Giddy up, RNG - Cowboy Clean Fuels has received final approval to expand its Triangle Unit Project in Wyoming. The company said the recently signed permit means it can advance deployment of its full-scale facility and increase injection operations, expanding RNG output and CO2 storage capacity. It said Cowboy is emerging as a national model for integrated carbon-negative energy systems, demonstrating how CO2 removal and RNG production can work together to strengthen energy security and advance decarbonisation goals.

Both emitters and financial players in the California carbon market built length over the Jan. 7-13 period and maintained activity in trading V25 RGGI Allowances (RGAs), US Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) data published Friday showed.

The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) announced Friday a rulemaking for specific manufacturing facilities under its Climate Protection Program (CPP).

The Mexican state of Queretaro, one of the first in the country to operationalise a carbon tax, recently published the official guidelines for its Low Carbon Seal and Emissions Offsetting System linked to 2025 contributions onward, allowing selected companies to offset up to 50% of their taxed emissions through a hierarchical supply of carbon credits.

Morocco is aiming to develop a corresponding adjustments (CAs) methodology under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement this year, an expert said at Carbon Forward Middle East this week.

Maryland solar bill – Maryland lawmakers opened the 2026 legislative session Wednesday by unveiling the Affordable Solar Act, with sponsors saying the proposal would accelerate solar deployment without increasing bills in its initial implementation, Fox News in Baltimore reported. Backers argue a new competitive procurement model could connect up to 4,000 MW of additional solar capacity to the grid by 2035 using funds already being collected from ratepayers, and put downward pressure on energy costs over time. Republican critics warned state energy policies favouring renewables have raised costs and threaten reliability, blaming renewable portfolio standards and PJM capacity market dynamics for higher bills.

Last stand at Centralia - Washington state attorney general and environmental groups including Earthjustice, Sierra Club, and Environmental Defense Fund filed separate administrative appeals Wednesday challenging the US DOE emergency order requiring the Centralia coal plant to remain available for operations, Seattle Times reported. Recent data suggests the facility has not burned coal for electricity since Dec. 19 and remains in cold standby. The DOE order conflicts with Washington's ban on utilities buying coal-fired electricity that took effect this month under the Clean Energy Transformation Act. The federal order lapses 16 Mar. 16 unless reissued. The Centralia plant typically does not operate between April and June due to flush spring hydropower. TransAlta had planned to close the facility in December under a 2011 agreement with the state and climate advocates and convert it to natural gas.

High demand - The Brazilian development bank (BNDES) and the state-owned oil company Petrobras received 16 proposals for their first call for carbon credit projects. The result was better than expected, the institutions announced on Friday. The round is part of the ProFloresta+ initiative, which incentivises forest restoration in the Amazon. The goal is to acquire 5 mln carbon credits in five contracts of 1 mln units each. The proposals will now be evaluated for their technical efficiency. The results, including winners, contracted volumes and prices to be paid for credits are expected in the first half of 2026.

Gevo has appointed Alex Clayton as its new chief carbon officer, the renewable fuels producer announced Friday.

A US state would explore nature-based credits to expand its environmental markets under a new legislative proposal.

Oman’s recent selection of a Designated National Authority (DNA) marks a turning point for its Article 6 ambitions, according to an Omani developer at Carbon Forward Middle East in Abu Dhabi this week.

For a second day EU carbon prices gave up a 1.5% morning gain amid heavy afternoon selling, prompted by a brief but sharp drop in natural gas prices, to record a modest 2.8% weekly gain compared to TTF's 30% five-day jump.

Tamaulipas CCS - Representative Ana Laura Huerta Valdovinos of the Tamaulipas legislature is proposing a reform to the Climate Change Law that seeks to position the state as a regional hub for carbon capture, utilisation, and storage (CCUS), reported Tamaulipas Note. The proposed reform would introduce a legal definition of CCUS, aiming for alignment with international standards. It would recognise CCUS as a priority mitigation strategy and establish a state CCUS programme, including targets, lines of action, pilot projects and evaluation mechanisms. The initiative would also mandate coordination on mitigation efforts among state public agencies, including the ministries of environmental, energy, and economic ministries. Carbon credits are envisioned as a mechanism to incentivise private sector participation.

