Money for nothing - American basketball star Kawhi Leonard is facing allegations that he benefited from a $28 mln “no-show” endorsement deal with bankrupt environmental start-up Aspiration, allegedly designed to circumvent NBA salary cap rules and funded in part by LA Clippers owner Steve Ballmer, The New York Times reports. According to a podcast citing seven former Aspiration employees, the four-year contract signed in 2022 involved no meaningful promotional work from Leonard and was structured to supplement his Clippers salary. The NBA has opened an investigation into the claims, with potential penalties including fines, loss of draft picks, suspensions, and even voiding of contracts if violations are proven. Aspiration, which once had a $300 mln sponsorship agreement with the Clippers, received a $50 mln investment from Ballmer in 2021 before collapsing into bankruptcy this year amid fraud charges against its co-founder Joseph Sanberg. Bankruptcy filings show the Clippers, one of Ballmer’s other businesses, and Leonard’s LLC among the firm’s top creditors. The Clippers deny any wrongdoing and said they cut ties with Aspiration in 2023 when the company defaulted. Sandberg has agreed to plead guilty to defrauding investors and lenders of more than $248 mln, US prosecutors said last month. Aspiration, once valued at $2 bln and backed by celebrities including Cindy Crawford, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Robert Downey Jr., filed for bankruptcy under its new name of CTN Holdings earlier this year with $170 mln in liabilities.

Partners - Silvania, a global nature capital investment platform, has formed a strategic partnership with Alder Point Capital Management to expand sustainable investment in US timberland and farmland. Silvania has made a major financial commitment to Alder Point, aiming to generate value through conservation finance, ecological forestry, regenerative agriculture, and other nature-based revenue streams. The collaboration combines Silvania’s expertise in carbon markets, environmental product development, and remote sensing with Alder Point’s operational experience in ecological forestry and land management. Silvania CEO Eelco Hoekstra said the partnership reflects the firm’s mission to scale nature-based solutions with measurable ecological, social, and financial benefits. Alder Point’s Managing Director Jessamine Fitzpatrick added that Silvania’s involvement will help transform US timberland into climate-resilient, income-generating assets that also support biodiversity and rural communities.

A European carbon ratings agency has formed a partnership with a carbon trading and management platform, aiming to improve efficiency and transparency across the voluntary carbon market (VCM).

The Colombian government’s proposal to lower the share of the national CO2 tax that can be offset with carbon credits, and to increase the tax rate, may undermine investor confidence and set back the carbon market, the country’s carbon industry association said Wednesday.

Row it back - The US has threatened to impose tariffs, visa restrictions, and port levies on countries that back a UN plan to cut GHG emissions from shipping, according to US and European officials cited by Reuters. The proposed carbon pricing rules, agreed in draft form at the International Maritime Organization (IMO) in April, would introduce fees on vessels that exceed emissions limits. Washington withdrew from the negotiations and has since warned it will retaliate against nations that support the framework, which it argues would burden the shipping industry without meaningfully reducing emissions. A State Department spokesperson confirmed the US is preparing measures should the deal be adopted at an extraordinary IMO session in October, adding that it is urging partners and allies to follow suit. The Netherlands has already received a direct warning of possible trade measures if it backs the accord. Shipping is responsible for nearly 3% of global CO2 output, and the IMO deal - initially supported by 63 member states - aims to accelerate decarbonisation of the sector. However, with 16 countries voting against and 24 abstaining, its adoption remains uncertain. The US has denounced the plan as a “global carbon tax” and is seeking to block it as part of a broader strategy to assert economic leverage in global trade.

New found impetus – Fermeuse Energy has credited Canada’s ‘nation building’ bill (Bill C-5) for its decision to advance with a $12-15 bln LNG project in Newfoundland, The Energy Mix reported on Tuesday. In a press release, the company said the project – developed in partnership with Crown LNG – would unlock the 9.7 trillion cubic feet of offshore gas reserves in the Jeanne D’Arc basic and export LNG to Europe, and beyond. Prime Minister Mark Carney in July was said to be eyeing two major oil and gas plus CCUS projects, following the bill’s passage.

