Scrapping the UK's carbon pricing would lead to higher household energy prices and expose British companies to extra EU taxes under the bloc's border carbon fee, according to the country's energy industry group.

Reforming Ontario's carbon market may be the key to sustaining its cornerstone steel industry, according to analysis by a Canadian think tank.

On the move – Spanish multinational energy company Moeve has partnered with Accenture to decarbonise the value chain of the former’s industrial customers, they announced Monday. Moeve will offer a portfolio of energy solutions, while Accenture will use digital tools to analyse data and plan a transition to clean energy.

Heads up RGGI – Commercial electricity sales have soared in Virginia, driven by data centers, the US EIA said on Wednesday. The increase of 30 mln MWh between 2019-25 was faster than any other state except Texas.

Throw everything including the kitchen sink – Microsoft is reportedly in discussions to lift its 2030 target of matching 100% of its hourly electricity use with renewable energy purchases. Data center build outs are affecting the feasibility of climate commitments, sources said. A Microsoft spokesperson said the company continues to look for opportunities to maintain an annual matching goal. (Bloomberg)

Crop collaboration - Bayer, a global life sciences company, and energy major BP have formed a long-term strategic alliance to commercialise camelina under Bayer’s newgold seed brand, starting in North America, to supply oilseeds for biodiesel, renewable diesel, and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) production. The companies said BP will contribute fuels and refining expertise, while Bayer will use its seed technology and farmer customer base to develop a market for camelina, which can be grown as an intermediate crop, within rotations, or on marginal and underutilised land. Bayer has introduced newgold camelina in the Northern Plains of the US and in southern Saskatchewan and Alberta, with testing of long- and short-season biotypes underway as it prepares for a full-scale launch.

Jet set fuel - California-based Captura, a carbon removal startup, and Quebec-based SAF+ International Group, a sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) developer, are planning a commercial electro-SAF plant at the Port of Port-La Nouvelle in France. The facility is targeting 75,000 tonnes of annual eSAF production by combining green hydrogen with captured CO2, with project partners including BBA Consultants and Schneider Electric. SAF+ said the project is intended to help meet ReFuelEU requirements from 2030, while producing fuel that can reduce emissions by up to 90% compared with kerosene or conventional diesel and jet fuels. The companies said eSAF is compatible with existing aviation and transport infrastructure, offering a liquid fuel pathway for sectors such as aviation and shipping.

Alberta has launched a C$50 million ($36.68 mln) call for emissions reduction technologies, specifying eligibility for carbon removal (CDR) for the first time.

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.

Deployment drive – MaRS Discovery District has launched a new programme aimed at helping Canadian cleantech companies finance and deliver their first commercial-scale projects, with backing from Natural Resources Canada and two private foundations, it was announced on Wednesday. The nine-month First-of-a-Kind (FOAK) Lab will support five ventures developing technologies spanning carbon nanofibres, low-carbon critical minerals, battery-grade graphite, carbon recycling, and ocean alkalinity enhancement. The selected companies are expected to complete development of their first-of-a-kind projects by early 2029.

Regen ag - UK-Brazilian developer NaturAll Carbon has partnered with Nova Piratininga Farm - said to be the largest farm in Latin America - for a new carbon project, the companies announced on Tuesday. Located in the states of Goias and Tocantins, Brazil, the farm will host a carbon project applying regenerative agriculture practices across an initial area of 12,300 ha. The partners estimate a potential issuance of 30,000 carbon credits, according to the press release. They did not disclose the financial terms of deal.

Missing the penalty - The European Commission is considering loosening enforcement of methane emissions rules for fossil fuel companies, potentially allowing penalties to be delayed or avoided during periods of market stress, according to Reuters reporting. This follows pressure from industry and the US government. In draft guidance to EU countries' national authorities, seen ​by the news outlet, the Commission said countries could choose not to enforce penalties ⁠for breaching the rules during an energy supply crisis. NGOs, criticising the move, warn it could undermine the effectiveness of the EU Methane Regulation by weakening deterrence and creating uncertainty, especially if early enforcement is paused or penalties remain too low. Penalties are essential to making the EU Methane Regulation work in practice, said Lea Pilsner from EDF Europe, noting that the bill already includes safeguards to ensure penalties are proportionate and do not undermine security of supply, even if more info is needed.

