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- Sun 23:43The head of California's regulator ARB said the agency has built in enough time to make any potential necessary changes to the state's proposed cap-and-invest programme update before a board vote planned in May, she told a local media outlet in a Sunday interview.
- Sun 23:26Singapore and Japan signed a framework on Sunday seeking to enhance cooperation in low-carbon hydrogen and ammonia production, carbon capture, utilisation, and storage (CCUS), nuclear energy, LNG, and cross-border electricity imports, they announced.
- TEU good - Global logistics company DP World launched a carbon inset trial in Belgium, Portugal, and Sweden on Wednesday, offering qualifying ocean freight forwarding customers credits of 100 kg of CO2e per twenty-foot equivalent unit (TEU) shipped per quarter at no additional cost. The Insetify programme, which takes effect Apr. 1, requires a minimum threshold of 25 TEUs per quarter and generates credits by deploying lower-carbon fuel within DP World's own supply chain rather than funding external offset projects. The trial expands on a UK programme launched in Jan. 2025 that registered more than 250,000 TEUs and issued more than 9,000 tCO2e of carbon inset credits. Unlike carbon offsets, insets reduce emissions within the customer's own value chain, targeting Scope 3 emissions from ocean freight.
- Retired, reduced - Volkswagen retired over 680,000 tCO2e worth of carbon credits in 2025, an 89% drop from 6 MtCO2e worth cancelled in 2024, according to its annual sustainability report. All credits cancelled were from emissions reduction projects - and none from removal projects - with 56% issued under Verra and 44% under Gold Standard. The group's Scope 1 emissions fell to 2.7 MtCO2e in 2025 from 3.3 MtCO2e in 2024, while market-based Scope 2 emissions declined to 900,000 from 1.1 MtCO2e. Scope 3 emissions rose to under 883.7 MtCO2e from 824 MtCO2e. Volkswagen said carbon credits are reserved for hard-to-abate emissions only and are expected to represent less than 10% of total emissions once all its efficiency and electrification measures are in place.
- Sun 23:12Tool fix, grid mix - Verra is seeking funders, technical contributors, and independent expert reviewers to help revise VT0011, its tool for estimating grid electricity emission factors used across Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) methodologies. The proposed revision would consolidate the tool into a standalone document, removing its current reliance on the Clean Development Mechanism's TOOL07, and would merge it with the related VT0010 tool to reduce cross-referencing. Verra also plans to introduce simplified calculation procedures, improved quantification approaches, and potentially an hourly marginal emission factor. The revision is currently at the methodology idea note stage.
- Sun 23:10Capturing outback - Dutch direct air capture (DAC) company Skytree entered the Australian market, as its CEO, Rob van Straten, participated in a two-week trade mission and delivering a keynote at the Energy Exchange Australia conference in Perth. The company said Australia's abundant solar and wind resources create conditions for low-cost DAC operations, with target markets including synthetic aviation fuel production, greenhouse horticulture, beverage carbonation, and geological carbon storage. Skytree appointed a Sydney-based project development manager for the Asia-Pacific region as part of the expansion. The company said its modular technology aligns with Australia's Safeguard Mechanism and its emissions reduction target of 62-70% below 2005 levels by 2035.
- Sun 23:07Bank's carbon homework - Deutsche Bank purchased and retired just under 101,600 tonnes of CO2e in voluntary carbon credits in 2025, sourced from projects across Asia, Africa, and Latin America, according to its annual report. Some 83% of the credits came from emissions reduction projects, with the remaining 17% from removal projects including biochar and nature-based solutions. By standard, 75% were issued under Verra, 12% under Gold Standard, 8% under Global C-Sink Registry, and 5% under Puro.earth. The German lender said credits are used only to offset residual Scope 1, Scope 2, and business travel emissions that cannot be eliminated through efficiency or renewable energy measures. Separately, Deutsche Bank signed a letter of intent at COP30 with Honduras and Suriname to develop sovereign rainforest carbon credits under Article 6.2 of the Paris Agreement.
- Sun 22:38The Australian government should use the ongoing review of its carbon market to set a list of priority methods that would help it achieve its 2035 emissions reduction target, according to the head of the market’s integrity body.
- Sun 03:31A Dutch voluntary carbon market standard has revised its methodology for carbon removal through enhanced mineral weathering, adding the mineral wollastonite and updating accounting rules for projects seeking carbon certificates.
- Sat 11:40Enhanced weathering (EW) could remove hundreds of millions of tonnes of CO2 each year, though major uncertainties remain around how much carbon ultimately reaches long-term storage, according to a new study.
