Dutch elections – Climate action could be a winner in national elections in the Netherlands on Wednesday as two exit polls suggested the centrist D66 party – which has called for more climate action – won the greatest number of parliamentary seats (27), just ahead of the far-right, climate-sceptic PVV party (25 seats), winners of the last election. D66’s likely victory means its leader, Rob Jetten, who was minister for climate and energy from Jan. 2022 to July 2024, could be the Netherlands’ next prime minister. The country went to the polls this week after its government collapsed on June 3 following the PVV’s withdrawal from the governing coalition over an immigration dispute. On Wednesday night, former EU Green Deal chief Frans Timmermans announced he was stepping down as leader of the green, centre-left alliance GroenLinks-PvdA after it was projected to have lost five seats.

Solar rights – Genesis Energy has acquired the rights to develop an advanced solar project in Waikato, the New Zealand gentailer said in a stock exchange notice Thursday. The 271 MW development in Rangiriri will be close to the battery storage currently under construction at the coal-fired Huntly Power Station. It is estimated to cost around NZ$487 mln ($280.5 mln), which will be financed by the company’s balance sheet, Genesis said, with a final investment decision to be taken in mid-FY 2027. This acquisition boosts the company’s solar pipeline to 700 MW – above its 500 MW target, which is designed to displace gas-burn, it said. Earlier this year, Genesis began operations at New Zealand’s largest solar site in the South Island.

Industry and corporate representatives on Wednesday called for Canadian governments to use their purchasing power and long-term market signals to help expand demand for low-carbon materials, noting that large buyers play a major role in shaping markets for sustainable production.

A panel of carbon market experts touted the importance of standard-setting bodies in the near term to attendees at the Trellis Impact 2025 conference on Wednesday.

A Mexican state government has validated over 100 climate mitigation and adaptation measures this week as part of a comprehensive policy update aimed at expanding renewable energy capacity and achieving net zero emissions by 2050 from a power sector that accounts for more than 70% of the state's GHG output.

The UK's remaining oil refining sector is facing an "existential crisis" and is on a path to collapse unless the government addresses the rising cost of carbon, industry leaders told Parliament's Energy Security and Net Zero Select Committee on Wednesday.

Paris-based sustainable investment manager Mirova has made its first carbon investment in France, committing €10 million to a large-scale soil carbon project developed by local carbon farming startup ReGeneration, the companies announced this week.

An Argentine company has achieved the country’s first certification for a carbon credit project through improved forest management (IFM) techniques.

A Pacific Northwest-based non-profit has announced $3.8 million in funding to support wildfire recovery and reforestation across Oregon and Montana. 

A Dutch carbon project developer has launched a new asset management division as part of plans to raise €100 million by 2030 for verified nature-based and biodiversity-focused investments.

Canada will invest C$11 million ($7.9 mln) in carbon capture, utilisation, and storage (CCUS) advancement across the country.

Indigenous equity partnerships are emerging as a cornerstone of Canada’s decarbonisation and clean energy agenda, stakeholders said on Wednesday, as governments, investors, and developers increasingly view collaboration with First Nations as key to both project certainty and competitiveness.

The UK government expects to boost its methane emission reductions to 68% by 2030 compared to 1990 levels, with efforts focused on agriculture, waste, and fossil fuel supply, according to an action plan published on Wednesday.

Inching forward on 2040 target – EU27 ambassadors met on Wednesday to discuss the bloc's proposed 2040 climate target after a summit of EU leaders last week offered political guidance. Denmark, which leads the neogiation as the current holder of the rotating EU Council presidency, said it remains hopeful for a deal on the EU’s 2035 and 2040 climate targets at a ministerial meeting planned on Nov. 4. Despite gaps among EU states, diplomats note growing consensus on key issues, including a revision clause that considers science, technology, and competitiveness. France has secured its priorities, notably the inclusion of technology neutrality – code for nuclear energy. Another meeting of EU27 ambassadors is scheduled for Friday ahead of the Nov. 4 Environment Council. (Argus Media).

A carbon removal (CDR) registry has certified a new methodology update that expands the scope of its feedstock accounting rules and adds new methods for demonstrating eligibility. 

G20 countries, which represent 85% of global GDP, lack credible plans to ramp up carbon removals in their UN climate pledges, according to leading climate institutes.

The UNFCCC-accredited Green Climate Fund (GCF) this week confirmed Uganda’s eligibility for $31 million in results-based REDD+ payments regarding the first GCF REDD+ initiative in Africa.

A Vancouver-based climate tech funder on Wednesday committed more than C$3 million ($2.2 mln) to four Canadian carbon removal (CDR) ventures.

