- Taking applications – Brazil’s National Bank for Social and Economic Development (BNDES), state-owned oil giant Petrobras, and the Financier of Studies and Projects (Finep) – which is linked to the Ministry of Science, Technology, and Innovation – announced Wednesday a public call for the selection of the managing and structuring entity for the Equity Investment Fund (FIP). The EIP fund will be dedicated to energy transition and decarbonisation, aiming to take minority stakes in startups and technology-based micro-, small-, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) in Brazil. CCUS and sustainable fuels are among the target areas of investment for the EIP, which the partners said may reach up to R$500 mln ($88.8 mln), with BNDES, Petrobras, and Finep planning to provide R$435 mln collectively. The selection process is expected to be completed in October, and operations to start in the first half of 2026. The total term of the FIP will be up to 12 years.
- Thu 00:52Proposals for some form of US carbon border adjustment mechanism (CBAM) should include the implementation of a national carbon price, as well as exempt exporting entities for their domestic CO2 costs, according to a report.
- Thu 00:01Just $1.2 billion currently flows to marine protection annually, compared to the $15.8 bln needed every year to protect and conserve at least 30% of the world's oceans by 2030, according to a report released on Thursday.
- Wed 22:52Climate-absent agriculture - The House Appropriations Committee submitted on Wednesday one of several appropriations bills upcoming for FY2026, with implications for climate funding in agriculture. A bill summary noted that the $21.9 bln provided for the US Department of Agriculture reflects eliminated funding for climate hubs, but includes increases for high-priority initiatives such as emerging pests and diseases. The agriculture subcommittee will markup this bill on Thursday.
- Wed 22:51New research shows that the shipping industry could reduce a sizeable chunk of its CO2 emissions by ditching “first-come, first-served” port arrival systems and implementing queueing systems that don’t incentivise ships to rush to their destination.
- Wed 22:35A representative of the Brazilian COP30 presidency said during a webinar Wednesday that the nation is keen to draw focus to carbon markets at the upcoming climate talks.
Diesel drop - Aggreko, a UK-based provider of modular energy and temperature control solutions, announced it replaced diesel with hydrotreated vegetable oil at four of its North American facilities—Pearland, TX, New Iberia, San Francisco, and Los Angeles—claiming to cut diesel-related carbon emissions by up to 60%. The biofuel is now used for onsite operations, including generator testing and fuelling service vehicles.
- Wed 22:07The US Department of Transportation (DOT) released a report Wednesday finding California’s high-speed rail project to be in default of the terms of two federal grants totalling roughly $4 billion.
- Oil tax trade - Chevron’s Project Labrador, a natural gas-powered hydrogen plant, in Southeast Texas will be built in a new tax break zone, according to a report by Beaumont Enterprise. Jefferson County signed the agreement with the oil giant to bring 100 full-time jobs to the area. The plant, expected to break ground in 2029, is a part of Chevron’s broader project to establish a Gulf Coast Hydrogen Hub.
- Wed 18:54Hope for decarbonisation - A report by San Francisco financial services firm, Generate, has found that majority of companies are standing by their decarbonisation commitments, despite a swath of high-profile walk backs from large corporations. The report by Gopal Vemuri, development VP for Generate, stated a comprehensive analysis of over 6,500 companies found 84% standing by their decarbonisation commitments and 37% increasing ambition, compared to 16% decelerating their goals.
- Canadian CO2 cement - Calgary-headquartered Carbon Upcycling, a carbon waste tech company, has signed a deal with infrastructure materials company, Titan Group. According to the agreement, Carbon Upcycling will conduct technical feasibility studies at two Titan cement plants to produce low-carbon cement supplements with captured CO2.
- Wed 18:22The White House last week requested Congress claw back over $2 billion in international finance appropriated to the US State Department, citing concerns about its use for climate projects.
- A US-based, climate-focused investment firm announced it raised over $400 million for its latest early-stage fund, with capital to be deployed into digital and software-enabled companies supporting decarbonisation.