- Sat 11:20Rising attendance has driven a 26-fold increase in emissions from air travel to United Nations climate negotiations over the past three decades, with delegate flights generating more than 710,000 tonnes of CO2e since the mid-1990s, according to a new study.
- Sat 05:35Sleepless in the south - A new study analyses how rising temperatures from climate change may reduce children’s sleep and generate long-term economic impacts. The paper, published Friday in Nature Sustainability, said higher nighttime temperatures interfere with the body’s ability to cool during sleep, shortening sleep duration. Because adequate sleep is important for cognitive development, the authors model how climate-driven sleep loss could affect children’s intelligence and future economic productivity. Using climate and socioeconomic scenarios, the researchers estimate that global warming could cause an average of 16.37 hours of additional sleep loss per person annually by the end of the century under a high-emissions pathway, compared with about 3.42 hours under a low-emissions scenario. Sleep loss is projected to be greatest in hotter regions such as the Middle East, Southeast Asia, and parts of Africa. The modelling suggests small downward shifts in children’s IQ distributions linked to sleep loss, with larger effects in lower-income countries. When translated into economic outcomes, the associated reduction in lifetime earnings could cost the global economy around $2.86 trillion by 2100 under high emissions, equivalent to roughly 0.3% of global GDP, with poorer regions bearing a disproportionate share of the burden.
- Sat 05:25
Green Gables - The city of Coral Gables, Florida has launched a climate technology initiative with Carbon Standard to convert municipal organic waste into biochar and generate carbon removal credits. The project processes yard trimmings and landscaping debris using modular pyrolysis units, turning biomass waste into stable biochar that can store carbon for centuries. The resulting material is used in city landscaping and soil restoration, improving soil water retention and nutrient capacity. By certifying the carbon removals through Carbon Standard’s accounting framework, the city aims to produce high-integrity carbon credits that can be sold to companies seeking to offset emissions. This creates a potential revenue stream to help fund the programme while addressing the challenge of managing urban organic waste that would otherwise be mulched or sent to landfill, where it could release methane. Officials say the initiative has already diverted thousands of tonnes of organic waste from landfills and could serve as a model for other municipalities seeking to link waste management, soil health, and carbon removal. (Biochar Today)
- Sat 05:19
Airmo' money - Airmo, a Berlin and Luxembourg-based space technology startup focused on monitoring methane emissions, has raised €5 mln in a seed funding round to support the launch of its first satellite mission. Founded in 2022 by rocket scientist Daria Stepanova, the company develops airborne and space-based tools to detect methane leaks. The new funding will help expand its current monitoring operations using drones and aircraft, support international growth, and finance a satellite scheduled for launch in 2027. Airmo says its planned satellite system will combine a short-wave infrared (SWIR) imager with micro-LIDAR on a small satellite platform, enabling more accurate and lower-cost methane detection than existing space-based systems. The technology is designed to identify methane leaks as small as the size of a car from 500 km in orbit. The company’s monitoring tools are already used commercially for energy infrastructure inspections across Europe, Central Asia, and the Middle East and North Africa, with clients including Uniper, TotalEnergies, and ESCE. The seed round was led by Ananda Impact Ventures, with participation from Unconventional Ventures, kopa ventures, Desai Ventures, Hypernova / New Venture Securities, strategic investors affiliated with EQT, and additional backers including Antler, Findus Ventures, E2MC, and Pi Labs.
- Sat 05:15More LNG, more oil - The US Department of Energy on Friday authorised an immediate 13% increase in exports from Plaquemines LNG Terminal, allowing the facility to ship an additional 0.45 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d) of liquefied natural gas to countries without a US free trade agreement. The decision raises the terminal’s total authorised export capacity to 3.85 Bcf/d to both FTA and non-FTA countries. The terminal, operated by Venture Global LNG, began exporting LNG in Dec. 2024 and has already ramped up shipments to more than 3 Bcf/d. The DOE said the move is intended to strengthen global gas supply and expand the availability of US LNG exports, particularly to non-FTA countries that import most US LNG. Officials added that additional export capacity increases are expected at Plaquemines and other US LNG facilities as new projects come online. The DOE also on Friday issued a request for proposals to exchange 86 mln barrels of crude oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, the first tranche of a 172-mln-barrel exchange announced earlier in the week. Under the arrangement, companies will borrow oil from the reserve and later return it with additional barrels as a premium, allowing the reserve to increase its holdings while supplying crude to the market without direct cost to taxpayers. Deliveries from storage sites at Bryan Mound, West Hackberry, and Bayou Choctaw are expected to begin by the end of next week. Borrowed barrels will be returned later on a schedule designed to avoid disrupting commercial markets. The exchange forms part of a coordinated release by International Energy Agency member countries totalling 400 mln barrels from strategic reserves, aimed at stabilising global oil markets amid supply disruptions linked to tensions in the Middle East. The Strategic Petroleum Reserve currently holds about 415 mln barrels of crude oil, compared with roughly 395 mln barrels a year ago.
