The UK government should expand its carbon market to cover international shipping - but without increasing the number of allowances available, the country’s climate advisors have warned.

The European Commission and EU member states have launched a joint tender to build and operate the platform that will sell and repurchase certificates under the bloc's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM).

Scientific fact - Achieving net zero emissions isn't a "political choice" but rather the only option available to halt global warming, Jim Skea, chair of the IPCC, told the FT. The British physicist said there were “some very challenging policies that would need to be put in place if net zero were to be achieved”, adding it was “perhaps not surprising that there’s a debate out there”. Hi statements come as political and business support for climate action has weakened led by the Trump administration, and in the face of economic pressures seized on by populist movements. More than 50 US-based scientists are working on the next round of IPCC reports, due to begin publication next spring, but none were nominated by the US govt, Skea said, while dozens of scientists nominated by China and Russia will contribute to upcoming assessments.      

AI greenwashing - Most claims that AI can avert climate breakdown refer to machine learning and not the energy-hungry generative AI behind data centre growth, according to research commissioned by non-profits Beyond Fossil Fuels and Climate Action Against Disinformation. The tech industry's tactics were "diversionary" and amount to "greenwashing", said one report author. The analysis says the tech industry has muddled types of AI when misleadingly presenting the technology as a solution to climate change. Whilst green claims even for traditional AI tend to rely on weak forms of unverified evidence. Data centres are projected to account for at least 20% of the rich world's growth in power demand to the end of the decade, the IEA estimates. (the Guardian)

Rapidly evolving carbon pricing regimes are reshaping global business costs and compliance obligations; Alwyn Hopkins, sustainability leader for industrials and energy at EY UK, outlines the practical steps companies need to take to prepare, respond, and thrive.

Waste not, want not - Fast reduction of waste-derived methane emissions has been chosen as the top priority for COP31's action agenda by the government of Turkiye, according to a draft seen by Climate Home News. The topic was ranked first among 14 priorities in the document, which other countries must respond to before publication in March. The action agenda runs separately from formal negotiations between countries at UN climate summits. Waste accounts for about 4% of global anthropogenic GHG emissions, versus almost 70% from burning fossil fuels. Turkiye is a key importer of European waste, much of which end up in landfills or is illegally burned in the open.

The organisation mandated by Switzerland to buy its Article 6 credits has acknowledged that securing international carbon trade authorisation remains a bottleneck, but, thanks to experience gained in recent years, the country should move forward on bilateral trade agreements in 2026.

Kenya’s National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) and Climate Change Directorate on Tuesday launched the Kenya National Carbon Registry (KNCR), promoting greater speed and transparency for project developers, according to speakers at a launch event in Nairobi.

One size fits all - Marine engineering company Bar Technologies is calling for a unified global carbon pricing framework, to avoid the duplication and complexity of overlapping schemes. In a statement released Tuesday, it said the proliferation of regional emissions trading schemes such as the EU ETS, FuelEU Maritime, and postponed IMO Net-Zero Framework, is creating undue compliance pressure on maritime and could delay decarbonisation progress. Meanwhile, the EU's carbon border fee introduces indirect carbon costs into the trade system by pricing the embedded emissions of major seaborne cargoes such as steel, aluminium, cement, and fertilisers. The developer of wind propulsion technologies is advocating for a bunker-lever collection mechanism to fund climate-positive projects, aiming to avoid the complexity of overlapping schemes. (IndexBox)

Corporate adoption of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) is being shaped by internal carbon pricing and broader decarbonisation strategies, though high costs and unclear accounting rules continue to constrain wider uptake, according to new research.

Summit dates set - The second Clean Cooking Summit will take place in Nairobi on July 9-10, hosted by Kenya, Norway, the US, and the International Energy Agency (IEA). The event will be co-chaired by President William Ruto, Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store, US Energy Secretary Chris Wright, and IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol. It aims to mobilise new financial and political commitments to expand clean cooking access across Africa, where around 1 bln people remain without it, building on $2.2 bln pledged at the 2024 Paris summit.

The EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) could speed up Central Asia’s shift away from coal-fired power, as cutting emissions emerges as the most cost-effective way for the region to maintain access to European markets, according to a report published this week.

The agriculture, forestry, and and land use (AFOLU) sector holds the largest potential to generate Internationally Traded Mitigation Outcomes (ITMOs) for Colombia under Article 6.2, while resulting revenues could multiple domestic emissions reductions if strategically invested, according to a new study.