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- Thu 23:44Cooperation over compliance - Canada’s environment minister Julie Dabrusin told MPs that Ottawa remains reluctant to impose the federal industrial carbon pricing backstop, even as provinces fall out of compliance with national standards. According to the National Observer, when pressed at a committee hearing on why the government has not acted against Saskatchewan, which stopped collecting its industrial carbon price more than eight months ago, Dabrusin said the federal system is ready to be applied but that the government’s priority is to reach agreements that allow provinces to run their own equivalent schemes. Her comments highlighted a broader federal strategy of preferring negotiated alignment over unilateral intervention, despite budget commitments to quickly enforce the backstop whenever a provincial system drops below the benchmark. The approach is already under strain following the new federal-Alberta agreement, which trades several environmental measures for Alberta’s pledge to strengthen its industrial carbon price. The deal also permits the use of federal carbon capture tax credits for enhanced oil recovery, contradicting earlier federal budget promises and intensifying scrutiny of Ottawa’s climate stance. Former environment minister Steven Guilbeault resigned over the agreement, warning that the trade-off was a mistake and questioning Alberta’s intent to negotiate in good faith after it approved changes that weaken its carbon market. Ottawa and Alberta must settle the design and timelines for a strengthened industrial price by Apr. 2026. Dabrusin and PM Mark Carney continue to emphasise industrial carbon pricing as the backbone of Canada’s emissions-reduction plan. Analysis by the Canadian Climate Institute shows it is the single largest driver of projected cuts by 2030. But concerns are mounting about the broader policy framework. Guilbeault has said Canada cannot meet its climate goals under the current path, and the Parliamentary Budget Officer previously assessed that the country is likely to miss its targets - even before Ottawa paused the electric-vehicle mandate and signed the Alberta agreement.
- Thu 23:20A proposal from Alberta’s finance minister, designed to shield companies from climate-related lawsuits, became law on Thursday.
- Thu 23:13California Carbon Allowance (CCA) prices inched up to surpass the $30 mark as traders agreed the market was in neutral gear awaiting further news on the DOJ investigation and California regulator ARB's Initial Statement of Reasons (ISOR) on the programme's extension.
- Thu 23:11Even as the global shift away from sustainability goals all but kills the possibility of reaching the 1.5C warming goal, some analysts said Thursday that warming scenarios above 2C – from 2.5C to 3.5C – is equally unlikely.
- Thu 23:02A new bipartisan bill introduced to Congress would look to strengthen the sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) industry, filling gaps left by the Trump administration through tax credit cuts.
- Thu 23:00Industrial decarb - US-based industrial decarbonisation company Utility Global has announced a partnership with Kyocera International to scale manufacturing of its electrochemical cells. The scale-up would support commercial deployments of Utility's H2Gen systems. The H2Gen system produces hydrogen from water without electricity, while concentrating CO2 from industrial off-gases for carbon capture. Utility said the ramp-up would enable economic industrial decarbonisation of hard-to-abate industries such as steel, refining, petrochemicals, and chemicals.
- Thu 22:59Canadian oil-worker decline - Less than 1% of Canada’s workforce is employed by the fossil fuel industry, according to a report by the Vancouver-based Centre for Future Work. The report said there were 177,000 jobs in direct fossil fuel work in Canada in 2024, including oil and gas, coal, petroleum refining, pipelines, natural gas, and others. Fossil fuel employment declined by 38,000 jobs over the previous decade, mostly in upstream oil and gas – despite a 35% increase in Canadian oil production, and a 24% increase in natural gas production.
- Thu 22:49Biomass estimates produced from airborne LiDAR can shift by as much as 11% depending solely on the spatial resolution used, a new analysis has found, raising concerns for carbon offset developers and buyers that rely on high-resolution canopy-height products to quantify forest carbon gains.
- Thu 22:48Federal circuit judges ordered the US EPA to file a report on the agency’s progress toward enacting the 2026 Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) programme by Dec. 15.
