Carbon markets face a critical choice over how aggressively to adopt digital monitoring, reporting, and verification (dMRV) and other advanced tools, as methodologies have evolved under Article 6 and the voluntary carbon market (VCM), said experts on a panel on Tuesday. 

Countries could reduce reporting burdens and strengthen the transparency and accuracy of land-sector data by aligning national forest assessments with Paris Agreement transparency requirements, suggested a new report.

On to the senate – Belize's Carbon Market Bill has passed its second and third readings in the lower House of Representatives and now heads to the upper Senate chamber for final approval, according to Climate Spotlight. The bill was originally introduced in September. It offers a legal framework, including a national registry, authorisation procedures, MRV systems, and new institutions for climate oversight. Key regulations – for example, on social safeguarding and benefit-sharing – are slated to come later, as per comments by Sustainable Development Minister Orlando Habet. The government has also consulted with the World Bank and international partners like Taiwan for support in developing these guardrails, Habet said. The bill experienced pushback from opposition leader Tracy Taeger Panton, who raised the issue of carbon credit ownership, claiming that there could still be confusion over who owns or may sell these units.

A Canadian climate tech developer would incentivise a modal shift in everyday commuters by monetising reductions in their transportation emissions, producing carbon credits for tech giants who are already tracking their movements.

A UK-based power generator, and developer of bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) projects, criticised the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) for failing to encourage companies to invest in durable CO2 removals. 

Net zero chemicals, by SBTi – The Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) on Tuesday unveiled new decarbonisation pathways to steer the chemicals industry toward net zero emissions. The Chemical Sector Pathways and Implementation Criteria give manufacturers detailed guidance to set science-based targets across key emissions sources, including primary chemicals, nitrous oxide from nitric acid production, non-primary chemicals and fertiliser use-phase emissions. SBTi said the package, developed through extensive research, consultation and pilot testing, is aligned with its Corporate Net-Zero Standard and is designed to unlock innovation, efficiency and long-term value in a sector that is the world’s largest industrial energy consumer.

WEF on carbon removals – The World Economic Forum has urged a major overhaul of financial structures to scale carbon removal and help keep global temperature rise below 1.5C. In an article posted on Dec. 2, the WEF notes a vast funding “missing middle” with projects too mature for venture capital but too risky for lenders. To address this, it underscores the need for coordinated public and private investment, risk-aligned capital, and clear demand signals from corporate buyers and governments. Currently, only 0.1% of the CO2 removals needed by 2050 are being achieved, with further progress hinging on a financial architecture that makes projects bankable, the WEF said.

Two major calls for stakeholder input have been launched by the Supervisory Body for the Paris Agreement’s Article 6.4 crediting mechanism, concerning corresponding adjustments and proposed new crediting approaches, as experts ramp up technical work in a methodology meeting running this week.

Bilateral cooperation through Article 6.2 could lead to a more efficient deployment of global carbon removal technologies, according to a World Bank-backed study published this week.

Sierra Leone has approved tax exemptions on a wide range of clean cooking technologies, in an effort to make clean cooking solutions more affordable and commercially viable.

Article 6 may now be the only way of truly connecting international carbon markets, according to a veteran analyst, with the EU credit demand signal a make-or-break moment for scaling Paris-era trading.

A Chilean resolution published Friday identifies “disqualifications and incompatibilities” for verification bodies reviewing projects that issue offsets used within the national carbon tax, reserving the right to dismiss verification outcomes where there has been a violation.

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has teamed up with a carbon market ratings agency to support governments in developing countries.

A US platform for buying sustainable products is adding a tool to enable customers to claw back tax on credit purchases, by teaming up with a non-profit investor in the carbon removal (CDR) sector.

A UK energy efficiency firm announced Tuesday it has partnered with a global infrastructure provider to launch a carbon credit registry for the built environment.

A US direct air capture (DAC) developer has secured investment from a Japanese financial institution and one of the country’s major engineering firms, according to an announcement made on Tuesday.

Private assets will be more exposed to climate risks in 2026, but next year’s reporting landscape will likely be haphazard, with some regulators ramping up requirements despite policy rollbacks, according to analysts.

Mineral precipitation occurred within hours of alkalinity addition in a series of ocean alkalinity enhancement (OAE) experiments in the North Atlantic, in some cases removing more alkalinity than was initially added and potentially rendering the approach counterproductive, a new study has found.

Nepal’s cabinet on Monday approved a Carbon Trading Regulation under the country’s Environmental Protection Act, paving the way for participation in international carbon markets.

Trading on Indonesia’s carbon exchange rose in November as negotiated deals revived activity after months of stagnation, though regular and marketplace segments remained subdued.

Wake up call - Indonesia is fast-tracking its forest and land rehabilitation after severe floods across Sumatra exposed extensive degradation, Ecobiz Asia reported last week, citing a senior forestry official. President Prabowo had ordered the restoration of 12.3 mln ha of critical land, giving new annual targets and priority areas. Funding will mainly come from state budgets, but the ministry is also turning to voluntary carbon markets, allowing private concession holders to generate carbon revenue from rehabilitation work, the official said. The floods have so far displaced more than a million people and killed over 600, according to the Guardian.

Talks underway - Indonesia’s carbon exchange, IDX Carbon, is in talks with international platforms, including Singapore’s CIX, to enable cross-market trading of the Southeast Asian country's carbon credits, Ecobiz Asia reported. International buyers are already entering through multiple channels, and interoperability agreements could further widen access, an IDX official said. Indonesia last month signed an MoU with ICVCM, under which it pledged to align its forestry credits with the body’s quality benchmark. It also plans an international roadshow to showcase its forestry credits to potential investors and buyers before the end of the year to operationalise the export of the country's offsets.

Biochar pilot - Clean energy project developer MicroEnergy Credits on Tuesday said it has launched its first biochar-based carbon removal pilot in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, teaming up with 2,000 farmers to convert crop residues into biochar under the European Biochar Certificate framework. The project, which uses Isometric’s methodology, aims to issue 10,000 credits by end of 2026 and sequester 5 MtCO2e through 2055, the company said in a press release.

A European bank has formed a partnership with a New Zealand forestry company to help forest owners develop voluntary carbon market projects, it announced on Monday.

A Latin American country has received its first payment from the World Bank’s Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF) for verified REDD+ emission reductions.