The new year began by providing a glance at what might be expected in Latin America in 2026: the advancement of carbon regulations in the region amid the backdrop of political tensions.

Offtake volumes for carbon removal (CDR) credits surged in December, driven largely by major biochar and bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) deals, analysts reported on Monday, with issuances also up month-on-month and retirements on the rise.

About one-fifth of 53 nature-based projects assessed in a recent study created “triple wins” for climate, biodiversity, and people in Small Island Developing States, although researchers warned against a one-size-fits-all approach.

Voluntary prices rallied at the start of the year, and sources reported healthy liquidity in Clean Development Mechanism credits as traders and project owners scramble to sell inventory ahead of the proposed closure of the UN registry.

Researchers this week proposed five ‘golden rules’ to assess the scientific credibility of nature markets, creating a scorecard against which eight of the world’s most well-known nature markets fail.

Step forward – ART TREES accepted a set of Para’s jurisdictional REDD+ (J-REDD+) programme documents last Thursday, the Brazilian state announced on Saturday. The certifier confirmed that Para’s TREES Registration Document (TRD) and 2023 TREES Monitoring Report (TMR) are complete and meet the requirements for this phase. As a result, the state can proceed towards its first issuance of 38 mln carbon credits. The state government said it expects issuance to reach 260 mln carbon credits by 2027.

The EU has an opportunity to raise the standard of international forestry carbon credits – and strengthen the impact of the new Tropical Forest Forever Facility (TFFF) – as it begins to allow international credits into its domestic climate targets from 2036, according to a new report. 

The voluntary carbon market is heading into 2026 as a mature, pragmatic instrument for delivering credible net zero strategies at scale.

Biogas boost – India’s biogas sector has called on the government to create a $1.2 bln capital subsidy fund in the Union Budget 2026 to accelerate project deployment and improve financial viability, the Economic Times reported. The Indian Biogas Association (IBA) said the proposed fund would help bridge high upfront costs, attract private investment, and support the scaling up of compressed biogas (CBG) plants across the country. The association urged policy support to strengthen feedstock supply chains and ensure long-term offtake certainty, arguing that targeted fiscal backing could speed up the sector’s contribution to energy security, waste management, and emissions reduction. As well, the IBA urged the government to create a framework enabling biogas and CBG producers to sell carbon credits in domestic and international markets to support industry growth.