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TOP STORY

Stakeholders flood ARB with LCFS 15-day notice feedback, warn of potential litigation

California ARB’s 15-day notice to stakeholders of revisions to the Low Carbon Fuels Standard (LCFS) rule that upended earlier drafts has roiled stakeholders – particularly over new biomass-based diesel limitations – with some entities warning of potential litigation due to insufficient time for feedback on significant changes to the rule, in comments submitted to the regulator at the end of August.

INTERNATIONAL

FEATURE: Parties probe Article 6 ‘floor price’ but experts doubt formal rollout

Some countries, notably in Africa, are said to be pushing to establish a minimum price for the sale of Article 6 credits, although experts doubt that any widespread policy could realistically be implemented as the idea remains abstract, backed informally by just a few parties.

Net zero a ‘vast challenge’ with EU, US to miss NDCs, say analysts

The EU and US are on track to miss their 2030 UN climate targets, and achieving net zero by the middle of the century is now a “vast challenge”, according to a new energy transition outlook published Monday.

VOLUNTARY

VCM Report: Signs of life as traders mop up cheap Southern Cardamom carbon credits

Liquidity and some voluntary carbon prices started to edge higher last week in the over-counter-market amid rising chatter of deal talk and corporate orders.

Commerce firm launches voluntary carbon credit marketplace

A large online e-commerce website has launched a platform to facilitate the sale of voluntary carbon credits, it announced Tuesday.

EMEA

Long-term EU carbon price bull trend remains intact, could hit €150 by 2030 -panellists

The long-term bull trend in EU carbon prices remains intact, despite strong fundamental headwinds, attendees heard at an investment bank-hosted industry conference last week.

Euro Markets: EUAs drop to five-month low amid sustained selling, ignoring record auction premium

EU carbon permit prices dropped to a five-month low on Monday afternoon, ignoring the largest-ever premium for a daily auction amid reported demand from options hedging, as sellers continued to lay siege to the market, and gas and power dropped to a seven-week and five-month lows respectively.

‘Climate funding cliff’: 2.7% of EU GDP needed every year to reach net zero -study

Reaching climate neutrality will require additional investments worth at least 2.7% of the EU’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) – or €462 billion at today’s rate – every year throughout this decade, according to new research published on Monday, which warns against a looming EU “climate funding cliff”.

Belgian auto workers protests highlight obstacles to zero-emission cars

Audi employees in Brussels took to the streets on Monday, saying their jobs are being threatened by changes in the auto industry, illustrating the difficulties European car manufacturers face in balancing the shift to electric and ensure a just transition.

UK places climate action at centre of foreign affairs agenda with clean power alliance

British Foreign Secretary David Lammy will on Tuesday kickstart a global clean power coalition aimed at accelerating the clean energy transition, helping developing countries leapfrog fossil fuels, and turning the UK into a clean energy superpower.

Morocco to fulfil carbon tax, fossil fuel levy promises in 2025

The Moroccan finance ministry has presented a bill to launch a carbon tax in 2025 and lay the groundwork for an increase in value-added tax (VAT) on fossil fuels, following up on international promises to reform its system of environmental levies.

France’s Credit Agricole to exit precious metals trading in shift towards carbon markets -reports

Credit Agricole, France’s second-largest listed bank, will exit precious metals trading to focus on regulated carbon markets starting from 2025, according to media reports.

AMERICAS

LATAM Roundup: Colombia proposes carbon tax hike, Brazilian markets press forward

Colombia continued its push to move past years of carbon pricing stagnancy, Brazil saw cause for optimism in its voluntary and compliance markets, and Microsoft went shopping for carbon removal (CDR) credits in Mexico during the week ending Sep. 15.

Brazilian state creates working groups to pursue ART TREES eligibility

The Brazilian state of Acre unveiled two technical working groups on Thursday to help align its jurisdictional REDD (J-REDD) framework with the ART TREES standard, one of only two voluntary crediting programmes approved for the UN CORSIA aviation offsetting scheme.

US SEC disbands climate and ESG enforcement task force

The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has disbanded its Enforcement Division’s Climate and ESG Task Force.

RGGI Market: RGAs slump 15% as compliance demand recedes

RGGI Allowance (RGA) prices plummeted nearly 15% over the past week as strong compliance demand through the summer begins to dry up heading into ‘shoulder’ season.

US DOE funds $6.5 mln towards New Mexico coal CCS project

A New Mexico coal-fired power plant has received $6.5 million from the US Department of Energy (DOE) to study the feasibility of carbon capture and storage (CCS) on-site, the agency announced Monday, even though the region has recently struggled with CCS viability.

