Ocean-based research – Nonprofit research organisation [C]Worthy announced on Monday multi-year investments from the Patrick J. McGovern Foundation and the Ocean Resilience and Climate Alliance (ORCA) for an undisclosed amount to fund the group’s efforts to advance marine CDR (mCDR) research and governance. [C]Worthy develops community datasets within mCDR, as well as computational systems and datasets to quantify the impacts of removal technologies on CO2 budgets and marine ecosystems.

Forests approved - Perimeter Forest Limited Partnership has successfully registered its Painted Forest Carbon Project under Verra's VM0012 methodology: Improved Forest Management in Temperate and Boreal Forests. Located in the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence hardwood forests of Ontario's Algoma Region, the nearly 147,900-acre (60,000 hectares) private property area north of Sault Ste. Marie is celebrated for its natural beauty and cultural significance - hosting over 100 known painting sites of the iconic Group of Seven artists.

There is no evidence that the use of voluntary carbon market (VCM) credits drives stronger corporate climate ambition, according to a study published Tuesday, that challenged a narrative promoted by market participants.

The Bahamas has closed a $25-million senior secured financing facility to capitalise its new sovereign blue carbon fund, advancing the country’s plan to commercialise marine-based mitigation outcomes, according to an announcement on Monday.

Fuel variances – Oregon’s Environmental Quality Commission (EQC) approved temporary variances on Monday to ease specific compliance requirements following the Olympic Pipeline closure, allowing truck and rail imports outside pipeline and terminal systems without triggering certain Clean Fuels or Climate Protection obligations. Effective until 2359 PST on Dec. 1, the Clean Fuels variance raises the regulation threshold from 0.5 mln to 5 mln gallons for suppliers not currently regulated and exempts direct truck imports to stations, fleets, and truck stops. The Climate Protection variance likewise exempts emissions when fuels are imported by truck or rail and directly delivered, and removes such volumes from applicability thresholds. Suppliers must report added imports within 45 days; variances may be adjusted.

Carbon removal (CDR) experts expect marine CDR (mCDR) and bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) will be among the first technologies to scale in the space, panellists said Monday.

Setting strategy – New Jersey Gov.-elect Mikie Sherrill (D) has appointed former Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm and former Federal Energy Regulatory Commission member Allison Clements to co-lead an energy affordability and reliability transition team, as part of her effort to address recent double-digit electricity bill increases, E&E News reported. Sherrill said the wider transition groups would work to improve state services, strengthen accountability, and reduce costs for residents.

Compliance entities picked up holdings of RGGI allowances following the Q3 auction in early September but remained in a deficit to outstanding obligations, a quarterly market monitor report published Monday showed.

A US-based agtech firm is expanding a partnership with Walmart that helps Arkansas rice farmers implement regenerative farming practices and reduce emissions, according to a Monday announcement.

Funding gaps – Renewable energy companies in Germany are complaining of a €6 bln funding gap in the draft federal budget for 2026, reported trade publication Tagesspiegel Background Energie & Klima on Monday. The German Renewable Energy Federation (BEE) says transmission grid operators are using flawed assumptions in their forecasting and therefore underestimating the support – and by extension, subsidies – renewables will require in the medium term. In parallel, the same publication reported that plans for almost a third (31%) of the €37.4 bln in the national Climate and Transformation Fund (KTF) for 2026 will actually slow down rather than accelerate climate action. (Tagesspiegel Background on renewables and climate funds)

A Texan's tantrum – A Texas regulator serving on the state's energy commission, the Railroad Commission, is lashing out against the state’s primacy over Class VI carbon injection wells, which the US EPA granted the state earlier this month. During a public meeting last week, Commission Wayne Christian criticised carbon capture projects, calling them a danger and tying them to Biden-era climate policies. Christian is part of a three-member Republican panel overseeing the state agency that now has authority over Class VI well permits. His comments add to a growing, nationwide chorus of Republican voices pushing back against carbon capture projects, according to E&E News.

Overseas SAF production – Engineering company Samsung E&A signed an MoU with Korean Air Lines on Thursday to outline a sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) partnership. The companies will identify and review overseas SAF production projects, support long-term offtake agreements, explore investment opportunities in new SAF technologies and projects, and expand Samsung E&A’s SAF Technology Alliance. Samsung will be entering the US SAF market through the partnership, Korea IT Times reported, as the companies target the country due to its feedstock availability, advanced technology, and available infrastructure. Samsung E&A will be responsible for procuring and building SAF production facilities, while Korean Air will consider being a long-term offtaker, establishing a stable demand for the project.

