- A Brazilian state will launch a monitoring platform in June to support its bioeconomy strategy, displaying real-time updates on implementation, its government announced on Tuesday.
- 23:27 GMTRGA Allowance (RGA) prices dropped to the lowest levels thus far in May with the Q2 auction on the horizon and limited upside in the market, given ongoing programme risks and regulatory silence on rule revisions.
- 23:21 GMTThe founder of a company selling solar radiation modification (SRM) credits is open to working with governments and companies to expand its operations, touting the controversial technology as the only realistic option to hold off climate change, but experts are deeply divided on the matter, with one describing it as a dangerous techno-fix.
- Assessing offsets – New Hampshire’s Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee this month amended House Bill 123 (HB 123) to establish a moratorium on carbon sequestration contracts and create a commission to study carbon offset programmes. The original bill aimed to address lost tax revenue from unharvested forest land used for carbon capture by proposing a 10% tax on the annual net value of carbon credits sold from those properties. But the amended version restricts owners of over 500 acres of standing timber from entering into and exercising existing carbon offset contracts. If approved, the moratorium would be in place beginning July 1 until the commission submitted its report to the legislature, due before Nov. 1, 2027. The chamber’s Ways and Means Committee voted 3-0 to pass the amendment last week.
- An Ontario bill back at the Queen’s Park would regulate commercial carbon storage on both public and private land.
Wildfire woes - A recently-published policy brief from the United Nations University Institute for Water, Environment and Health argued that global carbon offset schemes, including voluntary carbon markets and forestation policies, have not adequately accounted for wildfire-related emissions, particularly in warming environments where forests increasingly act as carbon sources rather than sinks. The brief noted that fires in Canada’s boreal forests alone emitted 2 gigatonnes of CO2 in 2023—23% of global wildfire emissions—and called for reforms to carbon accounting frameworks. It recommended adaptive governance approaches and the use of real-time satellite monitoring to better reflect dynamic forest conditions in climate mitigation strategies.
- Decarbonisation divestment - Italian multinational oil and gas company Eni is in talks to sell its carbon capture, utilisation, and storage (CCUS) business to investment manager BlackRock, Reuters reported Tuesday. Eni said that they were in exclusive talks to sell a 49.9% stake to Blackrock’s infrastructure fund GIP, though several groups presented bids for the business. GIP would not only acquire a stake but also support investments to develop the CCUS project portfolio, which includes the Hynet and Bacton projects in Britain and L10 in the Netherlands. The measure is part of Eni’s broader strategy to develop dedicated units and sell minority stakes to fund their growth, Reuters said, which allows Eni to expand its low-carbon businesses while preserving its capacity to invest in oil and gas.
- Brazilian rice - Project developer AgriCapture announced the launch of its first Brazil-based rice carbon project that will introduce farmers to new sustainable growing practices. The programme is expected to allow Brazilian rice growers to gain access to global carbon markets and receive funds for adopting climate-smart practices, such as sustainable irrigation practices. The project is AgriCapture’s first international expansion, according to the Tuesday press release. The developer also established the US Rice Methane Reduction Project, which has generated 37,600 offsets. To date, AgriCapture has sold over 32,500 of those credits.
- A US-based agtech firm has inked another deal with a tech multinational involving 60,000 removal credits stemming from soil enrichment projects, according to a Tuesday announcement.
- Governments and state-owned enterprises in Guyana, Brazil, and Peru last week took steps to shore up REDD+ projects as part of an ostensibly regional push to fight deforestation.
- 18:46 GMTTrial time - South Carolina Circuit Court Judge Roger Young will hear a motion Thursday and Friday from the fossil fuel industry to dismiss a lawsuit brought by the city of Charleston, South Carolina seeking compensation from companies for alleged climate deception and environmental negligence. The hearing follows Young's April ruling requesting both sides to outline their thoughts on how President Donald Trump’s executive order targeting such climate lawsuits may affect the case. (E&E News)
- A company producing acid and other products from industrial CO2 emissions has partnered with a chemicals corporation to access the carbon emitted from a facility in Texas.
- Coffee farms in Brazil’s Amazon region are removing more carbon from the atmosphere than they emit, according to a new government study, potentially strengthening the sector’s sustainability case amid tightening international deforestation rules.
- 14:05 GMTThree of the 10 startups taking part in the inaugural Blue Carbon Plus (BC+) Challenge – a new initiative run by Hatch Blue, Conservation International, and The Nature Conservancy – have been selected as the recipients of a $150,000 grant:
- Mapape Co-operative Society (Tanzania): This community-led enterprise integrates mangrove and seagrass restoration with sustainable livelihoods, including sea cucumber farming, crab fattening, and mangrove beekeeping. (Winner of the community-led enterprise category)
- Mena Tsook (Madagascar): A social enterprise that transforms sea urchins into eco-friendly cosmetics and decor, while actively restoring seagrass meadows. (Winner of the pilot stage project category)
- Phyto Corporation (Mexico): Focused on restoring salt-affected coastal areas by cultivating Salicornia crops, this initiative generates blue carbon credits and produces food and ingredient products. (Winner of the scaling stage innovation category)
- Making its mark - Colombian agroindustrial firm Riopaila Castilla has certified over 11,500 offsets through its conservation efforts in Vichada as part of the Orinoco2 project, marking its entry into the voluntary carbon market. The company achieved a 300% increase in carbon capture across 1,083 hectares of protected land between 2018 and 2022, El Pais reports. This initiative contributes to its goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2030 and supports broader ESG commitments. Riopaila Castilla conserves over 7,000 hectares of forests and has implemented regenerative agriculture practices, including biological pest control and precision fertilisation, significantly reducing its environmental impact. In 2024 alone, it planted over 19,000 native trees and reduced chemical insecticide use by 85%. The firm has adopted a circular economy model, achieving energy self-sufficiency through sugarcane bagasse, recycling 97% of its water, and using organic fertilisers. Carbon credit revenues will fund local social and environmental projects, including sustainable farming and forest conservation in Vichada. This comprehensive sustainability strategy has also led to a 34% drop in GHG emissions by 2024 and demonstrates how agroindustry can align profitability with climate action and community development.
- 13:26 GMTInvasive species impose an annual cost of up to $35 billion on society, approximately 17 times more than previously estimated, according to a paper released this week.
- US-headquartered non-profit SeaTrees has introduced a class of “premium” marine biodiversity credits, alongside another category that combines them with carbon, with more new categories of units yet to come.
- 04:00 GMTAs the US government retreats from climate action and undermines emissions policies, the rest of the world is advancing a global carbon economy that increasingly values nature-based carbon sinks, but mistrust in carbon accounting has devalued credits. Now, atmospheric monitoring technology offers a path to restoring market integrity, investment, and climate impact through more accurate, transparent verification.
- A Peruvian bill that would establish a state-mediated ‘carbon bank’ has finally broken out of committee and can be debated in the national congress – but it might struggle to score a slot on the legislative agenda, according to local sources.
- 00:48 GMTColombia’s Ministry of Environment has doubled funding for local environmental authorities and the restoration of an additional 100,000 hectares of degraded land by next year in response to increased deforestation in key protected areas.
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