US DOE announces $15 mln to reduce oil and gas methane emissions

The US Department of Energy (DOE) announced Friday up to $15 million in funding to support research and development of projects that reduce methane emissions from undocumented, orphaned oil and gas wells.

Ten US organisations meet emissions reductions targets early via DOE partnership

Ten companies met their scope 1 and 2 emissions reductions goals ahead of schedule, supported by a US Department of Energy (DOE) programme, the agency said Monday.

ASIA PACIFIC

Australian cattle body seeks to exempt agricultural lands from EU deforestation rules

An Australian cattle industry lobby group has released its definition of deforestation, in an attempt to seek exemptions for agricultural lands from upcoming EU rules.

Internal audit reveals ongoing integrity concerns with Australia’s Clean Energy Regulator

An audit of the Clean Energy Regulator (CER) has found weak governance practices regarding internal conflicts of interest (COI) within the organisation, according to documents published Monday, issues that critics continue to say are indicative of much broader problems with Australia’s carbon market.

AU Market: Australian regulator to update contract exit figures by month’s end

Australia’s Clean Energy Regulator (CER) said it will provide an update regarding the volume of carbon credits that have been released during the latest exit arrangement window.

Australia consults on ACCU Scheme transparency changes

The federal government Monday published an exposure draft for consultation on transparency changes to the Australian Carbon Credit Unit (ACCU) Scheme.

China releases emissions accounting rules for cement, aluminium sectors

China has revamped the emissions accounting guidelines for domestic cement and aluminium sectors, as the country is set to include the two industries in its emissions trading scheme this year.

China thermal power increases in August, though slower than renewables growth

China saw its domestic thermal power generation expand last month from a year earlier with increased coal output, but hydro and solar power production continued to post stronger annual growth.

BIODIVERSITY (FREE TO READ)

Protected areas largely fail to prevent forest loss, study says

Protected areas (PAs) contribute to preventing, on average, just 30% of forest loss, with the lowest levels of protection observed in some of the world’s most biodiversity-rich countries, a paper has said.

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EVENTS

Carbon Forward Expo – October 8-10, London and Online: Our flagship conference returns to the stunning De Vere Grand Connaught Rooms in Covent Garden. As the agenda comes together for our ninth annual event, we want to make sure you don’t miss out on our 10% discount offer, which is available throughout August. We’re also offering free passes for offset buyers. Get in touch to find out if you’re eligible and how to apply. Register now!

IETA’s North American Climate Summit – September 24-26, NYC: NACS 2024 is the premier gathering of carbon market practitioners, experts, and governments from across North America and beyond. Attending NACS 2024 presents a unique opportunity to learn from experts, enhance your carbon market expertise, and expand your network of leaders to collaboratively move the needle on delivering climate action and transition finance at scale. Gain insights on the evolving carbon pricing landscape, latest market trends, most relevant regulatory developments and “what to watch” through COP29 Baku and beyond. Organized by IETA, in collaboration with the International Carbon Action Partnership (ICAP), NACS 2024 is an in-person event with recorded plenary and breakout sessions. The program features high-level plenaries, inspirational keynotes, topic deep-dives, cross-cutting breakouts, interactive side events, exclusive roundtables and unmatched networking opportunities to foster meaningful connections. Secure your spot

Eurelectric’s Power Barometer 2024 – October 3, Brussels: Over the past five years, the power sector has faced unprecedented challenges among the COVID-19 pandemic, the energy crisis, and mounting competition from China and the US. With new policymakers taking office, political attention is now on energy independence, industrialisation, competitiveness, and the ongoing climate battle. Eurelectric Power Barometer 2024 data report will take stock of these developments with DG ENER Director General Ditte Juul Jorgensen, MEP Niels Fuglsang, and SSE Managing Director Sam Peacock. Make sure to join them at our free launch event! Register here

Chile Carbon Forum – October 8-10, Santiago: The forum will bring together experts, business leaders, and government officials to discuss challenges and opportunities within the carbon market. It will cover topics such as carbon taxes, offsetting mechanisms, climate finance, carbon market regulations, international cooperation, nature-based solutions, and innovative emission reduction strategies. The agenda includes panel discussions, workshops, and keynote speeches that emphasize the importance of these topics in promoting a low-carbon economy and combating climate change. This forum is crucial for understanding and advancing collaborative approaches to sustainability. For more information, visit Chile Carbon Forum.

