Climate & Biodiversity News (February 2026)

By Jared Green

Environmental Groups Sue Trump’s EPA Over Repeal of Landmark Climate Finding, The Guardian, February 18

The Trump administration rolled back the scientific finding issued by the Environmental Protection Agency in 2009 that enabled the federal government to put limits on greenhouse gas emissions. The suit against this move was brought by 17 leading public health and environmental groups, including the American Public Health Association, American Lung Association, Environmental Defense Fund, Center for Biological Diversity, and the Natural Resources Defense Council.

Brazilian Amazon on Track for Record Low Deforestation, Yale Environment 360, February 18

Over the past six months, 516 square miles of the Amazon rainforest have been cleared, the lowest amount since 2014. Researchers point to improved enforcement against illegal logging, farming, and ranching. The reduction in forest clearing has also led to a significant decrease in Brazil's greenhouse gas emissions.

How Green Infrastructure Builds Urban Flood Resilience: Eight Lessons from the 2025 Shaw Forum, Urban Land Magazine, February 17

Flooding caused $2 trillion in economic losses in 2024. Cities understand that networks of green infrastructure systems are an effective way to address this challenge, but policy and financing obstacles remain. So the Urban Land Institute convened 40 leaders to determine how to best support urban green infrastructure, offering eight key findings.

South Carolina’s Sea-Level Rise Mapping Platform Could Inspire Other States, Governing Magazine, February 13  

South Carolina's Lowcountry is made up of tidal marshes, uplands, barrier islands, and oyster reefs. These communities are increasingly threatened by sea-level rise, storm surges, and saltwater intrusion. A new mapplng tool funded by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation enables planners, communities, and conservationists to track salt-marsh migration and better prepare for rising seas.

The Business Case for Biodiversity, Mongabay, February 12

"The loss of nature is no longer an environmental side issue. It is a systemic risk to firms, financial stability, and long-term growth." This is one of the take-aways from a new global assessment by the Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES). In 2023, $7.3 trillion in public and private finance went to activities with a "direct negative impacts on nature" and only $220 billion went to conservation and restoration.

First Look: Altadena’s Public Spaces Rebuilt by Imagineers and a World-Renowned Architect, The Los Angeles Times, February 4

The Los Angeles County communities impacted by the Eaton and Hughes Fires last year need $250 million to restore and rebuild their parks. One sign of progress: the redesign of Charles White County Park is underway after the community received a $5-million donation from the Walt Disney Company and $5.5 million from California State Parks. Salt Landscape Architects and Los Angeles County Parks will lead the development of the new public space, which will include a play area and splash pad designed by Disney Imagineers.