Kenya's carbon - Article Six Group and FSD Kenya are carrying out an assessment into Kenya's carbon market to position carbon as a key source of development finance, they said in a press release Friday. The aim is to identify priority areas within the nation carbon budget to direct carbon finance towards high-impact areas of the economy. As well as working out how to practically engage investors and mobilise new sources of climate finance.

Spanish wood construction credits - Wood-based construction projects in the Spanish autonomous community of Galicia could become eligible to issue voluntary carbon credits under a proposed regional methodology, Campo Gallego reported Friday. Non-profit Fundacion Arume has submitted a technical framework to the Xunta de Galicia hall to certify CO2 stored in long-life wood products used in buildings, following the activation of Galicia’s voluntary carbon market by a late-2025 decree. The proposal sets accounting, measurement, reporting, and verification rules for net climate benefits, with credits issued at one tonne of CO2 per verified tonne stored. Eligibility would cover structural timber, glulam, CLT panels, and other engineered wood products, subject to sustainability certification, traceability, additionality, and a minimum 35-year permanence requirement.

Thermal funding - Lonech, a UK clean tech company developing thermal energy, has secured £2 million in funding from investors Elbow Beach. Lonech Air Voltaic Cell technology uses high voltage pulses and field electron emission to generate superoxide ions and convert the thermal and chemical potential energy of ambient air into electrical energy. The company aims to integrate the technology initially into high-energy demand devices such as commercial refrigeration, air conditioning and ventilation units. The £2 million investment from Elbow Beach is combined with a £0.7 million Innovate UK Grant, and will enable Lonech to advance its Air Voltaic Cell technology from lab-scale development into real-world pilots over the next 24 months.

Fifteen new projects, in countries including Egypt, India and South Korea, have been proposed under Article 6.4 of the Paris Agreement Crediting Mechanism (PACM), while Brazil signed agreements with Singapore and Switzerland paving the way for future bilateral trade under Article 6.2, a UN body said on Thursday.

DAC development - An engineering study to build Ireland's first large-scale carbon capture system was signed this week between NEG8 Carbon and Prochem Engineering. They will work on the first 50-tonne per year module of NEG8 Carbon’s direct air capture arrays, to be built at the NEG8 HQ in Waterford. The company expects its electrostatic technology to make DAC cheaper and more efficient and scalable. It works by drawing in air and passing it over a specifically designed sorbent system that attracts and captures CO2 molecules, which are then stored underground or converted into products like aviation fuel.

The Trump administration’s plans to ramp up oil extraction in Venezuela could generate additional annual emissions equivalent to the entire global shipping sector, according to an analysis released by a London-based non-profit research organisation on Friday.

Greener travel -Leasys (a JV between Stellantis and Crédit Agricole Personal Finance & Mobility) has signed a new financing agreement with the European Investment Bank (EIB) to support the 'Pan-European Clean Fleet Transport' operation to improve green mobility in Europe. The project will deploy a 24,000 zero-emission vehicles fleet across 10 European countries, including Italy, France, Germany, Spain, and Portugal. This will be financed by a €300 mln credit envelope from the EIB and an equivalent €300 mln from Leasys, for a total of €600 mln. (Web Wire)

DAC deal - Wild Assets has agreed to buy carbon removals from Sirona's direct air capture (DAC) project, to be delivered from its upcoming commercial plant as capacity scales up. Sirona's modular DAC systems are made in Belgium and designed to be rapidly deployed across multiple project sites. The agreement with the CDR asset management firm falls among the 10-largest DAC deals in 2025, Sirona stated in the announcement, without specifying the monetary value or credit volume of the deal.

