France has published a document summarising its transition away from coal, oil, and fossil gas by mid-century, positioning itself among the first countries to respond to the COP30 presidency’s call for national transition plans.

Six European governments are leaning too heavily on carbon removal technologies to meet their climate targets, risking delays to essential emissions cuts and undermining the bloc’s long-term goals, according to a new analysis by a Brussels-based climate NGO.

Global losses of carbon from salt marshes have outpaced gains from restoration efforts over the past two decades, with degradation of mature, carbon-rich ecosystems outweighing expansion of newer, lower-density wetlands, according to a new study.

Spain and Germany have made nearly €7 billion in fiscal commitments to soften the impact of the war in the Middle East on voters, with France and the UK having taken almost no action thus far to shield consumers from the effects of price rises, analysis from a European think tank shows.

European carbon prices ended Tuesday moderately higher, holding within their recent range with little overall direction, while energy markets made a general recovery as traders began to focus on the medium-term supply outlook.

New reporting rules for EU capitals - The European Commission is consulting on an implementing regulation which will update EU member states' reporting obligations and align them with the EU's updated energy and climate legislation. EU member states must report every two years on the implementation status of their integrated national energy and climate plans by means of integrated national energy and climate progress reports. The Commission is proposing to simplify and introduce elements from updated climate policies in its implementing regulation, which will be open for feedback until May 22.

A developer and an international buyer have signed a binding agreement for the purchase of at least 1.5 million nature-based credits from a Kenyan regenerative agroforestry project, in a deal covering its entire projected issuance.

BTG Pactual's Timberland Investment Group's (BTG Pactual TIG) Latin American Reforestation Strategy has closed more than $1.2 billion in fundraising, employing a model that seeks to promote scaling and generate millions of nature-based carbon removal (CDR) credits, it was announced Tuesday.

The European Commission has set out national emission limits for sectors outside the EU’s carbon market for the next four years, in two pieces of implementing legislation published this week.

Diversification wins - Europe's increasing diversification away from fossil fuels helped its power markets to absorb the shock of the Middle East conflict, which disrupted 80 Mt per year of Gulf LNG exports, said Wood Mackenzie in new analysis. Wholesale power prices across Europe's five major markets averaged just over €90/MWh in Mar. 2026, largely unchanged from Mar. 2025 and well below the €280/MWh recorded during the first months of the Ukraine crisis. The supply shock matched the scale of Russia's 2022 curtailment into Europe but three factors helped contain prices this time round. These were warmer weather in Europe that left storage at 28% capacity at end-March, project start-ups that added 40 Mtpa of new LNG supply/yr since the start of 2026, and a reduction in China's LNG demand as it turned to alternatives. Spain recorded the lowest wholesale power price at €42/MWh in Mar. 2026, supported by renewables penetration above 60%, while more solar availability led Germany to cut coal and gas generation from 46% in February to 39% in March.

South Africa needs to confirm phase three of its carbon tax to unlock a pipeline of domestic investment, urges a lobby group.

The EU should draw on existing standards as part of its carbon credit buying strategy rather than add to an already fragmented patchwork of frameworks, researchers, ratings agencies, and developers said this week.

From feeling the impact from Microsoft's carbon removal buying 'pause’, to hosting a CORSIA auction and building Article 6 readiness, the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region in April stepped into the midst of global carbon market trends.

A coalition of carbon removal (CDR) proponents has called for the EU to include a clear share of negative emissions technologies as part of the international credits contribution towards the bloc's new 2040 climate goal.

Divisions emerged among EU lawmakers as they adopted their final position on the bloc's new draft long-term budget in Strasbourg on Tuesday, with some members opposing the use of internal taxation forms like revenues from carbon pricing.

The UK government's plan to create a floor price for sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) could help to reduce the "green premium" that constrains the uptake of what many see as the fastest way to cut aviation emissions, according to an airport official.

BP’s indirect emissions, accounting for most of its greenhouse gas pollution, jumped almost 50% in 2025, while direct emissions hit a five-year high, as the energy major pivoted back to oil and gas.

A German lignite operator is lobbying for an exemption from the EU’s carbon market, arguing that high emissions costs, not fuel fundamentals, are what make domestic coal uncompetitive, according to media based in the country.

The European Parliament has endorsed new rules introducing a single methodology for calculating greenhouse gas emissions from all types of passenger and freight transport, rubber-stamping a deal with member states.

Special treatment - The EU is considering how to adapt the accreditation and emissions verification requirements under its Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) to take into account the challenging conditions faced by Ukraine. In a recent speech, Nicola Sibona, head of the trade and economic section of the EU Delegation to Ukraine, recognised that Ukraine's steel sector has been especially hard hit by the war, with production capacity having fallen by about 60% since 2013, though the country's steel exports to the EU have risen from about 25% at that time to 70% today. By end-2025, Ukrainian steel exports totaled 4.7 Mt, of which 3.7 Mt were shipped to EU countries. The EU helped enable this through suspended steel safeguard measures against Ukraine when Russia's full-scale invasion began. Ukraine experienced significant disruptions during the initial CBAM implementation, but long term, the Commission expects it to have relatively limited impact on the Ukrainian economy, with the cost of carbon gradually fed into prices and Ukraine in a relatively advantageous position compared to other third countries. The EU Delegation's aim is for Ukraine to participate fully in the EU's internal market in the long run.

Strong performer - The Norwegian Group performed strongly in the first quarter of 2026, with results reported Tuesday positively influenced by a stronger Norwegian krone, as well as gains from jet fuel hedging and the reduced price of EU ETS allowances. The airline achieved a record-high load factor for a first quarter of 87.6%, a far lower operating loss, and an increase in the group's liquidity position to NOK 14.2 bln (€1.3 bln). The operating result (EBIT) was negative NOK 220 mln, compared to negative NOK 611 mln for the same period last year, while profit before tax (EBT) amounted to negative NOK 459 mln for the quarter. Norwegian also launched Denmark's first domestic route using 40% sustainable aviation fuel during the quarter, as part of a govt tender.

CCS certification - DNV has been appointed independent certifier for the Northern Endurance Partnership (NEP), the CO2 transport and storage (T&S) project that underpins the UK's East Coast Cluster for carbon capture and storage (CCS). The assurance provider has been selected by NEP with approval from Ofgem, and shall verify that the project's construction and operation comply with the CO2 T&S license granted by the government, stated the press release. NEP will transport CO2 captured from industrial plants in Teesside for permanent storage beneath the North Sea and marks a key part of the UK's nationally significant CCS infrastructure.