- Sat 05:03Burning desire - Evidence filed in an ongoing rate hearing indicates that New Brunswick’s provincial utility, N.B. Power, has relied on fossil fuels for electricity generation more heavily over the past year than at any time in more than a decade, likely pushing its annual GHG emissions above 3 Mt. Updated generation data submitted to the New Brunswick Energy and Utilities Board show increased use of coal, oil, petroleum coke, and natural gas. Fossil fuel generation is projected to reach about 5.2 mln MWh this year, the highest level of “thermal” generation in 16 years. A major driver is higher output from the Coleson Cove generating station, which is expected to burn about 3.8 mln barrels of heavy fuel oil, roughly 60% more than the previous year. The plant has been used more frequently due to downtime at the Point Lepreau nuclear station and to take advantage of high electricity export prices. The rise in emissions comes despite the utility’s stated goal of becoming a net zero electricity provider by 2035 and amid increasing carbon penalty costs, which N.B. Power’s chief financial officer said have grown from zero in recent years to about C$49 mln, projected to reach around C$69 mln by 2028-29. At the same hearing, the utility proposed a premium “net zero” electricity rate allowing customers to pay extra for non-emitting energy, though details remain limited. Senior executives acknowledged that the current generation mix still includes significant fossil fuel use. (CBC)
- Debt reduction - Offset project developer DevvStream Corp. on Friday announced a set of transactions with strategic partners aimed at strengthening its balance sheet by reducing debt and securing additional funding. Focus Impact Partners and its affiliates converted all of their 5.3% convertible notes due in Nov. 2026, along with certain consulting fees, into DevvStream equity. The conversion totals about $5.5 mln and was executed at a 12.9% premium to the company’s Mar. 10, 2026 closing share price. Helena Partners released about $1.2 mln from DevvStream’s cash collateral account tied to a $10 mln convertible note issued in July 2025, enabling the company to prepay roughly $1.1 mln of debt. Helena also agreed to waive monthly interest payments on the note through May 2026. Helena additionally provided a $700,000 loan at 0% interest, due in Mar. 2027, to support DevvStream’s working capital needs. Overall, the transactions reduce DevvStream’s outstanding debt by approximately $5.9 mln and are intended to improve the company’s capital structure while providing short-term liquidity support.
- Fri 23:01WCI board meeting - The Board of Directors for the Western Climate Initiative (WCI), which serves as market administrator for the California-Quebec and Washington cap-and-invest programmes, will meet on Mar. 25, it was announced on Friday. During the public session, the board will review and consider approval of the Dec. 17, 2025 meeting minutes and the Washington State Funding Agreement Amendment. Stakeholders and members of the public are invited to attend this meeting - which will be conducted in both French and English - via teleconference. Meeting agenda and materials will be posted once available, and interested parties can register here.
- Fri 22:46It's official - Bill C-4 has received Royal Assent in Canada, meaning the Apr. 2025 removal of consumer-facing carbon tax has been enshrined legislatively, according to a press release from the country's Department of Finance. The department said the removal from legislation means Canadian consumers and businesses will have certainty that the consumer-facing carbon tax is being permanently eliminated.
- Fri 22:19Washington's Department of Ecology (ECY) on Friday published a notice for a Allowance Price Containment Reserve (APCR) sale in May following last week's Q1 carbon auction, while also dismissing in a technical analysis the notion of a facility-specific emissions cap under its programme.
- Fri 22:18Managed money reduced net length in the California Carbon Allowance (CCA) and RGGI Allowance (RGA) markets over the Mar 4-10 period, according to US Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) data published Friday.
- Fri 22:02Increasing investment in forest-based climate solutions could significantly boost carbon sequestration in the US by 2035, according to new preprint research.
- Fri 21:45Plastic partnership – Abundia Global Impact Group, a US energy company, announced it has signed a licensing and partnership deal with Danish technology firm Topsoe on Thursday. The agreement will see Abundia deploy Topsoe’s HydroFlex upgrading technology at its waste-plastics-to-renewable products facility in Baytown, Texas, and includes a long-term commitment to use the platform across multiple future projects. The companies said the agreement supports Abundia’s commercialisation strategy and path to a final investment decision in 2026. Through the project, Abundia intends to increase US production of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and renewable diesel.
