Nuclear waste - Germany plans to speed up its search for a final repository for high-level nuclear waste. On Nov. 3, German Environment Minister Carsten Schneider said he plans to present a legislative amendment in early 2026, to "optimise the site selection process" and "make significantly faster progress" from 2027. By then, the Federal Company for Radioactive Waste Disposal (BGE) is due to present proposals for a second phase of site selection, which means creating a shortlist of several specific regions to examine more closely as potential hosts of a final repository. (Schneider's statement)  

Water costs – Up to 30% of the investment needs that water suppliers will face are due to climate change, found a pilot study by Germany's energy and water trade association BDEW and technical and scientific association for gas and water DVGW. The study analysed four representative utilities and found that 7-30% of total planned investment could be traced back to climate-related impacts. Droughts, heatwaves, and heavy rainfall will driving higher costs for storage, insulation, flood protection, and energy efficiency. Utilities are also spending more on planning, permits, and innovation to ensure long-term supply security. The report warned that regional differences in geography and infrastructure could lead to wide variations in costs. The two trade associations called for a broader, representative survey to better quantify climate-related expenses and help policymakers draft support for the sector. (pilot study)

Not a single sector is on a trajectory consistent with climate neutrality by mid-century, the Belgian government’s climate change department reported on Monday.

EUA prices surged to their highest in ten months, amid aggressive buying and short-covering as weather forecasts sparked a jump in prompt German power and TTF gas, amid reports that Germany is set to offer more relief on electricity prices to industry that added to the bullish sentiment, while UKA prices rose to a two-year high.

Prices rallied last week as optimism surged ahead of COP30 and the market started the typical uptick in demand for credits in the fourth quarter to cover annual emissions.

ICAO has published the CORSIA sectoral growth factor for 2024, which should translate to robust demand for carbon credits eligible for the offsetting scheme, after last year's aviation emissions across participating states was calculated at 60 million tonnes above the agreed baseline.

A new report from the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) has found that setting science-based climate targets delivers measurable business benefits, boosting competitiveness, investor confidence, and long-term growth across sectors.

Lure of the Med - Europeans choosing to holiday more locally rather than travel to the US helped Ryanair boost profits by 40% between April and September. Its fares rose 13% over the summer months on the back of healthy demand, with more families holidaying in Europe, particularly the Mediterranean. The trend should continue due to a weakening UK economy and cost-conscious families, said group chief Michael O'Leary. He called on Stansted to build a second runway to bolster capacity, but doesn't expect a third runway at Heathrow to materialise this generation or next. Revenues at the budget airline increased 13% to €9.82 bln in the first half of its financial year, compared with the same period last year. Pre-tax profits came in at €2.89 bln, compared with €2.06 bln. Ryanair increased its passenger forecast for the year to 207 mln, up slightly from its previous 206 mln, and expects to grow to the 300 mln level within eight years. (FT)    

Double the size - Saudi Arabia's carbon market is projected to double in size next year, Semafor reported. The country's Voluntary Carbon Market Co. expects 20 mln carbon credits to be traded in 2026 - double the total contracts that have exchanged hands since 2022. The emissions trading platform is a joint venture between Public Investment Fund and the local exchange and is part of the kingdom’s efforts to reach net zero by 2060. Around 70% of Saudi companies now trade on the exchange together with others from countries including Brazil, China, France, Japan, and the US.

Global warming is accelerating as land and ocean carbon sinks reach critical limits, threatening to narrow the remaining carbon budget, according to a new scientific assessment released ahead of COP30 in Belem.

CO2-reactive geological formations such as basalts and peridotites could offer new long-term carbon capture and storage (CCS) opportunities in regions with limited sedimentary basins, according to an analysis published last week.

