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TOP STORY
FEATURE: High-integrity blue carbon faces “core tension” between science and scale
Efforts to scale high-integrity blue carbon projects are being constrained by a fundamental tension between scientific rigour and market viability, according to a Singapore-based project developer working on a mangrove restoration initiative in Indonesia.
NATURE-BASED CARBON
INTERVIEW: Brazilian developer debuts in ERW methodology, expanding CDR portfolio
A Brazilian developer well known for its reforestation projects has generated its first carbon credits for enhanced rock weathering (ERW) in agriculture, marking a step in diversifying its carbon removal (CDR) portfolio.
LATAM Roundup: Private capital keeps flowing into emissions reductions, CDR expands
Private sector capital continues to gain momentum across Latin America’s carbon markets, with a growing share targeting carbon removals (CDR) as developers and financiers scale new supply hubs beyond early strongholds.
Africa carbon markets could top $100 bln by 2030 under sovereign systems -report
The research arm of a renewable energy company has outlined an expansive vision for scaling African carbon markets into a $100 billion-plus opportunity by the end of the decade, centred on sovereign control of natural capital and the deployment of digital infrastructure to underpin credit generation and trading.
Indonesia flagship forest carbon project shifts to local control amid regulatory tightening
A flagship forest carbon project in Indonesia is shifting ownership into local hands from its Hong Kong-based developer, as regulatory pressure reshapes control over voluntary market assets in the country.
Verra puts three proposed methodologies on hold
Verra has placed two methodology idea notes and a tool under development on hold, the organisation said, citing its review process.
US project developer announces IFM removals issued under new tool
A US-based forest carbon project developer said on Tuesday it had been issued more than 95,000 carbon credits carrying Verra’s carbon removals tag, marking the first issuance from a US-based IFM project using the registry’s new tool.
Biochar standard seeks feedback on updated rules for carbon durability, project roles
A Switzerland-based carbon standard has opened a public consultation on an updated methodology for biochar carbon removal credits, introducing changes to how carbon storage durability is assessed and expanding participation in projects, it said.
Biochar market splits on price as industrial projects command premium -report
Biochar credit prices are diverging, with industrial projects priced higher than artisanal alternatives, reflecting differences in monitoring, durability, and delivery risk, according to a new analysis.
CDR project developers near commercial stage face funding crunch, survey finds
Carbon removal (CDR) project developers are nearing commercial readiness but remain constrained by limited access to capital, with nearly 60% at risk of delays, downsizing, or cancellation without near-term funding, according to a survey.
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SUSTAINABILITY JOB BOARD
Nature Economy Jobs is a free weekly newsletter compiling career opportunities across biodiversity, natural capital, sustainability and environmental markets. As carbon and nature markets expand, demand for specialised talent is growing rapidly across project developers, financial institutions, consultancies and policy organisations. However, the labour market remains fragmented and difficult to navigate. Nature Economy Jobs brings these opportunities together in one place, helping professionals track how the sector is evolving and discover relevant roles. If you are interested in working in the emerging nature economy, you can subscribe here.
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CORPORATE
AI too risky for environmental approvals of mining projects in Australia, researchers say
The use of artificial intelligence (AI) in environmental approval decisions for the mining sector risks driving endangered species closer to extinction, the Biodiversity Council said on Tuesday.
Apple ‘carbon neutral’ claims lawsuit heads to appeals court after consumer challenge
A consumer class action alleging misleading “carbon neutral” claims tied to Apple products is before a US appeals court after a district court dismissed the complaint without prejudice.
Private sector multilateral bank publishes regenerative agriculture framework
The World Bank’s arm for the private sector has unveiled a framework to define and guide regenerative agriculture across its investment and advisory operations.
UK developer secures debt for ARR project in Mexico
A London-based project developer has secured a loan from a non-profit organisation to support the early-stage operations of its afforestation, reforestation, and revegetation (ARR) project in Mexico.
German peatland developer partners with intermediary on carbon credit sales
A German peatland restoration project has partnered with a carbon market intermediary to sell credits from a rewetted site in Lower Saxony, it announced Tuesday.
Scope 3 data, measurement slog is about fostering future mitigation -panellists
Companies facing increasing pressure to track and disclose their Scope 3 emissions shouldn’t lose sight of mitigation as their ultimate goal, attendees of the North American Carbon World (NACW) 2026 conference heard.
Formula E racing team to plant mangroves in India’s Sundarbans
A Formula E team on Tuesday said it will plant more than 500,000 mangroves in India’s Sundarbans over five years, as part of a corporate social responsibility initiative.