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Job listings this week

• *AFOLU Project Development Specialist (f/m/d), KAYA – Berlin/Luanda
• Asia-Pacific Project and Business Development Analyst, Ecosecurities – Remote/Indonesia
• Carbon Analyst, Redshaw Advisors – London

*Premium listings

See all listings or post a job

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BITE-SIZED UPDATES FROM AROUND THE WORLD

INTERNATIONAL

Green trade frictions – The head of the World Trade Organisation has warned of potential trade disputes emerging over carbon taxation. In an interview with the Financial Times, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala said the WTO was taking the lead in working for an international carbon pricing system with the IMF, OECD and UN. This comes in response to the EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), introduced last year, and which is due to start applying as of 2026. “We see [litigation] coming. We think it will be quite difficult and problematic. So we’re trying to avoid that by saying why don’t we develop a global framework that is interoperable? So that we can limit the trade litigation frictions that would come here.” (Financial Times)

US-China – The White House raised its tariffs on Chinese goods Friday, including a 100% duty on EVs, 50% on solar cells, and 25% on steel, aluminum, EV batteries, and key minerals, according to the US Office of the United States Trade Representative. The measures will take effect Sept. 27. Canada recently imposed nearly-identical tariffs, taking after the US, in a move that think-tank Clean Energy Canada criticised, saying that it would result in fewer affordable EVs, less competition, and more climate pollution.

Storage’s moment – COP29 host Azerbaijan is set to ask over 190 countries to back a G7 target to increase energy storage capacity by more than sixfold by 2030, reports Bloomberg. The target is in line with with what the International Energy Agency says is needed to achieve the emissions-reduction goals laid out at COP28, and echoes a G7 target outlined in April to reach 1,500 GW of global energy storage capacity by 2030, up from 230 GW in 2022. The Azerbaijani proposal also encourages countries to explore new, cheaper types of batteries, and to standardise battery recycling models.

Petrostate pushback – Oil-rich nations are making a big effort to push back against the landmark UN climate agreement made at COP28 to end the use of fossil fuels, reports the Financial Times. Five negotiators from Western nations have told the paper that they are pressurising Azerbaijan to continue fossil fuel phaseout discussions, and counter opposing efforts from a group of oil-producing nations that includes Saudi Arabia, Russia, and Bolivia. One negotiator told the paper: “At this stage, it looks extremely bleak”.

VOLUNTARY

Down by law – CarbonX, a Paris-based removals marketplace, announced it had legally committed to avoid speculative trading of CDR. All transactions are conducted with complete price transparency, ensuring buyers access CDRs at the supplier’s negotiated price, with our fees independent of the credit cost, they said in a statement Monday. The policy had been implemented before, they said, but was now formalised by law.

Brazil concession update – The Brazilian government held workshops last week for its planned concession in Bom Futuro National Forest and intends to announce the winning companies in 2025, reported Deutsche Welle. Interested companies will be selected according to two criteria: the percentage of revenue that will be transferred to the government and the execution of activities for forest preservation and development of surrounding communities. At least five companies are reportedly interested, including Biomes, Mercuria, and re.green. The concession will be divided into three blocks and will have a term of 40 years. Over the 40-year term, the government estimates that the cost of forest restoration will be around R$ 600 mln ($109 mln), and projects will entail revenues of around R$1.2 bln, coming from both the sale of carbon credits and the sustainable use of forest products. A technical study commissioned by the government projects that the restoration of the Bom Futuro National Forest would generate 6 Mt worth of carbon credits, and companies will also be able to place credits on the market for the avoided carbon emission of preserved areas, which comprise 84,000 hectares.

Boards on a mission – Climate Impact Partners (CIP) has established two advisory boards, one in the US and one in Europe, consisting of 18 companies with a combined annual revenue of $400 bln. The boards, chaired by CEO Sheri Hickok and Chief Revenue Officer Todd Krause, meet quarterly to discuss the voluntary carbon market’s challenges and opportunities. The boards represent diverse industries such as automotive, consumer goods, manufacturing, professional services, and technology, with participants including Dolby, Estee Lauder, Hogan Lovells, and Kearney. The aim is to foster collaboration, share best practices, and channel more corporate finance toward climate solutions. CIP said board members value the opportunity to learn from one another and appreciate the company’s responsiveness to client feedback and commitment to advancing sustainability initiatives.