A Finnish deep tech startup has raised €3.6 million to build a 1MW industrial-scale pilot for technology that converts captured CO2 into carbon monoxide (CO) for use in sustainable fuel and other processes.

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.

The EU’s top climate official ruled out the use of international credits as a compliance tool in the bloc’s Emissions Trading System (ETS), during a panel on Wednesday.

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.

BP is seeking to offload significant stakes in two major carbon capture and storage (CCS) developments in northeast England, marking another potential shift in strategy for the energy giant as it reassesses its long-term UK portfolio, according to media reports.

The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has submitted a proposed rule to rescind its climate-related disclosure regulations to the White House budget office, marking the first formal step toward unwinding the agency’s 2024 corporate climate reporting rule.

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.

The California Energy Commission (CEC) has opened up $11 million in funding for pre-commercial direct air capture (DAC) projects, aiming to help scale technologies in the emerging carbon removal (CDR) field.

Connecticut’s environmental regulator released a draft review of state nature-based solutions (NbS) programmes for public comment on Tuesday, laying out options to advance the work through resilience financing, municipal funding tools, and improved carbon sequestration accounting.

EU carbon prices ended marginally higher on Wednesday after a brief spike had driven the market to its highest in nearly three weeks as energy markets swung sharply on reports that the United States and Iran were nearing a peace deal, before EUAs gave back most of their gains.

Coal continuation - Colorado lawmakers advanced re-engrossed legislation on Monday that would allow Colorado Springs Utilities (CSU) to submit an updated clean energy plan by Dec. 31, delaying the deadline to achieve an 80% cut in GHG emissions from Colorado retail electricity sales, relative to 2005 levels, until the earliest date possible after Dec. 31, 2029 and no later than Dec. 31, 2032. The bill would require the CSU to file a detailed generation and transmission plan, report annually from 2028-33 on progress, emissions reductions, and demand forecasts, and stop burning coal at any coal-fired generating unit it owns or operates by Dec. 31, 2032. The measure would also direct CSU to seek a 95% emissions reduction by the end of 2039, while maintaining regional transmission organisation reliability standards.

Not so fast - The US DOJ and EPA said intervenor-defendants in the federal challenge to Vermont’s Climate Superfund Act had cited irrelevant supplemental authority, arguing that the US Supreme Court's (SCOTUS) decision in Hencely v. Fluor Corporation did not affect binding precedent on interstate pollution claims. In a Tuesday filing, the plaintiffs said Hencely concerned state law claims against a military contractor over conduct in a war zone, not interstate pollution, and argued that the Second Circuit’s decision in City of New York v. Chevron still controls because it held that state-imposed damages for emissions originating outside a state conflict with uniquely federal interests. The plaintiffs said the intervenors’ notice reads as if City of New York – and the line of SCOTUS cases it relied on – did not exist, and argued that Hencely did not cast doubt on that precedent or implicitly overrule it.

An initiative launched to support the carbon removal market by offering an open-source credit purchasing agreement framework, has unveiled a version for the Swiss market.

European Central Bank (ECB) President Christine Lagarde has called for Europe to reduce its "unsustainable" dependence on imported fossil fuels, and for increased renewables to mitigate the financial impact of climate change.

Greener shipping fuel - UK-based PuriFire Energy has signed a letter of intent (LOI) with carrier company X-Press Feeders to support the development and supply of green bio-methanol for shipping. The LOI will see both parties explore the potential for X-Press Feeders to offtake bio-methanol produced by PuriFire, including initial targeted production of 10,000 to 15,000 tonnes per year from PuriFire’s planned facilities. Both parties will also explore the co-development of larger port-based bio-methanol production facilities across the UK and Europe to support a distributed fuel supply system. PuriFire’s hydrothermal gasification technology converts wastewater and waste carbon into green fuels such as bio-methanol and biomethane, said the press release Wednesday.  

