Cropped 29 July 2026: Nairobi nature talks, Europe wildfires, seabed mining stalemate

Carbon Brief's latest Cropped newsletter covers the midpoint talks for the UN biodiversity framework in Nairobi, where a draft report shows countries are on track for only 1 of 23 nature targets. 84% of nations missed the deadline to identify nature-harming subsidies, with fossil fuels and agriculture as the main sectors. The newsletter also details Europe's ongoing wildfire crisis, with pyrocumulonimbus clouds driving fires in France and Spain, and a heatwave expected to worsen conditions. Other highlights include the rediscovery of a coral reef off Benin, a legal challenge to meat company JBS over its expansion, and a 41-year low in Brazilian Amazon burning. The spotlight section examines friction between the UN International Seabed Authority and US-backed deep-sea mining efforts. The newsletter provides a concise roundup of key developments in climate, land, food, and nature policy.