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At second attempt, nations agree on plan to finance nature conservation
This week, a group of countries gathered in Rome to agree on a plan that will generate $200 billion a year in financing by 2030 in order to stop and reverse the destruction of nature. The U.N. COP16 biodiversity talks began in Colombia last October, but there was no agreement at the time on key issues, such as who would contribute and how money would be collected. The U.S. President Donald Trump has scaled back his involvement in the development finance of the largest economy on earth. So the agreement reached late Thursday night was an important boost to global deal-making. Negotiators from the BRICS countries – Brazil, Russia India, China, and South Africa – led the deal, which saw delegates agree on a plan for finding at least $200 billion annually from a variety of sources in order to protect the environment. Susana Muhamad, the Colombian Minister of Environment and COP16 president, hailed the agreement as an important step forward for the environment and multilateralism at a time when the political landscape has become increasingly fragmented. She said: "From Cali, to Rome, we sent a message of hope for the future of the common good and environment. We also showed that it is still possible to work together to achieve something greater than national interests." The delegates also agreed to examine whether a new fund for biodiversity was needed, as some developing countries requested, or if an existing fund, such as the Global Environment Facility, would suffice. In the last 30 years, the GEF has contributed more than $23billion to thousands of nature-related projects. As the session ended on Thursday evening, Maria Angelica Ikeda of the Department of Environment of the Brazilian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said, "Everyone made concessions with a spirit of compromise, and the results were very positive for developing countries." I came out of the meeting feeling optimistic and happy. Data from the WWF 2024 Living Planet Report show that the need for action is only increasing in recent years. The average size of wildlife population has decreased 73% since 1970. The U.S., despite not being a signatory of the convention on biodiversity, was one of its biggest donors to nature and biodiversity. The current freeze of foreign aid by the United States has had a wide range of impacts. From anti-poaching activities in South Africa being suspended to funding cuts for large conservation NGOs. These cuts also raise concerns that the U.S. may not participate in the GEF's next replenishment round, which is currently underway. In the negotiating room, the specter of aid cuts was felt. This fueled frustration in some countries such as Brazil, Egypt and Panama who were frustrated that wealthy nations did not fulfill their obligation to provide grant money. According to the latest OECD data, a total of $15 billion in international biodiversity financing was disbursed by 2022. 83% of that amount came from public sources. Georgina Chandler, policy director at the Zoological Society of London, urged government to fulfill their $30 billion commitment per year by 2030 in order to stop and reverse biodiversity losses. The agreement in Rome lays out the steps necessary to implement the landmark Kunming - Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework Agreement (GBF), agreed in 2022, which committed countries towards a number of environmental targets. The countries also agreed on a set technical rules to monitor progress towards the GBF. They also committed themselves to publishing a national biodiversity report for the COP17 talks. The talks are part of a busy climate diplomacy year as countries gather at different events to discuss plastic pollution, preserving oceans, and meeting global goals ahead of the COP30 Climate talks in November. (Editing by Simon Jessop and Frances Kerry).
