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- Although no federal agency has statutory authority to impose carbon credit integrity standards, the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) may be best positioned to influence the market, according to a new report.
- Lost legislation - A landmark US bipartisan climate change law focused on helping farmers navigate the country's carbon markets and cut GHG emissions may not come to fruition, E&E News reported. The Growing Climate Solutions Act, enacted by Congress in 2022, aimed to create a network of government-certified providers to verify GHG reductions climate-friendly farm practices, but the Department of Agriculture has shown few signs of implementing the law. In the final days of the administration of President Joe Biden in January, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced the appointment of over 30 members to an advisory council intended to facilitate wider stakeholder engagement in the Greenhouse Gas Technical Assistance Provider and Third-Party Verifier Program, an initiative founded under the Growing Climate Solutions Act.
- Tue 20:59The secretariat of the ART programme has opened version 3.0 of its TREES jurisdictional REDD+ (J-REDD) standard for public consultation, filled with clarifying notes and new information – including on the ‘high forest, low deforestation’ (HFLD) methodology.
- Climate watch - Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), a US-based environmental advocacy organisation, has filed an amended amicus brief in a class action lawsuit against Apple's sustainability marketing practices to correct legal errors that it said could create uncertainty and discourage corporate climate action. EDF filed the original amicus brief last month in support of the tech giant, stating that Apple’s approach of "deep decarbonisation paired with high-quality carbon credits represents credible climate action". The lawsuit challenges the company’s carbon neutral claim for its Series 9 Apple Watch through the use of alleged "redundant and ineffective offsets".
- Salty storage - The National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL), a US Department of Energy national laboratory, has launched CO2-S-COM-Offshore, a technoeconomic modelling tool for assessing the feasibility of offshore carbon storage projects in saline reservoirs in the Gulf of Mexico. The tool allows users to analyse project costs across various stages – including site selection, permitting, transport, operations, and decommissioning – by adjusting key inputs such as injection rates, monitoring levels, and financing models. The tool is designed to be adaptable and evolve as the carbon storage industry advances and new regulations are enacted, according to the NETL.
- Campaign promises - Guyana’s main opposition coalition, A Partnership for National Unity (APNU), has pledged to increase the share of Guyana’s carbon credit revenues allocated to Indigenous communities from 15% to 50% if elected in the upcoming September elections. Speaking at a rally, Prime Ministerial candidate Juretha Fernandes stated that, under APNU leadership, these funds would be distributed directly to Indigenous families, rather than through community leaders. The commitment follows Guyana’s $750 mln carbon credit deal under the Architecture for REDD+ Transactions (ART) initiative, which currently directs 15% of proceeds to Amerindian villages for community-led projects. (Guyana News)
- Tue 19:31Major voluntary carbon market (VCM) standard Verra announced Tuesday it posted a $19.37 million financial loss in 2024 as it undertook a major transformation, but said there are indications its course correction is working.
- Carbon offsets for customers - Hybrid Power Solutions, a Canadian clean energy company specialising in portable, off-grid power systems, has partnered with Terrapass, a US-based provider of carbon offset products, to offer customers a way to offset emissions from hybrid systems that still require diesel or propane generators. The initiative aims to allow users to purchase certified carbon credits and receive impact reports tied to verified offset projects, including forestry and methane capture.
Hydro boost - Brazilian utilities company Eletrobras has signed a contract to sell carbon credits generated by the Teles Pires hydroelectric plant to the state-backed Banco do Brasil (MegaWhat). In turn, Banco do Brasil has brokered the sale of 992 credits to Brasilseg Companhia de Seguros, supporting the insurance company’s push to offset some 1,985 tCO2e in GHG emissions across Scopes 1, 2, and 3. No prices have been disclosed for the transaction. Banco do Brasil VP of Wholesale Business Francisco Lassalvia welcomed the development, noting it marked an expansion of the bank’s offerings to include a new type of financial intermediation.
Sustainable skincare - Canadian skincare company Deciem has partnered with nature restoration platform veritree to plant 110,000 post-wildfire trees and kelp across British Columbia and Alberta, the companies announced on Monday. The project is expected to sequester over 43,800 tCO2, equivalent to offsetting emissions from producing and shipping more than 55 mln skincare units. The partnership is part of DECIEM’s broader environmental strategy and veritree’s global restoration work.
- Tue 15:36A New York-based forest carbon project developer has closed a project finance facility worth up to $210 million to support an afforestation project in the voluntary carbon market (VCM), in what the company said is the first financing of its kind in the sector.
- Tue 15:22DAC partners - Capture6, a supplier of direct air capture (DAC) carbon removals, has partnered with registry Isometric to issue DAC credits. The partnership will see Isometric issue credits in accordance with the Isometric Standard and the Direct Air Capture Protocol. Capture6's technology uses saltwater and renewable energy to remove CO2 from the atmosphere, whilst producing freshwater for drinking, agriculture, or industry. It can be integrated with existing infrastructure such as desalination plants and water treatment facilities.
- Tue 15:08The Democratic Republic of Congo’s (DRC) environment ministry has requested the inclusion of a carbon tax on industrial GHG emissions in the country’s 2026 finance law, according to an official letter sent to the budget ministry earlier this month.
- Tue 14:38Voluntary carbon crediting body Gold Standard has published activity requirements for carbon removal projects, in an update Tuesday.
- Tue 14:17The potential volume of the LEAF Coalition's pipeline of emissions reduction payment agreements stands at 174.19 million tonnes of CO2e, which equates to at least $1.74 billion in results-based finance, according to a new UN report.
- African carbon potential - Malawi has so far generated MWK 300 mln ($150,000) through carbon trading from the sale of about 75,000 carbon credits, through frameworks such as the Green Development Mechanism and REDD+ initiative. In 2023, the southeast African country finalised the Malawi Carbon Regulatory Framework and the government views credits as a way to bring foreign capital to Malawi and restore its degraded forests. The potential value of Malawi's carbon credits is estimated at 19,882,395 tonnes per annum - translating to over $600 mln annually. The World Bank estimates Malawi can earn between $25-70 mln annually from its forest carbon. (Unsustainable Magazine)
- Tue 10:17CDR grant -Â The Wren Climate Collective is offering a $100,000 non-dilutive grant for early-stage carbon removal (CDR) companies, to help them accelerate their technologies from lab to pilot and then commercial scale. This year, the non-profit is focused on projects with a technology readiness level (TRL) between 2-6 and companies with fewer than 1,000 tonnes under contract (pre-purchases). Interested parties can apply here.
- Carbon advisory purchase -Â PNZ (Powering Net Zero) Group has acquired Arete Zero Carbon, a carbon and sustainability consultancy that helps UK businesses measure, manage, and reduce their carbon emissions, it stated Tuesday in a press release. It will now operate as PNZ Advisory and will join PNZ Carbon and PNZ Energy under the PNZ Group umbrella, which brings together advisory, clean energy infrastructure, and access to verified carbon credits to help clients in their net zero journey.
- Tue 09:06Crediting biodiversity and blue carbon projects are among key viable options for the Pacific to raise finance from nature-based solutions (NbS), according to a recent regional report.
