An international carbon standard has released a methodology to value blue carbon ecosystems' impact on avoided flooding damages and trade climate-risk reduction assets.

Georgia goes green - Georgia regulators have approved a new programme allowing large electricity users, including data centre operators, to directly fund and develop renewable energy projects, aiming to meet rising power demand while expanding clean generation, E&E News reported. The Georgia Public Service Commission unanimously backed the Customer Identified Resource programme this month, enabling customers to procure up to 3 GW of wind and solar capacity by 2035 – enough to power millions of homes or several large data centres. The initiative, described as a first in the Southeast US, is intended to provide flexibility in a region dominated by vertically integrated utilities. The move follows advocacy from the Corporate Energy Buyers Association, whose members, including major technology firms, have pushed for expanded access to carbon-free power to support energy-intensive operations.

Biofuel boycott - Two House Republicans have introduced a joint resolution to nullify the US EPA’s final rule setting Renewable Fuel Standard obligations for 2026 and 2027, along with a partial waiver of the 2025 cellulosic biofuel volume requirement and other program changes. H.J. Res. 157, introduced on Monday by Republican Representatives Scott Perry and Chip Roy and referred to the House Energy and Commerce Committee, would revoke the rule under the Congressional Review Act, stating that the measure published in the Federal Register on Apr. 1 should have no effect if the resolution is approved by Congress.

California issued more than 140,000 compliance-grade offsets over the last two weeks to mine methane capture (MMC) and livestock projects, as total issuances remained nearly 70% lower year-on-year (YoY), according to data published on Wednesday.

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.

Energy security took centre-stage at annual international climate talks in Berlin this week, with a number of leaders highlighting their work in support of a clean energy transition – against the backdrop of the global fossil fuel price spike.

EU carbon allowances extended their decline for a third session in light trading, as participants appeared to step back from the market ahead of the options expiry and while awaiting more news on peace talks in Iran, while energy markets rose sharply later in the day as tensions appeared to be increasing in the Strait of Hormuz.

The EU’s upcoming decision on whether to extend its Emissions Trading System (ETS) to cover international flights is emerging as a defining test of the bloc's climate resolve, as green groups warn aviation remains the “problem child” of climate policy.

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.

A federal judge in Massachusetts granted a preliminary injunction against several Trump-era agency actions that had slowed or constrained wind and solar project permitting, siding in part with renewable energy groups challenging the measures.

Consistent carbon pricing, especially through the UK's ETS, is crucial to ensuring investor confidence in the development of a carbon capture and storage network, stakeholders have told the government. 

The German government intends to hold auctions for state support for new gas-fired power plants in September and December, as it moves ahead with a power plant strategy, and new grid and renewables legislation, German media reported on Tuesday.

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.

French far-right energy plan “disaster” – The chief executive of Engie, the French energy utility, has sharply criticised the National Rally’s energy platform, warning it would jeopardise France’s energy security, decarbonisation and power affordability. Catherine MacGregor told a Paris event that scrapping the independent energy regulator and support for renewables would be “a disaster for a company like Engie and for energy in France”. She said abandoning new wind and solar capacity as France electrifies would drive up power prices and deter investment in factories and data centres. The far-right party is also pushing to disconnect French power prices from EU markets, raising regional security concerns. (Bloomberg)

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.

Italy has called on the European Commission to temporarily freeze key benchmarks in the EU’s Emissions Trading System (ETS) that determine free carbon permit handouts, warning that planned changes could harm industrial competitiveness and create regulatory uncertainty.

Europe is racing ahead in low-carbon cement ahead of the twin impact of planned changes to the EU ETS and the full rollout of the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), a survey has found.

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.

The European Commission on Wednesday unveiled its “AccelerateEU” plan, pitching a toolbox of measures to shield households and industry from surging fossil-fuel costs caused by the Middle East war while channelling EU carbon market revenues into clean energy and electrification.

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.

Turkiye's COP31 high-level champion is hoping to help translate the carbon market "architecture" established in recent years into "real-world delivery", primarily through harmonisation, during this year's UN climate summit. 

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.

Fairer EV charging - Motoring experts have critiqued the UK's HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) for pledging to appeal against rules that would reduce the VAT on public EV chargers. HMRC intends to appeal against a ruling from the First-Tier Tribunal, which stated that public EV charging should benefit from a reduced 5% rate. Currently they attract VAT of 20%, while home chargers are levied at just 5%, and there have long been calls to cut the rate on public chargers to match home chargers, in order to equalise costs for drivers unable to charge at home. HRMC's plan to appeal the ruling has been condemned by the EV industry, which argues it could slow down the electric transition. The UK currently has almost 120,000 public EV chargers across the UK, with many hoping the network will hit 300,000 by decade-end, though there is no formal govt target. (GB News)

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.