- Methane method - The EU is preparing a simplified approach for US LNG exporters to meet its methane emissions rules, after Washington objected that the requirements could restrict trade, Bloomberg reports. The EU methane regulation, designed to cut emissions embedded in fossil fuel use, obliges foreign LNG suppliers to comply over time or risk losing access to the bloc’s market. A European Commission proposal, to be discussed by EU energy ministers on Dec. 15, outlines a “simple and pragmatic” implementation to address US claims that compliance is unworkable because American gas is produced across many states with differing standards. The plan offers two compliance pathways: a certification system or a “trace-and-claim” approach. According to the Commission, both can be applied without significant cost, administrative burden, or supply risks, and would give long-term contractual certainty. The Commission has invited member state feedback and aims to clarify fines for non-compliance, a key concern for companies such as BP and ConocoPhillips that say the penalties hinder new LNG contracting. The US, the world’s largest LNG exporter, remains central to Europe’s gas supply as the bloc continues to replace Russian volumes. Methane, which has over 80 times the warming impact of CO2 in its first 20 years in the atmosphere, remained at high global emissions levels last year, the IEA has noted.
- Thu 22:41Scope 3 pushed back - Verra announced Thursday that its intends to launch Version 1.0 of phase 1 of its Scope 3 Standard (S3S) Program in Q1 2026, after previously saying it intended to so by the end of 2025. The delay is primarily due to the need to align with version 5.0 of the VCS Program, which is scheduled for release by the end of 2025, the standard said. Doing so is meant to ensure interoperability between the programmes and enable projects to issue units in the carbon credit or value chain abatement spaces, depending on market demand. Phase 1 will be open for use to all intervention proponents, enabling them to pipeline-list their Scope 3 interventions on the Verra registry using an initial set of methodologies adapted from the VCS Program for use with the S3S Program, including VM0042, VM0043, and VM0045. Following the publication of phase 1, Verra intends to finalise phase 2 of version 1.0, aiming now to of go live in Q3 2026. This phase will support validation, registration, and issuance of verified emission reductions - called Intervention Units (IUs) - to pilot projects and programme sponsors. For the first year after its launch, version 1.0 phase 2 will be restricted to S3S sponsors and the pilots that supported the adaptation of VCS methodologies and informed the development process. This phased rollout is meant to allow for robust testing of the initial version of the programme before it opens more widely. Finally, Verra said it is working concurrently working on version 2.0 of the S3S Program to develop a strategy for establishing a right-to-report (R2R) framework across a range of economic sectors and supply chains, including through alignment with other initiatives such as the SBTi. It will open a public consultation on draft programme documents for version 2.0 in an unspecified time in 2026. Verra noted in its original announcement of S3S that the timelines of the initiative remained subject to change.
- Thu 21:33Rule redefinition - The New Source Review Permitting Improvement Act (HR 161), introduced by Representative Morgan Griffith (R-VA) and advanced Wednesday by the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee, would narrow when industrial projects trigger Clean Air Act New Source Review by tightening the definitions of “modification” and “construction”. The bill bases applicability on whether a project would raise a facility’s maximum hourly emission rate above its highest level in the past decade and exempts efficiency, reliability, or safety upgrades unless they both increase that hourly rate and adversely affect health or the environment.
- Thu 21:20Monitoring public spending – Brazil’s federal government unveiled this week its first methodology and interactive dashboard to track public spending on climate action, biodiversity, and disaster risk management. Developed by the Planning Ministry with support from the Inter American Development Bank (IDB), the tool maps federal expenditures over 2010-23, revealing R$421 bln ($77.8 bln) for climate, R$250 bln for biodiversity, and R$111 bln for risk management. Officials said the system will improve transparency and guide more effective mitigation, adaptation, and fiscal planning.