Asian collaboration – Japan’s Carbon EX has signed an MoU with Indonesian state-owned utility PLN to cooperate on RECs and carbon credits, EcoBiz reported. The MoU, signed at COP30 in Belem, will strengthen Indonesia’s participation in the VCM while also positioning it for Article 6 opportunities, the outlet reported Evy Haryadi, director of technology, engineering, and sustainability at PLN, as saying. Under the agreement, the two partners will develop a commercial framework for scalable and transparent REC and carbon credit trading, capacity building, and strengthening cross-border trade. PLN reportedly said the two aim to start transactions next year.

Go to the woods – The world’s largest motorbike manufacturer, Yamaha Motor, has signed an agreement with three other private sector companies to implement a voluntary carbon project in Goto, Japan. In a press release on Friday, the Japanese company said the Goto Connecting Carbon Credits (Tsuna-Kure) project would conserve 815 ha of city-owned unmanaged forest on Kuga Island, Nagasaki Prefecture. The credits will be issued by the Natural Capital Credit Consortium (NCCC) – a Japanese association aiming to boost the country's carbon credit market, specifically NbS – and consistent with international standards, the motor vehicle manufacturer said, including for CO2 reductions and biodiversity benefits. The three partners are environmental services company iForest, forestry company Somarin, and environmental association Mitsumeru Tabi. The NCCC issued its first credits last year.

Verra released on Monday the final allocated deforestation risk maps for Peru, clearing the way for project developers in the country to request activity data needed to register REDD+ projects under its VM0048 methodology and associated VM0055 module.

California gasoline sales in August recorded a second precipitous year-on-year (YoY) drop one month after notching its largest YoY drop of the year, while diesel sales headed downward after a July rebound, state data showed.

The European Commission on Friday adopted stricter conflict-of-interest and oversight rules for third parties accredited to verify carbon removals (CDR) certified in the European Union, but otherwise largely stuck to an earlier draft released in June, experts said.

Turkish ETS shape - Turkiye's upcoming ETS framework places particular emphasis on the iron and steel industry, as one of the core sectors in the pilot phase and a major source of verified emissions, Steel Orbis reported. The details came out in the environment ministry's new report on MRV in 2024. Installations are grouped into three categories by annual emissions, according to the MRV report. The 107 iron and steel installations had a combined 33.3 MtCO2e, or around 12% of Turkiye's verified emissions. The TR ETS will come in two stages – a pilot, from 2026-27, covering installations that emit over 50,000 MtCO2e a year, followed by full implementation from 2028-35.

European carbon prices straddled a key psychological and technical level on Monday before bouncing off supports, as the market withstood significant downward pressure from natural gas and power, with energy traders responding to the continuing efforts to craft a peace agreement for Ukraine and weakening demand fundamentals in Europe.

Vermont climate superfund – Vermont advocacy group VPIRG has filed an unopposed motion for leave to submit an amicus brief in federal litigation over the state’s Climate Superfund Act, telling the District Court it can provide state-level context and data on climate impacts in Vermont. TThe attached brief argues the law is constitutional, non-punitive and structured as a cost-recovery measure rather than an emissions-control statute, and contends federal law does not pre-empt the state’s approach. VPIRG also submitted a more detailed brief today expanding on those arguments and urging the Court to dismiss the complaints or grant summary judgment for the State.

Canada price corridor – Canada should establish a rising minimum price for industrial carbon credits to restore investor confidence and support low-carbon investment, experts from the Canadian Climate Institute said in an opinion piece. A “price corridor” approach is needed, with provinces maintaining a credit price floor alongside the existing ceiling, and the federal government updating its benchmark to harmonise standards, they said.

Japan-Ukraine soil pact – Japan-based agri-tech firm Sagri has signed an MoU with Ukrainian grain producer Grain Alliance to develop digital MRV and soil carbon quantification across 57,000 hectares. The partnership aims to scale carbon farming and improve sustainability in Ukraine’s agriculture sector.

