喜德彩葉草溫室  Seed Coleus Greenhouse

A global initiative links Indigenous stewardship with carbon markets, advancing biodiversity conservation and climate finance under KMGBF. The Satoyama Mace Initiative (SMI) has launched a global Indigenous Partnership Invitation to support Indigenous communities in accessing international carbon markets through a new generation of KMGBF-aligned carbon programs. The initiative is designed to strengthen stewardship of Socio-Ecological Production Landscapes and Seascapes (SEPLS) while creating sustainable economic opportunities rooted in traditional knowledge and ecosystem management. Indigenous communities have long played a critical role in protecting forests, wetlands, mangroves, and traditional agricultural systems. However, participation in carbon markets has often been limited by high upfront development costs, expensive MRV (Monitoring, Reporting, and Verification) technologies, and barriers to market access. SMI addresses these challenges through an innovative deferred-cost model, allowing communities to participate without significant initial financial burden. Under this approach, costs associated with carbon credit issuance and MRV technical services—including satellite monitoring, AI-based assessments, and baseline evaluations—can be deferred until the first carbon revenue cycle. The initiative also provides comprehensive support, including project design, ecological monitoring, and connections to international trading platforms such as AirCarbon Exchange and Climate Impact X. All partnerships follow the principle of Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC), ensuring that Indigenous governance and land rights are fully respected. Participating communities may access 40%–60% of carbon revenue, supporting biodiversity conservation, cultural preservation, and long-term community resilience while contributing to global climate and biodiversity goals. Read more: Satoyama Mace Initiative: Indigenous Partnership Invitation Indigenous Communities Gain New Access to Global Carbon Markets Through KMGBF-Aligned Initiative

