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- Wed 23:55Members of California's Independent Emissions Market Advisory Committee (IEMAC) criticised the state's cap-and-invest programme rulemaking on Wednesday for lacking analytical justification on allowance budgets and projecting revenues far below legislative expectations.
- Wed 23:28Utility u-turn - The US's largest public utility has signalled it wants to keep two coal-fired power plants operational beyond their planned closure dates, reversing course on its 2035 emissions reduction timeline, the AP reported. The Tennessee Valley Authority filed plans to scrap closure dates for the 2.5 GW Kingston Fossil Plant and 2.5 GW Cumberland Fossil Plant in Tennessee, citing regulatory changes and surging electricity demand driven by data centres. TVA had aimed for an 80% carbon emissions reduction by 2035 over 2005 levels and net zero by 2050. The decision came ahead of a board meeting with a Trump-appointed majority. Clean energy groups criticised the move.
- Wed 23:27Liability limitation - A Iowa House of Representatives committee voted on Tuesday to advance House Study Bill 693 (HSB 693), which would limit the potential to sue farmers for an “alleged actual or potential effect” on the climate due to GHG emissions, reported the Iowa Capital Dispatch. The bill has received support from agricultural industry groups, and it was amended in committee to also include enhanced protection for agricultural retailers.
- Wed 23:19Galicia gets credit - Spain's Galicia region has formed a Technical Committee to advance its Voluntary Carbon Credit System, moving forward with plans to launch the country's first regional carbon market by an autonomous community government. The committee will develop methodologies for project selection and credit calculation. Galicia received 37 submissions following a November consultation, including 10 methodology proposals and 25 project ideas spanning forestry, blue economy, aquaculture, and energy sectors. The system will function as a virtual marketplace connecting carbon credit generators with voluntary buyers, regardless of legal compliance obligations. Director General Paula Uria said the initiative aims to help Galicia achieve climate neutrality by 2040 while also creating economic opportunities across multiple sectors.
- Wed 23:18Continuing coal - US President Donald Trump on Wednesday signed an executive order directing the Department of War – formerly the Department of Defense – to prioritise long-term power purchase agreements with coal-fired power plants to supply electricity to military installations and other critical defence facilities. The order calls for coordination with the US DOE and prioritises projects that bolster grid reliability, fuel security, and mission assurance. The administration said the move supports baseload power and national security, and cited earlier actions to boost coal production, including regulatory relief and reinstating the National Coal Council.
- Wed 23:16Decarbonisation study delay - Massachusetts' climate chief Melissa Hoffer is over a year late on an aim to produce an economic analysis of the state's goal to reach net zero by 2050, reported Commonwealth Beacon. The study is meant to identify the costs involved, and potential financing and investment options, for the state in its pursuit of net zero. Hoffer originally targetted completing the study by the end of 2024, but declined to provide additional details on the status of the analysis, while also sharing two related reports, according to the local outlet. She has also said publicly the report remains a priority, and mentioned carbon credits generated from CO2 sequestration in state forests as a potential revenue avenue for supporting state decarbonisation efforts.
- Wed 23:14Canada’s federal government announced on Tuesday C$97.3 million ($71.8 mln) for clean transportation projects across the country, less than a week after launching its transportation strategy.
- Wed 23:01A proposed new cap-and-trade scheme, modelled on the EU ETS, could help the bloc's member states meet circular economy targets, according to a report published Wednesday.
- A Canadian direct air capture (DAC) developer is pivoting from carbon removal (CDR) and storage to supply, seeking a stake in the merchant CO2 market as Western investors cool on CDR.
- Wed 21:29Quebec plans to publish draft amendments to its cap-and-trade regulation by the end of this winter ahead of a 45-day public consultation in spring, with the changes expected to take effect this summer to maintain alignment with California's linked market.
- Turkey tie-up – StoneX Carbon Solutions has partnered with financial services company Seka Investment to promote its carbon market offering in Turkey, the companies announced Wednesday on LinkedIn. The alliance aims to support Turkish corporates facing rising carbon-related costs and compliance obligations, providing financial tools to integrate carbon into broader planning, hedging, and risk management strategies. StoneX said the cooperation combines its global commodities expertise with Seka’s local market reach, as engagement builds ahead of COP31 in Antalya.
