Worthy waste - Cielo Waste Solutions, a Canadian company focused on converting waste materials into renewable fuels, announced the launch of its first commercial initiative, Project Nexus, to be built in northern British Columbia. The planned facility will serve as the foundation for Cielo’s scalable Nexus Platform, designed to transform waste such as woody biomass and agricultural residues into renewable natural gas and hydrogen. The project is advancing toward the pre-feed stage, supported by grant applications including a C$5 mln ($3.7 mln) request under the federal Clean Fuels Fund.

California regulator ARB’s latest offset issuance included more credits with direct environmental benefits (DEBs) to the state than otherwise recorded in the past two years, according to data released on Wednesday.

The US Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) on Wednesday announced it has withdrawn its Sep. 2024 final guidance on the listing of voluntary carbon credit derivative contracts.

Power play - Holtec International, a New Jersey-based energy company, is exploring the possibility of restarting the shuttered reactors of the Indian Point nuclear facility in New York at an estimated cost of $10 bln, contingent on state and federal backing, E&E News reported. The proposal comes five years after the plant began shutting down and would face political hurdles given long-standing opposition to nuclear energy near New York City. Holtec President Kelly Trice said both Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) and President Trump’s administrations would need to support the plan, which surfaces as New York shows renewed interest in nuclear power as part of its energy mix.

The incoming Mexican emissions trading system (ETS) will be designed to cover 25-30% of the nation’s emissions reduction goal, and could place a heavy emphasis on offsetting to help sectors comply with its requirements, Mexico’s undersecretary for sustainable development said Wednesday.

The Q3 Washington carbon auction settled well-above secondary prices, surpassing expectations from traders and market analysts shared ahead of the auction, according to a programme notice published Wednesday.

A Brazilian researcher published on Tuesday a proposal for a new methodology to define the baseline of REDD projects in the Amazon Forest.

A major manufacturer in the agriculture space has announced a partnership with a Tennessee-based project developer aimed at enabling farmers to verify their sustainable practices and access the carbon market.

The US EPA has finalised approval of Arizona’s request for Class VI primacy for underground injection wells under the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA).

A group of Republican senators introduced legislation this week targeting the US EPA’s handling of refinery obligations under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS).

Nearly all of the 31 countries that submitted new 2035 climate targets to the UN mention supporting some global clean energy goals, but none address all of them, according to new analysis published today ahead of COP30.

German coal phase-out delay? – Germany should consider pausing the shutdown of its remaining coal power plants until new gas-fired stations are ready to replace them, Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Wednesday at an industry event, Bloomberg reports. While affirming that “nobody wants to stop” the coal phaseout, Merz cautioned against an imbalance between decommissioning and replacement capacity. “We are always quite quick when getting out and it’s quite complicated when getting in,” he told energy company officials gathered in Berlin. “I would like it to be the other way around.” Germany currently plans to exit coal-fired power generation by 2038 at the latest. (Bloomberg)

The carbon removals sector will face a $310 billion funding gap in 2035, up from $90 bln in 2030, according to analysis by market experts.

A majority of global investors thinks the energy transition is “unstoppable”, a survey has found.

European carbon prices climbed to a new eight-month high late on Wednesday after bulls battled all day to see off selling pressure triggered by a steep increase in speculative net length last week, while energy markets also edged higher after a largely rangebound session.

Attribution - A new study published in the scientific journal Nature identifies 213 heatwaves between 2000 and 2023 that were made more likely and more intense by emissions from 180 fossil fuel companies, including the 14 top carbon majors (the former Soviet Union, People’s Republic of China for coal, Saudi Aramco, Gazprom, ExxonMobil, Chevron, National Iranian Oil Company, BP, Shell, India for coal, Pemex, CHN Energy, People’s Republic of China for cement). The team also ran climate models excluding the emissions of individual carbon majors to highlight the effect of single players on the global average temperature. Once climate researchers know how much these companies have contributed to global warming and how this warming affects heatwaves, they can then calculate how much each of these carbon emitters has influenced each individual heatwave. (Nature)

A developer of direct air capture (DAC) in Africa has secured a 10-year "kilotonne-scale" offtake agreement facilitated by a carbon removals marketplace.