Aerospace company to buy 40k soil carbon removals from US developer
A US-based aerospace company has agreed to purchase at least 40,000 soil-based carbon removal (CDR) credits from a Texas-based developer under a multi-year offtake deal, the companies announced last week.
Italian infrastructure group backs carbon removal unit with €1 mln
An Italian infrastructure group has allocated €1 million to support its in-house carbon removal unit, according to its 2025 integrated annual report.
Global consultancy acquires Tokyo-based carbon markets firm
A global consulting group has acquired a Tokyo-based carbon markets specialist to strengthen its capabilities in carbon credit evaluation, procurement, and supply chain emissions tracking, the company said last week.
POLICY
EIB announces €60 mln investment to biodiversity restoration fund
The European Investment Bank (EIB) has announced a new commitment to a Paris-based fund focused on biodiversity restoration and protection across Europe.
UK govt to spend £90 mln restoring threatened species
The UK government intends to spend £90 million on species-level nature restoration across England over the next three years, directing the majority of these funds to its Species Recovery Programme.
Massachusetts faces patchwork rules as coastal ERW emerges -report
Enhanced rock weathering (ERW) projects on the Massachusetts coast face regulatory uncertainty, with existing environmental laws having potential to complicate permitting and slow large-scale deployment, according to a recent report.
Ethiopia could unlock billions of dollars in carbon market revenues if it can close governance gaps -study
Ethiopia could unlock billions of dollars in carbon market revenues by scaling up land-based sequestration activities, but will need to overhaul governance frameworks and prioritise state-led pilot projects to attract investment, according to a new study.
SCIENCE & TECH
Most marine protected areas see higher wastewater pollution than surrounding waters -study
Wastewater pollution exposure is higher inside marine protected areas (MPAs) than in surrounding unprotected waters across most regions, with patterns varying geographically, a new study found.
Beavers can turn headwater streams into sizeable, persistent carbon sinks -study
Reintroduced beaver populations across Europe are materially reshaping carbon dynamics in river systems, with new research finding that dam-building activity can convert headwater stream corridors into significant and durable carbon sinks.
Kenya forest carbon stocks mask structural degradation as dense cover shrinks -study
Stable forest carbon stocks and above-ground biomass may conceal underlying degradation as biomass shifts away from dense forest, weakening long-term sequestration potential, a new study said.
“Misbehaviour” drives majority of food waste emissions, with Global South set to dominate by 2050 -researchers
Emissions from food loss and waste (FLW) are primarily driven by consumer behaviour and structural overproduction rather than supply-chain inefficiencies, according to new research, with developing regions projected to account for the bulk of future growth.
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EVENTS
Ecology Calling returns on May 20 with a 1-day event titled ‘Investing in Nature’ at venue Firesyde, near the border of Surrey and Sussex, about an hour’s transport from London Waterloo. Speakers include representatives from HSBC, Rebalance Earth, RePlanet, Environment Bank, Pensions for Purpose, Crowther Lab, Gresham House, and the University of Oxford. Use the code ‘Pulse15’ to get 15% off tickets.
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BITE-SIZED UPDATES FROM AROUND THE WORLD
MARKETS
Urban forestry – The South Korean city of Busan has secured the country’s first approval to register an urban forest project within the national emissions trading scheme boundary, converting a former landfill site into a carbon sink under the ‘Haeundae Arboretum carbon absorption enhancement project’. The initiative is expected to absorb around 1,365 tonnes of CO2 over 15 years and generate tradable credits, with authorities positioning it as a new “Busan-type” carbon asset model to scale across the country. (Seoul Economic Daily)
Goodbye, Verra – Biofix has removed its 180,000 ha REDD+ project in Maranhao, Brazil, from the Verra certification process and transitioned it to Equitable Earth, founder and CEO Ana Milena Plata Fajardo said in a LinkedIn post. The decision was taken due to delays by Verra in publishing its risk map for the state, which Plata said posed a risk to the project. Equitable Earth has developed its own risk maps, published Maranhao’s on time, and is now advancing towards approval under the Integrity Council for the Voluntary Carbon Market’s Core Carbon Principles (CCPs), Plata said. She also highlighted the registry’s independence, adding that Equitable Earth will continue working across other standards, including Gold Standard and Cercarbono.
Farm credits – Japan-based Green Carbon and Toyota City have started accepting corporate donations to support the country’s first AWDJ-Credit methodology demonstration project, based on alternate wetting and drying (AWD) rice cultivation. The initiative builds on an earlier pilot and is backed by a cooperation agreement on agricultural carbon credit creation, with plans to expand nationwide using a corporate hometown tax scheme to fund farm-based emissions reductions and support farmer income.
