Still going up - Global greenhouse gas emissions reached 5.03 bln tonnes CO₂e in October 2025, up 0.40% year-on-year, according to Climate TRACE data released Wednesday. Transportation sector emissions posted the largest sectoral increase at 1.13% as compared to October 2024, while power sector emissions rose 0.81% to 1.28 bln tCO₂e despite renewable energy growth. Year-to-date 2025 global emissions totalled 50.31 bln tonnes CO₂e, up 0.55% versus 2024. China's October emissions increased 0.60% to 1.42 bln tCO₂e , while US emissions rose 0.61% and EU emissions declined 0.46%. The coalition's database now tracks 245 additional power plants globally and nearly 2,300 cattle operations in Japan.

Voluntary carbon market standard Verra has published an initial list of approved insurers to support project developers for credits eligible under the UN’s international aviation emissions scheme, CORSIA.

A standard body has published its new approach to calculating baselines for the carbon savings of REDD projects, alongside a series of jurisdictional maps.

Voluntary and regulated carbon markets are converging, a development that could mark a "turning point" for climate finance, according to a new research paper.

DAC deal - Canadian DAC developer Deep Sky has formed a strategic partnership with Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp. (SMBC), one of Japan’s largest financial institutions, to accelerate deployment of high-integrity CDR in Japan, the companies announced Dec. 3. Unveiled at the DeCarbon Tokyo 2025 Conference, the collaboration aims to build commercial pathways, financing structures, and policy frameworks to scale DAC in the country. Priority areas include enabling carbon credit offtakes, advancing local business collaboration, and supporting Japan’s DAC ecosystem.

A central Vietnamese province working on a pilot forest carbon trading scheme has authorised a consortium led by a regional carbon credit trading platform to conduct field surveys for new nature-based projects, local media reported.

Responsible for an estimated 14.5% of global anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions, projects tackling livestock emissions have historically covered a very small part of the carbon market – but developers are preparing to go mainstream, with methodologies under Verra in development and poised for submission next year.

An Iceland-based carbon registry launched a public consultation this week for a new methodology aimed at quantifying emissions savings from avoided coal mining and combustion.

China's national emissions market over the past week saw trading volumes reach almost 10 million units as the year-end compliance deadline drew near, with permit prices increasing to around RMB 60 ($8.52).

South Korea's emissions market is expected to see price recovery in the coming years as regulations become more stringent, but the sentiment still hinges on how a proposed stabilisation mechanism will be implemented, experts told Carbon Pulse.

Closer bilateral collaboration on green iron and green fuels could dramatically cut Japan's emissions while offsetting falling fossil fuel revenues for Australia, a think tank argued in analysis published on Thursday.

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved $10 million in financing to support forest restoration and diversify rural economies in the Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Lao PDR), it announced Thursday.

Gateway checks - The Clean Energy Regulator's appointed forestry expert, associate professor (honorary) Cris Brack, has completed the fifth review of human-induced regeneration (HIR) gateway checks, it announced this week. The latest report reviews 10 additional projects since the last report in July. The additional data provided in the review does not change any of the discussions made previously, the report said, adding that independent audit reports and the regulator's assessment processes provide "strong assurance" that projects are being managed in line with HIR requirements. Brack's review method have previously been contested by other experts.

Firing up – New Zealand’s NZ$200 mln ($115.3 mln) Gas Security Fund will open for expressions of interest on Jan. 12, Resources Minister Shane Jones announced on Thursday. The taxpayer-funded facility is aimed at boosting the country’s dwindling gas supplies, either by increasing supply from domestic fields or gas storage solutions. The fund was announced in May, and was expanded to initiatives which could boost short or medium-term supply last month. Jones has criticised the now-repealed 2018 ban on new oil and gas exploration for accelerating the decline in New Zealand’s gas reserves.

The Chinese government has approved three offset methodologies under the national voluntary CCER programme, targeting the abatement potential in the agricultural sector.

It is more efficient for Australia to achieve emissions reductions in other sectors of the economy rather than striving to reach 100% renewable electricity, according to the country’s peak science body.