Rural cookstove projects are “likely highly additional”, especially in areas without other government incentives, according to a new study.

Carbon collaboration - Toronto-based Super6 Carbon, a developer of biogenic CDR projects, has signed a strategic agreement with Denver-based Mangrove Systems, a provider of digital MRV tools, to deploy its MRV platform across Super6’s engineered carbon removal network in the Midwestern US, the companies announced on Tuesday. The deal covers audit-ready tracking of biogenic CO2 from capture through transport and permanent geological storage, including Super6’s first transload hub being developed with Archer-Daniels-Midland Company in Decatur, adjacent to a permitted Class VI well.

The US EPA is expected to finalise a repeal of the 2009 endangerment finding this week, a move that would remove the legal foundation for federal regulation of GHG emissions, the Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday.

A US-based project developer announced on Tuesday that forest carbon credits from two improved forest management (IFM) initiatives, tagged with the Core Carbon Principles (CPP) label, have achieved release and verification.

ZEV rebate set - Oregon's Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) has established the funding limit for Class 3 vehicles - those weighing between 10,001 lbs (4,500 kg) and 14,000 lbs (6,400 kg) - under its ZERO Fleet programme that aims to support the purchase of zero-emissions medium- and heavy-duty vehicles. The funding cap for Class 3 rebates has been set at 12% of the total funding allotment, which comes to a little over $2 mln. Once this percentage is fully committed, new Class 3 rebate applications will no longer be accepted, DEQ said.

Mapping wildfire risks – US non-profit CarbonPlan announced on Tuesday it had launched Open Climate Risk, a fully open system providing building-level climate risk data for the US, starting with wildfires. The platform publishes inspectable wildfire risk datasets and modelling methods, and includes a public mapping tool that allows users to explore, download, and analyse risk estimates at scales ranging from state and county to census block, aimed at supporting climate adaptation decisions by policymakers, researchers, and communities. CarbonPlan noted that such data has often been proprietary and inaccessible to communities that need it the most.

A leaked European Commission presentation containing updated benchmarks that will determine the share of free EU Emissions Trading System (ETS) permits given to industry across 2026-30 shows a softer reduction for most chemicals and cement producers, fewer handouts for glass and ceramics, and unchanged totals for steel, compared to previous proposals.

The world would fall short of the COP28 renewable energy tripling goal even if all projects with planned start dates by 2030 come online, according to a recently published analysis.

The EU's chemicals industry is in the limelight as it ramps up its demands on the European Commission to alleviate carbon costs ahead of a major overhaul of the bloc's emissions trading market in Q3 – but high energy prices, ageing assets, and increasing output from other countries appear to be the main culprits behind the sector's woes.

A UK-based impact investment manager has made its first investment in Brazil to finance the initial phase of a carbon project under development in the Amazon rainforest, it announced on Monday.

Biochar consultation - French carbon standard Rainbow has opened consultation on two new biochar methodologies, it announced Tuesday. The two methodologies are based on the distributed production of biochar using closed  and open kilns, separately. The methodologies were developed in collaboration with Varaha, Carboneers, Cotierra, and Circonomy. The public consultation is open until Mar. 11.

International cooperation - Brazil joined the International Carbon Action Partnership (ICAP), the organisation announced on Monday. The membership followed a formal application by the Minister of Finance Fernando Haddad. Brazil will have access to a global network of jurisdictions committed to exchange expertise and enhance the effectiveness of emissions trading systems, while ICAP will engage with the open coalition launched by the country last year. With the new addition, ICAP has 36 members and nine observers.

Cross border carbon - More than 100 ranchers and landowners from northeastern Mexico and Texas met at Hacienda Yturria Ranch to discuss high-integrity carbon credit development through agricultural land management organised by Earth Carbon, Mexico Business News reported. The binational seminar covered Mexican states Tamaulipas, Nuevo Leon, and Coahuila, with presentations on measurement, reporting and verification systems from experts including Jim Blackburn of BCarbon and James Clement of Earth Optics. Mexico has more than 300 carbon credit projects operational or under development, said Marco Hernandez, CEO of carbon project developer Carbonof, adding the country's infrastructure and skilled workforce allow projects to meet US and European quality standards at competitive costs.