Woodlands windfall – Project developer Finite Carbon announced on Thursday the registration and issuance of forest carbon credits under ACR’s Improved Forest Management v2.1 methodology for its 86,100 ha Northeast Carry Woodlands project in Maine, with all credits bearing the Core Carbon Principles label. The company said the project is among the first and largest registered under the updated methodology, which refines baseline assessment and monitoring to improve transparency and accountability. Finite added the project is intended to deliver long-term carbon storage, biodiversity conservation, water quality protection, and local economic benefits. The project is also certified under the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI).
CORPORATE
Team expansion – Brazilian carbon offset project developer Joias Ecologicas has hired three technical experts from the Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation (ICMBio), it told Carbon Pulse this week. The arrival of Fabio Oti, Luan Rocha, and Erick Pinho aims to strengthen the company’s operations across conservation, carbon, and community development in the Amazon, coinciding with its decision to focus on three operational hubs. Oti will lead operations at the Belem hub in the region of Salgado Paraense, which involves a mangrove project. Meanwhile, Pinho will coordinate the Santarem Hub in western Para, and Rocha will lead the Rio Branco hub, which covers areas of Rondonia, Acre, and southern Amazonas.
Disbursement update – Brazil’s national development bank (BNDES) announced Thursday it has completed a first disbursement totalling R$26 mln ($5 mln) to startup Symbiosis Florestal as part of a wider R$77.6 mln in support first unveiled in May 2025. The financing aims to support the expansion of a silviculture project using native species in southern Bahia, focused on the sustainable production of tropical timber, the productive restoration of the Atlantic Forest, and the generation of carbon credits. The support is part of BNDES’ Floresta Credito, the bank’s arm focused on financing ecological and productive restoration projects with native species within the broader BNDES Florestas strategy.
New ERW datasets – US non-profit Cascade Climate said its ERW Data Quarry has doubled the amount of data available on the platform with three new datasets from projects led by Mati in Chhattisgarh, India, InPlanet in Sao Paulo, Brazil, and the Carbon Drawdown Initiative in Germany. The update also adds new project developers Terrasols and The Rock Flour Company, bringing the total pipeline of data-sharing commitments to 26 as the group seeks to improve transparency around commercial enhanced rock weathering (ERW) deployments.
POLICY
Real talk – New York has announced $100 mln in grants for nature-based and green infrastructure construction projects aimed at strengthening resilience to extreme weather, reported Construct Connect. The funding will be divided between $60 mln for resilient watersheds, $20 mln for coastal resilience, and $20 mln for community-based inland flooding. The watersheds programme offers money for projects including floodplain restoration, streambank stabilisation, and property buyouts.
Protected areas – The government of Colombia issued a resolution on Monday establishing a temporary reserve of renewable natural resources in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta. The decision will protect more than 942,000 ha identified by the Ministry of Environment as essential for water regulation, biodiversity conservation, and the cultural survival of Indigenous peoples in the region. No new mining concessions or hydrocarbon contracts may be issued within the protected area, while existing projects will be allowed to proceed to completion but cannot be extended. The measure will remain in force for two years.
Legal challenge – Brazil’s Federal Public Prosecutor’s Office (MPF) has issued an official letter to the Secretariat of the Architecture for REDD+ Transactions (ART), recommending the immediate suspension of the certification process and any authorisation for the sale of carbon credits from the jurisdictional REDD+ (J-REDD+) programme in Para state. In the document, the agency argued that the certification should only proceed after the conclusion of the public civil action filed by the MPF in 2025, which highlighted alleged irregularities in the J-REDD+ programme and the Emissions Reduction Purchase Agreement (ERPA). The letter has been submitted as an official comment to the certifier’s public record, opened by ART in February.
SCIENCE & TECH
Terrorism – Friends of the Earth is considering legal action against the Czech Foreign Minister, Petr Macinka, after he used the word “terrorism” to describe the organisation’s activities, reported BRNO Daily. The organisation expects responsibility, diplomacy, and sophisticated debate from a member of the government, said Friends of the Earth. It invited supporters to a demonstration on Apr. 19. The minister had said he would be disappointed if the NGO continued to be subsidised by taxpayers.
River monsters – A study into Ganges River pollution has revealed that standard monitoring identifies only 1% of PFAS. The vast majority of pollutants in the riverbed remain unidentified, said the study led by The James Hutton Institute in Scotland. Current measurements are only the tip of the iceberg, meaning we do not know how these chemicals move in the environment, said a co-author from the University of Graz, Austria. Further research could raise urgent questions about the need for regulation.
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