The tools available to researchers and civil society organisations that monitor methane super-emission events caused by oil and gas installations are growing by the day, four non-profits told a webinar on Wednesday afternoon.

The Net Zero Asset Managers (NZAM) initiative has proposed a major overhaul of its framework that would significantly roll back signatory commitments, including the removal of all references to achieving net zero by 2050 and the elimination of requirements to set interim portfolio emissions targets.

A grant-based programme for mitigation projects backed by several European governments will permit funding flows – including of official development assistance (ODA) – to select carbon market activities through ‘technical cooperation’, according to a new brief.

German hydrogen - In another hydrogen reality check, the Federal Court of Auditors (Bundesrechnungshof) in Germany has said the government needs to revise its hydrogen strategy to take account of supply and demand falling well below expectations. Despite billions in subsidies, the government has not delivered on its hydrogen goals – and is unlikely to do so in the near future, the auditors said. Germany is currently set to miss its 2030 targets both for producing 'green' or renewable hydrogen domestically and for imports. The auditors recommended a "reality check" of the country's National Hydrogen Strategy, must as the EU has committed to an update of its hydrogen strategy by the end of 2026. Germany needs to “reassess whether and when green hydrogen can be made available in sufficient quantities, at a competitive price and in a climate-neutral and sustainable manner without permanent subsidies”, they said. (Bundesrechnungshof and Clean Energy Wire)

The EU needs to consider sub-national carbon markets to give Canadian exporters a fair shot at reducing their CBAM costs, a Toronto-based carbon market analyst told Carbon Pulse.

The UK government intends to keep cutting emissions in a way that reduces bills and secures good jobs, the government said on Wednesday, pushing back on growing criticism of the country's goals for net zero emissions by 2050, and clean power by 2030.

A US multinational technology company announced Tuesday that it has developed a process that converts agricultural and forestry waste into renewable biocrude fuels for the maritime and aviation industries.

European carbon prices rose moderately on Wednesday amid repeated bursts of buying activity, after weekly Commitment of Traders data suggested that bullishly-positioned participants are content to hold on to their positions, while energy markets were also firmer.

A US federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit accusing a major food manufacturer of misleading consumers with “climate neutral certified” claims tied to its use of carbon offsets.

The health threats of climate change have reached unprecedented levels - exposing more people to heatwaves, boosting the risk of wildfires and disease transmission, and increasingly straining the economy, with stronger adaptation measures urgently needed, said a medical journal report.

Mounting policy uncertainty is stalling industrial decarbonisation efforts, financiers warned during a panel this week, even as both public and private investors continue to back emissions-cutting projects amid tightening global competition and shifting market incentives.

A US voluntary carbon crediting programme said Tuesday it has updated its blue carbon methodology to strengthen social and environmental safeguards and clarify additionality and verification procedures.

A voluntary carbon crediting scheme has partnered with a South Korean government agency to scale nature-based solutions (NbS) and advance high-integrity carbon markets, it announced Wednesday.

A new direct air capture (DAC) technology that integrates into existing building ventilation systems could capture and store CO2 for between $209-$668 per tonne of CO2, according to a new techno-economic analysis.

Most air travel carbon calculators underestimate the full climate cost of flying, with total warming effects potentially more than twice as high as current CO2-based estimates, a report published Wednesday has found.

Carbon market intelligence firm Veyt has outlined proposals to reform the Market Stability Reserve (MSR) in the EU’s Emissions Trading System (ETS), arguing in a new report that “flexibility is the magic word” for the future design of the EU carbon market.

International climate adaptation finance flows currently amount to only 8% of developing countries’ estimated needs to adapt to the impacts of rising temperatures, according to the UN’s environment agency’s annual assessment, though countries are starting to put in place adaptation plans.

Nature-based solutions are key to advancing wildfire management in Europe, as forests across the continent face increasing risks due to the ongoing climate crisis and shifts in land use, according to the European Environment Agency (EEA).

IRENA pre-COP meeting – The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) will convene its 30th Council meeting in Abu Dhabi on Oct. 30 to review efforts to triple global renewable power capacity and double energy efficiency by 2030 ahead of COP30, the agency announced on Wednesday. “We have never been closer to closing the gap,” said IRENA Director-General Francesco La Camera, while urging governments to make COP30 a milestone for renewables. The two-day meeting will gather over 350 representatives and will inform IRENA’s 16th Assembly, set for January 2026.