- Fri 21:43Canada Climate course – Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) released its 2026-27 Departmental Plan on Friday, outlining how the department will implement the federal government’s climate and environmental priorities. The plan reiterates efforts to advance the Climate Competitiveness Strategy, and to deliver programmes including the Low Carbon Economy Fund and Output-Based Pricing System (OBPS) Proceeds Fund. It also says ECCC will work with provinces to improve industrial carbon pricing systems and develop a post-2030 carbon pricing trajectory aligned with the country’s 2050 net zero goal. The plan further confirms Canada’s first national strategy addressing environmental racism will be published in 2026.
- Fri 21:41Reactor rebuke - Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), the top Democrat on the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, has criticised a US DOE proposal to speed permitting for advanced nuclear reactors by creating new categorical exclusions under the National Environmental Policy Act, arguing the approach could be applied too broadly and weaken environmental review, E&E News reported. In formal comments filed Thursday, Whitehouse challenged the DOE’s rationale for allowing some advanced reactors to bypass detailed reviews, including its reliance on prior approvals and analyses of similar designs that found limited safety risks. The proposed rule could apply to experimental reactors under a DOE programme targeting at least three advanced commercial reactor demonstrations by July 4.
- Fri 21:40First in Salta - Argentina’s carbon market continues to develop slowly and largely at the provincial level, with the northern province of Salta reporting the first carbon credit sales from a local REDD+ project, the government announced this week. Authorities said the privately led Selva de Urundel REDD+ initiative, registered under Verra, sold some 300,000 credits after completing its first monitoring period. The project, located in the Oran department, marks the first private initiative in Salta to receive issuance and commercialise credits under international standards.
- Fri 21:38Storage start – Engineering and project delivery company Kent has been selected by Enearth, a subsidiary of UK energy company Energean, to carry out the front-end engineering design (FEED) for the planned Prinos CO2 storage project in northern Greece, they announced on Friday. The project aims to receive CO2 from industrial emitters shipped to a new terminal near Kavala, before conditioning and transporting the gas via subsea pipeline for injection into the Prinos aquifer beneath an existing reservoir. Developers plan for the site to handle up to 2.8 mln tonnes of CO2 per year by 2029, with the project already holding environmental and storage permits and securing EU and Greek government funding.
- Fri 21:36Verification venture - Brightspot Climate, a Canada-based climate advisory and verification firm, announced on Friday has expanded its accreditation with the Standards Council of Canada to include verification services under Canada’s Clean Fuel Regulations (CFR), allowing it to support compliance in the federal programme aimed at lowering the carbon intensity of transportation fuels. The regulations require liquid fossil fuel suppliers to reduce the carbon intensity of fuels they produce and sell or purchase compliance credits generated through emissions-reduction projects, low-carbon fuels, or energy supplied to advanced vehicle technologies. The CFR market now includes more than 160 registered credit creators and over 140 suppliers, supported by 15 accredited verification bodies.
- Fri 21:35Disclosure development - California regulator ARB will hold a virtual public workshop on Mar. 23 to support development of the state’s corporate GHG reporting programme under Senate Bill 253. The session will include updates on the Aug. 10 deadline for companies to report Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions and outline regulatory plans for 2027-30, including potential Scope 3 reporting requirements. The programme applies to US-based companies with more than $1 bln in annual revenue that do business in California. A public comment docket will remain open from Mar. 23 to Apr. 13.
- Fri 21:31Jet pact – French renewable fuels firm Axens and multinational European aircraft manufacturer Airbus have signed a memorandum of understanding to advance development and deployment of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), the companies announced this week. The partnership will centre on technical discussions around existing and emerging SAF production pathways, with the companies strengthening exchanges between their engineering teams to deepen understanding of available technologies. Axens and Airbus also plan to support wider SAF deployment through joint advocacy, stakeholder engagement, and regional market analysis, while exploring initiatives that could reduce project risk and accelerate global SAF production at scale.
- Fri 21:30Mexican sustainability reporting - Mexico’s finance ministry (SHCP) and banking regulator (CNBV) have published a technical guide to help listed companies prepare their first mandatory sustainability disclosures, including instructions on reporting Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions and the use of carbon credits in corporate footprints, they announced on Thursday. The guidelines support implementation of the IFRS Sustainability Disclosure Standards (IFRS S1 and S2), which became mandatory for Mexican issuers after amendments to the securities circular in Jan. 2025. Under the rules, sustainability information must be included in annual reports for the 2025 fiscal year, with the first filings due by Apr. 30, 2026, depending on shareholder meeting dates.
