A carbon removal (CDR) non-profit has launched a responsible development framework for the sector, saying the field’s greatest risk is the loss of public trust.

A US-based carbon offsets consultancy launched on Tuesday an online platform to improve transparency, project quality, and investment in early-stage afforestation, reforestation, and revegetation (ARR) carbon credits.

Karbon crunch – Canadian firm Karbon-X Corp. said on Tuesday that it is expanding its compliance offering as regulated entities prepare for upcoming reporting and credit surrender deadlines across federal and provincial carbon markets. The company supports facilities under Alberta’s Technology Innovation and Emissions Reduction (TIER) system, the federal Output-Based Pricing System (OBPS), and British Columbia’s OBPS across the compliance lifecycle. The company provides emissions tracking, exposure modelling, credit procurement, and retirement coordination to help companies meet regulatory obligations. It added demand is rising as compliance deadlines approach, with facilities seeking to assess exposure earlier and secure supply in a more structured way.

Nova Scotia has rubberstamped a bill aimed at addressing what it has dubbed emerging natural resource opportunities, including carbon storage projects.

The World Economic Forum (WEF) called for combining direct finance with offtake agreements, equity stakes, and debt instruments to unlock scalable investment in blue carbon ecosystems.

Innovative methods of restoration such as intercropping could offer a way to reconcile biodiversity goals with carbon outcomes in restoration projects, as developers face trade-offs between the two, a webinar on Tuesday heard.

California regulator ARB released on Tuesday a 15-day notice containing updated proposed reforms to the state's Cap-and-Invest Program for public comment.

EV ebb and flow - A World Resources Institute (WRI) article published Tuesday found that Electric vehicle (EV) momentum in the US has slowed after a record 2024, with sales falling 4% in 2025 and nearly $20 bln in planned manufacturing investments cancelled amid shifting federal policies, expiring tax credits, and regulatory rollbacks. While EVs still accounted for 9% of light-duty vehicle sales and over 1.5 mln units sold in 2025, growth is expected to continue at a slower pace, with forecasts for 2030 market share significantly revised downward. Policy uncertainty, including changes to fuel economy standards and the repeal of emissions rules, has contributed to automakers scaling back EV ambitions and pivoting toward hybrid and lower-cost models. Despite these challenges, charging infrastructure expanded significantly, driven largely by private investment, and state and local governments have increased incentives to offset federal pullbacks. The slowdown raises concerns about US competitiveness as other regions accelerate EV adoption, though long-term transition trends remain intact.

Cruise control - A panel of judges on the 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals on Monday questioned whether Hawaii can impose a first-in-the-nation tax on cruise passengers aimed at funding climate change responses, signalling scepticism during oral arguments, E&E News reported. The case centres on an 11% surcharge on cruise fares, prorated to time spent in Hawaiian ports, which has been paused since December after the court blocked its planned January implementation. Lawyers for the cruise industry and the Trump administration argued the tax violates the Rivers and Harbors Appropriation Act of 1884 and urged the court to overturn a lower court ruling that had allowed it to proceed, while judges pressed on whether the state’s approach unlawfully burdens maritime commerce.

A clean cooking company looking to generate carbon credits has entered into the Zambian market, in what it hopes will mark a new push to expand access to modern, affordable cooking solutions for households across the country.

British Columbia (BC) has kicked off a month-long public comment process to improve its Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS), evaluating controlled blending and mass balance accounting models for most renewable liquid fuels in the programme.

A total of 12 startups were selected for the second cohort of the Africa Carbon Removal Accelerator (ACRA), amid a surge in innovation in carbon removal (CDR) across Sub-Saharan Africa.

Afforestation, reforestation, and revegetation (ARR) projects have been enjoying a spell of popularity with experts suggesting demand for nature-based removal credits will likely climb higher, but, amid this week's uncertainty over Microsoft's future as a major buyer in the carbon removal (CDR) sector, it remains to be seen whether such predictions hold true.

The European Parliament's lead negotiator on the proposal to extend the EU Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) proposes to delete both the temporary suspension mechanism and the reference to recognition of international carbon credits, in a draft position released on Tuesday.

Big package - Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners-backed Elgin has closed a £500 mln debt package to fund construction of up to 1 GW of solar and battery storage projects in the UK over the next three years. The five banks that provided the financing, NatWest, BNP Paribas, Standard Chartered, Siemens Financial Services, and Societe Generale, told PeakLoad, a news outlet, previously about possible financing last year.

The EU’s criteria for accepting international carbon credits are too stringent and risk “overcorrecting” mistakes made in the past decade with units issued under the Kyoto Protocol’s Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), experts have warned.

