Global Climate News

The United States hosted a technical program on Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage (CCUS) from March 3-5, 2025, at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston, TX. The event featured presentations and discussions on various themes including subsurface storage, site selection, injectivity challenges, and global CCUS implementation. Companies like Net Power, ExxonMobil, and Chevron participated, highlighting advancements in CO2 storage and utilization technologies. The program also included discussions on policy innovations for CCUS in India and a model for developing oil and gas regions globally, such as the Niger Delta.

The Norwegian company Farmforce has developed a software solution to trace agricultural goods, helping its 70 customers meet sustainability targets by tracing crops of 1.1 million small farmers across Africa, Latin America, and Asia. Farmforce, with financial support from Nordea, focuses on documenting the absence of child labor and deforestation in production. The company aims to improve farmers' living standards and empower them in the international market. The EU's deforestation-free regulation further emphasizes the importance of Farmforce’s work.

Brazil has sanctioned a law regulating offshore energy development, aiming to boost renewable energy generation, create jobs, and strengthen energy security. The law includes incentives for domestic industry and provisions for environmental protection and community consultations. Revenue from the initiative will be shared between the federal government, states, and municipalities, primarily funding research, innovation, and sustainable development.

The Global Coalition for Energy Planning (GCEP), spearheaded by Brazil during its 2024 G20 presidency, aims to enhance national energy planning globally. It focuses on fostering international collaboration, building institutional capacity, and facilitating knowledge exchange, particularly to support the Global South. IRENA is hosting the GCEP secretariat. The initiative leverages insights from the Global Network of Long-term Energy Scenarios (LTES) network, which includes partnerships with key organizations such as the International Energy Agency and the World Bank. USD 2 trillion in transition-related investments were made in 2023, but these were disproportionately concentrated in advanced economies.

Brazil launched the Global Coalition on Energy Planning (GCEP), with IRENA as its secretariat. The coalition aims to accelerate clean energy investments in developing countries by promoting effective energy planning. Brazil's Minister of Mines and Energy mentioned leveraging up to USD 70 billion in investment.

Researchers from various international institutions have presented coupled geochemical and microbiological data from 47 geothermal seeps in Costa Rica and Panama. Their analysis of methane-cycling microorganisms and clumped isotope data showed that biotic and abiotic processes influence methane cycling, impacting climate stability.

The report analyzes temperature anomalies for six continents (North America, South America, Europe, Africa, Asia, and Oceania) from 1910 to 2024, using the NOAAGlobalTemp data set. Continental polygons are composed of 5° x 5° grid points, weighted by area and averaged to compute continental temperature anomaly time series. Anomalies are computed relative to the 1910-2000 average.

Grenada: The Green Climate Fund, through GIZ, has approved a project to improve water resource management and resilience to climate change, benefiting over 100,000 people by 2024. This includes building 16 storm-proof water storage facilities and improving water efficiency. Renewable energy will also be implemented for the National Water and Sewerage Authority, co-financed by the BMU.

Chile launched a training program on Circular Economy financing, co-funded by CTCN and supported by Go4SDGs. The program aims to promote circular economy financing in the business sector and strengthen financial institutions to expand their portfolios in circular economy initiatives contributing to the country’s decarbonization. The program, implemented by UNEP FI and Fundación suiza BASE, will involve 8 sessions (2 in-person, 6 virtual) and a practical methodology to develop a theoretical circular economy project.

The US Exim Bank approved a US$527 million loan to finance a gas-to-energy project in Guyana. This will construct a natural gas separation plant and a 300MW gas power plant, reducing CO2 emissions by over 460,000 tonnes annually. More than a dozen US companies are involved, including Lindsayca, CH4 Systems, and ExxonMobil.

Brazilian farmers are increasingly adopting sustainable agricultural practices, including biostimulants, biofertilizers, and biocontrols, to enhance soil health and boost productivity. More than 60 percent of surveyed farmers utilize these biological products, exceeding adoption rates in Europe and the US. They are also prioritizing regenerative agriculture techniques like no-till farming and cover cropping to reduce emissions and lower costs. However, challenges remain in monetizing carbon credits due to difficulties in proving additionality and permanence.

Researchers at MIT have developed a software platform, DyMonDS, to improve grid resiliency and integrate renewable energy. The system, tested using Puerto Rico data, can prevent widespread outages and optimize resource use, potentially reducing the need for new power plants. The platform supports real-time decision-making and long-term planning, aiding in the transition to renewable energy sources.

Taiwan's Craft Center launched the "City Craft Travel" project, collaborating with businesses using ESG as the core to create a sustainable future for crafts. The project aims to promote sustainable practices within the craft industry.

The 14th Annual Meeting of the Chilean Society for Regional Studies (SOCHER) was held in Chile, focusing on innovation and partnerships for local development. Nearly 30 people participated in the SOCHER Summer School, offering modules on spatial data analysis and other topics. The congress included sessions on Energy Transition and sustainable territorial development.

Vale and GreenIron signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to collaborate on decarbonization projects in Brazil and Sweden. They will develop a feasibility study for a direct reduction facility in Brazil, using green hydrogen and other innovations. Vale will supply iron ore to GreenIron’s facility in Sweden.

"An international team of scientists from the GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel embarked on the METEOR expedition M207, studying ocean currents in the tropical Atlantic. The research focused on the Western Boundary Circulation, Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC), and rain and dust in the tropical Atlantic. Long-term data on AMOC, crucial for global climate regulation, was collected using various instruments including CTD probes, ADCPs, and radiosondes."

Canada-based Petro-Victory Energy Corp. partnered with Brazil-based Blue Oak Investments to form a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) for acquiring oil and gas assets in Brazil and Latin America. Blue Oak will provide capital, while Petro-Victory will operate and develop the assets.

Ecuadorian-based Silvercorp Metals Inc. has awarded a contract to CRCC 14 Bureau Group CO., Ltd for the construction of the El Domo Project’s initial phase, including temporary camp, TSF starter dam, and other infrastructure. The project aims to begin production in the second half of 2026 and includes measures to mitigate climate change impacts on power supply.

Chile has received $5.1 million from the World Bank’s Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF) for reducing 1.03 million tons of carbon emissions from deforestation and forest degradation. This is the first payment under Chile’s Emission Reductions Payment Agreement (ERPA) with FCPF, which provides up to $26 million for reducing 5.2 million tons of emissions. The program spans six regions and helps restore ecosystems while supporting communities to build climate resilience. The program also benefits from over $60 million from the Green Climate Fund.

Brazil-based InPlanet and Isometric announced the world’s first delivery of verified Enhanced Rock Weathering (ERW) carbon removal credits. The credits, corresponding to InPlanet’s Serra da Mantiqueira project in São Paulo, were verified by Isometric and delivered to Adyen, facilitated by ClimeFi. This milestone introduces a new, high-quality, permanent carbon removal credit format to the voluntary carbon market.