Last week saw Brazil tout national sovereignty, both through controversial domestic climate policy moves and non-UNFCCC international advocacy, while the country's COP30 presidency continued to push for coordinated collective action.

Widespread use of artificial intelligence (AI) across energy, transport and food systems could lower global greenhouse gas emissions by 3.2 to 5.4 billion tonnes of CO2 per year by 2035, a study published Monday has found.

Scrapping the 'green crap' - The UK government will slash energy costs for up to 7,000 businesses under its new ten-year Industrial Strategy, primarily by scrapping green levies and increasing discounts on network charges for heavy industry. From 2027, large electricity users in sectors such as aerospace, automotive and chemicals will be exempt from climate schemes like the Renewables Obligation and Feed-in Tariffs, cutting energy bills by up to 25% and supporting 300,000 jobs. Separately, industries such as steel and glass will see their network charge discount rise from 60% to 90% from 2026. These measures aim to improve UK industrial competitiveness and encourage investment amid concerns over high domestic energy prices. The exemptions will be funded through reforms to the energy system, notably higher UK carbon pricing aligned with the EU ETS, not by raising taxes or household bills. Additional initiatives include speeding up grid connections, boosting skills funding, streamlining regulation, expanding R&D spending to £22.6bn annually by 2030, and enhancing support for innovation via the British Business Bank. The strategy targets eight high-potential sectors with bespoke 10-year plans. Business leaders welcomed the reforms as overdue support for UK industry, though the opposition criticised the cost of net zero and Labour's energy record.

Chile Landfilly - The Climate Action Reserve has initiated the development of a Chile Landfill Protocol to guide the quantification, monitoring, reporting, and verification of GHG emissions reductions from landfill gas capture and destruction systems in the Latin American country. The protocol aims to support Chile's climate goals by addressing rising methane emissions from solid waste, which have surged by 681% since 1990. The protocol will be developed through a multi-stakeholder workgroup, with participation invited from industry, NGOs, government, and academia. All meetings will be held in Spanish. Stakeholders can apply to join the workgroup by July 16 or engage as observers during the process. A kickoff webinar, also in Spanish, will launch the initiative.

Trust Thrust - Thrust Carbon has launched the NetZero Forecaster, a new tool that enables organisations to strategically plan and model pathways to net zero business travel emissions. By integrating with live emissions data, the platform allows users to simulate various decarbonisation strategies, including shifts in travel policy, adoption of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), and carbon removals, while dynamically balancing costs and operational needs. Key features include customisable forecasts by timeframe, travel mode, and policy levers; cost modelling for SAF and removals; and integration with industry trend data. The tool offers visual projections and clear emissions calculations to aid decision-making and stakeholder engagement, removing the need for external consultants in scenario planning. The NetZero Forecaster is currently available in early access via the Thrust Calculator, with ongoing feature development guided by user feedback and evolving travel trends. Thrust Carbon’s advisory team is also offering support for bespoke forecasting needs.

Major energy and industry trade groups in Germany called for an EU Hydrogen Alliance this week, as the country’s largest arms maker named e-fuels “indispensable” for defence.

California Carbon Allowance (CCA) prices increased more than 3% week-on-week (WoW) amidst a lack of clear, imminent fundamental drivers, while Washington Carbon Allowances (WCAs) remained elevated around the trigger price for reserve volumes on the back of ongoing tightness of supply and demand, traders said.

Roadmap to $1.3 trln – At the UN's Subsidiary Bodies (SB) 62 in Bonn, Brazil shared its proposal for a climate finance roadmap with the UNFCCC on Thursday. Ambassador Tatiana Rosito, head of the COP30 Finance Ministers’ Circle, outlined three pillars to guide other parties' contributions: reforming multilateral development banks and increasing grant provision; establishing national platforms to connect local projects with global investors; and introducing climate-related financial regulations, including carbon pricing mechanisms and robust oversight by central banks. The final document is expected to be completed and presented at the International Monetary Fund/World Bank annual meetings in October.

California diesel sales rebounded in March after recording the lowest monthly consumption level in more than two decades the month prior.

The US Supreme Court (SCOTUS) overturned a lower court decision on Friday in ruling that a fuel industry group has legal standing to challenge California’s Advanced Clean Car I (ACC I) standards – a law designed to boost EV sales and decrease gasoline demand in the state.

