first step to getting illegal deforestation off UK shopping shelves.
However illegal deforestation is only part of the picture – with wildlife numbers plummeting and wild habitats facing destruction, we must stop felling forests, full stop. Forests absorb 30% of the carbon we emit from burning fossil fuels, so nature is clearly our greatest ally in tackling climate change.
We haven’t a moment to lose to bring our world back to life and these measures must be implemented in Parliament as swiftly as possible.
Andrew Opie, Director of Food and Sustainability at the British Retail Consortium, said:
Retailers welcome the announcement on UK Deforestation Due Diligence legislation. This will give confidence to British retailers and their customers alike, helping retailers meet their ambitious targets on deforestation and enable a greater supply of deforestation-free products in the UK.
Tackling deforestation requires global cooperation and we look forward to seeing further detail as to how the legislation will align with European proposals.
At COP28 in Dubai, the Environment Secretary will set out his priorities to restore forests, recover nature and create sustainable food systems, building on the ambitions set out by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak earlier during the conference. It is essential to the government’s determination to leave the environment in a better state for future generations and follows the UK’s leadership on nature at COP26 where the Glasgow Leaders’ Declaration on Forests and Land Use was signed by over 140 countries.
The UK government also played a central role in driving forward the global commitment to protect 30% of land and sea for nature by 2030. This takes a step forward today, with a new map published to show what areas could count in the delivery of “30by30”.
This indicative map illustrates that 8.5% of land in England – including Sites of Special Scientific Interest and National Nature Reserves – already count toward the target, with a further 26.8% of land having the potential to contribute in the future, including Protected Landscapes.
The map has been published alongside the proposed criteria for contributions toward the target, and information on how this will be delivered through a voluntary, bottom-up approach. Work will now progress to identify further areas to contribute to the target, with additional guidance developed in collaboration with land managers and farmers.
Delivering on the 30by30 commitment for England will ensure our most important places, at the core of nature’s recovery, are protected for our iconic species to thrive.
The move comes as government announces further support for the UK marine environment, while continuing to support the long-term future and sustainability of the UK fisheries and seafood sector. To help support the conservation and restoration of the ocean, the UK is announcing £72.5 million in new programmes from its flagship Blue Planet Fund.
Further support for the marine environment includes:
New funding to restore marine biodiversity: £60 million of investment for Ocean Community Empowerment and Nature (OCEAN), a seven-year competitive grants programme as part of the flagship £500 million Blue Planet Fund. The OCEAN Grant Programme offers a vital path to ocean recovery and for local communities and nature to thrive side by side. A further £12.5 million has been committed towards PROBLUE, the World Bank’s multi-donor trust fund, through the Blue Planet Fund to support the blue economy and sustainable ocean sectors in developing countries, including Small Island Developing States.
Strengthened commitments to deliver Marine Net Gain: Following a consultation in 2022, the government will take forward proposals for Marine Net Gain in England– a policy that will ensure that infrastructure and development does not come at the cost of the marine environment, delivering measures to ensure that it is left in a better state than it was found
Blue carbon habitat restoration: An additional £640,000 will be dedicated to support the vital restoration of iconic saltmarsh and seagrass habitats in England. Led by the Environment Agency, this fund will develop the UK Saltmarsh Code and increase the capacity of the Restoring Meadow, Marsh and Reef initiative.
This package builds on the UK’s commitment to safeguard our marine habitats, complimenting recent support for a moratorium on deep sea mining. This confirmed that the government will not sponsor or support any licenses for deep sea mining by the International Seabed Authority, unless and until there is sufficient scientific evidence about the potential impact on deep sea ecosystems.
Today’s announcements strengthens the UK’s leadership to address nature loss and tackle climate change.
The government has announced £15 million new funding to accelerate nature recovery across our most cherished Protected Landscapes, and a new Rainforest Strategy backed by £750,000 funding to protect the delicate and globally rare temperate rainforest habitats found across the Southwest and Cumbria.
As we mark one year on from the anniversary of the UN COP15 Summit in Montreal, the government is continuing to put nature recovery at the heart of climate change to further this legacy – protecting the environment for future generations.
Further information
The government played a leading role in negotiating and securing the global deal for nature at the UN CO15 summit in Montreal. This leadership was critical in bringing together 196 countries in a joint, global commitment to halt and reverse biodiversity loss by 2030, and – through leadership of the High Ambition Coalition for Nature & People and the Global Ocean Alliance – to protect at least 30% of the land and of the ocean globally, with robust action underway to meet this target.
