We're out - The Surf Coast Shire Council in Victoria has announced it will leave the Australian government's Climate Active carbon certification scheme to focus on what it described as direct actions that reduce emissions locally. From June 30, the council said it will align its Climate Emergency Response Plan 2021-2035 with evolving best practice by ceasing to be a certified carbon neutral organisation under Climate Active. Since 2019 the council has surrendered some 29,000 carbon credits, including Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCUs), as well as Gold Standard VCUs and Verra's VERs to maintain its certification. Multiple high profile organisations including Telstra and PwC have abandoned the Climate Active scheme as their sustainability strategies have shifted away from carbon credit use. The government is currently reviewing the scheme, but has yet announce any changes.

Over $1 trillion in corporate value linked to the world’s largest stock markets is at risk by 2050 due to rising socio-economic impacts of climate change in vulnerable countries, according to a new analysis.

A public-private forest finance initiative is preparing to roll out its first advance payments to forest governments, it confirmed Thursday.

Recent indications that more EU countries may use Article 6 credits towards climate goals could incentivise host countries to approve a greater volume of transitioning Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) projects than they would otherwise have done, according to an NGO.

A breakthrough in the remote Gobi desert sands could finally catapult thorium to the front of the race to find the fuel of the future that weans the world off gas and coal dependency.

To ensure integrity and effectiveness in compliance carbon markets, BeZero Carbon CEO and co-founder Tommy Rickets argues that governments must go beyond methodology-based approvals by mandating transparent, independent project-level carbon ratings, which will incentivise quality, minimise risk, and direct climate finance toward high-impact outcomes.

Researchers have found a way to reduce carbon emissions from cement production by 80% by getting to the core of its production rather than worrying at expensive but less effective energy switch-outs.

Airlines should secure their CORSIA eligible carbon credits now, before prices rise and potential penalties kick in, industry experts told a webinar that discussed eligibility bottlenecks and market risks surrounding the international aviation offsetting scheme.

The government-endorsed association that runs Japan's blue carbon market is seeking to share its unique experiences with the rest of the world, with its lessons learned applicable to other natural capital markets elsewhere.

Going nuclear – Indonesia plans to add 103 GW of new power capacity by 2040, including 10 GW from nuclear, as part of a major renewable push, Presidential Envoy Hashim Djojohadikusumo told Reuters. Contracts, especially for nuclear, are expected within five years. The plan includes 75 GW from solar, wind, geothermal and biomass, and 18 GW from gas. Indonesia currently has 90 GW of capacity, over half from coal, and no nuclear plants. The move follows similar efforts in Asia, with China approving 10 new reactors and Vietnam planning a nuclear scale-up.

Breaking down barriers – The New Zealand government's Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (EECA) has formed a strategic partnership with the Centre for Sustainable Finance: Toitu Tahua (CSF) to address barriers to finance for renewable energy and energy efficiency projects. In a statement, the entities said the partnership's focus areas for investment include end-use electrification, energy efficiency improvements, renewable energy generation, and storage, including batteries. CSF and EECA will explore novel mechanisms to reduce barriers and risk, and crowd-in private sector capital, the statement added.

Cash to splash - An Australian hydrogen company that has backing from one of the nation’s largest miners has raised A$2.2 mln ($1.4 mln) at A$0.15 per share. Sparc Technologies told the Australian bourse Thursday its share placement saw strong support from institutional and sophisticated investors and it now plans a share purchase plan for its retail arm of A$500,000. In addition to general working capital money goes to its two ventures of unique coatings and clean hydrogen development. The Fortescue-backed company has developed a novel way to make hydrogen without the expense of electrolysers.

New Zealand's national carrier is looking to purchase CO2 removal units to mop up its residual emissions in 2030, it said on Thursday.

Are you ready? - India’s Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE), the administrator of the country's Carbon Credit Trading Scheme, has invited entities to express their interest in registering their project activities within the offset mechanism (voluntary) of the Indian Carbon Market, BEE Director Saurabh Diddi said in a post on LinkedIn. Interested entities may submit their details through the official project information form. Earlier this year, the government finalised eight methodologies ranging from renewables to reforestation in a step to operationalise the country’s carbon market.

Rural opportunities - Australian non-profits can apply for grants to support projects that reduce emissions and address climate impacts, the Foundation for Rural Regional Renewal (FRRR) announced Thursday. A total of A$650,000 ($416,000) is available across two streams of FRRR's Community Led Climate Solutions programme, offering grants of up to A$20,000 and A$20,000 to A$75,000 respectively. The first will go to projects that build awareness of practices to reduce emissions, while the second is designed to scale locally-led initiatives, such as reuse and regenerative practices, sustainable agriculture, and low carbon power sources. Applications for both streams close on June 26.

Confounding convergence – A panel of experts from Rubicon Carbon, Carbon Direct, StoneX Financial, and the ASEAN Alliance on Carbon Markets speaking at the Bloomberg NEF (BNEF) New York summit on Wednesday downplayed the possibility of eventual convergence between the VCM and compliance carbon markets. While panellists expressed doubt about true consolidation, they noted that the VCM and compliance carbon markets can instead complement each other. Panellists also noted that the VCM could further bifurcate based on types of projects, as well as quality. BNEF’s Bo Qi, head of American environmental markets, said the firm projects total carbon market – including both voluntary and compliance – demand to total 2.4 billion tonnes in 2035. When asked when they thought the first credits under the Article 6.4 mechanism – known as PACM – would trade, panellists generally indicated it was unclear, but Rory Jacobson, head of policy at Carbon Direct, said he did not think it would take place ahead of COP30 in November, while Alfred Nicastro, global head of carbon markets at StoneX, said it could be “a couple of COPs more” until the Article 6.4 market fully develops.

Two Asia-headquartered firms have formed a strategic partnership to offer project developers easier access to the international voluntary carbon market (VCM).