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US stocks rise as oil prices decline monthly
European shares fell on Friday while Wall Street began the day with modest gains after U.S. data showing inflation that was in line, which reinforced bets that the Federal Reserve would cut interest rates two times this year. The oil price is on course to decline for the first time since November. The MSCI index of world stocks dropped 0.09% to 856.46. The crypto prices fell as the Trump-fueled boom fizzled. Bureau of Economic Analysis of the Commerce Department reported that the 12-month change of the U.S. Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) Price Index ticked down from 2.6% to 2.5% in December. The Fed's preferred inflation measure, the core PCE, which excludes volatile goods such as food and fuel, dropped to 2.6%, from a revised upwards 2.9%. The central bank aims for an inflation rate of around 2%. Both measures were in line with expectations of economists. The threat of rising tariffs has helped boost the dollar but also raised concerns about the economic impact of widespread duties in the U.S. Recent U.S. economic data have been weak, and traders have responded by pricing in further policy easing. According to LSEG, the markets priced in 61 basis point of additional rate cuts for this year on Friday. However, the first rate reduction is not fully price in until July. The inflation figures are still high, even though they were within expectations. However, on a year to year basis, there was a slight improvement from the previous reading. But the report shows that inflation is still sticky, said Peter Cardillo. The pause will continue. The Fed could be in a bind because recent macro figures are showing signs of an economy that is cooling. Wall Street saw the Dow Jones Industrial Average rise 212.48, or 0.49 percent, to 43.449.49. The S&P 500 rose 28.41, or 0.47 percent, to 5.889.15. And the Nasdaq Composite gained 101.97, or 0.55 per cent, at 18.646.30. The pan-European STOXX 600 fell by 0.16% while Europe's FTSEurofirst 300 index dropped 3.63 points or 0.16% The dollar index (which measures the greenback against its six major counterparts) was down 0.06% at 107.29. The prospect of increased U.S. Tariffs sent markets into a frenzy and rekindled concerns about escalating trade wars. Donald Trump, the U.S. president, announced on Thursday that 25% of imports from Canada and Mexico would be subject to a duty on March 4, not April 2, as he suggested earlier. He also said that goods from China would be subjected to an additional 10%. He also proposed 25% tariffs for shipments coming from the European Union this week. Bitcoin fell below $80,000 in less than three months for the first. It was down last by 0.55%, at $83,827.16. After the U.S. Data, U.S. Treasury Yields fell. The yield on the benchmark 10-year note is now down 3.5 basis point at 4.252%. The yield on the 2-year bond, which is usually in line with expectations of interest rates for the Federal Reserve fell by 3.3 basis points, to 4.047%. Spot gold fell 1.22%, to $2.841.50 per ounce. The broadest MSCI index of Asia-Pacific stocks outside Japan ended 2.45% lower, at 576.86. Meanwhile, Japan's Nikkei dropped 1,100.67 or 2.88% to 37,155.50.
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Guyana's VP claims Exxon consortium recovered $33.9 billion in Guyana
Bharrat Jagdeo said that the consortium, led by Exxon Mobil, had spent $41.1 billion on its Stabroek offshore bloc and recovered $33.9 billion at the end January. Exxon, which is led by Exxon, has developed oil resources rapidly in Guyana since it was first discovered a decade ago. The group's crude production in Guyana will surpass 600,000 barrels a day (bpd), and the company expects to reach that level in 2019. According to its production-sharing agreement, the consortium that controls all the output of the country can export up to 75 percent of the crude oil it produces. The remaining barrels are entitled to Guyana. The Vice President explained that the figure includes the expenditures of the consortium to explore over 30 wells in the block and the development and approval of six oil-and-gas projects. Guyana examines those expenses but many audits are still unfinished. The block will see more costs as the consortium moves towards approval and development of the new projects. It is currently planning Longtail, its eighth project. The companies are also recovering faster every year because of the increase in production. Officials from the government have stated that they expect their share of oil profits to increase in the coming years. (Reporting and writing by Kemol King; Marianna Pararaga).
