A handful of state-owned coal heavyweights would shoulder the bulk of the financial hit from Paris-aligned climate policies, with more than $1.9 trillion in stranded power plant value at risk under a 1.5C pathway, according to new research.

Global methane output in 2023 was 15% higher than levels reported to the UNFCCC, according to a new high-resolution satellite analysis that identifies widespread under-estimation across national inventories and finds that oil and gas emissions alone exceed country submissions by almost a third.

Weaknesses in a voluntary carbon market methodology to finance the early retirement of coal-fired power plants risk undermining its environmental credentials, according to a new report.

The US Biochar Initiative (USBI) has published a new laboratory analysis standard for biochar, marking what the organisation describes as a step-change for the North American market as carbon removal developers, regulators, and buyers seek more consistent data on material quality and pollutant thresholds.

Chile has gazetted a flagship Article 6 regulation after a year of debates – and more than four months of checks in the Comptroller’s Office – in the final days of President Gabriel Boric’s left-wing administration.

Managed money boosted their net long positions in California Carbon Allowance (CCA) holdings over the Oct. 29-Nov. 18 period, including a year-to-date (YtD) high in the futures only market, US Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) data showed, as the agency continues to catch up on publishing data since the federal government shutdown.

Ontario dropping requirements to set and report back on emissions reductions won't spell immediate disaster for its carbon market, but the move will neither propel the province towards greater climate accountability amid ongoing carbon pricing negotiations at the federal level, according to a carbon policy lead.

EDFI guarantee - Brussels-based EDFI Management Company has issued a guarantee under the EU-funded EDFI Carbon Sinks programme to support Proparco’s investment in AXA IM Alts’ Natural Capital & Impact strategy, it said Dec. 8. The backing aims to de-risk the strategy’s equity exposure in large-scale nature-based carbon sink projects in emerging markets and attract further public and private capital. The strategy finances companies and land-based projects that generate high-integrity carbon credits alongside biodiversity and livelihood benefits.

Low carbon bus launch - A California-based hydrogen tech company, Nikkiso Clean Energy and Industrial Gases Group, announced this week that it has been selected by Clean Energy Fuels Corp, a developer of fuelling stations, to provide equipment for a liquid hydrogen station. Clean Energy is building the hydrogen fuelling station for the Riverside Transit Agency, the primary transit authority for western Riverside County, California. The station will be designed to refuel the RTA’s hydrogen fuel cell busses, marking the beginning of its transition to a low carbon fleet. Nikkiso will provide pumps, vaporisers, dispensers, controls, and a safety system. The station is expected to be operational summer 2026.

US President Donald Trump issued an executive order (EO) Thursday seeking to rein in and regulate proxy advisory firms, marking a major escalation in Republicans’ efforts to block the firms from pushing environmental, social, and governance (ESG) agendas via shareholder voting processes.

Guatemala's forest carbon – Guatemala’s forests and trees outside forests store an estimated 415.2 MtCO2, according to results from the country’s second National Forest Inventory (IFN), released this week by the National Forest Institute (INAB) and the National Council of Protected Areas (CONAP), with support from the FAO. The inventory, conducted between 2021-24 across 494 sampling units nationwide, estimated that forests cover 38% of Guatemala’s territory, or around 4.14 mln ha. The assessment also provided data on biomass, biodiversity, timber stocks, forest structure, and regeneration, reinforcing the role of Guatemala’s forest ecosystems in climate mitigation and sustainable land-use planning.

Amazon storage – Colombia published the first cycle of its National Forest Inventory (NFI) this week, revealing that the Amazon region stores an estimated nearly 5 bln tonnes of carbon in above-ground biomass, based on data collected between 2015-23. The inventory shows an average of 128.2 tC/ha in above-ground biomass, rising to 154.6 tC/ha when below-ground carbon is included. Led by the environment ministry alongside the national climate agency IDEAM, research institutes, universities, and forest communities, the NFI covered 1,410 plots nationwide, including 520 in the Amazon, and is expected to strengthen Colombia’s climate accounting, forest protection efforts, and policy planning.

Methanol move – ABS, ENEOS, NYK Line, and SEACOR have launched a joint study to develop a methanol bunkering and supply chain network along the US Gulf Coast, the companies announced. They will be targeting the first commercial-scale ship-to-ship methanol bunkering operations in the country. The companies said the initiative will assess low-carbon methanol supply, including green methanol, as the maritime sector looks to align with the IMO’s net zero emissions target for 2050. ABS will provide class and regulatory support, while ENEOS, NYK Line, and SEACOR will contribute fuel supply, bunkering expertise, and US-flag operational capabilities.

