Voluntary carbon methodologies for orphan well methane leaks are conservative enough to avoid over-crediting, but timing, or estimating when the plugged well would have emitted methane, remains a weak point, a paper has argued.

Latin America took a firm step towards becoming a key Article 6 player after Brazil unveiled last week long-awaited rules for Internationally Transferred Mitigation Outcomes (ITMOs), further building infrastructure despite the Kyoto-era Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) transition flop.

California’s latest cap-and-invest amendments are set to enter final administrative review on Tuesday, advancing changes that would tighten allowance budgets through 2031 while creating a manufacturing incentive of up to 118 million allowances.

RGGI Allowance (RGA) futures continued to reverse course following last week's push to recent highs as carbon prices again appeared to reflect moves in the power market, traders said.

The compliance obligation under Alberta’s Technology Innovation and Emissions Reduction regulation dropped 15% in 2025, according to a new report.

Multilateral development banks (MDBs) provided $163 billion in climate finance in 2025, driven primarily by mitigation efforts in the energy sector, while remaining on track to meet collective 2030 financing targets despite political complexities.

Solar supplied a quarter of EU electricity for the first time in June, becoming the bloc’s largest individual power source during a month of elevated demand and hot weather, according to analysis released on Tuesday.

An intergovernmental organisation dedicated to private and commercial law is launching a 10-week public consultation on draft principles that would provide legislative guidance regarding verified carbon credits (VCCs), it announced on Monday.

Wetland watch - University of California, Santa Cruz, researchers have installed atmospheric monitoring towers at two Southern California wetlands to measure CO2 uptake, methane emissions, and air-quality impacts. The project, conducted with the California Air Resources Board and AmeriFlux, will compare the industrially degraded Los Cerritos Wetlands in Long Beach with the nearby Seal Beach National Wildlife Refuge over two years. The continuous measurements are intended to fill a regional data gap, as most previous wetland monitoring in California has focused on the San Joaquin Bay Delta, and to improve state estimates of wetland emissions and carbon storage. Researchers will also assess how restoring degraded wetlands could affect carbon sequestration and measure plant-generated compounds linked to ground-level ozone and fine particulate matter.

A Japanese consumer electronics manufacturer and a conservation group have signed an agreement to promote domestic biodiversity initiatives and nature positivity through 2030, according to a Monday statement.

Carbon removal (CDR) buyers’ club Frontier said suppliers in its portfolio delivered about 30,600 tonnes of CO2 to its members in the first half of 2026, surpassing the total delivered through the initiative in all of 2025 and putting its portfolio on track to pass 50,000 tonnes this year.

Canadian oil sands companies would be allowed reduced stringency requirements under Alberta’s carbon market if they deliver emissions reductions through a long-awaited carbon capture, utilisation, and storage (CCUS) project, under a new memorandum of understanding (MoU).

Private investment is pouring into the global fusion industry, which is aiming to deliver commercial electricity in the 2030s, according to a report published Monday.

The European Commission has approved a €63 billion French scheme to support eleven offshore wind farms, in one of the largest single state aid packages yet signed off under the EU’s Clean Industrial Deal State Aid Framework (CISAF).

European carbon prices advanced on Monday after the EU completed an auction programme that raised €20 billion to speed its transition away from Russian fossil fuels and confirmed that auction volumes would be cut 20% through to the end of August.

A Kenyan Court of Appeal has given new life to a legal dispute over Kenya Electricity Generating Company's tender for international carbon credits, ruling that it should not have changed the rules of procurement mid-process. 

A financial services provider has partnered with National Parks Partnerships (NPP) and the South Downs National Park to finance one of the UK's largest woodland creation projects through carbon markets, in a move designed to accelerate nature restoration while generating credits.

Benchmark ICE CORSIA Phase 1 futures rebounded above $10 per tonne last week as sources noted the slump down from nearly $20/t since the end of last year may not be as bad as some fear.

German austerity – Germany’s finance ministry is considering diverting €2.7 billion in carbon pricing revenue from the Climate and Transformation Fund (CTF) into the federal core budget as part of austerity plans for 2027, sparking concern among industry and NGOs over future climate spending. The fund, largely financed by CO2 pricing revenues and used for support schemes including heating modernisation and electric mobility, is a key vehicle for Germany’s energy transition. Critics warn the move would undermine trust in emissions trading and climate funding, with utilities, business and steel industry groups calling it a “missed chance” and “warning shot” for industrial transformation support.(Clean Energy Wire)

Central Asia’s first climate law – Kyrgyzstan has adopted its first framework climate law, creating a unified legal basis for emissions cuts and adaptation measures as it pursues a 2050 carbon-neutrality goal. President Sadyr Japarov signed the Law on Climate Activity on July 7 after parliamentary approval in May, with the statute due to enter into force on Jan. 1, 2027 and the Cabinet given six months to align secondary legislation. The law establishes a foundation for climate finance, carbon units and a national registry, while replacing a narrower 2007 emissions statute and formalising adaptation efforts amid accelerating glacier loss and growing hydropower and water risks. (The Times of Central Asia)

The European Commission’s executive vice president, Teresa Ribera, on Monday urged governments to clinch a “meaningful agreement” on the IMO’s net zero emissions framework for shipping at a key committee meeting in December, calling on China in particular to move from declarations to delivery on climate action at sea.