EU climate advisory board – The European Scientific Advisory Board on Climate Change has re-elected Professor Ottmar Edenhofer as Chair for its 2026-30 mandate, with Professors Laura Diaz Anadon and Suraje Dessai as Vice-Chairs. The renewed leadership follows the launch of the Board’s second term on Mar. 24, 2026 and will steer independent scientific advice supporting the EU’s climate objectives amid “growing economic and geopolitical pressures”, Edenhofer said. Diaz Anadon flagged defining the 2026 work programme as an immediate priority, while Dessai underlined the Board’s “multidisciplinary expertise” in mitigation and adaptation. The 15-member body was created under the European Climate Law in 2021.

A newly-launched global Indigenous-led investment vehicle is aiming to close a persistent financing gap for renewable energy projects on Indigenous lands, with its backers arguing that current models continue to exclude communities from the economic benefits of the energy transition.

The average cost of engineered carbon removals today can cover the carbon footprint of many consumer products, and most shoppers appear willing to pay a premium for lower- or zero‑carbon options, speakers said at an industry event.

Sorry SAF - Delta Air Lines has removed two key environmental targets from its sustainability webpage late last week, Bloomberg News reported on Tuesday. The Atlanta-based carrier deleted its pledge to use sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) for 10% of its jet fuel by 2030, and also rephrased its quest to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050 as an "aspiration" rather than a "goal". Quoting a Delta spokesperson, the Bloomberg article said the airline still views SAF as one of the most important ways to decarbonise flight, but added that its slow development was threatening the industry’s climate ambitions.

Turkiye has set out its plan for the COP31 climate summit, pledging to prioritise "concrete" outcomes and stronger international cooperation as global climate challenges intensify.

European carbon prices rose to their highest in two months on Tuesday, crossing above a key technical resistance level and continuing the recent trend of moving in the opposite direction to energy markets, as the United States and Iran were said to be considering another round of peace talks even while the US began its own blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.

Global carbon market coverage and revenues climbed to fresh highs last year as emissions trading systems (ETSs) continued to spread and deepen across major economies, according to the 2026 status report from the International Carbon Action Partnership (ICAP).

A Sweden-headquartered eco-friendly burger chain has delved into buying domestic biochar credits for the first time as it seeks to diversify away from tree planting to meet its climate positive targets.

A shift towards issuing carbon credits only after verified outcomes is needed for forest offset markets, said a study released this week as an early access paper.

The European Court of Auditors has warned of several weaknesses in the design of the proposed temporary decarbonisation fund set up to compensate exporters of goods covered by the EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM).

Back to British - BP’s new chief executive, Meg O’Neill, has told staff she plans to simplify the company into two main business units, returning the UK oil major to how it was structured before it tried to transform itself into a green energy group in 2020, according to the Financial Times. O’Neill said BP would be reorganised into a business focused on oil and gas production and another covering refining, distribution, and retail, although she did not set out a timeline for the changes. The company’s trading arm, which delivered an “exceptional” performance in the first quarter, will sit outside the new structure and continue to report to deputy chief executive Carol Howle. In Feb. 2025, former chief executive Murray Auchincloss announced he was refocusing the company's strategy on oil and gas investment after profits and share prices lagged behind rivals. This came just five years after Auchincloss's predecessor, Bernard Looney, promised to shrink the company’s oil production to about mln bpd and make BP a net zero energy company by 2050. But the oil and gas major now also faces opposition from a sector of shareholders, such as the Australasian Centre for Corporate Responsibility (ACCR), which question whether fossil fuel investment will deliver value.

IETA has announced the appointment of a new EU policy director, following the departure of a long-serving predecessor who left the role in March.

Most of Asia’s carbon pricing systems will not approach the EU's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) price levels of around €75 per tonne, experts said Tuesday.

Microsoft will continue to support its existing portfolio of carbon removal projects, the company said Tuesday, which could mean an expansion of its credit buying in future, as the firm sought to clarify speculation that its procurement programme had been shut down.

Demand for offsets from Russian companies has increased since the start of 2025, with both the number of unique buyers and the volume of retirements from Russian entities in the voluntary carbon market higher - analysis from a data firm shows.

An Asian airline has just retired 150,000 credits to comply with its obligations under the aviation sector’s international offsetting programme.

Participants in the voluntary carbon market (VCM) have floated the idea of creating a body that resembles a European Central Bank, currently being discussed by some in Brussels, to classify CO2 credits into different asset classes according to their environmental integrity, saying this could boost transparency and scale up demand.

A new carbon crediting framework aimed at cutting methane emissions from rice farming has been released for public consultation.

Standards in the making - South Korea is pushing for the development of international standards for onboard carbon capture systems (OCCS) through collaboration with the domestic shipping industry, Chosun Biz reported. The oceans and fisheries ministry on Tuesday launched a consultative body for the OCCS standards under the International Maritime Organization (IMO), which involves participation of key players in the shipping industry, such as HMM, Samsung Heavy Industries, and Hanwha Ocean.

