Climate Change News

Energy & Climate News

EU to exceed 2020 green energy target - forecasts
New forecasts suggest the European Union will exceed its target of getting 20 percent of its energy from renewable sources in 2020, the European Commission said on Thursday.

Industry slow to sell biocharcoal climate merits
Industry has struggled to commercialise a charcoal technology which some say could reverse the effect of manmade carbon emissions, as countries fail to implement incentives and technical problems nag.

Japan weakens climate bill, pressured by industry
Japan watered down legislation to fight climate change on Thursday after weeks of wrangling within the government over plans for an emissions trading system that has met stiff resistance from industry.

Political ads: new weapon in U.S. climate change war?
Big business is now free to blitz the airwaves to attack politicians who support action against climate change, which could smother messages from environmentalists.

Independent body to review controversial climate panel
A respected international scientific body will review the UN's Nobel prize-winning climate panel, under fire for errors in a key report on global warming, UN chief Ban Ki-moon said Wednesday.

Lack of Government Policy, Not Technology, Is Barrier to Climate Change Mitigation
A climate scientist and a business leader join forces to assert the validity of climate science, and recommend the adoption of a market-based cap-and-trade program.

Electric cars create boom in lithium search
The lightweight metal is enjoying a boom in interest because of its critical role in hybrid and electric car batteries.

EU comes up with exit strategy for climate talks
The EU's new commissioner for climate action wants Europe to continue leading global negotiations and pursue deeper emission cuts, even if the current pledge of 20% reductions by 2020 was not matched by other developed countries.

India and China back climate deal
As China and India, among the largest sources of greenhouse-gas emissions, gave approval Tuesday to the Copenhagen Accord, the European Union sought to regain the initiative on global climate policy.

In Spanish solar bust, lessons for the world
Puertollano's wrenching fall points to the delicate policy calculations needed to stimulate nascent solar industries and create a stable green industry.

APX adds energy efficiency certificates to registry
Environmental registry APX has widened its service to include renewable energy and energy efficiency certificates for voluntary markets, it said on Wednesday.

US 'cap and trade' rebranded 'pollution reduction'
Like a savvy Madison Avenue advertising team, U.S. senators pushing climate-control legislation have decided to scrap the name "cap and trade" and rebrand their product as "pollution reduction targets."

Study raises question of emission 'imports'
While China has taken on the mantle of world's largest carbon dioxide emitter, almost one-quarter of these emissions is generated during the production of goods and services meant for export, often to the wealthy world, according to a new study.

Trading down
Looking at the carbon emissions associated with a country's consumption, rather than its production, does not change the general outline of what is going on in the world: rich people still emit more carbon dioxide than poor people do. But it does heighten the contrast.

European 'super-grid' in the works
A coalition of 10 European companies announced plans yesterday to launch an electricity "super-grid" in the North Sea.

New climate partnership planned to protect forests
Governments will seek a new climate partnership in 2010 to protect tropical forests with funds going through the United Nations, the World Bank or bilateral channels, Norway said on Tuesday.

India 'associates' itself with Copenhagen Accord -minister
India has agreed to formally associate itself with the climate accord struck in Copenhagen last year, one of the last major emitters to do so, the environment minister said in a statement on Tuesday.

China endorses Copenhagen climate accord
China formally signed up on Tuesday for the climate accord struck at the Copenhagen summit, the last major emerging nation to endorse a plan strongly favoured by the United States.

Deutsche Bank urges private sector leadership on climate
Much more initiative by the private sector will be required to take the UN climate negotiations forward after the weak Copenhagen Accord agreed in December, Mark Dominik, vice president of Deutsche Bank Group, told EurActiv in an interview.

NGOs take Commission to court over biofuels reports
Four environmental groups have sued the European Union's executive for withholding documents they say will add to a growing dossier of evidence that biofuels harm the environment and push up food prices.

Radically rethinking the automobile
The vision of smart, eco-savvy cars free from the threat of congestion, crashes, pollution and parking spats could soon become reality, according to the authors of a new book, "Reinventing the Automobile."

Electric charge is a leap of faith
Volkswagen, a long-time sceptic about hybrid and electric cars, has officially shifted gears.

Climate forest deal in sight: Indonesia
Wealthy and developing nations should be able to seal an agreement this year on deforestation, unlocking a key part of the next treaty on global warming, Indonesian negotiators said Monday.

Economic value of nature 'still invisible', says UN
A United Nations initiative is making massive calculations in an attempt to put a price on nature services such as soil, forest or fresh water in a drive to convince policymakers to implement the 'polluter pays' principle to protect nature, said Pavan Sukhdev, who leads the initiative.

Smart grid spending powers ahead in Asia
Japan, South Korea and China are investing about $9 billion this year in infrastructure and information technology to make electricity networks more efficient, creating lucrative opportunities for niche technology and equipment providers.

Global climate battle plays out in World Bank
The United States and Britain are threatening to withhold support for a $3.75 billion World Bank loan for a coal-fired plant in South Africa, expanding the battleground in the global debate over who should pay for clean energy.

Interview: Asia should seek common carbon market
Emerging Asian CO2 markets should link up to ensure sufficient liquidity, a Korean expert said.

Russia launches 'cash-for-clunkers' to revive car market
Russia launched on Monday a cash-for-clunkers programme encouraging drivers to trade in old cars for new ones in order to prop up a domestic market badly hit by the global economic crisis.

New report lays out cold climate truths for U.S., China, E.U.
A former U.S. climate negotiator is saying aloud what few others right now dare: An international global warming treaty is not likely to emerge anytime soon.

Automakers try to turn green in gold with Geneva show
Staking claims on "sustainable mobility solutions," carmakers have turned the 80th International Motor Show in Geneva into a high-tech gold rush.

Cap-and-trade key to US energy reform - Exelon CEO
U.S. energy reform has stalled now that the Democrats have lost their filibuster-proof majority in the Senate and Republicans drift to a more negative position, a top industry executive said on Saturday.

Analysis: low-carbon development to feature main stream lifestyle in China
Premier Wen Jiabao has said in his government report given on Friday that the nation backs development on low-carbon technology and fostering low-carbon-related industries and consumption.

Mercedes to double investment in electric car technology
Mercedes-Benz will nearly double its investment in batteries and fuel-saving engines as part of an effort to offer electric vehicles.

Steel, cement to cash free emission permit billions
The ten companies holding the largest number of surplus emission allowances under the EU's cap-and-trade system stand to make a profit of 3.2 billion euros in the 2008-2012 trading period, according to a new analysis of EU data.

German greenhouse gas emissions down 8.4 pct in 2009
German environment agency Umweltbundesamt (UBA) said on Friday the country's greenhouse gases emissions were down 8.4 percent year-on-year in 2009 or 80 million tonnes

Deloitte boosts carbon practice with dcarbon8 buy
Professional services firm Deloitte has acquired specialist consultancy dcarbon8 for an undisclosed sum.

Private equity investors urged to step up on climate change
Private equity investors are the target of a guide on the risks and opportunities posed by climate change, issued this week by the London-based Institutional Investors Group on Climate Change (IIGCC).

Highs and lows - Monitoring greenhouse gases
You might think that measuring the levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere would be a priority. If you did think that, though, you would be wrong.

Smarting from the wind
Energy: Turbines equipped with sensors can now "see" the wind before it arrives, and then take appropriate action.

A quantum leap for lighting
Consumer electronics: Tiny semiconductor crystals, called quantum dots, enable new forms of energy-efficient lighting.

UN to review controversial climate panel
The United Nations said Friday it would conduct an independent review of its Nobel prize-winning climate panel, whose credibility has been hit by errors in a key report on global warming.

Google develops prototype mirror for solar energy
Google Inc has developed a prototype for a new mirror technology that could cut by half the cost of building a solar thermal plant, the company's green energy czar said on Friday.

Obama speech to business group leaves greenhouse gas issues up in the air
A speech by President Obama to top CEOs yesterday left some climate experts and energy industry lobbyists searching for stronger clues about White House policy preferences as members of the Senate struggle to come up with a fresh proposal for cutting greenhouse gas emissions.

Wal-Mart to cut emissions from supply chain
Wal-Mart Stores Inc plans to massively cut greenhouse gas emissions from its global supply chain within five years -- an effort the retailer said is equivalent to taking more than 3.8 million cars off the road for a year.

Tata's JLR gets 519-bln-dollar 'clean technology' car loan
India's Tata Motors said Thursday it received a loan of over half a billion dollars to fund clean car technology research at its British-based premium car unit Jaguar Land Rover (JLR).

30+ carbon footprint guidelines baffle companies
Companies are struggling to comprehend the thirty-odd number of guidelines for reporting their carbon footprints.

Geothermal energy gets U.S. cash but hits roadblocks
Technology to generate energy by harnessing the earth's inner heat is finally getting respect and looks on track to test ways to expand the industry, thanks to new U.S. government funding. But steep startup costs and financing remain barriers, and new geothermal technology to pump cold water into hot rock also has sparked worries about the risk of manmade earthquakes, dimming prospects for near-term expansion.

The environmental cost of doing business
A U.N. report to be released this spring has calculated that the world's top 3,000 companies cause $2.2 trillion in environmental damage per year, according to the company writing the report.

The battle over biofuel made from algae
A European lobbying group weighed in Tuesday on a fierce debate over the environmental value of using algae to produce biofuels for vehicles.

EIB to raise climate lending to 20 billion
The European Investment Bank (EIB) hopes to lend at least 20 billion ($27 billion) to climate change initiatives this year, up from almost 17 billion in 2009, said EIB president Philippe Maystadt today.

EU rules out binding green criteria for biomass
The European Commission yesterday (25 February) ruled out binding EU-wide sustainability criteria for biomass, offering member states recommendations for national action instead.

Sustainability Rankings for ICT Industry Put Vodafone, Nokia, HP on Top
Measuring and driving the sustainability of the information and communication technology (ICT) industry has been a key focus in recent months: Environmental efforts from the industry will not only help reduce waste and energy use from electronics themselves, but can also drive solutions to lower the carbon footprint of the larger society.

Brussels to table EU clean cars strategy
The European Commission is set to propose a strategy on clean and fuel-efficient cars by May, followed later by an action plan to help introduce green vehicles to the market.

Europe worried about standstill on US climate bill
European concern is growing about the prospects of securing a new international climate treaty, as support appears to be waning in the US for domestic climate legislation that would include a cap-and-trade system.

U.S. Senate weighs final push to move climate bill
A last-ditch attempt at passing a climate change bill begins in the U.S. Senate this week with lawmakers mindful that time is running short and that approaches to the legislation still vary widely, according to sources.

Climate financing misses $30bn target
Rich nations' near-term climate finance pledges fall short of the $30 billion promised in Copenhagen.

Electric bikes on a roll in China
Chinese commuters in their millions are turning to electric bicycles -- hailed as the environmentally-friendly future of personal transport in the country's teeming cities.

U.N. climate chief gives up struggle
The disarray in the global effort to address climate change deepened Thursday with the resignation of Yvo de Boer, the stolid Dutch bureaucrat who led the international climate change negotiations over four tumultuous years.

Drax calls for biomass support to cut coal burn
Britain's biggest coal plant needs better renewable energy support to invest in new facilities to burn woodchips instead of coal and fully utilise its existing carbon cutting capability, the chief executive of Drax told Reuters on Friday.

Shale gas gambit pits New York neighbor against neighbor
The race to exploit America's promising reserves of shale gas has triggered a clash between landowners in New York state, pitting those eager to earn royalties from drilling against farmers who fear gas companies will be able to drill without their consent.

Jordan enlists army in climate fight
Jordan has unveiled plans to help fight climate change, including upgrading its armed forces by 2020, an area usually overlooked in the global warming debate.

EU member states approve new emissions registry rules
European member states have approved proposals to revise the EU carbon emissions market's registry system to make it more standardised and secure, the EU executive Commission said on Thursday.

Fortis eyeing new investors for $1.2 billion China green fund
Fortis Investments is considering broadening access to its China environmental mandate, into which around $1.2 billion has been raised since its launch in December.

Sustainability toolkit launched for forest financing
Financiers of forestry projects can access a free toolkit that will help ensure their money is invested in operations that are sustainable and legal.

Europe on course to meet 2020 renewables targets EWEA
The EU is on course to slightly exceed its target of sourcing 20% of its energy from renewables by 2020, according to the European Wind Energy Association (EWEA).

Overpopulation and climate change
With the continuing failure of governments to reach agreements on combating climate change, the outlook for both humans and nature remains bleak. And nowhere is the failure more conspicuous than in the avoidance of the subject of population growth. Population is a double-barreled environmental problem - not only is population increasing; so are emissions per capita.

Kyoto risks dying as no new climate deal in sight
Efforts to extend the Kyoto climate pact framework risk collapse in a setback to years of diplomatic bargains, as chances fade that the United States will join other rich nations in capping emissions.

UN climate chief Yvo de Boer to step down in July
U.N. climate chief Yvo de Boer will step down to join a consultancy group as an adviser, he said on Thursday, two months after a Copenhagen summit failed to support a legally binding climate pact.

Export-driven U.S. growth may hinge on competition in global energy markets
Global energy markets are ready to expand significantly, but the Pew Center on Global Climate Change says the U.S. economy only benefits from that growth if it joins Europe and Asia in the rush to invest in clean technology.

EU executive creates climate, energy departments
The new European Commission created two new departments on climate change and energy on Wednesday following its formal endorsement by MEPs and member states last week. Some details regarding the organisational structure still have to be worked out.

Norway outlines ways to reach deep 2020 CO2 cuts
Norway laid out ways to reach one of the world's toughest climate goals on Wednesday with measures to clean up sectors from oil to transport that it said would trim just 0.25 percent from the economy by 2020.

Solar project Desertec plans to add five partners - CEO
Five companies from Morocco, Tunisia, Spain, France and Italy will join the Desertec solar power project that aims to supply 15 percent of Europe's power by 2050, chief executive Paul van Son said on Wednesday.

ARGENTINA: Agrofuels Rev Their Engines
In a measure that was delayed by supply problems, this year Argentina is beginning to require that gasoline be mixed with ethanol and diesel fuel with biodiesel, at a proportion of five percent, to possibly reach 20 percent by 2015.

New Association to Support, Promote Green Building Products
The Green Roundtable/NEXUS has launched the Green Product Association (GPA) to advance the sustainability of building products and help manufacturers promote their products.

Indonesia to reclassify oil palms as forest
Indonesia is set to redefine oil palm plantations to prepare for a UN-led forestry carbon market.

Several shipping giants help the environment by pulling back the throttle
By halving its cruising speeds over the last two years, Maersk has not only cut fuel consumption on major routes by as much as 30 percent but achieved an equal cut in ships' emissions of greenhouse gases.

Worldwide growth in wind power
The Global Wind Energy Council, a trade group, estimates that wind power capacity grew by 31 percent worldwide in 2009, with 37.5 additional gigawatts installed.

Conoco, BP, Caterpillar leave climate coalition
ConocoPhillips, Caterpillar Inc. and BP America have left the U.S. Climate Action Partnership, a coalition of more than two-dozen companies and environmental groups lobbying Congress to pass greenhouse gas emissions cap-and-trade legislation.

Does the huge China-Australia coal deal square with the Copenhagen Accord?
Environmental activists are attacking a $60 billion deal that will keep Chinese power stations supplied with Australian coal for at least the next two decades.

ETS airline emissions cap delayed until summer
The European Commission is unlikely to propose an emissions cap for airlines operating flights into and out of the EU from 2012 before the summer, an industry source told ENDS. The cap was initially due to be announced last August.

Climate skeptics exploiting scandal: US envoy
The US pointman on climate change on Tuesday accused vested interests of exploiting scientific scandals and pledged to act even if China and India balk at the controversial Copenhagen accord.

Obama steps up nuclear investment for climate fight
President Barack Obama announced $8.3 billion in loan guarantees on Tuesday to build the first U.S. nuclear power plant in nearly three decades, a move designed to help advance climate legislation in Congress.

Texas to challenge US greenhouse gas rules
Texas and several national industry groups on Tuesday filed separate petitions in federal court challenging the government's authority to regulate U.S. greenhouse gas emissions.

Houston aims to be U.S. electric car capital
Houston, nicknamed the Petro Metro for the profusion of oil and gas companies that dot its skyline, is an unlikely host for an electric-car revolution.