- Thu 21:18Environmental encore - Young Montanans who won a landmark 2024 ruling recognising their constitutional right to a clean and healthful environment have asked the Montana Supreme Court to invalidate several new laws that they say defy that decision, E&E News reported. In a petition filed Wednesday, the youth – represented by legal advocacy organisation Our Children’s Trust – argue that measures enacted this spring by Governor Greg Gianforte (R) and the legislature undermine the earlier judgment and continue to restrict consideration of climate impacts in state energy decisions. The filing seeks original jurisdiction, which would allow the high court to take up the case directly.
- Thu 21:18No more fees, please - US House Republicans used a Natural Resources oversight hearing to argue that the Equal Access to Justice Act (EAJA) is being misused by environmental organisations to recover legal fees from the federal government, contending that the 1980 statute has evolved into a funding mechanism for litigation aimed at restricting land use, E&E News reported. GOP members signalled interest in limiting when attorneys’ fees can be awarded, while Democrats warned that curbing EAJA would weaken accountability measures in environmental law and create what one called a liability shield for polluters.
- 2026 priority - Brazil's Securities & Exchange Commission (CVM) as identified the country's national carbon market law as a priority topic for public consultation in 2026, according the agency's regulatory agenda published Wednesday. The CVM is drafting an action plan on how carbon credits under the national emissions trading system (Portuguese: SBCE) would function in financial markets, and has one representative on the SBCE's Technical Advisory Committee established earlier this week.
- Thu 20:55UN report gets Trumped - The Trump administration sided with Saudi Arabia, Russia, and Iran to block part of a UN report about the planet's dire state because it called for phasing out fossil fuels, according to The New York Times. The section summarised the Global Environment Outlook 7, a 1,200-page report that condenses scientific research reviewed by 300 experts into clear, actionable language for governments worldwide. The report was released Monday during the UN Environment Assembly in Nairobi. The move marked the first time countries failed to issue a "summary for policymakers" since UNEP began publishing outlook reports in 1997, with US officials undermining the process by voicing opposition at the last minute despite not attending the October meeting in Nairobi.
- Thu 20:53US farms get charred - The US Biochar Initiative (USBI) kickstarted its Growing with Biochar programme with California sessions, beginning a nationwide training effort through 2026 to teach growers about sourcing and applying biochar in commercial systems, HortiDaily reported. While initial sessions focused on field agriculture, USBI sees growing opportunities for vertical farms and is seeking input from controlled-environment operators to develop targeted training modules, noting biochar's lightweight properties and nutrient efficiency benefits could reduce costs for indoor growers.
- Thu 20:51The European Commission on Thursday launched legal action against Cyprus, France, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Malta, Poland, and Portugal for failing to fully transpose the revised Renewable Energy Directive into national law, warning that continued delays risk undermining the EU’s clean energy and climate goals.
- Thu 20:51The European Commission has adopted its Horizon Europe Work Programme for 2026-27, setting out €14 billion in research and innovation funding and earmarking at least 35% – an estimated €4.9 billion – for climate-related activities.
- Thu 19:50RGGI meeting materials - Market administrator RGGI Inc. posted on Thursday meeting materials for the Dec. 15 meeting of its Board of Directors. The agenda for the meeting includes: 2026 committee elections and proposed budget, a review of past meeting minutes, and milestone updates. Interested parties can register here.
- Thu 19:42
California cap-and-invest programme – California awarded $865 million in cap-and-invest programme revenues to fund affordable housing and green transportation projects, bringing the Strategic Growth Council's total climate investment to over $5 billion, Governor Gavin Newsom announced Tuesday. The funding includes $835.3 million for 21 affordable housing and transportation projects creating close to 2,400 rent-restricted homes plus zero-emission transit vehicles, bike lanes, and walkways equivalent to removing 209,400 gas-powered car trips annually.
- Thu 19:32The EU could purchase 363 million international carbon credits as part of a pilot scheme linked to its decision to allow up to 5% of the bloc's 2040 emissions reduction target to be met by offsets, according to new estimates.