Turbine troubles – A Massachusetts offshore wind developer has sued the Trump administration, accusing it of unlawfully threatening its financial viability, E&E News reported. Vineyard Wind filed the complaint in the US District Court for the District of Massachusetts on Thursday, arguing that the US government exceeded its authority by halting work. The lawsuit follows recent court rulings allowing other stalled offshore wind projects off New York and Rhode Island to resume construction. Vineyard Wind said its project is around 95% complete and already partially operational, with capacity to supply power to the New England grid.

A global cement producer is beginning work on what could be the world’s first cement-linked carbon removal credits, a company representative told the Carbon Forward Middle East conference on Thursday.

On trend - Green-coloured cars sold in the UK last year reached their highest volume in 20 years, in line with the public's growing taste for electrified cars, according to industry body SMMT. British motorists bought 99,793 green cars in 2025, up 46.3% on 2024 and reaching almost 5% of total cars sold. That comes as electrified cars, either either battery-electric, hybrid-electric or plug-in hybrid, reached a share of over 48% in the UK, helped by the country's goal to end new pure petrol or diesel cars by 2030. The colour grey however remained the most popular car colour choice for the eighth year in a row. (Reuters)

Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Finland, Lithuania, Romania, Slovenia, and Spain were the only EU countries to hit a Jan. 1 deadline to submit national renovation plans, meant to be the key drivers of decarbonisation in the building sector, according to official EU records.

A carbon market veteran has announced the launch of a Singapore-based climate advisory and solutions company focused on supporting the development of high-integrity carbon markets.

2026 changes - The UK govt has presented planned methodology changes to GHG emissions statistics due to be published in the final UK GHG emissions statistics for 1990-24 on Feb. 5. In total, the method changes are estimated to decrease total UK emissions in 1990 by around 17 MtCO2e (-2%) and increase total UK emissions in 2023 by around 1 MtCO2e (0.2%). The method changes and the impacts they will have on emissions estimates are detailed here. Sectors to see method changes include solid waste, shipping, biogas, and peat.

A Dubai-based developer has registered the Middle East’s first project under the Paris Agreement Crediting Mechanism (PACM), its CEO announced at Carbon Forward Middle East in Abu Dhabi: a landfill gas project in Jordan, transitioned over from the Kyoto-era Clean Development Mechanism (CDM).

A partnership of UK-based investors has announced a five-year £25 million programme to support peatland restoration in the Peak District and South Pennine moors in England.

UK aid for energy - The UK govt has responded to the Independent Commission for Aid Impact's review of UK aid for international energy transitions, and has accepted four of the six recommendations. The accepted recommendations include that the UK take a portfolio-level approach to allocating funding between bilateral and multilateral channels like climate funds, and that it set clear departmental roles to strengthen decisions on the energy transition. The govt partially accepts it publish a comprehensive energy transition strategy with a clear definition and theory of change, and that the UK should clarify the role of its country partnerships and international alliances in supporting the energy transition. Further details here.

The Malaysia Forest Fund (MFF), a federal government agency, has signed an agreement with a banking group to develop and pilot sustainable financing solutions aimed at supporting forest conservation and climate action.

India has formally notified greenhouse gas emission intensity targets for key industrial facilities under the Carbon Credit Trading Scheme (CCTS), according to a government notification published on Friday.

Permits in the Chinese emissions market continued to trade above the RMB 78 ($11.19) mark over the past week, with offset price premiums over carbon allowances starting to vanish as the market enters a new compliance cycle.

Carbon pricing is fuelling support for extremist and populist parties across Europe, with the backlash strongest in regions that shoulder the heaviest economic costs from the EU’s flagship Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS), according to research published in Oxford Academic’s Economic Journal.

