One of the largest carbon removal (CDR) standards announced an effort on Monday to ensure projects featuring engineered biochar turned into road materials meet high-integrity certification standards.

Last week's surge in RGGI Allowance (RGA) futures carried over into the new week as prices broke all-time highs above the $40 threshold, up more than 30% in the last three days, with traders telling Carbon Pulse it's unclear where and when the current rally could reach a pinnacle.

A waste-to-materials developer has Tuesday issued carbon credits under a new methodology quantifying emissions avoided from replacing fossil-based plastics, an executive at the firm told Carbon Pulse.

United in the Colombian city of Santa Marta for the first international conference on transitioning away from fossil fuels, governments, scientists, and civil society organisations advocated for strategies they believe can lead the world in reducing reliance on oil, gas, and coal.

Carbon sails – Japanese shipping firm Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL) and South Korean Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI) said last week that they have secured preliminary class approval for a liquefied CO2 carrier design equipped with wind-assisted propulsion. MOL said it was granted approval in principle for a 40,000 cubic metre vessel fitted with three Wind Challenger rigid sails, aimed at lowering fuel use and GHG emissions. MOL said the concept could support emissions reductions across the carbon capture and storage (CCS) value chain, as it targets deploying up to 80 wind-assisted vessels by 2035.

A coalition of clean technology early movers is calling on the EU to keep international carbon credits out of the Emissions Trading System (ETS) and Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), and to stick to the current trajectory for the phaseout of free allowances for CBAM-covered sectors.

After a run of billion-dollar announcements, Latin America’s carbon sector last week moved into a quieter but important phase: building the rules, financing channels, and project pipelines needed for long-term growth.

Power players - New York utilities and independent power producers are clashing over whether to lift a long-standing prohibition on utility ownership of renewable energy, as state policymakers weigh options to accelerate clean power deployment, E&E News reported. Utilities argued that allowing them to build and own renewables would help meet climate targets more quickly, while developers and power plant owners warned the change could undermine competitive markets and increase costs for ratepayers. The debate has drawn sharp opposition from industry groups, with the Independent Power Producers of New York, saying utility ownership would distort competition that has underpinned the state’s electricity system for decades.

Breezy bets - Virginia voters approved a new congressional redistricting plan that places Republican Reps. Jen Kiggans and Rob Wittman into more Democratic-leaning districts, tightening their reelection prospects ahead of the midterms and adding pressure on two of the GOP’s more prominent offshore wind supporters, E&E News reported. Both lawmakers were already considered vulnerable, and are expected to lean on their records backing renewable energy projects to appeal to shifting electorates, even as those positions diverge from a broader Republican focus on fossil fuels. Kiggans criticised the map, alleging that it undermines fair representation.

Renewable bid – The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) announced last week it has launched a new competitive solicitation to procure renewable energy certificates from large-scale, land-based projects ready to begin construction, aiming to accelerate clean power deployment. The RESRFP26-1 round will target mature wind, solar, and hydroelectric projects, with a focus on leveraging expiring federal tax credits to lower costs for ratepayers. The scheme includes updated provisions on cost-indexing, labour, and community engagement, while a two-step bidding process will run through July with conditional awards expected by September.

Details have emerged of the Canadian province’s decision earlier this year to raise emissions baselines for major oil and mining projects under its industrial carbon pricing system, according to media reports.

Montney move – Oil major Shell has agreed to acquire ARC Resources in a C$22 bln ($16.4 bln) cash-and-shares deal, highlighting the Canadian producer’s low carbon intensity production as a key attraction, it was announced on Monday. Shell said the deal adds ARC’s long-duration, low-cost Montney shale gas resources in western Canada to its portfolio. The company also flagged the potential to unlock LNG-related value via Shell’s integrated gas value chain. Shell said earlier this month that its 2050 net zero target may not be met if broader society fails to decarbonise at the required pace, underscoring ongoing uncertainty around corporate climate goals.

A London-based carbon removal specialist has launched a global request for proposals (RFP) to finance high-integrity CO2 removal projects backed by offtake agreements worth at least $3 mln, aiming to channel institutional capital into a constrained but rapidly growing sector.