It’s all in your Hedera – EcoRegistry, Tolam, and ALLCOT IO have announced a strategic partnership to integrate Hedera Guardian technology, supported by the HBAR Foundation, into the voluntary carbon market. This collaboration aims to enhance transparency, trust, and efficiency by leveraging blockchain technology to address challenges such as double counting, lack of standardisation, and real-time monitoring, the firms said. The integration will enable secure and immutable tracking of carbon credits, streamlining transactions, and improving accountability. The partnership seeks to revolutionise the carbon market, benefiting stakeholders like project developers, governments, and investors, and advancing global efforts to reduce carbon emissions and meet climate goals.

EMEA

Adieu! – To Thierry Breton, outgoing EU Commissioner for Internal market, who abruptly resigned on Monday morning. No longer at stake for a second mandate, he was replaced by French Foreign minister Stephane Sejourne as a candidate for French top job in Brussels. The governance drama, as some called it, is a consequence of president Ursula von Leyen’s attempt to reshuffle the EU executive in a gender-balance way. Beside being a man, however, Sejourne is lacking experience on industry or digital sectors, which were Breton’s strenghts (Euractiv). The new College is still set to be presented in Strasbourg tomorrow, at 9am CET.

Change of plan – As a matter of fact, Orban will also be missing his long awaited meeting with the European Parliament. He had to postpone international duties, “due to the extreme weather conditions and the ongoing floods in Hungary”. See our preview of the plenary.

Wind power – The EU Commission approved a €682 mln Belgian State aid scheme to support renewable offshore wind energy to foster the transition to a net-zero economy. The measure will support the construction and operation of the first offshore windfarm in the Princess Elisabeth Zone in the North Sea. The windfarm is expected to have a capacity of 700 MW and to generate at least 2,6 TWh of renewable electricity per year. Also announced today, the European Investment Bank signed a €97 mln finance contract to support the construction of a wind farm in Mazara del Vallo (Italy). The project should cover the energy needs of over 56,000 Italian households, with an installed capacity of 44.8 MW.

Geopolitical risks – Europe’s extrication of geopolitics from trade and economics has led to “strategic miscalculations” and an enormous dependence on China for the European energy transition, energy and security expert Frank Umbach told utilities at the vgbe energy conference in Potsdam, Germany, last week. Businesses as well as governments must put geopolitical risks at the heart of decision-making, he said; currently, medium-sized companies have hardly any understanding of their supply chains. However, the new EU Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive is helping to change that, Umbach and EnBW’s chief procurement officer, Olaf Komitsch, told the conference. In 2023, 22% of all electric vehicles in Europe were imported from China, versus 1% in 2020, said electricity lobby Eurelectric’s chief Kristian Ruby. 

Riding electric – The EIB and Spanish electric motorcycle company Stark Future signed a €40 mln loan. The money will be used to develop and deploy new technologies for the production of new electric motorcycles models for both off-road and on-road use, as well as to finance the scaling-up of Stark Future’s manufacturing capacity.

Green heat – Last bit of news from the EIB: the bank will support Kauno Energija, the district utility company in the Lithuanian city of Kaunas, in upgrading and extending its district heating and hot water supply system with €35 mln. The project involves refurbishing and expanding the district pipeline network, adding heat storage tanks and incorporating renewable energy sources such as biomass for heat and hot water generation as well as solar power for electricity.

Caspian gas sale – BP has agreed to sell a stake in the Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) to Apollo Global Management for $1 bln, in a move that will help the oil major reallocate resources as oil prices decline, Bloomberg reported. The New York-based investor will take a non-controlling stake in a BP subsidiary that holds a 20% share of the Caspian gas pipeline, which is part of a network linking BP’s Azerbaijan gas field to countries including Italy and Greece. BP will maintain its governance of the TAP as controlling shareholder. In separate news, also reported by Bloomberg, the oil major plans to sell its onshore wind business in the US as it focuses on its solar arm Lightsource BP. The company is set launch a sale process for BP Wind Energy shortly, according to an emailed statement seen by the news organisation. It plans to integrate development of onshore renewable power into Lightsource.

