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- Tue 00:17New Zealand’s government has announced changes to the governance of the country’s emissions trading scheme in a bid to reduce the risk of market misconduct.
- Mon 23:16A European soil carbon startup has announced its withdrawal from carbon credit markets, citing structural incompatibility between current market frameworks and regenerative agriculture practices.
- Mon 23:01A group of business and investor leaders have written to the European Commission urging it to adopt a 90% emission reduction target for 2040.
- Mon 22:41
Committees cut - The US EPA recently terminated several advisory committees spanning a range of environmental and social justice issues, according to data from the Federal Advisory Committee Act database. The terminated bodies include the National Environmental Justice Advisory Council (NEJAC), launched in 1993, and the White House Environmental Justice Advisory Council, which was set up by the Biden administration in 2021.
- Greenwash hearing – A French civil court will hear a 2022 alleged greenwashing lawsuit against oil major TotalEnergies on June 5, said ClientEarth, the law firm representing environmental groups Greenpeace France, Friends of the Earth France, and Notre Affaire a Tous that filed the case. The plaintiffs claimed TotalEnergies misled consumers about its products through advertising and public messaging that they said was in breach of the European Unfair Consumer Practices Directive. Claimants purported that TotalEnergies’ "reinvention" marketing campaign broke European consumer law in suggesting the company could reach net zero emissions by 2050 whilst still expanding fossil fuel production.
- Mon 22:29Canada could negate almost its entire annual emissions by boosting LNG production and shipping it to Asia, according to a new study.
- Mon 22:24River risks - Columbia Riverkeeper, an environmental non-profit, the Northwest Environmental Defense Center, a law firm, and two local residents sued the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality on May 22, challenging approval of a water quality permit for the proposed NEXT renewable diesel refinery near the Columbia River Estuary. The suit argued the permit failed to protect critical wetlands and waterways from pollution and seismic risk. The Army Corps of Engineers is also conducting a federal environmental review of the project, which is expected to fill over 100 acres (40.5 ha) of wetlands and emit up to 1 Mt of GHG annually.
- A New York-based clean fuels startup recently unveiled its modular direct air capture (DAC) technology, which produces liquid gasoline from air, water, and renewable electricity.
- Mon 21:00A carbon credit provider has announced its head of origination and former CEO will resign as of June 5.
- Projected externalities - Advocacy non-profit Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) claimed Thursday that the US federal tax bill would undermine an American-made energy boom and increase pollution. The bill, which narrowly passed the House on a 215-214 vote, would result in an early termination of clean electricity and energy storage tax credits under Sections 45Y and 48E, a repeal of credit transferability provisions, and new restrictions on solar and wind leasing arrangements. EDF said that those tax credits helped the US produce some of the world’s cleanest energy and estimated their withdrawal would raise household electricity prices, create uncertainty for businesses, send jobs to other countries, and threaten people’s health with more pollution. EDF was also concerned with changes to vehicle standards, aimed at reducing expensive fuel use and tailpipe pollution; attacks on local efforts promoting cleaner air around schools and ports; and a 10-year reprieve for large oil and gas companies from paying a fee on methane pollution.
Caribbean catalyst - The Development Bank of Jamaica (DBJ), in partnership with TBR Lab—a regional innovation and venture development firm—launched Carbon Shift, the Caribbean’s first climate tech acceleration programme, through its Boosting Innovation, Growth and Entrepreneurship Ecosystems (BIGEE) initiative. The initiative aims to support scalable climate solutions in areas such as renewable energy, sustainable agriculture, carbon markets, water resilience, and the circular economy. TBR Lab will execute Carbon Shift in collaboration with Climate KIC, a European climate innovation network. The programme is now accepting applications from startups and entrepreneurs across the Caribbean.
- Mon 17:40
Coal continues - US Energy Secretary Chris Wright issued an emergency order on May 23 requiring the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO) and Consumers Energy to maintain availability of the 1,560MW JH Campbell coal-fired power plant in West Olive, Michigan. The decision delays the facility’s planned May 31 closure to address potential electricity capacity shortfalls in the Midwest during the summer months. The US DOE cited elevated reliability risks of reserve shortfalls in the region that the North American Electric Reliability Corporation raised. DOE issued the order under Section 202(c) of the Federal Power Act following President Donald Trump's national energy emergency declaration.