Up to BAT in 2028 – The trial date for RJ Reynolds Vapor Company, a subsidiary of British American Tobacco (BAT), has been pushed back to Mar. 2028, according to documents from the US Public Access to Court Electronic Records (PACER) system. The hearing on dismissal of the plaintiffs’ forthcoming amended complaint is now set for Feb. 2026, with a final pre-trial conference scheduled for Jan. 2028. The lawsuit is over allegations that BAT misled consumers by charging a premium for “carbon neutral” Vuse vape products involves offsets from forestry offsets projects in Uruguay and China.

After reviewing 500 million nature-based carbon credits, ratings agency Renoster said two mechanisms designed to improve the credibility and quality of carbon credits, buffer pools and integrity labels, are falling short. 

Targeting superfunds - In a Friday filing, the Trump administration is asking the US District Court of the Southern District of New York to block New York’s climate superfund law, which seeks damages from fossil fuel companies for alleged climate harms. It’s the second suit the administration has filed against the state. In May, the US Department of Justice filed a suit against superfund laws in New York, Vermont, Michigan, and Hawaii in its broader effort to take legal action against state efforts to hold fossil fuel firms financially responsible for the effects of climate change. In this new suit, the administration is accusing New York of “brazen disregard” for federal laws governing air pollution.

A Toronto-based carbon project developer has obtained two new contractual options to expand its India afforestation, reforestation and revegetation (ARR) project, giving the firm the ability to add up to 20 million additional trees over the project’s 20-year life.

PACT partners - The UK Partnering for Accelerated Climate Transitions (UK PACT) programme has launched a new funding opportunity under its Mexico Fund, targeting the climate policy, green finance, and agriculture, forestry, and other land use (AFOLU) sectors. These areas are central to Mexico’s climate transition, with the aim of strengthening governance, unlocking green investment, and transforming agri-food and forest systems in line with the country’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and government priorities. Organisations are invited to submit Expressions of Interest for projects that enhance legislative and planning instruments, promote green procurement standards, and drive landscape transformation. Proposals should align with national priorities, complement ongoing initiatives, and demonstrate innovation and collaboration across regulatory, market, institutional, and social dimensions. Eligible interventions include advancing NDC implementation under climate policy; developing sustainable finance reporting standards, greening public budgets, and incentivising green finance under the green finance sector; and promoting climate action in crops, livestock landscape reconversion, and forestry initiatives under AFOLU.

The Brazilian Treasury on Wednesday named the banks selected under its most recent round of Eco Invest, a programme to boost international investments in long-term sustainable projects in the country, with three state-owned entities receiving the majority of the capital.

FPIC ongoing – The government of Para, Brazil, has completed another step in its free, prior, and informed consultation (FPIC) for its jurisdictional REDD+ (J-REDD+) programme. From Aug. 26-29, the State Secretariat for Environment, Climate and Sustainability (Semas) held presentations on legal aspects and tools for accessing benefit-sharing to Quilombola communities in the Marajo archipelago. The activities followed a methodology developed jointly by Para’s government bodies and Quilombola leaders, according to Semas. This step provided an opportunity for the communities to engage in the public policy development for J-REDD+, Semas said.

Get your science Wright – A swath of scientists are slamming the US DOE’s climate change report for inadequately representing the current science on climate change, according to an E&E News report. The report cast doubt on the impact of anthropogenic CO2 and other GHGs on the nation’s climate and economy. It was published in July for public comment. In their public response, the group of 85 scientists have also called into question the process for drafting the report, which included reviewers handpicked by Energy Secretary Chris Wright and a two-month turnaround.

DIY methodology – The Chilean Ministry of Environment (MMA) on Wednesday approved its own project methodology for generating ‘green tax’ eligible offsets, marking the first time it has accepted a methodology not from an established carbon market standard. The methodology, which involves replacing wood-burning heaters with energy-efficient electric heating in the Biobio region, mitigates emissions of particulate matter. These are also covered under the ‘green tax’, though the levy is commonly associated with GHGs. The MMA noted in June that it had developed a methodology for quantifying baseline emissions for a Biobio particulate matter mitigation pilot. This would involve installing more than 50 split air conditioning units in the region, the MMA said at the time. This particulate matter framework is so far the only methodology Chile has validated under its green tax outside the five state-recognised standards: the UN’s Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), Verra’s Verified Carbon Standard (VCS), Gold Standard, Cercarbono, and BioCarbon.