Singapore is building an integrated carbon market ecosystem that fills financing, innovation, and demand gaps, positioning itself as Asia's hub for scaling high-integrity carbon projects and Article 6 markets.

The best way for Europe to cut emissions from cement is to reduce and replace the use of clinker and shift to alternatives that already exist, but are locked out of the market, according to a report published on Monday.

Forest fires have overtaken logging as the leading driver of the decline in the world's remaining intact forest landscapes, according to a new analysis of Global Nature Watch data published on Monday.

The UK and EU should establish formal joint governance over future emissions trading reforms to prevent regulatory divergence and preserve industrial competitiveness as the two sides negotiate linking their carbon markets, according to a new report.

Going down - The International Energy Agency (IEA) expects global oil demand to decline in 2026 for the first time since the Covid-19 pandemic, as the conflict involving Iran and disruption to Middle East energy supplies weaken economic activity and reduce fuel consumption, CNBC reports. The agency forecasts demand will fall by around 80,000 bpd this year, reversing its previous expectation of growth. The downgrade follows what the IEA has described as the largest oil supply disruption in history, triggered by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz and attacks on regional energy infrastructure. While supply has begun recovering following a ceasefire, demand remains under pressure from high prices, weaker industrial activity, and measures introduced by governments to curb fuel consumption. The IEA expects oil consumption to recover modestly in 2027 as markets stabilise and production rebounds. The revised outlook contrasts with OPEC's more optimistic long-term demand forecasts but highlights the lasting economic impact of the Middle East conflict, according to the reporting.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo's (DRC) environment minister has pledged to maintain the country's 23-year-old moratorium on new industrial logging concessions, marking a significant reversal after weeks of concern that the government was preparing to reopen vast areas of the Congo Basin to commercial timber operations.

Dumping ground - The EU’s electric car tariffs succeeded in reducing the market share of EVs made in China, according to T&E analysis of the trade measures. But while the share of electric cars produced in China by western brands fell, imports from Chinese brands continued to grow. To avoid Europe becoming a dumping ground for Chinese EVs, T&E called for further trade measures including tariffs on Chinese batteries.

CCS course steady - Korea National Oil Corp. (KNOC) is pressing ahead with its cross‑border carbon capture and storage (CCS) project in Southeast Asia, Pulse reported. The state‑run firm has launched an international tender for a reservoir development simulation study, to be conducted with a regional oil company and led by Hyundai Engineering & Construction. The contract will assess storage capacity in two depleted oil and gas fields and run CO2 injection simulations to test long‑term viability and safety, the report added.

CoolRice launch - Japan's Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF), the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), and Japanese research partners have launched CoolRice, a one-year initiative to advance heat-tolerant rice breeding and low-emission cultivation practices across Asia. The project aims to strengthen the scientific and technical foundations for climate-resilient rice production by combining crop breeding, climate analytics, agronomy, and greenhouse gas mitigation research, with partners agreeing a roadmap for future collaboration during a workshop held at IRRI headquarters in the Philippines.

The European Commission has adopted measures to exclude products including leather from the scope of the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) following a hotly contested simplification package presented earlier this year.

Two Japanese organisations have joined to set up a pilot crediting project that will measure the nature positive impacts of blue carbon activities by using environmental DNA (eDNA).

UK's clean flexibility progress - The UK government has made progress on its vision for a cleaner, more flexible electricity system in the first year since publishing a roadmap, according to a report published by DESNZ on Monday. In recent months, the government and other bodies have published an Energy Digitalisation Framework, and migrated more than 11.3 mln smart metres to half-hourly settlement, among other steps. The clean flexibility roadmap sets specific, time-bound steps that named organisations can take to unlock more flexible electricity capacity. It also sets up a governance framework to facilitate implementation.

Cookstove consultations – Burn Manufacturing's carbon project arm, ECOA Climate Capital, has invited stakeholders to consultations in Mozambique later this month and early August for planned project activities under its Gold Standard electric cooking programme. Meetings will be held in Maputo, Nampula, and Beira, with online participation also available.

