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.

US-based Bezos Earth Fund, in partnership with Experiment Foundation, announced the winners and finalists of its $1M Greenhouse Gas Removal Ideation Prize. The prize, structured in two phases, awarded funding to projects focusing on diverse greenhouse gas removal technologies, aiming to significantly contribute towards removing gigatonnes of greenhouse gases annually by 2050.

The Bank for International Settlements (BIS) Committee on Payments and Market Infrastructures (CPMI) and IOSCO have hosted two virtual workshops focusing on climate risks for financial market infrastructures (FMIs). The workshops, attended by over 300 participants, addressed how different types of FMIs are exposed to climate risks, discussed risk management approaches, and explored how the PFMI can be used to identify, monitor and manage climate risks. The workshops highlighted the need for system-wide approaches to climate risk management and the importance of operational resilience for FMIs.

In Madagascar, the Green Climate Fund (GCF) and Conservation International have implemented a USD 19.3 million climate-smart agriculture program to help farmers adapt to climate change. The program, which received USD 18.5 million in GCF financing, has successfully improved food security and reduced deforestation by introducing drought-resistant crops, mulching techniques, and native fruit trees. The project has shown measurable improvements in farmer food security and is expected to benefit nearly 24,000 people while helping conserve the Ankeniheny-Zahamena and Ambositra-Vondrozo forests.

South Africa's National Treasury and the South African Revenue Service published the 2025 draft Revenue Laws Amendment Bill for public comment. The bill includes tax proposals and will be tabled in Parliament during the 2025 Budget Review. Additionally, discussion papers on carbon tax, collective investment schemes, and alcoholic beverages taxation were released, with a consultation workshop on carbon tax scheduled for January 2025.

Cyclone Chido made landfall in northern Mozambique, affecting 627,000 people in high-risk areas and exacerbating food insecurity. The UN and WFP provided emergency food assistance to 500 families in Pemba district. UNICEF and partners are supplying water and sanitation to mitigate disease risks amid a cholera outbreak.

Cameroon has deposited its instrument of acceptance for the WTO Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies, demonstrating its commitment to sustainable fishing practices and environmental protection. This move aligns with Cameroon's National Development Strategy and its role as the host of the 14th Ministerial Conference in 2026. The agreement aims to curb harmful fishing subsidies and protect marine ecosystems.

Kenya-based Data Science Africa (DSA) has supported the development of the International Computation and AI Network (ICAIN) with two pilot projects aimed at improving local weather forecasting and enabling African farmers to detect plant diseases early using smartphones. These projects address the challenges of rainfed agriculture and cassava disease, which can affect up to 70% of production in bad years.

Expro has been awarded a contract valued at over $10 million for a well decommissioning solution, combining subsea safety systems and surface processing design. The company will provide a surface fluid management package and a large-bore subsea test tree assembly with dual barrier and disconnect capability for subsea wells. This contract reinforces Expro's reputation in the P&A sector.