- Thu 19:06The European Commission has formally approved the first national plan among EU member states designed to support the vulnerable with energy and climate costs, the first under the bloc's new Social Climate Fund framework, which is backed by carbon revenues.
- A Louisiana bio-methanol and carbon capture project has agreed to supply a tech sector buyer with 3.6 million tonnes of engineered carbon removals (CDR) over 12 years.
- Thu 17:44The main exchange handling auctions of EU Allowances has published an updated calendar of sales for 2026, showing a sharp decrease for next year as supply is adjusted to take account of the full inclusion of maritime emissions in the bloc’s cap-and-trade system.
- Thu 17:32A global commodities firm has reported a significant rise in carbon trading volumes to more than 165 million tonnes, in a 2025 annual report published this week.
- Thu 17:26The EU must begin preparing well ahead of upcoming UN climate talks and focus on building new alliances, one of the key architects of the Paris Agreement, Laurence Tubiana, said on Thursday, while European Commission Vice-President Teresa Ribera urged the bloc to develop its own roadmap for phasing out fossil fuels.
- Thu 17:23EU carbon prices rose as the market reacted to Wednesday's expiry of the December options contract and refocused on the medium-term supply outlook, while final rules for the EU's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism hinted at potential for additional hedging demand.
- A direct air capture (DAC) project developer has claimed that the technology could remove 5 billion tonnes of CO2 per year from the atmosphere by 2050, as per its conservative estimate.
- Thu 16:54The Brazilian Federal Public Prosecutor’s Office (MPF) has filed a case seeking an urgent ruling from the Federal Court to reverse the approval for drilling in the Amazon, it announced on Wednesday.
- Thu 16:48Global maritime CO2 emissions rose 9.3% between 2019 and 2024 as post-pandemic economic expansion and higher transport intensity offset improvements in vessel fuel efficiency, new analysis shows.
- Thu 16:39The Integrity Council for the Voluntary Carbon Market (ICVCM) still plays second fiddle to more recognised standards for quality assurance, such as Gold Standard, Verra, Puro.Earth, Plan Vivo, and Rainbow, a survey has found.
- Misleading Eurowing ad – A German court has barred Eurowings from using advertising that suggests its flights can be made fully climate neutral through low-cost carbon offset payments, Aviation Direct reported. The Higher Regional Court in Düsseldorf found slogans such as “the future of CO2-neutral flying is just a click away” misled consumers by implying all climate impacts, including contrails and nitrogen oxides, were neutralised. The ruling comes ahead of EU rules from 2026 that will ban vague climate-neutrality claims based solely on offsets, while allowing quantified statements on measures such as sustainable aviation fuel. (Aviation Direct)
- Thu 16:20The UK will reduce the quantity of free allowances it hands out under its Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) by 2.5% in 2027, government officials confirmed on Thursday.
- A carbon standard is considering its first nature-based project, it announced Thursday, as it looks to expand its reach into new sectors and regions.
- Thu 16:03Biotech backing - Scottish biotech company MiAlgae has received up to £1.5 mln in grant funding from the UK government to develop a new project on the Grangemouth site close to Edinburgh in Scotland. The project is to make fish-free Omega 3 out of algae by repurposing whisky byproducts, which is estimated to save 30 tonnes of fish for every tonne of algae produced. A condition of the grant funding is for eligible Grangemouth workers to be given priority during recruitment. The funding aims to support the company’s plans to construct its first commercial-scale manufacturing facility, and is part of the government's plans to transform Grangemouth into a low-carbon tech hub.
- REDD gets ratings - Everland, a New York-based REDD marketing firm, has selected rating agency Sylvera to provide independent assessments for its $50 mln direct financing initiative, the Indigenous Amazon Outcome Bond, underwritten by BNP Paribas. Sylvera will provide continuous, independent assessments of project quality and risk throughout the life cycle of each financed project. The Indigenous Amazon Outcome Bond has secured $160 mln in Letters of Intent so far. Over 10 years, it is projected to generate $1 bln, with most revenue – including at least 70% for projects in Brazil – directed to indigenous and traditional communities while protecting 17 mln hectares of rainforest.