Tokyo firms selected – The Tokyo Metropolitan Government has appointed four companies to run programme-type projects that aggregate emissions cuts from activities like efficient boilers, solar panels, LED lighting, and rice farming practices, with the aim to generate J-Credits. The selected firms — Carbon EX, Creatura, Bywill, and Feiger — will coordinate credit issuance and return revenue to participating SMEs and farmers across the city.

German H2 and carbon capture – Germany-based manufacturer Busch Group has unveiled a suite of vacuum and overpressure technologies to support industrial hydrogen and carbon capture applications, including CO2 separation and fuel cell optimisation. Under its Busch Vacuum Solutions and Pfeiffer Vacuum brands, the firm is offering oil-free blowers for hydrogen recirculation, leak detection tools for fuel cell and pipeline integrity, and claw vacuum pumps for efficient CO2 extraction.

Japanese fuel offsets – Japan-based Green Carbon and Cosmo Oil Marketing have completed the country’s first local fuel emissions offset using rice farming carbon credits, applying J-Credits from methane reductions in Fukushima’s Aizu region. The credits, generated by Green Carbon through mid-season drainage, were used to offset emissions from fuel trucks operated by Cosmo’s local distributor, Kita-Nihon Energy. Part of the revenue was returned to participating farmers, supporting a circular model that links agricultural decarbonisation with local credit use.

An aviation group is concerned about meeting the EU's mandate for synthetic aviation fuels (e-fuels), warning that airlines could face €8 billion of costs in 2030 alone if no supply materialises by then, a conference heard in London.

Nearly 600,000 integrity-tagged cookstove carbon credits are to be issued by the end of the year, in addition to almost 200,000 units recently approved for use in CORSIA, to the same developer, it was announced Monday.

G20 leaders have promised to intensify their efforts to reach net zero emissions around mid-century, in a declaration that acknowledges the need to adapt to climate change, overhaul sustainable finance, and distribute clean cooking – but omits any mention of fossil fuels.

Prices were little moved last week amid what some saw as a disappointing COP30 in Belem, which also failed to give a strong signal to the voluntary market, while CORSIA fundamentals remain hazy despite the release of bullish demand-side data.

The increasing use of sustainable aviation fuels will cause air fares to rise 10-15% over the long-term, provided the right policy framework is in place, an airline executive told an aviation conference Monday.

Only around one-fifth of climate disaster losses were covered by insurance in Asia and Latin America over the past decade, as rapid urbanisation in high-risk areas and more frequent extreme weather events widen the protection gap, a Spanish economic research group said in a report launched at COP30.

Corporate timberland owners see economic and climate promise in forest carbon markets, but a new study finds their participation is still constrained by financial viability concerns, regulatory complexity, and verification burdens.

Don't judge a book - A new Deloitte article, '11 Misconceptions About Carbon Credits', argued that despite growing criticism, they remain a valuable part of corporate climate strategies when used responsibly. The firm identified common misunderstandings, such as the belief that credits are merely a way to buy environmental progress, that the voluntary carbon market is too opaque to trust, or that all credits are low-quality. Deloitte emphasised in the new article that credits must complement, not replace, internal emissions reductions, but they can support high-integrity projects that deliver real CO2 mitigation and broader benefits, like biodiversity and community development. While acknowledging the market’s complexity, the report said companies can manage risks through careful project selection, robust due diligence and clear integration within net zero pathways. Dismissing the market entirely, Deloitte warned, could undermine climate finance and slow progress toward global goals. Instead, proactive, informed participation can give companies both environmental impact and strategic advantage.

A marketplace focused on carbon removals has launched a new call for expressions of interest for a government-backed bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) project, it said Monday.

Go with the flow - Onnu, a UK-based pyrolysis company, has launched CarboFlow, its proprietary technology to convert agricultural waste into verified carbon credits. Developed in-house, CarboFlow is designed to make biomass projects viable, scalable, and profitable, at a cost and speed that were previously out of reach, the company said. In a new partnership with Agrotech Bioenergy in Malaysia, CarboFlow is now also being deployed at plantations in Sabah, converting previously underutilised agricultural residues and biomass into renewable energy, biochar, and carbon credits.

The COP30 UN climate summit wrapped up last week with a record $9.5 billion pledged for forests – yet nature at large took a back seat in the negotiation rooms, according to observers.