- Wed 20:55Sewage sludge biochar - Utility company Suez and Germany-based engineering company Pyreg launched Pyrolis S2B, a pyrocarbonisation solution that converts sewage sludge into biochar, they announced on Tuesday. The system combines drying and pyrolysis in a single plant, enabling the direct treatment of dewatered municipal and industrial sludge. The technology locks in the CO2 contained in the waste while reducing sludge volumes. Designed to be adaptable across different infrastructure types, the solution aims to address mounting challenges linked to the management of wastewater effluents, while contributing to long-term carbon storage, the companies said.
- Wed 20:52Gaining momentum - US-based nuclear fusion energy startup Inertia Enterprises said it had raised $450 mln in a Series A round led by Bessemer Venture Partners, as it seeks to commercialise laser-based fusion technology proven at the National Ignition Facility. Founded in 2024, the company plans to build a pilot plant centred on a high-power laser system dubbed “Thunderwall” and to mass manufacture fusion fuel targets, with the aim of delivering grid-scale power within a decade.
- Wed 18:58A carbon registry has called for the UN Article 6 Supervisory Body to scrap its proposed requirement for electricity generation-linked credits to report hourly data and instead use more pragmatic default values.
- Wed 18:51National inventories are underreporting GHG emissions from the wastewater sector by an estimated 94-150 million tonnes of CO2e annually when extrapolated globally, according to new research.
- Wed 18:25Political turmoil surrounding the UK government has heaped pressure on front-December benchmark futures this week, widening the market's spread to the EU ETS to more than €20, as volatility looks set to remain a feature of trading over the coming months, according to participants.
- Wed 18:02German Chancellor Friedrich Merz told an industry summit the EU should consider revising or delaying its carbon market if it fails to support the transition of industry to clean production, Bloomberg reported late on Wednesday.
- Wed 17:45Euro Markets: EUAs claw back 3.5% sell-off while UKAs plummet 17% amid heavy selling before rallyingEuropean carbon prices extended their run of losses on Wednesday, falling to a four-month low before recovering strongly late in the day, as traders continued to react to news reporting around the debate over reforms to the EU ETS, as well as a leak suggesting that some industrial sectors may see a smaller reduction in their free allocation of EUAs for 2026, while UKAs swung violently after some determined selling dropped the market by as much as 17% in the morning.
- Wed 17:32New York’s Senate approved legislation on Tuesday requiring large companies doing business in the state to disclose GHG emissions across their operations and value chains, advancing a measure aimed at expanding corporate climate transparency.
- Wed 17:19Not a silver bullet - Deep soils in forests may be less effective at storing carbon in the long term than previously thought, according to a study by Boku University focused on European beech forests in Central Europe. Another study investigating pine forests in Scotland found that soils under mature pine forests had about half as much carbon as nearby soils that stayed as grassland, and the carbon lost from the soil was equal to around a third of the carbon that the trees had absorbed from the atmosphere. These studies highlight that forests are not a silver bullet to climate change, said Thomas Parker of the James Hutton Institute. (the Standard)
- Wed 16:56
Race to cleaner growth - Romania has decoupled economic growth from emissions faster than any other EU country, with net GHG emissions intensity falling by 88% between 1990 and 2023. The country has installed wind, solar, and nuclear in place of former fossil fuels, but the economic boom has not been fairly shared, with former coal towns depopulated and entire communities reduced by the loss of factories and mines. But it's unclear if Romania can keep up the pace as it looks to develop new gas plants and holds onto remaining coal plants. (the Guardian)
- Wed 16:25CORSIA carbon supply is readying for takeoff, with a selection of newly-approved eligible credits now on the market, but airlines may claim force majeure if not enough units are available by 2028, and there is still a sharp gap between supply and expected demand, experts said on Wednesday.