- A coalition of market participants has called on governments to overhaul their carbon regulations, with a lack of clarity across host country frameworks, and often a lack of capacity on the supply side, preventing the unlocking of $50 billion in finance by the end of the decade.
- The UK government needs to incentivise investments in carbon removal technologies, including through both voluntary and compliance markets, within the next few years – or risk "catastrophically failing" and setting the industry back 10 years, according to industry players.
- Thu 14:57European capital markets are too fragmented to support the investment needed to meet the EU’s climate, digital, and defence objectives simultaneously, a senior European Commission official has said, urging member states to accelerate efforts to build an bloc-wide savings and investment union.
- Thu 14:45Verra has defended its continued issuance of hydropower offsets after US-based researchers accused the standards body of knowingly generating a large pool of potentially non-additional units that could rival or exceed the scale of excess crediting observed at Zimbabwe’s embattled Kariba REDD+ project.
- Thu 13:44Detrimental impacts - Expanding the UK ETS to British maritime from next summer threatens ferry operator Wightlink's investment plans, including in a next-generation hybrid ferry. The new rules are expected to cost the Isle of Wight operator up to £1 mln a year, and could have the unintended impact of increasing pollution rather than reducing it. It could lead operators to be incentivised to run smaller ferries, which are more polluting overall but are exempt from the ETS - rather than larger, more environmentally friendly hybrid or electric vessels, which are heavier due to batteries on board. Decarbonising ports is also a huge challenge, hampering operator's moves to decarbonise. MPs are calling for the govt to grant the Isle of Wight exemption to the UK ETS, as it has for Scottish island services, seeing as the ferries are a lifeline for residents. (On the Wight)
- Thu 12:56To reach a durable state of net zero, CO2 fluxes must be rebalanced with the corresponding type of removals, though the high cost of permanent carbon removals (CDR) poses a challenge to neutralising fossil fuel emissions, according to a team of researchers.
- Thu 12:50Drax, a large carbon removal developer and energy producer, expects earnings to be at the "top end" of market forecasts this year, and is looking at the potential of developing a data centre in the north of England, it announced on Thursday.
- Thu 12:47Bureaucratic red tape is holding back the development of green hydrogen in Europe, German utility RWE has claimed, as nearly 60 major low-carbon hydrogen projects worldwide have been shelved or frozen this year.
- Thu 12:24The UK government has announced a set of actions to help small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) lower costs, access new markets and accelerate their shift to more sustainable practices.
- Thu 12:03ARR tender - The provincial government of Balochistan in Pakistan has opened international competitive bidding for a major afforestation, reforestation, and revegetation-based carbon offset project spanning 34,351 ha across Gwadar and Lasbela regions. Announced through the Balochistan Public-Private Partnership Authority in collaboration with the Forest and Wildlife Department, the project will be developed under a design, build, finance, operate, maintain, and transfer model with a 46-year concession period. Bids are due by Feb. 3, 2026, with a pre-bid meeting scheduled for Jan. 6. According to the authorities, the flagship initiative aims to drive environmental regeneration, carbon sequestration, and long-term ecological sustainability under the province’s PPP framework.
- Thu 11:30Poland, supported by Estonia and Lithuania, has called for transmission system operators to be exempt from paying the EU's border carbon fee for the power it exchanges with Ukraine.
- Thu 10:53Dutch government – Hopes that a focus on solving the twin national crises of nitrogen pollution and grid congestion could pave the way to a new coalition government in the Netherlands have failed to materialise. Coalition talks widened this week to include the liberal VVD alongside the centrist D66 – winner of the national election on Oct. 29 – and centre-right Christian Democrats (CDA) after a first round of D66-CDA talks failed to come up with any options for a majority government. Now, the three parties will work towards a basic coalition agreement by Jan. 30. The goal is still for other parties to ultimately sign on to create a majority government. The alternative is a minority government; together, D66, CDA, and VVD have 66 out of 150 seats in the Dutch parliament and 22 out of 75 seats in the Dutch senate. Debate in the Dutch Parliament on Wednesday was dominated by issues other than climate and energy, although D66 and CDA reportedly made some progress on nitrogen in their bilateral talks.
