A new study modelling the entire US energy system has found that the total lifetime economic damage from the climate and air pollution of a conventional internal combustion engine (ICE) car is two to three and a half times greater than that of a battery-electric vehicle (BEV).

Farming Air for Profit - Livestock producers in Valle Fertil, Argentina, are launching an ambitious 15,000-hectare regenerative agriculture project, reported local media. Partnering state agronomical institute INTA, the Sol Naciente producer group aims to restore pastures, enhance sustainability, and enter the international carbon credit market. The project will focus on implementing regenerative practices to quantify and certify carbon sequestration, looking to create new income streams for producers while improving environmental resilience.

LA's H2O Bet - Los Angeles is pressing ahead with an $800+ mln retrofit of the Scattergood natural gas plant to hydrogen-ready turbines despite the Trump administration cancelling $1.2 bln in federal funding for California's hydrogen hub, reported CalMatters. The LA Board of Water and Power Commissioners will decide Tuesday whether to advance the project, which environmental groups oppose as costly and inefficient. The plant would continue running on gas with an option to blend up to 30% hydrogen if available.

Resilient renewables - Renewable energy companies reported mixed fortunes after nine months under President Donald Trump, as policy reversals challenge but do not halt the sector’s growth, E&E News reported. Florida-based utility, NextEra Energy, highlighted solar and battery projects as key to meeting surging data centre demand, while Spain’s Iberdrola pointed to rising US electricity prices as a boost for its American renewables arm. Norway’s Equinor, a major oil and gas producer, confirmed completion of turbine installations at New York’s Empire Wind but said it plans limited future investment in offshore wind. The updates reflect a turbulent yet resilient market shaped by the Trump administration’s rollback of clean energy subsidies and restrictions on federal land development.

CCUS Cooperation – Colombia’s Ministry of Mines and Energy has signed an MoU with Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Energy to strengthen bilateral cooperation across the energy sector, the Colombian government announced on Wednesday. The five-year renewable agreement, signed by Ministers Edwin Palma Egea and Abdulaziz Bin Salman Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, establishes a framework for joint projects in clean hydrogen, renewable energy, energy efficiency, carbon capture and storage, and digital innovation. According to the ministry, the MoU will also promote technology transfer and knowledge exchange through a binational working group tasked with defining roadmaps and collaborative programmes across the full energy value chain.

Region running a fever - A Lancet Countdown report finds heat-related deaths in Latin America more than doubled over the last 20 years, comparing 1990-1999 to 2012-2021, reported El Pais. The study warns the region is not adapting urgently enough to the health impacts of climate change.

Not adding up - A Wednesday article in the science and tech magazine Wired explored the gap between Mexico’s 2030 NDC and its current fossil fuel policies, describing the twin goals as an “energy paradox". While the Sheinbaum administration has sought to strengthen the nation’s refining system, maintain crude output levels, and encourage state-owned oil company Pemex’ natural gas exploration activities, the 2026 Expenditure Budget reduces resources for climate adaptation and mitigation. This includes a 4% budget reduction for SEMARNAT, the federal environmental ministry, compared to the previous year, contrasting with a 7.7% increase for Pemex.

New Zealand ETS prices have fallen further in recent days as buyers continue to have little interest in purchasing allowances, traders said.

A coalition of US groups focused on subnational climate action announced Thursday that they are sending a delegation of over 100 representatives to COP30 and other climate conferences next month in Brazil.

The proliferation of Chinese clean-tech exports is causing several large developing nations to consider tariffs to protect their own nascent low-carbon industries, which could increase the cost of the energy transition, according to a new report.

Europe’s gas consumption will fall by 15% between 2025 and 2030, a think tank has predicted, with LNG imports on course to fall by 20% over the same period.

Spain's autonomous region of Galicia finalised the legal framework for the country's first regional voluntary carbon market (VCM) on Wednesday, publishing a decree that aims to tackle greenwashing and double-counting.

Chinese multinational technology conglomerate Tencent has unveiled 50 finalists from 12 countries for its second CarbonX programme, a global climate innovation initiative offering RMB 200 million ($28.1 mln) in catalytic funding to scale breakthrough technologies toward net zero by 2050.

Sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) are unlikely to make a significant dent in global aviation emissions this decade, displacing just 5% of fossil jet fuel by 2030, according to a report published this week.

