Good morning, friends. We have a packed issue this morning with a particular focus on the green fuels industry. Green ammonia, methanol and hydrogen updates are filing in from all corners of the region, but first, rather significant voluntary carbon market news from across the pond…
THE BIG CLIMATE STORY OUTSIDE THE REGION- US releases new carbon credits regulations: The US has revealed its new “responsible participation” rules (pdf) for its voluntary carbon credits market outlining strict standards for quantitative reductions targets and urging companies to decarbonize their supply chains before turning to carbon offsets. “Corporate buyers should prioritize reducing their own emissions, particularly through transition planning, adopting net zero targets, and transparently reporting on progress,” Yellen said. “Participation in [voluntary carbon markets] should complement these efforts,” US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said.
A controversial caveat: The documents include a controversial recommendation for companies to use carbon credits to offset Scope 3 emissions that come from suppliers and customers. Members of the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) — the biggest verifier of corporate climate targets — called for their CEO to resign after he attempted to implement a similar recommendation.
We knew this was coming: US top climate diplomat John Podesta said last month that the US was working on new guidelines for carbon offsets to bolster market confidence and ensure genuine emissions reductions.
The story made headlines in the international press: Reuters | Bloomberg | Financial Times | The New York Times | The Wall Street Journal | Politico
HAPPENING TODAY-
The Energy & Storage Live MENA conference will open its doors today in Cairo and conclude tomorrow. The event will gather industry stakeholders in utilities, independent power producers, financiers, government bodies, regulators, distributors, contractors, and more to shape the future of the region’s energy sector.
WATCH THIS SPACE-
#1- UAE’s EDB plans to boost funding for clean energy sector: Emirates Development Bank (EDB) is planning to provide AED 30 bn (c. USD 8.2 bn) in financing to over 13.5k companies for renewable energy and food security, amongst other industries, by 2026, Wam reports, citing comments made by Business Finance Director at EDB Shaker Zainal. The other sectors targeted include the industrial sector, advanced technology, and healthcare.
Not the first green venture for EDB: The lender signed an agreement with the International Renewable Energy Agency (Irena) to extend AED 1.3 bn (c.USD 350 mn) in financing to support Irena’s Energy Transition Accelerator Financing (ETAF) platform back in November. EDB also started offering a new first-of-its-kind Solar Energy Finance Programme to back MSMEs through a AED 100 mn allocation for the adoption of solar energy initiatives last year.
#2- Toyota makes strides in developing alternative-fuel engines: Japanese giant automaker Toyota has revealed prototypes for lower-emitting internal combustion engines that can run on hydrogen, gasoline, and other fuels, Bloomberg reports. The carmaker didn’t specify when the alternative engines — which are compatible with EV manufacturing platforms and emissions regulations — would be ready or in which markets, but assured that they would come before stricter emissions regulations are imposed.
Why is this significant? Fuel-burning engines will have a role to play in the global shift to net-zero emissions, even as the industry shifts to battery EVs, Toyota argues. “To become carbon neutral, what’s most important is to reduce emissions,” Toyota CEO Koji Sato said, adding that the “what we need is an engine that can efficiently use various types of fuel.” The Japanese carmaker is also running a study with Idemitsu Kosan, Eneos Holdings, and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries on delivering carbon neutral fuels in the country by 2030.
But Toyota isn’t letting go of EVs just yet: Toyota is planning to sell 1.5 mn battery EVs annually by 2026 and 3.5 mn by 2030. It is also dedicating YEN 500 bn (USD 3.2 bn) on R&D. At the end of the day, the journey to electrification for automakers is “more about business feasibility, whether it makes economic sense,” Subaru’s CTO Tetsuo Fujiniki said.
#3- The EU has approved a law that would set methane emissions limits on all of Europe’s oil and gas imports starting in 2030, Reuters reported earlier this week. Importers that exceed the limit will receive financial penalties, with the US, Algeria, and Russia predicted to be the most affected by the new regulation. The final approval — which was unanimous with the exception of Hungary — was reached during a meeting in Brussels between the EU’s agricultural ministers. The exact limits will be determined by the European Commission by the end of the decade, when the law comes into effect.
New fossil fuel import and production contracts won’t be spared: The EU also approved a rule that requires new fossil fuel import contracts signed with foreign producers to follow the bloc’s methane emissions reporting rules starting in 2027, including regular monitoring of leaks. “The EU will also require European producers to regularly check their operations for leaks of methane and bans most cases of flaring and venting,” the news outlet added.
THE SCORECARD-
Has China hit peak carbon emissions? A 3% decline in China’s CO2 emissions may be signaling the country has reached its peak emissions in 2023, according to a new analysis by Carbon Brief. This is the first dip in emissions after a 14-month urge following Covid-19 restrictions being lifted in December 2022.
Solar + wind energy helped curb emissions: The reduction was driven by increased solar and wind power generation, which met 90% of the growth in electricity demand, and a slowdown in construction activity, the analysis found. At the same time oil demand growth ceased, signaling an end to the post-Covid economic rebound.
Global emissions are on the same path: Global emissions are predicted to drop up to 2.5% this year, mainly due to reductions in China's coal-fired electricity generation, according to BloombergNEF.
Will the trend continue? The potential for a sustained peak in emissions depends on maintaining the record levels of clean energy expansion observed last year, the analysis found. While the China Photovoltaic Industry Association predicts that total installed solar capacity will increase by 225 MW annually until 2030, China’s National Energy Administration head Zhang Jianhua suggests maintaining clean-energy capacity additions above 100 GW per year, which is significantly lower than the 2023 levels. This implies that the administration sees “the recent acceleration as an anomaly and not something to be maintained,” the analysis writes.
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CIRCLE YOUR CALENDAR-
The UAE will host the Bonds, Loans & Sukuk Middle East event from Tuesday, 4 June to Wednesday, 5 June in Dubai. Billed as the Middle East's largest corporate and investment banking event, it serves as a key meeting point for those active in the region's capital markets. Over 1.4k governments, corporates, investors, banks, law firms, regulators and service providers as well as more than 75 expert speakers will be in attendance.
Turkey will host the International Conference on European Energy Market, from Monday, 10 June to Wednesday, 12 June in Istanbul. The three-day event will gather experts from scientific, industry, and policy sectors for discussions on various energy market-related topics. The conference covers themes including energy modeling, market design, regulatory policies, and climate change.
Morocco will host the Morocco Energy Week Summit, from Tuesday, 11 June to Thursday, 12 June in Marrakech. The event will gather Morocco's leading energy players, companies and developers alongside financiers and implementation experts to discuss the country’s green transition.
Spain will host the Connecting Green Hydrogen Europe conference, from Tuesday, 25 June to Thursday, 27 June in Madrid. The event will see around 5k attendees including industry leaders, energy ministers, and executives to explore solutions, new technologies, and transformative advancements to advance the hydrogen industry.
Check out our full calendar on the web for a comprehensive listing of upcoming news events, national holidays and news triggers.