- Thu 10:49The European Commission’s energy grids package has been welcomed by e-mobility groups and other segments of the electricity industry, who are now urging quick implementation to drive the EU’s decarbonisation.
- Thu 10:16South Korea's latest monthly CO2 permit auction was oversubscribed following the release of several key policies, with allowance prices continuing to hover around the KRW 10,000 ($6.79) level.
- A Tokyo-headquartered developer is planning a low-carbon rice farming project under the Joint Crediting Mechanism (JCM) in the Philippines, which has the potential to reduce emissions by almost one million tonnes in the coming decade.
- Thu 09:51Planned study - Indonesian developer Fairatmos has signed a one-year MoU with state-owned PT Pupuk Indonesia to jointly study nature-based carbon projects, the companies said in a press release. The partnership will focus on mangrove and peatland restoration, reforestation, and agroforestry initiatives, with Fairatmos providing technical and MRV support. The developer last month signed a letter of intent for a credit offtake agreement with South Pole.
- UN experts this week pushed forward with their work on a new tool to assess reversal risk, to be used alongside a much-debated permanence framework for Article 6.4 carbon crediting.
- Thu 08:37The incoming Czech government led by populist Andrej Babis has signalled a sharp break with current EU climate policy by vowing to pull the country out of the new emissions trading system for road transport and heating fuels, known as ETS2, rather than accept the recently agreed one-year postponement of its launch.
- Thu 08:03Bucks for blue - The Asian Development Bank (ADB) on Thursday said it had approved a $500 mln policy-based loan to help the Philippines strengthen marine ecosystem management and expand its blue economy. ADB said its new cross-sector programme will upgrade waste and plastic management, attract investment in natural capital, and improve resilience in coastal areas facing climate-driven disasters. Ocean-based industries contributed 3.8% of the Philippines' GDP last year, but its ecosystems still face pressure from pollution and extreme weather, with around 20 typhoons striking annually.
- Thu 07:57A regional development bank on Thursday approved a CNY 1.07 billion ($150 million) loan to pilot a nature credit mechanism in China’s southeastern province of Sichuan.
- Thu 07:22Voluntary cancellations of Kyoto-era carbon credits in Australia’s registry have picked up in recent months but remain well below previous levels, according to data from the Clean Energy Regulator.
- Thu 07:07New frontiers - The Australian government has opened up five new offshore areas in the Otway Basin for gas exploration, the Department of Industry, Science & Resources said. The move is part of the government’s plan to keep downward pressure on power prices and ensure that Australian industry and households have access to affordable gas, particularly given forecasts of structural gas shortfalls from 2029, and aligns with the federal government's Future Gas Strategy. The newly released offshore acreage is in Commonwealth waters, with buffer zones to protect nearby marine parks. Public consultation will run until early Feb. 2026 before applications for exploration permits close mid-2026. The move has been condemned by environmental groups, saying it flies in the face of the government's pledge to transition away from fossil fuels.
- Thu 06:51Underwater - Japanese startups, BlueArch and Umiaile, have teamed up with the government of Kanagawa prefecture and a local fisheries cooperative for a demonstration project, in order to develop a seaweed bed observation method featuring autonomous underwater vehicles. This marks the first attempt in Japan to remotely obtain seaweed bed coverage data, required for blue carbon credit applications, without the use of boats, BlueArch said in a statement Thursday. The companies aim to apply for the issuance of J-Blue Credits using survey data obtained from the pilot project by Sep. 2026.