The “System-of-Systems Solution in Monitoring, Reporting, Validation, and Verification (MRV) on Greenhouse Gases and Carbon Cycles in Biodiversity Ecosystems for Socio-Ecological Production Landscapes and Seascapes (SEPLS)” is an international collaborative initiative formally recognized under the International Partnership for the Satoyama Initiative (IPSI). The activity is implemented as part of IPSI’s Collaborative Activities framework, which supports applied, multi-stakeholder cooperation among governments, academic institutions, international organizations, and local partners to advance sustainable management of SEPLS worldwide. To respond to these challenges, the project proposes a “System-of-Systems” approach to MRV, integrating multiple technological, analytical, and institutional systems into a unified framework. Rather than relying solely on dense and labor-intensive field sampling, the framework combines satellite remote sensing, ground-based observations, ecological and carbon cycle modeling, machine learning, and data governance mechanisms. This integrated architecture enables large-area coverage, long-term monitoring, methodological transparency, and reproducibility, while reducing costs and logistical burdens for project implementers and communities on the ground. The initiative is co-led by the Taiwan Space Agency (TASA) and the SEPLS Carbon Credit Regional Revitalization Center, with strong academic and institutional participation from National Cheng Kung University, National Taiwan University, Academia Sinica, Northwestern University, the University of Toronto, and other partners. Taiwan serves as a primary demonstration hub, leveraging its advanced space technology capabilities, research infrastructure, and diverse socio-ecological landscapes to test, validate, and refine the System-of-Systems MRV framework. A core contribution of the project lies in applying space-based technologies to climate governance in a manner that is accessible and socially inclusive. Satellite remote sensing provides consistent, repeatable observations across large spatial scales, allowing for the monitoring of vegetation dynamics, land-use change, biomass, and ecosystem productivity. When combined with targeted field measurements and advanced modeling techniques, these data streams support robust estimates of carbon stocks, fluxes, and greenhouse gas dynamics in agricultural, forested, and mosaic landscapes typical of SEPLS. Conventional carbon sink monitoring approaches often depend on dense field plots—sometimes requiring one plot per 0.1 to 0.5 hectares—which can be prohibitively expensive and difficult to maintain over long time horizons. Such requirements have limited the participation of many biodiversity-based and community-led projects in international carbon markets, despite their ecological significance. The System-of-Systems framework addresses this gap by optimizing sampling strategies and integrating multi-source data, thereby improving efficiency without compromising scientific rigor. Beyond technical innovation, the initiative places strong emphasis on governance, equity, and alignment with international sustainability frameworks. It is explicitly designed to support the objectives of the Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, particularly those related to ecosystem integrity, equitable benefit-sharing, and the recognition of Indigenous and local knowledge systems. The project also contributes to ongoing discussions under the Paris Agreement regarding the role of Nature-based Solutions, transparency frameworks, and the integrity of voluntary carbon markets. The System-of-Systems MRV framework serves as the technical backbone of the Satoyama Mace Initiative, a transnational program endorsed by IPSI under the United Nations University Institute for the Advanced Study of Sustainability (UNU-IAS) in 2024. Under this initiative, biodiversity-based carbon credits are developed using methodologies consistent with international standards, with an emphasis on traceability, transparency, and social safeguards. Carbon credits generated through the Satoyama Mace Initiative have completed listing and sales agreements with the AirCarbon Exchange (ACX) in Singapore, reflecting growing institutional recognition of integrated, nature-based carbon solutions. Importantly, the initiative conceptualizes carbon credits not merely as offset instruments, but as tools for supporting landscape restoration, cultural continuity, and local economic resilience. Revenue from carbon finance is intended to flow back to Indigenous Peoples and local communities, reinforcing stewardship incentives and long-term sustainability outcomes. This people-centered approach aligns with emerging global consensus that effective climate action must deliver co-benefits for biodiversity and human well-being. Scientific robustness and credibility are ensured through international collaboration and peer engagement. The project brings together experts in physical chemistry, remote sensing, ecology, and systems analysis, including members of national academies and leading research institutions. Methodologies are designed to be transparent and auditable, enabling independent validation and supporting trust among regulators, market participants, and civil society stakeholders. Field implementation and validation are ongoing in Taiwan through partnerships with local agricultural cooperatives and land managers. These pilot sites provide real-world contexts to test the integration of satellite observations, ground data, and modeling outputs in both agricultural and Satoyama landscapes. Lessons learned from these sites inform the refinement of methodologies and governance arrangements, with the goal of developing a model that is transferable to other regions. As climate governance enters a new phase marked by increased scrutiny of carbon market integrity and the role of Nature-based Solutions, the System-of-Systems MRV initiative offers a practical and replicable pathway. By bridging space technology, ecological science, and inclusive governance, it demonstrates how advanced monitoring systems can support credible climate action while respecting biodiversity and the rights and livelihoods of Indigenous Peoples and local communities. Designed for adaptation across diverse socio-ecological contexts, the framework is intended to support SEPLS throughout the Asia-Pacific region and beyond. It highlights Taiwan’s emerging role as a platform for innovation at the intersection of space technology, sustainability science, and socially grounded climate solutions, contributing to international efforts to align climate mitigation, biodiversity conservation, and equitable development. Read more: https://apnews.com/press-release/ein-presswire-newsmatics/taiwan-space-agency-and-universities-launch-space-based-mrv-system-for-indigenous-rights-biodiversity-and-carbon-market-54349ebac68c708789a8d93b553e470d

