FEATURE: New Zealand looks to bring back gas, but challenges abound
A spike in the electricity price at the end of August in New Zealand forced an urgent review of the power sector and helped hasten a possible return of gas, via reversing a ban on new exploration permits put in place in 2018 by the then-Jacinda Ardern led Labour government.
Read MoreFEATURE: ‘Panic’ as EU’s new green product reporting rules come into effect
Manufacturers across the globe are bracing for new ecodesign reporting obligations in Europe, with full disclosure of the carbon content and wider environmental footprint of products soon becoming obligatory for any company placing goods on the EU market.
Read MoreFEATURE: CBAM costs threaten to further decimate Ukrainian exports
Ukraine’s war-torn economy stands to bear some of the greatest strain from the full arrival of the EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), imposing a new carbon fee on goods that account for one-fifth of Kyiv’s exports to the bloc – and billions in revenue.
Read MoreFEATURE: Parties probe Article 6 ‘floor price’ but experts doubt formal rollout
Some countries, notably in Africa, are said to be pushing to establish a minimum price for the sale of Article 6 credits, although experts doubt that any widespread policy could realistically be implemented as the idea remains abstract, backed informally by just a few parties.
Read MoreFEATURE: Innovations in battery manufacturing are key to reducing cost, meeting regulation
Innovations in battery manufacturing, such as use of a ‘dry process’ to make electrodes, will be key to reducing cost and lowering the environmental footprint of producing lithium-ion batteries to be in line with the EU’s new Batteries Regulation, say experts.
Read MoreFEATURE: Offshore wind is gaining traction in APAC, but regulatory gaps, supply chain bottlenecks could stifle deployment
The offshore wind industry in the Asia Pacific is displaying significant growth in a patchwork fashion, but missing regulatory frameworks and significant supply chain bottlenecks down the track will require careful planning, according to experts.Â
Read MoreFEATURE: Carbon projects with hard currency needs face FX risk
Fluctuations in foreign exchange (FX) markets affect emerging economies engaged in the voluntary carbon market (VCM), and can threaten proponents’ access to finance, even as sustainable development projects continue to rely on outside hard currencies.
Read MoreFEATURE: Lack of clarity on penalties casts doubt over efficacy of CORSIA carbon offsetting scheme
A lack of clarity on how the CORSIA penalty system will work, and the fact only a handful of countries have started transposing the UN’s international aviation offsetting scheme into their national laws, raises doubts over how the mechanism will be enforced.
Read MoreFEATURE: Voluntary carbon market lacks mechanism to purge disreputable actors
Voluntary carbon market (VCM) institutions, ranging from registries to ratings agencies and insurers, are often unable to weed out bad actors in repeated infringements with industry standards, lacking consistent policies or criteria to do so, market players told Carbon Pulse.
Read MoreFEATURE: Mexican carbon market stakeholders pin high hopes on new president
Mexican carbon market stakeholders are welcoming president-elect Claudia Sheinbaum as a fresh face with the potential to prop up green finance, Carbon Pulse heard this week in Guanajuato at the Mexico Carbon Forum, though subnational governments are still seen as a major driver of the country’s climate action.
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