Protecting industry - Germany is about to set an 'industrial electricity price' from the start of next year, with the government in final stages of negotiations with the European Commission, economy minister Katherina Reiche said at a press conference. A discounted industrial electricity price is a key part of chancellor Friedrich Merz’s plan to slow the decline of German industry and return the country to economic growth, but it has met delays, with the EU needing to agree the scheme under state aid regulation. Energy-intensive companies already benefit from exemptions from certain taxes and levies but the wholesale electricity price is still much higher than before the energy crisis fuelled by Russia's war against Ukraine.

The Norwegian government has proposed cutting more than half a billion kroner from international climate and environmental initiatives in its draft 2026 state budget.

Small Island Developing States (SIDS) remain in the early stages of implementing carbon pricing policies, despite its growing role as a tool to steer investment in climate action, according to a recent UN-backed report.

Pesticide-heavy farming has damaged biodiversity inside of the EU’s network of protected sites, with traditional agriculture having the potential to benefit these ecosystems, a group of researchers has said.

The Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development of the Republic of Djibouti has announced the creation of a national framework to implement Article 6, which will enable it to start international carbon trading under the Paris Agreement.

EU member states have added a clause to revise the 2040 climate target if forests and other natural sinks absorb less CO2, according to the latest compromise text prepared ahead of decisive talks on Tuesday.

Cabo Verde is preparing to put the Article 6 carbon trading framework in motion next year, with a focus on using international deals to advance clean energy, according to the country's latest Paris Agreement commitment.

A clean cooking carbon project developer has announced plans to expand its programme to additional African countries, it said Monday.

The EU ETS-funded Innovation Fund has invested a total of €2.9 billion into 61 net zero technology projects with the potential of collectively reducing CO2 emissions by over 200 million tonnes in their first decade, the European Commission announced on Monday.

Scaling up carbon removals (CDR) requires politicians to establish market integrity, create reliable demand and national strategies, and support local stakeholders, according to the Tony Blair Institute (TBI) for Global Change.

A US technology company that equips building designers to procure low-carbon materials announced $2 million in early-stage funding, in an exclusive to Carbon Pulse.

Political sensibilities at COP30 could colour discussion and implementation of last year’s Article 6 rulebook, as “fairly dry” bureaucratic matters play out muted versions of old debates, according to observers and officials.

Emerging markets are taking the lead on climate policy as wealthier nations scale back, according to new analysis, as carbon pricing and emissions disclosure regulations keep progress across G20 countries stable.

Italy is reigniting a push for oil and gas exploration, awarding over 30 drilling licences after lifting a years-long ban.

A Middle Eastern voluntary carbon markets company has teamed up with a financier of carbon removals (CDR) to deploy projects together, mostly in the Global South, the two announced on Sunday.

Sweden has granted SEK 314 million (€29 mln) to a project that aims to cut around 170,000 tonnes of CO2 per year by replacing fossil-fired heat treatment with electrified solutions in steel production.

The European Commission has finalised detailed rules outlining how EU countries can claim special flexibility under the bloc’s 2030 climate target due to their soils’ and forests’ reduced capacity to absorb CO2.

Xpansiv has acquired a global clean energy registry provider in a move that consolidates two major companies in the renewable energy certification sector.

Foray into Qatar - Samsung C&T, the construction unit of South Korea's Samsung Group, has won a 1.9 trillion-won ($1.13 bln) order for a carbon capture and storage project in Qatar, Yonhap reported, citing a company statement. QatarEnergy has awarded the Korean company to run the project, which will capture around 4.1 MtCO2e annually in the formers' existing LNG production complex in Ras Laffan. Samsung has also been awarded the contract for Qatar’s largest solar power project, which will generate enough electricity to power around 750,000 households.  

The draft Transition Finance Guidelines were published Monday by the UK's Transition Finance Council following feedback from the first consultation, including guidance on offsetting, with the Council inviting additional input from international markets prior to final publication next year.

