RGGI Allowance (RGA) future prices swung sharply last week, continuing to climb to a year-to-date (YtD) high before giving back those gains over the last two trading sessions, as traders pointed to speculative activity as a driver of the volatility.

Cutting corners on EU climate targets to ease short-term energy price pressures – for example, by weakening the Emissions Trading System (ETS) – would erode Europe’s industrial base in the long run, an NGO has warned.

Air ale – Aircapture, a direct air capture (DAC) technology company, and Almanac Beer Co., a California craft brewery, have launched a beer carbonated using CO2 captured from the atmosphere, which they described as a first of its kind in a Monday press release. The companies said the product uses an onsite direct air capture (DAC) system to capture CO2 from ambient air and supply beverage-grade CO2 directly into the brewing process. They said the system produces CO2 at 99.999% purity and was operational in weeks after being installed at the brewery and integrated with existing equipment. They added that onsite generation could reduce reliance on fossil fuel-linked supply chains, while a portion of proceeds will be donated to US carbon removal (CDR) policy group Carbon180.

Clean match – North Carolina utility Duke Energy has agreed to evaluate a tariff mechanism that would allow data centres to procure 24/7 clean energy while limiting cost impacts on other electricity consumers, Canary Media reported last week. The proposal, supported by Google and non-profit groups, would enable large users to pay for clean energy resources to match their power demand. The “clean transition tariff” is included in a broader settlement agreement and remains subject to regulatory approval. Stakeholders said the tariff is not a panacea, though it could help reduce exposure to fuel and climate risks.

The March auction for current vintage allowances under Massachusetts' Global Warming Solutions Act (GWSA) carbon market cleared at an all-time high for the third sale in a row, according to results published Monday.

RVgOing to get a final rule? - US EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin said on Monday the environmental agency will announce the highly-anticipated decision on the amount of renewable fuel to be mixed with the nation’s fuel supply by the end of March. Zeldin, speaking at a policy summit in Washington DC, said the EPA expects to publish the final rule on the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), known as the RFS Set 2 regulations, determining how much crop-based biofuel demand the programme will create, which could establish new support for the US agriculture sector. Already, the Trump administration issued rules that incentivise domestic biofuel production. The RFS Set 2 regulations will set the renewable volume obligations (RVOs) for 2026 and 2027 compliance years, initially proposed in June 2025. To provide certainty to the market, Zeldin pledged that the agency will immediately begin work on RFS Set 3 after the current rule is completed, AgWired reported.

J-REDD consultations continue - The environmental secretariat (Semas) of the Brazilian state of Para continued its ongoing free, informed, and prior consent (FPIC) consultations for the development of its contested jurisdictional REDD+ (J-REDD+) programme last week in the municipality of Baiao. During the consultation, government representatives presented information to quilombola communities about REDD+, addressed concerns, and promoted spaces for dialogue, aiming to ensure that the communities' contributions are incorporated into the process. Representatives from the Coordination of Associations of Quilombo Remnant Communities of Para (Malungu), the State Secretariat for Racial Equality and Human Rights, and the Municipal Secretariat for the Environment of Baiao also participated. The consultation in Baiao is part of what Semas said is the largest listening process ever carried out by Para. To date, 17 consultations and one plenary session have already taken place, with the state planning 47 dialogues in total.

Lego building blocks - The Lego Group announced last week plans for a solar park at its factory in Chesterfield, Virginia, that the company said will feature over 30,700 ground-mounted panels with a total capacity of 22 MWp. Construction is expected to begin this summer, and Lego also plans to install 10,080 rooftop solar panels on top of its buildings, producing an additional 6.11 MWp of capacity.  The project will significantly expand the site’s on-site renewable capacity, and marks a significant milestone towards the ambition of sourcing 100% renewable energy for the facility’s annual needs, Lego added.

The UK ETS Authority has opened a public consultation on how sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) should be treated under the country's compliance carbon market.

Methane madness - The US has intensified its criticism of the EU’s methane rules for oil and gas imports, arguing that Europe risks worsening an emerging energy supply crunch linked to Iranian attacks on Qatari infrastructure. According to Bloomberg, US ambassador to the EU Andrew Puzder has warned that stricter regulation could drive up energy costs and contribute to a severe energy crisis, urging the bloc to ease requirements if it wants to maintain affordable supply. The situation has been exacerbated by damage to Qatar’s Ras Laffan LNG facility, which could take years to repair, tightening global gas markets. Although Europe imports little gas directly from the Middle East, reduced global supply increases competition for LNG, much of which the EU now sources from the US, strengthening Washington’s leverage. US energy firms have already criticised the EU’s methane rules as overly burdensome, particularly given complex supply chains, and warn they could raise costs for exports to Europe. Under the EU framework, importers must comply with methane monitoring and reporting rules from next year, with penalties for exceeding methane intensity thresholds due by 2030. While the European Commission has indicated it will take a pragmatic approach to avoid supply disruptions, it has not yet amended the regulations.