- Mon 17:33To ensure it works effectively, the EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) needs to be extended to other sectors such as chemicals, as well as across the supply chain of the goods that are currently in the scheme, according to a non-profit think tank.
- Mon 17:15We're not speaking to you - The EU has turned down Russia's request for consultations regarding its Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), according to a World Trade Organization document released on Monday. Earlier this month, Russia had sought consultations with the EU at the WTO over the carbon border levy — a preliminary move in initiating a formal trade dispute. In its response, the EU reiterated its support for WTO dispute settlement procedures and acknowledges the purpose of consultations as defined under WTO law - to reach a mutually satisfactory solution. However, the EU said it strongly condemns Russia’s ongoing war of aggression against Ukraine, calling it a grave breach of international law and the UN Charter, and asserting that it undermines Russia's credibility in international institutions, including the WTO. The EU stated that, in light of Russia’s actions in Ukraine, the conditions for meaningful consultations do not exist. It explicitly declined Russia’s request for consultations, citing the "extraordinary circumstances" created by the war, and maintains that consultations in this context cannot be fruitful. The EU stressed the importance of a just and lasting peace in Ukraine and states that it will not engage with Russia on this matter as long as Russia continues to violate international law through its aggression. While declining to enter consultations, the EU clarified that this decision is without prejudice to its rights in any future adjudicative proceedings under the WTO's dispute settlement body regarding the matter.
- Mon 17:10European carbon prices on Monday reclaimed all their losses from the end of last week after the US announced over the weekend it would postpone proposed tariffs on the EU for another month, while energy markets, as well as a tight auction schedule, also fed in support with analysts generally expecting a bullish week.
- Low credit issuance and retirements last week reflected a subdued voluntary market that continues to be stifled by the lack of available Core Carbon Principles (CCP)-tagged credits, as well as few signs of a reaction to the expected shortage of eligible Phase 1 CORSIA supply in the coming years.
- Mon 16:17It's official – Zimbabwe’s President Emmerson Mnangagwa officially launched the national carbon registry in Harare on Friday. The Zimbabwe Carbon Registry (ZCR), developed by A6 Labs and Zimbabwe’s Ministry of Environment, Climate, and Wildlife, uses blockchain technology to monitor carbon credits from issuance to retirement. With the launch, Zimbabwe initiated world’s first inter-registry transfer under Article 6, Mnangagwa said. The transfer involved moving 10,000 carbon credits from Gold Standard's registry to Zimbabwe’s ZCR, related to a project developed by local firm Cicada, media outlet Daily News reported. Earlier this month, the country published its new carbon trading regulations in a bid to attract fresh investment and enhance transparency. With the launch of the registry, the government aims to build investor confidence and align with the Paris Agreement’s Article 6 framework.
- Mon 16:13The climate targets in Germany’s land use sector (LULUCF) appear to be out of reach. However, abandoning targets for nature-based CO2 sinks would be equal to abandoning its climate neutrality goal, warns Milan Loose, who works as Policy Advisor on Negative Emissions at Bellona Deutschland.
- Mon 15:25The European Commission is considering regulatory measures and public funding to support the uptake of nature credits across the EU, as well as introducing certain carbon credit methodologies with a biodiversity dimension, according to a leaked draft version of its roadmap for developing and scaling the market.
- Deploying carbon capture, utilisation, and storage (CCUS) across key industrial sectors in Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, and Romania could reduce the region’s industrial CO2 emissions by up to 25% by mid-century, according to new analysis by Dutch-based researchers.
- Mon 14:23Map it out - Verra is modifying the release process for allocated deforestation risk maps to ensure that the data meet the standard's requirements for high quality and to increase transparency around the data development process. Going forward, Verra said last week it will now provide estimated release dates only for provisional open-access data. These provisional open-access data are posted while final review and quality control of the data is underway. The standard procedure will be for Verra to make VMD0055-compliant data available two to three months after the release of the corresponding provisional open-access data, provided the VMD0055-compliant data clears the required third-party review.
