Nature Policy Bulletin - September 2025
Catch up on nature policy news from around the world.
Major progress for ocean protection as two key agreements come into force
The ocean has been in the policy spotlight this year, since the UN Ocean Conference (UNOC3) back in June, where more than 20 marine protected areas were announced, and business leaders signaled their readiness to collaborate with governments and accelerate change through a Call to Action that was presented to Heads of State.
By the end of UNOC, two key agreements were close to reaching the minimum number of ratifications (the number of countries needed to sign a treaty for it to be legally binding for signatories): The High Seas Treaty and the WTO Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies.
Now, as of September, both treaties have officially entered into force, with wide-ranging benefits for the ocean and the resilience of ocean-dependent businesses.
1. The High Seas Treaty
Ratified by 74 countries, the High Seas Treaty (a deliberately snappier nickname for the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction Agreement or BBNJ) is the first legal mechanism to enable countries to create networks of protected zones in international waters – a crucial element to delivering the Global Biodiversity Framework’s target of protecting 30% of the ocean by 2030.
Running parallel to recent developments in deep-sea mining policy, the treaty also requires assessment of the environmental risks of activities on the high seas, including deep-sea mining, before they can go ahead.
Another key facet of the treaty will be the establishment of rules on benefits sharing from the commercial use of high-seas organisms in medicine, cosmetics or biotechnology.
All in all, the High Seas Treaty is a key step to address threats from activities like deep-sea mining, bottom trawling, pollution and overfishing.
2. The WTO Agreement on fisheries subsidies
Ratified by 111 countries, the new agreement bans ratifying governments from supporting illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, fishing of overfished stocks and fishing vessels operating in unregulated areas of the high-seas.
Of the estimated USD 2.6 trillion spent annually on so-called environmentally harmful subsidies (EHS), USD 55 billion goes to fisheries. The WTO agreement is therefore a crucial course-correction for the fisheries sector.
Although it has come into force, negotiations to strengthen the agreement are far from over. Governments are yet to discuss an expansion to the treaty’s scope to cover subsidies that drive overcapacity and overfishing. These are separate to those already covered by the treaty and will be the focus of additional provisions that WTO members will need to agree on.
Redesigning subsidy rules can create a level playing field globally for countries, rewarding nature-positive action and penalizing harmful activities, while taking into consideration the needs of developing nations.
Together, these agreements mark a big step towards closing governance gaps for international waters and tackling harmful overfishing subsidies. Businesses operating in the ocean sector will face clearer expectations, requirements and, ultimately, increased accountability. What’s more, businesses and communities that depend on the ocean, as well as key food sources for humanity, will benefit from improved resilience and long-term benefits.
Nature and finance take center stage at UNGA and NYC Climate Week
Nature, climate and finance were in the spotlight at this year’s UN General Assembly (UNGA80) and New York Climate Week. From high-level calls to accelerate the energy transition and scale up nature-based solutions, to reports showcasing nature’s rise on the corporate agenda, there was a sense of momentum in the air that was perhaps unexpected.
On the sidelines, governments announced several major initiatives. Pacific nations created the world’s first Indigenous-led, multinational marine reserve across the Southwestern Pacific: The Melanesian Ocean Reserve. Suriname committed to permanently protecting 90% of its forest cover, a first for an Amazon country. Brazil’s government also stepped up with finance ahead of COP30, pledging USD 1 billion to the new Tropical Forests Forever Facility (TFFF).
Set to be officially launched at COP30 in Belém, the TFFF is the largest-ever funding mechanism for forests, aiming to provide a long-term source of finance for countries that keep their tropical forests standing. It aims to reward countries that keep their tropical forests standing by paying a fixed amount per hectare of conserved or restored forest, while offering investors financial returns by using a mix of public and private funding.
Its ambition is to raise USD 125 billion, starting with an initial USD 25 billion. This initial amount is intended to build confidence and attract the remaining funds from large-scale institutional investors and philanthropies.
Norway, the UK, China and the UAE have already voiced early support, but Brazil’s billion-dollar pledge is the first major commitment. This anchor investment is designed to build the momentum needed to attract the much larger pool of capital required for the fund's full-scale launch at COP30.
If it succeeds in building continued momentum, the TFFF could become a landmark achievement, demonstrating how innovative finance can underpin long-term forest protection. To make this a reality, broader engagement from businesses, institutional investors and philanthropists is now essential.
Africa consolidates climate priorities ahead of COP30
In Ethiopia, the second Africa Climate Summit concluded with the adoption of the Addis Ababa Declaration, a clear political signal of Africa’s priorities before COP30 in Brazil.
At the heart of the declaration is a demand for scaled-up climate finance, especially for adaptation and nature-based solutions. Leaders emphasized that finance must flow to the communities on the frontline of climate change, while also enabling long-term growth. Specific discussion points included electrification and the positioning of Africa as a low-carbon manufacturing hub.
EU looks to delay deforestation law again
The European Commission has proposed another delay to the implementation of the European Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) until December 2026. Initially scheduled for December 2024, its implementation had already been pushed to December 2025, with the commission citing technical concerns with its IT system for logging compliance data as the cause of the setbacks.
For the time being, no formal legislative proposal has been submitted to kickstart the process. However, the EUDR will almost certainly be affected by the EU’s looming “environmental omnibus” which set to build on the current “omnibus” package and simplify several laws across areas like waste, products and industrial emissions. This weakening of EU’s sustainability agenda has a deregulatory flavor, which has been met with opposition from across civil society and leading companies.
The EUDR is viewed as a crucial tool for eliminating both legal and illegal deforestation, which is estimated to be 10 million hectares per year. Delaying action to curb this deforestation not only exacerbates risks and costs for communities and companies alike, but it also creates uncertainty for companies that are already prepared to comply.
Businesses have warned that postponing requirements creates an uneven playing field and could contribute to confusion and regulatory burden, while undermining the EU’s commitment to reducing deforestation.
The Philippines and Bhutan publish updated national biodiversity strategies
The Philippines and Bhutan published their updated National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs) this month, bringing the total number of updated strategies to almost 60 worldwide. These plans outline how each nation will contribute to the goals of the Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF).
The Philippines’ strategy commits to key business-related targets, including corporate assessment and disclosure (GBF target 15) and the reform of environmentally harmful subsidies (target 18). However, it pushes the deadline for these goals back to 2040, a decade later than the original 2030, while omitting detailed milestones and indicators.
Bhutan’s NBSAP, on the other hand, stands out for its ambition to align biodiversity policy with climate goals, covering 20 targets and including its forthcoming Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC). This makes Bhutan one of the few countries pursuing a coherent national pathway for both biodiversity and climate action.
As more countries publish their plans, the international spotlight will shift to implementation. It’s a shift that’s expected to be a priority topic for businesses and governments as they prepare for the UN Biodiversity Conference COP17 in Armenia in 2026.
Caught up on September? Go back to the August news update to catch up on previous nature policy stories from around the world.