Green cities ready welcome mat for electric cars
In cities like San Francisco; Portland, Oregon; and San Diego, a combination of green consciousness and enthusiasm for new technology seems to be stirring public interest in the cars.

U.S. Chamber of Commerce in legal challenge against EPA over GHGs
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is mounting a legal challenge to the Obama administration's bid to regulate greenhouse gas emissions through the Clean Air Act.

British Airways to buy jet fuel from city waste
British Airways will start sourcing a small portion of its jet fuel from municipal waste from 2014, under a deal with U.S.-based biofuel company Solena Group, the two companies announced on Monday.

Forest issues set to advance in post-Copenhagen talks
A plan to slow deforestation was an area of rare agreement amid the contentious logjam that was December's climate negotiations in Copenhagen, according to attendees.

Controversy mounts over EU biofuels fall-out
Fresh controversy is mounting within the European Union over biofuels and their unintended impact on tropical forests and wetlands, documents show.

Britain examines bonds for green energy industry: report
Britain is considering the introduction of "green bonds" offered to the public to help fund the sustainable energy industry, a newspaper reported Monday.

Lack of will on climate hobbling carbon trade
Touted by its supporters as the best and cheapest way to fight global warming, carbon trading is losing momentum amid the uncertainty created by the failure of the Copenhagen summit meeting and President Barack Obama's troubles in the United States.

Pinpointing the sources of emissions
Portable analyzers made by the Silicon Valley company Picarro take precise real-time measurements of carbon dioxide, methane and other greenhouse gases.

Climate: Is the Copenhagen Accord already dead?
Less than two months after it was hastily drafted to stave off a fiasco, the Copenhagen Accord on climate change is in a bad way, and some are already saying it has no future.

UN panel admits new error in key climate report
The UN climate change panel admitted Sunday to having imprecisely stated in a key report that 55 percent of The Netherlands is under sea level, saying that is only the area at risk of flooding.

Microsoft co-founder Gates tackling climate change
Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates has broken from philanthropic work fighting poverty and disease to take on another threat to the world's poor -- climate change.

Are Hummers green machines? Japan says yes
Starting in the past week, Japanese buyers of the Hummer H3 from General Motors could receive a $2,780 subsidy under revised Japanese fuel-efficiency standards for imported cars.

Geothermal energy may be available in two years
Heat from the Earth s core could be used to power homes, businesses and public buildings in south Dublin within two years under Ireland s first geothermal energy project.

Masdar City, Abu Dhabi
Masdar City is an incongruous development: a six million square metre, £14 billion, carbon-neutral, zero-waste city in tiny Abu Dhabi, one of the world's smallest nations, yet one of its largest oil producers.

UK, Ethiopia to head climate funding effort
Britain and Ethiopia will head a new United Nations panel that aims to secure $100 billion every year by 2020 to help developing nations cut emissions and adapt to climate change, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said on Friday.

Spain approves domestic coal-burning plan
Spain's cabinet on Friday approved a plan to boost use of domestically produced coal rather than cheaper imports, a move which energy and competition watchdogs have warned will inflate power prices.

European carbon scheme is a success, research says
The European Union's Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS) is a success and its flaws have not harmed its basic aim of reducing carbon dioxide emissions, multi-national research showed on Friday.

India, China resist calls to back climate pact
India and China are resisting requests to sign up for the Copenhagen Accord for fighting global warming that risks unravelling without clear support from major emitters.

Land-use concerns may change E.U. subsidy policy
As-yet unreleased studies on indirect land-use change could ultimately "kill" subsidized biofuels in Europe by adjusting the formula used to calculate their environmental impact, a top official at the European Commission has suggested.

High-Efficiency Solar Cell Made from Earth-Abundant Materials
IBM today announced it has built a solar cell -- where the key layer that absorbs most of the light for conversion into electricity, is made entirely of readily-available elements -- that set a new world record for efficiency and holds potential for enabling solar cell technology to produce more energy at a lower cost.

Spain pushes for common strategy on electric cars
EU industry ministers on Tuesday (9 February) discussed plans to establish a common strategy for electric cars, a pet project of the Spanish EU presidency.

ADB Offers USD135 Million Loan To Green Coal Power Project In China
The Manila-based Asian Development Bank has received approval to provide a USD135 million loan to a green coal power demonstration project in Tianjin to help develop clean coal power system and reduce green house gas emissions and pollution in China.

Sustainability's best friends: codes, specifications and targets
A raft of industry standards are driving sustainable targets to highly ambitious levels.

E.U. studies take issue with support of biofuels
The European Commission has been keeping a lid on studies that a top farm official suggests could "kill" heavily promoted and subsidized biofuels in Europe by focusing on their total environmental impact.

Lobbyists for US cap and trade face daunting task
The U.S. Senate's stalled climate bill is getting a last big push from an unlikely ally -- a group of energy companies who say a carbon market will help them get financing for the next generation of energy production.

G20, U.N. vote reform could help climate deal
Climate talks by the Group of 20 and a suggested shift to majority voting for U.N. decisions could revive work on a new pact to fight global warming after the low-ambition Copenhagen summit, analysts say.

Early EUA auctioning unlikely before 2012
The early auctioning of 2013 carbon permits in the European Union's emissions market is unlikely before 2012 as squabbles in the 27-nation bloc over the auctioning mechanism threaten to hinder plans.

The gulf between U.S. and the developing world
The blessings of a temperate climate make California the greenest place in America, but California is still a lot browner than China.

Tokyo emissions trading plan may become a model for others
A plan to cut carbon dioxide emissions in the heart of Tokyo, one of the world's biggest and richest metropolitan areas, may prompt political action on a stalled national effort.

Deutsche Bank, Nasdaq launch clean energy index
Nasdaq and an arm of Deutsche Bank launched a global alternative energy and clean technology stock index on Wednesday that attempts to provide a pure signal of how the business is performing.

China to set up renewable energy centre -report
China plans to build a national renewable energy centre to enhance the country's clean energy development, the China Daily reported, citing a government official.

UN climate panel needs overhaul, say top scientists
The Nobel-winning UN panel that serves as the scientific bedrock for global climate negotiations needs a serious makeover, several of its most senior members said Wednesday.

Wind, solar groups push US renewable energy standard
U.S. industry executives from the wind, solar, hydropower, geothermal and biomass sectors pushed on Tuesday for a federal renewable energy standard, which they said would foster economic growth and create jobs.

German coalition agrees to delay solar cuts
Germany's ruling coalition has agreed to delay cuts in solar power incentives by two months, parliamentary officials said on Tuesday, easing pressure on solar companies so they will have more time to sell components.

Price ultimate driver of greener energy use -GE
Pricing systems that encourage households to use energy more efficiently are the best way to help consumers to protect the environment, a senior General Electric Co executive said on Tuesday.

UK should press EU for tigher carbon caps -report
Prices for European carbon emissions permits are too low to deliver low-carbon investment and the British government should press the EU to tighten limits on emissions, a UK Parliamentary committee said on Monday.

Nuclear giant Areva buys solar company Ausra
The world's largest nuclear plant builder, Areva SA, is entering the solar power industry, with the company announcing on Monday its acquisition of U.S.-based solar thermal player Ausra.

"Smart" power key as EU sparks electric car debate
Electric cars must be backed by "smart" power networks if they are to help the world's climate problems, environmentalists warned on Monday as European ministers prepared to debate a strategy for the sector.

Australia aims to halve agricultural emissions
Australia today launched a A$70 million initiative to halve emission intensity from agriculture.

Riding green wave, Philips says 'let there be LED'
More than a century into its existence, Philips is once again betting heavily on semiconductors. This time the consumer electronics firm is looking to harness their potential as a source of light.

U.S. solar market will feel impact of German feed-in tariff cut
Germany's plan to cut a major incentive for solar power generation is expected to cause a global oversupply of solar panels that could further drive down U.S. prices this year.

Commission disappoints on green growth strategy
The European Commission has shown little ambition to develop a truly green growth strategy in its consultation on a post-Lisbon strategy for 2020, several stakeholders have said. Ideas proposed lack substance, they say.

Novo Nordisk Slashes Emissions and Water Use, But Sees Waste Grow
Novo Nordisk slashed greenhouse gas emissions and water consumption in 2009, at the same time the Danish pharmaceutical giant boosted sales and profit over the year before.

Survey finds U.S. energy standard would create hundreds of thousands of jobs
An aggressive renewable energy standard (RES) would create more than a quarter-million jobs by 2025, according to a new study sponsored by renewable power companies and advocacy groups.

A Netscape moment? Electric cars
The idea of the "Netscape moment", a fund-raising that signals the spawning of a whole new industry, is dear to Silicon Valley types who think back fondly to the browser firm's spectacular initial public offering in 1995. So it was not surprising that in late January Shai Agassi, a former software entrepreneur, greeted a $350m investment in his company, Better Place, led by HSBC, in just those terms.

China wind, solar companies seek growth in U.S., Europe
Chinese wind and solar companies told a renewable energy conference on Thursday they were looking abroad for burgeoning markets in renewable energy.

Don't hold your breath - Carbon markets after Copenhagen
Something curious has been happening in the carbon markets. They are entirely political creationseven the most inventive financial engineers would not, on their own, have come up with the idea of a difference in value between the air people breathe in and the air they breathe out. Yet traders seem pretty uninterested in political cues. At the chaotic end of the Copenhagen climate summit in December, prices in the largest market in carbon-dioxide emissions, the European Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS), did drop from 14.60 ($20.50) to 12.70. But that still left the price of a tonne of carbon dioxide comfortably above its lowest level last year.

Shell and Cosan team up on ethanol
Shell and Cosan team up on ethanol. A champion of futuristic biofuels embraces the old-fashioned kind.

Hot, dry and crowded - Australia's expanding population
As he prepares to call an election later this year Kevin Rudd, Australia's prime minister, is hoping his government's handling of the global financial crisis might help him win a second term. Australia was one of the few rich countries to avoid a recession. Unemployment in December fell to 5.5%. But a report published on February 1st announces an even bigger challenge for the economy: a population explosion.

Wind power grows in Europe
For the second year in a row, more wind power capacity was installed in the European Union than any other power technology, according to data compiled by the European Wind Energy Association.

Aircraft engine makers hope for short-haul refit boost
Aircraft engine makers will know within months if Airbus will launch a programme to fit more efficient engines to its top-selling single-aisle models, a step that might also prompt rival Boeing to follow suit.

US 25 pct green power goal to add more jobs -study
A national mandate requiring utilities to generate 25 percent of power from sources such as wind and solar energy by 2025 will create three times more jobs than weaker measures Congress is considering, a study released by renewable energy advocates said on Thursday.

Analysts applaud Shell's Cosan biofuels bet
Investment analysts have responded positively to Shell's planned $12 billion joint venture (JV) with Brazilian ethanol giant Cosan, predicting it could help push Brazilian ethanol into world markets.

Hopes build for US Green Bank
A proposed Green Bank' to help finance renewable energy projects in the US may get a boost from an unexpected source: a series of jobs bills aimed at lowering the nation's stubbornly high unemployment rate. And renewable energy advocates hope the Green Bank will encourage US banks to get off the sidelines and start lending money to clean energy projects.

China strives for first 'green' Expo
China, the world's number one emitter of greenhouse gases, aims to hold the first "green" World Expo in Shanghai, as the sprawling metropolis tries to shed its polluted past and become eco-friendly.

Obama eyes biofuels, clean coal in new climate push
President Barack Obama laid out new steps on Wednesday to nudge the United States toward energy independence, backing measures to boost production of biofuels and bury pollution from coal.

EU agrees billions to fund renewables, CCS
EU member states this week (2 February) agreed how to allocate billions worth of EU money from the bloc's emissions trading scheme (EU ETS) to support renewable energies and emerging technology to capture carbon dioxide and store it underground.

Has the Economy Helped or Hurt the Growth of Green Business?
The Great Recession and the fledgling recovery from it have been the big stories in the business world for the last year, but a new report from GreenBiz.com shines a light on how the economy has shaped the environmental impact of business operations.

Online fraudsters steal EU carbon permits
Online fraudsters have targeted international carbon markets to steal emissions permits from companies and sell them illegally, officials said on Wednesday.

China outpaces EU and US with new wind turbines
China installed more new wind turbines than either Europe or the United States last year, the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC) said on Wednesday.

World's top polluting nations submit plans to cut emissions
The climate change accord reached at Copenhagen in December has passed its first test as countries responsible for the bulk of climate-altering pollution formally submitted their emissions reductions plans, meeting the agreement's Jan. 31 deadline.

Big companies push more suppliers to track emissions
The number of corporations pushing greenhouse gas emissions reporting and reduction strategies onto their suppliers is quickly growing and will likely triple in the next five years, according to a new survey by a U.K.-based nonprofit.

South Korea sees $4.8 billion renewables investment in 2010
South Korea, heavily dependent on oil and gas imports, estimated on Wednesday that renewable energy investment would hit reach 5.5 trillion won ($4.78 billion) this year, jumping 52 percent from 2009.

Biofuels industry set to suffer from lack of green rules
TheEU's current indecisiononenvironmental criteria for biomasscould discredit the wholeindustry, which lives off its climate-friendly image, Eric Johnson, managing director of Atlantic Consulting, told EurActiv in an interview.

Siemens to invest 346 million dollars in India
German industrial group Siemens said Tuesday it would spend 16 billion rupees (346 million dollars) in India, mainly in renewable energy, as part of a drive to step up investment in the country.

GE Launches New Ecomagination Healthcare Products, Opens Renewable Energy HQ
General Electric's line of Ecomagination products has grown by five with the addition of new GE Healthcare products that use less energy, water and materials.

Huge hydroelectric dam approved in Brazil's Amazon
Brazil granted an environmental license on Monday for the construction of a controversial hydroelectric dam in the heart of the Amazon rainforest.

Shell unveils biofuel joint venture in Brazil
Oil giant Royal Dutch Shell on Monday said it had signed a non-binding memorandum of understanding with the intention of forming a 12 billion-dollar joint venture with biofuel industry leader Cosan.

Electric bikes develop into a global industry
Millions of people around the world are taking part in an accidental transportation upheaval, the growing popularity of electric bikes as an alternative to cars.

China out front in renewable-energy race
China vaulted past competitors in Denmark, Germany, Spain and the United States last year to become the world's largest maker of wind turbines, and is poised to expand even further this year.

Suppliers that don't manage CO2 could lose clients
Suppliers that fail to manage their greenhouse gas emissions could lose clients, said a report published on Monday.

UK has to move beyond carbon cuts to stay competitive
Britain needs to focus on more than just carbon dioxide emission cuts and manage its water, waste and food resources better to remain competitive, a report by the Aldersgate Group said on Monday.

Automakers hit pay dirt in rural India
Rickshaws and bullock carts may be anachronisms elsewhere, but they are the standard means of transportation in rural India. But with government incentives and aggressive salesmanship by manufacturers, cars are making inroads into these untouched markets.

IMF plans 100 billion fund to help poor mitigate climate impact
The International Monetary Fund is planning a 100 billion dollar fund to help countries mitigate the effects of climate change, the agency's head said.

Copenhagen climate deal gets low-key endorsement
Nations accounting for most of the world's greenhouse gas emissions have restated their promises to fight climate change, meeting a Sunday deadline in a low-key endorsement of December's "Copenhagen Accord".

India reiterates carbon goals for climate accord
India has reiterated a goal of slowing the rise of its carbon emissions by 2020 as part of pledges due by Sunday under a "Copenhagen Accord" to fight climate change, an official statement said.

Race is on to develop green, clean technology
It is shaping up to be the Great Game of the 21st century. To top officials and business executives here at the World Economic Forum, Topic A this year was the race to develop greener, cleaner technology, which is emerging as one of the critical factors in reshaping the world economy as emerging powers snap at the heels of battered Western economies.

IMF working on plans for "green fund" - IMF chief
The International Monetary Fund is working on proposals for a multibillion dollar "green fund" to help countries tap funds to deal with the effects of climate change, the head of the institution said on Saturday.

Environment an issue of sovereignty, China says
As a Sunday deadline approaches for countries to submit their plans to the U.N. on climate change, China is stressing that developed rather than developing countries need to make globally binding commitments.