Between Aug. 2024 and July 2025, Brazil recorded the third-lowest rate of deforestation in the Amazon since records began in 1988, according to official data released on Thursday.

Canadian industrial mineralisation company Arca selected registry Isometric on Thursday to issue its major offtake agreement with Microsoft, which promises hundreds of thousands of tonnes of carbon direct removal (CDR).

Canada is among the countries best positioned to scale direct air capture (DAC) technology thanks to its strong infrastructure, a skilled workforce, regulatory experience, and vast CO2 storage potential, according to a recent report.

The Article 6.4 Supervisory Body (SBM) on Thursday approved the first methodology under the Paris Agreement Crediting Mechanism (PACM).

The US Chamber of Commerce has filed an emergency motion to speed up its appeal against California’s climate disclosure laws, according to recent filings viewed by Carbon Pulse.

EU member states have pushed for stronger language on allowing international carbon credits to count towards the EU's 2040 climate target, in a draft text that will lay the foundations for ministerial level discussions next week.

Two defendants in a Delaware carbon credit investment dispute have asked the state’s Court of Chancery to let them send a single message to an arbitrator, saying the communication is needed to prevent the dismissal of a stayed emergency proceeding.

New York urged a federal court to reject the Trump administration’s motion for summary judgment seeking to strike down the state’s Climate Change Superfund Act in a Monday filing. 

Global action to cut methane emissions would pay for itself six times over, according to a new study published on Thursday in a leading scientific journal.

US House Democrats are mounting an effort to revive several Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) clean energy tax credits that were curbed by Republicans last summer, arguing that these incentives would help address energy affordability.

Decarbonising the global shipping sector will require multiple fuels, though green ammonia is emerging as one clear winner because it is scalable, carbon-free, and already commonly dealt with by industry, experts said on Thursday.

European carbon prices edged lower on Thursday afternoon as "heavy" energy markets and weaker equities took the edge of the bullish sentiment that had been building up, after bulls had initially appeared to gain momentum after several bouts of buying in the morning.

Poland has floated €65 per tonne of CO2 as a possible price for international credits in the mid-30s it believes should be included in the EU's Emission Trading System (ETS), in a document seen by Carbon Pulse. 

A geospatial research team has compiled what it says is the most comprehensive spatial database of nature-based solutions (NbS) carbon projects worldwide, covering more than 3,000 initiatives across over 20 registries.

UK observations - Planning bottlenecks and supporting a broader shift to electrification are two key challenges to overcome in driving the UK's renewable energy transition, wrote Knight Frank in a recent report. Onshore wind projects face a median planning timeline of 1.4 years, which is holding up development, whilst there are an excess number of battery storage projects ready to go, unlike solar and wind quotas that are largely unmet, said the consultancy in its 'Powering the future: the UK's renewable energy investment market' report. Renewable and nuclear sources accounted for 64% of electricity generation last year, but decarbonising the wider energy system (including heating and transport) will require a bigger push yet, particularly as electricity demand is expected to at least double by 2050. There were $4.4 bln worth of M&As across ready-to-build and operational solar, onshore wind, and battery projects last year, which shows the market is maturing, but grid bottlenecks continue to slow things down. The UK govt published its new Carbon Budget and Growth Delivery Plan on Wednesday.

The Brazilian government on Thursday launched a new policy and financial instrument to strengthen environmental conservation and implementation of the Forest Code.

The world will adopt a pragmatic balance between fossil fuels and renewables, leading to warming of 1.8 to 2.1C by century end, according to an analyst group.

Governments should send clear signals at COP30 that high-integrity forest carbon credit purchases are a legitimate part of corporate climate strategies, business and policy experts told a media briefing Thursday.

Black carbon - The Nordic Council has this week adopted a resolution on polar fuels, calling on Nordic governments to create and implement a regulation by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) that would require the use of cleaner maritime fuels, resulting in lower emissions of black carbon by ships operating in the Arctic. Black carbon is a climate supe- pollutant producing from burning fossil fuels, which has a disproportionate impact in the Arctic when it settles on snow and ice, speeding up the melting and exposing darker land and sea beneath that then absorbs more heat. The deadline for submitting concrete proposals on polar fuels in IMO regulation is Dec. 5. (Clean Arctic Alliance)

The UNFCCC-accredited Green Climate Fund (GCF) this week approved new climate action projects in the developing world, bringing the year’s total funding approvals up to 50 projects and a record $3.26 billion.