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Copper product manufacturers in Europe urge EU to restrict scrap exports
The copper industry in Europe has called for EU policymakers close loopholes that it believes are preventing the export of scrap metal, particularly to China. The European Commission, which is the EU executive body, has been urged to act by companies that use copper in the production of semi-finished goods such as tubes, wires, and rods. The paper stated: "We are deeply concerned about the supply of secondary raw materials to our industry, since we already face serious consequences related to a scrap material shortage in the EU." Secondary materials is the term used to describe recycled metal. The paper reported that copper scrap exports from EU reached a record level in 2023. 672,000 tons of scrap left the EU, and 45% went to China for its massive refinery sector. Companies such as Wieland in Germany, ElvalHalcor in Greece and La Farga in Spain have noted that EU's Critical Raw Materials Act seeks to meet domestic demand from at least 25 percent recycled material. The group demanded that the EU close a loophole it claimed existed in the EU's Waste Shipment Regulation, which it said allowed China to circumvent the law. The paper stated: "We appeal to European Commission to protect our mine urban which will generate more quantities available in the future for the European industry." (Reporting and editing by Barbara Lewis; Eric Onstad is the reporter)
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Even after Trump's deal, Ukraine still faces a long and uncertain road to mining boom
A small team of eco-consultants dropped sensors into the ground to measure the water level in the snow-covered fields of central Ukraine. This is where the largest lithium deposits in the country are found. The small Ukrainian mining company UkrLithiumMining that has the license contracted the environmental survey years before any mining operations on the undeveloped site. This shows how much more work needs to be done for a mineral deal between Ukraine, the United States and other countries before it generates any significant revenue. The President Donald Trump views the minerals deal, which he will clinch with President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Friday in Washington, as America's means of recouping some of the money that it has given Ukraine in financial aid and weapons to fight Russia which invaded Ukraine three years ago. Denys Alyoshin, Chief Strategy Officer of UkrLithiumMining said that the Washington agreement was a positive step because it makes Ukraine more resilient to Russian aggression over the long term. He said that without some sort of Western security guarantee, developing the Polokhivske Lithium deposit would be difficult. The deposit, one of Europe's largest, is only 240 km from the Russian border. Alyoshin said, "Before war broke out I had many commercial negotiations with... investors interested in the project." "But once the war broke out, a rational CEO wouldn't go to a place where there was a war. They would go to Zimbabwe or Canada. There are many places where there isn't a war. The Trump administration, despite Zelenskiy's repeated requests, has not offered Kyiv any security guarantees. This has led to doubts about the commercial viability of developing rare mineral deposits, which are used in high-tech gadgets and batteries. Even if Russia agrees to a ceasefire this year, there is still the risk of war. The draft minerals agreement, which was reviewed by, included reassuring words but did not guarantee security. The focus was on creating a U.S. and Ukraine-managed "Reconstruction Investment Fund", to which Kyiv would contribute 50% of the future revenues from monetizing state-owned resources. The terms of the agreement are very broad, and more negotiations will be required to nail down the details. Four experts have told Alyoshin stated that even if peace is restored to Ukraine, UkrLithiumMining will need to raise $350 millions and conduct a feasibility report for at least 1.5 years before they can begin building a mine or enrichment plant. "It will mean that we can reach a steady stage production...it could be in 2029." The next U.S. Presidential elections will take place in 2028. Trump, who has championed minerals cooperation to secure peace, is constitutionally prohibited from running for another term. Seven mining executives and analysts said that Alyoshin’s timeline was optimistic. The typical exploration period is four years. A feasibility study will take an additional year to complete before construction can begin. The majority of the lithium deposits in Ukraine have been identified during the Soviet period and there hasn't been any exploration or updates for many years, according to Federico Gay. BMI is a specialist information provider in London for the supply chain for lithium-ion battery used in electric cars. He said that even if all the pieces fall into place, it will take at least eight years to develop the Polokhivske Deposit to the point where it produces usable lithium. Gay said that the deposit was deep and could require as much as $800 million to build the concentrator and mine. He added that an additional $1 billion would be required to