35x35 target – Sourcing 35% of the world’s final energy from electrification would be the “surest and cleanest way” to protect people from high energy prices, COP31 president-designate Murat Kurum recently told Carbon Brief. The incoming COP31 Turkish presidency in June unveiled a proposed electrification target – of 35% by 2035 – as a flagship part of its planned Action Agenda. Scaling electrification in sectors including construction and transport will be key to meeting the 35x35 target, as will rich countries committing funds to support poorer ones, he told the media organisation.

Verra has opened a consultation on a major revision to its methodology for projects that use captured waste CO2 in concrete production.

A North American forestry standards organisation and a US-based non-profit have partnered on a pilot forest analytics tool for carbon reporting, wildfire mitigation, and resilience planning across timber sourcing areas, the two announced.

Hydrogen backing – The European Investment Bank (EIB) committed €450 mln to support an Austrian energy company with building a green hydrogen plant, it announced on Monday. The loan, given to energy, fuels, and chemicals company OMV, is the EIB’s largest investment in Austria’s energy sector, according to the bank’s statement. OMV has already begun constructing the plant in Lower Austria’s Bruck an der Leitha with the aim of replacing fossil fuel-based hydrogen. The plant is expected to start operating towards the end of 2027.

Ukrainian politicians have introduced a bill to create a national emissions trading system (ETS) from 2028, in a step that would further integrate the country with the EU, and help to offset the costs of the bloc's border carbon fee. 

In a first for South Korea, a leading financial group has established a pilot blind fund dedicated to international offset projects that support the country's climate targets.

A tightening of the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) prompted the bloc's most carbon-intensive companies to reduce emissions without cutting output, while encouraging manufacturers to pursue greener acquisitions as part of their decarbonisation strategies, according to a new study.

Seed round - Swiss carbon removal developer Arrhenius has closed a seed funding round to scale its microalgae-based CO2 removal and biomass storage technology, it announced last week on LinkedIn. The undisclosed funding will support construction of a 500-square-metre pilot plant combining carbon removal with wastewater treatment, as well as preparations for the company’s first commercial facility abroad. Investors included CTA, Young Ventures, and angel investors Thomas Krumbeck and Ralf Wildenhues. The pilot will test the technology under real-world conditions ahead of commercial deployment.

Romania may face electricity supply risks later this decade, but its national assessment likely makes the outlook appear worse than the most probable scenario, the EU energy regulator said in an opinion published last week.

Swiss fall - CO2 emissions from heating fuels decreased by around 5% in 2025 compared with the previous year, down nearly 50% compared with their 1990 level, the Swiss government announced on Monday. The Federal Office of the Environment said the decline is mainly due to greater energy efficiency in buildings, as well as increased use of renewable energy for heating. Emissions from transport fuels decreased by around 1%, with increased electric vehicle uptake and more biofuels lowering the overall total. Overall, they have decreased by 8% compared with 1990. The government said this development is due above all to the growing share of electric vehicles, while the share of biofuels in total and diesel sales also increased, exceeding the 5% mark for the first time (5.3%).

A multi-company partnership for sustainability and a London-based bank have jointly launched a programme to coach high-potential initiatives in the nature-based solutions (NbS) space across the Middle East, North Africa, and Turkiye (MENAT), and Southeast Asia.

The UK government has published the technical rules that importers will use to calculate the embedded emissions of goods covered by the country's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), providing greater clarity on how carbon-intensive imports will be assessed when the scheme takes effect.

The European Commission is preparing sweeping changes to EU public purchasing rules that would turn procurement into a driver of decarbonisation, circularity, and energy efficiency, according to a leaked draft of its forthcoming Public Procurement Act seen by Carbon Pulse.

A London‑based financial services platform has taken a “bold” long‑term position on aviation compliance credits, with senior executives saying the firm is structurally long on CORSIA‑eligible units and is leaving most of its exposure to future prices unhedged.

An Icelandic carbon crediting standard has launched a public consultation on proposed revisions to rules governing project development, methodologies, validation, and verification across its programme.

Soil carbon cooperation - Taiwan Carbon Solution Exchange has signed a MoU with the Taiwan Agricultural Research Institute to promote the development of soil carbon projects, the government-backed exchange said Monday. It follows the release of a domestic offset methodology for agricultural soil management practices in March, which adopts the quantitative approach of the international method VM0042 and suits Taiwan's agricultural conditions. The methodology aims to encourage farmers to use organic materials or reduce tillage for carbon sequestration.  

Japan is seeking to address the vintage issue and lasting supply bottleneck under the Tokyo-led Joint Crediting Mechanism (JCM) in the coming years, amid growing concerns over the trajectory of the bilateral crediting programme beyond 2030.

