Goldilocks - US oil lobby group American Petroleum Institute said that it supports the EPA’s proposal to repeal the endangerment finding for vehicles, but not for power plants and other stationary industrial facilities, Reuters reported. The Obama-era climate rule determined GHGs pose a danger to public health and welfare. It has been used to support emission regulations on the likes of power plants and tailpipe emissions.

Manulife worldwide - Canadian insurance company Manulife is launching Manulife Impact, a global network of restoration sites, working with community planting partners and nature restoration company Veritree. Manulife is Veritree’s first corporate partner to implement the latter’s smart forest technology at sites in Japan and the Philippines. To date, Manulife Impact Forests have restored 160 ha of land.  

Cleaner, cheaper Californian homes - California state Senator Scott Wiener (D) announced the Clean Homes and Energy Affordability Package (CHEAP), consisting of two bills (SB 222 and SB 868) streamlining permitting for heat pump, HVAC, and water heater systems, and approvals for plug-in solar systems. The bills are expected to allow Californians to save on energy bills by accessing cost-saving clean energy technologies at home, according to a press release from the senator's office.  

Meta goes nuclear - Meta has announced 6.6 GW in nuclear energy projects aimed at powering American AI. The tech major said its agreements with Vistra, TerraPower, and Oklo make Meta one of the most significant corporate purchasers of nuclear energy in US history. The agreements focus on creating safer, advanced nuclear reactors, accelerating the development of nuclear technologies, and supporting power plant operation, lifespan extension, and increasing energy production.

California's carbon market will shoulder a heavier load in meeting state climate targets as other policies fall short, industry experts said at a conference in San Diego on Tuesday.

Verra revision - Verra published on Tuesday a revised version (v1.1) of its VMD0054 (Estimating Leakage from the Displacement of Agricultural Activities) module under its VCS programme. The revision - incorporating feedback received in 2024 - introduces an accounting framework that takes into account the production of new commodities introduced to the project area when calculating the net emissions from land use changes, and includes revised ecosystem conversion assumptions so that projects in areas with very little forest cover can use the most common native ecosystem as the reference for quantifying carbon stock change due to displaced production, Verra said. The previous version of VMD0054 (v1.0) will be inactivated on Feb. 1, 2027. Projects that meet the Jan. 31, 2027 submission deadlines may continue to apply the previous version of VMD0054 for the remainder of their project crediting period or baseline reassessment period, whichever is shorter. Verra will hold a webinar to provide an overview of VMD0054 v1.1 on Feb. 10, 2026 at 1100 Eastern (1600 GMT).

Superfund setback - New Jersey’s Climate Superfund Act, which would require fossil fuel producers to pay $50 bln toward climate resilience projects, stalled in the final days of the state’s lame-duck legislative session after failing to advance out of an Assembly committee, despite having majority co-sponsorship, E&E News reported. The bill cleared a Senate committee last week and was expected to pass the full Senate, but legislative leadership declined to move it forward without parallel Assembly action. Supporters say the proposal is effectively dead for the current session but remain confident it will be reintroduced next year.

Legal lifeline - US House Republicans have dropped a provision that would have barred Washington, DC, from spending funds in 2026 to pursue its climate-related consumer protection lawsuit against oil and gas companies, removing the language from a final congressional spending package now headed for the Senate, E&E News reported. The provision had sought to block enforcement of DC's Consumer Protection Procedures Act against fossil fuel companies over alleged misleading environmental claims. Its removal allows the lawsuit, filed in 2020 and upheld by a DC Superior Court judge in Apr. 2025, after industry efforts to dismiss it failed, to continue moving toward trial.

Data demands - US House Democrats have introduced two bills aimed at curbing the energy and water impacts of rapidly expanding data centres, particularly those supporting artificial intelligence, E&E News reported. Reps. Rob Menendez (D-NJ) and Greg Casar (D-TX) unveiled the Preventing Rate Inflation in Consumer Energy (PRICE) Act, HR 6983, and the Data Center Transparency Act, HR 6984, which would require data centres to self-generate their electricity, meet stringent renewable energy targets, and disclose water use. The lawmakers argue the measures are needed to address rising electricity prices and environmental strain linked to energy-intensive facilities, with Menendez citing a 20% increase in electricity bills for New Jersey households tied to data centre growth.

Community participation - Chile’s Ministry of Environment (MMA) is inviting civil society to join discussions on the update of the national Long-Term Climate Strategy (LTCS). Together with the NDC Partnership and WWF, MMA is developing an early citizen participation process, encouraging the recognition of visions, experiences, and proposals from different territories and sectors. The first workshop will be held in the city of Macul on Wednesday to discuss “Human settlements and community life: people, infrastructure, health systems, and territory.”

