Contracts that commit the government to buy a fixed share of future peatland carbon credits offer the most viable route to scaling restoration and crowding in private capital, while biodiversity credits remain too nascent to materially improve project economics, a Scottish government-commissioned study has found.

The majority of companies operating in the Netherlands are failing to align their climate efforts with the 1.5C global warming limit, and only a few plan to neutralise residual emissions to reach net zero, according to new research.

A US federal judge has ordered the dismissal of a class action lawsuit claiming tech giant Apple misled consumers by marketing its smartwatch as carbon neutral.  

A "dramatic" shift in the European political landscape over the past 12 to 24 months has raised the likelihood that policy makers may weaken the bloc's climate targets and water down the ambition of the EU ETS, according to bank analysts.

The CORSIA curve was steady over the past week, reflecting growing consensus in prices around $15 per tonne, while voluntary players continued to vent frustration at the slow process and risk when obtaining Letters of Authorisation (LoAs) from host countries for trade in the market.

European carbon prices slumped on Monday morning before stabilising in a quiet afternoon, after the second-weakest auction since the EU ETS began triggered a sell-off that appeared to confirm bearish sentiment following US President Donald Trump's decision to ramp up tariffs against all trading partners and the bloc's decision to pause approval of its trade deal with Washington, as well as continuing tensions in the Persian Gulf.

“Motorist” appointed in Czechia – Czech President Petr Pavel on Monday appointed the populist Motorists’ party lawmaker Igor Cerveny as environment minister, ending nearly two months of deadlock over the final seat in the new cabinet. Pavel urged Cerveny to base policy “primarily with data and not with emotions” and to focus on air, water and soil protection beyond debates on emission allowances and EU climate rules. Cerveny inherits the carbon allowance-funded New Green Savings subsidy scheme, which faces budget pressure after permit revenues fell sharply below projections. He said future support must reflect “economic reality”. (Radio Prague International)

Electrifying low- and medium-temperature industrial heat could deliver deep emission cuts while lowering energy use and strengthening Europe’s energy security, according to research published on Monday.

DAC MoU - Saudi Arabia’s Royal Commission for Jubail and Yanbu has signed an MoU with Switzerland-based Climeworks to study the development of a direct air capture (DAC) carbon removal project in Jubail Industrial City, regional media outlet Zawya reported, citing a post by the Saudi Ministry of Energy on X. The agreement will see both parties assess the feasibility of a large-scale DAC facility, including technical and infrastructure requirements, and outline a potential partnership framework to support implementation, under the supervision of the Ministry of Energy.

Ready or not? - The UK Environment Agency consulted on Standard Rules Permit No. 32 to implement legal decarbonisation readiness (DR) requirements for certain combustion power plants and to simplify permitting for carbon capture at anaerobic digestion (AD) facilities, publishing the findings on Monday. Most respondents supported the proposals but requested clearer guidance and proportionate reporting. The regulator confirmed that DR obligations already exist in law, so permits must require operators to demonstrate a credible pathway to future decarbonisation, such as carbon capture or fuel switching. Applications cannot be approved if this requirement is not met. The final rules clarify reporting expectations, allow the agency to request either a full report or summary review, and require operators to notify changes in decarbonisation strategy. The rules apply to new or substantially refurbished generators, defined as refurbishment exceeding 50% of replacement cost. The consultation also enabled AD plants to capture and store biogenic CO2 under standard permits, increased storage limits to 250 tonnes, and removed an outdated biogas combustion rule, reducing administrative burden while maintaining environmental safeguards.

Cleaner heating - Germany's coalition govt is planning to lay out key points of a law reform to phase out fossil fuel-powered boilers later this week, Parliamentary group leader of the Social Democrats (SPD), Matthias Miersch, told public broadcaster ARD. The changes are eagerly awaited by homeowners and the heating industry after the originally contested 'heating law' was watered down, and the govt missed its self-imposed deadline to relaunch it. A key point of debate is requirement that new heating systems run on at least 65% renewable energy, and details on subsidies and switching to greener alternatives may also be changed. 

New onshore wind projects in England are set to materialise in the next six to nine months, provided that blockers such as aviation, civil, and military restrictions don't get in the way, experts have said.

UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) has found that scientific models differ widely in their estimations of how much carbon oceans absorb, suggesting uncertainties to be serious enough that they could impact governmental adaptation and mitigation plans.

The concept of 'clean-up certificates' – allowing companies to keep emitting CO2 as long as they have the obligation to remove it later – could greatly strengthen the climate fight without placing extra burden on the economy, researchers say. 

Six Congo Basin countries have outlined plans to scale participation in international carbon markets under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement, as part of new roadmaps unveiled Monday and developed with support from the World Bank.

Corporate EV targets – A proposed EU law to electrify large corporate vehicle fleets could deliver up to 57% of the electric vehicle (EV) sales needed for carmakers to meet their 2030 CO2 targets, according to analysis published Monday by Transport & Environment (T&E). The non-profit  assessed the European Commission’s planned company car and fleets initiative, which currently sets an average 45% target for electrifying new cars registered by large firms, and found that increasing the target to 69% and excluding plug-in hybrids could generate around 2 mln additional EV sales by 2030, compared to just 37% of required sales under the existing proposal. The analysis also pointed to tax policy as a key driver of uptake, noting that EVs reached 54% of corporate registrations in Belgium in 2025 following fiscal reforms, versus 19% in Germany where no such measures were introduced. More ambitious fleet targets could support European manufacturing, with up to 1.9 mln additional EU-made EVs sold by 2030, while 74% of corporate EVs registered in 2025 were already produced in Europe, the analysis said.