Approved Methodologies ( https://ipsi.mse.ncku.edu.tw/methodologies ) The Satoyama Mace Initiative (SMI), endorsed and supported by UNU-IAS/IPSI, has officially launched a comprehensive suite of carbon mitigation and sequestration methodologies fully aligned with the Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF). The methodologies, approved following a rigorous international review, aim to support biodiversity-centered climate action while providing measurable socio-economic and environmental benefits. The review process was coordinated by Prof. Wei-Sheng Chen of National Cheng Kung University and Mr. Andre Mader of the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES), Japan, and included experts from UNDP, UNU-IAS, UNEP, and leading academic institutions across nine countries. The review resulted in an approval rate of 52.9 percent, reflecting a highly selective and quality-focused evaluation process. “The Satoyama Mace Initiative methodologies represent a significant step forward in operationalizing KMGBF-aligned climate solutions that integrate biodiversity conservation, ecosystem restoration, and equitable benefit-sharing,” said Prof. Wei-Sheng Chen. “Through robust monitoring, reporting, and verification (MRV) protocols, these methodologies provide transparent, scientifically rigorous approaches to carbon accounting across socio-ecological production landscapes and seascapes (SEPLS).” Integrated Biodiversity-Based Framework The SMI methodology framework is designed to quantify and verify greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reductions and removals generated through sustainable management of SEPLS. Developed in accordance with Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) methodologies and Climate Action Reserve (CAR) protocols, the framework employs robust MRV principles to ensure transparency, accuracy, and environmental integrity. The methodology adopts a landscape-level accounting approach, enabling aggregation of diverse nature-based activities within defined geographic boundaries. Designed for application in developing countries, including Least Developed Countries (LDCs) and Small Island Developing States (SIDS), the framework facilitates access to carbon finance while delivering measurable benefits for climate, biodiversity, and socio-economic outcomes. Readmore: https://apnews.com/press-release/ein-presswire-newsmatics/satoyama-mace-initiative-launches-kmgbf-aligned-carbon-mitigation-methodologies-following-international-review-65e3d818e352d50d7e164119ca27ce9d

As global climate governance enters a decisive decade under the Paris Agreement and the Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, the Satoyama Mace Initiative (SMI) has emerged as a pioneering international model that integrates biodiversity conservation, socio-ecological production landscapes and seascapes (SEPLS), and high-integrity carbon markets. The Initiative marks a significant milestone as carbon credits generated under the Satoyama Mace Initiative are recognised, listed, and made tradable on ACX (AirCarbon Exchange) — positioning them as international environmental sustainability-grade carbon credits and enabling direct participation in the global voluntary carbon market. This development represents a major step forward in aligning landscape-based climate mitigation with market-based climate finance, while safeguarding ecological integrity, social equity, and long-term regional revitalisation. Read more: https://apnews.com/press-release/ein-presswire-newsmatics/satoyama-mace-initiative-carbon-credits-recognized-and-listed-on-acx-b9a982164b52f5d3564ec495f020993f

District Chief Ming-Pao Chang emphasized that Syuejia is not only an agricultural production zone but represents a Social-Ecological Production Landscape and Seascape (SEPLS) that integrates ecology, livelihood, and production. During carbon assessments conducted in summer 2024, researchers confirmed that sorghum rotation supports biodiversity, strengthens soil carbon sequestration, and contributes to long-term landscape resilience. Chang noted: “By enhancing the quality and value of carbon credits, we aim to increase farmers’ income while achieving a triple-win vision of ecological conservation, improved livelihoods, and sustainable production.” Dr. Chen-Pio Yen of the New Agriculture Cooperative highlighted that Syuejia demonstrates how local governments, academic institutions, farmers’ associations, and farming communities can co-create a world-class sustainability model. The collaborative approach offers a replicable and verifiable framework for climate adaptation and mitigation, particularly relevant during the global climate discussions at COP30. Syuejia’s collaboration among farmers, government, and academia sets a new benchmark for equitable carbon credits and sustainable rural development in Asia. Read more: https://apnews.com/press-release/ein-presswire-newsmatics/syuejia-sorghum-fields-become-a-model-for-rural-carbon-sequestration-in-world-1ea5dd62f86f21d27de4983ca1144dad

In most carbon offset systems, revenues flow toward intermediaries or distant investors, leaving the people who maintain ecosystems with little to no benefit. The Satoyama Mace Initiative reverses this pattern by channeling carbon revenues directly to Indigenous and smallholder farming communities—those who live closest to the land and bear the greatest stewardship responsibilities. By doing so, the Initiative transforms carbon from an abstract commodity into a currency of justice, dignity, and survival. Each carbon credit represents not just a reduction in greenhouse gases, but also a restored livelihood, a protected forest, or a revitalized riverbank. The Initiative’s economic model ensures that environmental sustainability and social equity are inseparable. Beyond its measurable outcomes, the Mace Initiative was conceived as both a CSR program and a global communication campaign—a deliberate fusion of technical sustainability with storytelling and creative advocacy. The team understood that to change systems, one must first change perceptions. Through collaborations with international media, design agencies, and educational institutions, the Initiative crafted an inspiring narrative that reframes rural and Indigenous communities not as silent victims of climate collapse, but as leaders of a just transition. Read more: https://apnews.com/press-release/ein-presswire-newsmatics/satoyama-mace-initiative-wins-2025-muse-creative-awards-for-corporate-social-responsibility-7cdc62c6bbd4c1d270048311a7c099b6