Expanding the portfolio - The carbon management firm DevvStream announced an agreement Friday with Energy Efficient Technologies (EET), an engineering firm focused on energy efficient buildings. Under the agreement, EET’s building efficiency assets will be incorporated into DevvStreams’ portfolio of projects. The arrangement will allow DevvStreams to receive revenue from EET’s carbon credits and I-RECs, according to the announcement.

The New York Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) announced Friday that $1 million is available for expanding community-owned forests in the state.

A quarter of passenger vehicles sold this year are expected to be plug-in EVs, but the US isn’t expected to keep pace with the shifting market as its government claws back EV support, according to a new report.

After last month’s undersubscribed Q2 permit sale, California-Quebec increased the number of allowances available at the joint WCI third quarterly permit sale of 2025, regulator ARB said in a Friday notice.

45Q opposition – State and local elected officials from seven US states across the Midwest and West penned a letter to Congress opposing 45Q tax credit subsidies for CCS earlier this week. The group urged lawmakers to protect communities by keeping the proposed federal override of state and local permitting authority for carbon pipelines out of the final reconciliation bill, currently under consideration in the US Senate, citing safety concerns. The letter also called for repeal of the 45Q tax credit programme, or at a minimum for Congress to address fraud, waste, and abuse. The group said a recent Inspector General report confirmed widespread fraudulent claims, and independent estimates from non-profit research group Institute of Energy Economics and Financial Analysis pegged existing carbon capture projects proposed in the US potentially costing taxpayers over $853 bln. Co-signees to the letter hailed from Wyoming, South Dakota, North Dakota, Montana, Iowa, Indiana, and Colorado.

The European Commission’s draft Carbon Removal and Carbon Farming (CRCF) certification methodologies are so complex that critics say it is difficult to list all the flaws in the current draft, which they warn risks enabling greenwashing, failing farmers, and undermining climate goals.

European carbon prices bounced off their two-week lows of Thursday to post their first rise of the week, settling back into the middle of their recent trading range on Friday, with options hedging appearing to be the main driver, while energy markets gave up some of their recent gains after President Trump indicated he would delay any strike on Iran to give more time for diplomacy.

The EU’s landmark deforestation regulation is facing renewed struggles, as the European Parliament's majority centre-right European People's Party (EPP) and the far-right Identity and Democracy (ID) attempt to reintroduce scrapped exemptions, risking WTO breaches and undermining enforcement.

EU, Italy, and Africa work together - European Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni were in Rome with African Authorities from Angola, Democratic Republic of Congo, Tanzania, and Zambia, on Friday to reaffirm their strategic partnership under the framework of the EU's Global Gateway strategy and the Mattei Plan for Africa. This partnership is intended to promote sustainable growth, resilience, and mutually beneficial cooperation. The participants committed to advancing cooperation in sustainable agriculture, focusing on climate-resilient value chains like coffee. The partnerships also involves sectors such as digital connectivity, renewable energy and transport in Sub-Saharan Africa. The overall value of the EU-Italy shared commitments towards the African continent announced at the summit amounted to €1.2 billion. (European Commission)

Countries don’t necessarily need more negotiations to act, the Brazilian COP30 presidency said during a press conference at the Bonn intersessional climate talks, pushing parties to implement their prior climate commitments in its latest letter to the public.

Solar record - Europe's largest floating solar park, 'Les Ilots Blandin' in France's Haute-Marne region, was officially inaugurated on June 20 by Q Energy and Velto Renewables, reports webzine Plein Soleil. Built on 127 hectares of former gravel pits, the park comprises over 135,000 photovoltaic modules installed on floating platforms developed in France. With a total capacity of 74.3 MWp, the plant will generate enough renewable electricity to supply 37,000 people every year. It is also expected to prevent 18,000 tons of CO2 from being emitted each year. (Plein Soleil)

The European Commission is set to unveil a new state aid framework in support of its Clean Industrial Deal initiative next week, amid calls for greater “flexibility” from steelmakers and other heavy industries when using natural gas as a transition fuel towards net zero.

Mongolia and the UN Development Programme (UNDP) have launched a project to help the climate finance-strapped country build the systems and rules needed to take part in international carbon markets, backed by funding from the Green Climate Fund (GCF), they announced Friday.

The South African G20 presidency and a group of NGOs are spearheading a programme to scale financing for the bioeconomy in Africa, with nature credits among the instruments that will be explored, as they seek to pave the way for other regions to follow suit.

