The second quarter of 2026 continued to deliver complex regulatory shifts and fluctuating prices across global environmental markets. Whether navigating revised compliance trajectories or identifying new asset trends, staying ahead of these movements is essential to optimizing your carbon strategy.
ClearBlue Markets actively tracks these developments to help organizations manage carbon value and minimize compliance costs.
Our latest State of Global Carbon Markets Quarterly Report offers a concise, yet comprehensive analysis of Q2 2026 to help you position your carbon strategy locally and around the world.
North American Cap-and-Trade: RGGI allowances spiked over 50% on heavy power demand, while California CCA prices rebounded to early-year highs following new regulatory amendments.
Canadian Policy Updates: Following the Canada-Alberta MOU Implementation Agreement, updated federal price trajectories spurred a late-quarter compliance rally for Alberta TIER.
VCM Demand Recovery: Voluntary market retirements jumped 25.4% year-over-year, reversing earlier slowdowns and driven by a massive 135% surge in Forestry.
EU Market Movements: EU Allowances fell 11% amid early turbulence, but steadily rebounded through May and June ahead of a mid-summer policy review.
Clean Fuel Shifts: California LCFS gained 24% on expected credit bank draws, while Canadian CFR credits rose firmly above the regulatory Fund price amid tightening fundamentals.
Asia & Oceania Dynamics: Chinese and South Korean carbon prices surged to new highs driven by tighter regulations and energy costs, while Australian markets traded rangebound as they await policy updates.
Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs): Compliance REC prices were mixed, with PJM Tier 1 rebounding 10.6% while most other regional markets softened amid state-level RPS policy adjustments and affordability concerns.
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Please contact us if you have any questions about this update or if you would like to discuss ClearBlue's Market Intelligence and Position Optimization services via Vantage, our carbon intelligence platform.