Under pressure - Rising climate and nature risks combined with growing physical inactivity could cut sports industry revenues 14% by 2030, according to a report by the World Economic Forum and consultancy Oliver Wyman. The industry is projected to reach $8.8 trillion in annual revenue by 2050, but these combined risks could jeopardise $517 bln of this revenue by 2030 and without action, potential losses could increase to as much as $1.6 trillion by 2050. Environmental risks such as heat stress, extreme weather, and pollution are disrupting competitions and negatively impacting the sport supply chain. The industry adds to these pressures through its own resource-intensive nature, infrastructure, and travel - all of which contribute CO2 emissions, waste, and water use. The report suggests ways the industry can help actively shape conditions for better natural ecosystems and active societies. (Business Green)

Aravalli credits – India’s Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav has said that organisations that take up afforestation in degraded patches of the Aravalli range and achieve at least 40% canopy cover within four to five years can earn green credits under the country's Green Credit Programme, offering a financial incentive for restoration efforts. Yadav said that the programme is already underway in areas including Gurgaon and near Manesar, and that private and government entities can approach the environment ministry to participate in eco-restoration activities that qualify for green credits. (Hindustan Times)

Abu Dhabi has launched a new policy aimed at establishing a framework to regulate carbon capture, utilisation, and storage (CCUS) activities across the emirate, according to an official announcement Friday.

Greener shipping - Chemicals maker CF Industries, along with commodities trading giant Trafigura, signed a partnership this week with Singapore-based marine fuel supplier TFG Marine to advance the use of low-carbon ammonia as shipping fuel, the companies announced. The partners will work on market development and bunkering logistics, initially focusing on the US Gulf Coast and northwest Europe. CF Industries, one of the world's largest ammonia producers, will supply low-carbon ammonia from its Donaldsonville, Louisiana complex.

A survey conducted by the New Zealand government showed it remains challenging for permit holders to navigate the emissions market as regulatory uncertainty lingers.

BlackRock bails again - BlackRock has abandoned plans for a $2 bln New Zealand climate infrastructure fund, Newsroom reported. The world’s largest asset manager confirmed it has scrapped the standalone New Zealand Climate Infrastructure Fund and asked authorities to deregister the associated limited partnership, citing changes following its acquisition of Global Infrastructure Partners and client feedback. While no investments were ultimately made through the fund, BlackRock said it remains committed to New Zealand through its broader global infrastructure strategies and continues to invest nearly NZ$30 bln (around $17 bln) in the country across public and private markets.

A former lead regulator in California discussed the strength of the state’s environmental programmes with conference attendees earlier this week.

A biomass power facility in California will be converted into what its new owners call a carbon-negative data centre for artificial intelligence infrastructure.

Alberta has opened its biomass waste combustion for energy generation protocol for public comment, according to a draft published Thursday.

CORSIA first - The first on-screen trade of the CBL GEO CP1 standardised contract for phase one of CORSIA was successfully executed on CBL this week, matched at $20/ton, Xpansiv revealed Thursday.  This followed a series of EEU auctions in partnership with International Air Transport Association (IATA) on the ACE - Aviation Carbon Exchange. All CBL GEO CP1-eligible project-specific EEUs are listed and available for trading on both CBL and ACE. Phase one CORSIA contracts (CP1X-GM) on the CIX exchange in Singapore were bid at $18.10 and offered at $19.44, CIX said earlier today.

California Carbon Allowance (CCA) prices continued to drop following the release of a proposed rulemaking document on Tuesday by state regulator ARB and amid volatility in the market.

Capture vs coal - The Trump administration's move redirecting more than $500 mln in funds originally set aside under the 2021 bipartisan infrastructure law for carbon capture and clean energy demonstrations to support the restart and retrofit of coal-fired power plants, according to a US DOE funding notice, E&E News reported. The DOE said it has legal authority to repurpose unobligated funds to address grid reliability and energy affordability, but former officials, legal experts, and Democratic lawmakers argue the move undermines congressional intent and weakens requirements to deploy carbon capture, potentially locking in higher GHG emissions.

Three private carbon crediting standards based in Colombia show notable strengths at the programme level, but must enhance emissions quantification systems, transparency, and governance structures to align with Article 6.2 of the Paris Agreement, according to a new assessment.

A new report showed solar power is meeting nearly two-thirds of rising US electricity demand - more than ever before - with power helping meet the boom rather than displacing fossil-fuelled energy.