Energy trader Vitol has called on EU policymakers to introduce a temporary “safety valve” in the bloc’s carbon market, arguing that added flexibility is needed to preserve the system’s political and economic durability amid mounting industrial pressure.

Large German utility RWE has reported a 4% rise in lignite-fired power generation in the first three months of 2026, compared to the same period last year.

The long-dated CORSIA futures curve took shape last week after a single lot on the Dec-30 contract was bought on the ICE exchange, while lower quality REDD projects continue to climb in value amid a dearth of supply of fresh issuance in the avoided deforestation sector.

A Republican lawmaker has introduced a bill aiming to reverse the termination of several clean energy tax credits under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), extending or restoring incentives for clean electricity, hydrogen production, and energy-efficient buildings.

EU carbon prices settled precisely at a key technical level as trading activity remained lacklustre, while energy markets also lacked a clear direction after a weekend that was quiet in both military and rhetorical terms, concerning the ongoing war in the Middle East.

Cooking up priorities - Kenya's Office of the First Lady will on Tuesday convene a high-level breakfast meeting to catalyse the establishment of a Pan-African Coalition on Universal Access to Clean Cooking, according a social media post by the Office of Kenya's Special Envoy for Climate Change. The coalition will seek to align governments, financiers, development partners, and the private sector behind scalable, investable solutions, and it marks a step toward just energy transition in Africa, the post read. The high-level meeting comes after shockwaves from a Kenyan government decision to deny cookstoves carbon project developer Koko Networks a Letter of Authorisation (LoA), which led the developer to shutter.

Changed forever – The US war on Iran has irreparably changed the fossil fuel industry, the International Energy Agency's (IEA) chief told The Guardian. Countries will increasingly seek to secure renewable energy sources rather than oil and gas, Fatih Birol said during an exclusive conversation with the paper's environment editor. The IEA's executive director also urged the UK against most of its North Sea oil expansion plans, suggesting even if the country goes ahead and drills, it would not improve the country's energy security or curb the its current crisis.

Cost of destruction – The largest US oil producers will need to pay about $47.5 bln in carbon compliance over the next 10 years, according BloombergNEF analysis. The EU's Emissions Trading System (ETS) and other greenhouse gas compliance schemes will cost companies including Exxon Mobil and Chevron large sums between now and 2035, with fees rising as a greater proportion of global pollution is priced. Aviation, power, utilities, steel, cement, aluminium, and paper are also expected to pay out large sums to carbon compliance schemes, the analysis said.

A startup focused on date palm land management and afforestation is aiming to enter the small world of Egyptian carbon project developers, adding new programmes; independent validation, verification, certification, and pricing; and majority revenue shares for farmers.

A standard-setting body is seeking views on its revised methodology for renewable energy projects, which strengthens the requirements for proving additionality and expands its use to new types of renewables and storage systems.

The price of carbon credits tagged with the Core Carbon Principles (CCP) label were more than three times as high in the first quarter of 2026 compared to 2025, according to a new report, as market participants point to a growing quality premium.

A higher UK Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) price is one factor that can help inject competition into a CO2 storage market that is widely expected to start as a natural monopoly, according to views sent to the government. 

A methane abatement developer last week announced it has secured C$4.5 million (€2.82 mln) in equity financing from two European strategic investors, with proceeds earmarked for acquisitions and expansion of its operating subsidiary.

Deadline extended - The deadline for a bamboo-based carbon credits initiative has been extended to May 11 following strong interest in the initial application round, Guatemala’s Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Food said last week. The programme aims to expand participation by giving more applicants time to engage with the process and access a model centred on bamboo cultivation as a nature-based carbon removal solution. The scheme is positioned as part of broader rural development efforts, promoting bamboo planting to capture carbon, support local economies, and create additional income streams for landowners, the ministry said. Participants are expected to retain control over their land and generated credits, while using available land to diversify revenue and contribute to climate mitigation. Authorities have also scheduled a second virtual information session on Apr. 27 to guide prospective applicants through the registration process and outline project requirements.

