A UN-backed incubator of nature market models on Thursday announced support for seven initiatives around the world with the aim of unlocking up to $200 million in restoration investment.

The Clean Cooking Alliance (CCA) has unveiled a new open-access online platform aimed at accelerating the development of clean cooking carbon projects by improving access to household energy data.

Bon Bonn - Brazil's COp30 presidency sees June's intersessional meeting in Bonn as an opportunity to restore confidence in climate negotiations, accelerate action, and instil a sense of urgency, it said in a statement on Wednesday. The presidency plans to hold at least 12 events over the 10 days, and play an prominent role in plenary and negotiating sessions. It will follow three pillars of work during the SB62 meeting, it said: strengthening multilateralism and the UNFCCC regime, connecting climate decisions to real world lives, and accelerating implementation of the Paris Agreement. Brazil is also proposing a "Day Zero" of informal talks among heads of delegations, before the first day on June 16.

Low risk - Malaysia’s commodities minister expressed concerns on Wednesday about the EU's designation of the country as "standard risk" under the new anti-deforestation law, Reuters reported. According to the minister, the classification was based on outdated data from 2020, as the country has since implemented sufficient measures to deserve a "low-risk" classification. Countries classified as "standard risk" will undergo less stringent compliance checks for goods exported to the EU than those classified as "high risk." In contrast, "low-risk" countries will face even easier due diligence requirements. Indonesia and Brazil have also been designated as "standard risk."

A blockchain-based carbon metadata project has released a new version of its model, which is now available for public consultation.

A Malaysian asset management company has partnered with developer South Pole to develop carbon credits across Southeast Asia.

Geothermal energy is racing up the leaderboard for innovation to become a contender as the next technology to transform the energy sector, although oil majors may slow progress after many cut spending on low-carbon projects, analysts have said.

Palm oil credits – Thai biochar producer Wongphai has expanded its operations to palm oil, hoping to generate carbon credits by converting residues from palm oil production into biochar, the company announced on LinkedIn. Biochar can eliminate open burning, restore soil fertility, store carbon, and support sustainable tourism and farming, the statement said. The company recently launched its first palm oil biochar pilot in Krabi. Thailand is the third largest palm oil producer in the world. WongPhai began its operations in Jan. 2023 and works with local bamboo marketplaces to stop the hazardous burning of bamboo offcuts, which is usually decomposed in a pile or is burned in open bonfires, creating pollution.

Blue ESG Dragon - Vietnam's financial sector is accelerating its shift toward sustainable and green economic development, driven by government initiatives and rising private sector engagement, Reccessary reports. In 2024, a record 33 financial institutions released sustainability reports, with more than 10 publishing dedicated ESG disclosures. The State Bank of Vietnam highlighted progress but also noted challenges, including legal gaps and data limitations, urging greater use of AI and digital tools. Green lending is growing steadily, with outstanding green credit surpassing VND 704.2 trillion ($27.1 bln) across 58 institutions in Q1 2025 - a 3.5% rise from the previous quarter and an average annual growth rate of 21.2% over seven years. However, green loans still account for just 4.2% of total credit. The government has approved a 2% interest rate subsidy for businesses aligned with ESG or circular economy goals, and is developing a national green taxonomy, expected by year-end. Experts view sustainable finance as a key innovation driver in Asia, with Vietnam positioning itself for continued momentum despite broader macroeconomic concerns.

Australian researchers have found that livestock farms can transition to net zero emissions by 2050 while boosting profits, but only if mitigation measures are bundled and tailored to local conditions.

Leaving the post - In Malaysia, Minister of Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability (NRES) Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmed has resigned after he failed to secure his post in recent party elections, he announced in a LinkedIn post on Wednesday. Nik Nazmi’s tenure saw many reforms in the environment sector in Malaysia, including amendment of the Environmental Quality Act 1974 and strengthening environmental impact assessment requirements. Malaysia also became one of the earliest countries to submit its National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plan (NBSAP), Nik Nazmi said. Malaysia’s National Climate Change Bill is now in the final stages of being tabled to the cabinet and parliament, which will provide a foundation for the domestic carbon market.

