Powerhouses team up- Japan’s largest power producer, Jera, has signed an MoU with South Korean conglomerate Samsung C&T to explore collaborative strategies to boost the hydrogen and ammonia value chains, the firm said. The two nations share common challenges and opportunities as energy import‑reliant economies, Jera noted. Through the pact, Jera said they aim to support the development of robust and commercially viable low-carbon hydrogen and ammonia markets.

Following the launch of its carbon fee programme, Taiwan has introduced rules for allocating subsidies to support technologies that contribute to the island's climate targets, including carbon capture, utilisation, and storage (CCUS).

Carbon frontier- The northeastern Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh has designated the state-owned firm Hydro Power Development Corporation as the agency to execute carbon credit projects in the state, according to Arunachal Times. Under its jurisdiction, it will identify, formulate, develop, and implement carbon credit initiatives across various sectors and coordinate with departments, institutions, and developers to facilitate project registration, validation, verification, certification, monitoring, and issuance of carbon credits in line with national and international standards.

Solar suspension - An Australian government pilot programme to recycle end-of-life solar panels has been suspended, RenewEconomy reported. The A$24.7 mln ($17.2 mln) pilot was due to set up 100 collection sites around the country to test how to collect, transport, and pay for waste solar panels. However, the Department of Climate Change, Energy, Environment, and Water (DCCEEW) paused the process after it received a complaint about the pilot administrator procurement process. A DCCEEW spokesperson said the government is still committed to the pilot but did not answer questions about when it will start.

Researchers and conservation groups have called on the government to use the imminent Safeguard Mechanism review to limit the use of carbon credits, while some fear the review could see the scheme weakened in the face of government inaction.

UN funds Philippines- The UN’s flagship climate fund, the Green Climate Fund, has issued a $6.8 million grant to support the Philippines in its climate investments. The programme aims to protect communities from the adverse impacts of climate change and expedite clean energy transition efforts alongside sustainable economic growth. The nation’s Department of Finance, in its statement, added that the 60‑month programme, approved on June 24, will help the country develop, access, and implement investments linked to climate change in line with the National Adaptation Plan and the Nationally Determined Contribution Implementation Plan.

Lao-Vietnam forestry pact - The Lao National Agriculture and Forestry Research has signed an agreement with the Vietnam Academy of Forest Science to establish a framework aimed at expanding cooperation in research, technology transfer, and sustainable forest development. This is the latest addition to a long‑standing collaboration in forestry. According to The Star, the agreement, along with research and technology transfer, will also focus on forest management and restoration, biodiversity conservation, climate change adaptation, forest carbon development, biotechnology, forest genetic resources, wood science and forest products, and the application of digital technologies in the forestry sector.

Homegrown - Fiji Airways on Friday said it is exploring carbon credits generated within the island nation to meet CORSIA's requirements while keeping the benefits at home. To build capacity, the airline recently hosted the country's first aviation-focused carbon market training, which was attended by government officials from Fiji's environment ministry and civil aviation authority. Fiji Airways did not disclose further details about its credit procurement target.

A widely cited benchmark calling for around 10 billion tonnes of durable CO2 removal (CDR) annually by 2050 has become detached from the scientific evidence on which it is purportedly based, according to a new study that argues climate policy should place greater emphasis on emissions reductions and present CDR requirements alongside the mitigation pathways that generate them.

Thai SAF milestone - Thai energy company Bangchak Group has supplied domestically produced sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) to Thai Airways for a Bangkok to Singapore flight, it announced Thursday. This marks the first domestic delivery of fuel produced at Bangchak’s Phra Khanong refinery, which is Thailand’s first standalone SAF production facility. The plant turns waste lipids like used cooking oil and animal fats into Hydroprocessed Esters and Fatty Acids Synthetic Paraffinic Kerosene (HEFA-SPK), which can be blended with conventional jet fuel without requiring modifications to aircraft engines or airport infrastructure.