Two European oil majors have reported rising fossil fuel production in the third quarter, while downplaying investment in clean energy.

The World Bank has paid the Dominican Republic (DR) $4.2 million for REDD+ efforts, which the bank says will position the country for greater carbon market involvement.

Another lawsuit - California has filed a lawsuit against four major truck manufacturers - Daimler Truck North America, International Motors, Paccar, and Volvo North America - accusing them of breaching a 2023 voluntary agreement to comply with the state’s stringent emissions rules. The complaint, lodged by Attorney General Rob Bonta’s office in Alameda County Superior Court, alleges that the companies violated an enforceable contract with the California Air Resources Board (CARB) known as the Clean Truck Partnership. The legal action follows a separate federal lawsuit filed in August by the same manufacturers, who argue that the agreement is void after Republicans in Congress repealed California’s Advanced Clean Truck rule in June under the Congressional Review Act. The dispute could determine whether federal or state courts have jurisdiction - a key factor that may shape the outcome, as CARB is seen to have a stronger case in state court. (E&E News)

Mounting carbon costs, lack of domestic pricing, delayed market integration, and limited transition support could create a “perfect storm” for the Western Balkan power sector as the EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) takes effect next year, according to research released Tuesday.

International carbon credits issued under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement should not be used for compliance under the EU’s Emissions Trading System (ETS), a senior official from Germany has said, rejecting Poland’s proposal to allow these credits into the EU carbon market as a way to limit price hikes.

The EU Court of Justice has ruled that the EU Commission should not have approved France’s national agriculture plan under the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), due to its climate and nature approach.

EU member states must align around harmonised, capacity-linked penalties to compel oil and gas producers to deliver the CO2 storage capacity they themselves have previously supported.

COP30 in Brazil could be undermined by the fossil fuel lobby unless there is greater transparency about attendees, warns a new report by a non-profit.

Alliance - Japanese project developer Green Carbon has formed a capital and business alliance with SKY Perfect JSAT Corporation, Asia's largest satellite communications operator. The two companies on Thursday said they aim to expand their carbon credit business by combining SKY Perfect JSAT's satellite data technology with Green Carbon's expertise in voluntary projects. No further financial details or business targets were disclosed.

In the making - Tokyo-based Mitsubishi Research Institute (MRI) is seeking to promote the adoption of Japanese industrial heat pumps in Malaysia and other ASEAN countries under the bilateral Joint Crediting Mechanism (JCM), it announced Thursday. It has been selected by government affiliate NEDO to formulate a JCM methodology featuring the integration of heat pumps into the vegetable oil manufacturing process. Two Japanese companies, Kraftwerk and Nisshin Oillio Group, will also participate in the project.

Carbon prices on the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) will play a critical role in European steelmakers’ investment decisions, a senior industry official has warned, saying blast furnaces will stop operating if prices reach €200 per tonne by 2030.

Two sustainable agriculture methodologies have been approved for Core Carbon Principle status by the Integrity Council for the Voluntary Carbon Market (ICVCM), although both require extra conditions before they can boast the high-integrity badge.

Standards body Verra has parted ways with two senior executives following another round of internal restructuring, Carbon Pulse has learned.

An Indian company has launched the country’s first circularity-linked carbon credits generation initiative from end-of-life vehicle (ELV) recycling, which is projected to save over 2 million tonnes of CO2e over the next decade.

Another goose egg - Canadian forestry firm Acadian Timber Corp. once again reported no carbon credit sales in its latest financial quarter, as it transitions its forest carbon project to a new methodology under ACR’s Improved Forest Management (IFM) version 2.1 protocol. The company sold 752,100 credits in the first nine months of 2024, earning C$24.6 mln in revenue and C$19.8 mln in adjusted EBITDA, but said in its Q3 results published Wednesday that registration of new credits has been delayed until late 2025 due to the shift to the revised standard. ACR’s updated IFM protocol maintains the same core approach as previous versions but introduces dynamic baselines intended to improve accuracy and alignment with evolving market expectations. Acadian said that while the change may result in the issuance of fewer total credits, the new methodology is expected to yield higher-value carbon removal units, rather than the conservation credits previously generated. The company added that the update should make future issuances more appealing to buyers and improve pricing prospects. Acadian said the project has provided valuable experience to its management team and would form the foundation for further carbon credit development. The firm expects additional credit registration later this year, with demand and pricing in the voluntary carbon market projected to remain stable. Acadian’s 2025 results underscore the financial impact of the pause in offset activity: total sales for the first nine months of the year fell to C$65 mln, compared to C$95.9 mln a year earlier, when carbon credits contributed roughly a quarter of total revenue. Adjusted EBITDA for the period dropped by C$24.6 mln, largely reflecting the absence of offset sales. The company continues to manage around 2.4 mln acres of timberland in eastern Canada and the northeastern US, including 775,000 acres of freehold forests in New Brunswick and 300,000 acres in Maine, and said it plans to expand internal logging operations while pursuing new environmental and carbon-related opportunities.

