The EU has no shortage of financial instruments to cut livestock methane, but farmers are still struggling to access them, according to a new analysis of the European Investment Bank's agricultural finance strategy.

A Californian bean-to-bar chocolate company helped co-found a biochar tech platform through which it plans to decarbonise its cocoa supply chain while converting agricultural waste into biochar.

A Netherlands-based forest carbon developer has been declared bankrupt, with options under review to restart operations or sell individual projects.

Into the blue - Indonesia’s Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (KKP) has set out a framework for blue carbon trading that centres on strict legal and monitoring requirements, including mandatory marine spatial permits (PKKPRL) and registration in the national carbon registry (SRUK) to ensure data integrity and avoid double counting. The government estimates its blue carbon ecosystems could absorb up to 10 Mt of CO₂e annually, with mangroves accounting for around 6.36 Mt and seagrass about 3.78 Mt. The initiative forms part of Indonesia’s Carbon Economic Value (NEK) policy and rests on three pillars: developing technical regulations, building a pipeline of projects, and strengthening data systems such as ecosystem mapping, baselines, and carbon accounting. Authorities are also advancing pilot restoration projects and emissions reduction programmes in fisheries, while drafting implementing rules under Presidential Regulation No. 110 of 2025 to ensure carbon trading delivers measurable benefits for both the state and coastal communities. (ecobiz.asia)

Canada’s industrial carbon pricing system is failing to harness agriculture’s emissions-cutting potential, with fragmented markets and weak policy design limiting a sector that could abate more than 37 million tonnes (Mt) per year by 2030, according to a report published Thursday.

Translation talks - The Brazilian state of Para held a workshop last weekend to engage Indigenous translators from the nine ethno-regions that will be consulted in the state's jurisdictional REDD+ (J-REDD+) programme. During the workshop, content for translation was presented and proposals for the most appropriate teaching resources for conducting consultations in the territories was requested by the state. The meeting marks the formal beginning of the implementation of the Indigenous consultation plan for J-REDD+ programme, recently approved by the Management Committee of the State System on Climate Change (COGES-Clima), the state said.

Durable carbon removal (CDR) methods have delivered unevenly over the past five years, with biomass-based approaches generally outperforming expectations, according to analysis published Friday.

The CLEAR methodology for cooking energy transitions remains under review by an expert methodological group working to advance the Paris Agreement Crediting Mechanism (PACM), while a framework covering N2O abatement has been put forward for adoption.

Recieved - Japanese shipping major Mitsui O.S.K. Lines said on Friday it has received 2,500 tonnes of carbon dioxide removal (CDR) credits from an enhanced rock weathering project in India. The credits come from Alt Carbon, which spreads basalt on farmland in West Bengal to lock away CO2 as stable carbonates. MOL expects to receive 10,000 tonnes in total under a previously signed offtake agreement.

The second phase of a vegetation restoration project in South Africa has secured funding from a World Bank-issued bond linked to revenues from the partial sale of carbon credits to Amazon and over-the-top financing.

Standard body Verra has released a revised methodology for grid-connected renewable electricity generation under its Verified Carbon Standard (VCS), marking a significant overhaul of the legacy Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) approach.

Carbon markets are essential to improving the financial viability of natural climate solutions (NCS) in Canada, with new analysis finding they can also catalyse the development of biodiversity and other ecosystem credit markets.

South Korea’s finance ministry, alongside the UNFCCC and the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI), launched on Wednesday a carbon market initiative aimed at aligning voluntary markets globally with the Paris Agreement Crediting Mechanism (PACM).

One of the largest banks in Canada announced on Thursday the purchase of 5,000 carbon credits over a two-year period from an agriculture project supporting methane reduction in US rice production.

Airlines are yet to deliver meaningful demand for CORSIA-eligible credits, despite repeated assurances of commitment, leaving a growing pipeline of eligible carbon credits in search of buyers and raising concerns among project developers, insurers, and analysts about the pace of investment.

A carbon crediting programme is partnering with an Indigenous-led non-profit to develop a certification framework for co-benefits linked to carbon projects on Tribal and First Nations lands in the US and Canada, the groups announced Monday.

