The Colombian government is proposing to almost double the price per tonne of the carbon tax and reduce the share of emissions exempt from taxation via offsetting mechanisms to 30%, according to tax reform introduced to Congress Monday. 

Slam on the brakes - Business groups have requested to pause their lawsuit against the state of California for its climate disclosure laws, according to court filings Thursday. The case was first filed by the US Chamber of Commerce in Jan. 2024, though the plaintiffs recently lost an effort in the lawsuit to prevent the state from enforcing the regulations. Should the request be granted, all lawsuit proceedings would be paused until a decision is issued on the appeal filed by the business group in the Ninth Circuit. Separately, the plaintiffs also filed a motion to pause enforcement of the laws until a decision from the appeals court, which is pending hearing in court.

Brazil’s National Bank for Economic and Social Development (BNDES) on Monday launched a public notice to invest up to R$5 billion ($918.3 million) in funds aimed at financing climate-related projects.

The court schedule has been set for a California class action over “carbon neutral” Vuse e-cigarettes, setting dismissal motion due dates in fall 2025 and a trial date more than two years away in Nov. 2027.

Retirement of voluntary carbon credits dropped sharply in August amid a typical summer slowdown, while the huge surplus of supply available in the market continued to depress the bulk of trade.

Carbon Pulse – the leader in news and intelligence for the global carbon markets – in July introduced a new suite of subscription products: Carbon Pulse Premium, Net Zero Pulse, and Nature & Biodiversity Pulse.

Nature-based removal stakeholders continue to fight for their place in Paris Agreement carbon markets, with analysis of over 100 market responses to a controversial draft Article 6 permanence standard showing a clear lack of consensus and dissatisfaction with the latest text, as an expert methodological panel meets this week to discuss how to move things forward.

EU carbon allowances climbed to their highest in 10 weeks on Monday, as traders kicked off September on a more positive note after weeks of rangebound prices, while natural gas and German power also zoomed higher despite Europe's gas storage levels reaching 76% ahead of the Nov. 1 deadline to achieve 80%, and UKAs advanced to their most in 11 weeks.

It's all politics - Gabon’s Ministry of Economy issued a clarification last week on the country's carbon levy. It stressed that 'parafiscal charges', such as the carbon contribution policy, can only be imposed if explicitly authorised in the annual budget law. According to local reporting, the statement implied that levies announced earlier in the year by other agencies, including those targeting maritime and airline operators, lack legal basis if not legislated. The ministry said that businesses that any payment not listed in the budget law or not transferred to the public treasury is unenforceable. The clarification highlighted ongoing tensions over the carbon levy, introduced at the start of the year.

GCC's climate future - A slow and fragmented transition would leave Gulf countries unable to meet their mid-century climate goals, with persistent costs for technologies like carbon capture and green hydrogen hindering progress, fossil fuels continuing to dominate, and clean energy lagging, according LSE research. A faster, stronger transformation, on the other hand, would make net zero central to national development and economic growth, with the region investing in hydrogen, solar, bioenergy, CCS, and circular economy strategies and sovereign wealth funds financing large-scale projects. This would make the GCC a global leader in clean energy innovation and technology, and an exporter of fuels, expertise, and industrial capacity.    

Macquarie restructure - The Australian asset manager is transferring its international finance operations - which largely house the commodities division's North American power, gas, and emissions activity - to the group's non-banking entity, which is less constrained by regulatory requirements, the Australian Financial Review reported Monday. The change comes in response to regulatory pressure, as Macquarie looks to position itself of future growth in offshore power and gas markets.

Zimbabwe has introduced proposals for new climate change legislation, which would establish a National Climate Fund that is heavily financed by carbon market revenues, according to local media.

EU maritime credits for sale – Swedish tanker operator Furetank has established CO2mpliance, a new subsidiary to trade emission reduction units under the EU’s FuelEU Maritime regulation, the company has announced. The regulation, which took effect this year, mandates gradual greenhouse gas cuts from ships, enabling companies to sell surplus reduction units, Furetank said. The company will power its Vinga series of fuel tankers with mass-balanced biomethane throughout 2025, exceeding EU targets and creating tradable emission credits in the process. “We have the entire chain of expertise required to conduct the transactions and administration, in line with the new regulation and the specific conditions of shipping,” said Viktoria Hoglund, CEO of CO2mpliance.

Climate change is upending traditional approaches to fiscal and monetary policy, according to a new International Monetary Fund (IMF) working paper that reviews the latest research, models, and data on integrating climate change into macroeconomic analysis.

