Steam reduction – Canadian oil and gas firm CanAsia Energy and the Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources (KIGAM) have agreed to develop a pilot intended to lower CO2 emissions at the Sawn Lake heavy oil project in Alberta using solvent-assisted recovery, it was announced on Wednesday. KIGAM will commit up to C$26 mln to restart the project and install modular SAGD systems at the Sawn Lake site. The pilot will test solvent recycling technologies under field conditions aimed at reducing steam-oil ratios, lowering GHG emissions, improving resource recovery, and enhancing water reuse, while also assessing partial upgrading to support future scalable developments.

A study of tropical karst forests in Thailand has highlighted both the potential and the constraints of bringing these ecosystems into carbon markets, finding that while they store substantial amounts of carbon – primarily in soils – fire risk and methodological challenges could limit credit generation and long-term project viability.

Global airline trade body International Air Transport Association (IATA) has launched a deferred payment facility on its Aviation Carbon Exchange (ACE), aiming to ease liquidity constraints for carriers facing mounting compliance demand under CORSIA.

A mixed picture emerged for voluntary carbon market (VCM) participants in April, with lower overall supply and demand figures but positive data for units with either a CORSIA or Core Carbon Principles (CCP) label, while benchmark indices showed healthy price increases across the most popular projects.

Voluntary carbon market (VCM) standard body Verra has launched a month-long consultation on a proposed forestry methodology designed to improve measurement of sequestration gains through experimental controls.

Trading activity on Indonesia’s carbon exchange nearly ground to a halt in April after a brief rebound in March, as negotiated deals disappeared, exchange data showed.

India’s agrarian carbon market is currently dominated by corporate-led, low-carbon intensity projects like regenerative agriculture that rely on enrolling vast numbers of farmers, while smaller, high-intensity initiatives like agroforestry remain niche, according to a study.

In regions with the best sun and wind, solar PV alongside onshore wind and batteries can already deliver round-the-clock electricity at costs competitive with, and often below, new fossil fuel generation, the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) said.

Shipping’s green shift - PuriFire Energy, a UK-based cleantech firm, signed a deal with X‑Press Feeders, a container shipping group, to boost the adoption of green bio‑methanol in shipping. The agreement includes plans to co‑develop larger port‑based production facilities across the UK and Europe, supporting a distributed fuel supply system aligned with X‑Press Feeders’ vessel operations and regional needs. The partnership underpins growing momentum for green methanol as a maritime transition fuel amid tightening EU emissions rules.

Carbon backing- In a LinkedIn post on Wednesday, the Malaysia Carbon Market Association (MCMA), a non‑profit consortium, said it received RM 250,000 ($63,694) at its first annual general meeting. The contribution was made by former CIMB CEO Nazir Razak, and Yinson CEO CY Lim to the MCMA Exco. The support came as ASEAN countries' push towards establishing common carbon market frameworks is in place.

The quality of issued credits in the voluntary carbon market (VCM) has continued to weaken in the second quarter of 2026, with both issuance and retirement integrity declining sharply, according to indices provided by a rating agency.

The surge in gas prices driven by the Iran war has improved the business case for industrial companies seeking to decarbonise their heat processes through electrification, with demand particularly acute in smaller-margin sectors like retail, say experts.

Misalignment - The investments of the Taiwanese government’s four major funds, which have total assets of NTD 15 trillion ($474 bln), are misaligned with the island's climate targets, domestic environmental groups said. They failed to disclose carbon emissions from their portfolios, implement mechanisms to review the climate impact of their holdings, and create science-based metrics to address climate issues at shareholders’ meetings, according to the Environmental Justice Foundation.

Forestry hubs in New South Wales and Victoria have reported stark contrasts in carbon planting activity, with environmental plantings expanding to around 100,000 hectares nationwide as of Feb. 2025, under the Australian Carbon Credit Unit (ACCU) Scheme, compared to 33,000 ha of timber plantations. 

Second wind – The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and Saudi developer Acwa Power have signed a $116 mln financing package to support a 300 MW wind power project in Uzbekistan’s Bukhara region, the lender said on Wednesday. The Bash 2 wind project will include 39 turbines with capacities of up to 8 MW each, alongside transmission infrastructure, expanding a larger project first backed by ADB in 2023.

Turning carbon to credit – The Jharkhand forest department launched its first-ever workshop to identify and develop potential carbon credit projects, aiming to monetise the eastern Indian state's ongoing carbon-reduction initiatives, the Times of India reported. The initiative, launched on Tuesday, aims to provide a structured roadmap for departments that are already reducing carbon emissions but have not been able to register or claim carbon credits. State official Ravi Ranjan noted that while multiple programmes are being implemented across departments, the lack of clarity has prevented them from being converted into carbon credit projects, and the workshop seeks to bridge this gap. The forest department has partnered with Climatex, a Jharkhand-based organisation, to identify and design carbon credit projects for different stakeholders.

One of the largest industrial facilities in the New Zealand emissions trading scheme (ETS) is considering its future in the country, it confirmed to Carbon Pulse on Wednesday.

Cities risk missing out on the benefits of nature-based solutions (NBS) due to a lack of practical tools to guide investment decisions, but a new study proposes an integrated framework combining spatial analysis and economic evaluation to help prioritise projects and allocate scarce public funds more efficiently.

Fuel funding - The Australian government has announced a fuel security and resilience package, committing A$10 bln ($7.2 bln) to strengthen national fuel supply, including creating a permanent government-owned reserve of about 1 bln litres and increasing minimum stockholding requirements to boost overall reserves to around 50 days. It also establishes a A$7.5 bln financing facility to support increased fuel and fertiliser storage and supply through loans, guarantees and other mechanisms, alongside funding to explore expanding domestic refining capacity. The cash will be allocated through the Federal budget published on May 12.

A state-owned agricultural company in Taiwan has partnered with a US nonprofit to boost the development of high-concentration ethanol blends and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).

Renewables ramp up – The NSW government has introduced legislation to fast-track approval processes for key renewable energy projects, aiming to accelerate the transition from coal to clean energy and maintain reliable electricity supply, it announced. These projects – covering wind, solar, storage and transmission – will receive coordinated government support to reduce delays, attract investment, and deliver jobs and economic benefits across regional NSW. The initiative is part of the state’s broader strategy to meet emissions reduction targets and ensure enough new energy capacity is built as ageing coal-fired power stations retire.

The Australian government’s proposed reforms to transfer carbon credit purchasing power back to itself does not necessarily mean it will resume buying units as it previously did, but it is considering future options, officials said Tuesday.