The 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.

An Almaty-headquartered nature-based solutions (NbS) startup has partnered with a Colorado-based soil carbon verification firm to restore grasslands and generate high-integrity carbon removal credits in Kazakhstan.

Three 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)

The BC+ Challenge is a collaborative initiative that aims to accelerate business models to incentivise the conservation and restoration of blue carbon ecosystems - such as mangroves, seagrasses, tidal marshes, and macroalgae - while supporting local economies through technical assistance and grant funding. The inaugural BC+ Challenge, announced earlier this year, took place in Singapore from May 5-9, culminating in a pitch competition where the three winners each took home $50,000.

Invasive 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.

Some more J-Credits - Japanese developer ByWill on Tuesday announced that it will support the creation of J-Credits in Fukushima through the introduction of LED lighting fixtures as a measure to combat rising prices for small and medium-sized enterprises and support their decarbonisation. ByWill has also signed an agreement with Sanjusan Bank and Odai Town in Mie prefecture for the generation and distribution of J-Credits.

More work needed - An Asia Clean Energy Coalition (ACEC) report has found that improving renewable energy policies across Japan, Indonesia, Singapore, South Korea, and Vietnam, could unlock about $27 bln in regional GDP, generate 435,000 new jobs, and increase total wages by around $15 bln. About 85% of Asia Pacific’s energy is still sourced from non-renewable sources and without significant reforms, the region will fall short of its renewable energy capacity targets by 30% by 2030. While some countries have started implementing power purchase agreements (PPA), utility green tariffs, and energy attribute certificate (EAC) frameworks, further policy support is needed to unlock private sector investment. As companies across the region expand their clean energy procurement, the lack of accessible and scalable procurement mechanisms also remains a key barrier, according to the report.

Assessing impacts - Australia's Net Zero Economic Authority (NZEA) on Tuesday launched a consultation to consider if an Energy Industry Jobs Plan framework should be applied to businesses impacted by the upcoming closure of the 2.8 GW Eraring Power Station in New South Wales in 2027. The authority said the consultation would help determine how workers and businesses will be impacted by the coal-fired power station's closure and what support is being provided for workers in the region to prepare for new employment. NZEA CEO David Shankey said the closure will directly impact 216 workers, along with workers from dependent businesses. The consultation closes on July 18.

Indonesia this week released its long-awaited power supply plan for 2025-34, laying out a pivot toward renewable energy and storage, but analysts warn the country must overcome persistent deployment bottlenecks to meet its targets.

Wired - Energy players from Malaysia, Singapore, and Vietnam have agreed to explore renewable electricity exports from Vietnam via a new subsea cable. Malaysia’s TNB and Petronas, Vietnam’s PTSC, and Singapore’s Sembcorp aim to harness Vietnam’s offshore wind resources to supply clean power across borders. The agreement, signed on the sidelines of the ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur, supports regional grid integration under the ASEAN Power Grid initiative. It comes as Singapore targets 6 GW of low-carbon electricity imports by 2035.

Something fishy – A group of 14 Pacific Island nations is set to receive the $100 mln granted to it by the Green Climate Fund (GCF) earlier this year to study climate change impacts on tuna stocks. The countries will use the cash to study tuna migration patterns, as current models suggest the fish will be driven further east, out of the Pacific exclusive economic zone, by warmer seas. It will also be used to shore up the communities depending on tuna-related income by addressing the food insecurity and economic risks caused by climate change. In an interview with the ABC, Tuvalu's Director of Fisheries Samasoni Finikaso said that the access fees for tuna fishing paid by commercial vessels accounted for 40% of the government’s budget and more than 60% of locally-collected revenue, and called on the world to move quicker to reduce GHG emissions.

As 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.

Sparking a change – Think-tank Rewiring Aotearoa has released its 2025 policy manifesto, calling on New Zealand politicians from all parties to support a drive for greater electrification to cut emissions and reduce household bills. It laid out a raft of initiatives which decision-makers could implement, including supporting the phase out of natural gas for commercial and residential use, relaxing capital rules for banks offering low-interest electrification loans, subsidise solar panels and batteries for homes, and to support export-focused agritech electrification R&D. In an accompanying open letter to ministers, Members of Parliament, regulators, and officials, CEO Mike Casey said the group’s vision uses technology that is currently available, and would save NZ$29 mln ($17.4 mln) per day if fully implemented.

Hydrogen regulation – The New Zealand government has opened a consultation on regulatory options for naturally occurring and orange hydrogen, saying it could drive economic growth and improve energy resilience. Orange hydrogen is generated by pumping water and CO2 into particular minerals below ground to stimulate hydrogen gas creation. The consultation document proposes two options, either regulating it as a mineral under the Crown Minerals Act, or as a non-mineral and manage it under the Resource Management Act or a new regime. In a press release, Resources Minister Shane Jones said natural and orange hydrogen could be a game-changer for the country’s energy sector, especially hard-to-electrify industries. The deadline for submissions is July 4, 2025.

The federal government has committed A$4.4 million ($2.8 mln) in grant funding to a Safeguard-covered alumina refinery in Western Australia to investigate electrification options, it announced Tuesday.

A surge in data centres across Southeast Asia, which are notorious for driving up electricity demand, could lead to a ballooning of power sector emissions by 2030, unless governments fast-track solar and wind deployment and enforce energy efficiency measures, think tank Ember has warned.