- Fri 21:27The US should take the lead in establishing governance for solar radiation management (SRM) technologies to prevent geopolitical tensions and national security risks as the field develops, according to a recently-published report.
- Fri 21:06Energy Aspects’ London-based senior carbon analyst is joining risk management firm Redshaw Advisors, Carbon Pulse has learned.
- Fri 20:23Scientists have identified a widespread shift in the structure of Amazon rainforest canopies towards younger, more photosynthetically efficient leaves over the past two decades, a trend that could have implications for the performance and modelling of forest carbon offset projects.
- Fri 20:14Norwegian Air Shuttle ASA said this week it will appeal to the country’s Supreme Court after the Borgarting Court of Appeal overturned a lower court ruling that had cleared the airline of a NOK 400 million (€33.8 mln) penalty linked to its failure to comply with the EU ETS during the pandemic.
- Fri 18:33One of the largest cooperation agreements to curb deforestation in the Amazon has renewed its commitment with a second country, extending efforts beyond 2030 with an emphasis on results-based payments and carbon markets regulation.
- Fri 17:36Pressure overload - Consumers in Malta are reportedly paying an extra €654,000 per week in freight and shipping costs as the Middle East war is driving a surge in fuel prices, and exacerbating the impact of the EU ETS. The Association of Tractor and Trailer Operators on Friday called for an immediate suspension of ETS obligations on Malta, saying operators can no longer absorb the surcharges and rising fuel costs. They've urged the EU to 'reconsider' the carbon pricing system - arguing the system is already 'highly unfair' to Malta due to its geographical location and heavy reliance on shipping. (Times of Malta)
- Fri 17:29Transparency pledge - Ratings agency BeZero has reaffirmed its commitment to transparent disclosure practices with a statement confirming its application of the ESG Ratings Code of Conduct from the International Capital Market Association (ICMA) and the International Regulatory Strategy Group (IRSG). The action highlights its position as an advocate for robust disclosure and increased transparency to ensure development of high-functioning carbon markets, it said.
- Fri 17:24Coal-fired power generation and emissions have yet to significantly rebound across the EU amid mild weather and low demand, despite analysts highlighting fuel-switching away from gas due to extreme price spikes in March.
- Fri 17:16EU carbon prices recovered from an initial drop to a new 10-month low to post a modest gain on the day, as a largely quiet market absorbed Thursday's heavy fall with developments in Iran continuing to draw most of the attention, while speculation grew ahead of next week's leaders summit where conversation is expected to include short-term measures to reduce the impact of EUA costs on industry.
- Fri 16:49EU lawmakers should design the bloc’s 2040 climate framework to deliver the targeted 90% GHG emissions cut fully at home, using international carbon credits only as a tightly controlled back‑up, and keeping land sinks and permanent removals in separate, capped pillars, says a Brussels-based NGO.
- The government of Indonesia will pilot a new global framework for standardising carbon credit data as part of efforts to strengthen transparency and interoperability in carbon markets, according to an announcement Friday.
- Fri 15:41Global toy manufacturer Lego Group holds a balance of 42,000 carbon credits after retiring 25,000 units in 2025 as part of a strategy to reduce emissions across its value chain, it said in its latest annual report, published this week.
- Fri 15:20Major European utilities urge EU leaders to maintain robust ETS, electricity marginal pricing systemEight major European power producers have urged EU institutions to maintain the marginal pricing electricity system and a robust Emissions Trading System (ETS), in a letter sent this week.
- Fri 15:14ArcelorMittal is preparing to restart a second blast furnace at its major steelworks in Fos-sur-Mer, signalling a potential rebound for one of France’s largest industrial sites and significant EU ETS-covered emitter.
- Fri 14:53A new procurement service and online marketplace has launched aimed at helping airlines source carbon credits eligible under the UN aviation offsetting scheme CORSIA, the partners behind the project announced Friday.
- Fri 14:37RGGI Allowance (RGA) futures jumped more than 10% on Friday following the release of Q1 auction results that showed a sell-out just below $25, a strong premium to front-month prices ahead of the sale, as the Cost Containment Reserve (CCR) was again depleted at the first sale of the year.