Salty performance - Chinese battery maker CATL and automaker CHANGAN launched the world's first mass-production passenger vehicle powered by sodium-ion batteries on Wednesday, with the car set to reach markets by mid-2026. CATL's Naxtra batteries achieve 175 Wh/kg energy density and over 400 km range, operating in temperatures as low as -50C. The company plans to open more than 3,000 battery swap stations across China by 2026. The global sodium-ion battery market is expected to grow from $1.39 bln in 2025 to $6.83 bln by 2034, according to Precedence Research.

Biochar and other carbon removal (CDR) pathways delivered significantly fewer credits than forecast in 2025, according to a report released on Tuesday.

Carbon removal (CDR) supply risks stalling as buyer hesitation leaves the voluntary carbon market (VCM) at a critical inflection point, according to a new assessment by a US-based carbon management firm.

Browser neutral – The Canada-based browser developer Shift announced Tuesday that it offset 599 tonnes of CO2e generated by its community between July-Dec. 2025 via the launch of its in-browser Carbon Meter. The company said it purchased verified carbon credits through Carbonzero, supporting forest conservation in Canada’s Great Bear Rainforest and low-carbon cement projects in the US. The company added that it has tracked its Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions since 2023 and worked with Carbonzero to offset corporate emissions in 2023 and 2024.

Congressional pushback – Democratic lawmakers have urged the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit to rule that the Trump administration unlawfully suspended nearly $20 bln in Biden-era climate grants, E&E News reports. They argued that the executive branch lacks authority to freeze congressionally appropriated funds. In a friend-of-the-court brief filed on Monday, eight senators and 32 House members said the halt to the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund grants undermines Congress’ spending power.

Carbon marketplace - Carbon trading platform BEXchange went live and began trading on Tuesday, offering a new marketplace linking carbon projects with buyers and investors, its developer, Emsurge, said on LinkedIn. The platform spans infrastructure, buildings, communities, and materials projects, including road capacity and recycling initiatives in the US, housing and energy efficiency programmes in the UK and North America, and a low-carbon cement. Prices on the exchange range from below $10/tCO2e to more than $100/tCO2e, according to the company. BEXchange is integrated with carbon ratings agencies Sylvera, Calyx Global, and Renoster, and is now onboarding project developers, asset owners, and corporate buyers. The launch follows a previously announced partnership under which BEXchange built its marketplace using Emsurge’s Open Markets infrastructure, tapping into liquidity from Emstream and Emsurge’s wider carbon market network.

EU carbon prices endured one of their most volatile sessions of recent months as prices dropped as much as €3.30 in less than 10 minutes in response to headlines relating to European Union discussions over market reform for Phase 5, before clawing back the entire decline as traders processed the news, while UK Allowances fell by the most in nearly four years on what many said was selling linked to the worsening political climate in the country.

The UK Treasury plans to trial its new Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) rate in the last quarter of this year, before official take-off in January, according to its newly proposed legislative framework for the border free.

The upcoming revision of the EU’s Emissions Trading System (ETS), expected to begin in July, must ensure carbon prices “don’t go through the roof”, said Peter Liese, a lawmaker with the European Parliament’s leading European People's Party (EPP) who spearheaded the previous reform.

ETS reform - The CEO of BASF, Markus Kamieth, has called for EU ETS reform to protect the European chemicals sector, already suffering from high energy costs and Chinese competition. The scheme places the sector at a "significant competitive disadvantage" and without urgent reform, ETS costs could be as high as €1 bln a year for BASF in the 2030s if no revisions are made, he said. The old picture of decarbonising European industry and protecting it with CBAM has "become obsolete" in the current economic climate, said Kamieth. (FT)

At what cost? - A new study, published in the Journal of the Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, found that relying on subsidies instead of effective carbon pricing is a costly strategy for the energy transition. The research, conducted by experts at the Paris School of Economics, examined how political constraints on carbon pricing shape climate policy. When high carbon taxes are infeasible, policymakers turn to subsidies for clean electricity and storage, which may improve acceptability but impose economic and fiscal costs, according to the paper. Using a stylised dynamic model with fossil and renewable energy sources and a carbon budget, the researchers showed that weaker carbon pricing requires increasingly large subsidies and may lead to excessive accumulation of clean capital to displace fossil fuels. A calibration to the European energy market indicates welfare losses of up to 2.6% and fiscal shortfalls equivalent to 56% of the present value of electricity consumption, the paper found.

The global steelmaker has confirmed it will build an electric arc furnace at a facility in France, with the €1.3 billion investment half funded by environmental certificates.