Meaty litigation – Advocacy group Mighty Earth has accused JBS, the world’s largest meatpacker, of making false claims about its commitment to reach net zero emissions by 2040, Reuters reported on Tuesday. The NGO has filed a lawsuit in the US, alleging that the Brazil-headquartered company made “material omissions” regarding the environmental harm caused by its operations and violated the D.C. Consumer Protection Procedures Act. JBS said it “categorically rejects” the accusations of misleading targets and false pretences. (Reuters)

Cote d'Ivoire's Third Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) was published on Wednesday by the UNFCCC, outlining the country's aim to reduce emissions by a third on business-as-usual levels by 2035, using Article 6 and voluntary carbon market finance to help achieve the objective.

The world is on track for 2.6C warming, unless investment jumps 30% from current levels to average $4.3 trillion a year in clean energy between now and 2060, warned a report by Wood Mackenzie.

Ghana has launched a $200 million rooftop solar initiative in partnership with Switzerland, marking one of the largest bilateral clean energy projects implemented under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement.

Market call - Bursa Malaysia has urged economies along the Belt and Road Initiative to engage with the ASEAN Common Carbon Framework, launched under Malaysia’s year-long chairmanship, in order to boost regional carbon market integration and sustainable finance. CEO Fad’l Mohamed said Beijing could act as a key demand driver for high-quality credits, noting that the exchange’s Shariah-compliant Bursa Carbon Exchange already provides a platform for trading credits and renewable-energy certificates underpinning the initiative.

A Canadian industrial mineralisation company signed an offtake agreement Wednesday with Microsoft for hundreds of thousands of tonnes of carbon removal (CDR).

Four in five of Australia’s biggest banks and investors want the country’s new sustainable finance taxonomy to include climate mitigation to cover adaptation and resilience, a shift they say would unlock more capital, according to a report released Wednesday.

NbS collaboration - Government-backed Taiwan Carbon Solution Exchange (TCX) has signed an MoU with Taiwan Forestry Research Institute (TFRI), a government affiliate, to build an ecosystem for the development of natural carbon sinks, they announced Wednesday. The alliance will work on nature-based projects, talent development, and promote good industry practices. TFRI will also deepen its research on forestry methodologies under the domestic voluntary programme.

South Korea should set ambitious emissions reduction targets for its 2035 commitments to the Paris Agreement, particularly for the domestic industry, an environmental group has urged.

More talks needed - India raised concerns over the EU's CBAM levies during trade talks in Brussels, with both sides agreeing the issue needs further discussion due to its sensitivity, the Commerce Ministry said in a statement. Minister Piyush Goyal and EU Trade Commissioner Maros Sefcovic reaffirmed their goal of concluding a free trade pact by end-2025 while exploring “landing zones” on other outstanding matters. An EU technical team will visit India next week to continue work on potential solutions.

Reaffirmation - China has reiterated its intention to control both the total amount and intensity of carbon emissions by the end of this decade, according to a document shared this week by state news agency Xinhua, which outlines recommendations for the country's next five-year plan (2026-30). As previously announced, the government also plans to expand the coverage of its emissions trading scheme and voluntary market in the coming years, as well as refine the statistical and accounting systems for carbon emissions. China has set a target of peaking its emissions before 2030. The recommendations came after Beijing announced the country's 2035 NDC, which introduced absolute emission reduction targets for the first time.  

Expected shortage - Posco, one of the largest emitters in South Korea, may face a shortage of carbon permits from 2027, representing additional expense of hundreds of billions of won a year, due to the planned tightening of allocations, Chosun Biz reported. The government is set to soon announce the allowance allocation plan for the fourth planning period, which starts in 2026. While the steelmaker may be able to get through next year with banked permits, it sees a high possibility that it will have to buy permits thereafter, the report said.  

Uzbek renewables - The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has committed $142 mln in loans to two special-purpose vehicles (SPVs) developing a combined 1 GW solar and 1,336 MWh battery energy storage system (BESS) project in Uzbekistan, in a step to advance Central Asia’s largest renewable-energy and storage deployment to date. The project also marks the first renewable energy and battery storage investment in Uzbekistan by Japan’s Sumitomo Corporation, Shikoku Electric Power Company, and Chubu Electric Power Company, which will jointly co-own the two project SPVs. The project supports Uzbekistan’s 25 GW renewables target by 2030 and will generate about 2,300 GWh of power annually, enough to supply 600,000 households.

Just four Global North countries, led by the US, have largely filled the gap to meet rising global oil and gas demand since 2015, contrary to their Paris Agreement pledges, according to an NGO.