A privately-led project under the Joint Crediting Mechanism (JCM) plans to deploy up to 700,000 clean cookstoves in Tanzania and generate roughly 4 million carbon credits over a 10-year period, local media reported last week.

A UN agency has launched a Request for Proposals (RFP) to support Lebanon in developing carbon markets with an eye to Article 6 engagement.

Buyers' guide - UK-based NbS carbon standard Plan Vivo has published new guidance for buyers of its carbon certificates, urging companies to avoid broad claims such as “carbon neutral” or “climate positive” and to present purchases as a complement to internal emissions cuts rather than a substitute. The guidance sets out how holders of Plan Vivo Certificates (PVCs) should communicate their use in a “transparent, accurate and credible” way, stressing that emissions reductions within value chains should remain the priority. The document distinguishes between future (fPVCs), reported (rPVCs), and verified (vPVCs) certificates, noting that only fully verified units should support outcome-based claims, while the others should be framed as financial contributions to expected or pending climate benefits.

Zambian greening - The Zambian government signed a host country agreement on Monday with the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI), moving a step forward in their work to accelerate sustainable green growth in the country. The agreement formalises the GGGI's legal status in Zambia, and enables it to support the Zambian government in implementing its NDC commitments. The institute has already helped Zambia with initiatives including to develop Article 6 carbon markets, operationalise an integrated MRV system, establish a climate finance unit, and develop a National Green Growth Index and National Green Growth Strategy.

Four Australian habitat types stored nearly A$60 billion ($43 bln) worth of carbon in one year, according to government data. 

The European Commission is proposing to set Article 6 of the Paris Agreement as the quality standard for credits to be purchased and cancelled by airlines in the region as part of their CORSIA offsetting obligations, an official told Carbon Pulse.

Japan's policy response to the international energy shock, which prioritises coal and nuclear expansion, may weaken future investment in renewable projects, according to a report published Monday.

The secretary-general of the UN's maritime organisation, Arsenio Dominguez, wants to see "constructive and pragmatic exchanges" between countries during this week's contentious negotiations on a global climate framework, and carbon price, for shipping, he said at the opening on Monday.

A UK-based developer has launched a pilot to capture biogenic CO2 emissions from a paper mill in southern Wales and convert them into biochar for long-term storage, it announced last week.

The Global Green Growth Institute is seeking research on how carbon markets can deliver adaptation benefits for climate-vulnerable countries, as part of its efforts to scale cooperation under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement.

The New Zealand government on Friday released its first cost report into managing the country’s ETS, with expenses expected to grow in the coming financial year.

A large Japanese company has signed a long-term agreement to source carbon credits from agricultural projects under the domestic J-Credit programme, it announced Monday.

Australia must use its new hybrid role of President for Negotiations at the upcoming COP31 to reclaim the climate narrative if it wants to avoid it being a non-event, according to a climate expert event held Monday.

Fund for the sun - The Western Australian government will establish a A$1.4 bln ($1 bln) Clean Energy Fund in the 2026–27 State Budget to support projects that expand renewable energy and help decarbonise the state’s power system, it announced. The fund will prioritise major transmission projects like Clean Energy Link - East, which will connect new wind and solar developments and, together with other stages, deliver up to 3 GW of renewable energy, enough to power around 1 mln homes. Alongside this, the government said it will streamline approvals for key projects and invest additional funding in regional energy transitions, aiming to provide more reliable, affordable and cleaner electricity while supporting jobs and economic diversification.

Around 10 major corporates, startups, and investors have published an open letter calling on the EU to become an 'electro union' - running over 50% of its economy on clean, domestic electricity by 2040 in a bid to reduce energy price shocks.

Malaysia's Plantation and Commodities Ministry (KPK) is assessing the potential of developing a carbon credit mechanism for the country’s sustainable palm oil products.

The World Economic Forum has opened applications for a new CO2 removal-focused innovation challenge, seeking early-stage firms working to address persistent financing and market barriers in the nascent sector.