UK jet fuel tax – The British government could have collected £5.9 billion last year simply from taxing jet fuel at the same rate as petrol or diesel used for road transport, according to a new study by Transport and Environment (T&E) UK published on Monday. Road fuel duty is currently levied at just under 53p per litre, accounting for around 5% of Government revenues, “yet the aviation sector does not contribute a penny in fuel taxes,” says the report. Airlines burnt 11.1 million tonnes of jet fuel in 2023, almost the same amount of petrol that was burnt in the UK last year, T&E said. To level the playing field, T&E recommends applying a 9p fuel duty rate to kerosene starting in 2025 and require airline to buy 90% of their fuel for departing flights at UK airports to prevent circumvention. (T&E, The Guardian)

For peat’s sake – A large peatland restoration project by a developer in the UK is now complete. ScottishPower Renewables’ £1.4 mln project at Whitelee Windfarm was finalised according to a Tuesday release, bringing its investment in peatland restoration to £4 mln to date. Over the last 15 years, the energy firm’s ecology team has restored 1,113 hectares of peat bog at Whitelee, which has the potential to store the equivalent of 3.6 mln tonnes of CO2. No crediting was mentioned in the release, but the UK has a certification system under the Peatland Code that permits the sale of units to voluntary carbon market buyers.

CC-yes – Enfinium has successfully launched the UK’s first carbon capture pilot at an energy from waste site, it said Monday. The launch is a milestone for the sector and for Enfinium’s plans to deploy carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology across its UK facilities to generate carbon removals at scale and support the country’s net zero target. The pilot is installed at the Ferrybridge-1 energy from waste facility in West Yorkshire, and will capture 1 tonne of CO2 emissions from the plant’s operations each day. It will run for at least 12 months.

EU plastic tax pains – An EU charge on non-recyclable plastic waste, introduced in 2021 as a new “own” resource for the EU budget, generated over €7 billion for EU coffers in 2023, according to a report by the European Court of Auditors (ECA), published on Monday. The charge is based on a national contribution calculated at €0.8 per kilogram of non-recycled plastic packaging waste. However, diverging methodologies to estimate packaging waste across EU countries has led many of them to understate their national contributions, ECA said. As a result, the plastic-based revenue for 2021 was under-estimated by €1.1 billion, and had to be offset by another resource to balance the budget, the ECA report said. (European Court of Auditors)

Dumping risk – The UK’s steel industry lobby has said the UK government must synchronise the introduction of a new carbon border tax with Brussels or risk causing “considerable harm” to the industry as a result of cheap imports flooding the country. The UK is planning on introducing a carbon border tax in 2027, one year later than the equivalent EU tax will be introduced designed to incentivise low-carbon manufacturing. According to calculations by UK steel, this delay could mean cheap steel could be diverted to the UK as a result. (FT)

ASIA PACIFIC

Pilbara pathway – The Western Australia government has formally opened a tender for expression of interest in four priority transmission projects as part of the Pilbara Energy Transition Plan, in the state’s resource sector dominant north, Renew Economy reports. The four new links will extend to the Burrup peninsular, home of Woodside Energy’s North West Shelf project, major towns and ports including Port Hedland, and to iron ore mines in the region. The new transmission links will link the major demand centres to the best wind and solar resources and create a common network structure to enable the wind, solar, and storage to be shared. The corridors identified in the new Pilbara energy plan are expected to share in the A$3 bln ($2 bln) in concessional finance made available to the state through the federal government’s A$20 bln Rewiring the Nation plan.

Patent milestone – Australian novel hydrogen developer Hazer told the country’s stock exchange Monday it has been awarded another major patent. The World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) has confirmed its application for reactor control systems used in catalyst-based pyrolysis technologies, in what the company termed a “major milestone”. Hazer listed on the ASX in the middle of last decade as a single purpose company developing clean hydrogen and graphite from the feedstock of waste gas and iron ore pellets. The Perth-headquartered company has also signed agreements with major Asian companies for clean energy development. 

Energy savings – The Labor government of New South Wales has unveiled a new consumer energy strategy with a A$290 million ($195 mln) spend to allow households and businesses to access energy saving tech from solar to batteries or energy efficiency upgrades. All up the Consumer Energy Strategy: Powering our People and Communities strategy outlines 50 actions to help these groups cut their energy use and thus their bills, which have been rising. 

Greens’ gas ban – A report from one of Australia’s best known and longest running energy consultancies found on Monday that were policies of the Greens party implemented and new gas funding halted, multiple states would suffer blackouts and emissions would rise as coal would be forced back into power grids after many years of a contracting share. The report from EnergyQuest found blackouts, industrial closures, and mine closures as Western Australia’s gas-dependent mine sites suffer power outages. 

Port of call – Australia’s green bank, the Clean Energy Finance Corporation, has committed A$70 mln ($47 mln) to South Australia’s Flinders Port Holdings to help reduce emissions in the maritime sector. The funding will finance electrification initiatives across FPH’s seven South Australia ports to demonstrate a decarbonisation pathway for the hard-to-abate sector. This would include electrifying or using hybrid alternatives container-moving equipment, light vehicles, and vessels, as well as installing solar pv to reduce power consumption across the port sites. FPH will also investigating the potential of cleaner shore-based power by connecting berthed ships to the grid to replace diesel bunker fuel.

