Carbon Pulse

The Scottish government's collapse on the heels of a shelved emission target highlights the need for policymakers to back their targets with concrete action in the near term - or risk losing public backing both from supporters and opponents of climate action, according to analysts.

Nearly half of countries' policy pledges for nature made in the National Biodiversity Strategies and Actions Plans (NBSAPs) before 2020 were not supported by evidence of actions taken by governments, a paper has revealed, sounding the alarm over the reporting gaps ahead of this year's COP16 UN biodiversity summit.

The Biodiversity Credits Alliance (BCA) on Monday released an issue paper delineating the process of developing a review mechanism for the emerging biodiversity credit market in a bid to quell concerns over nature risks related to credited projects.

European carbon prices slumped on Monday morning in line with weakening energy markets, as warmer weather and a predicted rise in renewable power generation raised the prospect of reduced demand for thermal ouput.

Taxing the domestic extraction of coal, oil, and gas in the world's richest economies could raise as much as $720 billion by 2030 to help with climate adaptation in vulnerable nations, by way of the Loss and Damage Fund, finds a report backed by dozens of climate organisations.

China's top legislature is reviewing a draft energy law that could give additional clout to the development of renewable energy and hydrogen in the country. 

A regional director at project developer South Pole has left the company to found his own carbon market firm.

Australia’s Emissions Reduction Assurance Committee (ERAC) has added a new member to its ranks to better undertake its work ensuring the integrity of Australia’s carbon credit scheme, the government announced Monday.

An emissions accounting platform for Australia’s agriculture, fisheries, and forestry sectors is expected to go live in May, its developer announced Monday.

Market interest in biodiversity projects led by Indigenous Peoples is surging as local leaders in the Amazon rainforest strive to scale up funding through voluntary credits, according to a project developer.

Australia’s fleet of coal-fired power stations will retire in the early 2030s, but a new signal on carbon emissions will be required for the electricity sector to reach net zero, a report published Monday said.

The federal government of Pakistan is setting up a committee that will seek counsel from the provincial governments on the country’s draft carbon credit policy, as part of preparations for a national market launch and greater involvement in the international market.

Singapore will spend S$60 million ($44 mln) on a new institute to study various decarbonisation techniques, from new fuels to carbon capture and storage, with a focus on cutting the emissions of its energy and chemical sectors.

A committee within the California Assembly unanimously approved last week a bill to assess and advance the use of ocean CO2 removal (CDR), including by qualifying approved projects for inclusion in the state's carbon credit programmes.

The pipeline of green steel projects has slowed in recent months in Europe, according to new data released in the green steel tracker produced by the Leadership Group for Industry Transition (LeadIT).

The joint WCI carbon market’s generous allowance budgets are likely to be ineffective in reaching the jurisdictions’ CO2 reduction targets for 2030, academic researchers warn, instead recommending large cap adjustments or widened scopes while likening the cap-and-trade system to an overly complicated carbon tax.

Rimba Raya is struggling to keep afloat after the concession holder of the popular Indonesian REDD+ project drastically cut staff numbers and warned there could be a sharp drop in voluntary carbon credit issuance, possibly impacting historical supplies, after it adopts Verra’s new consolidated methodology for avoided deforestation.

Speculators continued to de-risk across North American carbon markets, while WCI compliance entities built vintage 2025 holdings this week, according to data from the US Commodity Futures Trading Commissions (CFTC) released Friday.

A Florida-headquartered paint producer this week unveiled a subsidiary with plans to build a facility in Arizona that will use captured CO2 to manufacture concrete products.

Carbon Pulse rounds up recent developments in compliance carbon systems within the Latin America and Caribbean region, taking a look at Brazil's stabilising market for emissions reductions credits from biofuels after a year of rising prices, and summarising the carbon tax regimes that accept offsets.