Dialogue - Australia's Foreign Minister Penny Wong plans to visit ​Japan, China, and South Korea this week ‌for talks on energy security, as the Middle East conflict and closure of the Strait of Hormuz continue to disrupt global energy markets. Meetings with her counterparts in the three ⁠countries would "help ensure we are coordinating ​effectively" amid upheaval on global energy markets, the minister said in a statement. The visit comes after Japan earlier this month pledged to provide $10 bln in support of the development of a regional, fossil fuel-centred "energy resilience" framework.

Low-carbon lithium - The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) is providing up to A$38.1 mln ($27.2 mln) to support a low-emissions lithium processing demonstration plant at PLS Group’s Pilgangoora site in Western Australia, trialling electric-kiln technology to decarbonise a key step in refining, it announced. The technology could cut emissions from calcination by more than 80% when powered by renewable energy and produce around 3,000 tonnes of lithium phosphate annually for use in batteries, according to the agency. The project aims to build Australia’s domestic lithium refining capability - currently limited despite its large spodumene production - and capture more value from the global clean energy transition.

Energy-intensive firms’ ability to pass carbon costs on to customers and secure sufficient financing will be decisive in determining whether they can survive tightening climate policy and deliver decarbonisation, according to new research.

Island leadership – The Republic of the Marshall Islands has become co-chair of the Coalition on Phasing Out Fossil Fuel Incentives Including Subsidies (COFFIS) alongside the Netherlands, it was announced on Saturday. The move came during the First International Conference on the Just Transition Away from Fossil Fuels in Santa Marta. Members acknowledged that governments have faced intense pressure to shield households from surging energy and living costs during the current crisis, but noted that some have avoided new fossil fuel subsidies by using alternative measures to respond. The COFFIS coalition has expanded to 17 countries since its COP28 launch.

Ship shape – Osaka Gas and Kobe Steel said on Friday they had completed a pre-feasibility study for a large-scale carbon capture and storage (CCS) project targeting industrial and power sector emissions in Japan’s Kansai region. The companies, working with Shell, assessed a full CCS value chain centred on Kobe Steel’s Kakogawa plant, including CO2 capture, liquefaction, shipping, and storage in geological formations abroad. The study outlined a preliminary techno-economic assessment and identified key barriers such as cost competitiveness, policy support, regulatory frameworks, and stakeholder coordination that must be addressed in the next phase.

Companies face growing exposure to climate litigation not from a lack of environmental ambition but from gaps between public commitments and operational reality, a report published on Thursday found.

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)

Trading volumes in China's emissions market more than doubled over the past week, yet prices retreated further below the RMB 80 ($11.72) resistance level as demand signals remained murky.

Hotter and greener -  Carbon stored in India’s forests could rise sharply by 2100 as higher temperatures and rainfall boost vegetation growth, according to a study. The study projected forest carbon stocks to increase by 35-97% depending on emissions scenarios, with gains strongest in arid and semi-arid regions. Rainfall was identified as the dominant driver of carbon uptake nationally, outweighing temperature effects. However, scientists warned that warming also heightens threats from droughts, pests, and shifting vegetation patterns, undermining ecosystem stability.

The US and Israeli war against Iran has delayed a wave of fresh liquefied natural gas (LNG) production capacity by at least two years, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA).

South Korea and Bolivia on Friday signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for cooperation on GHG reduction initiatives under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement, with landfill projects in the pipeline.

A methane leakage reduction project in Uzbekistan has secured eligibility to supply carbon credits under the first phase of the UN’s CORSIA scheme, a project developer announced Friday.

Those countries working to progress a global climate framework for shipping have this week engaged specifically on how to collect and distribute the revenues generated by a carbon price, despite continued opposition from petrostates and the US.

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.

In a move to strengthen accountability, China has introduced a new performance evaluation framework to assess how effectively local governments are meeting their carbon peaking and neutrality targets.

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.

An Australian miner of iron-ore said on Friday it would invest $680 million to expand green energy infrastructure in the resource-rich Pilbara region, as it seeks to supply rising demand for renewable power from heavy industry and data centres.

New investment - The venture capital arm of Japan's Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group has invested in ForestFolks, which specialises in forest asset management. ForestFolks' system enables for forest management and provides a wide range of solutions, from on-site data acquisition to timber sales and carbon credit creation. Mitsubishi UFJ Capital said it will leverage the network and expertise of its parent group to support the startup.

New Zealand’s independent Climate Change Commission (CCC) has recommended keeping current price controls and settings in its annual advice to government, but has warned unit shortfall could lie ahead in the near future.