Russian roll out - Some 71 climate projects are being implemented in Russia, four of which are in forests, the Registry of Carbon Units said in a statement on Wednesday. The forest climate projects are a mix of afforestation, forestry fire protection, and avoided deforestation, the agency added. Last month, President Putin issued a decree setting an interim target of reducing Russian greenhouse gas emissions by 65-67% by 2035 relative to 1990 levels, "taking into account the maximum possible absorption capacity of forests and other ecosystems", the statement said.

African leaders launched two new investment initiatives for low-carbon industrialisation at the close of the second Africa Climate Summit on Wednesday, and stressed the importance of nature-based solutions as a gateway to both climate resilience and sustainable development.

The fall of the French government, and trees - A political crisis in France is threatening the EU's Deforestation Regulation, following a blow from the EU-US trade agreement that recognised that US commodities pose “negligible risk to global deforestation”. According to forest campaigners like Earthsight and Fern, the defeat of Prime Minister Francois Bayrou in a confidence vote on Monday could end up with fatal consequences for the already endangered bill since President Macron's government remained its most vocal advocate. Meanwhile, Romanian investigative NGO Agent Green and Swiss-based NGO Bruno Manser Fonds submitted new evidence to the European Commission showing that Romania is home to much of Europe’s last primary and old-growth forests, but they are being logged at alarming rates, including inside Natura 2000 and other protected areas.

Carbon capture partners - Carbon capture technology provider Capsol Technologies is expanding its strategic partnership with Munters, a global provider of mass transfer, mist elimination, and humidity control solutions, the two announced in a release Wednesday. The agreement builds on a partnership started last year to increase carbon capture efficiency and bring down costs through joint R&D efforts and testing. They intend to serve more projects in the market with Capsol’s carbon capture process and Munters' mass transfer and mist elimination solutions. Munters has also boosted its investment in Capsol Technologies with an additional €2 mln through a private placement, bringing its total investment to date to €4 mln.

Plug-in hybrid cars emit on average five times more carbon than official tests suggest, according to EU data published Wednesday, as the bloc’s car lobby steps up pressure on the European Commission to scrap emissions targets.

OMG the IMR - Following last week's Methodologies Expert Panel (MEP), a new user guide and forms have been released for the Article 6.4 Interim Mechanism Registry (IMR), which was launched in late 2024 as a temporary system until the final PACM registry is ready. The IMR supports early transactions, allows transfers of CERs from the CDM registry, and ensures continuity for participating countries and entities. As well, a roster of experts for the Article 6.4 Appeal and Grievance Procedure has also been finalised. Panels of three experts will be appointed to review appeals and grievances, helping to ensure fairness, transparency, accountability, and respect for human rights. Other MEP meeting outcomes are available here.

Rising electricity prices are too often blamed on renewable energy when in fact it is part of the solution to cutting reliance on imported fossil fuels and tackling the climate crisis, Slovenia’s state secretary for the environment, climate and energy has said.

The EU’s General Court on Tuesday dismissed Austria’s bid to block the inclusion of nuclear energy and gas in the bloc’s sustainable finance taxonomy, ruling that the European Commission acted within its mandate when it classified certain activities in the two sectors as climate-friendly under specific conditions.

Liechtenstein beats Brussels - The alpine microstate published its updated 2035 Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) on Wednesday, targeting a 68% reduction in emissions compared to 1990. This builds on its 2030 NDC, which targeted a 55% reduction. The EU is yet to submit its new Paris plan.      

Make your mark - Planet Mark has appointed Avital Johanan as its new Managing Director, succeeding Steve Malkin, who founded the company and will now transition into a senior advisor role. Avi joined the company in 2024 as Chief Product Officer and previously held senior leadership roles at IHS Markit. Planet Mark will now place greater emphasis on supply chain risk management and SME engagement, a release stated.

