Switzerland announced Sunday at COP30 a donation of R$33 million ($6.2 mln) to Brazil's Amazon Fund, doubling the country's financial support to the initiative.

The Symbiosis Coalition has added two new members and has formally selected its first project, which deals with the reforestation of degraded pasturelands in the Brazilian Amazon.

A large European bank has been mandated by the governments of Honduras and Suriname to exclusively arrange a potential sale of the two nations' sovereign carbon credits.

The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) has for the first time authorised carbon capture and storage (CCS) and engineered removal methodologies for use under its CORSIA international aviation offsetting scheme, with a number of voluntary carbon standards also receiving eligibility approval for the current and next trading periods.

Data centre dreams – ExxonMobil has ambitions to capture carbon from natural gas power plants supplying data centres, Data Centre Dynamics reported Friday. The fossil fuel giant has already engaged with data centre operators to advance these plans, according to comments from CEO Darren Woods during ExxonMobil’s Q3 earnings call. The company is aiming to capture up to 90% of CO2 emissions from its gas power plants serving the data centre sector, Woods said. This would not be the company’s first foray into CCS, as ExxonMobil received three permits in October to inject CO2 into old oil test wells in Texas.

A Canada-based offset seller has expanded its nature-based operations to create a blue carbon project in Guinea.

The EU, China, the UK, and eight other countries in Europe, Latin America, and Africa have endorsed Brazil's proposal for a coalition to collaborate on global compliance carbon markets and pricing mechanisms.

A new fund seeking to unlock large-scale commercial investment in deforestation and sustainable agriculture officially kicked off on Saturday, targeting raising $1 billion by 2028 and $2 bln by 2030.

Brazil’s nature-based investment sector is expanding faster than expected, with total capital allocations projected to more than triple and surpass $10 billion by 2027, according to new market analysis.

At the Leaders’ Summit in Belem ahead of next week’s COP30, global leaders announced agreements on protecting forests and advancing the global energy transition, while outlining their goals and expectations for the upcoming conference.

Market intelligence provider MSCI is preparing to officially launch a credit rating system for Paris Agreement Article 6 transactions, as momentum builds to bring greater consistency to a global carbon market that remains voluntary and “uncapped” by design, an executive told Carbon Pulse.

Plug the dates – Climate Action Reserve (CAR) is aiming to finalise its proposed protocol for oil and gas well plugging in the US by Mar. 2026, the standard operator said in a press release on Friday setting out the timeline for its development. It will hold a webinar on Nov. 25, at 1000 PST/1300 EST, to outline the protocol concept and key considerations for its development. CAR is also seeking expressions of interest from parties wanting to join its workgroup for the protocol, and is accepting applications until Nov. 28.

Money for energy transition – Brazil will create a fund to finance the country’s energy transition using resources from fossil fuel exploration, President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said on Friday. During the Leaders’ Summit that precedes COP30 in Belem, Lula did not mention the state-owned oil company Petrobras’s interest in exploring oil and gas in the Amazon region, Folha de S. Paulo reported.

Biofuels are most likely to play durable roles in a narrow set of transport uses, but deployment is being held back by high costs, infrastructure gaps, and uncertain policy signals, panelists said during a Friday webinar. 

Senior financiers and development experts are calling for a radical rethink of how global capital is mobilised for climate action, urging reforms that make finance simpler, faster, and more locally driven while integrating adaptation, resilience, and natural capital into mainstream investment strategies.

The Ontario government will look to gut climate change legislation and require the province to set and update emissions reductions targets, according to a Thursday report. 

G20 pledges for carbon removals (CDR) are "limited and lacking credibility," with only a handful of member nations providing transparent and credible plans to scale up the technology, a report has found.

West Virginia Attorney General John McCuskey, who is leading a fight against New York’s climate superfund law, said Friday that the case will determine the future of all superfund laws cropping up in other states.

Solar slowdown – A new campaign by the Solar Energy Industries Association warns that political opposition to solar and energy storage projects could jeopardise half of all planned US power generation through 2030. According to the group, more than 500 projects totalling 116 GW of capacity are stalled or at risk due to federal permitting delays, regulatory uncertainty, and shifting energy standards. The campaign claimed 18 states could lose over half their planned capacity, threatening supply for 16 mln homes and driving up electricity costs as demand from artificial intelligence, data centres, and manufacturing grows. It argued that solar and storage account for 71% of new planned capacity and are the fastest, most affordable ways to expand the grid, warning that continued inaction could raise prices and weaken US competitiveness with China.

