As the world accelerates its transition to nature-positive economies, Angola is positioning itself as a continental leader in sustainable forestry. At COP30 in Brazil, the Angola Sovereign Wealth Fund (FSDEA) showcased “Esplendor Florestal” — a transformative, long-term investment to combine ecological restoration, industrial development and climate-resilient land management.  Verterra is proud to be assisting FSDEA and Esplendor Florestal with this transition.

More than a forestry project, Esplendor Florestal represents a new national economic strategy: one where responsible land stewardship becomes a driver of prosperity, climate resilience and global competitiveness for Angola.

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As catchment pressures mount across Australia and New Zealand - whether from sediment load, nutrient runoff, or emerging pollutant threats - the spotlight is turning to how to convert ecological action into measurable outcomes, market signals, and lasting impact.

‍Enter the Australasian Catchment Water Improvement Standard (ACWIS), announced last month by Eco Markets Australia. Here, Verterra’s Sector Lead of Ecosystem Services, Andrew Yates, outlines 5 critical drivers that will determine success.

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Queensland’s Bowen River catchment has the dubious honour of being home to some of the highest sediment loads entering the Great Barrier Reef. But now, a groundbreaking project aims to help change that by setting a new benchmark for privately funded gully repair.

Operating under the Reef Credits Gully Method, the Bowen Gully Rehabilitation Project, completed construction in September, and has the potential to reduce sediment load to the Great Barrier Reef by up to 500 tonnes per year. Verterra Ecological Engineering delivered the project, leveraging its deep expertise in land rehabilitation and soil amelioration to deliver a solution that will transform the eroded landscape and help safeguard the future of the Great Barrier Reef.

As demand for climate-positive land use grows, reforestation projects are becoming increasingly common across Australia. Whether driven by regulatory requirements, sustainability goals, or carbon market participation, these projects present an opportunity to restore native ecosystems but only if they’re planned and implemented with ecological integrity in mind. We spoke with one of Verterra’s environmental and forest scientists, Kristiina Marquardt, to explore what’s really required to design and deliver a successful reforestation effort.

For decades, many companies have viewed the environment through a narrow lens: as a resource to extract from or a compliance obligation to manage. But this mindset is shifting — fast.

As the demand for measurable ESG outcomes accelerates, forward-thinking organisations are shifting from offset-based compliance to on-ground investment in natural capital. A leading example is the Fitzroy River Water Quality Improvement Project, delivered by Verterra Ecological Engineering.

Ecological engineering is rapidly emerging as a critical tool for businesses under pressure to meet ESG expectations — not just on paper, but in practice. This isn’t a theoretical framework — it’s a proven approach Verterra has applied across mining, energy, infrastructure, agriculture, and urban development.

While reforestation and environmental plantings remain vital tools, Australia's diverse landscapes offer many more innovative opportunities for carbon capture.

The dual challenges of global warming and global biodiversity loss are now recognised as linked, and frameworks for global action have been agreed.   

Glenn Dale's reflection on the Global Nature Positive Summit, the first global dialogue aimed at exploring and initiating effective ways to realise global commitments under the December 2022 Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.

Plants “breathe in” CO2 and “exhale” oxygen, in the process storing carbon, but just how much does the average tree (and forest) store, and how do we measure this?