- Wed 16:20Shifting priorities - Doubts about energy transition policies are rising among people in Germany as climate fears recede and worries about the economy and security take precedence, according to a survey commissioned by the BMW Foundation Herbert Quandt. The share of citizens who claim to be “very concerned” about climate change currently stands at 33%, down from around 50% between 2019 and 2022. A relative majority of the population still believes the energy transition is the right choice, but doubts are growing about whether policymakers are choosing the right measures and the right pace. Concerns centre around rising energy prices, changes to the landscape, and supply security. Almost 40% of respondents said they believe Germany is taking the wrong path, with strongest opposition in eastern Germany and among supporters of the populist far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) and the pro-business Free Democrats (FDP).
- Wed 16:16Natural gas is the "destination fuel" that will enable Nigeria to improve energy access, fund infrastructure, and support prosperity for the wider African continent, according to Nigeria energy experts who spoke at a conference in London.
- Wed 16:14Structural failure, weak transparency and falling prices render VCM a “dead body”, argue researchersStructural failings, lack of transparency, and weakening price signals have left the voluntary carbon market (VCM) a “dead body”, according to a new academic analysis that used the 2023 REDD+ integrity scandal to examine buyer behaviour and market dynamics.
- Wed 16:04EU countries spend only 5% of their carbon trading revenues on decarbonising industry, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Wednesday, urging member states to boost spending ahead of a summit on restoring Europe’s industrial competitiveness.
- Wed 15:54A group of industries is urging the European Commission and Parliament to remove the potential for Brussels to exempt sectors from the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) ad hoc, arguing that it undermines market confidence.
- Wed 14:22Egypt’s export authority is ready to extend technical assistance to sectors covered by the EU Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), while industry pushes for added financial support as part of a belated government response, according to local media reports.
New friends - The Saudi Regional Voluntary Carbon Market Company (VCM) has announced a partnership with Roshn Group, a Saudi real estate developer, to evaluate opportunities for Roshn to generate carbon credits. Both companies are majority owned by Saudi sovereign wealth vehicle the Public Investment Fund (PIF). VCM’s advisory team will initially support Roshn Group to assess the emissions reduction potential from water-saving technologies. The partnership will help translate the decarbonisation potential of the real estate developer’s sustainable business practices into tradable carbon instruments, the pair has announced, without clarifying the source of additionality. The news comes amid a flurry of other Saudi VCM company partnership announcements, including several North American ones last week.
- Wed 13:54Investment in renewable energy globally fell by nearly 10% in 2025 ($72 billion) due in large part to changes to power market rules in China, analysts said on Tuesday.
- Wed 13:48A French think tank has urged policymakers to massively scale up support for industrial decarbonisation as part of the upcoming reform of the EU’s Emissions Trading System (ETS), saying heavy industries like steel and chemicals need more incentives to succeed in the low-carbon transition.
- Wed 13:38A growing shift in voluntary carbon markets toward removals-based credits is taking finance away from avoided deforestation projects across biodiversity-rich Asia-Pacific, threatening ecosystems like forests, mangroves, and wetlands, a webinar heard on Wednesday.
- Wed 13:25A North Sea gas project, operated by a Netherlands-based exploration company, has received the highest grade from an independent auditor assessing the methane emissions intensity of the development.
- Wed 13:18The UK plans to spend tens of billions of pounds revamping its electricity network, but costs and disruption must be carefully managed if the country is to achieve its 2030 clean power goal, experts told Carbon Pulse.
- Wed 13:11In demand - Used electric car sales in the UK increased by 45% last year, reaching a new high of 274,815 sales, with buyers benefitting from more affordable prices and confidence in the technology. Total used electrified car transactions, including hybrids, accounted for nearly 10% of all used car purchases at 770,378, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). Improved confidence in EV batteries and overall longevity helped drive the increase. Britain’s most popular used car remains the Ford Fiesta with 303,090 swapping owners last year, followed by the Vauxhall Corsa at 247,853, and the Volkswagen Golf at 226,082. (the Independent)
- Wed 12:56Green bond issuance - More than €22 bln of bonds were issued using the European Green Bond Standard (EUGBS) in its first year, following the standard's launch in late 2024, according to think tank the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA). This came from numerous issuers, including sovereigns, municipal entities, banks, and corporates coming from a variety of countries, with most bonds allocated to Europe’s low-carbon energy transition. Issuers must commit to pre-issuance reviews, annual post-issuance reporting, and oversight by the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) to use the standard, and must also align at least 85% of bond proceeds to activities within the EU Taxonomy. (edie.net)
- Wed 12:52The impending overshoot of the Paris Agreement's 1.5C target will raise the temperature and political pressure at COP talks in the future, and shift the debate from hot air to action, according to Bill Hare, founder and chief executive of Climate Analytics.