A group of representatives from investment institutions identified carbon pricing as the most effective incentive to channel capital into climate solutions at an event this week.

An US developer has signed a long-term agreement to supply a major APAC industrial client with approximately 1 million tonnes of low-carbon methanol per year from its facility located at a Pacific port.

The US EPA announced on Friday its decision to grant full or partial exemptions to petitions from eight small refineries regarding their compliance with the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) between 2021-24.

A pledge to quadruple the use of sustainable fuels by 2035, co-sponsored by Brazil, Italy, Japan, and India, has been endorsed by 15 more countries, it was announced Friday during the pre-COP Leaders’ Summit.

Germany lightly pushes TFFF – After high expectations that Germany would announce an investment in the Tropical Forests Forever Facility (TFFF) on Friday, the Brazilian-led initiative to reward countries for conserving their forests, Chancellor Friedrich Merz expressed support for the fund but did not disclose any figures. The country still needs to make final internal decisions, but it will contribute a considerable amount of money, Merz said during a conference in Belem at the Leaders’ Summit for COP30.

Pipeline pushback – Residents, local officials, and environmental advocates voiced strong opposition this week to Air Products’ plan to store up to 138 mln tCO2 beneath Lake Maurepas as part of its $4.5 bln blue hydrogen and ammonia project in Ascension Parish, Louisiana. At a packed US Army Corps of Engineers hearing in LaPlace, speakers cited fears over potential pipeline leaks, wetland destruction, and long-term ecological damage, while lawmakers from both parties urged the agency to conduct a full environmental impact statement. Air Products maintained the project would safely capture 95% of its emissions, create 2,000 construction jobs, and generate $1.3 bln in local tax revenue. The proposal, already delayed until at least 2028, faces new uncertainty after Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry (R) imposed a statewide moratorium on new carbon-storage permits amid growing backlash.

A recently-created carbon accounting initiative has drawn strong praise from major industrial and financial players, with executives calling it a “critical step” to unlock credible markets for low-carbon products and investments.

The Interamerican Development Bank (IDB) has partnered with agencies from Northern European countries looking to unlock $800 million in guarantees for programmes focused on supporting sustainable development in the Amazon and Central America regions, they announced on Friday.

The founder of a US-based methane well-plugging company has called for leadership changes, alleging that poor governance, mismanagement, and conflicts of interest by current executives and board members have eroded shareholder value.

Paraguay has reaffirmed its climate action commitments and embedded new provisions for international carbon trading under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement, as part of a revised national strategy that broadens sectoral coverage and extends its implementation horizon to 2035.

The durable carbon removal market saw quarterly contracted volumes reach their second-highest ever level, with only Q2 2025 ahead, after the Q3 volume surpassed the total annual figure for 2024, according to analysts.

Companies across the food, timber, rubber, and agricultural sectors this week called on the EU to proceed with the deforestation regulation’s current timeline while allowing a limited grace period to ensure smooth implementation.

Ahead of COP30, a multi-stakeholder group has issued several policy recommendations aimed at strengthening the role of nature-based solutions (NbS) in global climate action.

More than 5,300 fossil fuel lobbyists have attended UN Climate Summits over the last four years, a non-profit said on Friday, calling on the UN climate body to establish better accountability rules to root out industry interference.

The latest draft of the Science Based Targets initiative's (SBTi) Corporate Net-Zero Standard (Version 2) takes a step forward on climate finance transparency, and makes an effort to clearly recognise companies that buy quality carbon credits, but will fail to help drive near-term investment towards removals, according to market stakeholders.

The renewable race - Deloitte’s 2026 Renewable Energy Industry Outlook, released Oct. 29, projects that renewable deployment could surge next year despite recent political headwinds. The consultancy says that industry executives may focus on near-term deployment in order to capture tax credits under the safe-harbour rule before it phases out. In August, the US Treasury and IRS released new guidance for renewable tax credits. The guidance eliminated the “safe harbour” provision, which allows projects to claim tax credits so long as they pay down at least 5% of project costs by the tax credit deadline. According to Deloitte, only 35% of the project pipeline is under construction, meaning projects are expected to accelerate through 2026 despite supply chain pressures.

Over in their backyard - Texas-based energy company PowerTransitions is looking to develop a large-scale battery energy storage system in the RGGI state of Vermont, local media Vermont Public reported last week. Vermont Public Service Commissioner Kerrick Johnson has requested a meeting with the company to get more details on its proposal. The company has reportedly been in discussion with local officials and has an agreement in place with the owner of the property in question, NorthStar Group Services.