Methane investigation - US Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) has launched an investigation into alleged discrepancies between reported and observed methane pollution from the Permian Basin, the largest producing oil field in the country, reported Inside Climate News. The move follows a recent report based on MethaneSAT, a short-lived methane-sensing satellite launched by non-profit Environmental Defense Fund and Harvard University, among others, that found methane emissions from oil and gas production facilities in the Permian Basin from May 2024 to June 2025 were four times higher than US EPA estimates.

European carbon allowance prices were largely steady either side of a steep jump late in the morning after the US announced it would extend a deadline for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, with prices leaping 3.2% in a few minutes before continuing to trade in a narrow range as the carbon market waited for signals from Brussels on the likely shape of various reforms to the EU ETS.

CORSIA carbon contracts continued to fall last week amid the ongoing war in Iran, sending jet fuel prices to all-time highs, and leaving the airline industry contemplating cutting flights amid supply shortages.

Experts on carbon accounting - The International Chamber of Commerce and Carbon Measures has announced the second and final group of experts appointed to the Technical Expert Panel (TEP) on Carbon Accounting. The panel is now fully formed, it said on Monday, bringing together 21 renowned experts to define the principles, scope, and applications of a carbon emissions accounting system that will produce product-level emissions data for use in underpinning trade and regulation. Newly appointed panelists are: Mawra Al-Ansary of UNESCO; Maria Atkinson, net zero commissioner of the New South Wales Government and partner at Nirman Ventures; Alex Cantlay of Shell; Dickson Chin of Jones Day; Jon Creyts, CEO of RMI; Hoesung Lee, former chair of the IPCC and president of the Carbon Free Alliance; Phuthuma Nhleko, chairman and CEO of the Phembani Group and formerly of the MTN Group; Braulio Pikman of Environmental Resources Management (ERM) Brazil; Peter Saling of BASF; Vijay Swarup, formerly of ExxonMobil; and Noim Uddin of the Regional Pacific Nationally Determined Contributions Hub. They join 10 members announced in January. The full groups' first meeting will take place in April, aiming to  produce a report by summer's end on the current landscape to inform the development of a model carbon accounting standard.

Automaker win - Germany's top appeals court has rejected bids by environmentalists seeking to ban Mercedes-Benz and BMW from selling new combustion engine cars from Nov. 2030. Three managing directors from the ​DUH environmental lobby had filed the lawsuits, which were based on a "carbon ‌budget" ⁠calculated for each of the two automakers. However, the court ruled that no such budget ​had been ​allocated ⁠to individual companies. Both automakers welcomed the ruling, and reiterated their commitment to sustainability. (Reuters)

Cookstoves in Benin - The Bissap project developed by Hummingbirds has become the first improved cookstove project officially registered in Benin by the AEPC (Autorité d’Enregistrement des Projets Carbone). The registration includes the retrocession of the carbon credits to the Beninese state, and comes with a clear benefit-sharing plan, stated Hummingbirds on LinkedIn. CCP-eligible credits are available to buy from the project, it said.

All together now - Removals registry Isometric is launching the Buyer Dashboard in order to give buyers a live view of the certification progress, from validation through credit issuance. The live platform will provide carbon credit buyers with key information such as when a project will complete validation, the tonnes submitted for verification, and how many credits will be issued in a quarter. It will allow buyers to forecast upcoming deliveries and report updates to internal stakeholders, so they don't have to await the next scheduled update but can see how the project is progressing in one place.

AI emissions - CO2 emissions from powering new data centres in the UK could be far higher than government estimates, according to Carbon Brief analysis. Even if gas-fired electricity only accounts for 5% of their supply - emissions from 11.2 GW of data centres would be around 2 MtCO2, which is more than 10 times higher than the government’s top estimate for 2035. And if those facilities rely more heavily on gas, emissions could be hundreds of times higher, exceeding 30 MtCO2 - roughly equal to the yearly emissions of Denmark. Were capacity to increase in line with the extra 20 GW of data-centre demand that energy regulator Ofgem says is in the pipeline, and those facilities rely heavily on gas power, then emissions could reach 70 MtCO2 - almost 500 times higher than the govt's upper estimate. The findings suggest data centres could be equivalent to as much as 20% of the UK’s projected total emissions in 2035. Most UK data centres currently connect to the electricity grid, but some developers have reportedly turned to gas via private supplies, due to struggles connecting to the network.  

