By Dylan Welch, Chief Correspondent, SDG News At the 2025 Nature Summit in Panama City, held at the iconic BioMuseo, a important conversation emerged about one of the planet’s last frontiers – the ocean floor. As nations and corporations eye deep sea mining as the next big gold rush, environmental
PANAMA CITY, PANAMA – May 21, 2025 Today’s Nature Summit in Panama delivered a clear message: the ocean economy is no longer a niche conversation — it’s a core pillar of global climate strategy. Held at the Biomuseo, the event brought together ministers, business leaders, scientists, and climate advocates for
At the heart of Panama City during UN Global Climate Week, world leaders, policymakers, and business innovators gathered for the 2025 Nature Summit. This was a pivotal moment in the global conversation on sustainability. Among the innovators, executives, and leaders at the summit was Robert Maersk Uggla, Chairman of A.P.
Key Impact Points: Bangladesh Commits to Nature Finance Through BIOFIN Programme Bangladesh has launched the Umbrella Programme to Support Development of Biodiversity Finance Plans, a major national step to close the biodiversity finance gap and advance sustainable development. The initiative forms part of the Biodiversity Finance Initiative (BIOFIN)—a UNDP-led global
Key Impact Points: Joint Venture Targets Large-Scale Carbon Removal Occidental and ADNOC’s investment arm, XRG, have signed a Strategic DAC Framework Agreement to explore a joint venture to build a Direct Air Capture (DAC) facility in South Texas. The project would be developed by Occidental subsidiary 1PointFive. XRG is considering
Key Impact Points: EBRD Drives Green Transition in Polish Homes The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has extended an €80 million unfunded portfolio guarantee to BNP Paribas Bank Polska (BNPPBP), paving the way for €100 million in new financing aimed at energy efficiency and renewable energy upgrades in
The ocean economy—sometimes called the blue economy—is vast, undervalued, and under threat. The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) estimates the global ocean’s asset value at $24.2 trillion, though that figure is likely conservative, with ecosystem services like carbon sequestration and coastal protection notoriously difficult to quantify. But this liquid goldmine faces
Key Impact Points: As corporations ramp up investment in nature-based solutions to meet climate goals, a persistent financing gap threatens progress on biodiversity protection, according to experts at DC Climate Week. The discussion echoes findings from a 2020 UNEP report, which estimated an annual $700 billion shortfall in biodiversity financing.
LSEG’s 2025 report reveals that the green economy has entered its next phase of growth — surpassing $7.9 trillion despite short-term volatility. Navigating Volatility in the Green Economy The London Stock Exchange Group’s 2025 report, Investing in the Green Economy: Navigating Volatility and Disruption, reveals that the green economy has
Key Impact Points: Rubicon Carbon has signed a landmark framework agreement with Microsoft to supply 18 million tonnes of high-quality nature-based carbon removal credits. Announced May 15, 2025, this marks one of the most significant single-corporate purchases in the voluntary carbon market. Each transaction in the agreement will be structured
