US states are well-positioned to drive deployment of direct air capture (DAC) technologies as federal support for CO2 removal faces significant cutbacks, according to a new report.

An Amsterdam-based climate tech startup has raised €6.8 million in new funding from investors to advance its novel direct air capture (DAC) technology that co-produces hydrogen, with the goal of commercial deployment by the end of 2026.

Lagging behind - Think tank GTRI warned that India has not made significant progress in preparing for the EU's forthcoming carbon tax under the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), which will apply in full from 2026, the Times of India reported. Despite a two-year transition period that began in Oct. 2023, Indian exporters still lack clarity on emissions reporting and verification, and no major policy initiatives have been introduced to aid compliance or support capacity-building, said GTRI.

The expansion of the voluntary carbon market depends heavily on how developers finance costly and risky projects, with new research finding that the effectiveness of buyer funding, forward crediting, and government subsidies is largely determined by the financial position of offset sellers.

Existing governance frameworks are unprepared to manage the social, ecological, and technological complexities of marine CO2 removal (mCDR), according to a new review that calls for system-aware, justice-oriented approaches to overseeing the emerging field.

Emitters added net length in California Carbon Allowances (CCAs) for the third consecutive week, while also building holdings in RGGI Allowances (RGAs), the latest data from the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) showed on Friday.

Check the climate tech - A coalition including Breakthrough Energy, McKinsey, and Stanford University’s Doerr School of Sustainability launched the Climate Tech Atlas on Thursday, Heatmap News reported. The platform identifies critical needs that can accelerate the path to net-zero in the near-term and moonshots that are high-risk, high-reward innovations to radically shape the world’s trajectory to net zero.

NY gas glug - New York state’s utility regulator has proposed a timeline to bring more gas into New York City in order to address reliability of the downstate gas system, E&E News reported. The NY Public Service Commission endorsed the Northeast Supply Enhancement project at a meeting Thursday, but it still faces hurdles such as securing state water quality permits. The commission’s chair said the regulator must consider the reliability and resilience of the gas system.

Deadline approaching – More than 100 countries are expected to participate in a meeting next week hosted by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva to support countries in delivering more ambitious NDCs. The information was given by COP30 President Andre Correa do Lago in a session during Brazil Climate Week on Friday, held in New York. With the approval of the EU’s NDC on Thursday, Correa do Lago expects to have sufficient numbers to produce a “consistent” synthesis report at the end of October, indicating how far the world is from the objectives of the Paris Agreement, he said. Lula has an agenda for Sep. 22–24 in US to participate in the 80th UN General Assembly.

Green deals – COP30 President Designate Andre Correa do Lago presented the Brazilian proposal for a new forum on climate-related trade issues at the WTO Public Forum on Wednesday. It was the first time that a president of a UN climate conference had attended the WTO, according to Valor Economico. The idea is that the forum will analyse problems and design solutions for climate-trade issues, without formal negotiations. It would be composed of climate and trade negotiators, with half of the specialists from developed countries and half from developing ones. Participation in the forum, which Brazil expects to launch in 2026, would not imply any prior commitment, only a shared view of the value of dialogue, Correa do Lago said. The ambassador added that, in initial consultations, other countries signalled interest in the forum and in building an architecture for a sustainable global economy.

War on wind continues - The Trump administration has its eyes on another planned offshore wind project, according to local reporting by WBUR. On Thursday, the administration filed a motion in the US District Court in Washington DC to revoke a permit it previously awarded for a 141-turbine project off the Massachusetts coast, known as SouthCoast Wind. The motion appeared days after the Department of Justice and the Interior Department said they will reconsider the project’s construction and operation plans. Earlier this month, the Trump administration also announced that it was withdrawing or terminating $679 mln in funding for 12 offshore wind projects.

California Governor Gavin Newsom (D) signed AB 1207 into law on Friday, reauthorising the state’s cap-and-invest programme into practice through 2045.

US policymakers should accelerate the development of the nation’s CO2 pipeline network by utilising an unused financing programme designed to provide public financing for such projects, according to a new set of recommendations from a Washington DC-based think tank.

An international NGO launched a digital tool to estimate costs of blue carbon projects, aiming to increase pricing transparency and boost investor confidence, it announced on Wednesday.

The fourth quarterly California-Quebec joint WCI auction of 2025 will offer a slightly lower volume of allowances than the previous sale, according to a Friday ARB notice.

Host parties could refuse to authorise the international transfer of carbon credits under Article 6 if they feel they are undervalued, making a globally-accepted price range a potential solution, an expert told Carbon Pulse.

A Canadian climate policy expert says Canada’s momentum on emissions reductions is going the “wrong way”, as new data shows the country’s efforts have flatlined.

The global energy transition could become bumpier after the International Energy Agency (IEA) warned in a report this week that oil and gas fields are declining at a faster rate than previously thought, leaving investors needing to pump more money in to keep supply stable.