Study shows white-roofed buildings can drive down emissions and urban temperatures
White roofs can significantly cool down buildings, make cities more pleasant and reduce the impact of global warming by saving on energy costs, according to a new study by the National Center for Atmospheric Research.

U.S. electric carmaker Tesla files for IPO
U.S. electric sports car maker Tesla Motors filed for an initial public offering of up to $100 million, aiming to cash in on growing investor interest in battery-powered vehicles and green technology.

EU plans grid upgrade for renewables
The European Commission is working on a framework for developing Europe's electricity grids to integrate the massive increase in renewable energy expected in the next decade, a senior official said last week (28 January).

Houston gains rank as US carbon hub
Houston is tied with New York in becoming a future trading hub for the US carbon market.

China reiterates goals for curbing climate change
China has reiterated a goal of slowing the rise of its greenhouse gases by 2020 as part of pledges due by Jan. 31 under a "Copenhagen Accord" for combating climate change, an official letter showed on Friday.

A lighter burden - Financing solar power
Switching to solar power may help to save the planet. Homeowners, however, aren't so sure it will save them money. Energy costs may be lower than their existing electricity bills, but the initial expense of installing solar panels puts many people off.

Climate: the long and winding road after Copenhagen
After the near-train wreck of last month's Copenhagen climate summit, what lies ahead for efforts to beat back global warming? Next week may yield the first clues.

Emissions labels for motorbikes
The European Commission plans to propose rules that would oblige motorcycle manufacturers to label new models with the amount of carbon dioxide they emit, Giacomo Mattino, a senior official in the directorate for enterprise and industry, said Thursday.

US government to cut greenhouse emissions by 28 percent
The White House announced Friday that President Barack Obama would order the US federal government to reduce its greenhouse gas pollution by 28 percent by 2020.

China's green tech revolution
Targeting mainland China with his energy-saving inventions, Peter Fung and executives like him have their eye on the hottest competitive advantage around: an ambitious government with deep pockets.

Regulator wants risks on climate disclosed
The Securities and Exchange Commission said for the first time that public companies should warn investors of any serious risks that global warming might pose to their businesses.

U.S. cap-and-trade must take back seat -executives
Business executives and policy officials said a U.S. cap and trade scheme must give way to a clean energy law, after U.S. President Barack Obama favoured "green jobs" in his State of the Union Address.

What the Auto Industry Can Learn from the High Tech Sector
In a recently released Cleantech Point-of-View (POV) article , Airfoil Public Relations urges the automotive industry to adopt the flexible, fast-to-market strategies of the technology industry and points out that tech developers have much to learn from best manufacturing practices developed by auto companies.

Waste, water, energy efficiency find fund interest
Companies in the waste management, water treatment and energy efficiency areas offer the most potential for venture capital fund investment, funds said at a clean technology conference on Thursday.

US recommits to climate goals
The United States Thursday officially told the United Nations it will cut carbon emissions, predicting Congress would move ahead on fighting climate change but pressing other countries to do likewise.

Europeans dream of a 'supergrid,' but many wires need connecting
European energy planners have a dream: an electricity grid spanning the continent and farther, one that seamlessly blends in the sharply rising but wildly fluctuating power coming from renewable sources and, at the same time, cuts transmission losses.

IBM energy unit sees China rev rising $400m by 2014
IBM expects the China revenues of its energy and utilities division to grow by $400 million from now until 2014 as Beijing banks on "smart grids" to make the country more energy-efficient, a senior executive said.

Japanese solar car leads race Down Under
Japan's Tokai Challenger was on Monday leading a solar car race across the harsh Australian Outback, having covered about half of the 3,000 kilometre (1,860 mile) desert course, officials said.

China winning green race--US venture capitalist
China is leapfrogging ahead in the development of green technology, and the United States is "barely in the race," a prominent Silicon Valley venture capitalist said on Thursday.

EU plans centralised CO2 auctioning from 2011
The European Commission is considering auctioning emissions permits over centralised platforms from 2011and might cancel auctions if carbon prices are "abnormally low," according to two leaked documents.

Munching toward a healthier climate
New labels listing the carbon dioxide emissions associated with the production of foods, from whole-wheat pasta to fast-food burgers, are appearing on grocery items and restaurant menus around Sweden.

BP chief suggests fossil fuels will be around for some time
Tony Hayward said at the Oil & Money conference in London that BP's forecasts suggest that fossil fuels will still be used to meet about 80 percent of global energy needs in 2030.

Calls for cooperation on clearing the air
Senior American and Chinese officials urged their governments Thursday to step up joint efforts to reduce climate-warming pollution at a gathering in Beijing.

Carbon market growth stalls in 2009
The world carbon market will be worth $122 billion in 2009, just $3 billion higher than last year. The forecast, from UK research group New Energy Finance, marks a severe drop in growth amid the global economic downturn.

Will U.S. companies be shut out of clean-tech markets by China and other competitors?
The United States must make long-term investments in clean energy development or risk being shut out of a $2.3 trillion industry, a new report by a liberal think tank has found.

Are North American Companies Improving Their Climate Change Performance?
A new report from EIRIS finds that reporting and short-term reduction targets are comparable to global peers, but that North American companies lag in third-party verification and linking executive compensation to emissions reduction.

Industry wants charging standards for electric cars
A group of 50 representatives of European electricity companies and power distribution system operators has pledged to develop harmonised charging standards for plug-in electric cars until international standards are published.

Obama to plug historic power grid reform
President Barack Obama announced Tuesday the largest modernization of the US electricity grid in history, in a 3.4-billion-dollar bid to unleash a new era of renewable energy consumption.

Sharp sees start of solar recovery in 2010
The solar power industry will start to recover in 2010, an executive with Sharp Corp told Reuters on Tuesday, saying U.S. stimulus funds, work on government projects and new financing would help the industry.

Brazil eyes deeper CO2 cuts, backs UN forest plan
Brazil's Environment Minister Carlos Minc said on Tuesday that the government is studying deeper emissions cuts than than previously announced and that it favors a U.N.-backed forest preservation scheme.

New U.S. finance tool for renewable energy launched
The U.S. Treasury on Tuesday authorized more than 800 governmental agencies and power companies to issue $2.2 billion of Clean Renewable Energy Bonds, a financing tool included in the economic stimulus plan for developing alternative energy generation.

EU drafts reveal biofuel's "environmental damage"
Biodiesel and other "green" fuels that Europeans put in their cars can have unintended consequences for tropical forests and wetlands, European Union reports show -- the first evidence of EU misgivings.

US climate bill to hurt economy:future Chevron CEO
The incoming chief executive of Chevron Corp added his voice to the many petroleum interests that oppose climate legislation in the U.S. Congress, saying it could harm the economy.

Honeywell joins U.S. CAP
Honeywell International Inc. today joined the U.S. Climate Action Partnership, a coalition of major companies and environmental groups that supports a binding cap on U.S. greenhouse gas emissions.

India swamped by 420,000 tonnes of e-waste: lobby group
India faces a mounting challenge to dispose of an estimated 420,000 tonnes of electronic waste a year that it generates domestically and imports from abroad, a green lobby group said Tuesday.

Obama launches climate push with December goal
US President Barack Obama's Senate allies launched a major push Tuesday behind sweeping legislation to battle climate change, with time running short before a high-stakes global summit in December.

CEOs seek firm signal on US climate change policy
Global leaders in the energy business say they want some certainty in U.S. climate policy to encourage development of new technologies and other investment, but they do not expect federal legislation to pass this year.

Japanese car wins World Solar Challenge in Australia
A Japanese sun-powered car won the World Solar Challenge on Wednesday after averaging speeds of more than 100 kilometres (62 miles) per hour in a four-day race through Australia's desert Outback.

Audit finds high risk of CO2 capture project failure
Carbon capture and storage projects, seen as crucial in the fight against global warming, face a high risk of failure due to their high costs and should be applied across many sectors to ensure success, an audit says.

Electric cars will get more popular -Shell CEO
Royal Dutch Shell Plc expects electricity-powered vehicles to account for as much as 40 percent of the worldwide car market by 2050, Chief Executive Peter Voser said on Thursday.

China, Singapore may beat Sydney in carbon-hub race
Asian cities are likely to beat Australia in the race to become a carbon-trading hub, despite Australian plans to set up the region's first cap-and-trade market, industry experts said on Wednesday.

U.S. seeks more clean energy market access in China
U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke will press for more access for American companies in China's clean energy sector, an area where Washington feels it can make inroads on its enormous trade imbalance with China.

Renewable power growth to beat coal -Alstom
Power equipment maker Alstom expects demand for renewable and nuclear technologies to outstrip growth in coal and gas fired electricity projects, Chief Executive Patrick Kron said on Thursday.

Maplecroft launches US climate indexes
Risk analysis firm Maplecroft has launched a family of indexes to track climate-related innovation and carbon management at some of the biggest companies in the US.

UK biofuel suppliers fall short of sustainability targets
Several major suppliers of transport fuel in the UK failed to meet the sustainability criteria for biofuels in the first year of the government's pioneering Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO).

SEC tells US firms to disclose climate risks
After substantial prodding from investor advocates, the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) will provide guidance to companies about what they must tell their investors about climate risks and opportunities.

Cap-and-trade advocates scale back their hopes
The advocates of a comprehensive U.S. bill to combat global warming are turning their sights to a more modest package of climate and energy measures.

Climate debate goes to court
The case of a small Alaskan town, which is accusing companies of climate-change damage, may not seem like a big deal now. But neither did the first lawsuits against tobacco companies.

Tracking corrupt research, and missing the point
Sometimes you can't understand a scientific debate without knowing who is paying whom - as in the recent case with exaggerated predictions of Himalayan glacier melt - but in general, the focus should remain on the quality of the science rather than the money trail.

U.S. and China slide in rankings on environmental issues
The listing puts some of the globe's largest economies far down the scale, with China sinking to 121st and the United States to 61st.

DAVOS-American VCs unfazed by China cleantech-Reuters survey
Fears the United States will lose a battle with China to create clean technology for a climate-changing world don't fly with Silicon Valley venture capitalists.

Clean tech: can sovereign wealth help?
It may seem like a perfect match. If sovereign wealth funds, which manage assets of $3 trillion, invested in clean tech, they could help plug the chronic shortage of funding to tackle climate change.

Collaboration key to China-US energy challenge -Duke
Cooperation between China and the United States in areas such as carbon capture and nuclear technology will be vital even as trade tensions mount, a senior executive with a leading U.S. power utility said.

Business-enviro campaign promotes carbon cap as job engine
As President Obama seeks to ensure a recession-battered electorate that creating jobs is his top priority, a coalition of companies and environmental groups is lobbying to ensure that climate and energy legislation remains part of his agenda.

U.S. SEC prods companies on climate change disclosure
U.S. securities regulators on Wednesday nudged companies toward disclosing risks associated with climate change in their annual reports.

EU agrees to make lowest climate offer to UN
The European Union has decided to stick to its lowest offer for cutting carbon emissions under a UN climate accord, but will maintain a conditional pledge to do more if others follow suit, EU diplomats said on Wednesday (27 January).

Obama aims to win climate bill with nuclear, oil
President Barack Obama, trying to save the stalled U.S. climate change bill, appeared to back away from creating a market in planet-warming emissions on Wednesday, while reaching out for Republican votes by promoting nuclear energy and offshore drilling.

A quest for direction after Copenhagen
Lacking international leadership, environmental technology firms may focus on local and national markets.

Wind power in U.S. adds capacity at record pace
In spite of a crippling recession and a tight credit markets, the U.S. wind energy industry had a record year in 2009, trailing natural gas as the second-biggest source of new electric generation.

Environmental index puts Iceland at No. 1
A new ranking of nations by environmental performance puts Iceland at the top of the list, leading a cluster of European countries known for their green efforts.

Australia keeps 5 to 25% CO2 cut range for accord
Australia will stick to its 5 to 25 percent emissions cut range as part of a global commitment to fight climate change under the controversial "Copenhagen accord", the government said on Wednesday.

India's 'miracle' biofuel crop: too good to be true?
To its fans, jatropha is a miracle crop, an eco-friendly answer to India's growing energy needs, but some experts are starting to question whether the wonder-shrub is too good to be true.

Don't sacrifice health in climate battle, warns Gates
Spending more on climate change research could put hundreds of thousands of lives at risk by stripping away precious global health funding, Bill Gates has said.

Sixty Companies Agree to Measure Emissions From Product Life Cycles and Supply Chains
The November publication by the Greenhouse Gas Protocol (GHG Protocol) , an accounting tool for the measurement and management of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, of two protocol standards for emissions accounting, has led to agreements by 60 corporations to measure the emissions of their products and supply chains.

BC Hydro sees green power supply deals soon
Long-term power contracts are expected to be awarded shortly to small clean energy producers in British Columbia, an official at the Canadian province's main power utility said on Tuesday, as the industry despaired at how long the process was taking.

Wind power comes of age in U.S.
In spite of a crippling recession and a tight credit markets, the U.S. wind energy industry had a record year in 2009, trailing natural gas as the second-biggest source of new electric generation.

Clean energy deal for Ontario
Samsung C&T and Korea Electric Power have signed a deal with Ontario worth 7 billion Canadian dollars to build facilities to produce 2,500 megawatts of wind and solar power in the province.

Indonesia to kick off $1 bln green investment fund
Indonesia plans a $1 billion green investment fund this year to drive infrastructure developments that aid growth and help cut greenhouse gas emissions, a finance ministry official said on Tuesday.

China says 2010 pollutant targets already met - Xinhua
Chinese has already reduced emissions of major pollutants by 10 percent below 2005 levels, meeting its target a year ahead of schedule, the official Xinhua news agency said on Monday.

Copenhagen Accord faces $30 billion aid test
Rich nations are pledging almost $30 billion in aid from 2010-12 to help the poor combat climate change in an early test of last month's "Copenhagen Accord" that is vague about conditions and who gets cash.

EU emissions to rise 5.9% in 2010 -BofA-Merrill Lynch
European carbon emissions from fossil fuels will rise by 5.9 percent this year as the economy recovers, but carbon prices will stay decoupled from short-term fundamentals, Bank of America-Merrill Lynch said on Monday.

Stop eating meat to save the planet?
The virtues of vegetarianism as part of the battle to curb climate change are far from being an issue just for the spiritually inclined.

Big backers join car-charging venture
Better Place, the closely watched start-up that hopes to create vast networks of charge spots to power electric cars, is set to receive $350 million in new venture capital.

S.Korea targets $24 bln smart grid spending by 2030
South Korea is aiming for spending of 27.5 trillion won ($24 billion) over the next two decades on smart grids to make electricity distribution more efficient, cut greenhouse gas emissions and save $26 billion in energy imports.

Electric car firm Better Place raises $350 mln
Better Place, an infrastructure provider for electric cars founded by former SAP executive Shai Agassi, has raised $350 million in fresh equity as part of a second round of financing.

Emerging nations pledge climate change unity in India talks
Environment ministers from Brazil, South Africa, India and China said on Sunday that talks in New Delhi had further cemented their alliance following the Copenhagen climate change summit.

Small cars, big question
For all the woes of the city that hosts it, Detroit's annual motor show is still a bellwether for America's car industry. Last January, as the industry grappled with its biggest crisis in living memory and at least two of Detroit's Big Three carmakers teetered on the brink of collapse, the usual razzmatazz was replaced by fear and foreboding. This year hope had returned, but accompanied by deep uncertainty.

Apple Tells Shareowners to Reject Proposal for Annual Sustainability Report
For the second year in a row, a shareowner resolution requesting the publication by Apple of an annual sustainability report has been filed, and for the second year in a row Apple's Board of Directors has recommended that shareowners vote down the proposal.

Nike Shrinks GHG Footprint to 2007 Levels and Dumps Carbon Offsets
Nike has brought its footprint for greenhouse gas emissions back to 2007 levels and reports progress in other climate and energy areas, but has revisited its carbon neutrality goals and no longer purchases carbon offsets, the firm says in its latest corporate responsibility report.

France devises sustainable development barometer
In an attempt to address sustainable development challenges, France this week presented a series of indicators to measure progress towards green growth and jobs.

Liner shipping sector calls for efficiency standards
New ships should meet binding efficiency standards and existing ships should face fines if they drop below a separate efficiency benchmark, says the World Shipping Council (WSC), which represents the liner shipping industry.

