Carbon Pulse

Forest carbon projects are becoming increasingly vulnerable to climate-related disasters including large-scale fires, according to a new analysis from an offset ratings agency.

An Oregon-based investor and his associated firms have been ordered by a US judge to pay over $120 million in restitution and disgorgement for operating a Ponzi scheme and committing fraud related to digital asset investments and a carbon offset programme, a federal court ruled on Wednesday.

Maine-headquartered Running Tide, the now-shuttered ocean carbon removal project developer, saw only a handful of early buyers and investors patient enough to see through the company’s delivery of voluntary carbon credits, as critics slate and executives defend its efforts to scale up.

Oregon's Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) released Wednesday a series of draft updates to the state's Greenhouse Gases, Regulated Emissions, and Energy Use in Technologies (OR-GREET) model used to assess carbon intensity (CI) for the Oregon Clean Fuels Program (OCFP), ahead of a workshop next week to discuss proposed programme changes.

US auto manufacturer General Motors (GM) will retire approximately 50 million credits under the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) greenhouse gas (GHG) programme, after the agency identified excess CO2 emissions from approximately 5.9 million GM vehicles.

Washington’s third quarterly carbon allowance auction in September will feature the highest number of current vintage permits offered so far this year, according to a notice published by the state's Department of Ecology (ECY) Wednesday.

California Carbon Allowance (CCA) prices moved higher as market participants positioned ahead of next week's rulemaking workshop, while Washington Carbon Allowance (WCA) values were up, with volumes picking up momentarily in the otherwise muted market.

Alberta Technology Innovation and Emission Reduction (TIER) system credit prices dropped below $50 as transaction activity in June slid from all-time highs into the 2023 compliance deadline with record levels of retirements, according to a report published Tuesday.

The UK is facing its first general election in nearly five years on Thursday, with polls positioning opposition Labour leader Keir Starmer as the clear frontrunner to become the next Prime Minister of the country, which would see the right-leaning Conservative government leave power for the first time since 2010.

A climate fund has chosen new nature-based carbon projects, and energy-focused emissions reductions activities, after assessing hundreds of applications among its 2024 cohort, following on from a durable carbon removals selection round earlier this year.

France will support the deployment of offshore wind power thanks to a €10.82 billion state aid scheme approved by the European Commission on Wednesday, despite opposition from the far-right which appears closer than ever to having a majority in Parliament following elections to be held on Sunday.

A voluntary carbon standard has released its new methodology for crediting durable removals from biochar production and storage, which will now face a public consultation.

As the UK faces declining oil and gas production in the North Sea, transitioning the region to offshore wind, green hydrogen, and carbon capture and storage (CCS) would provide energy security and valuable know-how, though the impact on workers and the environment needs to be carefully managed, experts say.

As power demand ramps up and generation becomes more dispersed and variable, electricity grid interconnectors will help to balance supply with demand levels and encourage countries to work together to secure energy supplies.

Half of the landfill gas credits issued by the Climate Action Reserve (CAR) likely fail additionality tests, despite the ICVCM approving the related methodology for its Core Carbon Principle (CCP) integrity stamp, according to analysis from a non-profit.

Ecuador signed a €23.4 million ‘REDD Financial Contribution Contract’ with German development bank KfW on Monday as the country seeks to promote mitigation projects and boost voluntary carbon market (VCM) activity following years of disengagement.

Two Argentine developers have partnered with a Switzerland-headquartered foundation to launch separate biodiversity credit projects in two South American forests over 11,000 hectares, with plans to market them at the upcoming COP16 summit, Carbon Pulse has learned.

The Austrian government is looking at the reforms needed to enable carbon capture and storage (CCS) in the country in an effort to tackle hard-to-abate emissions from sectors like steelmaking and cement.

UK-headquartered nature platform provider Natcap announced Wednesday it has secured $10 million in a Series A funding round to scale its technology for supporting companies in assessing nature-related risks and opportunities.

The EU ETS could end its current phase in 2030 with a total surplus of 1.7 billion allowances, including 900 million permits in various reserves, but progress in reaching targets for green hydrogen could alter this outlook, according to a new study.