Energy supply security remains exposed to a small number of routes, where physical blockages and 'paper chokepoints' such as insurance withdrawal can rapidly tighten markets and risk amplifying fossil-based vulnerabilities, concluded new analysis.

Major oil and gas and mining companies are prioritising operational emissions reductions while providing limited clarity on capital allocation and production shifts, according to new data covering companies worth more than $2.8 trillion.

Leather imported to the EU from Brazil and Paraguay continues to be tied to forest clearance, a non-profit has said as the European Commission gears up to review the commodities covered by its anti-deforestation law.

None of the world’s major steelmakers are currently ready to transition to near-zero-emissions production, with fresh investments in coal-based blast furnaces and minimal progress on “green iron” leaving the sector far off a Paris-aligned pathway, according to a new assessment released Tuesday.

The Italian government has decided to postpone the closure of the country's remaining coal power plants to 2038, 13 years after their scheduled phaseout, citing the energy crisis caused by the war in the Middle East. 

Expected proposals to reform the supply-balancing reserve in the EU's Emissions Trading System (ETS), and updates to benchmarks determining free permit allocations for industrials, are not likely to have a major impact on carbon market prices in the bloc, analysts have said, as Brussels scrambles to find solutions to ease soaring energy costs and protect European industry.

More than a dozen EU countries urged the European Commission to exempt fertilisers from the bloc's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) during Monday's agriculture ministerial meeting in Brussels.

The global energy shock is bolstering the business and security case for renewables and electrification even more than previous crises – yet there is still concern that some politicians will double down on speedier fossil fuel alternatives to quell higher costs of living.

European carbon prices advanced on Monday as a second strong auction in a row triggered a brief flurry of buying that drove the market to its highest in two and a half weeks, before levels retreated slightly in the afternoon, as traders anticipated details of changes to the EU ETS supply management mechanism due to be published on Wednesday.

CORSIA prices ticked higher last week, reflecting the market having found a wide trading range either side of $13, and there were signs that airlines are now readying to retire for compliance.

Swedish BECCS - Sweden-based energy firm Stockholm Exergi plans to allocate around 185k tonnes of permanent carbon removals annually from its bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) operations to neutralise residual emissions across its value chain, according to its latest annual report. The company is also exploring CCS at its waste-to-energy plants in Hogdalen and Brista, with feasibility studies underway and potential CO2 capture starting around 2033 and 2035 respectively, with combined permanent storage of around 710k tonnes of biogenic CO2, according to the company's annual report. Stockholm Exergi targets net zero across its value chain by 2035, relying on both emissions reductions and permanent removals.

Biochar methane emissions - Flame curtain pyrolysis in kon-tiki kilns used to produce biochar emits less methane and carbon monoxide than open burning of crop residues, a study by European researchers published in GCB Bioenergy found. Methane emissions were around 2.6 grammes per kilogramme of feedstock, compared to more than 4.4 g/kg for open burning, and rose more than tenfold when moisture exceeded 25%. Higher flue gas temperatures were linked to lower methane output, while the process produced around 200 kg of biochar per tonne of straw, enabling more than 500 kg of CO2e removal when applied to soils, the analysis said.

A new soil porewater extraction technique could improve the accuracy and consistency of carbon removal estimates from enhanced rock weathering (ERW), according to a recent study.

Ghana mangrove push - Ghana’s Forestry Commission and US-based developer Terraformation will collaborate to scale forest restoration projects aimed at boosting climate resilience, jobs, and local livelihoods, the organisations announced last week. The collaboration builds on a large mangrove restoration effort at Keta Lagoon in the Volta Region, where more than 3.2 mln trees have already been planted and hundreds of jobs created, many held by women. A second phase is set to launch later this year with additional planting and employment expected, while the broader programme aims to expand restoration across the country and link carbon revenues to community development, they said.

A global fast fashion retailer has received its first deliveries of permanent carbon removals (CDR) in 2025 and is preparing to source jurisdictional REDD+ (JREDD+) credits, according to its latest sustainability report.