UK oil major BP suffered a heavy shareholder defeat at its annual general meeting on Thursday that could set back its plans to pivot back to fossil fuels.

Nigeria has boosted Phase 1 CORSIA supply by almost 4 four million credits, a developer said Thursday.

Governance challenges are emerging as the main barriers to scaling investment in conservation projects, with market participants warning that financial risks increasingly stem from social and institutional factors rather than carbon accounting.

Ecuador's Ministry of Environment and Energy is allowing carbon projects and guiding proponents on how to handle the country's current legal conditions, Carbon Pulse heard from a well-placed environmental consultant.

The European Commission is racing to put the final pieces of the EU’s Carbon Removal and Carbon Farming (CRCF) in place, as around 10 permanent carbon removal schemes prepare to seek recognition, but experts consulted on Thursday still expressed puzzlement over the programme.

A US-based forestry carbon project developer has doubled its afforestation footprint in its last planting season, it announced Thursday.

A carbon removal financier has agreed to purchase more than 425,000 carbon credits from biochar facilities in southern India, it announced Tuesday.

The UK government should seize the opportunity to unlock billions of investment and thousands of jobs by championing the country's carbon market through better inter-governmental alignment, said industry bodies in a new report.

The CORSIA futures curve now has shape out to the end of the decade after a single lot on the Dec-30 contract was bought on the ICE exchange.

Germany-based carbon market participants on Thursday called for stronger political recognition and clearer rules for the use of carbon credits, saying uncertainty is creating hesitation among buyers in the voluntary carbon market (VCM).

Carbon project developer South Pole has appointed Leila Toplic as Chief Product & Go To Market (GtM) Officer, the Swiss company announced Thursday.

Carbon cash - US developer Boomitra on Thursday said ranchers in its Northern Mexico grassland restoration project are receiving carbon-linked payments following the issuance of 3.03 mln credits by Verra in Feb. 2026, creating a new income stream tied to soil carbon gains. The project spans around 4 mln acres across the Chihuahuan and Sonoran deserts, working with 158 ranching families using regenerative practices such as rotational grazing. At least 75% of carbon revenue is distributed to ranchers and local partners, Boomitra added. It is supported by buyers including Deloitte and the Ethereum Climate Platform.

The voluntary carbon market (VCM) standard on Wednesday set out plans to revise its rules, align with the Paris Agreement, and update methodologies in 2026.

Certificates catching on - Isometric said in an announcement Wednesday it is expanding into Environmental Attribute Certificates, starting with low-carbon steel and cement. The company said the move is aimed at addressing a gap in certification infrastructure for book-and-claim markets, where environmental attributes are separated from physical products and sold as certificates, and argued that more rigorous standards are needed to ensure claims are traceable, transparent, and not double counted. Isometric said it is developing a certification standard for steel and cement EACs and will release a Book and Claim Module in May aligned with ISO 22095-3 and the forthcoming second version of the SBTi Corporate Net Zero Standard, enabling issuance, tracking, and retirement of certificates across low-carbon materials, sustainable fuels, and energy.

The global tech giant’s reported pause on the procurement of carbon removal (CDR) credits represents a wakeup call for the nascent market, but one that could ultimately help it mature, according to a whitepaper published by a US-based project developer.

A North American carbon offset provider said in filings Tuesday that its net losses expanded in the latest quarter to over $5 million despite a ramp up in revenues over the first nine months of the fiscal year.

Issuance and retirement levels of voluntary credits both dropped in the first quarter of the year, as well as investment in carbon projects – although carbon credit prices climbed higher, a webinar heard Wednesday.

On the back of reports that major carbon removals (CDR) buyer Microsoft may be temporarily halting its CDR purchases, nature-based CDR developers have highlighted the significance of its ‘partnership’ model of project investment.

Indonesia’s reopening of its forestry carbon market is unlikely to deliver an immediate surge in credit supply, with analysts saying that projects will still need to clear multiple hurdles before units can reach buyers.