- Thu 06:50Dumped - The Queensland Liberal National Party government has passed new legislation officially dumping the previous government's renewable energy targets of 70% by 2032 and 80% by 2035, it announced. The Energy Roadmap Amendment Act 2025 supports the government's Energy Roadmap published earlier this year, which the government claimed would reduce costs for taxpayers by A$26 bln ($17.2 bln) to 2035. The government argued keeping its state-owned fleet of coal-fired power stations operating to the end of their lives was a "more realistic and market driven approach to planning for Queensland's future energy system needs". The Act also supports coordinated and efficient development of strategic transmission infrastructure, it said.
- Thu 06:01A carbon removal (CDR) standard body has been given the green light by the Integrity Council for the Voluntary Carbon Market (ICVCM) for Core Carbon Principles (CCP) eligibility after upgrading its general rules, it announced Thursday.
- Thu 04:39Bids invited - A technical body under India’s Ministry of Steel has invited bids from accredited auditors to measure baseline GHG emissions and calculate emission intensity across secondary steel plants nationwide, according to an advertisement in a local newspaper. The National Institute of Secondary Steel Technology seeks agencies to gather energy, materials, and production data from units in all states. Submissions are due by the end of this month at the institute’s Mandi Gobindgarh office. More details can be found on its website.
- Thu 04:27IPO incoming - Japan’s TBM Co, a carbon-capture startup, has begun preparing for a Tokyo Growth Market IPO, with a 2027 listing possible, Bloomberg reported, citing the company’s CFO. The firm aims to exceed its current ¥136 bln ($870 mln) valuation and will use proceeds for overseas expansion and new investments. TBM is backed by investors including Goldman Sachs, Itochum, and SK Group. The company also plans to enter the carbon credit market, its CFO said.
- Thu 04:25Shipping MOU - Japan’s Mitsui OSK Lines (MOL) on Thursday signed an MOU with China’s largest fuel supplier SINOPEC Zhoushan and Japan’s Marubeni to build a long-term supply system for marine biodiesel in China, according to a press release. The partners aim to secure stable volumes of the fuel, with SINOPEC and Marubeni developing storage, transport, and port infrastructure while MOL works to expand uptake among shipowners.
- Thu 03:44Landing date – The GHG Protocol will be releasing its long-awaited inaugural Land Sector and Removals (LSR) Standard on Jan. 30, 2026, it announced on Wednesday. Five years in the making, the standard was developed with input from experts from academia, business, governments, and civil society. Once it is launched, the GHG Protocol will host a webinar to explain its coverage and how corporates can use the standard, it added.
- Thu 03:34Flood the system – More favourable hydropower conditions contributed to an increase in renewable electricity generation in New Zealand in the third quarter, government data on Thursday showed. In total, renewables accounted for 89.4% of power produced in the three months, compared with 81.2% in Q3 2024, boosted by a 22.6% increase in hydropower generation. Solar power also leapt up 64.2%, while geothermal posted a 6.5% increase. These contributed to a 67.4% drop in coal-fired generation, and 22.5% decline in gas-fired power – even as demand inched up 3.8%. Meanwhile, industrial gas use edged up 2.32 petajoules compared with Q3 2024. Power generation is included in the NZ ETS, as is industrial gas use.
- Thu 03:32Global decarbonisation efforts could see demand for Australian thermal coal plunge by almost two-thirds by 2035, new analysis found, heightening the need for the government to develop a coal phase-out strategy.
- Thu 03:12Building blocks – The first official National Australian Built Environment Rating System (NABERS) Embodied Carbon rating has been awarded to an industrial warehouse in New South Wales, the state government announced in an emailed statement. The new NABERS tool measures embodied carbon emissions in buildings, including those created during construction, manufacturing building materials, transport, site energy use, and waste. The pilot rating was held during the construction of pharmaceutical company Probiotec's Multipack facility. Joint venture partners Frasers Property Industrial and Aware Real Estate, alongside Mainbrace Constructions, adopted an innovative approach to drive down embodied carbon and increase transparency, the government said. A rating helps companies meet net zero commitments and prepare for future regulatory requirements, it added.