Green rules – Brazil’s finance ministry expects to publish the country’s first sustainable taxonomy later in September, following final approval from the Interinstitutional Committee for the Brazilian Sustainable Taxonomy (CITSB) for the proposal last week, the government announced on Wednesday. It covers eight sectors: agriculture, livestock, forest protection, fishing and aquaculture; extractive industries; manufacturing; electricity and gas; water, sewage, waste and decontamination; construction; transport, storage and mail; and social services. The ministry will also publish two further thematic chapters covering safeguards and supporting documents. The development process involved more than 350 people and 63 institutions, including representatives from civil society, government, consultants, and experts. Implementation will be gradual, with financial regulators adapting the rules, extending them to large companies and financial institutions, and setting deadlines for monitoring, reporting, and verification.

The world’s largest cruise association is suing Hawaii over its impending tourism tax, alleging the charge aimed at boosting revenues for climate resilience is “unconstitutional”. 

A Middle Eastern umbrella organisation representing 18 exchanges and eight clearinghouses has committed to developing carbon markets in the region among its top environmental, social, and governance (ESG) priorities.

Electricity elaborated - Washington's Department of Ecology (ECY) issued Wednesday guidance for regulations released in Dec. 2024.for electricity imported from centralised electricity markets (CEM) under its state cap-and-invest programme. According to the clarification, provisions applicable to the “energy imbalance market” apply equally to entities participating in Western Energy Imbalance Market (WEIM) 1 and Extended Day-Ahead Market (EDAM). These provisions relate to importers' role as the reporting entity for both power and emissions associated with all imported electricity attributed to Washington through a CEM. Under other parts of the regulation, deemed market importers will also be responsible for the compliance obligation associated with any reported emissions that are covered under the ETS. Additionally, the ECY also advised participants and operators to prepare for attribution of specified imports beginning Jan. 1, 2027.

Streaming giant Netflix has committed to a 15-year contract to purchase afforestation, reforestation, and revegetation (ARR) credits through a US forestry conservation organisation, according to a Wednesday announcement.

Wind woes - The Trump administration will reconsider a permit issued to SouthCoast Wind, a Massachusetts offshore wind farm, by the previous Biden administration, Reuters reported. More specifically, attorneys for the Department of Justice and Interior Department said they will reconsider the project's construction and operations plan. Last week, the Trump administration also announced it was withdrawing or terminating $679 mln in funding for 12 offshore wind projects.

The UAE Ministry of Finance this week issued a decision establishing carbon credit trading as a ‘qualifying activity’ in economic free zones, bringing the applicable corporate tax down to 0%.

During upcoming COP negotiations, developing countries may be able to draw on new research published Wednesday, which shows how far rich countries’ climate targets have been “insufficient”.

We want more - Poland is urging the EU to expand the use of international carbon credits under the proposed 90% emissions cut by 2040, warning of potential price shocks, Bloomberg reports. Warsaw proposes raising the limit to 10% of 1990 baseline net emissions, up from the European Commission’s 3%, and allowing credits from 2031 instead of 2036. Poland wants credits usable both within the EU carbon market and in non-ETS sectors. Alongside France and Italy, it is pressing to escalate the debate to EU leaders in October. Poland also calls for an independent carbon 'central bank' to oversee market stability and safeguard integrity.

Paris and Berlin faced criticism on Wednesday after backing calls to postpone an agreement on the EU’s 2040 climate target to a leaders’ summit in October, rather than this month, with Greens warning the delay could unleash a cascade of demands.

EU carbon prices resumed their rally on Wednesday, testing a key psychological level after weekly position data showed speculative traders had built up their largest bullish bet in five months and market sentiment appeared to be shifting to a more cautiously optimistic tone, while the fortnightly UKA auction cleared at the highest price in more than two years.

Bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) projects need multiple investors to share the risk that comes with what is still a novel technology, according to a developer that usually funds its own facilities.

