Researchers from a US university published their findings on a new method of predicting nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions from the country’s croplands on Thursday, utilising a machine learning system to reach higher accuracy.

Virginia has withdrawn its appeal of a 2024 court ruling that found the state's withdrawal from RGGI under former Governor Glenn Youngkin (R) was illegal, as Old Dominion continues towards rejoining the US Northeast and Mid-Atlantic power sector ETS.

Bolivia’s recently-elected, carbon market-friendly government has opted to slow the rollout of its market framework rather than rush regulation, seeking to anchor the process in technical cooperation with the EU amid deep institutional restructuring, Carbon Pulse learned during the Bolivia Carbon Forum.

Sylvera news - Sylvera this week announced that it is collaborating with DAC developer Deep Sky to support the transparent development of CDR projects. As part of this work, Sylvera has evaluated Deep Sky Alpha, a facility that has been validated on the Isometric registry and is moving toward credit issuance. Deep Sky is pursuing a model aimed at scaling carbon removal by combining multiple CDR technologies within a single platform while committing to independent verification and analysis throughout project development. The partnership with Sylvera focuses on improving transparency around project design, delivery risk, and the durability of removals, factors seen as increasingly important for buyers and investors as the CDR market expands. Sylvera said more details are to follow in the coming weeks. Separately, Sylvera introduced a new product called Sylvera Portfolios - designed to allow users to build, manage, and monitor portfolios of carbon credits. It integrates the company’s independent credit quality ratings with pricing data that update automatically. The platform is intended to help users track the value of credit holdings, compare scenarios across broker proposals, and create customised price indices across project development portfolios. Sylvera said the system provides a continuously updated view of portfolio performance by combining ratings data with pricing information at the portfolio level.

Democratic lawmakers in Minnesota introduced legislation on Wednesday that would create a GHG pollution “superfund” programme aimed at recovering climate-related costs from major fossil fuel companies and funding adaptation projects across the state.

Global tech giants are joining forces to deploy $100 million to reducing super pollutants such as methane, black carbon, and refrigerant gasses.

A Bill Gates-backed nuclear power startup has been given the green light by US authorities to build the country’s first advanced small modular reactor (SMR)  power plant, it announced this week.

Developers working on community-led forest carbon projects face challenges in accessing early-stage funding due to a declining availability of flexible grants and a lack of private finance pre-certification, a report has suggested.

A new demand-side coalition was launched on Thursday aiming to mobilise C$100 million ($73.2 mln) in funding for Canadian carbon removal (CDR) projects by 2030 through credit purchases, investment, and project finance.

Without robust safeguards, transacting carbon credits internationally under Article 6 risks becoming a substitute for domestic climate action, and could worsen global inequalities, according to a new report from a non-profit.

A France-based carbon standard has released new jurisdictional risk map for REDD projects in Brazil, it announced Thursday.

The carbon removal (CDR) sector could boost Canada’s GDP by nearly C$80 billion ($58.5 bln) by 2050, according to a new report by a CDR lobby group which recommended the northern country implement loan guarantees ensure the sector delivers.

A coalition of civil society groups has put several of the world’s largest development banks on notice over their continued financing of fossil fuel projects, warning that the institutions and their government shareholders could be violating international law.

The Integrity Council for the Voluntary Carbon Market (ICVCM) on Thursday approved a French carbon standard as eligible under its Core Carbon Principles (CCPs), bringing the total number of programmes allowed to issue the high-integrity voluntary credits to nine.

Canada and Australia have formed a clean energy partnership with a focus on trade, investment, and supply chains, as part of a state visit to Canberra on Thursday.

The Louisiana Department of Conservation and Energy issued a draft Class VI Well Permit to a carbon capture and storage (CCS) project in the northern part of the state that would have multiple wells.

Fines cheaper than fixes – New York City co-operative apartment buildings are weighing steep fines against the cost of electrification upgrades required under Local Law 97, the city's building emissions law, with only 43% of affected buildings currently meeting 2030 compliance requirements, City and State reported. The law, which covers 63,000 buildings larger than 25,000 square feet, requires a 50% reduction in emissions below 2024 levels by 2030 or fines calibrated to excess pollution. Some co-ops have found that paying fines is cheaper than making upgrades, with one Brooklyn co-op estimating electrification at $30 mln against lower fine costs. Compliance efforts have been complicated by the federal rollback of clean energy tax credits, while New York state's grid remains heavily dependent on fossil fuels and is running eight years late to meet its 2030 goal to cut emissions by 40%.

Palo Alto falls short – Palo Alto city council approved a two-year climate action workplan on Monday while conceding its goal of cutting GHG emissions 80% by 2030 relative to 1990 levels is likely out of reach, Palo Alto Online reported. The California city reduced emissions by 50.2% in 2024 compared to the 1990 baseline – or 66% when accounting for natural gas offsets – despite a 22% population increase over that period. About one-third of remaining emissions come from natural gas in buildings, with the rest from vehicle traffic. City staff said relying exclusively on incentive-based electrification programmes would become too expensive, and the new workplan focuses on developing alternative financing strategies.

A major California refiner warned it may close its in-state operations if California regulator ARB does not equalise compliance costs between domestic producers and fuel importers under the cap-and-invest programme.

Pulp friction – A British Columbia pulp mill is set to test renewable hydrogen as a replacement for natural gas in its lime kiln, in a C$21.7 mln ($15.9 mln) project expected to cut GHG emissions by 7,000 tonnes per year, Fuel Cells Work reported. The 10-MW Kamloops Clean Energy Centre, developed by New York-based Elemental Clean Fuels alongside Kruger Kamloops Pulp and an Indigenous economic development corporation, will use electrolysis powered by BC's grid – which draws about 98% of its power from renewable sources – to produce hydrogen and oxygen on site. The project is seeking financing from Natural Resources Canada through a clean energy fund requiring at least 50% Indigenous ownership.

Brazilian industry representation – Brazil’s Ministry of Finance published on Wednesday the results of the selection process for organisations eligible to join the Permanent Technical Advisory Committee (CTCP) of the national emission trading system, SBCE. The committee will include representatives from the following sectors: energy; industry; urban mobility; waste; transportation; agriculture, livestock, forestry and land use; as well as financial institutions operating in environmental markets.

Bolivia has begun work on its previously absent Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) mitigation pillar through a large-scale regenerative agriculture and livestock initiative that is laying the ground for extensive monitoring of soil carbon sequestration (SOC) projects, Carbon Pulse has learned.

Canada’s carbon pricing systems are reducing emissions, but several contain policies that put them at risk, according to a new report.