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.

Going full circle - VIDA bioenergy has commissioned its first biogenic CO2 recovery and liquefaction facility at its Glentham biomethane plant in the UK. The 60 GWh/year facility processes agricultural crops and residues into biomethane for the UK's National Transmission System, while the new CO2 liquefaction unit captures high-purity biogenic CO2 for industrial, food, and beverage applications including brewing. The plant is already supplying CO2 customers and supports future carbon sequestration opportunities.

Finland has formally adopted a government decree establishing the terms for a €90 million support scheme to build large-scale bio-based CO2 capture capacity, with the first competitive tender set to launch in Jan. 2026 as the country moves to accelerate industrial BECCS and BECCU deployment.

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.

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.

A new open-access handbook warns that high failure rates and short-term monitoring are undermining large-scale tree-planting efforts in Europe, highlighting the need for more consistent, long-term approaches to measuring success.

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.

Swiss moves - The Swiss government has approved measures and baseline studies to strengthen the use of existing climate funding sources and explore new ones, including promoting private investment and supporting climate-friendly exports, it announced Friday. It will report on progress to the Federal Council by June 2027, which will decide next steps. As well, Switzerland has set out a new 2050 strategy for long-term sustainable forest protection and use, the government also decided Friday. Switzerland’s forests deliver crucial ecological and social functions - protecting against natural hazards, storing carbon, supporting biodiversity, and supplying wood. The strategy replaces prior forest and wood policies and balances conservation with sustainable utilisation. It includes a set of measures for the 2025–32 period and relies on collaboration among federal, cantonal, and sector stakeholders.

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.

EU carbon ended the week 2.2% higher, even as Friday saw prices edge lower amid steady profit taking before the Dec-25 futures contract expires.

Nigeria prospects - Activating Nigeria's carbon market offers a way to reduce emissions, raise funds, and help achieve its goal of net zero by 2060, wrote KPMG in a new report. It explores the prospects of operationalising a carbon tax in the country to raise revenues for decarbonisation, as well as the start of developments under Art. 6 of the Paris Agreement for international carbon trade. Nigeria is defining the legal framework for the carbon market policy this year, starting mandatory emissions reporting next year, followed by a carbon tax pilot in 2029, and the start of the first phase of the tax in 2030. The Lagos Greenhouse Gas Registry (LGHGR) will also launch in the Q1 2026, to track emissions across various industries.

European farming and fertiliser groups on Wednesday called for a delay to the EU’s carbon border levy on fertilisers, warning that newly adopted rules leave importers facing major cost uncertainty.

Transition backtracking - BP and Shell's significant energy transition reversal over the past five years is explored in this FT article. Their 2020 plans to accelerate into clean energy and slash emissions have more recently ended with dramatic plans to scale back those intentions, faced with shareholder pressure and changed energy system dynamics. Both companies have seen CEO leadership change in the period and have vastly scaled back several energy transition businesses, writing off billions of dollars of value as they shut down, or sell off underperforming units. Bureaucracy challenges and the lower returns offered by electricity were big barriers, as was winning over oil and gas-focused staff. Ultimately, Europe's energy crisis sent oil company profits sky high, and some investors pushed the oil majors to ditch their unprofitable green plans altogether. Both companies are now focusing on transitioning to gas and eventually biofuels and hydrogen, and have significantly cut their clean energy spend.

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.

Brussels has given the green light for Denmark to spend €3.8 billion on carbon capture and storage (CCS) under EU state aid rules.

Industry support for the carbon border levy has weakened as the phaseout of free allowances under the EU's Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) draws closer, according to a report published Friday.

Liberia and France have launched a €9 million conservation initiative aimed at protecting the Wonegizi–Wologizi forest landscape in northern Lofa County, marking the start of a five-year programme to strengthen forest governance and support local communities.

No special treatment - Exemptions granted to South Africa utility Eskom to bypass compliance with air pollution laws have been challenged by environmental justice organisations at the North Gauteng High Court. They argue that a section of the air quality act doesn't allow for Eskom to be excluded from the minimum emission standards (MES) at eight power stations. The exemptions were originally granted on condition that Eskom mitigate the harmful impacts through measures like increased air quality monitoring. The claimants are asking the court to confirm that the MES exemption was unlawful and invalid, and ensure the power stations comply with the legally required MES, as well as require Eskom to regularly report on how it's achieving compliance. (Centre for Environmental Rights)

Cruise ship levy - France is set to implement a new €15 levy per passenger for every cruise ship port call it receives, with the tool expected to generate €75 mln annually and the funds ring-fenced for environmental protection, coastal restoration, and maintaining port infrastructure. The world's most-visited country is implementing the measure to counteract cruise ships' high emissions and heavy strain they put on infrastructure. Its Mediterranean and Atlantic coastlines also host fragile marine ecosystems that are vulnerable to pollution. The fee will be added to the overall cost of a traveler's trip, though industry groups have voiced opposition, saying operators are already subject to the EU ETS. (Travel and Tour World)

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.

Airline credits - Business flyers using Etihad Airways can now redeem their Etihad for Business credits for carbon credits through the Etihad for Business platform, the UAE airline announced Thursday. These credits are added to other corporate offerings, including upgrades, priority services, lounge access, and excess baggage, and are available in partnership with CarbonClick, which calculates flight emissions using the Travel Impact Model. (Business Travel News Europe)

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.

Extending the scope of the EU's Emissions Trading System (ETS) to international flights would be a better strategy for decarbonising aviation than the CORSIA offsetting scheme developed by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), experts have said.

EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European People’s Party (EPP) chief Manfred Weber have agreed to scrap the planned EU-wide phaseout of combustion engine car sales from 2035, German tabloid Bild reported.

No mining zone - Ghana has banned mining in forest reserves as part of new environmental protections aimed at safeguarding water bodies and halting deforestation, Reuters reported. The move comes amid a surge in poorly regulated small-scale mining that has damaged cocoa farms, degraded forests and rivers, and created sustainability risks for the country’s mining sector. The repeal of the 2022 regulations, which had allowed controlled mining in forest reserves, took effect this week and restored stronger legal protections for forests, water sources, and farmlands.

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.