A New York-based forest carbon project developer has tapped the sustainability department of a major financial institution for its new head of operations, according to a Wednesday release.

Switzerland has signed an agreement that will allow the European country to export its CO2 emissions to be permanently stored underground in Denmark.

Mystery momentum - The Financial Times has reported that momentum is building for a global carbon pricing scheme as COP30 draws nearer. Policymakers and climate stakeholders are said to now be actively discussing the creation of a new international framework designed to accelerate emissions reductions in line with the Paris Agreement. The proposal emphasises greater flexibility for developing countries, meaning that carbon pricing standards and emissions reduction commitments could be adjusted to reflect broader development priorities, as per the reporting. Few other details are available.

Benchmark EU carbon permits are expected to reach €78 per tonne by the end of this year, according to a commodities trading house that also expects a bullish 2026 for the market.

A landmark climate case that was brought by Indonesian fisherman against a large Swiss cement company ended Wednesday without the court reaching a decision.

Minus points - Oil company Pluspetrol breached OECD standards by neglecting Indigenous rights and environmental safeguards in Peru, the Dutch National Contact Point (NCP) has found. The fossil fuel producer failed to consult local communities or secure their free, prior, and informed consent, undermining their self‑determination, according to the findings. As per the Dutch statement, Pluspetrol polluted the environment as well as exploited artificial corporate structures like offshore trusts and empty letterbox entities to evade accountability. The decision follows a complaint filed more than five years ago by four Indigenous federations from the Peruvian Amazon, supported by SOMO and partner NGOs. The final statement validates the communities’ long struggle for justice after years of oil pollution, health impacts, and rights violations, SOMO said in a statement Wednesday.

Bovine intervention - An investigation by the Changing Markets Foundation and Deutsche Umwelthilfe has claimed to have uncovered significant methane leaks at two Danish biogas plants, casting doubt on the climate claims of the dairy-linked green energy sector. At Shell-owned Nature Energy’s Videbæk facility, methane levels exceeded 5,000 ppb, the green groups said, more than double the regional average. Evidence suggested intentional venting, they alleged. At Arla’s nearby Arinco facility, further methane releases were filmed, while at the Tonder plant, levels spiked to nearly 35,000 ppb, around 16 times background concentrations. Campaigners warn that such leaks could undermine the climate benefits of biogas, which is heavily subsidised and lightly regulated compared to fossil gas.

New research has estimated that a 'sudden wake-up call' scenario - where governments after years of insufficient action hurriedly introduce extreme carbon pricing mechanisms later this decade - would shave over 2% off global GDP by 2030.

Exposed exports - The EU's new Methane Emissions Regulation, which came into force last August, could reshape the UK’s oil and gas trade, a new paper from the Oxford Institute for Energy Studies. With 70% of UK crude oil exports and nearly all gas exports heading to the EU in 2024, the sector is highly exposed, it said. The rules set methane intensity standards for imports, creating compliance and reputational risks, particularly for private equity producers. While gaps remain between UK and EU methane monitoring and verification systems, London is unlikely to intervene soon. Instead, UK producers may need to align voluntarily with EU standards by 2027.

New faces - Xpansiv has announced the appointments of Kristina Schaefer-Williams as senior vice president of sales and Michael Applebaum as vice president of marketing. Schaefer-Williams, formerly of Diligent and Thomson Reuters, brings around 20 years of sales leadership experience to strengthen revenue growth and customer relationships. Applebaum, with over 20 years in technology and energy transition markets and past roles at Indigo Ag, Opower, and Tenable, offers deep expertise in market creation and scaling, a release stated.

Sensistive CDR - CDR platform Isometric has automated its Certify function with sensitivity analysis, which identifies the variables with the greatest impact on a project’s net carbon removal, ensuring they are addressed conservatively. The sensitivity analysis will take seconds, and will  ensure every credit represents a tonne of carbon removed from the atmosphere, the standard body said. Certify compiles all results and justifications into a clear and  transparent format, making it simple for verifiers to review and accelerating the verification process.

