Carly’s Latest Round Up

Projects

EAS and DCCEEW — Strengthening GHG Reporting in Agriculture for Climate-Related Disclosures

In collaboration with the Australian Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW), EAS have been working on Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions Estimation and Reporting Guidelines for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry.

The first draft has recently been released and is out for public consultation. The draft will be open for feedback until 19 December 2025. Check out the draft guidelines here.

We are very proud to have led the development of the methodological guidance to support Climate-Related Disclosure reporting of agricultural entities.

If you are looking for support with your Climate-Related Disclosures, Measurement, Reporting and Verification requirements, contact us.

Caribbean Cooperative MRV Hub Workshop

I joined agricultural experts and government representatives from across the Caribbean in Grenada for the second technical training workshop of the Caribbean Cooperative MRV Hub’s Agriculture Work Crew, funded through New Zealand’s Climate Smart Agriculture Initiative.

The workshop focused on building capacity in national greenhouse gas inventory reporting for the agricultural sector in line with the 2006 IPCC Guidelines and supporting software, helping countries transition from Tier 1 to Tier 2 methodologies through collaboration. Participants engaged in hands-on exercises, data analysis, and collaborative discussions to strengthen national data-collection systems and improve transparency in climate reporting to the UNFCCC.

This workshop marks another step toward empowering Caribbean nations to lead in climate-smart, sustainable agricultural development — and we’re excited to continue the momentum at the next workshop in December this year with the last session planned for February 2026.

Australian Climate Policy

Mandatory climate-related financial disclosures

With mandatory climate-related financial disclosures now in effect, organisations are shifting from preparation to practical implementation. While the ISSB-aligned framework is well understood, its rollout has highlighted a clear gap in the tools and methodologies available to help organisations meet their reporting obligations. This gap underscores the importance of our work with the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water, supporting Australia’s agricultural sector as it navigates these new requirements.

Australia’s New Plan for Agricultural Emission Reductions

Australia’s new agricultural emissions plan aims for a 28% reduction by 2050, balancing ambition with practicality. Experts call the target “achievable,” though sector-specific challenges remain. The update highlights both opportunity and caution as agriculture aligns with the national decarbonisation policy.

New Zealand Climate Policy

The VCM, NZ NDC and Double Counting – A New Zealand Perspective

Explore our latest guide on how New Zealand’s Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) under the Paris Agreement interacts with the Voluntary Carbon Market (VCM), and why double counting remains a critical issue for both governments and voluntary buyers. The piece outlines the implications for carbon integrity, market confidence, and the role of corresponding adjustments in ensuring credible climate claims.

Unpacking the Difference Between an NZU and a VCU

A reshare of one of our most popular posts. NZUs and VCUs may both represent carbon credits, but they are not interchangeable. Our blog unpacks the key differences and why they matter.

LCDB v6.0 Released

The Land Cover Database has been updated to LCDB v6.0 — the first major refresh in several years. This update provides a more current national picture of land-cover change across Aotearoa New Zealand, supporting environmental modelling, monitoring and planning.

Changes to New Zealand’s Climate Change Response Act

The government has announced amendments to the Climate Change Response Act, including significant changes to the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS).

XRB Proposes Two-Year Extensions

The External Reporting Board is proposing two-year extensions for climate reporters to begin Scope 3 emissions disclosure and climate-related financial-impact reporting. The consultation closed on 24 September 2025.

Read the submissions here.

Analysts Warn of Backsliding in Climate Policy

Analysts are warning of backsliding in New Zealand’s climate policy, citing weakened commitments and limited public transparency. The debate underscores how political shifts can undermine long-term climate confidence.

New Zealand Lowers Methane Reduction Targets

The New Zealand Government has lowered national methane reduction targets and ruled out methane levies.

Climate News and Insights

Why Hurricane Melissa Was So Intense

October’s devastating Hurricane Melissa brought to light how record-warm ocean temperatures can supercharge a storm. Analyses explain the climate-driven conditions that allowed the storm to strengthen rapidly and cause severe impacts.

Guardian: Warming oceans probably fueling Hurricane Melissa’s rapid intensification
ABC: How Hurricane Melissa defied hurdles to become the ‘storm of the century’

Trends in the Biodiversity Market

A long-form piece explores how the voluntary biodiversity market is evolving — including project design trends, investor expectations, and growing interest in “stacking” biodiversity and carbon credits as an integrated approach. Have a cuppa and read the full piece here: Voluntary Biodiversity Market Projects

Renewables Overtake Coal

A historic milestone: in 2025, renewable energy surpassed coal as the world’s largest electricity source — driven by rapid solar and wind expansion.

New Zealand’s Oceans Rapidly Warming

New research reveals New Zealand’s oceans are warming 34% faster than the global average, with major implications for fisheries, ecosystems, and resilience.

WMO 2024 CO₂ Report

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) 2024 CO₂ report confirms a record-high atmospheric rise of 3.5 ppm — equivalent to 27 billion tonnes of CO₂. Natural sinks absorbed less than expected, leaving an unexplained 8-billion-tonne gap.

