Central American countries hold sizeable technical potential to reduce emissions from agriculture and livestock through sustainable land-use practices, yet remain at an early stage of readiness to leverage international carbon markets, according to a new study.

High capital costs and protracted diligence timelines are forcing nature-based project developers to rely on internal funds and equity for early-stage financing, new survey data shows.

A Netherlands-headquartered nature-based solutions (NbS) developer signed a binding sales agreement with a large international buyer for the future delivery of up to 100,000 carbon credits from an energy-efficient cookstoves project in Kenya, according to a company announcement.

Cleaning up cocoa – Olam Food Ingredients, a global food and beverage supplier, announced Wednesday that it reduced GHG emissions for cocoa farming in 2024 by 12% per tonne of output relative to its 2018 baseline. Meanwhile, it also reached its 2030 cocoa living income target with 155,000 cocoa farmers earning a living income, representing 45% of farmers within its global cocoa sustainability programmes, according to its latest Cocoa Compass Impact Report. The report marks the halfway point between the 2018 baseline and its 2030 climate target, which is to reduce Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 50% and Scope 3 emissions by 30%.

The EU is falling short of 21 out of the 28 targets it has set to curb climate change, adapt its economy, and restore nature, according to a report published Wednesday by the European Environment Agency (EEA).

Nepal has formally launched its first national carbon trading framework, creating a state-controlled system for carbon credit exports and private participation in the domestic market, according to the regulations published in the official gazette this week.

Latin eyes on REDD+ – Representatives from Latin American and Caribbean countries that participate in the REDD+ mechanism are meeting in Sao Jose dos Campos, Brazil, from 9-12 Dec. The meeting is organised by the UNFCCC Secretariat and hosted by the Brazilian National Institute for Space Research (INPE). The event aims to strengthen knowledge-sharing among specialists, with discussions on national strategies, Forest Reference Levels (FRLs/FRELs), safeguards information systems and the interaction between REDD+ and Article 6 of the Paris Agreement. Increasing transparency for results-based finance, such as from the Green Climate Fund, and enhancing future collaboration among Parties is also under discussion, according to Brazil’s Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change (MMA).

A US-based marine carbon removal (mCDR) company signed a prepurchase agreement with a tech giant, the project developer announced Wednesday.

Blue carbon dataset - Indonesia’s Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries will publish an updated national blue carbon dataset to set a  baseline for marine carbon projects, Ecobiz Asia reported, citing a government official. The data will cover mangroves, seagrass meadows, and coral reefs, identifying restoration needs and guiding investment. Last month, the Southeast Asian country launched its blue carbon action guide and roadmap to support the government integrating blue carbon ecosystem into later Nationally Determined Contributions.

Qatar NAP – Qatar has launched its National Adaptation Plan (NAP), with support from the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI), the Seoul-based intergovernmental organisation said on Monday. The NAP identified the sectors most vulnerable to climate change – including biodiversity, energy, agriculture, coastal zones, and infrastructure – and translated these into 27 adaptation measures, 126 targeted actions, and close to 280 projects, GGGI said. These priorities span both the medium-term (2030) and the longer-term (2050).

The voluntary carbon market (VCM) operates more like a differentiated, over-the-counter (OTC) marketplace for "emotionally-appealing marketing claims" than a unified commodity market, according to a new study that draws on data from one of the largest offset dealers globally.