Sunny Sweden - Sweden’s largest utility-scale solar power installation, located at Hultsfred Airport in Smaland, is now complete, with 174 ,000 low-carbon photovoltaic panels installed around the runway. With an installed capacity of 100 MWp, it is expected to generate approximately 100 GWh annually, equivalent to the electricity consumption of over 18,000 average Swedish houses. The project was made possible by a long-term power purchase agreement signed at the end of 2022 between Neon, the developer and owner, and H&M Group, under which the solar park will provide the Swedish fashion retailer with 95% of the renewable energy and guarantees of origin produced. The agreement plays an important role in H&M Group’s goal to only source renewable electricity by 2030 at the latest.

Record marine heatwaves in 2023 weakened the ocean’s ability to absorb carbon dioxide by about 10%, according to a study published this week.

The European Union is at risk of locking in new dependencies and falling behind global rivals in the cleantech race without a long-term climate investment strategy, a new report warned on Wednesday.

The Climate Action Reserve is reenvisioning its approach to permanence in its voluntary protocols.

The world’s leading steel producers are concealing their true climate impact by failing to account for methane released from the Australian coal they import, according to a report released Thursday.

A major carbon registry is reviewing its permanence standards for carbon storage credits for the first time in more than a decade. 

Unpopular CCS - A mere 7% of the UK public sees CCS as a priority for tackling climate change, despite the government's plans to spend over £50 bln on subsidies for the technology, according to a YouGov poll released Wednesday. Other climate action solutions were more popular, including renewables (38%), home insulation (20%), nature protection (23%), and public transport (17%). The government is due to publish a revised climate plan on Oct. 29.

Offtake deals signed under the voluntary carbon market have already reached $3 billion so far in 2025, and will likely breach the $4 bln mark by year end, according to a nature-based project developer speaking at a conference in Norway.

The European Commission put forward legislative proposals on Wednesday to ratify trade deals with South American countries, inserting a new suspension clause related to “essential elements” of the Paris Agreement, in a bid to win over sceptics.

Green Magnum - RWE has secured a €551 mln grant from the Dutch government’s SDE++ subsidy scheme to build a 100 MW green hydrogen electrolyser at Eemshaven, adjacent to its Magnum power station. The facility will be powered by renewable electricity from the nearby OranjeWind offshore wind farm, developed in partnership with TotalEnergies. With necessary permits already in place, RWE will move into the front-end engineering and design phase, identify construction partners, and finalise offtake agreements before making a financial investment decision. The project aims to accelerate industrial decarbonisation in the Netherlands by integrating green hydrogen into its energy mix. (Fuel Cells Works)

Look on the bright side - A recent study reveals that politicians and policymakers vastly underestimate public support for climate action, which in turn limits the scope of environmental policy. Delegates at the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA) last year were asked to estimate what percentage of the global population would say they were willing to give 1% of their income to help fix climate change. The average estimate was 37%, but recent research found the true figure is 69%. Additionally, 89% of respondents believe their governments should do more to tackle global warming. This misperception - known as 'pluralistic ignorance' - persists even among climate-savvy officials and stifles the development of bold, solution-oriented policies. Experts urge reframing the conversation around public support and economic benefits to close the gap. (Guardian)

Brussels and London need to talk about creating cross-border CO2 transport and storage infrastructure, and coordinate their regulations, in parallel with negotiations on linking their emissions markets, a wide group of businesses, associations, and civil society said in a letter to political leaders on Wednesday.

Off the list - Danica Pension, which manages more than DKK 400 bln ($62 bln), has blacklisted Equinor, the Norwegian company behind the controversial Bacalhau offshore oil project in Brazil, Danwatch reports. The project involves drilling in ultra-deep waters around 2,000 meters below the surface, with planned extraction equivalent to over 13 times Denmark’s annual oil consumption, according to the non-profit. The oil field is located within a protected marine area that is home to endangered species, including whales, dolphins, sea turtles, fish, and birds. Danwatch previously revealed that Danica had invested DKK 176 mln in Equinor despite a stated policy against financing ultra-deepwater fossil fuel extraction.

