An American research team has found that roughly 650 million tonnes of carbon were stored in the top layers of seagrass sediment between 2019-20 as part of the construction of a global blue carbon map.

Scaling sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) production, rather than competing over technologies, is now the industry's biggest challenge, experts said on Thursday.

A climate technology startup and the Indonesian Forestry Business Association (APHI) have signed an agreement to strengthen the capacity of forestry companies preparing to enter the carbon market.

LNG financiers - Without a lack of stringent environmental oversight, Japanese financial institutions are the world’s largest financiers of LNG carriers. Five large financial groups from Japan provided around 26.9% of all global project-level LNG carrier finance during 2020-25, according to a recent report by Solutions for Our Climate (SFOC). None of the three megabanks - MUFG, SMBC, and Mizuho - maintain exclusion policies covering midstream gas infrastructure, including LNG shipping, the report said. The three lenders withdrew from the Net-Zero Banking Alliance earlier this year.  

India’s carbon market coalition on Friday launched the Article 6 Carbon Bazaar, a new industry platform to support participation in international carbon markets under the Paris Agreement.

Kiko says no - Japanese environmental NGO Kiko Network issued a protest statement on Friday against Japan’s largest power generator, JERA, for its consideration to resume the sale of coal-fired power to its corporate customers. The NGO called for the immediate withdrawal of the policy, which the power company revealed in a press conference on Wednesday. In the briefing materials, JERA stated that in order to pass on the cost benefits of coal-fired power to customers, long-term PPAs must be secured with retailers, possibly “as early as this summer”. The NGO also called on the Japanese government to reinstate its curbs on coal power plants, after the trade ministry announced in March a temporary lift on operating restrictions to counter energy market turmoil.

Prices in China’s national emissions market over the past week climbed to a five-week high amid fresh climate policy updates, while the voluntary market continued to see a narrowing offset premium.

Think it through - The Korea Economic Association (KEA), which represents the academic community of economists in the country, has urged the government to consider the role of industrial, energy, technology, and trade policies in the upcoming green transformation (GX) plan. According to Yonhap, KEA suggested several priority tasks for Korea, including expanding the power grid, creating a market for low-carbon products, and building a clean hydrogen supply chain. It also highlighted factors such as increased electricity demand due to AI development, supply chain restructuring, and intensifying competition in the manufacturing sector. Seoul is set to release the K-GX plan next month.

Field tests - Japanese project developer Faeger on Friday said its research projects have been selected for two programmes backed by Japan's agriculture ministry. Faeger is developing a climate change adaptation service for domestic farmers, based on environmental monitoring and cultivation techniques. The company began demonstrations with around 20 rice producers this year, and aims to further accelerate this initiative through the two government-backed projects. It has been working with over 3,500 farmers nationwide, covering more than 60,000 ha of rice cultivation nationwide, through mid-season drainage extension projects under the J-Credit programme.  

Fresh investment - Tokyo-based startup Carbonlink has completed its Series A fundraising for an undisclosed amount, with DRG Fund as the lead investor, it announced Friday. The company is engaged in the trading and purchase of carbon credits, with a cumulative transaction value exceeding JPY 350 mln ($2.2 mln). Carbonlink also said it plans to launch a new carbon brokerage service for companies, address the growing needs for emission allowances under GX-ETS, and introduce solutions for J-Credit and JCM credit providers in the near future.  

The Architecture for REDD+ Transactions (ART) has released version 3.0 of its jurisdictional REDD+ standard, adding a pathway for World Bank forest carbon programme participants to transition into the standard, it announced Thursday.

Two Australian carbon and water project developers have formalised a partnership and are launching a pilot programme involving stacking credits from their respective activities on top of each other, they announced Friday.

The Australian government remains cautious about the use of international carbon credits for domestic purposes, as some argue they could help provide high integrity flexibility for polluters, while others have urged caution about their impacts on encouraging onsite abatement.

China has outlined its roadmap for energy system transformation by 2030, balancing a rapid scaling of renewables with a strategic reliance on coal.

Tenfold green value- Indonesia’s forestry ministry has rolled out a multi-enterprise forestry scheme to promote the transformation of forest area utilisation to increase its economic value, according to local media. The rise in value is estimated to be up to 10 times that of traditional timber-reliant business models. Director General of Sustainable Forest Management Laksmi Wijayanti said the government is developing multi‑enterprise forestry schemes to enable simultaneous use of timber, non‑timber products, agroforestry, eco‑tourism, environmental services, and carbon trading.

Solar on stilts - The Philippines is adding 422 MWp in renewable energy capacity through a partnership with Vietnamese renewable energy developer VinEnergo to develop solar-on-water facilities worth $406 mln, the developers announced this week. VinEnergo and SunAsia Energy will install three projects in the Negros Occidental region from 2027-28, reducing carbon emissions by more than 460,000 tonnes annually, the announcement said. The facilities are expected to generate lifetime revenues exceeding $1.5 bln. Solar panels mounted on concrete piles above water could accommodate simultaneous aquaculture operations, potentially safeguarding the traditional livelihoods of communities that depend on the waters, the companies said.

The Australian government has signed off on the improved native forest management (INFM) carbon credit methodology developed by the New South Wales government.