- Thu 01:32Additional renewable energy capacity will be required in Australia to meet surging demand from data centres that, if left unaddressed, could lead to a 14% increase in grid emissions, according to a report published Thursday.
- Thu 01:31
Moo-fuel goes nationwide - Anaerobic digesters converting livestock manure to biogas have expanded to 16 US states from three in 2019, driven by California's Low Carbon Fuel Standard programme that has issued credits valued at over $22.1 billion since 2013, according to Food & Water Watch analysis released Tuesday. Manure-based biogas accounts for 21% of all LCFS credits while supplying less than 1% of transportation energy, with biomethane generating credits valued at just over 2 mln metric tonnes. New research suggests the programme does not actually reduce global methane emissions, with advocacy groups arguing LCFS incentives reward factory farms for expanding herds to produce more manure for offset credits.
- Thu 00:58
World laps US on EVs - Electric vehicles captured 25% of global car sales in 2025 compared to just 10% in the US, according to Yale Climate Connections analysis. More than 50 mln EVs are now on roads worldwide and projected to quadruple by 2030, with China deploying 30 mln units and Europe another 10 mln. Chinese automakers accounted for 18% of European EV sales, 30% in Southeast Asia, and over 80% in Latin America, while high tariffs have blocked their US market entry. The transportation emissions gap could affect state-level carbon pricing programmes as road transport accounts for 12% of global and 22% of American climate pollution.
- Thu 00:52Norway’s bid to exempt EU ETS-covered waste incinerators from a national CO2 levy has been formally cleared by the European Free Trade Association's (EFTA) watchdog, which has closed its state aid probe after concluding that the measure forms part of the country’s normal taxation system and does not confer a selective advantage.
- Thu 00:51
States drive emissions down - More than 41% of Americans live in jurisdictions committed to 100% clean energy, according to the League of Conservation Voters' 2025 state climate report. US Climate Alliance states representing over half the country's population cut emissions 24% below 2005 levels while growing GDP by 34%, demonstrating decoupling of economic growth from emissions. Major 2025 policy wins include California reauthorizing its cap-and-invest programme, Washington defending its Climate Commitment Act cap-and-invest revenues, Connecticut enacting net-zero by 2050 legislation, Maine accelerating its 100% clean energy target to 2040, and Illinois passing the Clean and Reliable Grid Affordability Act mandating 3 GW of battery storage by 2030.
- Thu 00:50Two-track mind - ClimeFi launched a dual-track carbon removal RFP on behalf of Adyen, allocating part of the fintech firm's 2025 climate budget to purchases and innovation. Track 1 targets durable removal projects delivering 500-4,000 tCO2 between 2026 and 2030, excluding enhanced rock weathering but open to multiple permanent storage pathways. Track 2 allocates 1% to climate innovation grants supporting MRV, early-stage tech, and enabling infrastructure that can accelerate scale-up. CDR purchase applications close Dec. 21, grants Jan. 13, 2026, with final selections mid-Feb. 2026.
- Thu 00:17New York agencies have released for public comments the state's regulations to implement RGGI programme updates announced this summer, saying they anticipate the adoption of a final regulation by next year.
- Thu 00:13California regulator ARB issued over 700,000 offsets over the last two weeks, half of which were tagged with direct environmental benefits (DEBs) to the state, according to data released Wednesday.
- Thu 00:01Germany has committed the highest level of state aid globally to develop low-carbon steel, according to research published Thursday.
- Thu 00:01The cost of storing electricity with utility-scale batteries has fallen to $65/MWh in markets outside China and the US, making it possible to use solar power when needed, according to an analysis published Thursday.
- Thu 00:01Over 100 Filipinos affected by a 2021 typhoon have filed a landmark case in the UK’s Royal Court of Justice, seeking compensation from an oil major for its contribution to climate change.