New York battle - Environmental advocates in New York are up-in-arms over Governor Kathy Hochul's (D) proposal to soften the state's GHG targets under its landmark climate law, the 2019 Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA), reported E&E News. Hochul plans to advance an interim 2040 target for emissions reductions, but has not offered specifics about the new goal, the outlet reported sources as saying. Business groups have also reportedly expressed cautious support for Hochul's proposal.

Turbine triumph – The US District Court for the District of Columbia has rejected claims that federal regulators failed to protect coastal views from an East Coast wind project, allowing approvals to stand, E&E News reported on Monday. Judge Amit Mehta upheld the Interior Department’s reviews of the South Fork wind farm, dismissing arguments from Rhode Island preservation groups under the Clean Water Act. He cited recent Supreme Court guidance urging judicial deference to agency decisions, finding the environmental assessment met required standards.

Forest management plans (FMPs) in logging concessions across the Congo Basin could halve deforestation, but their adoption remains limited, according to a new paper.

Land-based removals greenwashing? – Environmental NGO Carbon Market Watch released a report on Monday warning that the new Land Sector and Removals Standard (LSRS) developed by Greenhouse Gas Protocol risks weakening corporate climate action, despite safeguards on land‑based emissions and removals accounting. The NGO says optional reporting of removals and an implied hierarchy that lets SBTi’s FLAG guidance override LSRS rules could allow companies to hide ongoing emissions behind “net” targets and temporary storage. It urges making removals reporting mandatory, banning enhanced oil recovery, tightening traceability and uncertainty rules, and clearly separating emissions cuts from carbon removals in all target‑setting frameworks.

Carbon accounting coalition – North American project developer Anew Climate joined Carbon Measures, a cross-industry coalition advancing a global carbon accounting framework and market-based decarbonisation policies, it announced on Monday. The coalition, whose members include ADNOC, ExxonMobil, and Banco Santander, is seeking to establish standardised product-level emissions accounting and carbon-intensity standards to drive demand for lower-carbon goods. The move highlights growing industry backing for ledger-based accounting systems aimed at aligning policy and investment with verified emissions performance, the companies said.

The UK is especially vulnerable to high gas prices driven by distant conflict, unless it exploits clean and flexible assets through smart energy management, say experts.

Denmark will disburse €5 billion to support offshore wind energy and France can move ahead with its scheme to support the production of renewable and low-carbon hydrogen, Brussels ruled under the bloc's state aid framework. 

Aluminium exports are the main driver of Gulf nations’ exposure to the EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), according to analysis published Monday.

Open insights – Context Labs has launched a public AI platform that transforms US EPA emissions data into a searchable, auditable intelligence layer, the company said Monday. The company said its OpenEPA platform archives more than a decade of Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program (GHGRP) data and enables users to query it through AI with full source traceability. The system allows researchers, policymakers, and market participants to generate structured, citation-ready outputs from historically fragmented datasets. The rollout, announced ahead of CERAWeek, is initially focused on GHG data but is expected to expand to additional EPA reporting streams including water and hazardous waste.

Blowing in the wind – Prior to confirmation of the deal, moderate New York Republicans including Representative Nicole Malliotakis and Rep. Andrew Garbarino criticised the Trump administration's $1 bln payment to TotalEnergies to abandon offshore wind projects off New York and North Carolina, E&E News reported. Lawmakers said the idea would waste taxpayer money and undermine domestic energy supply, with Garbarino questioning why the US would pay a foreign company instead of generating power at home. Democrats including Senator Chuck Schumer and Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse also attacked the proposal as a giveaway to fossil fuel interests. TotalEnergies confirmed on Monday it had signed settlement agreements with the US Department of Interior to relinquish its leases and abandon the projects, under which it will recover its investment and instead invest in US gas production and LNG exports. TotalEnergies said its studies have shown that offshore wind developments in the US are costly, unlike in Europe, and may not improve affordability for consumers, so it has decided against allocating capital towards the efforts.