Delayed - Vietnam will pilot its first carbon credit exchange by late 2026, a year later than planned, as it works to operationalise a national carbon market, Netzero VN reported, citing National Assembly General Secretary Le Quang Manh. The exchange will trade emission quotas and carbon credits under a draft decree being finalised this year. The government is also building a national registry for carbon credits.

Agri carbon - Climate-tech startup Tourba, which develops soil-based carbon projects across Africa, has partnered with ThriveAgric, a Nigerian agritech company connecting smallholder farmers to finance and markets, to expand conservation agriculture practices in Nigeria, local outlet This Day reported. The collaboration will onboard farmers into Tourba’s carbon-farming programme, train them in regenerative methods, and set up 100 demonstration plots to showcase sustainable land-use models that improve yields while generating verified carbon credits, according to the outlet.

Indigenous opportunities - The Commonwealth Bank of Australia and Indigenous Business Australia have signed an MoU to support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, businesses, and communities, including in renewables and carbon projects, they announced. Under the MoU, the two entities will work together to strengthen organisation capabilities, co-develop innovative financial solutions, and expand access to finance for First Nations customers. Focus areas include supporting the participation of Indigenous businesses and communities in Australia's transition to net zero by co-funding renewables and carbon initiatives, they said.

Vanuatu will this week release a draft resolution for the UN to adopt and operationalise the International Court of Justice (ICJ) advisory opinion on climate change, climate minister Ralph Regenvanu said on Wednesday.

Yes to some renewables – New Zealand’s Overseas Investment Office has approved Yinson Renewables’ plans to develop 1GW of clean energy, the government and the Malaysian-headquartered company announced on Wednesday. Yinson has been investing in New Zealand’s wind energy sector for the past four years, the company said.

The UK government has amended its vehicle emissions trading framework to ease discrepancies in CO2 target calculations and expand trading options between car and van schemes, as part of broader efforts to align transport-sector decarbonisation with the country’s legally binding carbon budgets.

Australia’s carbon integrity body has called on the government to make changes to the its proposed landfill gas method, and is seeking more information to feed its review into the 2021 soil organic carbon method.

Funding for resilience – The Australian federal and Queensland state governments have committed A$60 mln ($39.6 mln) to build resilience in primary producers and regional communities, the they announced on Wednesday. The cash will be used to deliver the Regional Drought Resilience Planning (RDRP) Program and the Farm Business Resilience Program (FBRP), building on the development of 14 regional drought resilience plans across the state. The government said more than A$26 mln has been committed to Phase 2 of the RDRP over four years, while more than A$33.6 mln will support the second phase of the FBRP.

Venezuela's Second Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) was published on Tuesday by the UNFCCC, outlining the country's 2025-30 climate commitments without referring to any carbon market, taxing, or pricing mechanisms to achieve them – a notable omission given regional momentum around carbon markets in Latin America.

Canada’s fragmented pricing systems are not delivering emission reductions and are failing to provide long-term investment signals, as credit oversupply and political divisions cloud the country’s path beyond 2030, stakeholders warned during a conference Tuesday.

Baby steps – Brunei has signed an MoU with an unidentified neighbouring country to explore Article 6.2 opportunities, it said in its third NDC, published Tuesday. Its 2035 target remained unchanged from its 2030 – for a 20% reduction in GHG emissions, against BAU forecasted emissions of 30.8 MtCO2e by 2035. It noted that this target is conditional and contingent on international support, including finance, technology developments, and capacity building. Planned actions include expanding renewable energy, increasing forest cover, reducing industrial emissions, and cutting emissions from the waste and land transport sectors.

Charmed – CDR developer Charm Industrial has partnered with Canadian dMRV provider Mangrove Systems, with carbon removals from September fully running on the latter's infrastructure, the companies announced Tuesday. All verified credits issued to Charm going forward will be via Mangrove's dMRV. Charm initially started out building its own carbon accounting system for MRV, titled Ledger, specifically for its operations. However, scaling the company led to a need for shared MRV infrastructure it could onboard companies onto, it said. Charm added that early outcomes from the partnership include efficiency gains through the credit supply chain.

Mauritania is looking to leverage cooperative mechanisms under the Paris Agreement, and has already made preparations to do so as part of its green hydrogen programme, according to its latest Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC).

The world’s wealthiest people are generating more carbon pollution in a single day than the poorest half of humanity produce in an entire year, according to a new report warning that the high-carbon lifestyles and investments of the super-rich are driving the planet towards climate disaster.

Nvidia's effort to decarbonise its supply chain is falling behind its peers in the AI sector, amid rising concerns over the climate impact of chip production, according to a new report.