INTERVIEW: VCMI distinguishes role in light of SBTi voluntary carbon announcement

Published 15:59 on April 11, 2024  /  Last updated at 15:59 on April 11, 2024  / Roy Manuell /  Africa, Americas, Asia Pacific, Australia, Aviation/CORSIA, Canada, China, EMEA, International, Japan, Kyoto Mechanisms, Mexico, Middle East, Nature-based, New Zealand, Other APAC, Paris Article 6, South & Central, South Korea, US, Voluntary

The Voluntary Carbon Markets Integrity Initiative (VCMI) has maintained that it still has an important role in providing guidance for corporate climate claims and voluntary carbon credit use, in light of an announcement this week from the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) that signalled the body would undergo a major position change and also endorse offset use towards net zero goals.

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Japanese, Thai developers ink deal for JCM project

Published 12:44 on April 11, 2024  /  Last updated at 12:44 on April 11, 2024  / Nikita Pandey /  Asia Pacific, International, Japan, Nature-based, Other APAC, Paris Article 6, Voluntary

A Japanese project developer has entered into an agreement with a Bangkok-based firm for an afforestation project in Thailand under Japan’s Joint Crediting Mechanism (JCM), the companies announced Thursday.

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“Ghost roads” tearing down tropical forests in Asia-Pacific -research

Published 11:33 on April 11, 2024  /  Last updated at 12:54 on April 11, 2024  / Nikita Pandey /  Asia Pacific, Biodiversity, Other APAC

Almost 1.4 million kilometres of roads not marked in official road maps and often built illegally, known as “ghost roads”, are presenting a grave threat to tropical forests in the Asia-Pacific region, researchers have found.

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SBTi staff call for CEO to be sacked, immediate reversal of Scope 3 offset use decision

Published 09:56 on April 11, 2024  /  Last updated at 20:34 on April 11, 2024  / Mark Tilly /  Africa, Americas, Asia Pacific, Australia, EMEA, International, Japan, Mexico, Middle East, Nature-based, New Zealand, Other APAC, South & Central, South Korea, Switzerland, US, Voluntary

A letter, sent by Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) staff to the non-profit’s board and CEO and seen by multiple media sources, has called for the chief executive to resign and to immediately reverse a decision set to allow companies to use voluntary carbon credits to meet Scope 3 emissions targets.

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ANALYSIS: Voluntary carbon stakeholders react to SBTi pivot on offset use for corporate targets

Published 18:47 on April 10, 2024  /  Last updated at 18:47 on April 10, 2024  / Roy Manuell /  Africa, Americas, Asia Pacific, Australia, Aviation/CORSIA, Canada, China, EMEA, International, Kyoto Mechanisms, Mexico, Middle East, Nature-based, New Zealand, Other APAC, South & Central, South Korea, US, Voluntary

A major announcement from the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) that now opens the door for offset use as part of validated corporate net zero targets has made waves in the voluntary carbon sector, with proponents of the decision lauding its demand implications for the market, and critics arguing that the move undermines the organisation’s role in the broader fight against climate change.

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Global carbon emissions trading revenues rise 17% to record $74 bln in 2023 -report

Published 18:00 on April 10, 2024  /  Last updated at 17:42 on April 9, 2024  / Roy Manuell /  Africa, Americas, Asia Pacific, Australia, Aviation/CORSIA, Canada, Carbon Taxes, China, EMEA, International, Japan, Kyoto Mechanisms, Mexico, Middle East, Nature-based, New Zealand, Other APAC, Paris Article 6, South & Central, South Korea, US, Voluntary

A total of more than $74 billion was raised from 36 carbon emissions trading systems last year, up from $63 bln the year before, with strong momentum building for new mechanisms in emerging economies, according to research published Wednesday.

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Malaysian govt to incorporate state’s carbon trading bill into federal law

Published 15:21 on April 10, 2024  /  Last updated at 15:21 on April 10, 2024  / Nikita Pandey /  Asia Pacific, Carbon Taxes, Nature-based, Other APAC, Voluntary

The Malaysian federal government has agreed to integrate the state of Sarawak’s carbon trading bill as part of the federal law which will be presented before Parliament for approval, according to local media reports.

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Carbon markets could support CCS development, but more is needed -report

Published 14:56 on April 10, 2024  /  Last updated at 14:56 on April 10, 2024  / Helen Clark /  Asia Pacific, Carbon Taxes, EMEA, EU ETS, International, Japan, Kyoto Mechanisms, Nature-based, Other APAC, UK ETS, Voluntary

Carbon markets could support carbon capture and storage (CCS) work but hurdles remain, such as return on investment, buyer appetite, and incentivising the entire chain including transport, according to a report released this week.

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Singapore faces biggest share of Asia’s €1 bln EU ETS shipping burden -research

Published 13:49 on April 10, 2024  /  Last updated at 14:07 on April 10, 2024  / Nikita Pandey /  Asia Pacific, EMEA, EU ETS, Other APAC, Shipping

The inclusion of shipping in the EU ETS is likely to impose €1 billion in costs for the Asian shipping industry, with Singapore bound to take on around a third of that, according to research published Wednesday.

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Study slams Taiwan’s biggest emitters for climate inaction

Published 13:11 on April 10, 2024  /  Last updated at 13:11 on April 10, 2024  / Chia-Erh Kuo /  Asia Pacific, Other APAC

Taiwan’s biggest emitters are moving far too slowly on reducing their carbon emissions and shifting to renewable energy, risking imposing environmental costs to the tune of $20 billion on the economy while driving up electricity prices, according to a report released Wednesday.

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