The Satoyama Mace Initiative (SMI) is a community-based framework inspired by the Japanese concept of satoyama—the harmonious balance between people and nature. It demonstrates a successful, integrated approach to climate action that aligns with both the Paris Agreement and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). At its core, SMI revitalizes Socio-Ecological Production Landscapes (SEPLS)—such as Japan’s satoyama areas and their global counterparts—by connecting ecological stewardship directly to sustainable economic benefits for marginalized communities. Through its robust carbon credit mechanism, the Initiative establishes a vital nexus between environmental integrity and social justice. The Satoyama Mace Initiative ( SMI ) has been awarded the 2025 MUSE Creative Award in the Strategic Program – CSR Program category, recognizing its pioneering achievements in linking carbon markets with cultural heritage, Indigenous empowerment, and ecosystem restoration. Read More: https://apnews.com/press-release/ein-presswire-newsmatics/satoyama-mace-initiative-honored-with-2025-muse-creative-awards-for-strategic-program-csr-program-fcbc9cc3997e038f258ea85b2259589d

The “Satoyama Mace Initiative,” a United Nations-endorsed project spearheaded by a team led by Professor Yen-Hsun Su of National Cheng Kung University (NCKU), recently received significant affirmation from His Holiness Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican for its efforts in promoting sustainable carbon sequestration and the long-term development of local indigenous communities. The Papal Blessing Fully Received: A Group Witness Holding the Official Vatican State Secretariat Letter and Signed Photo, Confirming Universal Values for Asian Rural Landscape Carbon Rights. Team members stated that the initiative’s core spirit aligns precisely with Pope Francis’s call in the encyclical Laudato Si’ , which emphasizes “our common home” and the reality that “both the earth and the poor suffer.” The receipt of this highest-level response and blessing from the Vatican grants the initiative the utmost spiritual recognition for its universal values, which combine environmental sustainability, social justice, and local livelihoods. Upon submitting its work to the Vatican’s Office of the Pope, the team received a message expressing appreciation for their efforts from His Holiness Pope Leo XIV via the Vatican Secretariat of State. The Pope thanked the “Satoyama Mace Initiative” team for sharing their work and heartfelt sentiments, expressing gratitude for their efforts and sincerity, and conveying his support through a signed photograph. Read More: https://apnews.com/press-release/ein-presswire-newsmatics/satoyama-mace-initiative-receives-papal-blessing-affirming-universal-values-c3bffc02bc8585b6da3e7758e415ab5a

The study demonstrates that chlorophyll-modified cuprous oxide (Cu₂O) electrodes show superior light absorption, particularly in the Q-band region (600–700 nm), leading to a photocurrent density of 3.26 mA/cm² and a significant increase in applied bias photon-to-current efficiency (ABPE) from 0.82% to 1.37%. Compared with unmodified Cu₂O, the chlorophyll-modified electrode exhibited a sevenfold improvement in stability, with only a 7.9% photocurrent decline after extended operation versus a 34.8% decline in the unmodified version. The modification also improved charge carrier lifetime (from 0.9 to 1.1 ms), validating enhanced charge separation and reduced recombination. Density of states (DOS) calculations confirmed bonding interactions between Mg (from chlorophyll) and O (from Cu₂O), ensuring robust heterojunction formation. “This bio-inspired electrode design not only accelerates solar-driven hydrogen production but also prevents rapid material degradation, making it both efficient and durable,” explained the Satoyama Mace Initiative’s research team. (The research, recently published in ACS Sustainable Resource Management (Cite this: ACS Sustainable Resour. Manage. 2025, 2, 8, 1571–1579.) This breakthrough shows how bio-inspired science and equitable governance can unite to deliver clean hydrogen, biodiversity protection, and community well-being. https://apnews.com/press-release/ein-presswire-newsmatics/satoyama-mace-initiative-launches-bio-integrated-breakthrough-for-sustainable-hydrogen-and-carbon-equity-f45922a69607f79a4ac9eef3cc29ceaf