Spotlight on Spain - Spain’s EU Commissioner, Teresa Ribera, quietly led efforts behind the scenes to weaken Brussels’ flagship plan to phase out Russian gas, sources have told Politico. A spokesperson for Ribera dismissed the allegations, insisting that the Spanish commissioner has consistently encouraged companies to halt purchases of Russian energy and has long championed measures to phase out all fossil fuels. However, multiple officials told the news outlet that Ribera repeatedly stepped in during the drafting of the strategy by the European Commission in recent months. They allege her interventions were driven by concerns that Spanish companies could be hit with a wave of legal challenges from Moscow. On Tuesday, the European Union unveiled a long-anticipated legal proposal aimed at halting Russian gas imports by 2027, part of a broader strategy to cut off a key source of funding for the country's war in Ukraine.

Insuring the transition - Insurance brokers Howdens has released a Climate Insurability Framework that provides guidance in navigating the green transition over four areas: risk modelling; risk management; risk sharing; and public policy and regulation. It also presents lessons from historical insurability crises – from 19th century fire insurance to modern catastrophe risk – and offers a case study on European agriculture and sovereign resilience. The approach to insurance aims to optimise ongoing access to risk capital, resilience, and investment to enable the transition, said Rowan Douglas, chief executive, Climate Risk and Resilience, at Howden.

A large portion of emissions from the global LNG trade could be cut using existing technology, the International Energy Agency (IEA) said Friday.

ArcelorMittal has pulled out of two key decarbonisation projects in Germany, citing excessively high energy costs and policy uncertainty.

Landing the deal - US private equity firm Apollo is set to provide £4.5 bln in debt financing for the UK’s Hinkley Point C nuclear power station, easing growing financial strain on the delayed and over-budget project, the Financial Times reports. Sources told the newspaper that the investment-grade debt will be unsecured and carry an interest rate just under 7%. This funding helps close a major financial gap for the planned plant, which has faced challenges since China General Nuclear Power Group (CGN) ceased its financial contributions in 2023. CGN had originally committed to funding one-third of the project’s cost but exited after being removed from another UK nuclear project, Sizewell C, due to concerns over Chinese involvement.

Permit prices in China's national CO2 emissions market remained stable over the past week, while domestically issued offsets maintained their price premium due to the lack of supply.

A US-based carbon removal (CDR) buyers' coalition is close to unveiling its first afforestation, reforestation, and revegetation (ARR) offtake agreements after announcing that final due diligence processes are now underway.

Debate around the role of international credits to meet the EU’s upcoming 2040 climate target can be a catalyst for the UN to strengthen oversight, and quality of projects delivered under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement, according to a German researcher.

The European Commission on Friday announced its intention to withdraw the EU's Green Claims Directive proposal, in answer to a question by Carbon Pulse at its daily press briefing.

There are rising concerns around the influence of fossil fuel lobbyists at UN climate conferences, such as the ongoing intersessional talks in Bonn, Germany, according to a report.

Fake news - Widespread climate misinformation is escalating the crisis into a full-blown catastrophe, warn the authors of a new report from the International Panel on the Information Environment (IPIE). The study found that efforts to tackle climate change are being blocked and delayed by misleading narratives originating from fossil fuel interests, political figures, and certain governments. The report analysed 300 studies in its systematic review, noting that climate denial has shifted focus - from rejecting climate science outright to undermining proposed solutions. According to the report, online bots and trolls are key players in spreading these falsehoods, significantly amplifying misinformation. The researchers also observed that political leaders, public officials, and regulatory bodies are increasingly being targeted in campaigns aimed at stalling climate policy. (Guardian)

It's all Greek to me - Greece’s ambition to install over 5 GW of battery energy storage systems by 2030 is at risk of delays due to regulatory hurdles and a lack of clarity in market rules, said Sympower, a large flexibility aggregator in the country. According to Montel reporting, the unclear rules are threatening the country's end-of-decade goals.

CCUS for coal - Jera and Kawasaki Heavy Industries have signed an MoU for a joint study to build a CCUS value chain at the Yokosuka coal-fired power plant using the latter’s carbon capture kit. This will be the first test of CO2 capture at a coal plant on Tokyo Bay, the partners said. Jera owns and operates the plant, which went online in 2023 and replaced gas and light oil with coal as fuel. It is classified as an ‘ultra-supercritical’ plant, or of much higher efficiency than older coal plants. Jera plans to use ammonia over coal at its plants by financial 2030, using a mix at its less efficient plants and 100% at its high efficiency ones. Kawasaki’s tech uses a solid sorbent to absorb the CO2 from the post-combustion gas stream and then capture with 60C steam made from waste heat. Capturing post-combustion CO2 from energy and industrial processes is higher cost and higher energy than pre-combustion from natural gas wells.

