Carbon Pulse

The newly elected European Parliament is holding its first plenary session in Strasbourg next week, with a potential majority for Commission President-designate Ursula von der Leyen seemingly hanging on the future of climate policies, as she needs backing from the Greens to secure a second term.

EU member states have handed out more than three-quarters of their 2024 quotas of free carbon allowances under the ETS, according to data released by the European Commission.

EU climate and environment ministers are poised to call for expanding the pool of countries contributing to the new global climate finance goal, in draft conclusions preparing for the EU’s COP29 negotiating position, although the document did not to specify the amount the bloc itself should provide.

Reporter Emanuela Barbiroglio recaps key EU energy and climate developments from last month and the stories to watch out for in the weeks ahead, as part of a briefing produced in cooperation with Clean Energy Wire.

The much-delayed auction for carbon credits, eligible for international trade under Article 6, from a Malawi clean cooking project has been confirmed for next week, organisers said Friday, after a clarification letter was published specifying that the initial transfer of the corresponding adjustment will occur upon issuance of the units.

A Colombian non-profit has launched a water crediting pilot programme in a 20,000-hectare area of a river basin in its country, planning to issue the first units by year-end, while preparing a separate biodiversity credit pilot.

Europe's first hydrogen-ready combined heat and power plant (CHP) has been launched in northwest England that will supply power and steam to help decarbonise a refinery and other industrial users in the region.

The UK renewables arm of energy giant Electricite de France (EDF) has announced a project aimed at advancing research on the effects solar farms can have on biodiversity, including how they could generate benefits for nature.

European carbon prices rose for a second day, mimicking fluctuations in the natural gas market as trading activity fell away, while prices have held in an increasingly narrow band that has drawn various averages into the smallest range for a year.

Orlen, one of the largest oil refiners and retailers in Central and Eastern Europe, is looking at a range of technologies to hit net-zero emissions by 2050, including continued investments in wind power as well as clean hydrogen, small nuclear reactors, and carbon capture and storage (CCS), a company executive has said.

The release of a draft 2023-24 allowance allocation plan for the China ETS failed to ignite the world's largest compliance emissions market, which has seen prices remain rangebound with relatively low trading volume over the past week.

One of the leading renewable energy companies in Thailand has partnered with a local bank to issue fixed rate bonds linked with carbon credits in order to develop the country’s carbon market.

Lack of CO2 transport infrastructure is still regarded as the main obstacle for large-scale deployment of carbon capture and storage (CCS) in the EU, but potential business models are beginning to emerge as the European Commission prepares to regulate the nascent infrastructure industry.

Market infrastructure provider Xpansiv has teamed up with an environmental commodities exchange to provide Japanese companies with access to the global voluntary carbon market, it announced Friday.

Heavy industrial facilities covered under Australia’s Safeguard Mechanism have been granted A$91 million ($61 mln) by the federal government to install new equipment to reduce carbon emissions.

An Indonesian court has ruled in favour of the local concession holder of the giant Rimba Raya REDD project, overturning the national government's revocation of its licence to operate the scheme.

California Carbon Allowance (CCA) prices struggled to register upside despite some clarity on ARB’s allowance budget cut plans at Wednesday’s rulemaking workshop, given the unexpected delay in implementation, pushed further to 2026.

A voluntary carbon standard on Thursday released for public consultation a new protocol aimed at boosting the reliability of CO2 removal through seawater electrolysis.

Forests in the Western US, considered critical carbon sinks, face increasing threats from drought and wildfires, potentially undermining their ability absorb CO2, researchers warn.

A trio of US refiners filed complaints in federal courts last week against the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), claiming the agency has failed to act on their applications for small refinery waivers under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS).