Paraguay milestone - Paraguay has seen the creation of the country's first business chamber dedicated to promoting the carbon credit ecosystem. The Paraguayan Chamber for the Development of Trade of Carbon Credits (CAPADECO) was established via an agreement between representatives of Quadriz, Atenil SA, Ecosecurities, and the Carbon Market Coalition (CMC), with participation of the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development (MADES) and hosted by the Paraguayan Industrial Union (UIP).

A new platform launched on Wednesday aims to channel voluntary carbon market (VCM) finance into building retrofits by certifying emissions reductions from individual properties using verified utility data rather than modelling estimates, its founder told Carbon Pulse.

New Zealand could become a key source of high integrity nature-based carbon credits in the voluntary market, a report published Friday argued, but noted coordinated work is needed to get it going from what is currently almost a standing start.

Innovative financing models will be needed to scale forest carbon projects, according to a report released this week.

Canada’s federal government has launched a competitive procurement process to purchase at least C$10 million ($7.3 mln) of durable CO2 removal credits from projects located in the country, marking the next step in Ottawa’s efforts to stimulate early demand for the emerging sector.

Two US carbon data and solutions companies have locked in a partnership with tech giant Amazon to reduce supply chain emissions from its grocery arm.

A California-based startup has secured an additional $60 million to expand grassland restoration and carbon removal (CDR) activities, bringing the total value of a previously-announced partnership to $100 mln.

France should move quickly to adopt its draft third National Low-Carbon Strategy (SNBC 3), but it still needs to address unresolved issues around land use, aviation, biomass, and implementation, the country’s independent climate advisory body said in a report published Thursday.

One of the biggest challenges facing India’s land-based projects is the difficulty of guaranteeing income for smallholder farmers given the volatility of carbon credit prices, a conference heard this week.

For common good - The US-based church organisation, the Ministry for the Earth Committee, has purchased carbon credits from the Northern Cheyenne Forest Carbon Project and Kootznoowoo Forestry Project. Both projects directly support two Alaskan Tribal Nations and were developed in partnership with them, and reportedly come with biodiversity and water provision benefits.

Researchers in Japan have developed a modelling system designed to improve the monitoring of carbon uptake in tropical forests in Asia, with tests showing it can estimate daily carbon absorption with a margin of error of around 9.4%.

The war in the Middle East is likely to lower demand for credits under the international aviation sector’s CORSIA scheme in the short term, analysts told Carbon Pulse, with one estimating the past two weeks alone have seen around 3 million tonnes of fewer emissions due to lost jet fuel.

Transitioning - Indonesian geothermal developer PT Pertamina Geothermal Energy (PGE) is working with climate advisory firm South Pole to transition its carbon project portfolio to the Paris Agreement’s Article 6.4 carbon market mechanism, EcoBiz Asia reported. The company is coordinating with Indonesia’s environment ministry and plans to submit host country approval to the UNFCCC in March. PGE and South Pole have also signed a cooperation statement to market carbon credits generated from geothermal plants including Ulubelu and Karaha. The firm’s portfolio, spanning several geothermal fields, has an estimated emissions reduction potential of about 1.5 MtCO2e annually. PGE aims to commercialise at least 110,000 carbon credits in 2026 as part of its strategy to tap both domestic and international markets.

Angola eyes REDD+ – The UN Development Programme is seeking a consortium to develop a national REDD+ strategy and action plan for Angola, as the country takes its first steps toward participating in international forest carbon markets. The tender, with a Mar. 19 deadline, calls for a feasibility assessment, strategic framework, and action plan aligned with Verra's VCS and ART TREES standards, as well as Article 6 of the Paris Agreement. Angola's REDD+ readiness is described as still in its early stages, held back by limited institutional capacity and the absence of legal frameworks. The project will also design measurement, reporting, and verification systems and identify priority areas for REDD+ implementation.