- Fri 14:28Officials from the Trump administration have been in the EU this week, reportedly pushing for a full US exemption from the bloc’s anti-deforestation regulation ahead of the European Commission’s upcoming review.
- Fri 14:26The UK is overhauling regulations for new nuclear power plants as it seeks to ramp up capacity by 2050, following an independent review that found an “overly complex” and “bureaucratic” system was holding back the industry, it announced Friday.
- Fri 14:21The UK Parliament’s upper chamber has opened a new inquiry into “dynamic alignment” with EU rules, a concept expected to feature prominently in the government’s planned reset of relations with Brussels, including the linking of the two jurisdictions ETSs.
- Fri 14:18A UK-based multinational pharmaceutical company’s carbon credit portfolio reached £10 million in 2025 following additional investments in forward delivery contracts, according to its latest climate disclosure published last week.
- Fri 14:11China's newly announced roadmap for the next five years has somewhat provided clarity on the fundamentals of the national emissions trading system, but worries remain as to whether the latest target will allow the country's CO2 output to grow.
- Fri 13:44Gas lobby response to Iran war – Eurogas, a trade body, sent recommendations on the EU’s response to the Iran War, which will be discussed during a meeting of EU27 energy ministers on Mar. 16. The trade group is calling on the European Commission to use existing tools to shield consumers and industry from rising costs. This includes: 1) Harmonising REPowerEU implementation to prevent non‑Russian LNG cargoes from being held up by bureaucracy; 2) Activating gas storage flexibilities to avoid “at any cost” injections; 3) Making interim arrangements on the Methane Regulation so that critical supply contracts can go ahead while implementation is finalised – including a “stop the clock” decision to delay implementation.
- Fri 13:42Loan emissions reductions - Deutsche Bank has made some overall emissions reductions in carbon-intensive sectors of its corporate loan portfolio covered by net zero targets, according to its latest sustainability statement. These include a 25% emissions reduction in upstream oil and gas since 2021, 33% in coal mining emissions since 2022, and 47% in power generation emissions since 2021, wrote the bank's chief sustainability officer, Jorg Eigendorf, on LinkedIn. Also, the emissions intensity in kilograms of CO2 per square metre of its European residential real estate loan portfolio of €160.6 bln fell by 8% last year compared to 2024. Deutsche Bank's sustainable finance reached €98 bln last year, the highest annual amount since 2021.
- Fri 12:28German MEP Peter Liese is urging the EU to allow international carbon credits in its Emissions Trading System (ETS), reviving debate over the potential integration of Paris Agreement Article 6 units into the bloc’s carbon market.
- Fri 11:27The economic costs of enacting EU climate policy from 2028-48 could be reduced by around 20% – or up to €824 billion – if the EU's Emissions Trading System for buildings and road transport (ETS2) were better designed, found a new study.
- Fri 11:23A global bank based in Switzerland plans to begin retiring credits from engineered carbon removal (CDR) from 2026 to match its Scope 1 emissions by 2030, according to its latest sustainability report.
- Fri 11:14Allowance prices in China's national emissions market continued to rise over the past week amid increased liquidity, as the country unveiled its development roadmap for the next five years.
- Sanction lift - The US has announced a 30-day waiver on sanctions of Russian oil at sea in response to rising energy prices and heightening concern about global supplies. The short-term measure only applies to oil already in transit and won't significantly benefit the Russian govt, which derives most of its energy revenue from taxes at the point of extraction, said US Treasury secretary Scott Bessent. Despite this, brent crude remained above $100 per barrel during early trading on Friday. Moscow claimed on Friday it was “increasingly inevitable” that Washington would lift sanctions. (the Guardian)
- Gold Standard has published a new methodology for crediting the early closure of coal-fired power plants, requiring that projects show the historical output is replaced with renewable energy.
- Because carbon's worth it - Cosmetics producer L'Oreal has partnered with clean chemicals company Dioxycle to transform captured carbon emissions into a form of ethylene for use as a building block in polyethylene for packaging. Dioxycle claims the solution is energy and cost efficient, and also cuts emissions. L'Oreal hasn't yet said which products will be packaged using the new material or how much can be used. (edie.net)
- Fri 10:32A Perth-based energy company has agreed to acquire up to 6.6 million carbon credits from forestry and mangrove restoration projects in Mexico and Indonesia, a US law firm that advised on the transaction announced on Thursday.
- Fri 09:08Pipelines provide the cheapest long-term option for transporting CO2, but trains, trucks, and barges could help small and remote emitters move captured carbon to storage sites faster and at lower cost, experts say.