Carbon capture capacity globally that begun operating or construction over the last year was over 10% higher than the preceding one, while storage capacity increased by around 25%, according to the International Energy Agency's (IEA) latest update.

Chemical woes - Ineos's flagship Project One plant in Antwerp is facing potential further delays due to the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz, which risks leaving its two final modules stranded in the Gulf. The plant was due to be completed by year-end and is expected to cost and emit far less than other existing ethylene plants in Europe. The difficulty adds to Ineos's challenges including debt exceeding €15 bln. Meanwhile, Germany's largest chemicals companies including BASF are increasing prices on the back of higher energy prices driven by the Gulf conflict. BASF is reportedly set to hike European prices for standard amines by about 30% and Lanxess is raising the cost of some materials by 50%. Other groups including Wacker Chemie, Covestro, and Evonik have either raised prices for building block chemicals, preservatives, and polymers, or told customers they intend to do so, since the war began. However, some companies may get a short-term competitiveness boost over Asian peers that depend more on the Gulf for raw materials. The difficult conditions are also driving European producers to invest in other regions, such as BASF that opened a new plant in China last week. The IGBCE chemicals and energy union has warned Germany could suffer 'chaotic de-industrialisation' without support for the chemicals sector. (FT)  

EU member states on Monday signed off on a tweak to the bloc's CO2 standards for heavy-duty vehicles, giving manufacturers extra leeway to bank emission credits ahead of a major tightening of climate rules in 2030.

EU-UK electricity market linkage – EU member states on Monday gave the European Commission a mandate to negotiate an electricity agreement with the UK that would reintegrate Britain into the bloc’s internal power market and introduce “dynamic alignment” with EU rules. The deal would cover both wholesale and retail electricity trading, with UK laws expected to track evolving EU legislation to maintain a level playing field. Brussels says closer power market integration will boost trading efficiency, support investment in cross-border and renewable infrastructure, and strengthen energy security amid ongoing geopolitical tensions.

Carbon rating agencies are split on whether they fall in scope under upcoming EU rules on ESG rating activities, which could potentially help unlock more bank finance for the sector and reduce risk of integrating credits in compliance schemes, stakeholders told Carbon Pulse.

A €6 billion Italian scheme for renewable hydrogen production for the transport and industrial sectors was approved by the European Commission under the bloc's state aid rules on Monday. 

Oil price rises will channel a €24 billion windfall from European drivers to the pockets of fossil fuel majors by the end of the year, according to an analysis calling on the EU to tax these conflict-generated super profits.

A group of scientists have called for tougher action on methane emissions, including better monitoring and reporting, and for more countries to include methane reduction plans within their legally binding climate targets. 

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has called into question Germany’s legally-agreed timetable to phase out coal by 2038, suggesting to newspaper FAZ that it may be “unrealistic” given the current energy crisis.

A new book published Monday examines a landmark climate case against German energy company RWE, which may have set a precedent for holding major emitters legally liable for their contribution to climate damage.

Sub-Saharan Africa saw a surge in Article 6 activity in March, with multiple countries accelerating bilateral carbon market deals and project authorisations, particularly with Switzerland.

A new guide that aims to help governments safely test emerging carbon market approaches has launched, as policymakers face growing pressure to unlock climate finance while maintaining market integrity.

The European Commission's proposal to boost the "firepower" of the Market Stability Reserve (MSR) in the EU ETS will not tweak the supply-control mechanism's intake rate or volume thresholds, and will instead centre around the cancellation of an invalidation clause for excess allowances, Bloomberg reported Monday.

Have a rethink - Greenpeace has urged the South Korean government to redesign the national electricity plan and stop replacing retiring coal with LNG, as the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz has exposed the fragility of the country's power mix. LNG prices are determined by the global market, and price shocks are passed directly to consumers, even if physical supply can be secured from the US or Australia, the non-profit said. Greenpeace called for a concrete roadmap to 100 GW of renewable capacity by 2030 to build a more resilient power system. LNG shock from the closure of Hormuz Strait could raise emissions in Asia, analysts told Carbon Pulse.

Four key themes helped move agricultural soil carbon from a nascent category to the high-integrity climate solution that it is today.