Restoration policy – In Brazil, a policy to encourage ecological restoration in the state of Goias is advancing. On Thursday, the Legislative Assembly of Goias approved, in an initial vote, a bill aimed at restoring devastated and degraded ecosystems, seeking to recover the structure, function, and natural biodiversity of affected areas. The public policy would include fiscal incentives and credit lines for rural properties that adhere to environmental restoration projects, while implementation would be carried out by the state’s environmental agency. The bill will now return to the plenary for a second vote before final approval.

Hearing held – The Washington Department of Ecology held a public hearing on Thursday for proposed revisions to its US Forest offset protocol under its cap-and-invest programme. Officials outlined updates including revised improved forest management (IFM) baselines and leakage rates, adjusting forest management requirements, adjusted buffer pool contributions, aggregation options for small projects, and other provisions, while indicating a target of June 10, 2026 for adoption. During the hearing, two speakers questioned offset integrity and permanence, particularly wildfire and biomass assumptions. Written comments are due by March 13, ahead of a Concise Explanatory Statement and final decision. The next online public hearing will take place on March 3.

While Mexico and Colombia finalise key components of their emissions trading systems (ETS) ahead of publishing implementing decrees this year, Chile advances on operational rules for Article 6 and its integration with other environmental market mechanisms, officials from the three countries said during a panel on Wednesday.

Current satellite-based forest monitoring pipelines often function as de facto “black boxes” – complex, region-specific, and difficult to replicate, a webinar heard this week.

Several of Chile's ministries and the state-owned BancoEstado have created a public-private initiative with Chilean industries to facilitate the participation of small and medium-sized forest landowners in carbon markets.

The Symbiosis Coalition has updated its quality criteria, expanding its remit to include mangrove restoration projects in addition to those focused on terrestrial reforestation and agroforestry.

The Norwegian parliament voted Thursday to scrap its 2030 climate neutrality target after lawmakers and climate NGOs raised concerns about its cost and impact, with experts estimating this may weaken short-term demand for Article 6 linked carbon credits.

A carbon procurement and intelligence platform has partnered with a provider of geospatial mapping and carbon stock data to support companies and investors report on their Scope 3 impact and mitigate those emissions with environmental certificates.

CDR play - The Lego Group has expanded its durable carbon removal (CDR) portfolio with ClimeFi across the three pathways of biomass geological storage, mineralisation, and marine carbon removal. They form part of the toymaker’s DKK 18 mln (€2.4 mln) pledge to four CDR projects - three durable CDR projects through ClimeFi, and one nature-based reforestation project in Mexico through Climate Impact Partners. This brings Lego's total commitment in CDR to DKK 54 mln, the release stated.

A new playbook sets out key actions to scale up the number of Africa-based validation and verification bodies (VVBs) in the voluntary carbon market – to reduce project delays and cost overruns, and deliver greater socio-economic benefit for the continent.

Collateral damage  - Hardwood trees harbouring heart rot disease emit far more methane than their healthy counterparts, according to new research from the University of Notre Dame Environmental Research Center (UNDERC). The study has implications for the general assumption that upland forests are robust consumers of methane. Heart rot disease is a pervasive fungal infection compromising the structural integrity of hardwood trees. The decay weakens trees from within, leading to fractures in the bark that release methane and as the disease gets worse, the fractures become more numerous, leading to methane produced inside the tree to be vented to the atmosphere. The finding challenges earlier assumptions about the primary origin of methane uptake and emission in upland forests. (Bioengineer.org)      

Delivery partner - Removals marketplace Supercritical has transacted the largest volume of delivered Puro.earth carbon removal credits for the second year in a run, it announced Thursday. Last year saw 63, 296 Puro.earth-issued credits transacted on the platform, including credits where Supercritical acted as counterparty. Supercritical's role as Puro.earth's leading marketplace partner for two consecutive years "reinforces its role as a trusted procurement partner for buyers who prioritise verified delivery alongside long-term market development", the statement read.

The voluntary carbon market (VCM) is drawing new institutional fixed-income investors, buyers, and funds – but several forms of risk and taxes are spooking others, a webinar heard.

Precision subsoil biochar application significantly increased soil organic carbon stocks in a three-year German field trial, while regenerative agriculture practices without biochar produced no statistically significant gain, according to research released Thursday.

Laos flood plan - Laos will launch a $6.5 mln wetland restoration project to help address severe urban flooding, with plans to rehabilitate degraded wetlands to absorb stormwater and ease pressure on drainage systems in and around Vientiane, its largest city. The initiative – known as the NATURA Project – will focus on restoring natural water retention areas, improving early warning systems, and strengthening infrastructure resilience, in response to increasingly frequent and intense floods that have caused damage to homes, roads, and economic activity. The project has received grant from the New Zealand government through the Global Green Growth Institute and will support the restoration and development of the Nong Loup Ian area in Nonkhilek village, Sikhottabong district, which will serve as a pilot site for applying nature-based solutions to urban flood management plans.

Indigenous carbon project developers have urged the Australian government to speed up reforms to its carbon markets that strengthen Indigenous rights, as the government teases on when new savanna fire management (SFM) methods will be finalised.