New project - LG Electronics is expanding its voluntary carbon credit business through the promotion of high-efficiency heat pumps. The South Korean electronics giant on Tuesday said it will push to register a fuel switch project using high-efficiency heat pump technology with Gold Standard, without disclosing more details. It also plans to reinvest the carbon credit revenue in GHG reduction projects.

A leaked document from Europe’s car industry lobby in March may spark controversy over the future of the EU’s climate targets for transport, with campaigners now warning their proposals could cost the bloc tens of billions in additional oil imports.

A new analysis has warned that the world is experiencing a “twin fossil shock” that could reshape the global energy system more profoundly than the oil crises of the 1970s - while simultaneously speeding up the transition away from fossil fuels.

Growing fuel needs - Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL) announced a pilot project in Indonesia to cultivate pongamia trees on former coal mine land, aiming to assess their potential as a sustainable biofuel feedstock and source of carbon credits. The project will test the full value chain—from cultivation through to fuel production—while evaluating economic viability and environmental benefits, including land restoration and emissions reduction. MOL said it sees the initiative as part of its broader decarbonisation strategy, helping build future supplies of alternative fuels while contributing to circular use of degraded land and supporting energy transition efforts.

UN agency ICAO has reaffirmed that the CORSIA aviation offsetting scheme remains the "only global market-based measure" to address the sector's international climate impact and that countries and other organisations must stop exploring additional aviation-related taxes.

As the EU Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) enters into force, Asian countries are accelerating the development of domestic carbon pricing policies to keep revenues at home, rather than paying a levy at the EU border, according to a report.

Public consultation - Swiss standard Carbon Standards International (CSI) has opened a public consultation on amendments to its Global Artisan C-Sink Standard, it said on social media. The proposed changes include a new standardised method for assessing biochar dry matter to improve carbon content estimates and sequestration metrics, with feedback due by May 9. The organisation will host a webinar on the proposed changes on Apr. 30 at 13:00 CET.

Australian buyers of carbon credits aren’t engaging beyond a small core group, with transactions stalling due to pricing confusion and structural supply constraints, according to the head of an intermediary.

Czech populist Prime Minister Andrej Babis has urged the European Commission to quickly loosen the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) by granting extra free allowances to energy‑intensive sectors hit by soaring power and gas prices.

Koko Networks Rwanda enters insolvency - Clean cooking firm Koko’s Rwandan subsidiary Koko Networks Rwanda has initiated insolvency proceedings and applied for reorganisation through the Commercial Court. A provisional administrator was appointed effective Apr. 2, with creditors asked to submit claims by Apr. 15 ahead of a first meeting on Apr. 16 in Kigali, a public notice said.

BluSky amends debts - Canadian biochar firm BluSky Carbon has increased a loan facility to $5.68 mln with a six-month maturity, subject to lender due diligence, it said on its website. The company also extended a secured debenture to Sep. 30, 2026 for $400,000 in payments plus a $150,000 fee, and raised a convertible debenture to C$900,000.

Colombian CCUS - The Ministry of Mines and Energy has opened the door to carbon capture, storage, and utilisation (CCUS) projects in Colombia after clarifying rules for oil wells closure, it announced on Monday. Resolution 40164 of 2026 updated the requirements for suspending, or temporarily or definitively abandoning, productive and exploratory wells. Closed wells can now be evaluated for geological CO2 storage, geothermal, and white hydrogen production projects, the ministry said in the press release. The resolution applies to wells on and offshore.

The two new savanna fire management (SFM) methods signed off on Friday have addressed long-standing supply impacts participants feared it could have on Australia's carbon market, according to experts, though other risks in the scheme remain.

Crunched - Asian LNG imports have fallen to their lowest level in nearly six years as conflict in the Middle East disrupts supply and forces buyers to curb demand, Bloomberg reported. Ship-tracking data show the 30-day average of net shipments dropped below 600,000 tonnes, the weakest since June 2020 during the pandemic. Pakistan has not received LNG cargoes since early March, while imports to China and India have dropped sharply. Major buyers including Japan and South Korea are also seeing reduced inflows, with some switching to coal and cutting gas-fired power output to manage the crunch.

Training - Vietnam, in preparations for its compliance-based domestic carbon market, is holding training workshops with about 110 companies across major cities this month, Net Zero Vietnam reported. The programme, led by the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment and UNDP, aims to build capacity for carbon trading and compliance ahead of the 2025-26 pilot phase. Participants, including firms allocated emissions quotas, are being trained on regulations, market structure, and use of the national registry system. Additional sessions are planned in Da Nang and Hanoi.

A carbon ratings company has established a new entity in Japan and is already serving local corporates and market participants, it announced Tuesday.

Indigenous Peoples globally are increasingly acting to have an active stake in carbon and clean energy projects on their lands, however ongoing structural barriers persist that need to be addressed if they are to reap the full benefit, according to experts and local leaders.