All Aboard! - A group of private investors has formed the All Aboard Coalition to tackle the fundraising hurdles faced by climate tech startups nearing commercialisation, Bloomberg reports. The coalition is targeting an initial fund of around $300 mln, which it plans to close by the end of October, with first investments expected later this year alongside members’ own capital. The effort comes amid shrinking US federal support and waning private investment in climate technologies. In the first quarter of 2025, US startups working on direct air capture raised only about $58 mln in venture funding - a drop of more than 60% compared to the same period last year, the article said.

An environmental services company announced Wednesday that it has delivered a tranche of carbon credits stemming from its well-plugging programme to an energy wholesaler, setting the company up to expand its methane abatement operations.

Needs more work - Thailand is working on regulations for CCS through amendments to its Petroleum Act and a national implementation plan, but legal uncertainty continue to slow progress, said Norton Rose Fulbright, a global law firm, last week. A standalone CCS law is not yet in place, leaving investors in haze over underground tenure and land-use rights, it said. The government offers some incentives for CCS-linked petrochemical activities, but broader subsidies or carbon pricing to offset high initial costs remain absent, it added.

President Donald Trump’s clarion call of “drill, baby, drill” to the oil industry could soon switch to 'shine, baby, shine' to the solar sector, after a US company announced plans to commercialise new quantum dot technology, heralded by some as the next revolution for the renewable energy source.

Done deal – Malawi’s Ministry of Natural Resources has signed a carbon market trade agreement with UAE-based Green Economic Partnership (GEP), according to media outlet MBC Digital. Under the partnership, GEP will begin with the reforestation of Namizimu Forest Reserve in Mangochi, planting 21 mln trees as part of wider efforts to expand Malawi’s carbon emissions reduction trade capacity. GEP plans to extend the initiative to other forest reserves, given the country’s environmental resources. The agreement follows the launch of the Malawi Carbon Market Framework, which sets out national guidelines for engaging with international carbon markets.

Burp no more - A joint venture partnership between the New Zealand government, the agricultural industry, and the Ag Emissions Centre are investing a collective NZ$6.5 mln ($3.8 mln) to develop methane inhibitors for the farming industry, the two said this week. Agriculture is one of the largest sources of emissions in NZ and this agreement builds on past work that saw NZ$1 mln spent in 2023. This funding round aims to re-shape the programme to give it a stronger focus in commercialisation. The inhibitor lowers the amount of methane expressed by ruminant animals in their burps.

Several leading companies in Japan's food value chain have endorsed an industry coalition initiated by the country's largest agricultural lender, aiming to reduce Scope３emissions from the agricultural sector.

A working group under Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) has proposed ways to determine benchmarks for steel and cement producers regulated by the national CO2 emissions market.

An executive at a publicly-listed energy company has criticised the EU’s 2030 carbon capture and storage (CCS) target as “ill-defined” and unlikely to be met. 

The Australian Labor government's ongoing approvals of fossil fuel projects since returning to office will make it more difficult for it to set a more ambitions 2035 Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC), analysis by an NGO released Wednesday found. 

Indonesia’s national carbon exchange saw a minor jump in traded volumes in August, driven almost entirely by a single large negotiated deal as liquidity remained limited overall.

Australia has opened consultation on its H2Global joint tender, or “doubled-sided auction scheme”, with Germany, valued at €400 million, to drive renewable hydrogen development and demand in both nations as a central plank to wider decarbonisation efforts.

More money in pocket - South Korea's environment ministry said its budget for next year will increase by 7.5% to almost KRW 16 trillion ($11.5 bln) compared to this year, according to a statement released this week. In particular, the budget for environmental technology development has increased by 19.8%, reaching a record high of KRW 418 bln. The ministry also plans to expand the scale of a special loan programme to foster a low-carbon industrial ecosystem, providing guarantees to startups facing difficulties obtaining secured loans from commercial banks.

A digital technology company has launched a "regulatory-ready" platform for originating high-integrity energy transition assets including carbon credits, it announced on Wednesday.

Funding secured - Australia's Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC) said on Wednesday it will invest A$3.8 bln ($2.48 bln) in the Marinus Link - a 345 km undersea power cable that will connect Tasmania’s hydro-heavy grid to the mainland. Set for completion by 2030, the project will export surplus renewable energy to major cities like Sydney and Melbourne. This project marks the seventh to be financed through the CEFC Rewiring the Nation Fund, making it also the green bank's largest investment to date.

