Monday, 24 March 2025.
Here are this week's articles. Canada swaps carbon tax for ecological incentives; 1.7 billion hectares of forests in 12 years of REDD+; Hong Kong as a carbon credit hub; the challenges of Climate Techs; an event on Hydrogen Valleys in Europe, on Bridging the Gap with NDCs (despite no new NDCs last week), on Sustainable Livestock in Latin America, and OECD Urban Days, in addition to an attractive IPCC Scholarship Program and a Climate Risk, Valuation, and Investing Certificate from the CFA Institute. Let's go?
But before that, did you know that our articles are also available in video and audio formats? Click here for YouTube, here for Spotify and give them a try.
WORLD
Canada Proposes Replacing Carbon Tax with Green Incentives.
“Currently, consumers are paying the price for climate change, while big polluters profit from their actions. There is a better way, and we are going to change it.”
No sooner had he taken office as Canada’s new Prime Minister, Mark Carney proposed eliminating the carbon tax for consumers and replacing it with incentives that reward green choices, such as the purchase of electric vehicles and efficient appliances. The initiative also includes measures to invest in energy-efficient buildings, electrify transportation, and support Canadian companies internationally.
On the other hand, large industrial emitters will continue to pay their share. The carbon tax introduced in 2019 started at $20 per tonne and has been increasing annually, with a forecast to reach $170 per tonne by 2030.
Read the details of this rationale here.
CLIMATE GOVERNANCE
UNFCCC and REDD+: 1.7 Billion Hectares of Forests.
A recent UNFCCC article highlights the importance of forests for global food security, noting that billions of people depend on them as an essential source of food, medicine and livelihoods. In this context, it emphasizes the fundamental role of the REDD+ program in reducing deforestation and promoting sustainable forest management, contributing significantly to climate change mitigation and strengthening agricultural resilience.
Since the adoption of the Warsaw Framework in 2013, REDD+ has protected around 1.7 billion hectares of forests – covering more than 90% of tropical forests and more than 75% of forests in developing countries. This effort has enabled communities to maintain access to forest-based food resources while strengthening their resilience to climate threats to agriculture.
Read the full article here.
CARBON CREDITS
Hong Kong as a Hub for Carbon Credits and Green Finance.
With the aim of making the city a strategic link in global carbon trading, Hong Kong’s Financial Services Development Council has proposed the creation of “Carbon Connect.” This initiative seeks to broker carbon credits from mainland China and facilitate their trading on the international market.
Since 2022, Core Climate, operated by Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing, has been serving as a platform for voluntary international carbon credit transactions. Although still in its early stages, it already offers settlements in Hong Kong dollars and yuan, demonstrating the city’s commitment to advancing carbon markets.
In a recent conversation with Carbon Credit Markets, a prominent Hong Kong businessman highlighted the city’s unique position to trade, price and register carbon credits in an efficient and integrated manner. He also commented on the expectation of an increase in transaction liquidity and the lengthening of futures price curves.
Still, to reach its full potential in the carbon credit market, Hong Kong needs to overcome challenges related to standardization, accessibility for international investors and legal certainty, according to articles in China Daily and Hong Kong’s The Standard.
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Stackoverflow blog: Can climate tech startups address the current crisis?
The article examines the crucial role of climate tech startups as potential agents of change in the current climate crisis. It highlights innovative initiatives such as nuclear fusion energy, advanced sustainable agriculture systems, and carbon capture and storage technologies. It also explores how technological tools such as artificial intelligence and cloud computing are playing a key role in enabling investment, accelerating project implementation, and overcoming technical challenges.
The text also suggests that the success of these startups depends not solely on their technological innovations, but also on strategic collaborations and the support of government policies aimed at encouraging the development and scalability of climate solutions. This combination is presented as essential to address global climate-related challenges effectively and sustainably.
Interesting, right? Read the full article here and you might also be interested in our series on innovations and bit-environmental.
EVENTS
📍🇪🇺🖥️ March 24 | From Hype to Pipe: How Hydrogen Valleys drive the H2 economy, H2Talk webinar, Hydrogen Europe. About the “Hydrogen Valleys”, essential efforts for the integrated energy transition of the European market, policy development, such as a Joint Declaration, financing via the Clean Hydrogen Partnership and incentives of around €200 million from REPowerEU. More details here.
📍🖥️ March 26 | Bridging the Gap: Aligning Long-Term Strategies with NDCs, World Resources Institute online event. It will discuss practical approaches on how to align short-term climate targets of NDCs with long-term strategies for sustainable decarbonization. Register now.
📍🇨🇴 🖥️ April 1 - 3 | 2025 Consolidating the Future of Sustainable Livestock: Building the Path to Action, Bogota, Colombia. The World Bank BioCarbon Fund for Sustainable Forest Landscapes (ISFL) initiative for South-South knowledge exchange, bringing together experts from Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Uruguay and the US to share lessons and insights on the future of sustainable livestock farming. See.
📍🇫🇷 April 14 - 17 | OECD Urban Days, OECD, Paris. About quality of life in cities of all sizes, addressing urban challenges and encouraging innovation and sustainability. Agenda and pre-registration.
OPPORTUNITIES
🎓💰IPCC Fellowship Program is now open for applications. Are you a PhD student enrolled for at least one year, or a postdoctoral researcher in climate change or related areas, such as soils, biodiversity, regenerative viticulture, agroforestry, water management, indigenous practices and the terrestrial carbon cycle? The scholarships are worth up to €15,000 per year, for 2 years (2025-2027). Applications are open until April 13th. Details here.
🎓🌎 Climate Risk, Valuation, and Investing Certificate by the CFA Institute. Certificate that offers advanced practical skills, in-depth insights, and global networking opportunities, helping to mitigate risk, identify market opportunities, and improve customer interactions. Registration is open. Information webinar on March 27th and the first class starts on April 7th. More details here.
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