Singapore on Friday released a draft guide for companies on voluntary use of carbon credits, recommending alignment with international “meta-standards” such as the Integrity Council for the Voluntary Carbon Market’s (ICVCM) Core Carbon Principles (CCPs).

The Shanghai government has finalised the 2025 allowance allocation plan for its municipal emissions trading market, which covers around 400 emitters, local media reported.

Power shift into gear - Africa could save between $3 trillion and $5 trillion by transitioning to a fully renewable energy system by 2050, according to new analysis by Power Shift Africa. The transition would not only offer the lowest-cost energy option but also create millions of jobs, boost economic development, and greatly expand access to electricity, according to the think tank. The report also outlined a continent-wide 100% renewable energy pathway, demonstrating that such a system would be far more cost-effective than continuing to rely on fossil fuels.

It's all about the Moneypoint - Starting Friday, Ireland's Electricity Supply Board (ESB) has officially ceased coal-fired operations at its Moneypoint Power Station in County Clare. Originally commissioned in the mid-1980s, Moneypoint has burned coal continuously since then. As recently as 2000, the plant produced around one-third of Ireland's power. Under the ESB’s 2019 Climate Action Plan, coal use at the station was scheduled to end by 2025, with Moneypoint set to shift to alternative fuels and prepare for integration into Ireland’s future renewable energy infrastructure. The plant, however, will now burn oil to generate power until the end of the decade, if called upon for security supply reasons. (RTE)

Australia’s leading scientific research agency has developed what it called a breakthrough in ways to make green hydrogen that will lower costs.

EU citizens energy package – The European Commission on Thursday launched a call for evidence for an initiative, called the Citizens Energy Package, aimed at “protecting and empowering consumers in the just transition”. The initiative will seek to tackle the disproportionate impact of the transition on some population groups, such as regions with high economic dependence on fossil fuels, and the “lack of citizen and consumer engagement in the energy market”, which according to the Commission, hinders the uptake of innovative energy efficiency services and renewable energy options. A communication on the matter is expected in Q4 2025.

EU ETS aviation update – The European Commission on Thursday published its final updated rules for the verification of emissions data submitted by airlines under the EU ETS, as well as for the accreditation of verifiers to perform the checks. The rules provide details for airlines to submit reports detailing progress towards their climate-neutrality plans, as reported earlier. Verifiers are then required check the conformity of these measures with the climate-neutrality plan, focusing on milestones, and investments. The rules also cover reporting and verification of non-CO2 effects of aviation (e.g., contrails, nitrogen oxides), as well as for the emissions attribution of alternative aviation fuels, and their verification. The draft implementing regulation is now being submitted to a climate change committee composed of EU member state representatives, which will vote to accept or reject it. If approved, it will then return to the Commission for final adoption and publication in the EU’s Official Journal.

Caspian subsea power cable - Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan are partnering to export clean energy to Europe by building a high-voltage subsea transmission line across the Caspian Sea, which will connect the two countries’ power grids and feed into the larger Black Sea Submarine Cable project, Qazaq Green reported. Through this initiative, the partners will be able to export solar and wind power from Central Asia to the EU market, supporting the EU’s climate goals. The project aims to boost regional energy integration, requiring huge funding from international institutions and public-private partnerships. Efforts are underway to establish a unified electricity market across Central Asia and the South Caucasus, including other countries such as Georgia, Uzbekistan, and Kyrgyzstan. (Qazaq Green)

One step back - The government of Quebec published an annual report on Thursday scaling back projections from the province's emissions reduction actions due to the Trump administration. Last year, the province estimated its efforts would reduce GHG emissions 67% to its 2030 target. The most recent report updated their impact calculations, saying the province's actions account for only 65% of the necessary reductions due to US tariffs being imposed on Canada, which are ultimately slowing investment in decarbonisation. The change is also impacted by the Canadian government's decision to scrap the nationwide consumer carbon price, impacting the competitiveness of Quebec's businesses. (The Canadian Press)