Maritime emissions - Shipping emissions platform Green Bunkers has launched operations in Spain with an initial €5 mln investment from parent company Baghdadi Capital. The startup aims to  connect shipowners and charterers with fuel suppliers, offering price and emissions traceability, CO₂ offsetting options, and access to finance. Offerings will include digital tools for fuel traceability, real-time fleet monitoring, and integrated carbon credit management. Green Bunkers will initially rollout in Spain and Europe - helping the maritime sector face growing emissions-related costs due to the sector's inclusion in the EU ETS and April agreement to set a global CO2 price. Expansion into the Middle East and Southeast Asia is planned by the end of 2026, followed by entry into the Americas in 2027. (Be Beez)

New plans - Barbados’ new NDC commits to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 45% below 2008 levels by 2035, with a conditional pathway of up to 70% if international support is provided. By 2030, the country also aims to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 37% compared to 2008 levels, which is equal to 31% below the revised 2025 BAU scenario, it said. Central to its strategy is a fossil fuel-free electricity sector, now expected between 2035-40, supported by renewable energy, energy efficiency, transport electrification, and improved waste management, the document said. Barbados also requires about $1.1 bln for adaptation in sectors such as water, coastal protection, housing, and the blue economy, to be mobilised through concessional finance and innovative debt swaps. Under Article 6, Barbados aims to use cooperative approaches mainly to attract investment and track project-level mitigation, adding that markets should only supplement domestic action. It also advocates for more formalised recognition of its blue carbon ecosystems. It is only the 30th country to have submitted a 2035 Paris Agreement strategy, with the deadline set by Brazil for late September.

The UK’s opposition party is set to ditch the “act of economic disarmament” – a goal for net zero emissions by 2050 – that it legislated while in government, and push to drill for as much offshore oil and gas as possible.

Greener travel - Travel and events management company ATPI Group has achieved a 25% absolute reduction in Scope 1 and 2 emissions and compensated for 100% of its residual emissions last year using globally recognised, high-quality carbon credits. Its 2025 Sustainability report published Monday also stated it has achieved an 11% reduction in total emissions per full-time employee and introduced an internal carbon price to accelerate decarbonisation. Carbon projects it funded last year include the Biomass Everest Starch Facility in India and the Envira Amazonia REDD+ project in Brazil. ATPI also invested in 75 tonnes of sustainable aviation fuel last year supplied by Neste, representing 5% of its business travel emissions from the previous year.

The German government will not mandate any hard coal plant closures from 2028, as market forces, including the EU ETS carbon price, have incentivised operators to shutter sufficient capacity to date.

Franc0-German reset - France and Germany have reached an agreement on nuclear energy, reported Tagesspiegel Background on Monday. It said the two have largely resolved their long-standing feud over nuclear power - France for, Germany against - and announced closer cooperation on a whole host of other issues. The Franco-German Economic Agenda that resulted from a bilateral summit last week invokes a "reset" in relations and hails a potential new electricity interconnector; realisation of the SouthWestern Hydrogen Corridor; joint work on CBAM, industrial electricity prices, lead markets, hydrogen, and batteries; and a "cooperative working process" which could lead to joint proposals on 1) changes to some European energy rules to "facilitate pragmatic implementation" and 2) the EU's 2040 energy architecture, to ensure among other things "non-discrimination among all net-zero  and low-carbon energy technologies".

To meet its 2050 net zero target, the EU will need an annual volume of carbon removals equivalent to more than 350-fold the current total delivered globally each year, according to new independent forecasts for the European Commission, published at the end of August.

Nearly nine out of ten high-quality biochar credits available for 2025 have already been spoken for, data from a carbon removal marketplace showed Monday.

A France-based environmental standard body will hold an event in October aimed at connecting biodiversity and carbon credit projects with potential buyers.

CCS milestone - The 20-kilometer offshore pipeline for the Netherlands’ Porthos CO₂ transport and storage project has been completed, reported Offshore Engineer on Aug. 31. It will carry captured CO₂ from Rotterdam’s port industry to depleted gas fields beneath the North Sea, where it will be permanently stored over three kilometers below the seabed. Once the pipeline was laid, it was sunk in trenches and covered with a layer of sand for extra stability and protection. Porthos customers include Shell, ExxonMobil, Air Liquide and Air Products. The onshore pipeline can handle up to 10 mtCO2, supporting future projects like Aramis and CO2next. Together, these initiatives aim to create a CO₂ hub in Rotterdam that is the foundation for a cross-border CCS network. (Offshore Engineer)

A European bourse has introduced a new EU Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) reference price, a weekly index designed to prepare affected companies for the bloc's flagship carbon leakage policy, which will apply in full from 2026.

Staying resolute - Equinor is investing almost $1 bln of fresh capital into Danish renewables company Orsted as it faces pressure from the US crackdown on offshore wind. On Monday, Equinor said it would back Orsted's DKK 60 bln ($9.4 bln) rights issue and planned to maintain its 10% stake in the company. Whilst Norway's $2 trillion oil fund, another one of Orsted's top 10 shareholders, said it too would vote in favour of the rights issue. Orsted's shares were up 4.4% in early trading on Monday, following the support for raising new capital. The company has been shaken by US President Donald Trump's aversion to wind power, and is moving to shore up its balance sheet with a rights issue. (FT)

Major peatland and woodland carbon projects are at high risk from wildfires in England and Wales, facing the potential loss of over 200,000 tonnes of CO2 storage, and potentially causing over £12 mln worth of damage, according to new analysis from a carbon insurer.