Homeward bound - Orsted is refocusing on developing and building offshore wind farms in Europe following its costly expansion into the US whereupon projects were cancelled and losses incurred. CEO Rasum Errboe said that the case for renewables and electrification in Europe is stronger than ever, due to the energy crisis accelerated by the Iran war. The Danish utility expects EBITDA, excluding new partnerships and cancellation fees, to exceed DKK 28 bln (€3.7 bln), it said in an earnings call Wednesday. However, Orsted does still continue to progress two major US projects previously delayed by legal challenges, with both on track to complete this year and next. But the completion of a German offshore wind farm has been delayed this year due to grid issue and a UK project was also delayed slightly. (Bloomberg)

Denmark's €4 billion carbon capture and storage (CCS) subsidy scheme has ended, awarding a single contract to a large cement producer.

CCP rules - The Integrity Council for the Voluntary Carbon Market (ICVCM) has opened a public consultation on the proposed rule architecture for how the Core Carbon Principles (CCPs) and the CCP Assessment Framework are interpreted and applied over time. Feedback is sought on the design and operation of the proposed architecture, including the overall structure and guiding principles and how transition measures should be designed and implemented. Responses are welcome from across the carbon market, civil society, Indigenous Peoples and local communities, policymakers, academics and other stakeholders. The consultation is open from May 5 to June 7, further info here and respond here.

A specialised unit in Egypt’s foreign trade ministry has introduced a platform to streamline the environmental verification process and support data management, the unit’s executive director told Carbon Pulse.

The EU’s €577 billion post-pandemic recovery fund suffers from significant gaps in transparency and traceability, according to the European Court of Auditors (ECA), raising questions over how future climate spending programmes should be monitored as Brussels debates the bloc’s next long-term budget.

If deforestation in the Amazon rainforest increases, around two-thirds of the biome could shift into degraded forests or savannah-like ecosystems, a new study published on Wednesday showed.

Tokenised carbon - The UK Carbon Registry is joining forces with Archax for tokenised carbon credit-linked securities, it was announced Wednesday. Under the partnership, Archax will support custody and distribution through its regulated digital asset and securities infrastructure, allowing institutional and professional investors to access the product via established market frameworks. The first issuance is from Pure Carbon, a high-impact water conservation and emissions reduction project, with emissions data captured at source, securely processed, and structured in collaboration with GenTwo into a regulated note, issued as a tracker certificate with an ISIN and listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange. The structure supports corporate compliance and reporting requirements - including the ETS and EU/UK Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) and Article 6 of the Paris Agreement - by opening access to in-boundary verified carbon mitigation activity across reporting scopes. Read more here.  

CCS partners - Norwegian energy companies Var Energi CCS, Aker Solutions, and Knutsen NYK Carbon Carriers are partnering on the Trudvang carbon capture and storage (CCS) project in the North Sea. By combining their strengths in offshore engineering, CO2 storage development and operations, and marine transport, the trio aim to strengthen the Trudvang CO2 transport and storage project for European industry. The concept targets initial injection volumes of about 2 Mt per annum, with potential to scale to more than 20 Mtpa. The Trudvang project will inject CO2 into the Utsira Formation, which benefits from operational experience in the nearby Sleipner field, where CO2 has been successfully stored for almost 30 years. The project has yet to reach financial close. (Gasworld)

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.

The European Commission’s provisional approach to CORSIA credit eligibility for its operators has provoked a strong reaction across the carbon market, with participants warning that the tight criteria under consideration would dramatically tighten supply for European airlines and create a bifurcated market.

Sweden and Switzerland have signed a new cooperation agreement on international trading of negative CO2 emissions.