produce the compounds for batteries. Alyoshin stated that his company planned to eventually produce 1.5 million tonnes per year of raw ore and then process it into 300,000 tons of petalite concentrat - a lithium-rich substance. Alyoshin said that with additional investment the lithium carbonate concentrate could be refined further to produce 22,000 tons of battery-grade Lithium Carbonate. It has not been previously reported the specifics of production and processing timetables planned at the Polokhivske Deposit. Classified Reserves The demand for these minerals is very high. Rare earths and lithium are both used to make electric vehicle batteries. Lithium can also be found in auto motors, wind turbines, and advanced military weapon systems. According to mining experts and analysts, it is a huge undertaking to convert Ukraine's lithium and rare earth reserves into mines that can be operated and processing facilities built. Ukraine doesn't produce rare earths, but according to the Institute of Geology of Ukraine, it has large deposits of these minerals including lanthanum. cerium, and neodymium. The detailed data on these reserves is classified. Investors might be wary if the U.S. receives mined minerals as a return for security assurances, protection against future Russian attacks, and aid. Mining companies would use royalty agreements to secure financing from investors. They receive a percentage of sales revenue once production starts. While Trump is in office, any deal he makes to gain access to Ukraine's vital minerals will not allow the United States to challenge China's huge advantage in these key minerals. Julian Kettle, Vice-Chair Metals and Mining of Wood Mackenzie, said that while it is a counter to China it still poses the issue of where and how the minerals will be processed. The country is a producer of titanium, and has large graphite and Lithium deposits. You can increase production in existing mines. "But when it comes to new frontier development, the time from discovery to delivery of materials could be up to ten years." China is the third largest lithium producer in the world, behind Australia and Chile. China is the top producer of rare-earth elements in the world, including neodymium, used to produce strong, lightweight, powerful permanent magnetic materials used in military equipment. The U.S. Geological Survey, a government agency does not disclose details about lithium production in the United States. The USGS estimated that 45,000 metric tonnes of rare earth oxides contained in mineral concentrates was produced last year, making the U.S. second largest concentrate producer behind China. The gap is huge. USGS reports that China mined 270,000 tons of rare earths last year, or 69% of global production. It has even more control over rare earth processing, a complex process that is highly polluting. Beijing produces 90% of all rare earth elements. NEGOTIATIONS TO BE CONTINUED Dominic Raab is the head of global affairs for Appian Capital Advisor, a firm that invests into mining companies. He said the deal between Ukraine and the U.S. was a step in the right direction in terms of helping to fund Ukraine's development. Raab said that there was still a lot of due diligence and negotiations to be conducted. He previously served as the former British deputy prime minister and secretary of state for foreign affairs. Raab stated that Appian is interested in investing in Ukraine’s mineral projects if there was more information about the geological potential of the country. According to BMI, Ukraine is home to significant amounts of rare earth elements and lithium, graphite titanium, graphite used in nuclear power generation, as well as uranium. "Ukraine's not been mapped for 30 years." Gracelin Baskaran is the director of the Center for Strategic and International Studies' critical minerals security program. She said, however, that the mining industry - which uses around one-fifth as much energy worldwide - requires a robust electrical infrastructure: "Ukraine was bombed out." The state of the infrastructure in Ukraine and the security risks are too high to consider it a serious competitor. (Reporting from Pratima Deai in London, and Olena Harma in Kyiv. Additional reporting by Thomas Peter at Kopanky, and Ernest Scheyder at Houston. Editing by Veronica Brown and Mike Collett White.
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Macron left Washington without much hope for U.S. tariffs
On Friday, French President Emmanuel Macron acknowledged that he had left the country. Washington After talks with President Donald Trump this week, there is little hope that the European Union will avoid U.S. tariffs. Macron said that the Trump administration’s trade strategy, and in particular its understanding of value added taxes, was flawed. The U.S. President announced that his administration will announce a 25% duty on all imports of goods from China two days after Macron's meeting at the White House with Trump. European Union. Trump claimed that the bloc was created in order to "screw up" the United States. Macron, who was in Porto, Portugal at the time, told reporters that he had left with "very little hope". Macron said: "I believe there are misunderstandings and design problems with the commercial approach proposed this administration." The central argument is that they believe our consumption taxes, and in particular, the value-added tax, is a tariff. This is not true. Luis Montenegro, Portuguese Premier, spoke alongside Macron and reiterated his call to dialogue with Washington. He added: "Europe must respond in the same way to a rise in tariffs." Montenegro said that he regretted the fact that the United States and European Union will benefit more from trade tensions than other economies or blocs that are not subject to inflationary tariffs. The European Commission On Wednesday, the government announced that it would "react firmly and immediately" to unjustified obstacles to fair and free trade. Reporting by Makini Pineau and Elizabeth Pineau, editing by GV de Clercq and Richard Lough