Ageing carbon benefits - Sweden’s old-growth boreal forests store much more carbon than previously estimated, according to a new study by Lund University and Stanford University. Results showed that primary forests store 72% more carbon per acre than industrially managed forests, rising to 83% more when harvested wood products are excluded. Soil accounted for the largest portion, with the top metre holding 64% of total carbon in primary forests. Industrial logging has persistent effects on soil carbon, which old-growth forests recover from only slowly. Sweden’s managed forests could take centuries to regain lost carbon, the researchers warned. The study measured carbon at over 200 forest sites, comparing undisturbed primary forests to managed plantations. (ShiaWaves)

Consultation launch - Social Carbon las launched a public consultation for methodology SCM0003 v2.0 - for advancing high-integrity removals through afforestation and reforestation on Brazilian private lands. Key improvements include introducing dynamic performance benchmarking to bolster additionality, setting a project scale limit of 20,000 ha, and improved eligibility screening. The consultation is open from Monday to Apr. 23. Participate here.

Soil carbon uplift - Soil carbon developer Agreena has been verified for its Scope 3 project from SustainCERT, leading to the issuance of 10,964 verified impact units (VIUs) - including the first agricultural units issued in Hungary and Poland. The developer can now provide third-party assurance for all soil carbon outcomes across both its Verra-verified carbon credit programme (2.3 mln credits issued) and its SustainCERT-verified supply chain solution. The almost 11,000 VIUs issued cover 6,518 ha across Hungary, Poland, and the UK, delivering 3,940 tonnes of verified emission reductions and 7,024 tonnes of removals through regenerative farming. VIUs represent verified emissions reductions and removals generated in a company's own value chain.

A planned revision of the EU ETS Market Stability Reserve (MSR) will be presented “before Easter”, officials in Brussels said on Monday, also confirming that the European Commission was not planning to put forward a shift from volume- to price-linked triggers as part of the plans.

The Integrity Council for the Voluntary Carbon Market (ICVCM) will review a UK nature-focused carbon standard following its application for accreditation under the body’s credit quality stamp, it was confirmed Monday.

A sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) pilot programme in China saw the first blend used last week to refuel several commercial flights in the country, one of the partners in the trial said on Monday.

Design for Japan's emissions trading scheme manifests a bottom-up approach that seeks to ensure flexibility and business competitiveness, yet it remains challenging to estimate the policy effectiveness, a webinar heard last week.

A London-headquartered enhanced rock weathering (ERW) company is piloting satellite data to monitor crop performance in Ontario, Canada, it announced last week.

Malawi has authorised a dairy biogas initiative under Article 6.2 of the Paris Agreement, making it the country’s first project to generate Internationally Transferred Mitigation Outcomes (ITMOs) while targeting emissions reductions from agriculture and household energy use.

UK energy price cap? – UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s cost-of-living tsar has urged the government to consider a temporary profit cap on energy companies and petrol retailers to curb “profiteering” during the Iran war-driven price surge. Lord Richard Walker, executive chair of Iceland supermarkets, said he opposed a comprehensive, open-ended cap, warning it could cause “disastrous consequences such as rationing”, but backed a targeted measure during exceptional market conditions. Officials said there were no current plans yet but did not rule out future action, amid soaring fuel prices, rising inflation forecasts, and mounting pressure to shield households and small retailers. (Financial Times)

Global Article 6 forerunner Ghana has now granted Letters of Authorisation (LoAs) to mitigation initiatives representing around 47.1% of its 2030 budget for Internationally Transferred Mitigation Outcomes (ITMOs), among other milestones, a senior official has said.

West African initiative – The Gambia is set to host a regional meeting of West African countries from Mar. 23-25 in Banjul to accelerate the operationalisation of carbon markets and advance implementation of Article 6 of the Paris Agreement. Organised by the Ministry of Environment, Climate Change, and Natural Resources in partnership with the West African Alliance on Carbon Markets and Climate Finance, the event will bring together representatives from 16 member states to strengthen regional cooperation, assess post-COP30 developments and build institutional capacity. A key highlight will be the launch of The Gambia’s National Carbon Market Readiness Platform, aimed at establishing a governance framework and guiding stakeholders on procedures such as carbon credit authorisation, registry systems, corresponding adjustments, and reporting requirements, as the region seeks to position itself more actively in global carbon markets.

Heating up – A London-based research institute is setting up an expert group aimed at helping the UK government better manage extreme heat across the country. The National Heat Risk Commission, announced on Monday, will be independent of the government, and offer advice on protecting people and livelihoods from the impacts of climate change. The new commission will be based at the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment at the London School of Economics and Political Science, it said in a statement. Emma Howard Boyd, previously the chair of the UK Environment Agency, will lead the commission from Apr. 1, with experts in public health, wildlife, meteorology, and economic productivity also expected to join. The body is intending to publish a small report this summer with a bigger release set for June 2027. Last year was the UK’s warmest on record.

