Carbon Pulse

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.

US energy-related CO2 emissions decreased slightly year-on-year in 2023, largely due to reduced coal-fired electricity generation as natural gas and solar power generation increased, according to federal data.

A major Canadian global asset manager announced on Friday the second close of its forest fund, investing in sustainably managed forests where carbon sequestration is prioritised over timber production.

Two Texas-based soil management companies are collaborating with the state’s property owners association to engage landowners in nature-based carbon capture initiatives and credit generation.

The UK's Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has published guidance aimed at helping financial firms comply with a forthcoming anti-greenwashing rule aimed at building trust in sustainable investments, including to help companies decarbonise. 

The production of green hydrogen during periods of high renewable energy supply could help save the UK hundreds of millions of pounds each year in curtailment costs, according to a report by an engineering company.

Carbon standard Social Carbon plans to release a methodology for 'nature stewardship credits' during the third quarter of this year at the latest, with the first pilots expected to launch in 2025, the company has told Carbon Pulse.

The French government will authorise the construction of its first carbon storage facilities, signing contracts with some of the largest emitters in the country as part of its efforts to reach net zero emissions by 2050, Industry and Energy Minister Delegate Roland Lescure announced on Friday.

The EU’s carbon border adjustment mechanism (CBAM) will drive up prices of aluminium, as it fails to address a loophole for process scrap that could lead to vast amounts of carbon emissions being imported into the bloc, a report by a consulting firm and a panel of industry and NGO experts warned this week.

A soil database for small farmers would help financial institutions scale up the nascent biodiversity credits market, an expert at French investor Mirova has said.

A German-based climate finance company and a startup focusing on MRV solutions for durable carbon removal have teamed up to advance biochar projects and verify their climate impact.