A carbon removals registry has made updates to its biochar methodologies, as well as announcing new production modules for biochar developers, it announced on Monday. 

A San Francisco-headquartered enhanced rock weathering (ERW) developer operating in Brazil announced last week it aims to expand its deployment fivefold by the end of 2026.

A Canadian industrial hemp firm has last week unveiled plans to raise up to C$2 million ($1.4 mln) through a non-brokered private placement and a share consolidation.

Analysts have raised their CORSIA demand forecasts in light of an October announcement by ICAO that signalled that the aviation sector had grown by more than expected in 2024.

A global survey has been launched inviting carbon dioxide removal (CDR) suppliers to share details about their current and projected removal capacity. 

Article 6.4 “buffer pool” – The UNFCCC Supervisory Body has issued a formal call for stakeholder input on buffer pool contributions for authorised Article 6.4 emission reductions (A6.4ERs), following its 18th meeting, it was reported on social media. The secretariat is preparing a concept note to assess potential implications for NDC accounting, especially regarding how buffer pool transfers interact with corresponding adjustment requirements. Until further guidance is adopted, transfers into the Reversal Risk Buffer Pool will be treated as “forwarded” and will not trigger a first transfer for NDC accounting. Project developers, host countries, Parties, and market participants are invited to provide insights, risks, and practical considerations to inform upcoming decisions.

The new Paris Agreement Crediting Mechanism (PACM) is no longer just a theoretical part of Article 6 markets, according to an executive at a major project developer, but it will take time to fully assess the investment viability of different types of activities.

A UN-supported clean cooking body has published a new version of its cookstoves carbon methodology that can now be use as part of international trading under Article 6.2 and adopted by voluntary standards.

Two global corporations have struck a deal to invest in a regenerative agriculture scheme for rice farmers across Arkansas in the US, it was announced Monday.

A review of options to cut costs in Australia’s energy sector has found that all key pathways are either aligned with, or independent of, the country’s net zero ambitions – countering claims that decarbonisation is driving up prices.

A Zambian organisation has secured €1 million in funding from a Nordic-backed facility to expand access to clean electric cooking solutions, it announced last week.

The European Commission is exploring electrification as a key tool to decarbonise industry, with clear candidates including the food and beverage sector, the paper industry, and some non-ferrous metals such as aluminium, which can adjust their consumption to match fluctuations in renewable power generation.

A total €2 million has been awarded to fund research into how to best finance carbon removal (CDR) technology in the Nordic region, it was announced last week.

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has launched a digital carbon credit registry to support the implementation of Article 6 and strengthen oversight of its environmental assets, its environmental ministry announced on Nov. 20 at COP30 in Belem.

South Korea's main stock exchange on Monday launched consignment trading services for allowances under the national emissions trading scheme (ETS), as the government seeks to expand third-party participation in the carbon market.

The UN has opened public consultation on the first global methodology for savanna fire management (SFM) under Article 6.4 of the Paris Agreement.

Mine plans to craft – The Australian federal government has agreed to spend A$5 mln ($3.2 mln), plus contributions from New South Wales, to develop plans for reusing land formerly home to mines, the Net Zero Economy Authority announced on Friday. The plans will address BHP’s Mt Arthur mine site in Muswellbrook and Glencore’s Macquarie Coal site in Lake Macquarie, with support from the NZEA as part of the agency’s work in the Hunter region. The outcome will also inform future mine site closures across NSW, to create a replicable model, NZEA added.

Sweet deal – The Global Carbon Council (GCC) has signed an MoU with the Indian Sugar and Bio-energy Manufacturers Association (ISMA) to strengthen the Asian country’s participation in carbon markets, the Doha-based standard said in a Sunday press release. Specifically, the two will partner on workshops, training, sector-specific capacity-building for project development, biofuel-specific methodologies, and advocate for the Indian government to adopt GCC’s standards and methodologies for compressed biogas, green hydrogen, and other bioenergy projects. ISMA will also support the government’s recognition of GCC credits for use in India’s Carbon Credit Trading Scheme and the issuance of letters of authorisation (LoAs) for eligible projects. Credits issued to projects registered with the GCC are eligible for compliance with Phase 1 (2024-26) of the aviation sector’s CORSIA system, as long as they are for emissions reductions which occurred by Dec. 31, 2026 and providing they have an LoA from the host country.