- A Canada-based carbon finance firm has agreed to sell its rights to the community carbon stream and associated carbon credits for a total of $6 million, the company announced Thursday.
- Fri 06:39Stronger demand signals such as low-carbon product mandates are needed in Australia to get clean industrial projects over the line to a final investment decision (FID), according to a policy briefing paper published this week.
- Fri 06:19Methane market – Kenya is exploring carbon market opportunities in its livestock sector through biotechnology innovations aimed at reducing methane emissions from cattle. During a meeting, the company Fermfeed Bio and the Office of Kenya's Special Envoy for Climate Change discussed scaling new feed-based technologies that improve livestock productivity while cutting methane emissions by an estimated 50-65%. The technology is already being deployed with dairy cooperatives in Nyandarua and Murang’a counties, where farmers have reported higher milk yields. The initiative is being implemented in collaboration with many local government and private institutions. Stakeholders are also examining how the emissions reductions could be monetised through carbon market mechanisms in line with Kenya’s carbon market regulations.
- Clean power and electrification would do more to shield Europe from future price shocks than weakening the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS), a study published Friday by a global energy think tank said, adding that the Middle East war has again exposed the bloc's vulnerability to gas price volatility.
- Fri 04:18Pre-emptive move - China, the world's biggest oil importer and a major fuel exporter, has ordered an immediate ban on refined fuel exports in March in a further step to secure local supply amidst global supply disruptions caused by the US-Israeli war on Iran, Reuters reported, citing unnamed sources. According to the report, the halt applies to cargoes that had yet to clear customs as of Mar. 11. The restriction also goes beyond last week's move by Beijing urging refiners not to agree to new exports and to try to cancel committed shipments. The war in the Middle East is driving a “scarcity premium” for energy prices and highlights the importance of energy independence, with pricing carbon “the single most important thing we can do” to tackle climate change, John Kerry, former US envoy for climate, said this week.
- Fri 04:16Flawed proposal - Proposed amendments to South Korea's renewable portfolio standard (RPS) rules are likely insufficient to support Lee Jae-myung Administration's renewable energy output targets, Seoul-based Plan 1.5 said this week. The non-profit raised concerns over discounting private power companies and loopholes in purchase obligations. The share of private power generators in the total RPS mandated supply increased to around 24.2% in 2026 from 19% in 2021. It will be challenging for the country to reach its renewable energy supply target if private power companies are excluded from the obligation to supply power. The government aims to expand renewable energy installation capacity to 100 GW by 2030 and achieve at least 30% renewable energy generation by 2035.
- Fri 03:37South Korea is seeking to turn abandoned mines into new sites for onshore carbon sequestration projects, through collaboration with steelmaking major Posco.
- Fri 02:53Cables for data - Miner Rio Tinto and cable manufacturer Prysmian are working together on an industrial trial to produce low carbon aluminium cables for the growing data centre market, according to an announcement. The project uses aluminium from Rio Tinto’s hydropowered smelter in Quebec along with aluminium made using ELYSIS technology, which eliminates direct GHG emissions from the smelting process and releases oxygen instead. Building on a five-year supply agreement signed in 2023, the partnership aims to accelerate lower-carbon aluminium solutions for applications such as energy transmission and data-centre infrastructure, helping customers reduce the carbon footprint of critical IT systems.
- Fri 02:49Nova Scotia IFM - Oregon-based carbon finance non-profit The Climate Trust (TCT) has announced a partnership with Nova Scotia Working Woodlands Trust (NSWWT) to develop a carbon project across multiple privately-owned forest properties in Nova Scotia. The move marks TCT’s first Improved Forest Management (IFM) carbon project in Canada. The project will be developed under the Improved Forest Management on Canadian Forestlands Methodology with ACR, and will employ a dynamic baseline with a comparable property component to ensure high integrity.