Glaring gaps - A leaked draft of Germany’s Climate Action Programme fails to detail how the govt plans to close the remaining emissions gap by 2030, Tagesspiegel Background reported. The programme is the main policy framework to put Germany on track to meet its goal of reducing GHG emissions 65% by 2030, on 1990 levels. The govt is legally required to adopt a programme by Mar. 25, but the draft leaves open questions on areas including Germany's carbon price in the transport and buildings sector in 2027 and assumptions on future CO2 limits for passenger cars. The latest emissions projections suggest Germany would cut GHG emissions 63% by 2030, only if all current policies are fully implemented. 

Azerbaijan's first credits - The Hydro-3 plant has become the first renewable energy project in Azerbaijan to be issued international carbon credits, after registering with Gold Standard last May, the local news outlet Trend reported on Tuesday. The project, operated by Socar Trading and AzerEnergy OJSC, covers two small hydropower plants, Mirik and Garagishlag. The 10,745 credits, issued on Jan. 28, cover the period between Apr. 2024-Aug. 2025.

A carbon credit rating agency is branching out into commodities, using its methodology to identify for investors and developers the best option when monetising lower emissions from a facility.

ASEAN’s steel industry lacks even the most basic forms of carbon intensity benchmarks, a webinar heard Tuesday, raising questions over the credibility of the region’s efforts to decarbonise their steel sectors.

Voluntary carbon market participants have heralded the EU as the first mover in creating a comprehensive, government-backed standard for certifying durable removals, but many still question where demand-side scale will come from and caution that ensuring a robust, high-integrity system still rests on fine-tuning the crediting framework.

The European Parliament on Tuesday approved the EU’s goal of reducing net emissions by 90% by 2040 compared to 1990 levels, leaving only the Council’s final endorsement before the target can become law.

An American forest carbon project developer announced Tuesday that it had secured verification for its improved forest management (IFM) project with a major certification body.

Co-applying enhanced rock weathering (ERW) and biochar can increase carbon removal (CDR) by improving soil chemical conditions, a new study has found, though short-term CO2 losses from increased microbial activity may temporarily outweigh inorganic carbon gains.

World Wide Fund for Nature Malaysia (WWF-Malaysia) and a local plantation company have launched a pilot regenerative palm oil project in Sabah, aiming to test farming practices that could cut emissions, restore biodiversity, and improve soil health across one of the country’s key agricultural regions.

Iimports of fertilisers in the European Union have dipped amid uncertainty over whether they will be subject to the bloc's new border carbon adjustment fee or exempt, according S&P analysts.

BP has stopped its share buyback policy after profits in 2025 were hit by lower oil and gas prices, and shortly after investors questioned whether its fossil fuel reset would provide value for money.

The first carbon removals have been issued from a biochar production facility in Nigeria, with the inaugural credits purchased by a global buyers' initiative.

The UK government has contracted more than 6 GW of solar, onshore wind, and tidal projects in its latest renewables subsidy auction, bringing the total clean power secured in the year-to-date, including offshore wind, to almost 15 GW, it announced on Tuesday.

The European Union is weighing major changes to its system of free CO2 permits for industry as part of a broader overhaul of its carbon market, according to an internal document seen by Reuters, as a key EU lawmaker told reporters on Tuesday that the phaseout of handouts could be slowed from as early as the end of the decade, also proposing a future easing of the Linear Reduction Factor (LRF).

Spanish syngas - Barcelona-based WtEnergy Advanced Solutions has raised €10 mln to finance development of its waste-to-energy technology at industrial scale. The round was led by SC Net Zero Ventures, Suma Capital’s climate tech fund, with participation from Shell Ventures and existing shareholder Cemex Ventures. WtEnergy specialises in the energy recovery of waste and biomass through gasification technologies, aiming to replace fossil fuels with sustainable syngas. The financing will go towards project execution, plant standardisation, company strengthening, and European expansion.

The Belgrade Stock Exchange is developing a trading platform for carbon certificates to help companies manage risks tied to the EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), its executive director Lazo Ostojic told local media.

New direction - Saudi Arabia's $925 billion Public Investment Fund (PIF) is expected to announce a new five-year strategy this week, focusing on sectors including industry, clean energy, minerals, and AI, according to sources as reported by Reuters. The new 2026-30 strategy will reportedly scale back on expensive mega projects such as The Line (a futuristic city) and focus more on attracting capital from global financiers as the kingdom faces mounting fiscal pressures from lower oil prices. The new strategy will see NEOM shift towards renewable energy and industrial development, including green hydrogen, solar, and wind, and away from its earlier emphasis on tourism and urban design.