Colombian forest – The consultancy Climate Impact Partners has teamed up with Aviva Investors on a large-scale afforestation and reforestation project in Colombia called Llanos Vivos to be registered under Verra's VM0047 methodology. The project covers up to 13,600 ha of currently degraded and under-productive grassland and will create a forest the size of Paris. The initial phase will sequester 2.4 Mt of carbon removals and at full scale, the project should store more than 6 Mt of carbon over its lifespan. Llanos Vivos will also create more than 110 local jobs during peak planting, and areas of land will be dedicated to community-run farms. Climate Impact Partners is the project originator and delivery partner to Aviva Investors, while &Forest is the on-the-ground developer. Aviva Investors is funding the project through its Carbon Removal Fund, and shall receive rights to a share of the future carbon credits.

Reports from earlier this month that Microsoft may be easing away from new investments in the carbon removal (CDR) sector caused alarm for developers, though some pathways stand to be relatively more exposed to a drop-off in forward buying from the tech giant.

A US environmental non-profit said Wednesday it will launch a new research programme to assess whether phytoplankton stimulation can remove atmospheric carbon and what impacts it may have on ecosystems and communities.

A US developer in enhanced rock weathering (ERW) has defended the carbon quantification behind its first issuance of credits that raised eyebrows for being too good to be true.

On Earth Day 2026, a new Gold Standard methodology challenges the “one-size-fits-all” approach to ARR projects, proposing a flexible framework that reconciles integrity with accessibility to unlock carbon finance.

Seek and ye shall plant - Search engine Ecosia that puts all of its profits into climate action has reached the milestone of having planted 250 million trees worldwide - making it the world's largest planter of native trees. Its portfolio covers 1,600 native species, of which 144 are on the endangered or vulnerable list, through the financing of 125 organisations that work with over 200,000 tree planters globally. The tech company has invested over €100 mln into climate action including €1 mln in renewable energy projects, and is now expanding its climate work into holistic landscape restoration, beyond just reforestation.

US tech giant Amazon has agreed to buy 685,000 carbon credits from smallholder rice farmers in India, backing a large methane reduction programme led by a German multinational.

Investors will enjoy a new avenue for legal recourse against host countries' interventions into carbon credit projects as certain business-oriented states pursue expansions in their international investment treaties, a Singapore-based lawyer told Carbon Pulse.

A climate-focused artificial intelligence tool is introducing per-query energy tracking and upgraded analytical capabilities, in a bid to address concerns over the accuracy and environmental footprint of generative AI.

A carbon utilisation company has appointed a new chief executive following a period under interim leadership, it announced on Tuesday.

Canada and the US are taking different approaches to building domestic carbon removal (CDR) markets, with policy design emerging as a key factor in shaping investment and deployment, speakers said during a Tuesday webinar.

A US-based climate research group would see lifecycle refrigerant management (LRM) first scaled in Southeast Asia as it charts a path to policy intervention of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), including acceleration of carbon markets.  

Momentum for carbon removal (CDR) in Canada is tipping towards takeoff, but it remains to be seen if the sector could kick its “training wheels” and fly on the compliance side without voluntary corporate investment.

The European Commission is set to propose strict eligibility criteria for carbon credits used by EU airlines under the UN’s CORSIA international aviation offsetting scheme, according to sources, who warn that carriers may face near-zero supply for Phase 1 if implemented.

A new risk intelligence service launched on Tuesday aims to give buyers and investors in carbon removal (CDR) projects clearer, data-driven insight into project viability and exposure across an expanding but still largely unregulated market.

Fears of buyer concentration in durable CDR are overstated: beneath the headlines, a more diverse corporate base is emerging, and with the right financial infrastructure, institutional capital can unlock the scale the market needs.

Verra has approved the issuance of the first credits under its afforestation, reforestation, and revegetation (ARR) methodology.

LATAM companies and governments last week announced deals – clinched or anticipated – that were collectively worth well over $1 billion, continuing a trend in select countries toward high-value carbon financing agreements, even as some jurisdictions falter.