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Trump's proposed auto-tariffs are hitting the demand for platinum group alloys
Analysts said that demand for industrial precious metals such as platinum and palladium would likely drop if President Donald Trump's tariffs on U.S. imports of autos dampens vehicle sales. Trump announced earlier this month that levies will be imposed on automobiles as early as April 2. Imports would be more expensive and exporters would see a decline in demand. It is expected that the ripple effect will spread to palladium, rhodium and platinum, collectively known as platinum group metals. These metals are used to make vehicle exhaust systems in gas, diesel, and hybrid vehicles. Zain Vawda is a market analyst for MarketPulse, by OANDA. He said that tariffs can fuel inflation, keep interest rates high, and slow economic growth. This could weaken the demand for palladium and platinum. Nearly 40% of global platinum demand is accounted for by the auto industry, and 80% of global palladium consumption. Vawda anticipates that global demand for platinum will decline by around 1%, or 102,000 ounces, this year. Palladium is expected to drop by 4%, or 364,000 ounces, if tariffs are placed on U.S. automobile imports. The U.S. automobile industry relies heavily on imported parts and vehicles, especially from Canada and Mexico. Barclays estimates that Mexico supplies up to 40% of parts used in U.S. cars, Canada more than 20%, and German auto giant Volkswagen manufactures about three quarters of its North American Fleet in Mexico. Wilma Swats, Director of PGM Research for Metals Focus, has said that PGM demand may drop by about 150,000 ounces if tariffs cause a drop in U.S. car sales of up to a million units, and if 90% is due to internal combustion engines and hybrids. David Whiston is Morningstar's equity strategist for U.S. automobiles. He said that American consumers might hesitate to purchase a vehicle with a higher tariff because they don't want the increased price. On February 19, the day after Trump's announcement of his auto tariff plans, spot platinum and palladium both fell by more than 2%. Since then, the prices have fallen by about 5% and 7 %, respectively.
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Andy Home: Critical minerals are at the forefront of world politics
The Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy will meet today with the U.S. president Donald Trump to sign an important minerals deal to ensure continued U.S. support in the war against Russia. It started out as a rare-earths deal, but someone soon realized that Ukraine actually doesn't have much of these 17 esoteric elements. The draft text of the proposed Reconstruction Investment Fund simply refers to "deposits" of hydrocarbons, minerals, oil, and gas. Mortgages of Ukrainian security for its mineral wealth come with a long overdue payback. The clue lies in the word "deposits". Finding deposits of minerals is easy. Mining them is more challenging. Even more difficult is the processing of them. The deal shows that we are now in a new era of metal politics after a century-long era of oil politics. What lies beneath the surface? The U.S. Geological Survey is unaware that Ukraine is a major producer of rare earths. It also does not include it in its top 10 list or the largest reserve. Since the Soviet era, Ukraine's rare earth deposits have not been surveyed. We don't know even the size of the reserve or its composition, let alone if it is economically viable to extract. Ukraine has confirmed reserves of critical metals like titanium and lithium, but removing them from the ground will be a much bigger challenge. After three years of conflict, Ukraine has a shortage of both infrastructure and power. The question is not how to turn raw materials into metal. China is the dominant player in many mineral supply chains, not because of its large ore reserves, but because it has mastered a key part of the production process. The West is also struggling to catch up with China's technological know-how, as it restricts the export of crucial metal processing technologies. It will be some time before Ukraine is able to deliver on its end of the deal and monetise what's still underground. Metals Revolution The United States and Europe are desperate to secure their critical mineral supply chain because of China's dominance. It's the metallic revolution driving this hunger. In the 20th century, a landline phone only required a copper wire. Apple