Official data confirms 3.3% drop in car emissions
Average emissions from new passenger cars fell by 3.3% to 153.5 grams of CO2 per kilometre in 2008, according to official data published by the European Commission last week. This is the largest decrease since monitoring began.

Plug-ins will make up 20% of global market by 2030 -- report
Plug-in electric vehicles will make up nearly 20 percent of the global market for passenger cars and light-duty trucks in 2030, a leading economic forecasting firm said today.

Novozymes sees U.S. producers failing to meet 2010 mandate
The world's biggest producer of industrial enzymes sees U.S. biofuels producers falling just short of meeting the nation's 2010 blending mandate.

The climate agreement that wasn't
Just a month after world leaders fashioned a tentative and nonbinding agreement at the climate change summit meeting, the deal already appears at risk of coming undone.

EU to stick with 20% climate offer in letter to U.N.
The European Union will stick with its lowest offer for cutting carbon emissions under a U.N. climate accord, fulfilling the wishes of industry, a draft letter shows.

China-led group may discuss climate fund for poor
A meeting of four of the world's fastest-growing carbon emitters on Sunday ahead of a Jan. 31 deadline for countries to submit their action plans to fight climate change may discuss a climate fund for poorer nations.

U.S. climate bill, Copenhagen setbacks force clean developer rethink
Still reeling from disappointing UN climate talks in Copenhagen in December, clean energy project developers were dealt another blow this week when U.S. Democrats lost their Senate supermajority, potentially killing a federal cap-and-trade scheme for years to come.

EU industry protests against carbon "benchmarks"
European Union proposals to curb carbon emissions will put EU manufacturers at a disadvantage to less-regulated overseas rivals and must be loosened, industry group BusinessEurope said.

Airbus to test biofuels when available
Airbus Industrie is sure that biofuels, the 'green' hope of the aviation sector, will work in its planes and is looking forward to testing them, a senior official for the European airliner builder said on Thursday.

Brazil to create climate fund, technology for poor
Brazil will propose the creation of a joint fund with China, India and South Africa to help poor countries adapt to global warming as part of a broader attempt to revive stalled global climate talks.

Electricity sector could reduce emissions 18% by 2030 -- study
The electricity sector could shave up to 18 percent off its energy use and carbon dioxide emissions by 2030 by aggressively embracing smart-grid technologies, according to a new analysis.

UAE's Masdar, Spanish partner secure $760M for solar projects
The United Arab Emirates' Masdar initiative and a Spanish partner have secured $760 million to build two concentrated solar power arrays, capable of producing 100 megawatts collectively, in southern Spain, officials said today.

Nearly 60 Companies Test New Product, Supply Chain Emissions Measuring Tools
More than 50 corporations, including Kraft Foods, IKEA, Ford, GE and SC Johnson, are measuring the greenhouse gas emissions of their products and entire supply chains with two new standards from the Greenhouse Gas Protocol Initiative.

German ministers reach consensus on solar tariff cuts
Key German government ministers have agreed to make double digit cuts to solar feed-in tariffs (FITs), to the dismay of the German solar industry.

World Bank selling green' bonds to Japanese investors
The World Bank is aiming to raise some $110 million to finance low-carbon development through a five-year 'green' bond currently being marketed to Japanese retail investors.

Middle East ESG index finally to be launched this year
The first environmental, social and governance (ESG) index of Middle Eastern and North African companies is due to be launched later this year two years after it was first announced.

Copenhagen climate accord is a lonely orphan
The tentative and nonbinding climate agreement that emerged from the United Nations climate change meeting in Copenhagen last month already appears at risk of unraveling, the top U.N. climate official warned Wednesday.

EU faces years more wrangling over car emissions
Europe's incoming climate chief is determined to crack down on emissions from cars, but any new goals are at least a decade away.

Greens embrace enzymes in climate change fight
Industrial biotechnology is gaining supporters among environmentalists as a way to make significant cuts in greenhouse-gas emissions and eventually move to a society free from fossil fuels.

How to make a play in the smart electrical grid-execs
Investors in clean technology see the expected upgrade to a smart electrical grid in the United States as a massive opportunity, but finding the right investments will require patience.

U.S. carbon plan to lean on states after Senate vote
U.S. regions will lead efforts to contain greenhouse gas emissions over the next few years if Washington can't pass its own legislation, but will have crack down harder if they are to force industry to take meaningful action on fighting global warming.

Ontario, Samsung in green energy deal - reports
Ontario, Canada's most populous province and the country's industrial heartland, is set to award a multibillion dollar deal to consortium led by Samsung Group to build renewable energy equipment such as wind turbines, media reports said on Wednesday.

UN climate panel admits Himalaya glacier data "poorly substantiated"
The UN's climate science panel acknowledged on Wednesday that a grim prediction on the fate of Himalayan glaciers that featured in a benchmark report on global warming had been "poorly substantiated" and was a lapse in standards.

Morocco hopes to shine in mega solar project
Morocco has launched what it claims is the biggest solar-thermal energy project in a single country, aiming to produce nearly 40 per cent of its electricity needs 2,000 megawatts (MW) by 2020.

Cree, Dow, GE Get Millions in Tax Credits for Cleantech, Green Building Products
Cree Inc., Dow Chemical Company, GE, CalStar Products and Serious Materials are among the more than 100 firms receiving $2.3 billion in tax credits for cleantech manufacturing that's expected to create thousands of U.S. jobs while producing advanced technology and equipment to generate, efficiently use and manage energy.

Speed up climate tech transfer, urges UN meeting
Developed countries need urgently to speed up the introduction of environmentally sound technologies to benefit the developing world, a international meeting on climate change and technology transfer has concluded.

Looking for green cash
The race to cash in on the environmental technology wave just got a little more crowded with the founding of a private equity firm focused on investing in "green technology" companies.

Palm oil initiative may split over CO2 emissions
A British consortium of companies and environmental groups used to certify sustainable sources of palm oil is divided over the need to control carbon dioxide emissions as part of its standards.

Carbon values drive forest investment, greens waryGerard Wynn
New rewards to store carbon in trees are driving forestry investments, but green groups fear they pose a threat to ancient woodlands and rainforests.

EU sees solid biofuels growth, challenges ahead
The European Union has seen solid growth in the use of biofuels, but the bloc faces tough challenges in meeting its 2020 renewables target in transport, experts said on Wednesday.

Increasingly, U.S. is odd nation out in climate plans
With less than three weeks remaining before negotiators gather in Copenhagen to hammer out a global response to climate change, a rapid-fire succession of countries are unveiling national plans that serve as opening bids for reining in heat-trapping emissions.

Big polluters to reap benefit of climate deal
Big energy and engineering companies will reap most profit from a climate deal due in December, as they use their financial and intellectual clout to grab low carbon subsidies.

U.N. needs more muscle in environment fight -study
The United Nations needs to beef up and better coordinate efforts to help fight threats such as climate change, deforestation or over-fishing, two experts said on Thursday.

Converting auto fleets to electricity
While mass consumer acceptance of electric or hybrid-electric vehicles evolves, one maker of electric vehicles is looking to tap into the renewed activity in the auto fleet market.

China steps up climate diplomacy as Copenhagen looms
China's busy climate change diplomacy has become increasingly feverish weeks before crucial talks that could forge a new pact to fight global warming, or end in rancour that could rebound onto the world's biggest emitter.

EU issues post-Lisbon strategy for greener growth
The European Commission unveiled a successor to the Lisbon strategy for growth and jobs on Wednesday, setting five EU targets for 2020 including Europe's energy and climate goals. It proposes several "flagship" initiatives to achieve these targets.

Tokyo exchange to form CO2 market with commods bourse
The Tokyo Stock Exchange and the Tokyo Commodity Exchange said on Thursday they have agreed to jointly form a company aimed at setting up a carbon trading platform.

Siemens Helps Xianning Build Eco-city
Siemens has signed a strategic partnership framework agreement with the Xianning government on the establishment of a sustainable eco-city for resource conservation.

Carbon market downbeat on 2010 climate pact: survey
Most of the carbon market doesn't expect a climate pact in 2010 and is less hopeful about the CDM.

Commission waters down CO2 proposal for vans
The European Commission has caved in to industry and member-state pressure and significantly backtracked on earlier ambitions to introduce legally-binding CO2 cuts for new vans and minibuses.

UN climate chief downgrades hopes for post-Kyoto treaty
It seems unlikely that a comprehensive climate treaty will be sealedat December'sUN conference inCopenhagen despite progressmade,but a political agreement is still very much possible, Yvo de Boer, the UN's top climateofficial, told journalistsyesterday (28 October).

EU summit to back 95% emissions reduction goal
Europe will attempt to reassert its global leadership on climate change during a two-day summit kicking off today in Brussels (29-30 October), with EU leaders set to back emissions reductions "of at least 80-95%" for the developed world by 2050, according to a draft statement obtained by EurActiv.

Report Details the Growth of Market for Forest Offset Credits
Forest carbon offsets may have their detractorsin a 2006 Guardian article, author George Monbiot likened offsets in general to papal indulgences, and described some forest offset projects as disastrous forays into tree-plantingand incentives for Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD) were excluded from regulatory markets in the Kyoto Protocol in 1997.

EU to launch new electric cars project - Zapatero
The European Union is about to embark on a major new project to support the growth of electric cars, Spain's prime minister said on Wednesday in his role at the helm of the European Union.

China renewable energy use 8.3% of total in 2009 -official
China's renewable energy consumption accounted for 8.3 percent of the total in 2009, according to an official with the National Energy Administration.

Micronesia intervenes in Czech plan
The Federated States of Micronesia maintains that refitting a coal-fired power station would result in continued emissions of greenhouse gases.

Massachusetts vote hurts U.S. climate bill's chances
Republican Scott Brown's upset victory on Tuesday in the special U.S. Senate race has dealt a further blow to Democrats' drive to pass a climate control bill in 2010.

Putin backs Russia's first electric car project
Russia's richest man, Mikhail Prokhorov won early backing from Prime Minister Vladimir Putin for his plan to start mass production of electric cars, Putin's spokesman said on Tuesday.

Growth possible without global deal: Camco
Camco reckons it can grow its CO2-cutting business even if leaders fail to agree a post-2012 deal.

Fighting carbon emissions half a world away
A Pacific island nation has challenged plans by the Czech Republic to refit a coal-fired power station, in an appeal that environmental acdvocates described as the first of its kind.

UAE's Masdar, E.ON start CDM joint venture to cut emissions
The UAE's Masdar and Germany's E.ON have established a joint venture to develop projects to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the companies said on Tuesday in a statement.

India unveils rules to boost green power investment
India has crafted rules for trading of certificates aimed at rewarding producers of clean energy, a move expected to boost the share of electricity from renewable sources in one of the world's top carbon polluters.

Japan alters car scrappage scheme to include U.S.
Japan's Trade Ministry changed the terms of its car scrappage incentive scheme on Tuesday to include vehicles imported from the United States, after complaints from Washington that U.S. vehicles were being excluded.

Petrobras to buy landfill gas to power refinery
Brazil's state-run oil company Petrobras on Monday agreed to buy natural gas from a Rio de Janeiro landfill for use in a nearby refinery in a project meant to monetize waste and cut greenhouse gas emissions.

In new row, UN climate body to probe Himalayan glacier forecast
The UN's panel of climate scientists said on Monday it would probe claims its doomsday prediction for the disappearance of Himalayan glaciers was wrong as an expert said he had warned of the mistake.

Kenya at carbon crossroads, says report
Kenya's planned development path will more than double its carbon emissions unless efforts are taken to pursue low carbon development, according to an environmental think tank.

Canadian Tar Sands Are Target of Shareowner Resolution at Shell
Coalition of investors successfully files a resolution addressing the financial, environmental, and reputational risks of Shell's oil extraction from Canadian tar sands.

World leaders make fresh call for clean energy commitments
World leaders raised a fresh alarm on global warming Monday, urging international action to increase use of clean energy at a four-day forum that opened in the oil-rich emirate of Abu Dhabi.

UAE's Hydrogen power, CCS project ready in 2014
A $2.2 billion hydrogen power plant and a linked carbon capture and storage (CCS) project in the United Arab Emirates should be completed in 2014, a senior executive at the company building the plant said on Monday.

UAE, Deutsche Bank set up $265 mln clean tech fund
Abu-Dhabi government owned Masdar and Deutsche Bank have launched a $265 million clean technology and renewable energy fund, Deutsche Bank said in a statement on Monday.

Hedegaard eyes tougher emission cuts from transport
Connie Hedegaard, the EU's incoming climate policy chief, pledged to tackle transport emissions during a confirmation hearing in the European Parliament on Friday (15 January), saying she would table an integrated legislative package on climate and transport during her mandate.

Car makers may face tougher CO2 curbs in EU
Curbs on carbon dioxide emissions from new cars should be reviewed and possibly tightened as they may be insufficiently ambitious, the nominee for European Union climate commissioner said on Friday.

Cement maker pushes to reduce carbon dioxide emissions
With cement production accounting for as much as 5 percent of global emissions of carbon dioxide, Cemex is angling to reduce its carbon dioxide emissions and perhaps wind up with some credits it can sell.

Oil rigs to whirligigs - Offshore wind power
THE diameter of a wind turbine capable of generating five megawatts (MW) of electricity is, at 120 metres, roughly that of the London Eye. If it is to be installed in seas 40 metres deep, its pylon and foundations must measure 170 metres or so, half again as high as St Paul's Cathedral. If it is to stand in the North Sea, it will confront waves that can rise more than ten metres high and winds that can reach over 100 kilometres an hour.

Uncertain future for US climate law after Copenhagen
The future of a US climate law is hanging in the balance in Congress as lawmakers gear up for crucial midterm elections amid a persistent economic slump, experts say.

Toyota to double hybrid output in 2011 -Nikkei
Toyota Motor Corp aims to double its global output of gas-electric hybrid cars to 1 million units in 2011, as it fights to stay in the lead in the growing market for low-emission cars, the Nikkei business reported on Monday.

U.N. climate treaty may need extra year
A U.N. climate treaty may need an extra year beyond a December deadline to agree details, delegates at U.N. talks said on Thursday even as a U.S. Senate committee approved a carbon-capping bill.

US Senate panel approves Democratic climate bill
A controversial climate change bill cleared its first hurdle in the U.S. Senate on Thursday, allowing President Barack Obama to tout progress in the run-up to next month's global warming talks in Copenhagen.

EDF Energies Nouvelles coping well in the crisis
The current economic climate is favourable for French wind and solar power company EDF Energies Nouvelles as equipment prices remain low and banks are more prepared to lend, its chief executive said.

Low-cost carbon fixes for Mexico
How much would it cost to stop increasing greenhouse gas emissions in Mexico? According to a new study from the World Bank, not very much.

South Korea drops weakest 2020 emissions cut target
South Korea, the OECD's fastest-growing carbon polluter, has ditched its weakest voluntary 2020 emissions target and will choose one of two stricter options ahead of a global meeting in Copenhagen.

Philippines targets $2.5 bln geothermal devt
The Philippine government aims to approve contracts to explore and develop the country's massive geothermal energy resources, which could attract more than $2.5 billion in private investment, an official said.

Accessing credit a daunting task for eco-innovators
Companies are finding it difficult to get loans for eco-innovation projects because banks lack the technological knowledge to approve them, according to European businesses.

Industry seeks clarity on sectoral emissions cuts
There is still "enormous confusion" over sectoral approaches to cutting greenhouse gas emissions, with many developing countries opposing them for fear that they will lead to back-door emission caps, according to the WBSCD's Cement Sustainability Initiative (CSI).

JV formed to develop Desertec plan
A joint venture has been set up to pursue the 400 billion ($595 billion) Desertec project, to build solar and wind projects in the deserts of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) to supply local energy needs and export electricity to Europe.

Climate insurance is in the cross hairs as negotiators prep for Copenhagen
Advocates for nations vulnerable to climate change are accusing the United States of trying to "kill" a prominent global warming provision that would create a massive insurance program for countries that face rising destruction from natural disasters.

Execs plan to boost clean-tech investments next year -- survey
Shrugging off concerns about the global recession, business executives plan to boost spending on renewable energy and clean technology next year, according to a new survey by the auditor and consultant Ernst & Young.