Manufacturing money - The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) has launched a A$10 mln ($6.9 mln) co-investment fund to help Australian SME manufacturers reduce emissions, improve energy efficiency, and transition away from fossil fuels. The fund is being delivered by the Advanced Manufacturing Growth Centre (AMGC) and will support implementing electrification and other low-emissions technologies. It is focusing on three key areas: surface treatment, process steam, and metals processing, according to AMGC. Applications are currently open until Dec. 31, 2027, with eligible projects of A$400,000 - 1 mln eligible to receive up to 50% of matched funds.

Campaign pressure - At least eight Nordic, British, and American pension funds and investors have voted against the re-election of directors at several Japanese banks and trading houses, with some citing “severe ESG controversies” as their rationale, at the urging of Australian environmental campaigning organisation Market Forces. The campaign resulted in a 21.47% “against” vote for the board chair of Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group, with Nordic companies KLP and Storebrand specifically claiming “failure by the board to proficiently guard against and manage material ESG risks.” The votes are the result of Market Forces’ campaign launched in April to hold Japanese companies accountable for governance and climate risk management issues.

Total traded volumes of carbon credits in the financial year ending last month was down some 20% year-on-year, according to recent analysis.

Malaysia’s institutional investors are embedding climate into governance and investment frameworks, with more than half now recognising climate change as a financial risk or an opportunity. 

Conservation collaboration - Scientific body the Cawthorn Institute has signed a new relationship agreement with the New Zealand government's Department of Conservation to strengthen collaboration on aquatic science, conservation, and innovation, it announced. The agreement sets out how the two organisations will work together on shared priorities, including research that improves outcomes for aquatic species and ecosystems, strengthens the management of conservation threats, and supports practical action. It also outlines principles for collaboration and provides greater clarity for research involving aquatic species in purpose-built facilities, the institute said. 

Seaweed subsidies - The Japanese Ministry of the Environment opened applications on Friday for the second round of its JPY 300 mln ($1.85 mln) subsidy program for carbon removal projects, naming blue carbon, biochar, and carbon-absorbing concrete as some potential measures. For blue carbon, the application calls specifically for seaweed projects. The subsidy programme will grant up to JPY 100 mln per project, per year, for a maximum of three fiscal years starting FY2026. The application period closes on Aug. 17, and selection decisions will be made in early October.

Conversions converging - ASX-listed electrification company Janus Electric has grown its US order book to 20 diesel-to-electric truck conversions with a gross contract value of around A$10 mln ($6.9 mln), the company announced in a filing. It said 45 vehicle conversions are now contracted across North America, comprising of 20 US conversions and 25 conversions in Canada. The increase in its US order book follows a deal signed by Janus  with Ability Tri-Modal, the company's first US fleet customer. It is also exploring opportunities with mining, linehaul, and quarry operators in Australia, according to the filing.

US CCUS rise - Consultancy Wood Mackenzie expects strong CCUS sector growth over the coming decades, as an essential part of any global strategy to address climate change. Ed Crooks, vice chair for the Americas, said in a post that CCUS capacity is growing in the US, despite political tensions and difficulties with deployment, and the consultancy expects in a base forecast global capacity will rise to about 3 bln tonnes per year in 2060.

Smokier Canada - Wildfire smoke is creating persistently higher health costs in Canada, according to a new report by think tank Canadian Climate Institute. The report, published on data platform 440 Megatonnes, found Canada is getting smokier, and long-term exposure to increased toxic wildfire smoke is associated with an estimated 2,500 premature deaths in the country annually. The cost of wildfire smoke totalled C$231 bln ($163.2 bln) between 2014-2025. That's about C$19 bln per year on average, according to the think tank.

Korea-Guatemala REDD+ - Guatemala is assessing the feasibility of a REDD+ project that could enable the country to participate in carbon credit markets, with support from the Korea Forest Service (KFS), the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, and Food (MAGA) announced this week. Last November, the Central American country received a $24 mln payment from the World Bank’s Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF) from a REDD+ national initiative. In May 2025, Guatemala was one of the countries targeted by the KFS for official development assistance in REDD+.  

ETS cap plea - Brussels-based industry association Ammonia Europe on Thursday called for the EU to slow the reduction of the EU ETS cap and phase out free allowances more gradually to protect European ammonia production. In its position on the upcoming ETS review, the group also proposed a crisis mechanism to release additional EUAs during sharp price spikes, greater use of ETS revenues for industrial decarbonisation, and stronger support for CCS and CCU. It further backed extending the maritime ETS to vessels of 400-5,000 gross tonnes and directing shipping-related ETS revenues towards alternative fuel infrastructure and projects.