Provisionally digital – The Global Carbon Council (GCC) has provisionally approved its first digital monitoring, reporting, and verification (dMRV) provider, the Qatar-based standard announced this week. GCC granted Next Green Tech Ltd provisional approval under Track-02 for dMRV Sectoral Scope #01 — Energy (Generation, Transmission, Distribution, and Energy Efficiency), and aligned with GCC GHG sectoral scopes #1, #2, and #3. Next Green Tech Ltd is owned by climate tech company NGX Global. The provisional approval is GCC's first step toward creating a system to integrate dMRV solutions into carbon crediting activities, the standard said. GCC is targeting 18 mln credit issuances in 2026, up from almost 4.5 mln in 2025.

The Pittsburgh Penguins professional ice hockey team has retired more than 12,500 tonnes of carbon credits sourced from local forest conservation projects in the US northeast.

Malaysia has launched its National Carbon Market Policy (DPKK), setting out a framework to develop a domestic market and tap international finance under the Paris Agreement to help deliver on conditional emissions reduction targets.

Stay cool - Tokyo-based Linkhola announced Tuesday a new methodology for AI-powered energy saving under its carbon credit platform, Earthstory. It is the first of its kind in Japan to be specifically tailored to AI-powered air conditioning control in buildings. Lixil Group, a leader in Japan's housing and building materials sector, participated in the development process and is considering future applications based on the methodology.

A developer of solid-state modules says it can reduce the cost of direct air capture (DAC) to $150 per tonne of CO2 by making use of existing airflows and waste heat at data centres.

Scaling carbon credit financing and insurance remains a challenge as the market continues to grapple with legal and accounting uncertainties, according to a position paper published Tuesday.

Integrating carbon removal (CDR) technologies into wastewater, concrete recycling, and mining waste management could turn these sectors net negative at marginal cost increases, according to a report released Tuesday.

Shelved again - A new report by the Changing Markets Foundation and Mighty Earth evaluated methane performance across 20 major food retailers in six countries. Despite their combined $2 trillion revenue - comparable to Brazil’s GDP - retailers are failing to address methane emissions, a major component of their Scope 3 footprint driven largely by meat and dairy supply chains, according to the study. No retailer currently discloses methane emissions or sets reduction targets, showing no progress since last year. While Tesco, Lidl, and Ahold Delhaize rank highest, their efforts remain insufficient for meaningful methane action. Performance shifts include Asda losing the most points and Germany’s Edeka-Verbund improving significantly. US retailers lag behind European peers, with several scoring extremely low or zero. Although top performers have made some progress on broader greenhouse gas reporting and plant-based targets, the report concluded that decisive and rapid action on methane is still lacking across the sector.

An Australian biochar project developer has signed an agreement with a data centre subsidiary to explore the possibility of securing a long-term offtake agreement of carbon removal credits. 

An Australian carbon project developer has announced a leadership restructure by moving from a shared co-CEO structure to having just single chief leading the outfit. 

Tracking miles and emissions – Canadian climate solutions company Karbon-X launched a mobile app on Friday that allows travellers to measure and balance the emissions of their flights. The SkyXero app calculates emissions based on flight details, and allows users to contribute to third-party verified climate projects, including to projects with credits issued by Verra and Gold Standard. Karbon-X further committed to match user contributions as part of the launch for up to $250,000.

Planting profits – BCarbon, a US-based non-profit carbon credit registry, has issued more than 80,000 carbon removal credits from Texas-based Carbon Rho’s Red River pilot project, covering 2023-25 vintages, it was announced on LinkedIn last week. The afforestation project is designed to scale across the states of Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Texas. Spanning more than 15,000 acres (6,070 ha), the project aims to connect forested areas into conservation corridors along the Red River, with carbon credit revenues supporting conservation practices and other ecological benefits, backers said.

A new carbon finance company launched on Monday said it secured over $50 million to expand a Kenya-based agroforestry carbon project, pitching early-stage funding as a way to unlock stalled projects and draw in institutional capital.

Blood from a stone - The Chapter 7 trustee for bankrupt California-based carbon offset company, CTN Holdings, formerly Aspiration Partners, has asked a Delaware court to block investors from claiming co-founder Joseph Sanberg and others defrauded them, according to Law360. In a November suit, investors alleged Sanberg made claims that Aspiration was financially successful, but those declarations were false. Sanberg pleaded guilty to two counts of wire fraud in October. The trustee said Aspiration's insurance policies only have $800,000 remaining, and that sum should be protected so all creditors can share it.

