GHG emissions reported under Nova Scotia’s Output-Based Pricing System (OBPS) rose 5% in 2024, as entities increased their use of fund over performance credits for their increased compliance obligations, a recently updated annual report showed.

Projections pruned - US regional grid operator PJM Interconnection plans to lower its projected electricity demand growth tied to AI and data centres in an upcoming forecast update, citing uncertainty over how quickly large new facilities can realistically be built, E&E News reported. The grid operator, which serves 67 mln people across 13 states, is expected to report that overall power demand for the period starting in mid-2027 will be “appreciably lower” than current projections, according to PJM Chief Operating Officer Stu Bresler. PJM officials said shortages of chips, electronic equipment, and specialised construction labour raise questions about whether developers’ assumptions on rapid data centre expansion are achievable.

Cash for climate – The Royal Academy of Engineering has awarded £39 mln to projects focused on climate tech, Energy Live News reported. The UK’s engineering academy is giving 12 initiatives £3 mln each to progress work on renewable energy, climate resilience, and emission reduction. One project, based at Lancaster University, is aiming to reduce energy use at data centres. Another, from the University of Oxford, is looking into nanoengineered batteries that could increase the feasibility of electric air travel feasible. The funding comes from a £150 mln investment from the Department of Science and Innovation into the Royal Academy.

Honolulu holds on - A Hawaii state judge has allowed the City and County of Honolulu’s climate liability lawsuit against major oil and gas companies to proceed, rejecting multiple motions to dismiss filed by defendants including BP and ExxonMobil, E&E News reported. First Circuit Court Judge Lisa Cataldo ruled that continued discovery would not be futile, keeping alive the 2020 case that seeks damages to cover the costs of climate change impacts such as sea-level rise and stronger storms affecting Honolulu. The decision follows a 2025 move by SCOTUS to decline industry requests to intervene, allowing the long-running litigation to move closer to trial.

Oregon’s natural lands are a net carbon sink, though their rate of CO2 storage has decreased by nearly 50% in a little more than three decades, according to the state’s first carbon inventory.

A Brazilian standard launched on Tuesday its first agricultural land management (ALM) methodology for carbon credits.

Wildfire-driven carbon risks in the US Pacific Northwest (PNW) are highest in mature and old-growth forests that historically burned frequently at low severity, new research shows.

The Q1 sale for Washington’s cap-and-invest programme will offer a record low number of allowances, according to a notice from a state agency.

EU carbon prices swung upwards on Tuesday in moderate trading as the market continued to mark time ahead of the midweek resumption of daily auctions, while natural gas prices clawed back half of Monday's 5.5% plunge, and the UK Allowance discount to EUAs shrank to its least in eight months.

The UK newly revised national planning policies for significant infrastructure projects came into force on Tuesday, bringing them closer in line with its goals for nearly 100% clean power by 2030 and net zero emissions by 2050. 

A UK-based carbon removal (CDR) registry announced on Tuesday it has certified a new protocol for Improved Forest Management (IFM), also unveiling the first supplier under the new offering.

Electricity consumption by data centres within the European Union will double by 2029, according to analysts’ forecasts, which would also significant boost carbon permit demand.

US airlines are among those with the highest total emissions in 2024 that are subjected to CORSIA offsetting requirements, UN agency ICAO reported in newly published documents.

Agricultural practices combining tree planting with livestock grazing should be included with the UNFCCC’s REDD+ activities and linked to Article 6 of the Paris Agreement, even though these projects can create environmental benefits beyond emission reduction, according to a review paper released this week.

CBAM in the Caribbean - The start of the EU's CBAM fee, as of Jan. 1, will push up the price of concrete imports in the Caribbean island of Martinique by 7-8%, and of cement by 11%, an executive at the Lafarge Holcim subsidiary Ciments Antillais was quoted as saying in the new outlet Global Cement. This will force the company to pass on the cost, as it is expected to exceed its turnover by 2034. This, in turn, could push up construction costs in the island nation, and others in the French West Indies. Martinique does not have any clinker production capacity, and instead imported mover 120,000 tonnes in 2025. There are currently a few viable alternatives for imports such as Mexico and Algeria, but not in Europe or locally, the official said.

