Carbon Pulse

daily summary of our news plus bite-sized updates from around the world.

South Africa's goal to achieve 41% renewable energy in its power mix by 2030 looks increasingly difficult, analysts said, with projections showing that only 20% will be carbon-free by the end of the decade.

The Amazon rainforest could irreversibly transition to savannah or grassland due to the compound effects of deforestation, climate change, and more fires, a new study warns.

A Berlin-based startup is approaching several sub-Saharan African governments with the aim to develop nature-based conservation and restoration projects, seeking to tap multiple revenue streams including carbon finance to deliver more resilient outcomes.

It’s been a rollercoaster ride for carbon markets over the past 12 months, with policy changes and ongoing scrutiny seeing some of the most historically stable voluntary carbon credits facing price pressure. The latest analysis from Viridios' AI-powered carbon credit pricing platform VAI shows that despite some  negative market sentiment certain methodologies and geographies continue to trade at a premium.

California regulator ARB on Wednesday announced the date for the next public workshop to discuss potential updates to the cap-and-trade regulation, causing a “frenzy” in an otherwise quiet secondary market.

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California Carbon Offset distributions fell significantly the past two weeks but remained close to 2022 levels, while Quebec also handed out credits eligible for its cap-and-trade programme, according to government data published Wednesday.

The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) on Wednesday announced the federal government will disburse $300 million towards improving the measurement and verification of GHG emissions and CO2 sequestration from climate-smart agriculture and forestry.

Carbon credit certifier Verra removed wetlands as an eligible land type in an interim update to its sweeping consolidated REDD methodology released on Wednesday, with the document revealing a delay to the expected publication of a final version.

A San Francisco-based company on Wednesday announced the commencement of a fund to purchase discounted carbon dioxide removal (CDR) credits and close the monetary gap for suppliers.

Solar panels and electric vehicle technology have expanded more rapidly than anticipated, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA)’s annual update, signalling that governments' positive policy action and increased ambition is translating into measurable results in deploying clean technologies that could help in tackling climate change.

Capturing carbon onboard ships could be a mid-term step to reduce the maritime sector’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions while zero-emission fuels are not yet commercially available, according to a  panel of industry experts speaking on Wednesday, though one panellist warned that the sector's carbon accounting needs to improve before such technologies are adopted .

A pair of carbon capture firms on Wednesday announced they will pilot an ocean-based CO2 removal facility in Canada as they seek to validate the technology for roll-out across the country.

A UK-based climate technology company on Wednesday revealed the availability of its first batch of forward carbon credits derived from its hemp farming methodology, with the platform imposing several buyer restrictions to foster greater internal GHG abatement.

Canada on Wednesday announced it would commit C$450 million ($340 mln) to the 2023 replenishment of the Green Climate Fund (GCF), but is only the fifth country to do so in the current round of funding as negotiations around climate finance grow tense and threaten to hinder wider UN negotiations this year.

Around two-thirds of globally listed companies are exposed to ocean-based risk in the trillions of dollars over the next decade, according to an expert speaking during a webinar on Wednesday.

The number of climate-related shareholder resolutions globally has continued to rise during 2023’s proxy voting season, though there has been a slight decrease in the appetite to actualise these proposals, according to a new report.

European prices advanced for a fifth day early on Wednesday, with light trading in a relatively narrow range as the market continued to track two technical levels, while energy prices dropped for a third day to further weaken the recent strong link between carbon and gas prices.

The European Parliament on Wednesday voted to adopt a position on a bill to restore at least 20% of the bloc’s sea and land areas by 2030, rescuing the divisive text after many right-leaning members had fought to kill it outright.