As nations haggle over carbon cuts, measurement is tough
Targets and trust. These are at the heart of a tougher new global climate pact possibly just weeks away. The bigger the pledged emissions cuts or reductions in growth in carbon dioxide pollution, the greater the need to prove nations meet those targets and curb the pace of climate change. And proof of emissions reductions over time will help unlock billions of dollars in climate funds for poor nations.

IEA warns of huge cost for energy 'revolution'
The economic crisis gives the world a chance for a low-carbon "revolution" to ensure energy supplies and fight global warming, but it will cost a huge chunk of worldwide output, the IEA warns.

Forest Carbon Offset Market Needs Consistent Accounting Standards
The market for offset credits to mitigate deforestation is growing, but investors and other stakeholders require that guidance be provided in accounting for them.

Low-emission technologies need assist from policymakers -- report
Several low-emission technologies have the potential to transform the transportation sector within five years if policymakers and regulators can help clear hurdles to commercial markets, according to a new report.

EU on track to meet Kyoto targets
Latest estimates show that the EU is set to overshoot its collective emission reduction target under the Kyoto Protocol, the European Commission said yesterday (12 November).

EU nears deal on buildings eco-standards from 2018
New energy economy standards could kick in for all new public buildings in the European Union from 2018, and for all new homes and offices from 2020, a source close to the EU negotiations said on Friday.

Splitting the cost - The economics of nuclear power
Nuclear energy is unlikely to work without a carbon tax. Planning is not the only obstacle to a rebirth of nuclear power in Britain. The technology's torturous economics are, if anything, even trickier. The trouble is that, whereas the fuel is cheap, nuclear-power plants themselves are very expensive to build and the pay-off from that investment is slow

Farmers v greens
The biggest obstacle to a climate-change bill is rural America. America will not pass a cap-and-trade law in time for the global climate-change summit in Copenhagen next month. To understand why, it helps to ask a farmer.

Invest in nature today, save trillions tomorrow: study
Investing billions today to protect threatened ecosystems and dwindling biodiversity would reap trillions in savings over the long haul, according to a UN-backed report issued Friday.

Brazil stems loss of Amazon rainforest
Brazil experienced the smallest loss of its sprawling Amazon rainforest over the past year in more than two decades, the government said, attributing the change to its tougher environmental policies.

Farms on the radar at Copenhagen climate talks
U.N. negotiators will next month put farming onto the radar of climate regulations for the first time, but governments face aggressive lobbies and gaps in the science proving the extent of agricultural emissions.

China, U.S. to promote clean energy development for sustainable growth
Chinese Vice Premier Li Keqiang said here Tuesday that he hoped China and the United States would strengthen dialogue on policies and seek a more effective cooperative mechanism to promote clean energy development.

U.S., China announce sweeping joint clean-tech initiatives
The presidents of the United States and China -- the world's two largest emitters of greenhouse gases -- announced joint initiatives today aimed at boosting renewable energy, energy efficiency and the use of electric vehicles and launching a U.S.-China clean energy research center.

Fossil-fuel emissions up 2 percent in 2008, tracking worst trends
Carbon emissions from fossil fuels rose two percent last year to an all-time high, leaving Earth on a worst-scenario track for global warming, scientists reported on Tuesday.

Climate: Hopes pinned on US emissions offer at Copenhagen
With less than three weeks left before the UN climate showdown in Copenhagen, hopes are pinned on the United States, which is keeping everyone guessing on when -- or if -- it will declare its hand.

Alternative fuel can power 15 pct of flights by 2020: Airbus
Alternative fuels could power 15 percent of global air traffic by 2020 and 30 percent by 2030, European aircraft-maker Airbus said at the Dubai Airshow on Tuesday.

All new buildings to be 'near-zero-energy' by 2020
EU governments and MEPs struck a political deal on Tuesday on plans to revise the 2002 energy performance of buildings directive that will force all new buildings constructed after 2020 to consume "near-zero-energy".

Copenhagen still a "golden opportunity" for CDM
The U.N. summit in Copenhagen next month is unlikely to agree on a new global climate treaty, but carbon market players are urging delegates to seize the opportunity to agree reforms to the $33 billion trade in Kyoto carbon offsets.

California sets limits on energy-gulping TVs
California regulators gave final approval on Wednesday to the first mandatory U.S. energy curbs on television sets, a growing but often overlooked power drain that accounts for 10 percent of home electric bills in the state.

As smart grid expands, so does vulnerability to cyber attacks
As he prepares to leave office as head of the nation's electric grid operations monitor, Rick Sergel is warning the power industry that if it doesn't move faster and harder to protect itself against cyber threats, Congress and federal regulators will increasingly impose their own rules.

India's cabinet approves solar power programme
India's cabinet on Thursday approved its first solar power plan, pledging to boost output from near zero to 20 gigawatts (GW) by 2020 as part of its plan to fight global warming.

Energy chiefs warn crisis stifling investment
The economic crisis is jeopardising key energy industry investments that are needed to cope with future growth in demand and shifts to cleaner energy, executives and officials warned on Wednesday.

Allianz eyes renewable China, India projects
Allianz SE plans to invest in renewable projects in India and China as it seeks to expand its overall clean energy portfolio by more than a billion euros ($1.5 billion) over the next three years, a company executive said.

Offsets lose credibility as salves for carbon glut
It has proved difficult to monitor or quantify the emissions-reducing potential of the thousands of green projects financed by customers' payments, and there are no industrywide standards.

Clearing ground for a deal to save forests
One does not have to venture off the beaten track to discover why south-east Asia's biggest economy is the world's third largest emitter of greenhouse gases.

Carbon Disclosure Project Launches CDP Water Disclosure Initiative
Seeking to replicate its success in increasing voluntary reporting by companies on carbon emissions, the CDP develops a mechanism for corporate reporting on water use.

EU extends efficiency scheme to more goods
EU lawmakers have agreed to extend an efficiency labeling scheme to a wider range of products.

Sasol to cut emissions, invest in solar power
Petrochemicals group Sasol, the world's leader in making motor fuel from coal, plans to reduce its carbon footprint by capturing its emissions, producing solar power and making its plants more efficient.

Climate goal needs "more than technology" -Shell
Action to limit global warming to 2 degrees Celsius is beyond simply inventing new, low-carbon technologies and depends on wider changes to behaviour and the way communities are built, said a Royal Dutch Shell executive.

US Uses Less Water Than It Did a Generation Ago As Global Concern Grows Over Scarcity
The United States is using less water than it did 35 years ago, which is a good thing given the rising concern about water issues among investors and stakeholders worldwide, new information released this week shows.

GE Signs Clean Technology Agreements In China
GE has signed a series of "Company to Country" agreements aimed at promoting collaboration between GE and Chinese public and private sector aviation, energy, and transportation organizations on clean technologies.

World Bank unit to review palm oil and other carbon-intensive loans
A complaint filed by Indonesian community groups in response to practices by one World Bank-funded corporation has spurred a major re-examination of how the International Financing Corp. (IFC) -- a major lending arm of the World Bank to the private sector -- conducts its lending.

Harnessing the power of salt, Norway tries osmotic power
After wind, sun, currents and tides, a company is preparing to make clean electricity by harnessing another natural phenomenon, the energy-unleashing encounter of freshwater and seawater.

China keen on low-carbon economy
Beijing's iconic Olympic venue -- Bird's Nest -- might have been a little bit different from it is now if it were built today. "I would choose to use solar film to power air-conditioners in the Bird's Nest instead of the current ground-source heat pump," said Ding Gao, an engineer of the landmark building. Ding, director of the Building Energy Engineering Center of China Architecture Design and Research Group, said China's keen interest in low-carbon economy has boosted the development and implementation of "green" technology.

Green with envy
The urgency of dealing with climate change means that many countries are drawing up national policies to limit emissions. Yet in a globalised world, where production is increasingly mobile across national borders, some worry that there is a fundamental tension between the effectiveness of such policies and a commitment to open trade.

Fear of hunger drives a land grab
Rich but resource-deprived countries in the Middle East, Asia and elsewhere are seeking to outsource their food production to places where fields are affordable and abundant -- mainly in Africa.

Going green just the ticket for politicians
In what may be its last months in power, the Labour Party government is laying out its most detailed long-term plans yet for cutting Britain's carbon emissions, an ambitious effort environmentalists hope the opposition Conservatives will push forward if they win office next year. A novel campaign urging Britons to reduce their individual emissions by 10 percent in 2010 is rallying public opinion to the cause, winning thousands of supporters and extensive publicity that organizers say should pressure ministers to take even stronger measures against global warming.

IEA members not on track' on energy efficiency
More action is needed by International Energy Agency (IEA) member countries on energy efficiency, according to a new report from the agency.

Businesses want more guidelines on green issues
About 50 per cent of America s top business leaders believe a lack of clarity on climate legislation is negatively impacting upon the ability of the US to compete in the global market.

PwC, investors to study effect of climate on municipal bonds
A study is underway to examine how water shortages and climate change could affect the value of US municipal bonds.

Industry calls for earlier CCS deployment deadlines
Carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology for coal-fired power plants should be deployed by 2020, not 2020-25 as proposed by the European Commission, the industry-led Zero Emissions Platform (ZEP) said on Wednesday.

US EPA says to ease carbon rules on small business
The Obama administration will give small businesses a break on coming carbon dioxide emissions rules but big emitters like coal-fired power plants will face a crack-down, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa Jackson said on Wednesday.

Better rules could boost African CDM projects -UN
African governments need to set clear rules in order to attract more projects under the U.N. Kyoto Protocol's Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), the United Nations Environment Programme chief said on Wednesday.

Advanced biofuels will stoke global warming -study
A new generation of biofuels, meant to be a low-carbon alternative, will on average emit more carbon dioxide than burning gasoline over the next few decades, a study published in Science found on Thursday.

The rise of thin-film solar power
Thin film, as this technology is known, is still less popular than crystalline cells and its move to the mainstream has been a year or two away for a decade. But its time may have come at last.

The price of cleanliness
China is torn between getting greener and getting richer.

Japan may cut emissions by less than 25 pct
Japan cautioned on Friday that it could water down planned 2020 cuts in greenhouse gas emissions if other rich nations fail to make deep reductions as part of a U.N. deal due in Copenhagen in December.

Livestock 'overlooked' in climate talks, says World Bank
Greenhouse gases (GHGs) from the lifecycle and supply chain of animals raised for food account for 51% of annual emissions caused by humans and should be given higher priority in global efforts to fight climate change, World Bank Group experts argue.

Investment risks could maim CDM well before 2013
A combination of investment risks threatens to almost completely obstruct an already stumbling U.N.-backed $6.5 billion market in clean energy projects in emerging nations, years before the scheme's first phase is due to end.

Climate tops execs' list of social concerns -- poll
Climate change is the top concern among businesses looking to improve their sustainability bona fides, according to a poll released yesterday.

Privacy concerns could derail smart grid -- report
Privacy concerns have derailed the Netherlands' initial foray into compulsory use of smart electricity meters, and similar problems could pop up in Britain or other nations unless action is taken, according to a report by Datamonitor, a market analyst.

German tariff cuts to spark solar sector bloodbath
A potential deep cut in feed-in tariffs in Germany will hit solar companies around the world and increases pressure on large players to reduce exposure to the world's largest photovoltaic market.

Investors urge governments to act on climate change
Global investors representing $13 trillion in assets called on the United States and other countries on Thursday to adopt policies to fight climate change they said would unleash a potential flood of private money into renewable and efficient energy.

Electric car road test planned for Quebec
Quebec's power utility is teaming up with Mitsubishi Motors to road test the performance of up to 50 all-electric vehicles against the rigors of the Canadian climate and measure their infrastructure needs.

Proposed ISO criteria get cool response from bioenergy sector
European bioenergy organisations have expressed concerns about plans by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) for a new standard to address sustainability issues linked to bioenergy.

India's prime minister unveils 'solar valley' vision
A network of 'solar valleys', generating the know-how to realise India's solar energy ambitions, has been mooted by its prime minister, Manmohan Singh.

$150 million forest carbon market in the balance -report
The global market for carbon offsets from planting trees and preserving forests, worth nearly $150 million to date, could stall without a U.S. climate bill or a successor pact to the Kyoto Protocol, a report said on Thursday.

Climate is investment chance of a lifetime -Deutsche Bank
Green technologies posed the investment opportunity of our lifetime said Deutsche Bank's global head of asset management, in a study published on Thursday.

Renewables targets, Green Bank' likely if cap and trade fails
If climate legislation stalls in the US Congress this year, lawmakers will likely move forward with an energy bill that includes a federal renewable portfolio standard (RPS) and a 'Green Bank' to help finance renewable energy projects, according to law firm Van Ness Feldman's 2010 outlook.

California's Building Code Turns a Deeper Shade of Green
California's Green Building Standards Code, the first of its kind when placed on the books 18 months ago, moved toward a new phase this week with the adoption of mandatory measures that are aimed at curbing greenhouse gas emissions, energy consumption, water use and other environmental impacts of new construction.

China's RE law to make CDM grid link easier
China's revised renewable energy law will make it easier for CDM projects to connect to the grid. Developers reckon the amendments will allow more projects to link to the grid and could boost prospects for renewable projects in more remote areas.

India to create market for energy efficiency credits
In an effort to curb energy use and greenhouse gas emissions, India intends to create a market for energy-efficiency credits that could reach $16 billion by 2015. The system would allow companies exceeding certain benchmarks to sell credits to companies that don't meet them, said Ajay Mathur, director-general of the country's Bureau of Energy Efficiency.

Germany moves toward trimming solar power incentives
The government, photovoltaic companies and consumer lobby groups moved closer on Wednesday towards an agreement on trimming state-mandated incentives for solar power to reflect a steeper overall slide in costs.

(Not yet) marching as to war - Climate change and public opinion
Signs of climate-change doubt in some democracies. Even as politicians and protesters gear up for a fateful climate-change meeting in Denmark, some of their fellow citizens have little stomach for a fight.

Balancing energy needs and hazards
Companies that make ultrathin solar panels using a toxic compound are watching nervously as the European Union considers expanding a ban on such materials in electrical components.

Carmakers going greener with electric push
Nissan Motor Co unveiled a sketch of its first all-electric light commercial vehicle and Toyota Motor Corp introduced an electric car concept, underscoring carmakers' drive into zero-emissions vehicles.

G20 makes little progress on climate financing
Rich countries and developing nations fought over climate change on Saturday, failing to make progress on financing ahead of a major environmental summit in Copenhagen next month.

Companies More Likely Than Ever to Invest in Efficiency Retrofits, Study Says
Seventy-four percent of corporate real estate executives now say they would be willing to pay a premium to retrofit the office space they own to achieve sustainability goals, a new survey has found.

Making palm oil 'sustainable'
Last week, an association of palm oil producers and environmental groups concluded its annual meeting with a decision not to include emissions standards in its certification criteria for "sustainable" palm oil.

Las Vegas gambles with an uncertain water future
Straddling the border between Nevada and Arizona, the Hoover Dam is a symbol of human engineering might. For more than 70 years, its massive walls have tamed the flows of the Colorado River, fueling the growth of cities like Las Vegas that depend on it to supply water and power from its generating station.

Electric cars take on hybrids at Tokyo show
Futuristic concept cars, ultra-efficient hybrids, zero-emission electric vehicles and even a hydrogen-powered scooter jostled for the limelight as the Tokyo Motor Show kicked off on Wednesday.

U.S. Senator Graham calls cap-and-trade plan dead
The idea of imposing a broad cap-and-trade system to cut America's greenhouse gas emissions is dead and will be replaced with a new approach, an influential Republican senator said on Tuesday.

EU to develop indicators for eco-efficient economy
EU environment ministers have asked the European Commission to develop robust indicators to measure the bloc's progress towards an eco-efficient economy, a concept that will be at the core of the revised Lisbon Strategy for Growth and Jobs, to be agreed upon next spring.

Industrialised nations' CO2 emissions rose in 2007: UN
Carbon emissions by industrialised nations increased one percent in 2007, a "worrying" rise ahead of a crunch climate summit in Copenhagen in December, the UN climate agency said Wednesday.

EU ministers plan to curb CO2 from planes, ships
European environment ministers agreed on a proposal on Wednesday to curb global emissions from planes and ships by 10 percent and 20 percent over the next decade in the fight against climate change.

NZ opens centre to tackle agriculture emissions
New Zealand has pledged to spend tens of millions of dollars on research to reduce emissions from agriculture, the first step from a global alliance which has been established to target reductions in the sector.