Deeper ties - South Korea and Japan should strengthen their cooperation in the face of war in the Middle East and a looming energy crisis, South Korean Trade Minister Yeo Han-koo told Nikkei. The minister also said he sees potential for a wide range of collaborations between the two countries. Yeo's comments come as the Strait of Hormuz blockade has shaken Tokyo and Seoul, highlighting their dependence on maritime trade for essential goods, including fuels. Against this backdrop, South Korea last week endorsed a regional, fossil fuel-centred "energy resilience" framework initiated by Japan.

Green ammonia deal - A subsidiary of Indian infrastructure giant Larsen and Toubro ‌has signed an agreement with Japanese trading firm Itochu for the long-term supply of ​300,000 tonnes of green ​ammonia per annum, according to Reuters. The move comes as Itochu aims to develop a ‌global supply ecosystem for green ammonia across crucial maritime trade routes, including Singapore.

Business & Science Poland (BSP) has urged EU policymakers to delay the launch of the bloc’s new Emissions Trading System for buildings and road transport (ETS2) “by several years”, while also calling for more “flexibilities” in the EU’s wider climate policy architecture.

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.

EU ETS revision calendar – The European Commission has tentatively flagged July 15 for the presentation of the revised EU Emissions Trading System (ETS), according to an updated schedule published on Wednesday. A previous draft suggested July 7 as a tentative date for holding the meeting of the 27-strong College of EU Commissioners, which meets on a weekly basis to greenlight major policy proposals. The document stresses that the schedule is indicative, saying the President may decide to change the planning “at any moment in time”.

Fossil-free ads – The Italian city of Genoa is ending fossil fuel ad promotion. The City Council voted on Monday to pursue restrictions on fossil fuel advertising. The motion targets high-carbon products like cars, flights, and cruises, especially in public spaces such as transport hubs. If implemented, Genoa will become Italy’s second city after Florence to take this step and join over 50 cities worldwide, including Amsterdam, Edinburgh, and Sydney, acting to curb ads for polluting industries. The move comes under Mayor Silvia Salis, who is drawing increasing attention as a rising figure among Italian progressives.

Greener gas - The Queensland state government has announced a A$25 mln ($17.9 mln) investment to support production of renewable diesel at Ampol’s Lytton refinery, aimed at strengthening local fuel supply and energy security. The government described it as a national-first project that will help decarbonise liquid fuels while supporting jobs and industrial activity in Queensland. Construction is expected to start next year and one operational, the project is expected to produce up to 20 mln litres of renewable diesel per year, processing 15-20K tonnes of feedstock per year.  The government said capacity could be expanded to produce up to 750 mln litres of sustainable aviation fuel and renewable diesel by the early 2030s.

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.

Hoist the sails - Japan's Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL) has obtained Approval in Principle (AiP) from a classification society for a liquefied CO2 carrier equipped with three units of its hard sail wind-assisted propulsion system, Wind Challenger, the shipping company announced Wednesday. The vessel design, jointly developed with South Korea's Samsung Heavy Industries, aims to reduce fuel consumption and GHG emissions by utilising wind power for the cross-border transportation of liquefied CO2.

The Federal Court of Australia has dismissed a climate-related lawsuit brought by Greenpeace against Woodside Energy.

Australian investment in low emissions technologies has grown to A$35.2 billion ($25.2 bln) over the last five years, according to a report, however some Safeguard facilities say they are constrained to invest in cleaner production practices due to a range of factors.

Greenwashed - An investigation by AFP and The Gecko Project found that timber from Indonesia was linked to large-scale rainforest clearance, including orangutan habitat, which then entered the supply chain of pulp and paper firm Asia Symbol. The wood was traced to mills supplying “carbon-neutral” packaging used by UK pharma group Haleon, known for brands like Panadol and Sensodyne, despite the company’s no-deforestation commitments. Haleon said it would cut ties with Asia Symbol following the findings, which relied on satellite data, trade records, and ground reporting.

Australian Carbon Credit Unit (ACCU) holdings fell by 4.2 million units in the March quarter following the surrender deadline of the Safeguard Mechanism, according to regulator data published Wednesday.

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.