- Wed 12:33Green bond glow - Deutsche Bank has issued its first European Green Bond under the European Green Bond Standard (EuGB), for which the proceeds will go solely towards refinancing assets in the green buildings category of its Sustainable Instruments Framework (SIF). The development marks the "bank-wide commitment to integrating sustainability into our core business and financing strategy", said Chief Sustainability Officer global green bond league tables in 2024 and 2025, up from rank 16 in 2018, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.
- Wed 12:01A Berlin-based nature-based solutions platform has launched a request for proposals (RfP) to procure up to 600,000 high-quality nature-based carbon removal credits on behalf of a food and beverage company, with delivery targeted by 2030.
- Wed 11:29The outdoor winter sports industry faces escalating climate risks, and may ultimately need to support large-scale carbon removals, in order to safeguard its future, according to a new blog post by a climate advisory firm.
- Wed 10:56South Korea's latest CO2 permit auction again went oversubscribed amid robust demand, with the clearing price climbing by nearly 20% from the previous monthly sale.
- Wed 07:53Utilised - Indonesia has used around $3.5 bln from financing pledged under the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP) and the Asia Zero Emission Community (AZEC) to advance green economy projects, national news agency Antara reported, citing Coordinating Economic Affairs Minister Airlangga Hartarto. Total JETP funding for Indonesia stands at $21.4 bln, with AZEC contributing $500 mln. The government has also earmarked $24 bln in its 2026 state budget for energy security and green initiatives, including renewable energy, electric vehicle supply chains, biofuels, and carbon capture technologies, Hartarto added.
- Wed 07:27Thailand’s cabinet has approved carbon credits to be traded on its exchange to strengthen price discovery ahead of a new climate change law, the Southeast Asian country’s finance minister announced this week.
- Wed 07:07India can meet its net zero target by 2070 while continuing to expand coal consumption for the coming decades, a report published this week by government think tank NITI Aayog has claimed.
- Wed 07:00The Western Australian state government is creating an industry development plan for its local carbon sector and has launched a survey for stakeholder feedback, it announced.
- Wed 05:01Global plans to decarbonise the steel sector are losing steam, with new projects slowing sharply last year, as 2026 shapes up to be a make-or-break year for getting first commercial plants off the ground, according to new analysis published on Wednesday.
- Wed 04:18The High Court in Wellington is set to hear a first-of-its-kind climate lawsuit for New Zealand next month, with one of the litigants saying there is a “reasonable prospect of success”.
- Wed 04:12Under pressure – Climate change is putting pressure on legal systems, FBC News reported Fijian Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka saying at the opening of the Commonwealth Law Ministers Meeting in Nadi. Climate change, digital disruption, and emerging security risks are exposing gaps in the world’s legal systems, he said, while strong legal frameworks can bolster climate resilience, such as protecting natural resources.
- Wed 03:51An Australian low carbon liquid fuels (LCLF) company has closed its Series A funding, having raised A$10 million ($7.1 mln), it announced Wednesday.
- Wed 00:40The Vanuatu government has introduced the zero - or rough - draft of a UN General Assembly (UNGA) resolution to endorse the International Court of Justice’s (ICJ’s) landmark opinion on climate change, it announced.
- Wed 00:38A senior executive from BYD, the world’s largest electric vehicle (EV) producer, said that there was no possibility that its significant January sales slump would persist, citing autonomous driving as a route to longer-term growth.
- Fishing for emissions - Canadian hydrogen developer Stormfisher Hydrogen has partnered with Amsterdam’s CarbonLeap to support Scope 3 emission reductions in transatlantic maritime logistics. The collaboration links StormFisher's Renewable Fuels of Non-Biological Origin (RFNBO)-certified e-methanol with CarbonLeap's efforts to scale freight decarbonisation for European customers and transatlantic trade routes.
