Forests approved - Perimeter Forest Limited Partnership has successfully registered its Painted Forest Carbon Project under Verra's VM0012 methodology: Improved Forest Management in Temperate and Boreal Forests. Located in the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence hardwood forests of Ontario's Algoma Region, the nearly 147,900-acre (60,000 hectares) private property area north of Sault Ste. Marie is celebrated for its natural beauty and cultural significance - hosting over 100 known painting sites of the iconic Group of Seven artists.

There is no evidence that the use of voluntary carbon market (VCM) credits drives stronger corporate climate ambition, according to a study published Tuesday, that challenged a narrative promoted by market participants.

The Bahamas has closed a $25-million senior secured financing facility to capitalise its new sovereign blue carbon fund, advancing the country’s plan to commercialise marine-based mitigation outcomes, according to an announcement on Monday.

Fuel variances – Oregon’s Environmental Quality Commission (EQC) approved temporary variances on Monday to ease specific compliance requirements following the Olympic Pipeline closure, allowing truck and rail imports outside pipeline and terminal systems without triggering certain Clean Fuels or Climate Protection obligations. Effective until 2359 PST on Dec. 1, the Clean Fuels variance raises the regulation threshold from 0.5 mln to 5 mln gallons for suppliers not currently regulated and exempts direct truck imports to stations, fleets, and truck stops. The Climate Protection variance likewise exempts emissions when fuels are imported by truck or rail and directly delivered, and removes such volumes from applicability thresholds. Suppliers must report added imports within 45 days; variances may be adjusted.

Carbon removal (CDR) experts expect marine CDR (mCDR) and bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) will be among the first technologies to scale in the space, panellists said Monday.

Setting strategy – New Jersey Gov.-elect Mikie Sherrill (D) has appointed former Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm and former Federal Energy Regulatory Commission member Allison Clements to co-lead an energy affordability and reliability transition team, as part of her effort to address recent double-digit electricity bill increases, E&E News reported. Sherrill said the wider transition groups would work to improve state services, strengthen accountability, and reduce costs for residents.

Compliance entities picked up holdings of RGGI allowances following the Q3 auction in early September but remained in a deficit to outstanding obligations, a quarterly market monitor report published Monday showed.

A US-based agtech firm is expanding a partnership with Walmart that helps Arkansas rice farmers implement regenerative farming practices and reduce emissions, according to a Monday announcement.

A Texan's tantrum – A Texas regulator serving on the state's energy commission, the Railroad Commission, is lashing out against the state’s primacy over Class VI carbon injection wells, which the US EPA granted the state earlier this month. During a public meeting last week, Commission Wayne Christian criticised carbon capture projects, calling them a danger and tying them to Biden-era climate policies. Christian is part of a three-member Republican panel overseeing the state agency that now has authority over Class VI well permits. His comments add to a growing, nationwide chorus of Republican voices pushing back against carbon capture projects, according to E&E News.

Overseas SAF production – Engineering company Samsung E&A signed an MoU with Korean Air Lines on Thursday to outline a sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) partnership. The companies will identify and review overseas SAF production projects, support long-term offtake agreements, explore investment opportunities in new SAF technologies and projects, and expand Samsung E&A’s SAF Technology Alliance. Samsung will be entering the US SAF market through the partnership, Korea IT Times reported, as the companies target the country due to its feedstock availability, advanced technology, and available infrastructure. Samsung E&A will be responsible for procuring and building SAF production facilities, while Korean Air will consider being a long-term offtaker, establishing a stable demand for the project.

Verra released on Monday the final allocated deforestation risk maps for Peru, clearing the way for project developers in the country to request activity data needed to register REDD+ projects under its VM0048 methodology and associated VM0055 module.

California gasoline sales in August recorded a second precipitous year-on-year (YoY) drop one month after notching its largest YoY drop of the year, while diesel sales headed downward after a July rebound, state data showed.

Vermont climate superfund – Vermont advocacy group VPIRG has filed an unopposed motion for leave to submit an amicus brief in federal litigation over the state’s Climate Superfund Act, telling the District Court it can provide state-level context and data on climate impacts in Vermont. TThe attached brief argues the law is constitutional, non-punitive and structured as a cost-recovery measure rather than an emissions-control statute, and contends federal law does not pre-empt the state’s approach. VPIRG also submitted a more detailed brief today expanding on those arguments and urging the Court to dismiss the complaints or grant summary judgment for the State.

Canada price corridor – Canada should establish a rising minimum price for industrial carbon credits to restore investor confidence and support low-carbon investment, experts from the Canadian Climate Institute said in an opinion piece. A “price corridor” approach is needed, with provinces maintaining a credit price floor alongside the existing ceiling, and the federal government updating its benchmark to harmonise standards, they said.

G20 leaders have promised to intensify their efforts to reach net zero emissions around mid-century, in a declaration that acknowledges the need to adapt to climate change, overhaul sustainable finance, and distribute clean cooking – but omits any mention of fossil fuels.

Prices were little moved last week amid what some saw as a disappointing COP30 in Belem, which also failed to give a strong signal to the voluntary market, while CORSIA fundamentals remain hazy despite the release of bullish demand-side data.

Only around one-fifth of climate disaster losses were covered by insurance in Asia and Latin America over the past decade, as rapid urbanisation in high-risk areas and more frequent extreme weather events widen the protection gap, a Spanish economic research group said in a report launched at COP30.

Corporate timberland owners see economic and climate promise in forest carbon markets, but a new study finds their participation is still constrained by financial viability concerns, regulatory complexity, and verification burdens.

The COP30 UN climate summit wrapped up last week with a record $9.5 billion pledged for forests – yet nature at large took a back seat in the negotiation rooms, according to observers.

A San Francisco-headquartered enhanced rock weathering (ERW) developer operating in Brazil announced last week it aims to expand its deployment fivefold by the end of 2026.

A Canadian industrial hemp firm has last week unveiled plans to raise up to C$2 million ($1.4 mln) through a non-brokered private placement and a share consolidation.

Analysts have raised their CORSIA demand forecasts in light of an October announcement by ICAO that signalled that the aviation sector had grown by more than expected in 2024.

The new Paris Agreement Crediting Mechanism (PACM) is no longer just a theoretical part of Article 6 markets, according to an executive at a major project developer, but it will take time to fully assess the investment viability of different types of activities.

A UN-supported clean cooking body has published a new version of its cookstoves carbon methodology that can now be use as part of international trading under Article 6.2 and adopted by voluntary standards.

Two global corporations have struck a deal to invest in a regenerative agriculture scheme for rice farmers across Arkansas in the US, it was announced Monday.

The UN has opened public consultation on the first global methodology for savanna fire management (SFM) under Article 6.4 of the Paris Agreement.