- Brains wanted - The UK Woodland Carbon Code (WCC) is seeking new members for its advisory board. Advisory board members play a crucial role in guiding the development, application, and promotion of the WCC, ensuring it remains a robust and credible standard for woodland carbon projects. The commitment involves attending four meetings annually and contributing to consultations as needed. Applications are open until June 30.
- Mon 14:19Tough outlook - Germany’s plans for the ramp-up of a green hydrogen economy has run into significant uncertainties, including over the fuel’s future price, regulation, and the necessary infrastructure development, according to a new energy industry report. However, improving Franco-German energy cooperation could be an opportunity for building a European hydrogen alliance, said the study, produced by consultancy EY and energy industry association BDEW. (Clean Energy Wire)
- Mon 14:17Concrete deal - Isometric and Carbonaide have teamed up, they announced Monday. Through the partnership, Isometric will provide Carbonaide with MRV under the Isometric module for CO2 storage via carbonation in the built environment. Carbonaide provides CO2 curing and flow management solution for storing carbon in concrete.
- Mon 13:48A Dubai-headquartered project developer announced Monday it has partnered with a Nairobi-based clean cooking company to distribute 1.2 million digitally monitored biomass and electric cookstoves across four African countries.
- Mon 13:31Sustainable palm oil - Thailand’s Thaicom and Global Green Chemicals have signed an agreement to explore the use of science and technology in monitoring palm plantation areas, and assess their carbon sequestration capacity. Under the agreement, the partners will exchange knowledge and expertise and help in advancing data collection for palm cultivation areas while also enhancing carbon storage assessments from palm planting in line with international standards. The partners aim to support the development of low-carbon palm oil products across plantations in Thailand.
- Mon 13:29No more carbon neutral - Singapore-based ride hailing company Grab has dropped the term “carbon neutral” from its offsetting feature, which allowed its customers to neutralise the emissions of their travel or deliveries since 2021 with a fee of S$0.10 ($0.07) for each trip that goes towards the purchase of carbon credits. Previously called a carbon neutral fee, the feature is now known as Green Programme across all of Grab’s markets, EcoBusiness reported. Non-profit RimbaWatch has claimed that Grab’s actions were a result of dropping the carbon neutral claims was made on the basis of carbon offsets in the EU and UK, but the taxi service app insisted that the change was designed to harmonise its branding across Southeast Asian nations.
- Mon 13:21A sustainability platform has launched a new open-source database containing emissions data, which it claims covers 95% of global GDP.
- Mon 12:29End of the boom? – The US shale boom may be coming to an end, analysts said, as global oil demand falls in the wake of the global trade war launched by US President Donald Trump and as Opec countries raise their output to price out US shale production. Oil prices settled at $61.53 a barrel last week, below the $65 level at which shale oil is profitable, according to the quarterly energy survey by the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas. Oil output is projected to fall by 1.1% next year on the back of a slowing global economy, according to S&P Global Commodity Insights, marking the first annual decline in a decade. Saudi Arabia is now trying to regain market share and they’ll probably succeed over the next five years, said one analyst quoted by the FT. If crude drops to $50 a barrel, US production would probably lose up to 300,000 barrels a day, said another analyst. (Financial Times)
- Mon 12:28Firefighters ready – The EU has put together teams of firefighters and aircraft to prepare for the increased wildfire risk during the upcoming summer months, the European Commission announced on Monday. Throughout July and August, almost 650 firefighters from 14 European countries will be positioned in key high-risk locations in France, Greece, Portugal, and Spain to support local intervention teams. A further 19 ground firefighting teams, of around 30 firefighters each, and one advisory and assessment team, are also ready to be mobilised. A dedicated wildfire support team will be established at the EU's 24/7 Emergency Response Coordination Centre to monitor risks, analyse scientific data.