A paper released on Tuesday called on sports organisations to assess their direct and indirect impacts on nature to mitigate biodiversity-related risk and align with global regulations and targets.

Standards body and registry Verra announced a long-term partnership Wednesday in support of the organisation’s efforts to automate and digitise project development for the voluntary carbon market (VCM).

Japan's parliament on Wednesday enacted an amendment to the country's green transformation law, making it mandatory for companies with annual CO2 emissions of 100,000 tonnes or more to participate in the national emissions trading system from FY2026.

Carbon markets seek to incentivise climate action by attaching financial value to emissions reductions, but a senior research scholar at Stanford has instead proposed shifting to a system where carbon emissions are treated like long-lived financial liabilities.

Green steel is likely a long way off from being a commercially viable product, but producers could take a range of steps now to begin cutting emissions that would barely affect their bottom line, a conference in Singapore heard this week. 

The Australian government has approved a proposal to extend Woodside Energy’s North West Shelf (NWS) gas facility to 2070, it announced Wednesday.

Active private sector projects financed by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) have avoided 23.5 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent annually as of the end of 2024, according to an internal review of its activities.

Mitsui OSK Lines (MOL) has become the first in Japan's shipping sector to retire technology-based carbon removal credits, it announced Wednesday.

SAF project - SAFasia and Emerging Fuels Technology have signed an MoU for the implementation of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) production projects in the Philippines, according to a company statement. These projects will make use of biogas produced from agricultural waste as feedstock and incorporate a reactor solution developed by Germany-based Caphenia. They will serve as the foundation for planned SAF plants across the Philippines and Southeast Asia, the statement said.

Coalition - The Taiwan Stock Exchange (TWSE) has launched an initiative aimed at creating nature-based carbon sinks, according to a statement released this week. TWSE said it will join hands with government agencies like the environment and agriculture ministries to promote locally-created carbon sinks and biodiversity conservation, encouraging listed companies to pursue sustainability. No specific credit purchase targets were given in the release.

Peer pressure – Officials warned New Zealand climate minister Simon Watts last year to expect scrutiny from other governments of a huge shortfall in its plans to meet its NDC. Government documents released to RNZ under the Official Information Act showed that Watts was warned last year about the lack of plans to meet the 84 mln shortfall in the country’s plan, due to its failure to commit to buying units from overseas via Article 6. The officials also highlighted to the minister cabinet decisions to use overseas credits dating back to 2015 – the year the Paris Agreement was signed, for which New Zealand was a key proponent of the inclusion of market mechanisms and international collaboration. Opposition climate spokesperson Megan Woods told Carbon Pulse in December that the winding back of policies to address gross emissions in the government’s second emissions reduction plan, released the same month, means it would have to rely more on overseas credits. Last week, non-profit Lawyers for Climate Action NZ said the government’s 2025 budget shows it is not serious about meeting its NDC, as no funding had been allocated to purchasing units to cover its shortfall.

The New Zealand government has put forward the option to ignore advice from the Climate Change Commission (CCC) to boost auction volumes at the end of the decade, in its annual consultation on ETS price controls and settings. 

Project partnership - Australian tech company NoviqTech has announced a project partnership with battery recycling company Livium, The partnership between the two ASX-listed companies will support the tokenisation of environmental benefits of Livium's advanced battery recycling operations via NoviqTech's Carbon Central platform, the company said. Livium's recycling process recovers critical minerals from batteries at the end of their life, reducing the need to mine new materials and generate subsequent emissions. NoviqTech's Carbon Central platform will track mineral recovery and emissions to generate tokenised attributes and support compliance with evolving global regulations on battery traceability and carbon emissions reporting, it said.