iPhones still contain copper, but they also need aluminium, cobalt and gold. They also require lithium, tin, titanium, tungsten, tin oxide, tungsten oxide, and a few rare earths. Consider what goes into an advanced piece of technology, such as a stealth fighter plane like the F-35. Metals are not just hard bits to shape, but they are being used in more complex combinations that are closer to inorganic chemical synthesis than traditional metalworking. The lithium-ion batteries are the poster child for modern metallurgy. They come in different chemistries, each using a slightly varying combination of metal inputs. The first commercial batteries appeared in 1991, but technology has evolved rapidly to become a key driver for the transition to electric cars. This is why the West races to develop its own supply chain of battery metals. While Trump may not be a fan of electric cars, he understands how vital metals are for the U.S. Military. In fact, Trump declared a national crisis in his first term for critical minerals. METALLIC POKER The geopolitical game table has adopted critical metals as a new bargaining chip. Trump is also targeting Greenland. Although it has reserves of rare earths and other minerals, the country lacks the infrastructure needed to extract them from the ground. Vladimir Putin is quick to jump into the metal poker game and points out that Russia has more rare earths in its reserves than Ukraine, should the United States be interested. He will even add two million tonnes of aluminum primary per year, as he has heard that the United States may be short if they impose tariffs on Canada's largest supplier. This raises the question as to whether Trump would be better off looking at his own country if he is really so keen to get rare earths and critical metals. Canada is home to many of these, has a mining-friendly jurisdiction and possesses extensive metals processing capability. Trump has thrown out "friend-shoring", a concept that was popularized by the previous administration. Maybe the list of people who are friends has changed. The deal to sell minerals with Ukraine will not be the last. Ukraine isn't the only country that wants to use metals as a currency. The Democratic Republic of Congo has tried and failed to defeat the M23 rebels, who have seized two of the largest cities in eastern Congo. In an interview with The New York Times Felix Tshisekedi, the president of the country, praised a deal similar to that struck in Ukraine, whereby the country would provide future supplies, notably cobalt, as a reward for Western aid. This is the age of metal diplomacy. There are a number of elements on the periodic table you may not have heard about, even though they're used every day. These are the opinions of a columnist who writes for.
After meeting with Russian spy chief, Deputy PM accuses West destabilising Serbia
Serbia's vice prime minister, following up on a Moscow meeting with Russia’s spy chief, accused Western intelligence agencies of destabilising the country on Friday by supporting months of antigovernment protests.
Aleksandar Vulin, deputy premier, said that after meeting Sergei Naryshkin (director of Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service, SVR), Western powers are plotting to overthrow Serbia's government. Serbia has had strong ties with Moscow for many years.
"Western intelligence services attempt to stage a colour revolution and destabilise Serbia," Vulin’s office said. The statement was a reference to the pro-European uprising that took place in Ukraine, which ousted its pro-Russian leader.
Since November last year, when 15 people were killed in a roof-collapse at a Novi Sad train station, supported by teachers, workers and farmers, thousands of students have protested daily across Serbia.
Many Serbs attribute the tragedy to corruption in the government.
Vulin is a pro-Russian politician who has served in the past as head of Serbia’s Security and Information Agency, as well as Interior and Defence Minister.
He is the leader of the Movement of Socialists (MoS), a small part of the ruling coalition of Serbia loyal to populist Vucic.
In 2023 the United States sanctioned Vulin because he had links with an arms dealer, a drug trafficking ring and aided Moscow in "malign" Russian activity. This led to his resignation from BIA.
Vulin has close relations with Russian intelligence agencies. In 2024, he received a medal from both President Vladimir Putin as well as Alexander Bortnikov the head of Federal Security Service (FSB).
Vulin said in his statement that U.S. sanctions on Serbia's NIS Oil Industry, which is majority owned by Russia Gazprom were also part of an Western plot.
It said that the sanctions against NIS were part of a hybrid warfare... to topple President Vucic, and the legally-elected government.
Belgrade balances between its aspirations of joining the European Union, and its close relationship with Russia, which is the Serbs’ traditional major power ally.
Belgrade, despite its repeated condemnation of Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, has refused to join the international sanctions against Moscow.
Serbia must first eliminate state corruption and organised crime. It also needs to align its foreign policy with that of the EU.
(source: Reuters)