Switzerland in 2100 - A study by the Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (WSL) outlines five possible socioeconomic futures for Switzerland by 2100, highlighting how societal choices will shape emissions and climate outcomes. The scenarios range from a high-tech, renewable-powered economy to a fragmented society marked by inequality and institutional breakdown. Three pathways are based on global models used by the IPCC, while two are tailored specifically to Switzerland, including one reliant on prolonged fossil fuel use and another prioritising well-being over economic growth. Researchers stress that while no single outcome can be predicted, social, political and economic developments will strongly influence resource use and climate impacts. WSL spoke to 59 scientists from 20 research institutions to develop the scenarios. A new publication from the National Centre for Climate Services (NCCS) presents the modelled GHG emissions for each scenario out to 2100. (Swissinfo.ch, NCCS and study pages)

Renewables must pay - Large electricity generators - solar parks, wind farms, and power plants - in the Netherlands should pay a fee to feed electricity into the grid from 2032 onwards to help finance network build-out, said the Dutch Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM) on Apr. 30. It cited similar plans under development in Germany as a basis for the decision. However, energy industry association Energie-Nederland warned that the measure could undermine investment certainty, delay renewables deployment, and ultimately increase system costs. The greatest potential for grid efficiency lies on the demand (consumer) side, it argued; by shifting the focus to producers, that opportunity risks remaining largely untapped. Network build-out costs are currently solely borne by consumers. (Photon and Energie-Nederland)

Ethiopia, Kenya, Nigeria, and South Africa have partnered with an international non-profit to help them develop national plans for cutting emissions from one of Africa's fastest-growing sources – buildings and construction, the organisation announced on Wednesday.

NGO to Tata - Donald Pols, director of Dutch environmental NGO Milieudefensie, will leave the organisation to join Tata Steel Netherlands as sustainability director from June 1. Milieudefensie said the switch to a company it has long targeted over pollution is incompatible with his role, and removed him from his post with immediate effect. Donald Pols had led the NGO since 2015 and became a prominent figure in climate litigation against major emitters. At Tata Steel, he will oversee sustainability strategy and communications, aiming to drive industrial decarbonisation from within. The NGO expressed disappointment, while Pols described the move as a logical next step in advancing climate action. Tata Steel is in line for a €2 bln climate subsidy from the Dutch government, although the deal is controversial and the new government has yet to implement it. (Duurzaam-ondernemen.nl)

Norway steps on the gas - Norway voted on Tuesday to reopen three North Sea gas fields - Albuskjell, Vest Ekofisk and Tommeliten Gamma - to strengthen Europe’s gas supply in the wake of wars in Ukraine and the Middle East. The fields are estimated to still contain 90-120 million barrels of oil equivalent. They are due to resume production from 2028-48, following an estimated NOK 19 bln ($2 bln) investment led by ConocoPhillips, reported the Norwegian Energy Ministry. Gas will be exported to Germany, while condensates will be sent to the UK. Norway also announced on Tuesday that it is offering up 70 new blocks for oil and gas exploration in the North Sea, Norwegian Sea, and Barents sea. The deadline for applications is Sep. 1, with licenses due to be awarded in early 2027. Norway has become Europe's most important gas supplier since the war in Ukraine and its significance has only grown as the Middle East conflict has disrupted LNG supplies from that region. (De Telegraaf, Reuters, and the Norwegian Ministry of Energy)

An Anglo-American consortium plans to build the first commercially viable fusion plant in the UK, it was announced Wednesday, following the government’s announcement in March that it would invest $2.5 billion over five years to simulate an ecosystem of companies to develop the transformative energy.

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 leaked European Commission benchmark values that will determine EU ETS free carbon allocations to industry across 2026-30 will tighten volumes by 13% compared to 2021 levels, but see a 3% rise from the prior draft values, analysts have calculated.

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.

The EU Emissions Trading System’s Market Stability Reserve (MSR) should be turned into an active “buffer” – fuelled by international carbon credits and domestic removal units – that can be mobilised to boost liquidity and temper price spikes in the bloc's carbon market, according to former top climate official Jos Delbeke.

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.