Australia’s Tropical Rainforests Become a Carbon Source

Australia’s tropical rainforests have transitioned from a carbon sink to a carbon source, with rising tree mortality releasing more carbon than is absorbed.

Mitigation Efforts Offset by Economic Growth

A new study finds that Mitigation efforts to reduce carbon dioxide emissions and meet the Paris Agreement have been offset by economic growth – highlighting the complex relationship between GDP, emissions intensity, and total climate impact. The good news: emissions intensity is improving; the challenge remains overall consumption.

Climate Standards and Measurement Frameworks

GHG Protocol Updates Are Coming

The Greenhouse Gas Protocol is preparing major updates, and debate is already building — particularly around how large tech firms account for emissions. Future changes may significantly influence global corporate reporting.

Draft Occupational Standards for GHG Professionals

The GHG Management Institute has released draft occupational standards outlining competencies for greenhouse gas professionals. Public comments are currently invited.

GHG Protocol and ISO to Align by 2028

The GHG Protocol and ISO have jointly announced a plan to harmonise carbon-accounting standards by 2028. The goal is to support consistent emissions reporting, interoperable carbon markets, and a more coherent global regulatory environment.

Greenhouse Gas Reporting in the FLAG Sector

As awareness grows around the environmental impacts across entire value chains, particularly in the agricultural sector, the Greenhouse Gas Protocol has released updated guidance to support improved estimation and reporting of emissions.

SBTi Corporate Net-Zero Standard Revised

Earlier this month, SBTi released the second draft of its revised Corporate Net-Zero Standard for consultation. Read our take on what this means for Scope 3 here: SBTi Corporate Net-Zero Standard Revised

Integrity Council Approves Biochar CCP Methodologies

The Integrity Council for the Voluntary Carbon Market has approved its first Core Carbon Principles (CCP)-labelled methodologies — a major step for market integrity. The inclusion of VCS VM0045, which applies a dynamic performance benchmark baseline, signals strong recognition for adaptive and evidence-based approaches to carbon quantification.

Science Based Targets Initiative — New Guidance

The Science Based Targets initiative has released new guidance introducing five-year review cycles and expanded status categories. These updates improve transparency, ensure targets remain science-aligned, and clarify how organisations can adjust their targets over time.

Corporate Climate Movement Accelerates

The corporate climate movement is accelerating: the number of companies with science-based near-term targets rose 97%, and those with both near-term + net-zero targets jumped 227% since 2023. Growth is particularly strong in Asia, signalling deepening regional engagement. Read more here.

UN Production Gap Report 2025

The UN Production Gap Report 2025 finds that global governments’ collective plan to produce 120% more fossil fuels by 2030 than is consistent with limiting warming to 1.5°C. and 77% more than would be consistent with 2°C. Despite rhetoric of transition, fossil-fuel expansion plans remain out of sync with Paris-aligned pathways.

Team & Organisation Updates

Welcoming New Team Members

We were thrilled to welcome three new team members in 2025 whose experience strengthens our capability across agriculture, sustainability, project management, technical R&D and more:

• Dr Nicole McRae — Project Manager
• Lauren Curry — Consultant
• Marlee O’Keefe — Administrator

Learn more about our team here.

Tools and Resources

AgMatters Farm Calculator

The new AgMatters Farm Calculator is now live — supporting New Zealand farmers to assess emissions profiles, explore reduction options, and improve on-farm sustainability planning.

Events and Conferences

Global Forest Observations Initiative Plenary (Bali)

It has been a privilege to work on the development of Methods and Guidance for this international collaboration for the last 13 years.

At the recent Global Forest Observations Initiative Plenary in Bali we heard from countries who have utilised the work of GFOI in their National reporting of Forest cover loss and gain to the UNFCCC.

At the plenary I presented new guidance on:

• Biomass Maps from Space Data,
• Alignment of Blue Carbon and National Inventory Reporting, and
• Distinguishing Accounting from Estimation for Consistent Reporting.

The Methods and Guidance Component of the GFOI has been busily collaborating with R&D and Capacity Building Components to bring these products to the community.

Learn more about the plenary, watch session recordings, and read key messages here: Plenary 2025 | Global Forest Observations Initiative

Farmers for Climate Action Summit 2025

In September, I sat on a panel discussion at the Farmers for Climate Action Summit 2025 in Canberra — sharing insights on farm-level GHG reporting alongside leaders from across Australian agriculture. The summit fostered collaboration and momentum toward more transparent, farm-driven climate solutions.

Forest Carbon Summit 2025

Earlier this year I spoke at the Forest Carbon Summit in Canberra, connecting with forestry and carbon professionals on forest-based mitigation and carbon-market development.

Closing Thoughts

Thanks for reading and for staying engaged through another fast-moving year. As always, the work across policy, science, measurement, and land systems continues to evolve — and so do we.

We’ll keep watching the signals, strengthening the data, and supporting the transitions that matter. Take care, stay curious, and keep pushing for the kind of climate action that endures.

See you in the next edition.

Meri Kirihimete me te Hape Nū Ia to you and your whānau.

-Carly