Chilling stuff - European negotiators say they were subjected to direct personal threats by US officials during fractious talks over a proposed global levy on maritime emissions, according to accounts shared with Politico. The confrontation occurred at last month’s International Maritime Organization (IMO) meeting in London, where the US successfully pushed to delay a plan to introduce a carbon tax on shipping emissions by one year — a move widely viewed as a major victory for Washington and a setback for climate advocates. European Commission officials said American delegates and embassy staff used “unprecedented” pressure tactics, including summoning negotiators to the US Embassy and threatening business retaliation, visa revocations, and personal consequences for delegates and their families. “Our negotiators had never seen this before in any international talks,” one EU official said. Several European diplomats reportedly returned home shaken after the exchanges. The threats formed part of a wider campaign by the Trump administration to block the measure, which President Donald Trump argued would unfairly penalise US shipping interests. Ahead of the talks, the US issued a joint statement from the Secretaries of State, Transportation, and Energy warning of tariffs, port fees, visa restrictions, and potential sanctions against officials supporting “activist-driven" climate policies. While most EU countries backed the emissions levy, Greece and Cyprus broke ranks, with Greek PM Kyriakos Mitsotakis insisting his government’s decision to support a postponement was made independently of US pressure. Observers described the US campaign as unusually aggressive, with Energy Secretary Chris Wright and Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins reportedly calling more than 20 governments to press them to oppose the measure. Caribbean and small island nations were also said to have faced tariff threats. Vanuatu’s Climate Minister Ralph Regenvanu told Politico that island states faced “relentless pressure", while academic observer Christiaan De Beukelaer said the intimidation “created an atmosphere of fear” that disrupted the negotiation process. The US State Department declined to discuss the reported threats, but Secretary of State Marco Rubio later defended the outcome in a Wall Street Journal op-ed, saying the US-led coalition had successfully blocked “unaccountable bureaucratic schemes” at the IMO.

Nigeria has approved a new national carbon market framework and the operationalisation of its climate change fund, in a move President Bola Tinubu said would help unlock up to $3 billion annually in carbon finance as the country prepares to outline its climate strategy at this month’s UN climate summit in Brazil.

This is a call - The UK PACT (Partnering for Accelerated Climate Transitions) programme has opened a new funding call in Brazil to support climate policy and governance initiatives that strengthen the implementation of the country’s climate plan and just transition agenda. The Brazil-UK PACT Climate Policy and Governance Call for Proposals seeks one project that will enhance coordination between federal and subnational governments — including states, metropolitan regions, municipalities, and the Federal District — to align Brazil’s Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) priorities with local climate strategies. Applications close on Dec. 15, 2025. Eligible applicants include local and international NGOs, think tanks, academic institutions, consultancies, professional associations, UN agencies, and private sector entities. The selected initiative will work with the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change’s Department of Governance and Coordination to:

• Strengthen federative climate governance and the coherence of Brazil’s climate plan implementation.
• Support the translation of national targets into actionable subnational plans.
• Build public-sector and stakeholder capacity to lead climate action.
• Enhance collaboration and dialogue between levels of government.
• Develop indicators, tools, and mechanisms for monitoring and evaluating the climate plan.
• Map and assess existing subnational climate policies, integrating gender equality, disability, and social inclusion (GEDSI) principles.
• Propose methods for harmonising planning, implementation, and reporting frameworks across jurisdictions.

Applicants are expected to prioritise a set of subnational governments based on mitigation potential, adaptation synergies (especially within the AdaptaCidades programme), and the long-term sustainability of the intervention. The call, developed in consultation with Brazil’s Ministry of Environment, reflects the UK government’s ongoing support for technical assistance and capacity-building to strengthen Brazil’s multi-level climate governance architecture.

CEOs of Saudi state-backed companies said last week that a “balanced” energy transition adds new energies without necessarily replacing old ones, reviving questions about Paris Agreement parties’ domestic commitment to fossil fuel phase-down in the lead-up to COP30 this month.

Captive projects remained a loophole in China's overseas coal ban despite a shrinking pipeline, with plants under construction in countries including Indonesia and Zimbabwe, a recent report has found.