The Satoyama Mace Initiative has established the Satoyama Carbon Credit Regional Revitalization Base in Tainan, Taiwan, scheduled to begin official operations on January 1, 2025. This base will serve as an international hub for biodiversity carbon sequestration projects, supporting rural communities while contributing to global climate action. This milestone marks the world’s first non-profit organization (NPO) gaining international recognition to certify biodiversity-based carbon credits while promoting rural revitalization. https://apnews.com/press-release/ein-presswire-newsmatics/satoyama-mace-initiative-gains-unu-ias-ipsi-endorsement-taiwans-global-biodiversity-carbon-program-23c18608be92d9aae78ed90ef1e848d4

Nowhere is this more visible than in the landscapes of the Global South, where rural communities live in fragile balance with land and sea. Along the lower reaches of Taiwan’s Jishui River, history itself tells this story. Once the coastline of the Daofeng Inner Sea, the area was first home to the Indigenous Pingpu peoples. Waves of settlers arrived during the Ming-Zheng period, reshaping the land with agriculture and trade. In the 18th century, the Zhai-Zi Port bustled with activity, but repeated shifts in the river’s course led to siltation. The great inner sea gradually disappeared, replaced by coastal plains that drew further waves of settlement. Riverbank communities rose—but they lived under the constant shadow of floods, forcing relocations that were recorded even during the Japanese colonial era. Today, this same region has become the site of a new experiment in justice and sustainability. On 3,900 hectares of dryland corn farms, a demonstration project under the United Nations’ Satoyama Mace Initiative : Regional Revitalization of SEPLS in Carbon Credit, recently authorized by UNU-IAS, is rewriting the story. Using newly developed sustainability-based carbon reduction methodologies, the project is projected to reduce 700,000 tons of carbon each year. At a current value of USD $40 per ton, this means USD $28 million annually returned directly to Indigenous peoples and local farmers. As the initiative expands to farmers’ associations and cooperatives worldwide, it aims to accelerate the low-carbon transition of Indigenous agricultural systems and strengthen their role in international carbon markets. In doing so, it ensures that the poor are no longer written into history as victims of decline, but as stewards of renewal. https://apnews.com/press-release/ein-presswire-newsmatics/when-the-poor-and-the-planet-wither-together-hope-emerges-through-the-satoyama-mace-initiative-1a9fc706add5f974ebfb7fe3daf9e724

Taiwan is pioneering a transformative model where luminous Anthuriums (Anthurium andraeanum) and Peace Lilies (Spathiphyllum) illuminate rural regeneration by merging art, aesthetics, and climate action. Developed with Japanese-patented Leaf Vein Absorption Method technology, these plants emit dynamic, color-shifting night-time glows while enhancing photosynthesis and carbon capture. This innovation demonstrates how technology and aesthetics can generate measurable environmental benefits. Integrating technology, ecology, and community-based practices is challenging. Our team persistently advances SEPLS knowledge-sharing, multi-level governance, and the international dissemination of best practices, demonstrating that environmental, social, and aesthetic objectives can coexist. Trials conducted with the SEPLS Carbon Credit Regional Revitalization Center revealed that a single luminous Anthurium captures approximately 0.172 kg of CO₂ per month, translating aesthetic innovation into quantifiable carbon mitigation. The carbon capture potential directly supports international carbon credit schemes, enhancing the viability of rural communities in global voluntary carbon markets. The intellectual property underpinning the luminous plants is safeguarded through the Japanese patent, which uses non-GMO biological methods combined with high-entropy nanomaterials. This allows safe, vibrant bioluminescence across flower petals and leaves, bridging art and science while protecting innovation. https://apnews.com/press-release/ein-presswire-newsmatics/glowing-anthuriums-illuminate-taiwans-rural-regeneration-fusing-art-technology-and-climate-action-4fb4c2f208bdf9a05e27801e245a1cc5