Using international credits to cover the final 5% of the European Union's 2040 emissions reduction goal would be cheaper than relying on domestic action, based on Carbon Pulse cost assumptions fed into a new online calculator developed by a non-profit.

Two of the Congo Basin’s largest lakes have been found by researchers to be releasing millennial-aged peat carbon into the atmosphere, raising fresh questions about how offset projects in the region account for natural greenhouse gas losses and long-term storage risks.

A carbon advisory and a technology platform have joined forces to scale carbon and nature-based solutions (NbS) projects, with an initial focus on Brazil and Kenya, the chief executives at the two London-based firms told Carbon Pulse.

Cost burden - Energy price rises driven by Russia's invasion of Ukraine have cost Scotland's economy £11 bln in total, according to the Energy & Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU). The amount is for direct additional costs faced by companies, households, and other energy consumers from 2021-24 as a result of the energy crisis. The results expose Scotland's deep vulnerability to international oil and gas markets, said ECIU, urging the government to move faster on the energy transition to protect the country from another energy crisis. (the Independent)  

Dutch subsidies to bring down electricity prices for industry, support offshore wind, and reduce livestock numbers will help to cut GHG and nitrogen emissions, though not enough to meet longer term goals, an official analysis of the new government's plans concluded.

BAT climate update – British American Tobacco (BAT) reported a 46.6% reduction in Scope 1 and 2 emissions against a 2020 baseline and a 30.4% cut in waste versus 2017, while targeting a 50% reduction in operational emissions by 2030, according to its 2025 annual and sustainability report. Carbon credits are not included in the group’s GHG emissions calculations and do not form part of its low-carbon transition plan, though some were purchased and retired in 2025 to support site-level certifications, the company said.

New UN capacity-building initiative – UN Climate Change has launched a new capacity-building initiative for climate negotiators, aimed at supporting delegates, particularly from developing countries and youth, to participate more effectively in UNFCCC negotiations. The programme will provide training on negotiation procedures, legal frameworks, and techniques, and will be rolled out globally through regional centres following a pilot phase in 2025, the organisation said last week. The initiative was introduced during an online event attended by nearly 400 participants and responds to a mandate from Parties to support negotiators’ engagement in the process.

The Netherlands' newly sworn-in minister for climate and green growth is a progressive voice with civil society experience, but will lead from within the renamed Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate, headed up by the centre-right.

Italy's new push to reimburse gas-fired power producers for their carbon costs would make the plants artificially competitive and lead to more gas-fired generation, while also reducing the incentive to invest in renewables, according to experts.

Smart hybrid heating systems that combine electric heat pumps with gas boilers could offer a fast, low‑cost way to decarbonise Europe’s buildings while relieving pressure on overstretched electricity grids, according to the head of Germany’s distribution gas grid association H2vorOrt.

The UN body responsible for launching the global carbon market under the Paris Agreement has adopted an "accelerated" 2026 work plan and appointed new leadership, as it seeks to move from negotiations to implementation of the new Paris Agreement Crediting Mechanism (PACM).

New value - Grid expansion, energy storage, transmission, and critical materials supply chains will be the primary sources of durable returns in sustainable investing going forwards as opposed to adding renewable energy generation, argues Barclays in a new white paper. It says that the real value will be in the "pipes, not the power" and will be about unlocking permitting, financing, and systems integration to avoid renewables getting curtailed. Last year, Barclays mobilised a record $98.5 bln in sustainable finance for climate tech and generated about $0.6 bln in related revenues. “We are seeing clients move from ambition to implementation, focusing on energy access, affordability, and resilience rather than just decarbonisation metrics," said Daniel Hanna, global head of sustainable finance at Barclays. The bank also called for the UK to publish a green taxonomy. (edie.net)

Koko buyers sought – PwC is now seeking buyers for the assets of Koko Networks, the Kenyan clean cooking company, as the auditor issued a formal request inviting investors to submit bids for the company’s nationwide fuel distribution infrastructure, intellectual property, and motor vehicle fleet, The Standard reported. The move to put Koko’s assets on the market follows the company’s collapse into insolvency after years of rapid expansion across East Africa, and aims to recover value for creditors while preserving the business’s operational potential. Potential buyers will have the opportunity to leverage Koko’s existing footprint and pursue further growth in the clean energy and carbon market space.

Gas-guzzling hybrids – Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) use three times as much fuel on the road than their manufacturers claim, according to a study of a million vehicles by the Fraunhofer Institute, which evaluated wireless data transmitted by PHEVs produced between 2021 and 2023 while on the road. Manufacturers typically claim that most PHEVs use around one or two litres of fuel per 100 km, but the study determined those vehicles surveyed used around six litres per 100 km – around three times as much. The higher consumption arises from the combustion engine being triggered to turn on much more than previously thought, with German vehicles calculated to have the highest fuel consumption on average.  The Institute has urged EU regulators to base all regulations on real-world fuel consumption measurements for PHEV. (edie.net)

Metals magnet – Trafigura has signed a $1.1 bln five-year loan agreement to support the supply of critical minerals into Germany, supporting the country's efforts to back up its industrial, energy, and tech sectors. The loan is guaranteed by the govt of the Federal Republic of Germany, acting through the German Export Credit Agency, the commodities firm said in a press release Monday. It's been arranged by Commerzbank AG and financed by a pool of eight lenders. The agreement marks Trafigura’s third guaranteed facility with Euler Hermes, following a $800 mln five-year loan signed in 2022 to supply refined non-ferrous metals, and a $3 bln four-year loan signed in 2022 to secure German gas supply.

The UK government has launched a consultation on its strategy to shield its remaining oil refineries from ETS carbon permit costs after two facilities recently shut down.