Claims for PACM – Mesa Argentina de Carbono, a private sector initiative that advocates for carbon markets, has urged the Argentine government to submit its third version of the Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC 3.0) and to join the UN-backed international carbon market established under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement. In a publication on its website, the initiative argues that Argentina could export its carbon credits and receive two to five times more per unit than in the current voluntary market.

Money for restoration - Brazil’s National Treasury has disbursed R$100 mln ($18.6 mln) to support the restoration of the Atlantic Forest in the country’s mid-west. The amount represents the first transfer from the second Eco Invest auction, a programme designed to scale up foreign investment in Brazil’s green economy. The beneficiary bank, Brazil-based Itau, said the total structured financing will enable the productive restoration of nearly 4,000 ha of degraded land in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul. The funds will cover soil preparation, planting, sustainable management, and the purchase of inputs for sugarcane cultivation at a sugar mill. The financing will have a two-year grace period and a seven-year term.

US GHG emissions have reversed two years of declines as colder winter weather and higher power demand drives up emissions in the buildings and electricity sectors, according to preliminary estimates released on Monday.

Existing US federal and state laws create potential regulatory obstacles for enhanced rock weathering (ERW) projects in Minnesota, while targeted legal reforms could help close gaps and enable the carbon dioxide removal pathway to scale, according to a new analysis.

California regulator ARB proposed to begin cap-and-invest allowance budget removals with vintage 2027 in its kickoff of formal rulemaking on Tuesday, while California Carbon Allowance (CCA) prices dropped in the wake of the release. 

A representative at one of the largest developers of offsets in California’s carbon market said that the state should not restrict its considerations for which credits offer direct environmental benefits (DEBs) to match Washington’s cap-and-trade programme, during a panel discussion on Tuesday.

A federal court ruled in favour of a handful of grant awardees who lost funding as the Trump administration cut $7.5 billion in clean technology funding, stating the federal government can't terminate grants in states simply because they didn't overwhelmingly vote its sitting president.

A Boston-headquartered management consultancy firm has purchased 9,000 direct air capture (DAC) credits from a Texas facility.

EUA prices extended their advance for a sixth session on Tuesday, reaching yet another 30-month high, as forecasts for colder weather and further strength in prompt natural gas provided a platform for carbon's strength, though sources have begun to warn that the four-day 4.5% rally may be heading for a correction.

Three bills filed in Louisiana’s 2026 regular legislative session this week would propose changes to state law affecting carbon capture and storage (CCS) projects, by removing eminent domain powers and expanding parish-level authority over project siting.

A large Romanian fertiliser facility has suspended production this week, its operator told local media sources, due to high gas costs.

A sustainable investment firm is investing $10 million into a US company that produces organic coconut sugar products in Indonesia.

Sacre bleu - Emissions in France fell 1.6% last year, according to a preliminary report by Citepa, which compiles such data for the government. That’s significantly less than the 4.6% annual drop the government has said is needed in order to hit a 2030 target of halving emissions from 1990 levels. (Bloomberg)

Climate-driven losses - Natural disasters globally led to losses of around $224 bln last year, of which $108 bln were insured, said German reinsurer Munich Re. Most insured losses related to natural disasters were due to wildfires, flooding, and severe thunderstorms. In Europe, natural disaster losses totalled $11 bln, about half of which were insured and well below the 10-year average of $35 bln. Last year's losses were much lower than the inflation-adjusted losses seen in 2024, which totalled $368 bln. No hurricane hit the US mainland last year, though the country experienced the year's costliest natural disaster in the LA wildfire.

Allowance volumes available at the first RGGI auction of 2026 jumped by nearly one-fifth quarter-on-quarter (QoQ), according to a notice published Tuesday.

A coalition of carbon removal buyers has facilitated $3.05 million in pre-purchases from two companies as part of its sixth round of advance credit buying.

Greenlit goals - Consumer goods company DKSH's near-term and net zero emissions targets have been approved by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), according to a release on Tuesday. The company aims to curb its absolute Scope 1 and 2 emissions 71.2% by 2030, compared to its 2020 baseline, and also aims to curb Scope 3 emissions from purchased goods and services 61.1% per CHF of value added by 2033, using 2024 as the base. By 2050, it aims to reach net zero across its value chain. Measures used to get there include optimising transport, using more renewable electricity, plus more electrified vehicles in its fleets. DKSH is also investing in carbon removal to boost these efforts.

A registry has certified a new protocol for CO2 removal through mangrove restoration, it announced Tuesday.

Political and industrial climate action across Canada is slipping, despite falling emissions and emissions intensity, according to new report by a climate think tank.

German exchange EEX registered a fall in environmental product futures last year after a big loss in volumes in the secondary EUA futures trade for the EU ETS.

Teresa Ribera, the European Commission’s executive vice-president for the clean transition and competition policy, defended the rules-based world order at a Brussels event on Tuesday, saying EU law ensures equal treatment for everyone in the green and digital transition.