A coastal city in South Korea is seeking to create carbon credits by utilising its marine resources, particularly as tidal flats are gaining recognition for their roles in carbon sequestration.

Three community-based land restoration projects in Ethiopia have been selected for a UK-backed accelerator aimed at mobilising investment into high-integrity carbon and nature projects, marking the first Ethiopian initiatives to enter the programme.

Extending partnership - Indonesia and the UK launched the fifth phase of their Multistakeholder Forestry Programme, aimed at strengthening forest governance, transparency, and confidence in Indonesian forest products, the Indonesian government said. The programme, backed by Britain’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, builds on a partnership dating back to 2000 and supports Indonesia’s goal of achieving a forestry and land-use net carbon sink by 2030. Forestry Minister Raja Juli Antoni said the initiative would reinforce legality and sustainability systems while improving livelihoods for forest-dependent communities.

Biochar guide - Indonesia’s central bank has launched a climate-smart agriculture guide promoting biochar technology to raise rice yields, cut emissions, and bolster food security, national news agency Antara reported. Bank Indonesia said pilot projects in Central Java last year lifted rice yields by 6.3%, while improving soil quality and fertiliser and water efficiency. The handbook, developed with government ministries and Diponegoro University, aims to help farmers and agribusinesses adopt sustainable farming methods using biochar.

Europe needs to ramp up efforts on nature-based carbon removals (NbCR) if it is to meet its climate, biodiversity goals, a report said on Tuesday.

Buying activity from a compliance entity covered under New Zealand’s ETS sent NZU prices to a 3-month high, according to participants.

Vietnam has set a greenhouse gas emissions quota of more than 268 million tonnes of CO2e for 2026 under its pilot emissions trading system (ETS), as it moves ahead with regulating emissions from heavy industry.

China's environment ministry has outlined this year's compliance deadlines and relevant tasks under the national emissions trading scheme, including requirements for emitters in six new industrial sectors, such as petrochemicals and aviation, to report their emissions.

The New Zealand government presented its decision to build a new LNG import terminal as an insurance policy for dry years, but the decision to fund it by a levy on electricity bills risks jeopardising clean investments and delaying the country’s decarbonisation, critics warned.

Australian first - ANZ Bank has announced its support for MTR Corporation’s inaugural A$2 bln ($1.4 bln) dual-tranche senior unsecured green bond, marking the Hong Kong-headquartered metro operator's first Australian-dollar issuance and one of the largest such corporate deals on record in Australia. The net proceeds are intended to finance or refinance eligible green investments under MTRC’s Sustainable Finance Framework, including energy-efficient rail infrastructure and renewable projects.

Executives of Australia’s Climate Change Authority (CCA) have faced questions over how potential conflicts of interest relating to its chair's role in a carbon project investor could influence its review of the country’s carbon market.

A nonprofit announced its efforts to recruit national and sub-national governments to sign a non-binding cooperation agreement focused on implementing carbon removal (CDR) pathways responsibly.

Training for the future – Singapore’s Energy Efficiency Technology Centre (EETC) has opened a new facility at the Singapore Institute of Technology’s (SIT) Punggol campus on Monday. Backed by SIT and the National Environment Agency (NEA), the EETC offers training and upskilling to build local industrial energy efficiency capabilities. The new facility features Singapore’s first integrated suite of industrial systems, including heat pumps, compressed air, and lighting, the NEA said in a press release. Participants will also have access to an energy management system with simulation capabilities and real-time data collection, to enable training without disrupting operations, the release said. Via a collaboration with tech solutions company Willowglen Services, SIT will be developing a sustainability reporting system for the training facility, including emissions. The new site will help EETC to deliver 1,500 hours of hands-on training annually, the NEA added.

Carbon critics - A New Mexico Senate bill (SB 18) that proposes economy-wide GHG emissions limits, among other proposals, has received criticism from a Republican lawmaker and representative of the fossil fuel industry for alleged potential economic detriments that they said would outweigh climate benefits, reported New Mexico Daily Lobo. Senator Anthony Thornton (R) said he fears the proposal would essentially establish a regulated carbon trading system.