Carbon Pulse

Shell has dismissed as inaccurate reports by Greenpeace and the Financial Times claiming the oil major made over C$200 million ($146 mln) selling "phantom" carbon credits that it earned for emissions reductions that never happened.

The international community's commitment to protecting at least 30% of the waters by 2030 must go beyond mere numbers and strive for quality and effectiveness, as only one-third of the largest global marine protected areas is highly protected, according to a paper published Thursday.

The Safeguard Mechanism will be a strong incentive to reduce carbon emissions, according to the Future Gas Strategy Australia released this week, but an accompanying technical report raises significant challenges and unknowns that could undermine its success.

Revenue from carbon credit sales combined with selective harvesting to meet growing demand for bio-based material can help support support bamboo planting in Europe, according to a developer of bamboo-based carbon projects.

One of the largest electricity utilities in Japan is planning to gradually phase out five 'inefficient' coal-fired power units that contribute around 30% of its thermal power generation capacity, while making some other utilities run partially on ammonia or biomass in a move to cut CO2 emissions.

The Thai government has teamed up with a Bangkok-based technology firm to provide financial support to the coastal communities through the creation and sale of carbon credits from a flagship mangrove restoration programme.

Two German companies have purchased nearly 20,000 biodiversity credits generated through a domestic forest conservation project, Carbon Pulse has learned.

A sustainable rice platform has raised $14 million in Series A funding for improvement of its measuring, reporting, and verification (MRV) technology and its expansion into Southeast Asia, with a focus on Vietnam and Indonesia.

Traded volumes for Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCUs) on spot and forward markets reached a 15-month high in April, according to observers, but the monthly unit issuance has fallen considerably, as the market keeps an eye on the raft of methodology work underway by the government.

A CO2 pipeline developer announced an agreement on Thursday to market carbon dioxide removal (CDR) credits from its multi-billion-dollar carbon capture and storage (CCS) infrastructure project that has yet to receive permitting approvals through several US Midwestern states.

California Carbon Allowance (CCA) prices showed signs of retreat heading into the Q2 auction despite amassing weekly gains, while Washington Carbon Allowances (WCAs) fetched higher prices on limited market activity.

The US-based tech giant and a Rio de Janeiro-headquartered carbon offset developer announced Thursday an offtake agreement for 3 million tonnes worth of CO2 removal (CDR) credits from reforestation efforts focusing on Brazil's Atlantic biome.

The voluntary market is set to boost the UK’s heat pump target with the largest decarbonization homes project in the country under validation by Verra following a public consultation period, data from the standard body registry shows Thursday.

Fossil fuels generated less than a quarter of EU electricity for the first month ever in April amid a surge in renewable demand, according to new data.

A high-level expert group on sustainable finance (HLEG) has advised the EU Commission to scale up the biodiversity credit market as a means to boost investments towards low and middle-income countries (LMICs).

UK-based company Queequeg Renewables is collaborating with Biodiverse Consulting on ensuring five solar projects meet their biodiversity net gain (BNG) requirements, they said on Thursday. 

Limits to the scope, supply, and participation in Turkiye's imminent cap-and-trade scheme could curb state revenue for the green transition, inhibit liquidity, and discourage investment by multilateral development banks (MDBs), according to panellists speaking on Thursday at Carbon Forward Turkiye.

European carbon prices rose strongly on Thursday morning, with bullish traders seemingly able to push prices higher in a very illiquid market as many European participants enjoyed a public holiday, while energy markets also surged higher, shrugging off a welter of analyst predictions that prices may fall over the summer as supplies remain comfortable.

An initiative for spurring investment in biotechnology innovation in the North West of England led by the University of Manchester launched on Thursday, announcing three funding programmes with £5 million ($6.2 mln).

A large cement maker is trialling new technology developed by a UK-based carbon capture company to capture CO2 from the flue gas at one of its manufacturing plants.