VCS update - Verra has released clarifications to the effective dates of its Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) Program, it announced Tuesday. The clarifications are effective immediately, and pertain to: the effective date of those updates to Table 1 that pertain to changes to the default eligibility of projects that install light-emitting diodes (LEDs); procedures for how project proponents can choose to voluntarily update their projects to be validated or verified against VCS Version 5 requirements prior to the mandatory effective dates; section numbers that were removed in the requirements for projects registered with other approved GHG programmes; and late-to-verify procedures for Improved Forest Management (IFM) and Afforestation, Reforestation, and Revegetation (ARR) project types.  

Rising risk - Non-profit ShareAction is calling for longer-term insurance policies and accounting methods in order to counteract the short-term focus of the current insurance sector, which complicates its climate stewardship. In 2024, global natural catastrophes caused $417 bln in economic losses, with insured losses reaching a record $154 bln and 63% of total losses remaining uninsured. In the US, recent years have seen nearly 2 mln policies cancelled due to climate risks. Insurance activities are also exacerbating climate change effects by underwriting activities that drive environmental degradation, though they can also help unlock capital for renewables, adaptation, and nature-based measures, which can help improve long-term resilience. ShareAction is conducting a benchmark of climate, biodiversity, social, and governance policies across the property and casualty insurance sector, and the full 2026 report will be released in June.

A large volume of CORSIA carbon credits has been retired on the Gold Standard registry, in a sign that the international aviation emissions market may be starting to take off.

The war in Iran has released millions of tonnes of carbon in just the first few weeks, and risks slowing a transition to clean energy as countries turn to more gas and coal to cover the oil crisis, according to recent research.

An academic paper has posed 10 priority questions for the next decade of blue carbon science, including whether blue carbon crediting methodologies could be simplified.

Waste not, want not - The International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) and the Centre for Responsible Business (CRB) are joining forces to promote awareness of sustainable consumption in India and inform public policy on the subject, they stated in a release. The MoU aligns with India’s Viksit Bharat 2047 vision for a developed and resilient economy, and extends beyond high-level policy to inform company strategies and operations.

Entities covered under Australia’s Safeguard Mechanism will need some 239 million Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCUs) between now and 2035, according to a forecast presented Tuesday.

Several carbon market stakeholders in Southeast Asia signalled an interest in developing credits for international markets, but domestic policy architecture still lags behind such ambition, conference attendees heard Tuesday.

Prices in New Zealand’s ETS will continue to come under pressure from forestry-issued units absent any changes, the country’s former climate minister told Carbon Pulse on Tuesday – despite legislative tweaks to restrict farm-to-forest conversions last year.

Carbon markets should be integrated within wider regulatory frameworks that address deforestation risks and promote Indigenous stewardship to ensure they deliver real outcomes for biodiversity, according to a new paper.

Prices of carbon credits under the Paris Agreement’s Article 6 are seen below $20 per tonne in the early years as supply outpaces demand, before a tightening market pushes rates above $100 by mid-century, according to an analysis.

Australia risks undermining its role in the global energy transition unless it improves competitiveness and investment settings, an executive at mining major BHP has warned.

Facilities covered by Japan’s GX-ETS are awaiting market rule finalisation and are unlikely to make credit purchases this year, according to an expert.

With a surge in power demand from data centres extending the life of fossil fuel-fired generation, carbon removals are even more important than before, a high profile investor said Tuesday.

The European Union and Australia have concluded negotiations on a free trade deal that includes enforceable climate commitments allowing either party to impose sanctions if the other acts in a way that "materially defeats" the Paris Agreement – a clause that goes beyond the language of any previous EU trade deal.

Carbon platform - The Indian Institute of Management Bangalore (IIM-B) has announced that its Centre for Digital Public Goods convened a key discussion on India’s proposed Open Network for Carbon Markets (ONCM), aimed at building digital infrastructure to support carbon market development. The initiative is being developed in partnership with Networks for Humanity and seeks to enable transparent, interoperable, and scalable carbon market systems. The platform is designed to facilitate participation across stakeholders while strengthening trust and efficiency in carbon credit transactions, as India prepares to expand its engagement with global climate markets.

The Australian government on Tuesday announced fresh support worth A$32.6 million ($21 mln) for emerging carbon management technologies, building on earlier efforts to scale carbon capture, utilisation, and storage (CCUS) solutions across hard-to-abate sectors in the country.