Taiwan has set out rules allowing its emissions-intensive industries to apply for relief under the island’s carbon fee, as the government seeks to prevent factories moving overseas and preserve competitiveness.

Guinness Global Investors has launched a fund focused on food, water, climate, waste, and land that is looking to rapidly build on its seed capital.

Limestone-based weathering - Dublin-based agritech startup Silicate Carbon expects to raise up to €15 mln in its next funding round in 2Q 2026 to help further develop its concept of carbon capture and using limestone to balance acidity in farming. Founder Maurice Bryson is focused on optimising the process and doing commercial pilots in the agricultural space, which will add limestone to soil, boosting soil productivity and removing CO2. (Business Post)

A Hong Kong-based company has issued what it said were the world’s first “carbon coins”, tokenised from 500,000 carbon credits from Verra's Verified Carbon Standard.

Changing bulbs - Japan’s Tokyo Century has agreed with household goods maker Iris Ohyama to launch a programme-type J-Credit project that generates carbon credits from LED lighting upgrades, the companies said on Tuesday. The scheme replaces fluorescent lighting with LEDs at customer facilities, allowing credits to be created and sold. A portion of the credit sales revenue will be donated by IrisOhyama to non-profit organisations chosen by customers, the companies added. Tokyo Century said it aims to register the project in 2026 and expand the model to other energy-saving and renewable energy initiatives.

Going electric - Tokyo-based MOL PLUS, the venture capital arm of Japanese shipping major Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, has invested in Singapore maritime start-up Pyxis Maritime to help speed up the rollout of electric vessels and charging infrastructure, it announced. The move comes as Singapore pushes towards net zero by 2050 and prepares to mandate cleaner harbour vessels from 2030, requiring new vessels to be electric or compatible with net zero fuels. MOL PLUS said it would support Pyxis not just with capital, but by opening access to shipping, port, and fleet-management expertise across the wider MOL Group. Founded in 2022, Pyxis designs and builds electric harbour and passenger vessels and operates charging stations, positioning itself at the forefront of maritime electrification in Southeast Asia.

Incubator launch - A new open-innovation programme focused on solutions for industrial decarbonisation has been launched with the backing of Shell Catalysts & Technologies (Shell) and Technip Energies. Greentown Go Make 2026, by climate-tech incubator Greentown Labs, is seeking applications from startups with a technology readiness level (TRL) of 3-8 that are developing innovations for CO2 removal, low-carbon fuels, low-carbon gases, and alternative chemical manufacturing. Successful entrants with be able to engage with Shell and Technip Energies leadership, including potential collaborations on pilots and demonstrations, as well as receiving networking opportunities and marketing presence. The application deadline is Mar. 10, 2026 at 11:59 EST.

Papua New Guinea has introduced legal protections for project developers under newly gazetted carbon market regulations, including formal recognition of “secondary ownership” rights, a move aimed at reducing project risk in the forest-rich country.

Australia should improve its flagship voluntary carbon reduction scheme rather than scrap it, emissions trading lobby group IETA said in a public letter to the government this week, warning that a repeal would undermine corporate climate action.

Overachiever - Indonesia’s renewable energy share in the electricity sector rose to 16.3% in 2025, exceeding the 15.9% target set under the National Electricity General Plan, according EcoBiz Asia, citing the energy ministry. The increase was driven by the largest renewable capacity addition in five years, totalling 15.6 GW, led by hydropower, bioenergy, and geothermal projects. Though the overall national renewable mix reached 15.7%, gains were partly offset by new gas- and coal-fired power plants.

Delivered - Australia’s AgriProve has delivered 30,145 Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCUs) to the Peart family for their Jones and Blewett soil carbon projects in Queensland, marking what the developer claimed to be one of the largest single-farm soil carbon issuances achieved by a single farming operation under the ACCU scheme. The credits were issued after independent verification of increases in soil organic carbon across the family’s 4,800 ha grazing operation, achieved through long-term rotational grazing and pasture improvement. Project developer Corporate Carbon, together with its soil carbon spin-off Agriprove Solutions, have to deliver some 36.9 mln ACCUs, according to Clean Energy Regulator data.

Reliant blockade - A regional watershed management authority backed legislation that would prohibit carbon storage in Covington County, Alabama, reported Carbon Herald. The bill would block Reliant's proposed CO2 injection and storage site in the county. It's been referred to the House Committee on Economic Development and Tourism.

TIER negotiations stutter - Alberta Premier Danielle Smith called on Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney to expedite the approval of a new oil pipeline amid the US incursion into Venezuela. Smith said renewed Venezuelan crude production bound for the US would directly compete with Canadian production. The pipeline is tied to the Alberta-Canada MoU, where the oil-producing province promised to improve its TIER carbon market. Smith said those negotiations should move forward while avoiding an “overly aggressive carbon pricing system that makes our oil and gas resources uncompetitive” with international producers. The deal is aimed at achieving a C$130 ($93.68) effective carbon price.