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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.