Warsaw will push for exempting defence industries from the EU’s Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS), its climate minister said on Thursday.

EU carbon prices posted a 2.4% weekly gain, despite a moderate decline on Friday as a note of caution crept into the market amid differing interpretations of technical signals and views on the prospect for EUA prices, while energy markets weakened after having made sturdy gains on Thursday.

Wind war - Green Oceans, a Rhode Island-based nonprofit, has become a leading opponent of offshore wind, aligning with national anti-wind groups and securing meetings with the Trump administration, E&E News reported. The group backed the administration’s halt of the nearly finished Revolution Wind project, now the subject of lawsuits by developers Orsted and BlackRock and the attorneys general of Rhode Island and Connecticut. Critics say Green Oceans’ stance overlaps with fossil fuel interests, noting its support for natural gas, while the group insists it takes no industry funding and is focused on protecting marine ecosystems.

Climate cash clash - 40 US Democratic lawmakers asked the DC Circuit on Thursday to reconsider a ruling that allowed the US EPA to shut down the $27 bln Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund and reclaim more than $16 bln already awarded to non-profits, E&E News reported. In an amicus brief, the group warned the decision would let agencies unilaterally terminate congressionally mandated programs and seize distributed funds. The fund, the Inflation Reduction Act’s largest climate programme, had issued grants to eight non-profits for clean energy financing.

Lawmakers lift limits - The US House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee on Wednesday unanimously advanced the “Promoting Innovation in Pipeline Efficiency and Safety (PIPES) Act,” a bipartisan bill to reauthorise the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration after its last full authorisation in 2020, E&E News reported. The legislation includes provisions for drone inspections and oversight of CO2 and hydrogen pipelines, while members rejected an amendment from Rep. Scott Perry (R) seeking to strip out carbon capture-related language.

Here comes the money – Brazil will be the first country to announce an investment in the Tropical Forests Forever Facility (TFFF), sources told Reuters. President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva is expected to make the announcement on Tuesday, Sept. 23, during a UN event. TFFF is a $125-bln proposal by Brazil to compensate countries for their conservation of tropical forests. According to Folha de S. Paulo, Germany, Norway, and the UK are also studying potential contributions. China has also signalled interest in the vehicle.

Carbon project developer Bridge Carbon has listed four clean cooking projects on a transparency-driven data platform as part of a bid to rebuild trust in the voluntary carbon market (VCM), with an executive at the firm telling Carbon Pulse that rising integration with regulated schemes should soon lift prices across the market.

Special treatment plea - South Africa is fundamentally opposed to the EU's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) because it potentially violates the WTO agreement and also the Paris Agreement's pledge that country action won't impact the national sovereignty of others, said Mahendra Shunmoogam, the country's Department of Trade, Industry and Competition director. The EU CBAM is set to take effect in Jan. 2026 and similar measures are being considered in the UK, US, Australia, and Japan. Shunmoogam said the South African govt is negotiating with the EU to secure flexibilities on CBAM similar to those granted to the US, and for the equivalence of its carbon tax be taken as an equivalent border mechanism. The EU's CBAM is expected to impact some of South Africa’s most exposed exports, including steel, aluminium, iron, and fertilisers. Trade economists caution that around 2.6 bln rand ($150 mln) in annual exports to the EU and UK could be displaced if no deal is reached. (Business Report)

The 80th United Nations General Assembly will open in New York on Sunday against a complex international backdrop, which will see climate and geopolitics continue on a collision course as parties scramble to prepare new plans in time for COP30 in Brazil later this year.

Financial institutions are being called on to take a leading role in scaling up carbon markets, as new analysis shows the sector could grow to hundreds of billions by mid-century.

19th package of EU sanctions against Russia – The European Union on Friday adopted its 19th package of sanctions against Russia, tightening restrictions on energy as part of its response to Moscow’s war on Ukraine. The measures further cut Russia’s revenues from fossil fuels by targeting liquefied natural gas (LNG), oil shipping and pipelines, and by closing loopholes in earlier bans. “We are further depriving Russia of future revenue from fossil fuels and preparing the ground for the phasing out of Russian LNG,” the European Commission said. The package also strengthens enforcement to stop sanctions circumvention.

Carbon dioxide removal (CDR) will be added to the COP30 Action Agenda in relation to agriculture and extractive industries, a global coalition of CDR advocates said Thursday.

Asian carbon pricing schemes risk falling short of climate goals as prices remain too low, coverage too narrow, and fossil fuel subsidies too entrenched, according to a new report.