India, China sign climate cooperation deal
India and China signed on Wednesday a broad agreement to cooperate in the fight against climate change and also underlined a common position on contentious talks for a tougher global climate deal.

Automaker reaches for big prize
BYD Auto's goal would require the company to overcome numerous hurdles, including crash and emissions testing that can sometimes take years, not to mention arranging a network of dealers.

Vehicle exhaust linked to heart and respiratory illnesses
A report by an independent institute found "evidence of a causal relationship," but not proof of one, between pollution from vehicles and impaired lung function and accelerated hardening of the arteries.

Automakers show off their greener side
At the opening of the Detroit auto show, the internal-combustion engine seemed almost pass as global automakers presented a number of hybrid gas-electric and battery-powered models.

Copenhagen failure could help voluntary CO2 market
The failure of world leaders to clinch a deal in Copenhagen last month could fuel growth in the market for voluntary carbon offsets as businesses self-regulate in the absence of a legally binding climate agreement.

Seeking a Consumer Culture Revolution
The last 50 years have seen an unprecedented and unsustainable spike in consumption, driven by a culture of consumerism that has emerged over that period, says a report released Tuesday by the Worldwatch Institute. This consumerist culture is the elephant in the room when it comes to solving the big environmental issues of today, the report says, and those issues cannot be fully solved until a transition to a more sustainable culture is begun.

Hybrids, Real and Concept, Emerge at Detroit Auto Show
As with the Consumer Electronics Show this year, the annual North American International Auto Show had its fair share of green technology - both real and conceptual - on display.

China-led group to meet ahead of climate deadline
Four of the world's largest and fastest-growing carbon emitters will meet in New Delhi this month ahead of a Jan 31 deadline for countries to submit their actions to fight climate change.

BMW, Mercedes fight for e-car lead, but VW sceptic
Daimler and BMW are feuding over just whose test fleet of small electric cars is closest to serial production in an attempt to ditch their image of thirsty, high-performance luxury cars.

Borneo project aims to save forest, boost livelihoods
An Indonesian firm hopes to save an area three times the size of Singapore from logging, by enticing locals to protect the forest while potentially earning itself millions from selling carbon credits.

Graft threatens Indonesia's carbon offset billions: report
Billions of dollars set to flood into Indonesia under a U.N.-backed forest protection scheme are at risk because of graft unless the country puts strong oversight mechanisms in place, a report released on Tuesday warned.

EU's incoming trade chief rejects carbon tariffs
The European Union should not impose border tariffs on goods from countries that fail to cut back their climate-damaging emissions, the EU's trade commissioner-designate said on Tuesday.

Study predicts big-city dwellers will give electric cars an early push
Electric vehicles could become a larger presence in the streets of New York, Shanghai and Paris in the next five years than elsewhere. According to independent research conducted by McKinsey & Co., the cars could make up more than 15 percent of new vehicles sold by 2015 in some mega-cities.

U.S. announces $187 million for fuel efficiency
The Obama administration plans on Monday to announce the selection of nine projects totaling $187 million aimed at improving the fuel efficiency of cars and trucks.

Germany sticking to ambitious 2020 emissions target -adviser
Germany will stick to a more ambitious goal of cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 40 percent by 2020 even though the U.N. climate conference in Copenhagen fell short of expectations, a government adviser said on Monday.

U.S. eyes new nuclear plants in climate battle
The Obama administration wants to help the nuclear industry build a power plant for the first time in years to help diversify U.S. energy supplies and fight climate change, the White House said on Monday.

Initiative seeks 1,000-fold cut in IT power demand
An initiative launched today by Alcatel-Lucent's Bell Labs aims to develop technologies within five years that can reduce communications networks' energy consumption by a factor of 1,000.

Prius hybrid tops Japan's car sales in 2009
Toyota Motor Corp.'s Prius was Japan's best-selling car last year, the first time a hybrid has topped annual sales.

EDP Renewables eyes more wind projects in Europe
Portuguese wind power generator EDP Renewables is eyeing more offshore projects in Europe, after winning a tender to develop a 1.3 gigawatt (GW) wind farm off the Scottish coast.

Ford Introduces Next-Gen Focus, Confirms Plans for Electric Car
Ford unveiled its next-generation Focus today at the 2010 North American International Auto Show , where the company showed off its best bet for making deeper inroads into the market for fuel-efficient -- as well as efficiently made -- compact cars.

Beijing To Increase Investment In Solar Power
From 2010, Beijing will invest at least CNY200 million each year in six major solar power projects.

Ford chief bets on one global car
The car is small, fuel-efficient and packed with technology and safety features that, Alan Mulally believes, will appeal to consumers in Europe, Asia and the Americas.

Green guide disputed, but influential
Whatever might be said of its methods and accuracy, there is little question that the Greenpeace "Guide to Greener Electronics'' has become an important fixture on the consumer electronics scene.

China goes into alternative solar field
The nation is starting to build its own so-called concentrating solar power plants, a technology more associated with California deserts. And Chinese manufacturers are starting to think about exports.

U.K. bets on wind power and jobs it would create
In a bid to revamp Britain's energy strategy, Prime Minister Gordon Brown awarded contracts to major energy companies that are to erect wind farms along Britain's coastline.

Batteries for electric vehicles to remain costly -- study
While most analysts expect electric vehicles to grab a bigger share of the market, a slow decrease in the cost of battery packs will hinder their ability to compete with conventional vehicles, according to a new study by Boston Consulting Group.

US awards 2.3 billion dollars for 'green jobs'
The administration of President Barack Obama announced Friday it was awarding 2.3 billion dollars in tax credits aimed at promoting "green jobs."

Obama awards $2.3 billion in clean energy tax credits
U.S. President Barack Obama unveiled a $2.3 billion tax credit on Friday to boost jobs by promoting clean energy, as new data showed the country's unemployment rate remained stuck in the double digits.

Google wants to buy, sell electricity in US
Internet search giant Google is seeking government authority to buy and sell electricity in the United States, a further expansion of its operations aimed at boosting renewable energy.

NY gov unveils $300 mln funds for clean energy
New York Governor David Paterson on Friday unveiled about $300 million of funding to promote clean, renewable energy in the state.

Subsidies encourage investment
In a flurry of deal-making bolstered by government subsidies for renewable energy, venture capitalists invested $5.6 billion in green technology companies worldwide in 2009.

U.S. EPA plans to tighten Bush-era smog limits
U.S. environmental regulators on Thursday proposed tougher limits on smog than the Bush administration required, which would cost polluters up to $90 billion but save Americans a similar amount on health bills.

Canada to study biofuel's environmental impact
The Canadian government has ordered a study of the environmental impact of making ethanol and biodiesel just as a government regulation mandating fuel blending is set to take effect.

Report takes aim at U.S. ethanol policy
The federal biofuels policy is expensive, ineffective from an energy security standpoint and environmentally damaging, according to a think tank policy study that urges Congress to revise ethanol targets to more "achievable" levels.

Climate change worsening natural catastrophe rate Munich Re
Losses from natural catastrophes were dramatically lower in 2009 than the previous year, owing mainly to a benign North American hurricane season, according to Munich Re.

Clean-tech investors favoured energy efficiency in 2009
Clean technology investors ploughed money into the energy efficiency, transportation and power storage sectors in 2009, at the expense of more traditional renewable energy technologies such as solar and wind, according to end-of-year reports from two analysis firms.

Experts split on significance of China's new green energy law
Renewable energy specialists in China have questioned the significance of a recent amendment to the country's 2006 Renewable Energy Law, saying it will have little, if any, effect on renewable energy companies on the ground.

FTSE 100 companies have set emission targets to help the UK meet its 2020 carbon cap.
Firms in the London Stock Market's leading index have set themselves an annual greenhouse gas emission reduction target of 2.5 per cent, according to a report today by the Carbon Disclosure Project.

Indonesia says forest plan can meet emission target
An ambitious Indonesian plan to plant millions of hectares of forest should allow the country to exceed its target of cutting greenhouse gas emissions by more than a quarter by 2020, the forestry minister said on Wednesday.

Report calls for emission-cutting rules for airlines and shipping
Global emissions from planes and ships will triple by midcentury unless policies are put in place to curb their greenhouse gas output, according to a new report from an environmental think tank.

Global Investment Portfolios Filled with 'Hidden' Climate Risks
Investment portfolios around the world are filled with "hidden risks" because their managers do not consider climate change when making investment decisions -- largely because asset owners aren't asking them to.

Power storage stocks led clean energy rise in 2009
Power storage and energy efficiency shares led a 40 percent rise in a selection of global clean energy stocks in 2009, after a 61 percent drop in 2008, according to London-based research group New Energy Finance.

Global carbon market growth stalls in 2009, trading volumes rise
Growth in the global carbon market stalled in 2009 as the economic downturn slashed industrial greenhouse gas emissions and dented carbon prices, despite a rise in traded volumes, analysts said on Wednesday.

Using waste in Cambodia
Cambodia opened its first biomass "charbriquette" factory in Phnom Penh last month, an enterprise that will produce fuel for stoves from waste biomass material.

Japanese project aims to turn CO2 into natural gas
Japanese researchers said Wednesday they hoped to enlist bacteria in the fight against global warming to transform carbon dioxide buried under the seabed into natural gas.

Spanish EU presidency outlines green priorities
The EU's post-Copenhagen climate strategy, energy efficiency and biodiversity will be among Spain's environmental priorities during its six-month spell at the helm of European policy. This is the first EU presidency under the new Lisbon treaty.

Mexico vows to set new efficiency rules for autos
Mexico will limit imports of inefficient used cars and encourage low-carbon technology to reduce its overall volume of tailpipe exhaust, the energy ministry said on Tuesday.

U.S. carbon mkt growth seen without climate bill
Voluntary carbon markets in the United States will grow especially at the regional level even if a stalled federal climate bill fails to impose "cap and trade" on American industry, the chairman of the Chicago Climate Exchange (CCX) said on Tuesday.

China's thing about numbers
Amid the alphabet soup and baffling procedures of last month's climate-change conference in Copenhagen, it was easy to forget the overall aim: to move from a world in which carbon dioxide emissions are rising to one in which they are falling, fast enough to make a difference. How fast is enough?

The seat of power - Renewable energy
Better sewage treatment is the latest thing in clean energy.

Dangerously hopeful - Ghana and its oil
Can one of Africa's best-governed countries beat the curse of black gold? As Ghana prepares to pump oil in the second half of 2010, hopes are rising, both among hard-pressed market traders at home and in the far-flung diaspora, where Ghanaians are quitting jobs in American banks to head back to an optimistic homeland.

Big French firms to pay variable carbon tax from July
New legislation on a carbon tax that was supposed to take effect on Jan. 1 will come into force in July and will also apply to France's biggest polluters, senior government officials said on Tuesday.

Growth in offshore wind projects
A report published in December by Emerging Energy Research predicts that the offshore wind energy market will surge to $30 billion over the next decade from its current $10 billion.

VC Investment in Greentech Approaches $5B in 2009
Cambridge, MA VC investment in green technologies totaled $4.85 billion in 356 deals in 2009, down from 2008's $7.6 billion, though the number of deals in 2009 exceeded the previous year, as entrepreneurs and venture firms look to greentech to help lead the economy back to health.

Fault lines remain after climate talks
Opinions about the results of the climate change talks in Copenhagen last month suggest that, if nothing else, the fault lines that preceded the conference are still very much in place.

Debate rages over future of plug-in hybrids
Hybrid car advocates have taken aim at a government study that predicts it will take decades and hundreds of billions of dollars before the vehicles reach viability.

French industry fears revised carbon tax
The French government's first job for 2010 is to revise its planned carbon emissions tax, raising fears among businesses they will be hurt by changes to the environmental measure.

China to be world's third biggest wind power producer: media
China is set to become the world's third largest wind power producer in 2009, state media reported, as the Asian giant seeks various ways to expand energy supply to power its economic boom.

Japan looks to trade with its neighbors for growth
The long-term growth strategy seeks to tap into the dynamism of its Asian neighbors, create millions of jobs in new industries and fuel economic expansion of at least 2 percent a year over the next decade.

EUAs slip to end 2009 down 21% for year
European Union carbon futures slipped in light trading on Thursday to end the year down 21 percent from 2008 closing prices.

China introduces law to boost renewable energy
A new Chinese law requires power grid operators to buy all the electricity produced by renewable energy generators, in a move that will increase the proportion of energy that comes from renewable sources in coal-dependent China.

Ecosystems strain to keep pace with climate - study
Earth's various ecosystems, with all their plants and animals, will need to shift about a quarter-mile (.42 km) per year on average to keep pace with global climate change, scientists said in a study released on Wednesday.

Investors could cash in on building energy efficiency, report says
Buildings in the United States account for 39 percent of carbon dioxide emissions. But, as anyone might sense from working with a real estate broker, the buildings business also represents a lot of money.

U.S. cracks down on lung-harming ship emissions
U.S. environmental regulators on Tuesday finalized engine and fuel standards for U.S. flagged ships to cut emissions that cause lung diseases and save more than $100 billion in health costs.

State funding fuels China's global push in wind, sun
When A-Power Energy Generation Systems secured a deal to supply turbines for a U.S. wind farm project in October, the little-known Chinese firm had an ace up its sleeve to help it clinch the deal.

Australia backs carbon plan,early poll chances cool
Australia promised to press on with its carbon trade plan on Tuesday despite the U.N. climate summit's failure to set emissions targets, but the Copenhagen outcome has cooled chances an early election on climate policy.

India says to better cuts in gas emissions growth
India could improve upon its aims to slow the growth of greenhouse gas emissions by 2020, the environment minister said on Tuesday after returning from climate change talks in Copenhagen.

UN agrees to reform climate process
The United Nations bowed to intensifying pressure on Monday to start sweeping reforms of its processes for reaching agreement on climate change.

U.S. cap and trade looks out of reach in 2010
U.S. lawmakers face an uphill battle enacting a climate bill in 2010 that includes a cap-and-trade market in greenhouse gases, after this month's U.N. meeting in Copenhagen failed to hammer out a global pact on emissions cuts.

Copenhagen sets money on the move
The most tangible outcome of the climate agreement announced here Friday turned out to be cash. The Copenhagen Accord set no goal for conclusion of a binding international treaty, leaving months, and perhaps years, of additional negotiations before it emerges in any internationally enforceable form. But money in notable quantities should, in principle, start flowing next year.

Climate summit leaves the hard work undone
The United Nations climate change talks concluded with a statement of intention, not a binding pledge to begin taking action on global warming - a compromise seen to represent a flawed but essential step forward.

For Europe, an air of frustration at talks
Caught off-guard by pact, European leaders felt pressure to back an accord they didn't like.

Clear-cutting the truth about trees
Our current plans to shift to green energy centered on so-called carbon offsets and cap-and-trade systems may devastate our vital forest ecosystems.

Deal leaves plenty to play for
The agreement struck at the Copenhagen climate change summit will not be enough to stave off dangerous levels of climate change, according to numerous analyses.

China says "development right" key in climate talks
China will treat talks on a binding global climate change pact in 2010 as a struggle over the "right to develop", a Chinese official said, signaling more contentious deal-making will follow the Copenhagen summit.

Canadian auto parts makers poised for green gains
A push by U.S. automakers to build more fuel efficient vehicles is playing to a strength of Canada's auto parts makers and positions them to pick up market share as the industry emerges from recession.

Weak climate deal highlights U.N. flaws
A weak U.N. climate deal, agreed on Saturday after two weeks of talks pulled back from near collapse, underscored the vulnerability of a process depending on consensus and may mark a diminishing U.N. role.

Business chiefs hit at climate agreement
Global energy businesses are disappointed and confused by the climate deal agreed in Copenhagen, saying it does not provide enough certainty to justify the huge investments needed to cut carbon emissions.

EUAs tumble 8%, at 6-month low on disappointing Copenhagen deal
The benchmark contract for European Union carbon emissions futures dropped 8 percent on Monday to a six-month low after a U.N. climate deal fell far short of its original goals to cut greenhouse gas emissions.

Mexico next stop to salvage UN climate talks
The world will find it hard to get U.N.-led climate talks back on track in Mexico in 2010 after an unambitious deal agreed in Copenhagen set no firm deadline for a legally binding treaty.