- A Switzerland-headquartered blockchain platform aims to address organic waste methane emissions from landfills it says are rampant yet avoidable, pairing carbon with so-called recycling credits to help companies meet both their decarbonisation and extended producer responsibility (EPR) goals.
- Wed 15:23
Boycott break - Texas has removed BlackRock, a US-based multinational investment company, from its list of companies deemed to be boycotting the energy industry after the firm reduced its involvement in climate-focused initiatives. The removal allows Texas agencies and funds to resume business with BlackRock and may bolster the firm’s defense in a lawsuit brought by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton over its environmental practices. BlackRock stated it invests over $400 bln in Texas assets. The firm was initially added to the boycott list in 2022 under a law targeting financial institutions prioritising environmental and social investment strategies.
- Wed 15:07Hydrogen hopes hampered - Lourenco Goncalves, CEO of US steel manufacturer Cleveland-Cliffs, announced the company is unlikely to proceed with its hydrogen-based steel project in Middletown, Ohio, despite a $500 mln US DOE grant awarded under the Biden administration. Goncalves cited concerns over the insufficient pace of US hydrogen production needed to support the project’s timeline. The company now plans to extend the life of its existing coal-based blast furnace and is renegotiating the terms of the grant with the Trump administration. (E&E News)
- Wed 15:04
Please disregard - The White House’s Office of Management and Budget (OMB) directed the Department of Transportation (DOT) to disregard a Government Accountability Office (GAO) ruling that found the Trump administration violated the law by freezing funding for the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) programme. In a letter, OMB General Counsel Mark Paoletta called the GAO’s finding “wrong and legally indefensible,” arguing that the DOT’s handling of NEVI programme funds complied with statutory requirements and past practices. The GAO previously concluded that the DOT unlawfully withheld funds appropriated under the 2021 bipartisan infrastructure law. (E&E News)
- Wed 14:12A Brazilian healthcare institution has purchased $15,000 worth of voluntary biodiversity credits, becoming the first in its field to finalise a transaction in the emerging market.
- Wed 13:28Demand is growing to decarbonise new gas plants with carbon capture and storage (CCS), particularly to serve the spiralling electricity demand of AI-led data centres, said an industrial group executive, who emphasised the importance of thermal power to maintain system flexibility.
- Wed 13:11An online agtech company has partnered with a Hong-Kong based blockchain network to tokenise carbon credits, in a deal that could see up to 1 million REDD+ in Mexico moved on-chain, the company claimed.
- Wed 11:11Premium pricing and technical complexity are stalling corporate demand for biochar carbon removal, creating procurement hurdles even as companies face pressure to meet net zero targets, according to market participants.
- Wed 10:58May saw a major jump in issuances in the voluntary carbon market (VCM), while monthly retirements also soared 75% year-on-year, putting the market back on track for a record year, new Carbon Pulse analysis of registry data shows.
- Wed 09:14Emerging frameworks in the voluntary water credit market are paving the way for fresh private capital to address the ongoing water crisis, with early movers looking for local buyers.
- Wed 08:05Brazil's Federal Public Ministry (MPF) filed a lawsuit Tuesday requesting the immediate suspension of an international contract for the purchase and sale of carbon credits signed between the state of Para and a coalition of international governments and multinational corporations.
- International carbon exchange ACX Group has teamed up with a local Argentinian marketplace to launch what it claims to be the country’s first digital carbon exchange, the company announced Wednesday.
- Wed 01:12Heating up – Two bands of the globe are heating up faster than elsewhere, according to a study published in the Journal of Climate looking at ocean heat content. The two bands are around the 40th parallel, with the southern hemisphere showed the greatest heating, around the 35-50 degrees latitude south – around New Zealand, Tasmania, and parts of the sea around Argentina. The second band is around 35-45 degrees latitude north, particularly around the east of the US and east of Japan, reported Radio NZ. The scientists said changes in atmospheric aerosols and cloud patterns may have affected sea surface temperatures in the North Pacific and North Atlantic, but also that the movement of warmer air from land over the oceans could also have contributed. They concluded that global warming-induced heat is being systematically redistributed globally by both the atmosphere and ocean currents.
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