Jersey GOP - Representative Jeff Van Drew (R) of New Jersey has backed US President Donald Trump's efforts to stifle offshore wind development, E&E News reported. In an interview Wednesday, Rep. Van Drew said offshore wind farms cost consumers money and threaten the environment. Meanwhile, Republican New Jersey gubernatorial candidate Jack Ciattarelli has released an affordability plan that reiterates his support for withdrawing the state from regional power sector cap-and-trade scheme RGGI.

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey this week signed into law a new carbon fee on large emitters set at $5 per tonne of CO2, replacing an much larger, legally disputed levy passed by the city council last year.

Rare materials - Europe's largest rare-earth magnet factory is officially open in Narva, Estonia. As more than 90% of magnets currently imported in the EU come from China, the new factory aims to increase the bloc's strategic autonomy and competitiveness in areas like electric vehicles, wind turbines, and microelectronics. The EU Just Transition Fund contributed to building the factory with a €14.5 mln.

Credits issued under the Japan-led Joint Crediting Mechanism (JCM) are expected to trade between $15-30 per unit, considering the robust demand outlook and current policy progress, a webinar heard Friday.

Nicaragua has submitted a new NDC, pledging to sharply increase renewable power generation, curb deforestation, and reduce consumption of potent industrial gases, while stressing that delivery hinges on international finance and technology transfers.

A large international shipping company has suspended the billing of Gabon's carbon contribution in the wake of a recent government notice signalling a policy change.

The advent of artificial intelligence (AI) looks set to turbocharge a new global contest in energy demand, splintering the world into rival blocs, although the US may have taken a wrong turn by focussing on fossil fuels, according to a new report.

Tariff extension - The Russian registry of carbon units has extended the current tariffs until Dec. 31, 2025, it announced in a statement Friday. This is in accordance with the 'Resolution of the Government of the Russian Federation' dated Mar. 30, 2022 N 518 "On the Procedure of Determining the Fees for the Services Provided by the Registry Administrator for the Operation of the Registry of Carbon Units".

Bamboo study - Sarawak Timber Industry Development Corporation (STIDC) and Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) this week said they will study the potential of carbon trading from bamboo plantations in the Malaysian state, according to a Facebook post. The 18-month study will assess carbon sequestration from sustainable bamboo farming and measure emissions across the crop’s life cycle. Researchers will also estimate the number of tradable carbon credits that bamboo plantations could generate, with initial case studies centred on existing farms.

Clean chit - The Supreme Court of India has cleared Reliance Foundation’s Vantara wildlife centre in Jamnagar, Gujarat, over its use of carbon credits, among other issues, calling the claims “entirely baseless", PTI reported. Petitions had alleged Vantara illegally acquired animals, misused resources, and sought to profit from carbon credits. The court found no evidence and noted there is no framework that awards credits for animal rescue or upkeep. Vantara said it has never applied for such credits and is funded solely through philanthropy.

A Swedish district heating provider has signed a 15-year agreement with a property company to provide carbon removals to offset the latter's heating use and new property pipeline.

Indonesia will present up to 60 million carbon credits at the COP30 climate summit in Brazil in November, the environment minister said this week, as the Southeast Asian country ramps up efforts to open its carbon market for exports.

Octopus's next move - Octopus Energy has announced plans to spin off its software arm Kraken, and is understood to have hired Goldman Sachs to find buyers for a minority stake in the business. The deal will make Kraken independent of the UK's largest energy supplier, while bringing in more cash and is expected to boost the company's global growth. It also paves the way for potential public listing of the business, though executives have insisted that's not currently on the horizon. Octopus has said the newly independent Kraken would be based in London and New York. Kraken pulls in annual sales of more than £376 mln and its existing investors are expected to receive shares in the fully separated business, Octopus has said. Kraken originally acted as a cloud operating system to handle consumer data, but its capabilities have expanded over time to include 'smart' energy tariffs and connecting together different parts of the energy system including solar plants, batteries, and electric vehicles. (the Telegraph)

The price for Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCUs) has fallen flat following the release of the government’s 2035 climate targets, as the Clean Energy Regulator issued 1.25 million units in August.

China's national emissions market over the past week saw prices retreat to the lowest level since July 2023 amid sustained selling pressure, with analysts remaining downbeat on price outlook.

Renewables, according to ARP - Australia’s renewable agency on Friday called for expressions of interest for its Advancing Renewables Program (ARP) to fund innovative community electrification demonstration projects across Australia. ARENA believes community electrification could unlock residential demand, in turn reducing bills. It is looking for projects that allow community participation in the energy transition, showcase innovative technologies and approaches, and deliver tangible benefits to diverse residential settings. Scale of 1,000 homes or more is preferred, as are high density dwellings, and low income households.

Team up -  The Australian government announced its 'Game On' programme on Friday, offering A$50 mln ($32 mln) to sporting clubs to install solar panels and batteries on their rooves, as well as climate resilience work, such as new awnings and flood protection measures. Australia’s energy minister, Chris Bowen, has called for a “Team Australia moment” to meet the emissions reduction target of 2035 his government announced Thursday.