Climate action has tumbled down the priority list for citizens of the European Union, falling to eighth place in the latest Eurobarometer survey as security and economic concerns take precedence, the European Parliament revealed on Wednesday.

Solar stewardship – Australia should establish a mandatory product stewardship scheme for solar PV during the current parliamentary term, according to a joint statement signed by 60 industry, unions, local governments, and environmental groups. The statement hailed Australia as an international solar success story, but said the lack of circular economy principles embedded in the industry was a fatal flaw. It highlighted that millions of solar panels are being decommissioned each year, but fewer than 5% are recycled. The groups estimate that Australia has a A$6.5 bln ($4.2 bln) opportunity to bolster the country's mineral resource capacity, while creating new domestic industries, manufacturing, and jobs. Signatories included Australian Industry Group, the Smart Energy Council, the Climate Council, and the Australian Council of Recycling, among others.

Insetting initiative - Japanese trading company Kanematsu has joined an industry consortium initiated by the Norinchukin Bank to promote the concept of insetting and push for green transformation in the agricultural sector, it announced Wednesday. The consortium plans to establish a working group and develop guidelines compatible with Japanese business practices. Kanematsu has been seeking to use biochar, eco-friendly rice, and methane-reducing cattle feed to help downstream companies achieve Scope 3 reductions.

Investors are waiting on the integrated farm land management method (IFLM) to be able to inject capital into Australia’s carbon market, however larger developers should work on their own methodologies in the interim, an investment manager told Carbon Pulse.

South Korea’s ten largest corporate emitters are considered accountable for heatwave-attributable loss of almost $120 billion over 2011–23, a report claimed Wednesday.

Pan-American agriculture and aviation industry groups last week signed a declaration to promote sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) production, highlighting that the public sector is needed to catalyse financial support.

Traders said they expect the Q3 sale of Washington carbon allowances on Wednesday to clear above the 2025 Allowance Price Containment Reserve (APCR) Tier 1 price, though analysts offered a wider range within roughly a few dollars on either side of the trigger price required to release reserve volumes.

Traders and analysts polled by Carbon Pulse generally favoured another discounted settlement close to secondary market prices at RGGI's Q3 auction to be held Wednesday, although some participants and observers also noted the possibility of a premium.

Climate change consensus – The public comment period for the US DOE’s draft report on the impacts of GHG emissions on climate ends at 2359 Eastern Time on Sep. 2. Of some 2,400 submitted comments, the DOE has reviewed and approved 345 for public posting and is working through the rest of the submissions. So far, hundreds of comments from tribal nations, companies, and individuals show a wide range of objections and approval to the report prepared by a climate working group assembled by DOE Secretary Chris Wright in March. The report, written by scientists that have previously expressed scepticism towards the role of GHGs in causing climate change, casts doubt on the impact of anthropogenic CO2, and is being used to underpin the US EPA’s decision to reverse the Endangerment Finding. Two environmental advocacy groups, which submitted their own responses to the draft report, filed a lawsuit against federal agencies for allegedly forming a committee in secret to develop the report outside of the public record.

Construction of Argentina’s first biochar plant is set to begin following the signing of a pre-agreement for the resultant CO2 removal (CDR) credits, the developer told Carbon Pulse in an interview.

‘Right’ choice – Spain’s right-wing People’s Party (PP) last week expressed support for nature-based carbon projects in its Comprehensive Plan for Aid, Recovery, and Prevention for Rural and Forest Environments. The plan lays out 50 measures to address the consequences of the country’s wildfires this summer. Proposals included promotion of carbon farming and favourable tax treatment to incentivise carbon projects.

Moving on - Sirine Hanaf, former commercial director of carbon project ratings agency BeZero and ex-BP commodity risk analyst, has joined the Abu Dhabi team of Offset8 Capital, the carbon credit investment fund announced on social media Tuesday. Hanaf originally revealed news of her relocation to Abu Dhabi from London two months ago, but did not disclose her new position at the time.