Plastics-to-SAF  - Clean Planet Technologies patented its pyrolysis-oil upgrading process converting waste plastics into sustainable aviation fuel, expanding intellectual property protection beyond its 2022 UK patent, the company announced Monday. The multi-stage technology using fractional condensation, hydrotreating, and distillation transforms unstable, metal-laden pyrolysis oils into ultra-clean feedstocks suitable for SAF refining, with a pilot facility commissioning Q1 2026.

Clean concrete - Canadian think tank Pembina Institute has released a new report outlining strategies for Ontario and Alberta to accelerate the use of lower-carbon concrete in major infrastructure projects. The think tank recommended provinces align concrete procurement with the federal Standard on Embodied Carbon in Construction — which targets a 10% reduction in embodied carbon for concrete — and move codes, standards, and specifications to a performance-based approach harmonised across jurisdictions. Concrete production supports over 166,000 jobs and contributes C$76 bln ($55 bln) annually to Canada’s economy. Cement — the critical binding agent in concrete — accounts for 7% of global GHG emissions and 1.5% of Canada’s emissions.

More hands, less work - Ammonia producer Yara International is negotiating with industrial gas giant Air Products to acquire ammonia production, storage, and shipping facilities at Air Products' blue hydrogen and ammonia Louisiana Clean Energy Complex, representing approximately 25% or $8-$9 bln of project costs. Yara would assume responsibility for related operations and integrate the entire ammonia output into its global distribution network. Air Products would own and operate the industrial gases production, where approximately 80% of the low-carbon hydrogen would be supplied to Yara under a 25-year long-term offtake agreement to produce 2.8 Mt of low-carbon ammonia per year. The remaining hydrogen would be supplied to Air Products’ customers in the US Gulf Coast via Air Products’ 700-mile hydrogen pipeline system. The about 5 Mt per year of high-purity CO2 captured by the Air Products facility would be sequestered by a third party under a long-term agreement to be announced later, the companies said.

French-Canadian partnership - Haffner Energy, a French manufacturer of renewable fuels solutions, has signed a major strategic partnership with an undisclosed Canadian partner to develop a 5 MW industrial pilot project in Quebec. Haffner said the two partners will create a joint venture, owned 49% by Haffner. The new company will hold an exclusive license for Canada. Haffner said the first project opens the door for dozens more multi-energy hubs.

Two international oil companies launched on Friday what they called the largest-ever project to calculate carbon stocks in Brazil, planning to investing R$100 million ($18.4 mln) into the initiative.

California's last operating nuclear power plant cleared a key regulatory hurdle Thursday when the state Coastal Commission approved its continued operation through 2030, leaving just one state vote and final federal approval before extended operations can proceed.

A voluntary carbon standard has opened a public consultation on a proposed revision to its sustainable grasslands carbon crediting methodology, marking a significant update from previous approaches, it said Friday.

UN agency ICAO has published an updated Sectoral Growth Factor (SGF) figure for 2024 aviation emissions,  which signals that as many as 55 million eligible carbon credits may be needed by airlines to offset their climate impact that year, marginally lower than its initial calculation.

The second Summit on Clean Cooking in Africa will take place in Nairobi in 2026 and will aim to accelerate access to modern cooking fuels for 1 billion people across the continent, the event’s host, the International Energy Agency (IEA), said Thursday.

Growing investor demand for timberland assets is driving significant price increases, threatening to squeeze returns for buyers, amid hopes that nature-based credits can help fill the gap, an asset manager told Carbon Pulse.

The connection between economic growth and rising carbon emissions is breaking, according to a study released this week to mark the 10th anniversary of the Paris Agreement.

The European Commission is preparing a simplified system to help US liquefied natural gas (LNG) exporters meet reporting obligations under the EU’s methane regulation, with lighter penalties aimed at safeguarding the bloc’s energy security.

If global temperatures rise 2C by 2050, spending on adaptation would need to hit $1.2 trillion annually to maintain protection at developed-economy standards - over six times today's spend of $190 billion, according to a global consultancy.

Biochar production in Argentina has been given by a boost after a carbon removal financier agreed to pre-purchase 165,000 tonnes from a new venture.

Governments have urged the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) to align its Corporate Net-Zero Standard more closely with emerging principles on the use of high-integrity carbon credits, arguing that voluntary carbon markets can play a larger role in accelerating global emissions reductions as the world falls behind its climate goals.

A new peer-reviewed study has concluded that thermally catalysed oxidation of low-concentration methane from livestock manure stores can achieve net-negative emissions under the right conditions, potentially positioning the technology as a future source of carbon removal credits if market frameworks evolve to accommodate methane-to-CO2 conversion approaches.