Chinese president stresses development of renewable energy
Chinese President Hu Jintao has urged the country's companies to reduce operation costs by speeding up the development of renewable energy and help improve the country's energy structure.

Chinese experts map out low carbon city strategy
China's urban planning experts Monday called for a substantial implementation of low carbon concept in city development strategy to avoid environmental crisis amid rapid urbanization.

Standard Bank poised to launch $230 million forest fund
South Africa's Standard Bank is close to launching a A$250 million ($230 million) forestry fund in Australia, aimed at selling carbon offsets to companies, in what is believed to be the largest fund of its kind so far.

India firm on binding emission cuts: minister
India's environment minister reiterated on Tuesday that New Delhi would not bow to international pressure to accept legally binding carbon emission cuts.

Hopes for global carbon market dim -survey
Investors are downbeat about prospects for a global carbon market as uncertainty over policy continues, a survey showed on Wednesday.

UN official expects no climate treaty at Copenhagen: FT
UN climate talks in Copenhagen in December are unlikely to produce a new global treaty on cutting emissions but should establish the political framework, the top UN climate official said Tuesday.

Toyota pushes hybrids with new model, S.Korea launch
Toyota Motor Corp is ramping up its push on gasoline-electric hybrids, launching a new model in Japan and taking on up-and-coming competitor Hyundai Motor Co in its Korean home market with its flagship Prius.

Asian tensions on water supply risk spilling over
As the availability of water in Himalayan-fed river systems that support 1.3bn people drops, researchers expect the border between India and Bangladesh to be the first flashpoint of an intensifying battle across south Asia.

Current Government Policies Are not Enough to Ward Off Climate Change
Report from Deutsche Bank Climate Change Advisors warns that global emissions reduction targets are insufficient to meet the requirements established by climate science, but finds that aggressive policies and incentives can succeed.

Lighter cars, more efficiency, aluminum makers say
If automakers use more aluminum and less steel in hybrid and electric-powered vehicles, they could cut the cost to consumers by $3,000 per vehicle, an aluminum industry-backed report says.

After 5 years of trading, experts say European carbon prices are too low to spur renewables
As some U.S. senators and the Obama administration grope for a way to put a price on greenhouse gas emissions, their only point of comparison -- the E.U. Emission Trading System, or ETS -- has so far failed to reach the carbon price level most experts say is needed to encourage investments in renewable energy.

Electric cars don't deserve halo yet: study
Electric cars will not be dramatically cleaner than autos powered by fossil fuels until they rely less on electricity produced from conventional coal-fired power plants, scientists said on Monday.

Systems should 'inform and motivate,' not 'command and control' -- EPRI study
Many "smart grid" proponents envision a system that reaches into homes to turn down appliances or tweak operating modes based on the grid's needs. But that approach puts heavy responsibilities on the grid operator, along with new opportunities for failure.

Malaysia argues for green palm with own CO2 standard
Malaysia wants to standardise the way palm oil's impact on the environment is calculated, senior officials said on Monday, as it seeks to counter criticism that the industry fuels climate change.

UAE Masdar tests geothermal energy for green city
Abu Dhabi green energy firm Masdar's project for a zero-carbon emissions city is testing out geothermal energy as a possible power source, the company involved in the tests said.

World needs low carbon revolution by 2014 -report
The world has five years to start a "low carbon industrial revolution" before runaway climate change becomes almost inevitable, a new report commissioned by global conservation group WWF said on Monday.

Obama proposes $3,000 home energy rebates
President Barack Obama on Tuesday proposed rebates of up to $3,000 to help homeowners pay for the cost of making their homes more energy efficient, a $6 billion program intended to create jobs.

Australian traders welcome ETS talks
Carbon traders today expressed optimism for Australia to start emissions trading in 2011. Australia's main government opposition leader Malcolm Turnbull on Sunday won his party's backing to negotiate amendments to the government's proposed carbon pollution reduction scheme (CPRS).

World leaders told to seal Copenhagen climate deal in person
Britain urged world leaders on Monday to turn up in person to salvage a U.N. climate deal in Copenhagen in December, as Australia and India outlined steps to rein in their greenhouse gas emissions.

World economies hold climate talks in London
Representatives of the world's biggest carbon polluters began two days of informal talks in London on Sunday to map out common ground 50 days before a key UN climate conference in Copenhagen.

Toyota seeks a short-range plug-in hybrid for the long haul
Toyota Motor Corp. is on track to start testing the prototypes for its first crack at plug-in hybrid cars later this year, a spokeswoman said yesterday.

First, do no harm
The best way to make hospitals green is to keep people out of them. Last month Britain's National Health Service (NHS) calculated its carbon footprint at 21m tonnes of carbon dioxide a year--just short of the amount emitted by the Drax coal-fired power station in Yorkshire, western Europe's largest.

Report finds ample room for joint U.S.-China CO2 storage efforts
China could become a world leader in the development and deployment of technology to capture carbon dioxide and store it underground, the Natural Resources Defense Council finds in a sweeping new report out today.

UNEP sustainability panel highlights dirty biofuels
The production and use of biodiesel from palm oil on deforested peatlands in tropical regions can generate up to 2,000% more greenhouse gas emissions than fossil fuels, according to a study published by a UN sustainability expert panel on Friday.

Kyoto may be replaced by 7 carbon markets -- Barclays
The Kyoto Protocol will likely be replaced by a system of seven loosely linked carbon markets after 2012, according to Barclays Capital.

seeks a short-range plug-in hybrid for the long haul
Toyota Motor Corp. is on track to start testing the prototypes for its first crack at plug-in hybrid cars later this year, a spokeswoman said yesterday.

EU nears tech transfer deal on climate change
The European Union is getting closer to a deal on supporting the low-carbon development of emerging countries such as China, India and Brazil, as the global community enters the final negotiating straight before a UN climate summit in December, EurActiv has learnt.

A slushy shade of green
The record-breaking warmth experienced in Vancouver over the weeks running up to the Winter Olympics left the ski slopes slushy and bumpy, with many of the world's best skiers tumbling like novices on a double black diamond. It also put something of a dent in the attempts by Vanoc, the organising committee for the 2010 Winter Olympics, to make its games greener than any that have come before.

Green tech IPOs stronger in 2010 but no deal rush
Green technology companies could see a little more investor interest in 2010 if rising oil prices encourage energy users to look for alternative sources of fuel.

Developers today won the right to appeal decisions made on CDM projects
The UN plenary is set to adopt a raft of proposals in the next few hours, which will also include measures to make it easier for some countries to host emission reduction projects.

Brazil warns EU on biofuel sustainability
EU rules for calculating indirect land-use changes caused by biofuel production would not be legitimate without an internationally-accepted methodology, a group of developing countries has told the European Commission.

Touch wood - Climate change and forests
Whatever else historians say about the Copenhagen talks on climate change, they may be remembered as a time when the world concluded that it must protect forests, and pay for them. In the Kyoto protocol of 1997, forests were a big absentee: that was partly because sovereignty-conscious nations like Brazil were unwilling, at any price, to accept limits on their freedom to fell. All that is history.

China, U.S. hold key as leaders try to rescue climate deal
World leaders tried to rescue a global climate agreement on Friday but the failure of leading greenhouse gas emitters China and the United States to come up with new proposals blocked chances of an ambitious deal.

Carbon capture to win EU funding before renewables
Carbon capture and storage (CCS) projects will likely be first to benefit from funding out of the EU emissions trading scheme (EU ETS), with support for renewables to follow later, a draft European Commission proposal suggests.

Hopes are fading for a climate deal
There were signals from China and elsewhere that an agreement on major issues was unlikely.

No deal on emissions cuts as climate talks enter final day
U.S. President Barack Obama joined other world leaders in a last push for a new global climate deal on Friday, but with no agreement on the core issue of greenhouse gas emissions they faced an enormous task.

Obama heads to Copenhagen, sees progress with China
The United States is making progress with China on outstanding issues overshadowing U.N. climate talks but cannot say whether a deal will result after President Barack Obama arrives in Copenhagen, officials said.

Energy efficient buildings key to UK emissions cuts -report
Improving the energy efficiency of Britain's buildings is crucial for meeting the country's carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions targets by 2050, a report by the government-backed Carbon Trust found on Friday.

Obama heads to Copenhagen as climate talks falter
U.S. President Barack Obama heads to Copenhagen on Thursday to help secure a U.N. climate pact, staking his credibility on an as yet elusive deal that has ramifications for him at home and on the world stage.

Hopes for Copenhagen climate deal fade
Prospects for a strong U.N. climate change deal grew more remote on Thursday at the climax of two years of talks, with developed and developing nations deadlocked on sharing cuts in greenhouse gases. Dozens of heads of state were arriving in the Danish capital to address the Dec. 7-18 conference, which is meant to sign a new pact to curb greenhouse gas emissions on Friday.

Talks seek to avert 'green trade war'
The U.S., E.U. and other developed economies are so far resisting calls in Copenhagen to renounce the use of import fees on goods from non-carbon-taxing countries.

As climate negotiators stalemate, industry acts
The apparently deadlocked effort by delegates from nearly 200 countries meeting in Copenhagen to reach a deal to combat climate change has highlighted the considerable political challenges involved in lowering global greenhouse gas emissions.

POSCO to invest 7 trln won in green sectors by 2018
South Korea's POSCO, the world's No.4 steelmaker, said on Thursday it would invest 7 trillion won ($6.03 billion) in environmental businesses by 2018, aiming to reach 10 trillion won in annual sales.

UN climate talks face uphill battle despite funding pledges
UN climate talks move into the final two-day straight on Thursday blighted by bitter wrangling that could wreck efforts to draw up a sweeping pact to combat global warming.

Carbon price of $10/tonne could help save forests-report
A price of $10 per tonne of planet-warming carbon dioxide could be incentive enough to halt greenhouse gas emissions from many land uses in Brazil and Indonesia, a leading conservation group said on Tuesday.

Ministers try to break deadlock at climate talks
Ministers strived to break a deadlock in global climate talks on Tuesday, three days before world leaders are meant to agree a new U.N. pact aimed at averting dangerous climate change.

Toyota plans wide sales of its plug-in car in 2011
Toyota Motor said Monday it planned a widespread release of the low-emission car in 2011.

Siemens Increases Investment In China's Environment
Siemens AG says that it has signed a range of new orders worth about CNY2 billion with Chinese firms; and its environmental business accounted for a significant proportion of the total.

Danish PM to become president of UN climate talks
Danish Prime Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen will replace Danish minister Connie Hedegaard as president of the U.N. climate talks for a final summit session, the United Nations said on Wednesday.

Copenhagen: Is there a political price of failure?
The official line is that the Copenhagen climate summit will not -- cannot -- be a failure. Yet behind the scenes, diplomats and analysts are already quietly totting up the political cost if the outcome on Friday turns out to be a fiasco overseen by two-thirds of the world's leaders.

Fighting global poverty requires 'climate-smart' development, World Bank says
One billion, 600 million people today live without electricity and 1 billion lack clean water, while a quarter of children from developing nations are malnourished, according to the World Bank's latest annual World Development Report.

China and U.S. hit impasse on climate
China and the United States, the two largest producers of greenhouse gas emissions, reached an impasse at the United Nations climate change conference over how compliance with any treaty could be monitored and verified.

Time dwindles, but rich-poor divide stalls climate talks
Leaders at climate negotiations here scrambled Tuesday to break through disputes between richer and poorer nations that have stymied the talks, but major players appeared to be no closer to reaching an agreement on the main issues dividing them.

No gains soon from plug-in cars
Despite the excitement about a type of electric car called a plug-in hybrid, such vehicles are unlikely to arrive in meaningful numbers for a few more decades, according to an analysis in the United States.

At climate talks, danger to free trade mounts
Pressures are mounting in Europe and the United States to impose restrictions, called border adjustments, on imports from low-cost producers like China and India that are resisting cutting greenhouse gases.

Forestry deal could end up high point in Copenhagen
Negotiators here were closing in on a sweeping deal that would compensate countries for preserving forests and other natural landscapes that play a crucial role in curbing climate change.

Carbon capture ruled out of UN clean projects list
Carbon capture and storage (CCS) will not be added to the list of technologies that industrial countries can invest in to offset their emissions, after some countries expressed their reservations at the UN climate talks in Copenhagen.

World leaders try to save troubled climate talks
World leaders took the stage at the largest ever climate talks on Wednesday as ministers scrambled to rescue troubled negotiations on a pact to avoid dangerous global warming.

China suspends move to limit e-bikes
China's Standardisation Administration said on Wednesday it has suspended some requirements that could have restricted the use and production of electric bicycles in the country.

Forestry deal emerges as substantial step at talks
Negotiators have all but completed a sweeping deal that would compensate countries for preserving forests and, in some cases, other natural landscapes.

Japan raises climate aid to about $15 bln by 2012
Japan will raise its aid to help developing nations combat global warming to about $15 billion until 2012, assuming a strong U.N. climate deal is reached in Copenhagen, the government said on Wednesday.

Copenhagen puts smart grid cos on power drive
While world leaders slug it out over a new U.N. climate deal in Copenhagen, companies involved in smart grid technologies are attracting attention for their potential to cut emissions and costs.

U.N. talks stall after African protest over Kyoto
The main session of U.N. climate talks in Copenhagen stalled on Monday after African nations accused rich countries of trying to kill the existing U.N. Kyoto Protocol.

The U.S. is on board
The United States is ready to take the steps necessary to achieve a comprehensive and operational new agreement on climate change.

Maersk, Fortum, TVO plan to bury carbon offshore
Danish shipping and oil group A.P. Moller-Maersk has teamed up with Finnish power producers Teollisuuden Voima (TVO) and Fortum in a project to capture carbon on land and bury it under the seabed.

Copenhagen bogs down in details and disputes
China and the United States were at an impasse Monday at the United Nations climate change conference over how compliance with any treaty could be monitored and verified.

Developing countries join forces in protest at summit
Ongoing climate negotiations were temporarily upended on Monday when dozens of developing countries threatened to walk out in protest, saying that the world's richer countries were not doing enough to cut their greenhouse gas emissions.

Dubai bailout will not hit Masdar
Abu Dhabi's state-owned green energy firm Masdar said the emirate's decision to bail out its debt-laden neighbour Dubai would not affect its plans to invest $15 billion in renewable energy ventures.

E.U. pledges $3.5 billion for climate aid
The European Union will contribute the funds starting next year to help poorer countries deal with climate change and to improve the chances of reaching an accord next week at climate change talks in Copenhagen, European government leaders said on Friday.

US unveils plan to deliver clean energy to poor countries
The United States on Monday unveiled a 350-million-dollar, multinational effort to help provide clean energy technology to developing countries.

Cities start thinking globally but acting locally
While the eyes of the world have been on Copenhagen for the UN climate summit, they might usefully have turned further east, into the Baltic, to the small Danish island of Bornholm. With only 43,000 inhabitants, it has never attracted much attention. Yet it is pioneering a vision of the energy system of the future.

Some blue-chip companies see carbon price and legal framework as keys to future
The chief executive officers of some of the biggest companies in the world agreed on Friday that a price on carbon and government support to change consumer behavior are keys to them offering more environmentally friendly products that would make money at the same time.

Progress in UN climate talks, tougher issues ahead
U.N. climate talks have made progress at the half-way mark but many of the toughest issues such as greenhouse gas emissions targets for 2020 are deadlocked, delegates said on Saturday.

Businessmen, the planet needs you
Achieving the low-carbon economy of the future will not be possible without the active role of business.

Copenhagen so far
There is no chance of an interim agreement from the global warming conference without the enthusiastic participation of China.

Toyota to sell plug-in hybrids to consumers in 2 yrs
Toyota Motor Corp will begin selling "affordable" plug-in hybrid cars in 2011, upping the ante on General Motors and Nissan Motor as they aim to take the lead in the field of rechargeable cars.

When Obama goes to Copenhagen, he'll have everything but a consensus
The president is handcuffed by the Senate, which is split on global warming policy, so he can only offer promises to other nations for now.

Posturing and progress on climate
The United Nations climate meeting has unfolded more or less as expected: with much posturing, minor progress and punctuated moments of drama, inside and outside the summit venue.

Renewable energy costs drop in '09, solar halved
Solar energy costs will drop by half in 2009 while other low-carbon technology costs will see their pre-subsidy costs drop by 10-20 percent, renewable energy analysts said on Monday.