Qatar's carbon ambitions - QatarEnergy's facilities have so far captured and stored around 7.5 mln tonnes of CO2 since 2019, according to Saad bin Sherida al-Kaabi, the Minister of State for Energy Affairs. All LNG expansion projects will deploy CCS technology, aiming to capture over 11 mln tonnes of CO2 per year by 2035, said al-Kaabi, who is also president and CEO of QatarEnergy. The country is investing heavily in the LNG value chain, including in a shipbuilding programme, to meet growing LNG demand globally. Whilst it also aims to reach 4 GW of solar power by 2030 and launched a blue ammonia project last year - where carbon is captured and stored during ammonia production. (Gulf Times)

Fransylva, the French federation of private forest owners, has expressed serious doubts about the feasibility of the EU's proposed 2040 climate target for land carbon sinks, warning that the ambition appears “unrealistic” due to the declining ability of forests to absorb CO2.

Regulators in China have formulated an action plan to control nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions from the industrial sector through various policy tools, including utilising the national voluntary carbon market.

Last month saw the total number of hectares of forest and participants in New Zealand’s emissions trading scheme reach an all time high, according to government data.

Insurance policy - Apple has told a federal court in California that Verra’s 75-mln carbon credit buffer pool was “more than sufficient” to cover any potential shortfalls, arguing its 'carbon neutral' claims remain valid. The defence came just days after a German court had ruled that Apple must withdraw adverts in the country that claim three of its smartwatches are 'carbon neutral'.

Australia’s Clean Energy Regulator (CER) has defended its emissions monitoring methods after accusations of regulatory failure were levelled at government agencies by environmental groups over a methane leak at a facility covered under the Safeguard Mechanism.

Last call - The Climate Change Authority's (CCA) consultation on its 2025 Annual Progress Report closes today at 1700 AEST. The issues paper asks for feedback on how well the government is supporting and enabling the transition to net zero, deploying renewable energy infrastructure, and the Safeguard Mechanism. The CCA asks how effective is the Safeguard at driving onsite emissions reductions and what changes the government could make to help it achieve the country's emissions target. Examples raised included Safeguard coverage, baseline settings, decline rates, flexibility mechanisms, and rules on ACCU use. The CCA will provide its advice to government and publish its report later in the year.

Forestry funding - The Australian government has awarded A$19 million ($12.3 mln) to 15 forestry plantation projects, part of which has gone to developers looking to generate ACCUs, it announced. The funding stemmed from Round 3 of the Support Plantation Establishment programme, and will establish new plantations in NSW, Western Australia, Victoria, and, for the first time, the Northern Territory. Carbon Neutral, Mitsui & Co Wood Resources Oceania, and Tasmanian Carbon Afforestation Sub-Trust, were among the entities receiving the cash. Grant applications for Round 3 close on Nov. 5.

First afforestation project - A forestry regulator based in Heilongjiang province has recently registered the first afforestation project under China's voluntary CCER programme since the scheme relaunch, according to data from the registration platform. The Daxing'anling Mohe Forestry Bureau has been carrying out afforestation activities across around 1,560 hectares of forest farms since 2017. Its planned CCER project is expected to generate a total of 242,740 carbon credits over the 40-year lifetime. So far, most of the registered CCER projects are associated with offshore wind power initiatives.    

Australia should use its upcoming 2035 Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) to include gross emissions, methane, and fossil fuel phaseout targets as part of its updated goals, while relying less on land-based offsets, a report published Sunday urged.

In memoriam - James Hepburne Scott, who died on Aug. 3 aged 78, was a leading figure in UK forestry and a pioneer of the voluntary carbon market. After early careers in the army and agriculture, he co-founded Forest Carbon in 2006 with Steve Prior, developing projects that went on to plant around 13 mln trees across the UK and Ireland and restore more than 1,400 hectares of peatlands. He was instrumental in shaping the Woodland Carbon Code, launched in 2011, and later the Peatland Code, both of which set rigorous standards for afforestation and restoration projects. His contributions also extended to serving as president of the Royal Scottish Forestry Society, supporting flood prevention work through the Tweed Forum, and acting as an honorary fellow of the Institute of Chartered Foresters. In recognition of his achievements, he was appointed OBE in 2023 for services to forestry and the environment in Scotland. Remembered for his innovation, mentorship, and cultural interests, Hepburne Scott is survived by his wife, Christian, and their three children. A thanksgiving service was held in Wiltshire, with a further celebration planned in Scotland. (The Times)

Great pour - ASX-listed processing technology company Zeotech announced it has completed its largest commercial-scale pour using its low-embodied carbon concrete additive - AusPozz. The company said it completed a pour of 100 cubic meters using around 8 tonnes of the AusPozz product, designed to showcase its compatibility with mainstream concrete production systems. It added that the demonstration has sparked new commercial opportunities, including a proposed 200 m-sq trial, a windfarm mix design with 50% cement replacement, and a potential MoU with what it described as a global engineering and construction company, among others. Zeotech has previously said its product could cut cement emissions by up to 80%.