A last-minute deal has been reached between lawmakers to extend California's cap-and-trade programme beyond 2030, causing allowances prices to surge by more than 5% on Wednesday.

Norway has called on the European Commission to expand the EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) to include more downstream products and strengthen anti-circumvention rules, warning that gaps in the regulation could undermine its effectiveness.

This month's decree on the French low-carbon label scheme (Label bas carbone) lays the foundation for a functioning market of tradeable carbon credits, rather than just a static certification tool for emissions reductions, according to an oil major executive and carbon markets expert.

ERW challenges - Brazil-based InPlanet said in a blog post that its first enhanced rock weathering (ERW) deployment revealed several hurdles for scaling the approach. These included difficulty resolving trace elements in clay-rich soils, unexpected cation increases in control plots likely from cattle grazing, and mismatches between solid- and liquid-phase measurements due to unreliable water sampling. The firm said it addressed these issues through adjustments to sampling protocols and conservative crediting practices. Improved MRV tools and conservative accounting are essential to avoid overcrediting, it added.

Fund misuse in Tanzania - Tanzania’s anti-corruption watchdog has called for greater transparency in the country’s carbon credit trade, questioning the management of TZS 30 bln ($11 mln) disbursed to three district councils. Head of the Prevention and Combating of Corruption Bureau (PCCB) Crispin Chalamila said that Tanzania Carbon Limited, the company measuring and monetising credits, operates without sufficient oversight, and warned that much of the revenue has not been reinvested in environmental protection but instead loaned out without repayment, media outlet The Chanzo reported.

In a monthly update to its EU carbon forecasts, a team of analysts has heavily reduced its outlook for benchmark prices under the new ETS2 cap-and-trade system for heating fuels and transport, now expecting the market to hit just shy of €150 by the end of the decade.

Russia’s largest airline has signed a deal with a major domestic bank to develop voluntary carbon offsetting options for passengers, using units from Russian climate projects, local media reported Monday.

Central banks in ASEAN+3 - China, Japan, and South Korea - are advancing efforts to include climate risk into financial regulations, but their policies stop short of forcing a shift away from fossil fuels, a webinar heard Wednesday.

As part of a new "engagement first" push, financial institutions may still lend in a manner that increases GHG emissions in the short term, the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) said Wednesday, as the organisation unveiled more details about its revised net zero standard for the sector.

The BNP Paribas Future Forest Fund has announced the acquisition of two properties spanning 8,550 hectares of sustainably managed timberland across the US, marking its first investment.

Norway has scrapped plans to award a new contract for its tropical forest satellite data initiative after a court upheld a complaint against the award decision, the government said Tuesday.

Expanded scope - Verra is expanding the scope of its CCS methodology VM0049, with calls for interest posted for two new modules on biomass conversion and industrial heat and power. Those interested in providing financial or technical support to developing these modules are invited to submit their interest here.

Nearly all members of the European Parliament voted in favour of measures to simplify the EU's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) on Wednesday, paving the way for the proposal to become law in the coming weeks.

Canada can capture a significant share of the global trillion-dollar carbon removal (CDR) market opportunity, but must guarantee demand and mobilise capital to do so, according to a number of policy recommendations made Tuesday.

Battery funding - Fidra Energy has reached financial close on the UK's largest battery storage facility, securing around £1 bln of capital from EIG Partners and the National Wealth Fund (NWF), alongside global lenders. The deal consists of £445 mln of new equity investment from EIG and the NWF, and £594 mln of loans from a club of international lenders. Thorpe Marsh in South Yorkshire is expected to be capable of exporting over 2 mln MWh a year, supplying over 785,000 homes. The project is expected to start operating in mid-2027 and to be the largest battery storage facility in the UK and among the largest in Europe. Fidra has signed long-term offtakes with EDF, Octopus Energy, and Statkraft for around 80% of the project’s capacity, and in Mar. 2025, secured a 15-year capacity market award from the UK government starting in Oct. 2028.

