California's electricity sector emissions fell for a fifth straight January as natural gas lost ground in the power mix to imports and hydro, according to the state's grid operator.

California air regulator ARB staff is urging companies to comply with the first regulatory deadline for the state's corporate emissions reporting programme, even as industry seeks delays. 

A refrigerants producer has asked the US Supreme Court (SCOTUS) to review a ruling that upheld the US EPA’s authority to allocate hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) allowances under a 2020 climate law, arguing that Congress unconstitutionally handed the agency “unbounded discretion” over a multibillion-dollar market.

Alberta has published a notice to emissions offset stakeholders proposing to withdraw its anaerobic landfill bioreactor quantification protocol, while building on its existing vent gas reduction protocol. 

Climate clash - US Congressional Democrats are pressing the Federal Judicial Center to reinstate a climate science chapter removed from its Reference Manual on Scientific Evidence, arguing the decision reflects political interference. In a letter led by Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR), lawmakers told Judge Robin Rosenberg, the centre’s director, that deleting the material amounted to an unconscionable response to right-wing pressure and argued it sends a message that the federal judiciary is susceptible to partisan political pressure. The centre pulled the chapter two weeks earlier after a coalition of Republican attorneys general said it was biased against the fossil fuel industry. (E&E News)

Reporting reprieve - The US EPA on Friday delayed its annual GHG reporting deadline for major emitters until Oct. 30, extending the Mar. 31 cut-off for roughly 8,200 facilities as the Trump administration moves to scrap most of the programme, E&E News reported. The agency said the postponement would allow time to finalise a proposal issued in Sep. 2025 to eliminate reporting requirements for 46 of 47 source categories under the long-running GHG reporting rule. The petroleum sector would remain subject to reporting because Congress mandated it in the Inflation Reduction Act, although that obligation was paused until 2034 under legislation enacted last year. The EPA stated the extension was intended to allow time for the EPA to issue a final rule prior to the reporting year 2025 reporting deadline and to allow regulated entities to adjust compliance efforts accordingly as it works to conclude its rulemaking on the future of the reporting programme.

Nova Scotia geoscience - Nova Scotia’s Subsurface Energy R&D Investment Program (SERDIP) is offering financial incentives to operators to explore the province’s petroleum potential as a part of a controlled research initiative, according to a call for participation posted to government tender boards. The posting said the provincial initiative is designed to explore onshore hydrocarbon resources while ensuring environmental stewardship and transparency. It aims to enhance geological knowledge and assess resource viability and extraction, as well as to advance scientific understanding of subsurface geology, new energy potential in geothermal or carbon capture utilisation and storage, and modern drilling and stimulation technologies to help shape future energy policy and economic development.

California regulators last week ordered load-serving entities to procure 6,000 MW of new clean capacity between 2030 and 2032, citing rising demand forecasts and a rapid phase-out of federal tax credits.

Brazil J-REDD+ implementation – The state of Para is continuing its free, prior, and informed consultation (FPIC) process on its jurisdictional REDD+ (J-REDD+) programme in the Brazilian Amazon. This week, the state government resumed consultations in the municipality of Cachoeira do Arari with Quilombola leaders, representative associations, local communities, and public authorities, it said in a press release. Last year, the State Secretariat for the Environment, Climate and Sustainability (Semas) concluded consultations with representatives from the extractive sector.

COP30 pledge formalised – Brazilian development bank BNDES and sustainable land management company Tree Agroflorestal (Tree+) signed on Monday a R$151.8 mln ($29.3 mln) financing agreement to support restoration of the Atlantic Forest. The deal had previously been announced during COP30 in Belem last November, with the expectation that the project will generate carbon credits. The resources will come from the National Climate Fund and are earmarked for the ecological restoration of 15,000 ha, mainly in the state of Rio de Janeiro.

Voluntary carbon credit retirements surged last week to more than 14 million credits across the four main standard bodies, boosted by strong activity from an oil major.

COP30 roadmaps – The UNFCCC has opened a public call for comments on the two roadmaps announced by the COP30 Presidency last year: one on transitioning away from fossil fuels and another on halting and reversing deforestation. Parties, observers, and stakeholders may submit contributions until March 31.

An Article 6 frontrunner country will imminently pass further regulations boosting participation in the UN market, while smaller-scale players plan regional coordination to leverage it.

Even if countries stick to their net zero pledges, global temperature rise could reach 2.48C by 2300, with potential for climate-related damages to hit $65 trillion by 2200 unless stronger action is taken, an academic study found.

Carbon removal should be treated as “time-bound storage leases” backed by specialist delivery companies, according to a recently published academic paper that argued current markets have failed to deliver liquidity, price discovery, or scale.

Chocolate for good - Confectionary company Mars has launched an impact fund committing $85 mln between 2025 and 2027 to programmes across community resilience, scientific support, and companion animal health. Initial funding includes a $3 mln, three-year programme with Save the Children to expand village savings and loan associations in cocoa-growing regions of Indonesia. A further $726,000 will go to Humane World for Animals to improve access to veterinary services and professional training in India and Mexico. The fund will also act as Mars' primary mechanism for disaster response affecting employees, communities, and supply chains. From 2028, Mars plans to increase the fund’s scale with a minimum annual commitment of $50 mln. (Food & Drink International)

Recent controversies linked to forest carbon projects have reignited debate over one of Brazil’s most complex governance challenges: land tenure regularisation.

Energy pact - India and Canada signed a strategic partnership on Monday covering LNG, LPG, uranium, solar, and hydrogen. Saskatoon-based Cameco said it will supply nearly 22 mln pounds of uranium to India between 2027-35 for nuclear power generation, at a deal worth $1.9 bln. The two sides also signed agreements on critical minerals and broader energy supply chains including solar, wind, biofuels, and hydropower.