Kiln it – Todd Rexine, conservation director at Great River Greening, explained at a recent webinar how the Minnesota non-profit launched a biochar initiative to deal with rising wood waste from restoration work and invasive species. Great River Greening researched and adopted low-tech flame-cap kilns to convert wood waste into biochar that can be returned to sites or reused. Since 2023 they have facilitated 202 cubic yards of biochar (164 to date), engaged 500-plus stakeholders, expanded kiln rentals, and developed Minnesota-specific best practices and contractor specs, which will be released soon.

A California state senator who has led recent efforts to legislate on carbon removals (CDR) will not introduce a new bill this year, instead calling to prioritise regulatory implementation and directing existing climate funds toward the sector, he said on Monday.

Finding fallout - The Trump administration has finalised the repeal of the US EPA’s 2009 endangerment finding, with President Donald Trump and EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin claiming the move will save $1.3 tln by 2055 through lower vehicle prices and reduced electric vehicle spending. However, the EPA’s regulatory impact analysis projects about $1.5 tln in added costs over the same period, including higher fuel purchases and related expenses, outweighing the estimated savings, according to an analysis. This also indicated gasoline prices could rise by around $0.75 per gallon by 2050 if GHG standards are eliminated. Critics say the agency relied on an unrealistic low oil price scenario and failed to account for broader climate and public health costs. (The Guardian)

A blockchain-based carbon registry could strengthen the credibility of transport sector emissions targets and carbon credit projects, a new study said.

Vanuatu vs. United States – The Trump administration is urging other countries to press Vanuatu to withdraw a draft UN General Assembly resolution calling for stronger global climate action, including potential reparations for nations harmed by climate change, AP reports. In a cable sent to US embassies, the State Department said it “strongly objects” to the proposal, warning its adoption could threaten US industry and describing it as an example of UN overreach. The resolution stems from a July advisory opinion by the International Court of Justice, which said countries could violate international law if they fail to protect the planet from climate change and that affected nations could be entitled to reparations. While neither the opinion nor General Assembly resolutions are legally binding, the draft urges compliance with international climate obligations, including limiting warming to 1.5C, phasing out fossil fuel subsidies, and creating an international register of climate damage claims. Vanuatu has pushed for a vote by the end of March, while US officials say several major economies have expressed concerns about aspects of the text. (AP)

Over 2.1 million Core Carbon Principles (CCP)-labelled credits were issued last week – bringing overall tagged issuance close to 90 mln – but CORSIA credits came under pressure, fuelling concern in the airline industry expressing that operators may have to declare a force majeure if available credits under the UN's aviation offsetting scheme don't increase soon.

A Texas-based carbon registry is migrating more than 2 million issued credits from one blockchain network to another to improve auditability and traceability, it announced.

At today's level of warming, about 40% of the ice stored in West Antarctica may already be on a path of long-term decline, while parts of East Antarctica could cross thresholds at 2-3C of warming, a study has found.

Enhanced rock weathering (ERW) could remove between 350-760 million tonnes of CO2 a year by 2050, depending on the level of ambition in national policies, according to a new scientific paper published on Monday.

REDD+ projects in the Brazilian Amazon have recorded lower cumulative deforestation over the past 15 years, but rates have risen again in recent years, a study has found.

Miliband-Newsom deal - UK Energy Secretary Ed Miliband struck an MoU with California Governor Gavin Newsom, agreeing to cooperate on climate action, sustainable development, nature protection, and support for innovation over five years, DESNZ announced on Monday. The two sides plan to cooperate on five areas, including carbon management and super pollutants, which includes emissions trading and carbon markets, CCUS, greenhouse gas removals, and methane emissions reduction. Other areas include clean energy technology and energy systems, transport decarbonisation, financing for clean energy and climate resilience, and the environment, agriculture, and resilience. To do this, they plan to hold policy dialogues and events, and potentially collaborate with experts on research and pilot projects.  

Rural restoration in Brazil - Brazil's Mato Grosso state will provide free environmental compliance support to over 1,500 small landholders through a new rural regularisation programme, it announced at the end of January. The Tangara Rural Regularization Program will help producers complete Rural Environmental Registry (CAR) filings and develop restoration plans for degraded areas, targeting properties up to four fiscal modules in size. The initiative is funded through a partnership between Mato Grosso's government, Brazil's Forest Service, and Germany's KfW Bank, with technical execution by the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture. Participating farmers can access assistance via WhatsApp with required documentation including property titles or possession declarations and personal identification.

OAE boost - The Carbon to Sea Initiative (C2S) is seeking proposals to assess integrating ocean alkalinity enhancement (OAE) with municipal wastewater treatment, the non-profit ocean science programme announced last week. The request for proposals aims to produce a technical report evaluating climate, human health, and environmental benefits of combining OAE technologies with wastewater systems, which currently account for an estimated 3-7% of global greenhouse gas emissions. C2S will fund one four-month award of up to $125,000, with proposals due by Mar. 20, 2026. The report will examine geographic feasibility, operational considerations, and risks across two scenarios: existing wastewater treatment infrastructure in regions like North America and Europe, and newly developing systems in areas currently discharging untreated wastewater.