- Fri 02:49Lost barrels - Around 2 million barrels per day of refined oil products will likely be lost from the global market if the straits of Hormuz remains impassable for the next six weeks, according to Rystad Energy. Bahrain and Kuwait face the highest operational risk due to their export-dependent refining systems that offer zero alternative routes. In a scenario where tanker movements remain constrained, these countries could quickly encounter storage limitations for refined products, forcing refiners to halt exports and reduce utilisation rates. Qatar oil refinery production will also be constrained, but the country has a relatively small refining system and limited domestic demand, focusing on LNG instead. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) can use the Abu Dhabi Crude Oil Pipeline (ADCOP) to allow crude exports to bypass the Strait via Fujairah, but refined products from the Ruwais complex still largely depend on tankers passing Hormuz. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia could increase exports of refined products from its Red Sea refining hubs, including Yanbu, Rabigh and Jizan. However, with Yanbu occupied and given priority of crude exports, the port loading capacity of Rabigh and Jizan does not exceed 400,000 bpd combined, meaning Saudi Arabia might have to reduce refinery runs by 10-20% initially if the war is prolonged for more than 4-6 weeks. Most attacks on refining capacity since the start of the conflict have been limited in scope: Mina Al Ahmadi in Kuwait remained operational after debris damage, while Saudi Arabia’s Ras Tanura – already offline for scheduled maintenance that began the last week of January – extended its outage window following drone attacks and a debris-related fire. (Business Standard)
- Fri 01:25New data tool - Carbon market intelligence platform Clever Offsets announced Thursday the launch of its Enterprise Module, which it said provides market participants with structured data and analytical tools to assess delivery risk across categories and portfolios at scale. The new offering is meant to empower market participants to apply their own underwriting frameworks, diversify exposure, and engage with greater confidence, aiming to meet institutional risk appetites and support broader financial participation.
- Fri 01:01California cap-and-invest controversy - California gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton (R) wrote to the state's largest oil companies this week urging them not to abandon the state, promising to overhaul leadership at the different state regulatory bodies, the New York Post reported. Hilton calls for eliminating cap-and-invest costs, which he characterises as hidden taxes funding wasteful spending. His intervention comes as gasoline prices in California have surpassed $5 per gallon. A new Emerson College poll shows US Representative Eric Swalwell (D) leading all candidates at 17.3%, ahead of Hilton at 13.3% and fellow Republican Chad Bianco at 11.4%, with 24.5% undecided. Elsewhere, Antonio Villaraigosa, former mayor of Los Angeles and a Democratic gubernatorial candidate, issued a statement that state regulator ARB should prioritise affordability and economic stability when considering planned updates to the state's Quebec-linked ETs, E&E reported. State Democratic Party Chair Rusty Hicks previously urged weaker candidates to drop out, warning a splintered Democratic vote could allow two Republicans to advance to the November general election, Los Angeles Times reported.
- Fri 00:17Republican rebuke - A US congressman urged Governor Gavin Newsom (D) and the state regulator ARB to reverse California's proposed cap-and-invest regulation updates, warning it could add $1.21 per gallon to California gasoline prices and push annual industry compliance costs to $1.5 bln within a decade. California Representative Vince Fong (R) said in a letter that the state had already lost nearly 20% of its refining capacity in the past two years, increasing dependence on imported fuel and exposing the state to supply chain vulnerabilities. He also warned the proposal would weaken fuel supply chains supporting West Coast military operations. Fong said more than 360 energy companies had left California since 2018 due to regulatory pressure.
- Fri 00:15Data dispute dismissed - A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit accusing the Trump administration of harming environmental and scientific groups by removing government webpages containing climate and environmental justice data, E&E News reported. In a ruling Wednesday, US District Judge Rudolph Contreras said the plaintiffs had not demonstrated a concrete injury required to bring the case, noting that the underlying data remained accessible and that the groups had not shown a legally recognised right to the specific information hosted on those webpages. The coalition had argued that the removal of materials from agencies including the US EPA undermined efforts to address environmental harms affecting communities, but the court found that any impact on advocacy or public education activities was insufficient to establish legal standing.
- Fri 00:14Coal crunch - Colorado’s largest electric utility, Xcel Energy, warned regulators it may delay planned coal plant retirements after projecting “significant capacity shortfalls” through the winter of 2028, according to a Mar. 2 filing, E&E News reported. The company cited rising electricity demand, supply-chain constraints, and changing grid conditions as factors behind the potential gap. To maintain reliability, Xcel said it could extend operations at several coal units – including Unit 2 at the Comanche Generating Station, which had been slated to retire last year, and two units at the Hayden Generating Station, currently scheduled to close in 2027 and 2028 – potentially keeping them online until 2030.
- Fri 00:11California Carbon Allowance (CCA) futures benchmark contract fell below $29 on Thursday after a federal challenge was launched against California's electric vehicle policy, while Washington Carbon Allowances (WCAs) dropped further following weaker-than-expected Q1 auction results.
- Fri 00:11Climate-AI fellows - Environmental disclosure non-profit CDP has announced a Google.org Fellowship. The fellowship team will support CDP in building an AI-powered tool to transform how cities, states, and regions use CDP’s environmental dataset to help them reduce risk and drive action for the future.