The government has announced an additional £2 million funding for the global, market-led Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD) initiative which launched its framework in September. This will support capacity building and boost market adoption of the TNFD recommendations for nature-related risk management and disclosure. The TNFD recommendations enable businesses and financial institutions to report and act on their nature-related risks, impacts, dependencies, and opportunities, with the ultimate aim of supporting the realignment of global financial flows towards nature positive outcomes.
At COP28, the UK will be hosting the 10 Point Plan for Financing Biodiversity Ministerial Stocktake. Here the government will launch the 10 Point Plan (10PP) stocktake dashboard – reviewing positive trends and direction of progress against the 10 points of the plan to ensure that finance flows towards nature recovery.
Today we are launching the pilot of the Projects for Nature platform, a new pioneering partnership with the Council for Sustainable Business, Crowdfunder, and Accenture. This initiative will match corporate donations to nature recovery projects across England which are selected by Defra, Natural England and Environment Agency. It will link up businesses who have shown leadership in addressing their nature impact, such as Lloyd’s Banking Group and Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks, with nature recovery projects that best align with our domestic and international environmental commitments. To view the platform, visit: www.projectsfornature.com.
We announced today that we will continue to support the work of the High Ambition Coalition for Nature and People through a new “Ocean Champion” role, whilst continuing our leadership of the Global Ocean Alliance. The two coalitions have also agreed to work in partnership supporting countries to implement 30by30.
The UK has endorsed and joined a number of initiatives at COP28 which elevate the role of nature in global climate action. This includes: the Coral Reef Breakthrough, Mangrove Breakthrough Declaration, the High Level Panel for a Sustainable Ocean Economy Joint Declaration on Ocean and Climate action and joining the Mangrove Alliance for Climate initiative.
Forest Risk Commodities
Between 2016 and 2018, WWF estimate that around 21 million hectares – an area almost the size of the UK – was required each year to meet UK demand for seven forest-risk commodities (FRCs) alone.
The Forest Risk Commodities Scheme will be introduced through provisions in Schedule 17 of the Environment Act 2021. Secondary regulation to operationalise these provisions will be laid when parliamentary time allows. This new due diligence legislation requires regulated businesses to establish and implement a due diligence system for any regulated commodity, and any products derived from them, that they use in their UK commercial activities
The full list of commodities in scope is as follows: Non-dairy Cattle products (beef and leather), cocoa, palm, and soy.
Organisations using these commodities in UK supply chains with a global turnover of over £50m are in scope of the regulations.
Organisations whose use of the regulated commodities does not exceed the annual volume threshold of 500 tonnes may submit an exemption.
Legislation follows a consultation in 2021 on the implementation of the regulations. The consultation outcome informed policy decisions on the commodities in scope, thresholds and exemptions for businesses, enforcement of the regulations, a grace period and variable monetary penalties
Organisations (whether in scope or as suppliers or service providers to organisations in scope) will have a grace period to prepare for regulation before the beginning of the first reporting period.
Unlimited Variable Monetary Penalties will be in place as part of civil sanctions
On 30by30:
The government will work with landowners, farmers, land managers and wider partners to further develop our approach to delivering 30by30 in England.
Following publication of the 30by30 map, we will work with these partners to finalise our 30by30 criteria and develop more detailed guidance by summer 2024.
Contributions to the 30by30 target will be voluntary, and do not represent any new management requirements or designation.
Marine Net Gain is an opportunity to leave our environment in a better place and to reverse the biodiversity decline/crisis in our seas. It compliments and builds on other policies but uniquely seeks to deliver a net gain improvement in the marine environment.
We have published the Government Response to the consultation on the principles of Marine Net Gain, held in 2022. This applies in English waters only.
Government has listened to feedback from the consultation and will now take forward the agreed high-level principles in the next phase of policy development. Decisions on the implementation approach for MNG, will be taken during the next phase of policy development following additional evidence collection, impact assessment and stakeholder engagement.
We will seek to ensure that MNG is simple to follow and operates seamlessly with Biodiversity Net Gain which from January 2024 will apply above the low water line and on land. Where a new development straddles this line there will be no requirement to double up on net gain measures.
The additional £640,000 will help drive investment flows from the private sector towards nature through the development of a Saltmarsh Code. This code will allow saltmarsh carbon to be marketed and traded as a carbon offset.
This funding is for Phase 2 of the development of the UK Saltmarsh Code, the first phase (which ended in January 2023) was funded through Defra’s Natural Environment Investment Readiness Fund.
This funding will also create a pipeline of restoration projects in key estuarine and coastal habitats by increasing the capacity of the Restoring Meadow, Marsh and Reef initiative (ReMeMaRe).
This funding will also improve the blue carbon evidence base, helping us to fill the gaps identified by the UK Blue Carbon Evidence Partnership’s Evidence Needs Statement (published in June 2023).
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