Egypt is planning to further integrate biodiversity-positive carbon credits into its existing and emerging carbon market structures, as part of its new Biodiversity Finance Plan (BFP) for 2024-30.

LNG trends - The global LNG market increased by around 7% in 2025 year-on-year, though still only accounts for 7% of the global gas market, wrote Andreas Schroeder, head of energy analytics at ICIS on LinkedIn. Just three suppliers make up 61% of the LNG market - the US as number one exporter, followed by Qatar and Australia who stand at parity currently. East Asia accounts for nearly half of world demand, led by China, followed by Japan, and then South Korea by a large distance. Though all EU countries combined amount to the world's top LNG market, with further increases expected there due to abundant availability of US LNG.

Electric vehicles made up 23.4% of the UK’s new car market in 2025, with Chinese EVs meeting most of the growth in demand, figures published Tuesday reveal.

The first motorbikes powered by a solid-state battery have gone on sale, developed by a Finnish company, several years ahead of expectations.

Saudi Arabia has set a goal to reduce, avoid, and remove 335 million tonnes of CO2e per year by 2040, using lower-carbon technologies that can help to diversify its economy – but warned of potential barriers from cross-border policies, especially from the EU.

Open for entry - The Ceezer Carbon Coalition accelerator programme is now open for applications focused specifically on nature-based solutions. This initiative supports early-stage developers in the VCM to bridge the gap between idea and bringing to market. It addresses challenges such as increasing buyer awareness and navigating pricing. Applications are open until Feb. 6, 2026 to NbS projects such as reforestation and soil carbon that are being certified under the registries: Verra, Gold Standard, Plan Vivo, Isometric, Equitable Earth, ACR, Climate Action Reserve. Projects must also demonstrate a robust plan and high environmental and social standards. Apply here.

Trading on Indonesia’s carbon exchange jumped sharply in December, driven by a rise in negotiated transactions that lifted volumes to a 10-month high.

A Swiss bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) project has agreed to partner with a CO2 storage operator in the North Sea, marking another step in developing a European CO2 network.

A Hong Kong-based carbon offset developer has signed two agreements with Senegal, covering a large-scale mangrove restoration programme and household biodigester deployment, according to an announcement Tuesday.

FPIC needed - Indonesia’s West Papua province said any expansion of palm oil plantations will require explicit approval from indigenous communities holding customary land rights, national news agency Antara reported. The provincial forestry office said governors will not issue recommendations or technical clearances without written consent from indigenous groups, citing the need to prevent social conflict and protect forests. Officials added that no new permits have been issued to clear forests for palm oil, with existing plantations limited to Manokwari, Teluk Bintuni, and Fakfak.

Carbon removal credits from road refurbishment that stores carbon and cuts cost have been pre-sold to an industrial customer, with methodology approval expected in the second quarter of this year.

A CO2 utilisation pathway outperformed permanent storage for emissions savings in a study about onboard carbon capture and storage (OCCS) on ships.

Hydrogen haul - Japan's Kawasaki Heavy Industries will build the world's largest liquefied hydrogen carrier with a capacity of 40,000 cubic metres, it said on Tuesday. The vessel will be constructed at Kawasaki’s Sakaide shipyard and will support a government-backed demonstration to commercialise a liquefied hydrogen supply chain by fiscal 2030. Kawasaki said the vessel builds on its earlier hydrogen shipping trials between Japan and Australia and is designed to underpin large-scale hydrogen trade expected in the next decade. In 2021, the company made the world’s first liquefied hydrogen carrier.

Water credits - Environmental services company Linkhola and Japan-based Earth and Water have launched Japan’s first carbon credit project based on water conservation, aiming to quantify GHG reductions from reduced water and hot-water use and converting them into tradable credits. The initiative will develop a dedicated methodology and issue voluntary carbon credits through Linkhola’s Earthstory platform. By calculating emissions reductions linked to lower energy use in water supply, sewage treatment, and water heating, the project seeks to visualise environmental value generated through everyday water-saving activities by companies, local governments, and other users, the companies said in a statement. The partners plan to finalise the methodology and issue the first credits by Mar. 2026, with an eye on scaling the approach to overseas markets, including ASEAN countries where demand for water is rising.