Spot credits for Phase 1 of CORSIA traded around $14 this week, while the ending of Indonesia's moratorium on selling voluntary carbon units internationally looks set to unleash a flood of fresh REDD issuances onto the market. 

Limits to Colombia’s national carbon project registry (RENARE) are stunting progress toward launching the national ETS (Spanish: PNCTE), inhibiting voluntary market (VCM) regulation, and necessitating Article 6 workarounds, speakers said at the Colombia Carbon Forum last week.

The cost of meeting demand for CORSIA-Eligible Emissions Units (EEUs) in 2025, at current market prices and based on expected sectoral growth figures, could near $2 billion, according to industry data presented at the Colombia Carbon Forum last week.

A planned biochar carbon removal plant in eastern Germany will supply heat under a long-term offtake agreement, the companies involved said last week.

Local communities and private forest owners in Tanzania will be allowed to participate in carbon markets under new government guidelines, a government official said in parliament last week, according to local media.

A Qatar-based carbon market initiative has completed its first auction of CORSIA-eligible credits, with units from a Cambodian clean water project clearing above a $14/tonne floor, it announced Monday.

Community oversight - Recent changes to the Northern Kenya Rangelands carbon project's 2021 implementation agreement grant the 22 community conservancies involved greater control over managing the carbon credits generated from their land. The changes must be concluded by June 30 and will ensure all project activities and governance structures comply with the 2023 Climate Change Amendment Act and the 2024 Carbon Markets Regulations. The changes are expected to streamline activities at the world's largest soil carbon project, through better governance and community involvement. The revised agreement is being hailed as marking a shift towards greater community influence in carbon finance, but its impact will ultimately depend on how well the changes are implemented. (People Daily)

Cattle in Pakistan’s Punjab province could generate millions of dollars in climate finance by converting manure into biogas, fertiliser, and carbon credits, according to a government-backed feasibility study.

Bamboo biochar – A community-led biochar initiative in the Indian state of Meghalaya, backed by carbon advisory firm Kompliance Kart, is converting bamboo waste into durable carbon removal, the company said in a LinkedIn post. The project works with the Meghalaya Basin Management Agency, a local farmer producer group, and research partners including ICAR Meghalaya and MEGNOLIA. Biochar will be applied to farmland to boost soil health and crop yields, while carbon credit revenues are expected to generate income for participating communities.

The market for nature-based carbon removals will withstand Microsoft’s possible pause in carbon removal (CDR) activity, with investor appetite and a broader base of corporate buyers looking to support the sector, according to an expert.

Malaysia’s Terengganu state has signed a memorandum of understanding with an oil and gas company to explore the development of nature-based carbon projects.

Applications open – Nature-based carbon standards programme Equitable Earth is seeking experts to join its Technical Advisory Board (TAB), with applications open until May 15 and successful candidates set to begin in July 2026. The Paris-based organisaiton will provide technical oversight and guidance to ensure methodologies and programme documents remain scientifically robust and aligned with market best practice, it said on its website. The new TAB members will be expected to review and provide expert input on methodologies and programme documents, participate in quarterly meetings, challenge and improve technical approaches, and sign off on standards before publication, while maintaining confidentiality and declaring conflicts of interest.

Italy could reach net zero by significantly scaling up carbon removal (CDR), with potential capacity seen as high as 91 million tonnes a year, but only if it acts swiftly, according to a new report.

Liquidity in Indonesia’s carbon exchange will be critical in diverting private sector finance into decarbonisation projects and help the Southeast Asian country meet its climate targets, the country’s financial regulator said in a new roadmap.

At your fingertips - Singapore-based superapp Grab in 2025 avoided and removed 772,000 tonnes of CO₂e through verified carbon credit projects, equivalent to around 180,000 cars taken off the road for a year, according to its latest sustainability report. Under the Green Programme, the company leverages its digital platform to enable voluntary consumer participation in carbon projects across Southeast Asia. The voluntary scheme was refreshed last year, expanding supported projects in the region from 5 to 17, the report showed.