Large amounts of ancient carbon released from thawing permafrost are accumulating in Arctic lakes rather than rapidly converting into greenhouse gases, although part of the carbon is still contributing to CO2 emissions, according to new research.

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

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.

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 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.

India’s emerging compliance carbon market could face early operational hurdles as companies scramble to build the monitoring and reporting systems required under the new Carbon Credit Trading Scheme (CCTS), a webinar heard Thursday.

An Australia-headquartered asset manager has acquired 636 hectares in Queensland, with plans to develop biodiversity credits and other nature-based programmes.

Bhutan and Singapore have advanced their bilateral Article 6 partnership with four proposed projects aimed at generating carbon credits under the Paris Agreement, according to local media reports.

Spearheading growth - Asset platform Rubicon Carbon has appointed Flora Ji as its head of Asia and head of asset management, based in Singapore. Ji has most recently served as vice president of nature-based solutions at Shell and will apply her expertise in carbon markets to the company's expansion across Asia, said CEO Tom Montag on LinkedIn.

Next step - Japanese machinery maker Kubota and its partners have agreed to pursue the 'full-scale commercialisation' of an emissions reduction project using the alternate wetting and drying (AWD) technique, expanding the project area to around 40,000 hectares by 2029 from the current level of 14,000 ha. Kubota has been working with project developer Creattura and gas supplier Tokyo Gas for the AWD project, implemented under the Joint Crediting Mechanism (JCM) to reduce methane emissions from rice paddies in the Philippines. The project is expected to be registered as the first private JCM project in the agricultural sector.          

Trading activity on Indonesia’s carbon exchange slumped in February as deals dried up following a brief rebound at the end of last year, exchange data showed on Thursday.

Australia’s carbon market should find a way to credit Indigenous landholders for maintaining intact ecosystems, as opposed to only rewarding those that have been degraded and are only now being restored, according to research published Thursday.

China is targeting a total 17% cut in its emissions per unit of GDP in the current five-year period (2026-30), according to a government work report submitted Thursday to the country's top legislature for deliberation.

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.

New alliance - South Korea's startup and climate ministries have launched the "Climate Tech Innovation Alliance" to drive the development of the sector in the country, according to Yonhap. The government aims to promote public-private partnerships, expand financial support, establish a dedicated climate tech fund, build tech demonstration clusters, and implement institutional reforms to support the emerging industry. The climate industry also plans to develop a strategy that reflects the financial investment, technological support, and system improvements proposed based on discussion with industry.

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.

A European development bank is aiming to channel a minimum of €150 billion in cumulative green finance over the next five years, it said on Wednesday.

Australia’s carbon price has retreated in recent weeks amid a flurry of Safeguard Mechanism Credit (SMC) trading following issuance by the Clean Energy Regulator. 

Eight “systemically important” energy utilities in Asia are not doing enough to cut emissions, said a report by an investor group released on Thursday.