A US food and beverage multinational and a large retail company have launched an initiative to promote regenerative agriculture, they announced on Thursday.

Solar sunset – Germany’s last domestic solar manufacturer has gone out of business, reported Berliner Zeitung this week. Meyer Burger sought new investors for months before declaring bankruptcy. Around 600 employees in Germany and 45 in Switzerland have been given notice. The company could not compete with cheap production from China and market leaders like Enpal or SMA Solar Technology, the newspaper reported. Manufacturing and energy are simply too expensive in Germany. Dozens of manufacturers and suppliers had already been forced to fold, costing Germany tens of thousands of jobs. Now energy minister Katherina Reiche wants to cut subsidies for solar deployment. Is it the end of the German solar market? (Berliner Zeitung)

Biochar projects are still dominant in terms of current carbon removal deals struck, according to developers, analysts, and other industry participants, though the wider sector still needs to massively scale to help the world meet climate goals. 

The price of benchmark CORSIA carbon credit futures settled at $21 on a major exchange this week, a record high, as anticipation builds ahead of a UN aviation summit and hopes that fresh supply will soon be made available to buyers.

France’s heavy industry recorded only marginal progress in cutting greenhouse gas emissions in 2024, with reductions largely attributed to lower production rather than deep transformations, according to a new report.

Australia’s Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) projects a world that relies far less on the country's fossil fuel exports by 2035, without raising any specific policies that would make this a reality.

SWIS into a cleaner state - Western Australia this week released a new energy plan to build out the South West Interconnected System (SWIS), which covers capital Perth and the southern parts of the state, as coal-fired power is retired by 2030 and renewables built out. This will Enable the new load connections needed to diversify and strengthen WA’s economy, energy and decarbonisation minister Amber-Jade Sanderson said, and will involve renewable additions and an expanded grid to move their electrons around. While industrial emissions, from sources like LNG processing plants, have risen the three-term Labor government has been clear it will retire its aged and expensive coal plants by decade’s end.

Cleaner chips, away! - Australian waste disposal company Cleanaway said its Scopes 1 and 2 emissions reduction target for 2030 was on track and it had met its target for the year. On Friday, the company released its sustainability report to the Australian bourse, saying it had also completed its first Scope 3 emissions assessment, which is 484,000 tonnes of CO2e, or just under a third of its total footprint. In addition to generating landfill gas from its ‘cells’ within landfill areas, it also worked with fuel refiner and retailer Viva Energy to make packaging for corn chips and popular potato crisps from used cooking oil. The company's revenue from ACCUs grew to A$65.1 mln ($42.9 mln) in 2025, up compared to the A$58.2 mln it brought in the previous financial year.    

Inaugural journey - Japanese shipping giant MOL on Friday said its Capesize bulk carrier, which is the largest class of dry bulk ships, has embarked on its first biofuel-powered journey for miner Anglo American. The vessel is running on a B30 blend of biodiesel and conventional fuel, certified under the EU’s International Sustainability and Carbon Certification scheme, the company said. MOL added that the biofuel could cut CO2 emissions during the voyage by around 30% compared with traditional fuels. A report this week said that the shipping industry risks missing its goal to boost zero-emissions fuel sources to 5-10% of total use by 2030, unless the International Maritime Organization (IMO) introduces reward mechanisms for its use.

Fizz factory - Japanese industrial gases company Nippon Sanso on Friday said it has opened a €30 mln CO2 processing plant in Germany through its European arm Nippon Gases. The facility, built with a €3.7 mln grant from the German government, will produce food-grade CO₂ and dry ice from bioethanol made from maize and grain at the adjacent facility. The company said the project will save about 330 tCO₂ in avoided transportation emissions. The plant’s output will be supplied to sectors including food and beverage, chemicals, transport refrigeration, and semiconductors.

Climate change could drive disturbance-related losses in Europe’s forestry sector to as much as €247 billion by the end of the century, more than doubling today’s costs, according to new research.

One of the major oil refiners in Japan is backing a US-based startup that develops ocean alkalinity enhancement (OAE) solutions, as it aims to accelerate the development of carbon dioxide removal (CDR) business models in North America.

An Indian project developer on Friday said it raised $3 million in seed funding to expand carbon removal projects, including agroforestry, mangrove restoration, and biochar.

New Zealand parliament passed its farm-to-forestry legislation Thursday, with the coalition government saying it strikes the right balance between protecting New Zealand’s agricultural land and maintaining ETS confidence.

California Carbon Allowances (CCAs) continued their ascent in prices from last week, though the market clawed back at more substantial gains in what some speculated was profit-taking following earlier highs in the week, while Washington Carbon Allowances (WCAs) jumped nearly 600% in volumes traded week-on-week (WoW).