Ammonia outage - A power outage has damaged equipment at the Yara Pilbara ammonia plant - Australia’s largest - forcing a shutdown expected to last about two months, Boiling Cold reported. The disruption comes during a global ammonia shortage caused by the war in the Middle East, which has already restricted a major share of global supply and fertiliser production. This could impact both Australian agriculture via fertiliser shortages, and mining via reduced explosives supply, depending on how quickly alternative supplies can be sourced.

Measuring - UK-based Carbon Trust and a group of offshore wind developers on Monday released an updated methodology aimed at standardising how the sector measures wind energy’s carbon footprint. The revised guidance sets out a common framework for calculating the full life cycle emissions of offshore wind developments, from raw material extraction to decommissioning. The methodology also aims to help developers identify emissions hotspots, improve data quality, and support more consistent reporting across supply chains, Carbon Trust said.

Panama carbon market workshop - Panama will host a Mar. 25 workshop with support from the UN to close the public consultation on the draft executive decree for its national carbon market system (SNMCP), according to a UNFCCC document. The event, organised by the environment ministry’s carbon market team and the UN Climate Change Secretariat’s regional centre, will cover links to international markets, feedback received, key changes to the decree, and implementation plans, with around 50 stakeholders expected to attend the half-day session. Officials will present proposed amendments, institutional decisions, and next steps ahead of finalisation.

Year of records - Singapore's National Environment Agency (NEA) on Monday said the city-state broke several rainfall and temperature records in 2025. The month of March was the wettest on record, while June and November were the warmest on record, bringing the last year in Singapore's top 10 warmest years. Meanwhile, WMO earlier today said the 2015-25 decade was the hottest since record-keeping began, calling the situation a state of emergency.

Bilateral Article 6 agreements signed between countries in Southeast Asia is attracting “serious capital” to the region, according to a local project developer, as the market eyes a potential recovery.

The decade between 2015-25 was the hottest since record-keeping began, the UN weather agency said on Monday, with last year ranking as either the second or third warmest overall.

Supply boost – New Zealand will temporarily allow imports of refined fuel that meet Australian specifications in a bid to boost supply, the government said on Monday. Natural Resources Minister Shane Jones noted that the two countries’ fuel specifications are very similar. However, unlike its trans-Tasman neighbour, New Zealand will not be allowing high sulphur fuel, but Jones said the government will monitor the situation in case further loosening of standards is required. The announcement followed news earlier on Monday that the government is aiming to double the number of public EV chargers in a bid to boost uptake of the vehicles. The decision comes amid a global fuel crunch due to the ongoing war in the Middle East, with IEA chief Fatih Birol saying on Monday that Asia is at the forefront of the crisis. Government data released Monday showed that New Zealand currently has enough fuel for 47 days.

Preparations underway – Kyrgyzstan is preparing to launch a national carbon credit system as part of efforts to attract climate finance, with up to $10 mln in potential funding at stake. The initiative, discussed by government officials and the World Bank experts, will establish a system for the accounting, trading, and verification of carbon units, using a results-based mechanism. If implemented successfully, the country could receive around $4.5 mln for verified emissions cuts, along with an additional $5.5 mln through carbon market mechanisms, while also benefiting from technical assistance to build a national registry and monitoring framework.

Emissions at New Zealand-headquartered Fonterra are set to increase in the 2026 financial year, it suggested on Monday, amid an increase in production.

Carbon gains – Around 100 villages in the Anand district of India's Gujarat state are turning to bio-CNG projects in an effort to ease the ongoing LPG crisis, with the initiative also expected to generate carbon credits through significant emissions reductions. The cluster of 10 plants will convert cattle dung, agricultural residue, and other waste into clean fuel, producing about 10 tonnes of bio-CNG every day while cutting reliance on imported LPG. The initiative is expected to avoid over 100,000 tCO2e of emissions annually, creating potential for carbon credit generation alongside improved rural waste management and additional income streams for farmers. (Times of India)

Waste credits - The provincial government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in Pakistan has approved a proposal to convert municipal waste into fuel under a public-private partnership, with plans to establish material recovery and processing facilities at the Shamshatoo landfill site in the city of Peshawar. The project will produce Refuse-Derived Fuel as an alternative to coal for the cement industry, aiming to reduce reliance on imports. According to the officials, the initiative would help build a modern and sustainable waste management system, while also cutting greenhouse gas emissions, reducing landfill waste, and generating additional economic value through carbon credits. Authorities plan to expand the model to other parts of the province.

