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

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.

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.

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)

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.