Baby it’s cold outside - PJM Interconnection, the grid operator for 13 states including the RGGI state of New Jersey, said that it and its members have sufficient resources to serve the 67 mln people in its service area this winter under expected conditions. It is expecting record peak electricity demand of approximately 145,700 MW, outpacing the addition of generating resources. (ROI-NJ)

Grants greenlit - A federal judge has ordered the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to restart payments for climate-focused grants that were halted during the government shutdown, E&E News reported. US District Judge Mary McElroy ruled that the agency must comply with a previous court order requiring the disbursement of funds under the Green and Resilient Retrofit Program, siding with non-profits that accused HUD of stalling. McElroy said that legally authorised activities, including enforcing court orders, can continue during a lapse in government funding.

Decoupling drive - Over the past three decades, the US has managed to reduce its GHG emissions even as its economy more than doubled and its population grew by nearly 30%, according to a new analysis by Georgia Institute of Technology professor Valerie Thomas. While the country remains one of the world’s highest per capita emitters, total emissions have dropped about 15% in the past decade, driven largely by cleaner electricity generation. Power-sector emissions have fallen nearly 30% since 1995 as utilities replaced coal with more efficient natural gas and expanded renewable energy sources such as wind, solar, and hydro, which have tripled over the same period. Falling costs for renewables and batteries, along with energy efficiency gains, have further curbed emissions. Transportation emissions have remained steady as vehicle fuel efficiency improved, though electric vehicle adoption in the US continues to lag behind other major markets. Thomas noted that new challenges are emerging from rising electricity demand linked to electrification and the rapid growth of data centers, which could complicate future emissions reductions. (The Conversation)

Gulf gains - PlanetWest, a Los Angeles-based environmental technology company, announced the launch of its Mobile Intelligent Direct Air Capture (MIDAC) system, designed to address severe air pollution and rising temperatures in the megacities of the Gulf States. The system, which can integrate with vehicle radiator systems, captures particulate matter such as black carbon – a pollutant with a warming effect up to 1,500 times stronger than CO2 by mass – and stores it for disposal or recycling. PlanetWest said the technology offers faster climate and health benefits by targeting concentrated pollution in urban hotspots rather than diffuse GHGs. The company plans for local manufacturing of MIDAC units in the Gulf region to support economic development alongside environmental improvement.

Add to your calendar - The Colorado State Land Board scheduled its next regular public meeting for Nov. 13, where it will consider proposed changes to the Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Energy Management for Manufacturing (GEMM) rules, among other topics. However, the agenda is subject to change.

The Bahamas has pledged to cut emissions 30% by 2035, but said meeting its climate ambitions will be dependent on the availability of financing and support from richer, higher emitting countries in its latest Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC).

Most corporates are turning a blind eye to the threat of climate change, failing to implement robust measures to support the Paris Agreement goal, although more and more of them are using carbon credits, according to a new report.

Brazil could achieve a net increase in forest cover of 8 million hectares by 2035 without interfering with land needed for food production, according to a paper.

The ICVCM’s Core Carbon Principles (CCP) label is fast emerging as a credibility benchmark in the carbon removal market, drawing a clear line between high- and low-quality credits, according to the head of a US-based firm that became the first to secure the quality stamp for its issuances under a subsurface biomass storage protocol.

He's a free man - CarbonPlan’s co-founder Jeremy Freeman has stepped down as executive director after nearly six years, announcing he will remain involved as president and chair of the board while pursuing a new opportunity in another field. In a letter to supporters, Freeman reflected on the think tank’s evolution since its founding, praising the cross-disciplinary team of scientists, policy experts, ecologists, designers, and developers for their growing influence in carbon removal, offsets, and climate-impact research. He said the leadership transition had been planned for some time, with Deputy Director Tracy Aquino Anderson now assuming the role of interim executive director. Freeman added that he would continue to support the team during the transition, including through fundraising, reviewing research drafts, and contributing to project design. CarbonPlan’s board will soon begin a search for a permanent executive director. Freeman expressed confidence in the team’s ability to continue its mission and said he looked forward to helping guide the organisation in his ongoing role as board chair.

California Carbon Allowances (CCAs) fell over 5% week-on-week (WoW) as futures volumes jumped and options activity surged, with call options on both vintages more than doubling.

Federal investments in carbon capture projects risk locking in fossil fuel dependence and shifting financial burdens from polluters to taxpayers, a government minister said in a report to Parliament on Thursday.