A group of Singapore-based environmental groups have called on the government to improve the transparency of its carbon tax regime, warning that allowances for heavy industries and a lack of disclosure in how these are calculated risk undermining the city-state’s climate targets.

Weakening the EU's upcoming Emissions Trading System for buildings and road transport fuels (ETS2) would undermine climate targets and force governments to adopt costlier policies, a car industry group has warned.

Crunching the numbers - The US EPA’s draft analysis supporting repeal of the GHG endangerment finding and federal vehicle climate standards claims the moves would save the US up to $444 bln a year through 2055, but it runs counter to prior EPA work and omits core analytical steps. According to Climatewire, the 63-page regulatory impact analysis (RIA), which is only around 3.5% of the length of the combined Biden-era RIAs, reuses modelling outputs with altered assumptions, contains no new modelling of economic, pollution, health, or employment effects, and provides scant discussion of climate impacts, effectively valuing climate damages at zero. Critics, including former EPA officials and legal scholars, say the pared-back approach, unexplained fuel-price claims, and reduced estimates of particulate-matter health benefits expose the package – touted by EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin as the agency’s largest deregulatory action – to legal risk. The analysis concedes slightly higher gasoline prices from rollback, yet also asserts prices would be $1 per gallon cheaper than a prior EIA outlook, without clear support. The EPA cites Obama-era precedent for not quantifying the downstream costs and benefits of the endangerment finding, even as the administration argues that such impacts should have been considered in 2009. The agency also lowers projected health benefits from cleaner air, argues EV-related power demand offsets earlier gains, and assumes “incidental” fossil-fuel cost increases versus the Biden-era baseline. The EPA has previously estimated about $150 bln per year in avoided-warming benefits from vehicle rules. External researchers say the EPA selectively applied literature, including truncating fuel-saving payback periods, which would materially understate the costs of repeal. The EPA says the draft RIA will not form the rule’s basis, and it aims to finalise the package by year-end. Court challenges are still expected.

More steel, more coal - India's push to expand steel production will lead to a rise in demand for coking coal from 87 Mt in FY2025 to 135 Mt by FY2030, according to a report released Wednesday by EY's consulting arm and Indian Steel Association. The steel sector is already responsible for about 12% of India’s total emissions, compared with a global average of 7-8%, driven by coking coal intensive blast furnaces. Australia is the top exporter of coking coal, but its mines harbour a hidden methane problem.

The UK government has extended a public consultation on policies to help grow the market for low-carbon industrial goods by two weeks, aimed at helping buyers identify and compare cleaner steel, cement, and concrete. 

A carbon insurance company has launched an assessment platform for developers to ascertain the insurability of their project for free, helping them to de-risk projects and attract investment.

Spanish growth - Sunotec, a European provider of large-scale solar plants and with 11 GW of capacity globally, has launched Sunotec Iberia, a new division focused on expanding its footprint in Spain, Portugal, and Latin America. In Latin America, the company hopes to exploit the region's abundant solar resources and increasing renewable commitments through expanding particularly in Chile, Mexico, Colombia, Guatemala, and the Dominican Republic. Sunotec has welcomed Alejandro Ramos to become the managing director of the new division, bringing nearly 10 years of renewable energy experience. In addition to Bárbara Llinares, who will be turnkey engineer director for Iberia and Latam and has over 10 years of experience in large-scale PV.

The Indian government is preparing an INR 389 billion ($4.65 bln) carbon capture, utilisation, and storage (CCUS) programme that will be rolled out in phases, with New Delhi expected to cover just over half the total outlay.

Fuel suppliers are imposing an excessive surcharge on airlines to cover compliance with RefuelEU and UK sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) mandates, whilst often not providing them with the required sustainability certificates to make claims under emissions trading systems and CORSIA, said an industry body.