AMERICAS

Atlantic Canada – Natural Resources Canada invested C$9.25 mln into Net Zero Atlantic, supporting two projects that will decarbonise the region’s electricity grid, the ministry announced Sunday. C$6 mln will support the Atlantic Canada Offshore Wind Integration and Transmission Study to evaluate how offshore wind can decarbonise the regional electricity grid, while C$3.25 mln will fund the Net Zero Emerging Concepts and Technologies Research Program, which will invest in research and development for new clean technologies and support measures in Atlantic Canada to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and reach emission targets.

Bankroll – Carbon accounting firm Persefoni has established a campaign committee to help re-elect California state Senator Scott Wiener (D), Politico reported Friday. State records show that Persefoni launched an independent expenditure committee titled “Wiener for Senate 2024 Sponsored by Persefoni AI Inc; Climate Leaders Support Scott”, but a company spokesperson declined to say how much money it hoped to raise before the November election. Sen. Wiener was the primary sponsor of emissions disclosure law SB253, from which Persefoni stands to benefit, although its implementation is likely delayed for at least another year.

Marine CDR – Two House Science subcommittees will hold a hearing on federal efforts and technology regarding marine CO2 removal (CDR) on Thursday. The house subcommittee on environment and subcommittee on energy convening, titled “Navigating the Blue Frontier: Evaluating the Potential of Marine Carbon Dioxide Removal Approaches”, follows a June commitment from the DOE and NOAA to research and develop marine-based CDR technologies. Witnesses include officials from the DOE and NOAA, as well as Ben Tarbell, CEO and co-founder of marine CDR developer Ebb Carbon, and Scott Doney, professor in environmental change at The University of Virginia.

The cost of coal – One of West Virginia’s primary electricity providers, Appalachian Power, has increased monthly residential prices by 30%, more than thirty times the average across the US, according to research published today by the Center for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR). The pattern of increasing residential electricity prices continues as West Virginia’s energy providers rely heavily on inefficient coal plants, CEPR researchers said. In 2023, 86% of the electricity generated in West Virginia came from coal – the highest share of any state in the nation.

Rate hike – Electric bills are going up for the fourth time in 15 months for certain Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) consumers, E&E News reported Monday. The increases were approved Thursday by the five-member California Public Utilities Commission, as the utility sought a rate increase to recover approximately $940 mln in costs from recent wildfire mitigation efforts and severe storm damages. Rates will go up by an average of $5.16 per month on residential electricity bills.

SCIENCE & TECH

Eye in the sky – Rainforest Foundation UK has announced the beta launch of its ForestEye, a web-based tool designed to provide precise, local analysis of deforestation, it said Monday. Developed by RFUK’s Mapping and Development team, ForestEye is set to transform the way deforestation is monitored, understood and addressed at the grassroots level, the organisation claims. ForestEye was conceived in response to increasing demands for detailed deforestation analysis from local partners in regions like Peru and the Democratic Republic of Congo. The aim of the tool is to better understand deforestation rates, compare these rates across different areas, and identify the underlying causes of forest loss. ForestEye is currently being tested by forest defenders in Peru.

AND FINALLY…

The biochar chicken or the biochar egg? – Jody Hardin, a fifth-generation American farmer, is pioneering the use of biochar, a substance made from burning organic agricultural or forest waste, on his farm. His latest initiative, the Carbon Chicken Project, combines biochar with recycled chicken litter to create a powerful organic fertiliser called “Carbon Chicken 80:20.” This fertiliser, comprising 80% chicken litter and 20% biochar, enhances soil fertility by capturing chemicals from the litter and promoting moisture retention in crops. Additionally, biochar soaked in a microbe-rich compost tea is used to boost soil microbial activity, offering a slow-release fertiliser that sequesters carbon and reduces nutrient runoff into waterways. Hardin believes this approach could help address environmental issues like those highlighted in a long-standing legal battle between Oklahoma and poultry companies over river pollution caused by chicken litter runoff. However, Hardin faces challenges in gaining the support of large poultry producers. Nonetheless, a $591,000 USDA grant will allow Hardin to further explore biochar’s benefits in poultry farming, with the aim of creating a carbon-negative egg production system, which he sees as his ultimate goal. (KUAF)

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