Gender-smart credits - Development agency GIZ Ghana is seeking small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) for a technical assistance programme aimed at helping gender-smart enterprises access carbon credit opportunities and climate finance. The initiative, delivered by ShEquity in partnership with the Agentur fur Wirtschaft und Entwicklung and the GreenTec Capital Africa Foundation, targets SMEs operating in areas such as renewable energy, sustainable agriculture, clean cooking, nature-based solutions, circular economy activities, and sustainable mobility. The programme will provide tailored technical support to help businesses participate in voluntary carbon markets, alongside investor linkages and catalytic grants of €25,000 for two selected SMEs. Applications close on Jan. 9, 2026.

Caught in floodlight - Hundreds of hectares of protected, high-risk forest were cleared within land controlled by timber company PT Toba Pulp Lestari, upstream of Sumatran communities badly hit by flooding late last year, according to an investigation by NGOs Earthsight and Auriga Nusantara. The NGOs, using satellite imagery and field surveys, found protected forest and orangutan habitat were cleared on steep slopes within a part of the timber company’s concession. PT Toba Pulp Lestari sells wood pulp to make rayon, which is used to make clothes sold directly to the US and Europe, the NGOs said. Deforestation has been widely linked to the scale of the floods in Sumatra, where more than a 1,100 people have died so far. The case highlighted the role of international consumption in climate disasters, the NGOs said.

Microplastics are disrupting the world’s oceans’ ability to absorb and store CO2 as the ubiquitous fragments have found their way into the “biological carbon pump”, according to a recent academic research.

A government commissioned study has found that some 18 million hectares of CO2 sequestration projects would be required to achieve carbon abatement rates aligned with Australia's 2050 net zero emissions goal.

Greener conferences -  Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau has set a target to cut carbon emissions by 20,000 tCO2e by 2030, in a push to green the meetings and exhibitions sector, Travel Daily Media reported. The move follows a reduction of 2,446 tCO2e across 232 events in fiscal 2025, more than tripling the previous year’s cuts, according to the bureau. Event organisers will be required to plan carbon-neutral events and encouraged to use carbon credits from domestic mitigation projects, it added.

Walking a tightrope - Even as South Korea pledged to phase out coal power plants last year, trade talks with the US could see Seoul boosting imports of LNG under a broader deal to avert higher tariffs, Associated Press reported. Higher LNG purchases could lock South Korea into long-term fossil fuel dependence and undermine its climate goals if gas merely replaces coal rather than accelerating renewables. LNG currently accounts for nearly 20% of South Korea’s energy mix, with the government aiming to cut that share to about 10% by 2038, while renewables still supply just over 10% of power.

Low-carbon ammonia - Seoul-headquartered construction company Samsung E&A has begun manufacturing of the Wabash Low-Carbon Ammonia Project in the US, it announced. The project, to be built in Terre Haute, Indiana, will produce 500,000 tonnes of ammonia annually while capturing about 1.67 MtCO2e each year. Funded by the US Department of Energy and South Korean government ministries, the facility is being developed under a KRW 680 bln (about $475 mln) engineering, procurement, and fabrication contract signed with Wabash Valley Resources, with completion targeted for 2029. Samsung said it will apply its ammonia plant expertise and advanced technologies in partnership with US-based Honeywell UOP to deliver the project, which forms part of its broader push into low-carbon energy solutions.

Philippines’ Securities Exchange Commission (SEC) has introduced mandatory sustainability reporting requirements to large non-listed entities, according to a notice published late last month.

Producers and managed money extended their Vintage 2026 California Carbon Allowance positions over the Dec. 24-30 period, US Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) data showed.

The growth of artificial intelligence, data centres, and electrification led to a rebound in climate venture capital investment in 2025, after declines in both 2023 and 2024, according to fresh data published on Tuesday.