Gassing up – The South Australia government is offering up to A$17.5 mln ($11.5 mln) in grants for innovative gas projects to ensure future supply, it said in a press release on Thursday. Grants awarded under the 2025 SA Gas Initiative would be limited to 50% of expenditure, up to a maximum of A$2.5 mln per project, with the cash from a newly established Gas Security Infrastructure Fund. It will consider upping this cap if the project’s total expense exceeds A$5 mln and the proponents can show that the project will have a greater expected outcome to meet the state’s needs, it added. Eligible projects include those which enhance geological knowledge of areas of potential supply near to existing facilities, encourage the uptake of new technology to make the industry more efficient, and gas storage solutions, among other things. The government added that priority will be given to shovel-ready projects which could enable delivery by 2028.

Climate-smart ag deal – The Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) has signed an MoU with the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA) to accelerate climate-smart and regenerative agriculture, the Seoul-based intergovernmental organisation said on Thursday. The partnership will also support the development of resilient rural livelihoods and green agrifood value chains. Specifically, GGGI and ICARDA will collaborate on policy, finance, and scaling solutions.

The international carbon removal (CDR) community is calling on G7 countries to agree on a set of standards or criteria to help scale CDR, a roundtable heard Wednesday.

Ice money – The Green Climate Fund has agreed to fund the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Glaciers to Farms programme, allocating $250 mln for the initiative, the bank said in a press release on Wednesday. The adaptation programme is aimed at nine ADB members, from Central Asia, the South Caucasus, and Pakistan, and is seeking to improve agricultural productivity as glacial melting drives more floods or droughts. The GCF’s funding will be mostly grants, and complements the $3.25 bln the ADB will be investing over the next decade in projects such as efficient irrigation, water storage, and watershed management.

Emissions from Colorado's oil and gas midstream sector last year exceeded the 2030 regulatory cap by more than 6%, but companies are cumulatively planning to close the gap through a combination of emissions reductions projects and credit buying, according to a state report published Tuesday.

The commercial lead for carbon removal (CDR) at one of the world's largest tech companies told a conference audience on Wednesday that he would prioritise projects that also tackle super pollutants, such as methane.

California regulator ARB is walking back the emissions reduction ambition under its cap-and-invest programme relative to workshops held last year, following new considerations such as consumer affordability and broader decarbonisation challenges under the Trump administration, the agency presented in a webinar Wednesday.

Take a pause - A new report from the Environmental Integrity Project, a watchdog group, found that all seven of the US’s LNG terminals operating through 2024 violated air pollution permits at least once since 2020. These seven terminals released 18.2 MtCO2e in 2023. And LNG terminals along the Gulf Coast reported 425 emissions incidents, from chemical releases and fires to excessive flaring, that have released nearly 14,200 tonnes of air pollution since they began operating. As the Trump administration speeds along permitting to expand the number of LNG terminals, the watchdog group urges policymakers to consider LNG companies’ repeated violations of environmental laws.

A carbon removal (CDR) buyers group backed by major tech companies will be sharing findings from its first forestry-based request for proposals (RFP) next year with carbon credit registries and standard bodies, attendees at the Trellis Impact 2025 conference heard on Tuesday.

Scaling up carbon removals (CDR) and strengthening standards in carbon markets are essential steps to delivering real mitigation, a scientific assessment said Thursday, laying out 10 of the most policy-relevant climate findings from the past 18 months.

Global offshore wind capacity is expected to almost triple by 2030 despite recent setbacks in the US, according to research published on Thursday.