Sailing CCS - Japanese shipping giant Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha (NYK) has signed an MoU with regional utility Hokkaido Electric Power to study onboard carbon capture and storage in Tomakomai, a CCS hub in northern Japan, it announced this week. The partners will run a three-year demonstration, installing capture equipment on NYK’s coal carrier Pirika Moshiri Maru to test the capture, liquefaction, storage, and unloading of CO2. The technology could be a potential solution in reducing shipping emissions, it said.

Trading volumes in China’s carbon market rebounded over the past week as permit pre-allocations to industrial sectors wrapped up earlier this month, with permits continuing to trade within a narrow range.

China will aim to double its supply of non-fossil energy by 2035 from 2025 levels, an official said on Friday, offering clarity on the country’s clean energy trajectory under its latest 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30).

Trials begin - Indonesia has opened trials for its new Carbon Unit Registry System (SRUK) ahead of a planned July launch, inviting project developers to begin submitting data, national news agency Antara reported, citing officials. The trial phase will help the start of carbon trading and ensure the system functions smoothly once operational. Earlier this week, the Southeast Asian country issued a new regulation designed to allow local forestry carbon projects to trade internationally, with a major project now expected to be issued a record amount of carbon credits.

Recent progress - The Japanese government has published the feedback it recently gathered for methodology revisions under the J-Credit framework. As well, the methodology for cattle feed additives (AG-007) has been amended with a calculation formula for projects using 3-NOP in feeds. A new methodology (IN-008) for the introduction of natural refrigerants has been established and will become effective on Apr. 20, according to a govenment notice.

In talks - India and Singapore held talks on carbon credit cooperation, focusing on advancing bilateral engagement under Article 6.2 of the Paris Agreement, India’s renewable energy ministry announced. Discussions covered potential collaboration in green hydrogen, battery energy storage systems, and other technologies eligible under India’s emerging carbon market framework. The meeting signals early-stage efforts to operationalise cross-border carbon trading, as New Delhi looks to attract finance and technology through bilateral crediting deals, with Singapore seen as a possible partner.

Japan has pledged to provide $10 billion in support of the development of a regional, fossil fuel-centred "energy resilience"  framework in Asia, amid global energy supply disruptions.

On path - Japanese developer Green Carbon said on Friday its industrial biochar project in India has passed a pre-screening audit by Isometric, paving the way for issuance of carbon removal (CDR) credits from this year. It plans to operate four biochar plants across India, targeting around 300,000 tonnes of CDR credits over the next decade, with initial issuance expected from mid-2026. The projects will use agricultural waste such as cotton stalks and peanut shells, aiming to deliver carbon removal alongside soil benefits for local farmers.

Green ships - Shipbuilder Malaysia Marine and Heavy Engineering Holdings Berhad (MHB) has signed an MoU with South Korea’s Hanwha Power Systems to collaborate on conversion and retrofit projects, with a focus on supporting maritime decarbonisation, the companeis announced Friday. The tie-up will combine MHB’s shipyard and LNG carrier repair capabilities with Hanwha’s energy-efficient turbomachinery and propulsion systems, targeting emissions reductions from existing and new vessels. The companies said the partnership would prioritise retrofit and conversion work to address demand for lower-carbon upgrades to ships.

The Australian government has released terms of reference to its review of a methodology on how fugitive emissions are measured, known as Method 2.

Electrifying - The NSW state government has signed a A$1.9 bln ($1.36 bln), seven-year renewable energy deal with federally owned Snowy Hydro Corporation to power its entire public transport network, aiming to cut electricity costs by about A$130 mln, it announced. The agreement will supply electricity from renewable sources like wind, solar, and hydro, helping avoid the equivalent of over 800,000 tonnes of CO2 each year compared to conventional power, while supporting the state’s broader transition to cleaner transport. Savings from the deal are expected to be reinvested into improving transport services, while also contributing to NSW’s long-term net zero and emissions reduction targets.

A new study has put a price tag on climate “loss and damage” at levels far above many existing benchmarks, finding that the bulk of harm from past emissions has yet to be felt and could run into tens of trillions of dollars globally.

South Korea's main stock exchange is planning to launch future products linked to the country's emissions permits in the second half of next year, local media reported.

US-based e-signature firm DocuSign has maintained its CarbonNeutral certification into FY26 while signalling a strategic pivot toward higher-integrity carbon credits and long-term removals, as it prepares to transition to a net zero-aligned approach.

Hard times - About 175 workers at the Liberty Bell Bay manganese smelter have been told they may be stood down or forced to take leave without pay after Apr. 24, because administrators say there is no money left to pay wages beyond the current pay cycle, the ABC reported. The facility, covered under the Safeguard Mechanism, was one of three entities that were unable to meet their compliance obligations during the last cycle, failing to surrender some 39,391 emissions units to meet its baseline. The site, which is in administration, owes more than A$7.4 mln ($5.3 mln) to 200+ employees and will likely retain only a small skeleton crew while efforts continue to find a buyer. The situation highlights ongoing financial troubles at the smelter—Australia’s only manganese processing facility—with workers left in limbo as administrators try to sell the business or avoid liquidation.

Pacific Island nations have used a regional meeting this week to launch a regional framework pushing for a fossil fuel free Pacific, they announced Friday.

A US-based non-profit has released a global, high-resolution dataset tracking aboveground biomass over more than two decades, in a move that could strengthen monitoring, baselining, and verification across carbon markets and nature-based solutions.