- Mon 11:00As the European Parliament prepares to discuss a reform of the EU’s Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), one lawmaker has put forward amendments that would cement the obligation on companies to publish ‘climate transition plans’ while streamlining reporting requirement across other pieces of EU legislation to avoid double reporting.
- Mon 10:59Australian airlines should be allowed to count sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) used or produced outside the nation to meet their decarbonisation goals under the Safeguard Mechanism, a paper argued Monday.
- Colombia-based environmental standard Cercarbono has launched a public consultation on a carbon credit methodology tailored to the recycling of materials from end-of-life vehicles (ELVs).
- Mon 09:57An Australian developer has earned its first carbon removal credits for burying biomass, with 586 CO2 Removal Certificates (CORCs) issued for its facility under the Puro.earth standard.
- Mon 09:30Chicken-char - Japan’s Towing Corporation will begin demonstration experiments using biochar made from livestock waste, including chicken waste. It is partnering with agricultural firm Nippon Ham to make farming and agriculture more sustainable using ‘Chutan’. It can be made from rice husks and tree offcuts but also carbonised livestock waste, which will reduce greenhouse gases given the methane does not escape as it does during traditional waste processing. The partners will demonstrate proof-of-concept using chu-charcoal, or carbonised chicken manure, which will be spread on cornfields and their growth studied, the partners said Monday.
- Mon 08:55Co-firing an MoU - Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) has signed a MoU with Uzbekistan’s energy ministry for a joint study of a power development plan that includes upgrading the nation’s gas turbine fleet to be able to co-fire with hydrogen. The two will study whether existing power plants could use MHI equipment in order to decarbonise, evaluate new gas turbine combined cycle (GTCC) plants and see how they would need to be modified to burn hydrogen as well as natural gas, and what the partners call ‘capacity planning with latest technologies’. The programme will run for two years with financial support from Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. Uzbekistan has a renewable energy target of 54% by 2030.
- Mon 08:37A group of roll-on/roll-off (ro-ro) shipping operators on Monday launched a standardised methodology for calculating greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions intensity, in a bid to support decarbonisation efforts across supply chains.
- Mon 05:58Wait a while - Climate Change Authority (CCA) Chair Matt Kean on Monday told a webinar hosted by The Energy that it's unlikely to announce its advice on Australia's next NDC anytime soon. The CCA is currently formalising advice to the government on its 2035 emissions target. Kean said he wants Australia's next NDC to be science aligned, ambitious, and achievable, describing it as a tricky balance, and that the authority will be taking the time to get it right. He added that energy and electricity will do the bulk of the heavy lifting towards any 2035 target the government sets. Draft advice from the CCA released last year said a 2035 NDC of 65-75% below 2005 levels by 2035 would be ambitious but achievable.
- Mon 05:50Will not proceed - The Queensland state Liberal government has developed new community consultations for wind farm developments and on Monday announced it had nixed one project after “a comprehensive assessment of impacts on community”. The Moonlight Range wind farm being developed by Greenleaf Energy, which is north of the large town Rockhampton will not proceed, with the government citing the amount of land to be cleared, as well as impacts on infrastructure, services, and housing. It is the first use of new ministerial powers to cancel a renewable energy project. Of the 550 submissions reviewed by government, 85% supported a review of the project. The government earlier paused the decision making process for several projects including a large project that will power to Rio Tinto’s aluminium smelter. The government said its new review process brings renewable energy projects in line with other major energy developments.
- Mon 05:39Australia has a A$400-billion ($260 bln) green iron export opportunity, but would need measures that simulate an international carbon price in order to realise it, according to a think tank report published Monday.
- Mon 02:35No rush - New Zealand's Minister for Climate Change Simon Watts recently told Newsroom it was no longer considering changes to the current phase-out rates of free allocation in the country's emissions trading scheme. It follows calls from the Climate Change Commission and activist groups to investigate options to overhaul the scheme to address fairness concerns that emissions intensive, trade facilities were taking advantage of it. However, Watts told the outlet the phase out rates were not a priority for the government, noting it would be an extensive multi-year undertaking. Currently all allocations are being phase out at 1% per year.