Government policy has failed to keep pace with the growing complexity emerging in the carbon removal (CDR) market, making it difficult for the sector to attract the private capital needed to scale, according to a new study.

Hedging - Australia and Singapore on Monday said they are working together to secure energy supply chains and prices, given the situation in the Middle East, according to a statement. The countries reaffirmed their commitment to strengthen energy security, to support the flow of essential goods including petroleum oils, such as diesel, and liquefied natural gas, and to notify and consult on any disruptions with ramifications on the trade of energy.

A Vienna-based climate tech startup has raised €3 million in seed funding to scale its CO2 mineralisation technology from laboratory development to pre-industrial pilots and early commercial deployment.

Asia is at the forefront of what International Energy Agency (IEA) Executive Director Fatih Birol on Monday described as two major oil crises and a gas crisis rolled into one, but said he hoped it would galvanise countries to ramp up their efforts to transition away from fossil fuels.

South Korea is considered capable of largely exceeding its 2035 climate target through the adoption of more ambitious policies, including an accelerated coal phase-out and rapid deployment of wind power, according to a new paper.

Tapping into Thailand - Japan's NEC Corporation has partnered with Tokyo-headquartered project developer Faeger to generate carbon credits from agriculture-based projects in Thailand, according to a statement. NEC provides technology that helps reduce GHG emissions from the use of fertilisers. In collaboration with local farmers in the Southeast Asian country, the two companies said they will work to build a sustainable agriculture model that involves the creation of carbon credits, without disclosing more targets.

Weighing relief - Thailand is considering cutting jet fuel excise taxes as airlines warn that rising fuel prices and embedded carbon-related costs could push airfares higher and dent tourism demand, The Traveler reported. Jet fuel prices have surged amid Middle East tensions, compounding pressure from a fixed excise rate of about THB 4.7 ($0.14) per litre. Carriers, including Thai Airways, have already raised ticket prices by around 10-15% on some routes. The Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand is in talks with the finance ministry on possible relief measures.

Switzerland’s environment and agriculture authorities have advised caution over the large-scale use of biochar in farming, citing uncertain long-term impacts on soils and limited climate mitigation potential, according to an updated government factsheet.

Batteries too - US-based Tesla is preparing to enter India’s industrial energy storage market, expanding beyond its recent electric vehicle launch, Reuters reported, citing a job posting. The move will see it compete with domestic conglomerates Reliance and Adani as India ramps up storage capacity to support its clean energy targets.

Data centre checklist – Data centres in Australia should make a positive contribution to the energy transition and avoid putting upwards pressure on power prices, Canberra said on Monday as it laid out its expectations for the rapidly growing industry. Developers should secure new clean energy and/or storage to mitigate demand and minimise their energy use and emissions by employing industry-leading energy efficiency measures, the requirements said. As well, they should have sustainable and efficient use of water, and build resilience in the event of water disruption, climate change effects, and drought.

Charging up – The New Zealand government on Monday announced NZ$52.7 mln ($30.7 mln) of zero-interest loans to double the number of public EV chargers, with an additional NZ$60 mln of co-investment from gentailer Meridian Energy and EV charger network ChargeNet. The 2,574 new chargers will include 1,374 DC fast chargers, with the remaining 1,200 AC chargers. Around half the new installations will be spread across Auckland, Hamilton, Tauranga, Wellington, Christchurch, and Dunedin – all major urban centres – and the rest will be sited in the regions. The news comes amid a global oil shortage, with New Zealand currently holding enough fuel for 47 days, government data Monday showed.

A tree planting and peatland restoration programme in England has achieved successes, but its long-term goals won’t be met without future funding certainty, a government spending watchdog said this week.

Power purchased - The Western Australian state government has signed long-term agreements to purchase electricity from several new wind farm projects, unlocking over 1 GW of renewable energy capacity—enough to power more than 800,000 homes annually, it announced. These projects, backed by state utilities like Synergy and Water Corporation, are expected to come online between 2027-29 and will collectively exceed the capacity of the state’s remaining coal-fired power stations, which are slated to close by 2030. The agreements mark a major step in WA’s transition to cleaner energy by supporting large-scale wind development and reducing reliance on coal while ensuring reliable and affordable electricity supply, according to the announcement.