CCS in Norway - Harbour Energy has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with "K"​ Line Energy Shipping (UK) and Yinson Production to develop transportation, injection, and storage options for the Havstjerne CO2 storage licence on the Norwegian Continental Shelf. The partnership will focus on building a marine-based CO2 value chain, developing floating storage and injection units as well as liquefied CO2 carriers, and providing safe and cost-efficient offshore CO2 sequestration.  The Havstjerne licence is 60% owned by Harbour Energy (the operator) and 40% owned by Stella Maris CCS AS, a unit of Yinson Production.

China’s surge in renewables and whole-economy electrification has set an example for the rest of the world, but over-reliance on Chinese imports could be a potential challenge for developing countries, experts told a webinar this week.

The EU must accelerate its green transition to safeguard its freedom, prosperity, and security, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in her annual State of the Union address to the European Parliament, pledging to place decarbonisation at the centre of the bloc’s economic and geopolitical strategy.

A new climate policy consultancy and law firm has been launched by the former heads of Pollination Law to support the acceleration of carbon markets.

Africa has a huge potential to generate carbon finance from high integrity activities, with a "significant share" of Core Carbon Principle-aligned projects in the pipeline being developed on the continent, according to a new statement from the the Integrity Council for the Voluntary Carbon Market (ICVCM).

Aviation grant - Europe's Clean Aviation programme has awarded a €5 mln grant to the Ascendance-led consortium, and its partners Exeos, Basquevolt, and Chair of Production Engineering of E-Mobility Components (PEM) of RWTH Aachen University, to support the next wave of hybrid-electric propulsion in European aviation. The grant will support the development and demonstration of an aviation-grade battery system for hybrid-electric propulsion, primarily aimed at next-generation regional aircrafts with entry into service expected by 2035.

Global gas demand was up nearly 2% in 2024, with 2025 forecast to see similar growth according to figures from a a report released by the gas industrys largest lobbying group on Wednesday.

CO2-trapping concrete  - Japanese auto parts maker IJTT has teamed up with project developer Bywill and CO2 sequestration solution provider Santa Mineral to directly capture CO2 from the atmosphere and convert it into environmental values, such as domestically issued J-Credits, they announced Wednesday. Under their agreement, Santa Mineral's CO2 absorption and fixation device will be installed at IJTT's Kitakami plant, while Bywill lead the project registration under the J-Credit scheme's new methodology for CO2-absorbing concrete (IN-006), with the aim of generating carbon credits by 2026.

Monitoring is key - Tokyo-based Archeda, which provides dMRV solutions for nature-based carbon projects, has signed an MoU with Indonesia's agriculture ministry (BrMP) to implement monitoring technology for alternate wetting and drying (AWD) projects, according to a statement released this week. Relevant pilots will be conducted in fields managed by Indonesian government agencies, and a feasibility study for the AWD project led by Japanese startup Space Tech Accelerator will be carried out, in order to ultimately introduce AWD across the Southeast Asian country and expand monitoring practices using satellite data.

The Western Australian state government has opened a new round of funding worth A$60 million ($39.6 mln) from its New Energies Industries Funding Stream to drive investment in green iron, renewable hydrogen, carbon capture, utilisation, and storage (CCUS), and critical minerals.

Multilateral development banks (MDBs) committed a record $137 billion in climate finance in 2024, up 10% from the previous year, according to a joint report released Tuesday, with the results confirming they are on track to meet their collective 2030 goals set at COP29.

Solar generation in Central Europe has grown at twice the pace of the EU average over the past five years, with the region also seeing a sharp decline in coal use, according to a report published Wednesday.

Hot rocks - Indonesia this week launched a pilot project to create green hydrogen from clean energy using its existing geothermal infrastructure, according to the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources. The pilot will begin in the Lampung region in southern Sumatra - known for its geothermal activity. State-owned energy firm Pertamina, which operates 220 MW of geothermal power plants in the area, will divert excess energy into electrolysis to split water into hydrogen and oxygen. The pilot aims to test the technology and then scale it across Indonesia.

Hot in here – The preferred site for New Zealand’s first supercritical geothermal exploration has been selected, the government announced on Wednesday, having ringfenced NZ$60 mln ($35.7 mln) for the project. Located in the Rotokawa Geothermal Reservoir in the Taupo Volcanic Zone in the central North Island, work is already underway to develop the first well, following the signing of an MoU between the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, Tauhara North No.2 Trust, which manages the land for the local iwi, and Mercury NZ, which operates a geothermal power station in Rotokawa. Last week, the government announced a grant of NZ$10.7 mln to another supercritical geothermal project as it seeks to double the use of the energy source by 2040.

Eye in the sky - Thailand’s Department of Climate Change and Environment this week signed a five-year agreement with the state-run space agency to deploy satellite data and mapping technology in tracking emissions and carbon credit management, according to an offical press release. The agreement aims to create a database of forests, green areas, and wildfire zones, and to develop models for emissions and absorption.

Ocean catalyst – Mangrove Breakthrough, a flagship initiative launched at COP27 by the UN High-Level Climate Champions and the Global Mangrove Alliance, has issued an expression of interest call for mangrove conservation and restoration projects. The initiative aims to expand the pipeline of investable mangrove initiatives by connecting community-driven conservation, restoration, innovation, and resilience projects to technical support and global investment platforms. Mangrove Breakthrough seeks to protect and restore 15 mln ha of mangroves by 2030, backed by $4 bln in sustainable finance and supported by 31 governments.

Asia Pacific’s GDP could shrink by $3.4 trillion per year by mid-century if the region fails to act on the low-carbon transition, a report warned.

Over 30 scientists have urged the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) and the Supervisory Body responsible for the Paris Agreement’s new carbon crediting mechanism to support the use of natural climate solutions (NCS).

The European geothermal industry is preparing for a step-change in deployment as new revenue streams, lower drilling costs, and supportive policy frameworks combine to bring the sector closer to commercial maturity, a new report showed on Wednesday.

Changes to the US tax code this year will send an additional $4 billion to oil, gas, and coal production annually, said a report, boosting the annual federal support for the fuels past $34 bln.

EV extension – The Singapore government has announced an extension to its Vehicular Emissions Scheme to Dec. 2027 as part of its efforts to reach 100% clean-energy vehicles by 2040. The scheme applies subsidies to clean energy vehicle purchases, however the government said the extension would include revisions to banding, rebates, and surcharges. Only EVs will receive rebates, hybrid vehicles will no longer receive rebates, while more polluting vehicles will have higher surcharges, it said.

Australian acquisition – Climate investor Wollemi Capital has finalised its acquisition of renewable energy and battery storage project developer MPower for A$19 mln ($12.5 mln), it announced on Tuesday. Wollemi said the transaction strengthens its position as a long-term investor in scalable, distributed clean energy infrastructure. As part of the acquisition, Wollemi has agreed to invest A$100 mln to support MPower's project pipeline to ensure the company has the balance sheet to grow. Completion of the sale remains pending subject to regulatory approvals.

Pending motion to dismiss – Delaware Judge Meghan Adams granted a two-week extension on Sep. 6 for the defendants to respond to a request for a preliminary injunction in a dispute over a collapsed carbon credit investment pool, according to the latest filings on ServeXpress. Anew Ventures II, a subsidiary of carbon credit trading firm and developer Anew Climate, is suing an investment management firm, accusing it of breaching its obligations under a 2022 pooling agreement after not generating offsets for nearly three years. A lawyer representing the defendants, Terra Global Investment Management and Terra Bella NBS Carbon Pool, filed the motion in anticipation for a separate ruling from the state’s Superior Court to dismiss the complaint, which would affect the need for an injunction.

As expected, Wednesday’s sale of New Zealand allowances failed to attract any bids for the third consecutive time this year.