Business coalition calls for firm CO2 treaty
The private sector investment needed to tackle climate change will not be made without a binding international deal on carbon emissions, according to the head of a big business coalition.

EU farm greenhouse gases too high, need cap-study
Greenhouse gas emissions from European livestock and fertilisers exceed carbon absorption by all the region's trees and soils, underlining the need to cap farms' contribution to climate change, a study showed on Sunday.

Spain's renewables boom seen driving gas capacity
Grid operators and utilities on Tuesday said planned expansion in Spain's booming renewable energy sources must be matched by raised output from gas-fired plants which can cover emergency shortfalls.

Greenhouse gases reach record levels -WMO
Concentrations of greenhouse gases, the major cause of global warming, are at their highest levels ever recorded and are still climbing, the U.N. World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) said on Monday.

Tesco sets goal to be zero-carbon business by 2050
Tesco, the world's No.3 retailer, set a target on Friday to become a zero-carbon business by 2050, without purchasing offsets, and unveiled a series of measures to boost environmentally-aware shopping.

Questioning the invisible hand - Energy and climate change
Can liberalised energy markets cut carbon emissions? Britain is starting to doubt it. For many left-wingers, the credit crunch was proof that markets do not always know best. The near-collapse of the world's banking system shows once and for all, they argue, that an industry as important as finance cannot be left to the whims of the invisible hand. Yet despite much speechifying from banker-bashing politicians, such views do not seem to have taken hold. Bonuses are back in many City dealing-rooms, and the old argument against regulationthat it would drive firms away from Britain and impoverish the countryis being heard again.

Electric cars 'no greener than diesel', study claims
Switching from diesel to electric cars will not dent transport's carbon footprint over the next 15 years as long as Europe's electricity supply remains based on fossil fuels, according to Danish analysis.

Bangkok blues - Global-warming diplomacy
Gloom and pragmatism ahead of the Copenhagen climate-change summit. THE planet is warming, but the mood among climate negotiators seems as chilly as ever. On October 9th the penultimate round of talks before December's climate-change summit in Copenhagen ended in Bangkok. Only one session remains, in Barcelona in November. Leaders are now busy lowering expectations, saying that this summit will be a prelude to a "Copenhagen II" in 2010.

Bad policy will boil the planet
As the December Copenhagen conference on climate change approaches, the world's attention is focused on international negotiations. But they are not, ultimately, what will determine whether the planet boils or not. International agreements are helpful only in so far as they encourage individual countries to control their own emissions. What matters most is the domestic policies which those countries put in place, and their governments' success in implementing them.

Skeptics expound on vision of a world gone mad over global warming
Climate skeptics, few in number in Copenhagen, displayed at least as much passion for their cause as the environmental activists who have flocked to the conference to push for action on global warming.

Headaches ahead for e-waste recycling
As the EU prepares to review its electronic waste legislation, industry is calling for a reality check of a European Commission proposal setting binding waste collection targets for manufacturers and making them pay for collecting consumers' scrap.

China to develop low-carbon economy: top economic planner
China's top economic planning body has confirmed the government will take concrete actions to develop a low-carbon economy after it pledged to substantially reduce carbon intensity at last year's Copenhagen Conference.

Fossil fuel production soars despite recession
Fossil fuel producers are dodging the global downturn as production of oil, coal and natural gas reached record levels last year, the Worldwatch Institute said yesterday (15 October).

EU Commission recommends winners of CCS project funding
The European Union's executive Commission recommended the winners of EU funding for projects demonstrating capture and storage technology to the European Parliament on Friday, an EU Commission document showed.

Green products join fight against climate change
A radio made of wood. A bag crafted from recycled ring pulls from drink cans. And a stylish lamp made from old Vespa scooter parts.

Opel to launch inner-city electric car
Ailing carmaker Opel is considering launching an electric car for inner-city use to tap what it sees as a high-potential market, the firm's boss said in an interview Sunday.

Tata to bring electric Nano to Europe in 3 years
India's top vehicle maker, Tata Motors, said on Tuesday it would bring an electric version of the Nano, the world's cheapest car, to Europe within three years, starting with Britain and Scandinavia.

Europe all mouth and no money in green tech race
Europe's plan to lead the green technology race has a gaping financial hole for the next four years, handing the advantage to rivals China, Japan and the United States.

Britain announces soft loans for home efficiency
British households will be able to take out soft loans to improve the efficiency of their homes from 2013, repaying these from energy savings made, the government said on Tuesday.

UK needs 'step change' to meet carbon budgets CCC
Policy-makers must not allow the recession to cloud the need for a step change in action on climate change, the committee responsible for setting the UK government's carbon budget has warned.

ICAO considers emissions trading for aviation sector
The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) has committed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from aviation through market-based measures, improved fuel efficiency and use of biofuels, ahead of December's UN climate talks.

Shell defends continued focus on fossil fuel-paper
Royal Dutch Shell Plc Chief Executive Peter Voser defended the oil giant's retreat from some green technologies to concentrate on oil and gas production in an interview with the German daily Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung.

The road to 60 - Cap-and-trade
Many commentators fear that Barack Obama's plans for a cap-and-trade bill have got fatally stuck in the Senate. Their calculations were shaken up over the weekend when Lindsey Graham, a South Carolina Republican, joined John Kerry, a liberal Massachusetts Democrat, to write an article headlined "Yes We Can (Pass Climate Change Legislation)" in the New York Times. Mr Kerry is the main author of the Senate's cap-and-trade bill. Mr Graham is no squishy moderate, but he is an occasional dealmaker. When he crosses the aisle, it tends to matter.

EU grapples with deforestation ahead of Copenhagen
European countries are still undecided on how to handle the thorny issue of deforestation under a new international climate change agreement, with national interests coming into play as EU ministers gear up for a series of meetings next week.

Value of U.S. voluntary emissions trading drops steeply
The failure of greenhouse gas emissions regulations to pass through Congress and the steep global recession dealt a severe blow to the nascent market for trading in offset credits in the United States, as seen in data released yesterday by a top carbon market information firm in a new report.

Sweden to build 2,000 new wind turbines: minister
Sweden will build 2,000 new wind turbines over the next decade as part of a bid to dramatically increase its production of renewable energy, Enterprise and Energy Minister Maud Olofsson said Tuesday.

U.S. Army to build 500 MW solar power plant
The U.S. military is tackling a new mission in the field of alternative energy, moving to power up a 500-megawatt solar facility at Fort Irwin's sprawling desert complex in California.

Finland plans 80-pct carbon emissions cut by 2050
The Finnish government aims to reduce its carbon emissions by at least 80 percent by 2050 from 1990 levels, in order to minimise the risks caused by climate warming, it said Thursday.

UK targets "all issues" at London climate meet
Britain aims to break a deadlock in U.N. climate talks when it hosts the world's biggest emitters this weekend, as doubts grow that a summmit in 50 days will agree a new pact.

'Emerging green transformation'
The American Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai has formed a collaboration to help American businesses understand the opportunities of China's green technology market.

Palm oil: environmental curse or a blessing?
It is blamed for everything from deforestation to threatening the extinction of the orangutan, but palm oil is a vital source of income for many developing countries, the crop's producers say.

Huge cost of climate pact looms as its biggest barrier
As world leaders struggle to hash out a new global climate deal by December, they face a hurdle perhaps more formidable than getting big polluters like the United States and China to reduce greenhouse gas emissions: How to pay for the new accord.

Energy body deepens ties with giants
The International Energy Agency, a forum for developed economies, announced a series of steps Wednesday to deepen cooperation with three emerging energy giants: Russia, China and India.

EU targets action on forests
The European Commission yesterday (1 March) launched an EU-wide consultation to quiz stakeholders on whether the 27-country bloc should act to protect European forests and enhance their resistance to climate change.

Power upgrade 'will cost Europe 28bn by 2015'
Europe will need to invest up to 28 billion euros in electricity infrastructure over the next five years to secure its key energy goals, including integrating renewable energies into the grid, Konstantin Staschus, secretary-general of the European Network of Transmission System Operators for Electricity (ENTSO-E), told EurActiv in an interview.

Arctic to be ice-free in summer in 20 yrs-scientist
Global warming will leave the Arctic Ocean ice-free during the summer within 20 years, raising sea levels and harming wildlife such as seals and polar bears, a leading British polar scientist said on Thursday.

U.N. climate talks may need extra time in 2010
World climate talks may need extra time next year to agree cuts in greenhouse emissions for 2020 since U.S. laws are unlikely to be in place before a U.N. meeting in Copenhagen in December, experts say.

US climate bill will have modest economic impact: report
Cutting greenhouse gases along the lines of a climate bill pending in Congress would modestly impact the US economy over the next few decades, the bipartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) said Wednesday in a report.

U.S., China can bridge emissions gap absent U.N. deal -- CEOs
Developing and developed nations are unlikely to agree on firm greenhouse gas reduction targets at a U.N. climate summit in December, chief executives of some of the world's biggest companies predicted during a gathering in Washington, D.C., yesterday.

Insurers lead climate change adaptation
According to a new study from the Network for Business Sustainability, insurers are the most advanced organizations in adapting to climate change.

Buildings sector 'holds key to EU efficiency target'
The EU must adopt by 2011 a coherent legislative framework that closes gaps between laws on the efficiency of products and buildings, according to a manifesto issued by a coalition of NGOs on Wednesday and backed by a group of cross-party MEPs.

Greenery on the march
Clean technology: Finding alternative sources of energy is becoming a pressing military necessity for America's armed forces.

U.S. envoy dismisses reparations for climate
The top U.S. envoy to climate talks here has flatly rejected arguments by diplomats from poor lands that the United States owes a debt to developing nations for decades of American emissions that contributed to global warming.

Asia climate plans to boost energy efficiency sector
Asia's aggressive emission targets and legislation around carbon and power use are expected to drive demand for energy efficiency products and services, creating lucrative opportunities for investors in the sector.

Billionaire puts in his 2 cents' worth
George Soros identified a new pot of $100 billion that could help poor countries cope with climate change.

Climate talks: draft blueprint sees 1.5-2.0 C maximum warming
The first official draft blueprint for a deal at the UN climate talks sees targets of limiting global warming to 1.5 or 2.0 degrees Celsius (2.7 or 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit), according to a document seen by AFP on Friday.

Japan seeks to make CO2 tech part of its goal
Tokyo is considering ways to reflect in its 2020 greenhouse gas emission-cutting goal the value of a global contribution to emissions cuts from Japan's energy-saving technology, a vice trade minister said on Friday.

Europe pledges 7.2 bln euros for climate aid to poor nations
Europe will give 7.2 billion euros (10.6 billion dollars) to help developing nations tackle climate change, the EU presidency announced Friday, hoping to boost UN climate talks in Copenhagen.

Bloomberg acquires New Energy Finance
The financial data and news company Bloomberg LP said today that it has acquired New Energy Finance, a global provider of clean-energy and carbon market news and analysis.

Climate talks: Battlelines emerge in draft blueprint
A three-way battle over a historic pact on climate change loomed in Copenhagen on Friday with the emergence of an official draft blueprint likely to spark fierce week-long haggling.

Google wants to help watch over world's forests
Google on Thursday unveiled a tool that lets scientists and defenders of the environment use the Internet to keep an eye on what is left of the Earth's forests.

EU scrambles through the night to find climate cash
EU leaders reconvened Friday after a night of diplomatic arm twisting aimed at securing six billion euros in pledges to help poor nations tackle climate change, and provide a boost to UN climate talks in Copenhagen.

Clean energy to grow into 1.6 trillion euros industry: WWF
The clean energy technology sector will grow into a 1.6 trillion-euro (2.4 trillion-dollar) industry by 2020, becoming the third largest industrial sector after automobiles and electronics, WWF said Friday.

China second most attractive country for renewables investment
China is second only to the US as the most attractive country to invest in renewable energy projects, according to consultancy Ernst & Young.

Industry looks at green electric future
The world's electricity industry will set out a plan on Tuesday for rolling out the technologies needed to cut carbon dioxide emissions, showing how ambitious plans to tackle global warming could be achieved.

U.S. and China still at loggerheads
Deep divisions remained evident over critical elements of a proposed new climate agreement that would have to somehow accommodate the variegated interests of nearly 200 nations.

Climate deal, if reached, would not come cheap
At the Copenhagen climate meeting, some of the most intense and difficult discussions for negotiators center on the immediate and long-term financial arrangements that would need to accompany a deal.

Paper battery shows promise for grid, vehicle energy storage
Ordinary office paper coated with an inky layer of carbon nanotubes or nanowires can make a lightweight, flexible and highly conductive battery or superconductor, according to Stanford University researchers.

Oceans absorb a quarter of annual emissions-report
The world's oceans absorb about a quarter of all carbon dioxide emitted by humans each year and it is making the water so acidic it could start dissolving some cold water corals, scientists said on Thursday.

Kenya wind firm signs Vestas, to pick contractors
A Kenyan firm looking to put up a 300 MW wind project says it has signed a turbine deal with Denmark's Vestas Wind Systems A/S and will soon pick contractors for a transmission line and substations.

Carbon fraud causes 5 billion tax loss -Europol
Fraudulent trading in European Union carbon emissions credits in the past 18 months has led to more than 5 billion euros in tax revenue losses for several EU nations, European police agency Europol said in a statement.

Japan's climate ambition eclipses EU, study finds
The only developed country to have pledged to cut carbon emissions in line with recommendations from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is Japan, with its minus 25% commitment by 2020 compared with 1990 levels, a new study has found.

Research and development lag despite call for green-tech innovation, says OECD
As delegates meet for a global climate summit in Copenhagen, officials from U.S. research institutions and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) urged industrialized nations to partner on science and technology and said a go-it-alone approach ignores the tough reality of today's technology challenges.

Paper battery shows promise for grid, vehicle energy storage (
Ordinary office paper coated with an inky layer of carbon nanotubes or nanowires can make a lightweight, flexible and highly conductive battery or superconductor, according to Stanford University researchers.

U.S. EPA moves on climate as Congress stalls
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Monday cleared the way for regulation of greenhouse gases without new laws passed by Congress, reflecting President Barack Obama's commitment to act on climate change as a major summit opened in Copenhagen.

Saving energy even before the light's on
A study by Osram shows that over the life of the bulb, from manufacturing to disposal, incandescent bulbs use almost five times as much energy as compact fluorescents and LED lamps.

Fuelling fears
There is an awesome amount of energy tied up in an atom of uranium. Because of that, projections of the price of nuclear power tend to focus on the cost of building the plant rather than that of fuelling it. But proponents of nuclear energy--who argue, correctly, that such plants emit little carbon dioxide--would do well to remember that, like coal and oil, uranium is a finite resource.

Sunshine, sewage to power cities of the future
"These are the three giant stomachs of Lille." Amid the hum of machinery and warm odour of putrefying autumn leaves, official Pierre Hirtzberger is explaining how three giant fermenters can convert household food waste, trimmings from parks and gardens and the slops from school and hospital canteens into enough methane gas to power about a third of the buses in the French city.

China wary about reform as doubts hit CDM market
After doing so well out of a $6.5 billion U.N. carbon trading regime, developers and investors circling China's energy-intensive industries are filled with doubt.

Novozymes calls for CO2 target for washing
Makers of washing machines and detergents should agree to cut carbon emissions from clothes washing by 80 percent in five to 10 years, the head of the world's biggest maker of industrial enzymes said on Monday.

CDM "pointless" versus China emissions growth, says Citi carbon trading head
Trade in permits to pollute is "largely pointless" when compared with the scale of growth in greenhouse gases in China and must be scaled up, one of the carbon market's most senior traders said on Monday.

53 nations back $10bn "fast start" climate fund
The Commonwealth's 53 member states have backed a UK proposal to provide $10bn (6.7bn) annually between 2010 and 2012 to help the world's poorest nations tackle climate change. A joint declaration was issued following a meeting in Trinidad last weekend.

Once taboo, population enters climate debate
For decades, debate over whether to limit global population growth was stifled or ignored, branded as immoral and a return to heartless Malthusian logic. But the potential impact on climate change of a planet teaming with up to ten billion souls has again forced the issue into the open ahead of the December 7-18 UN climate conference in Copenhagen.

Australia carbon laws in doubt, election possible
The Australian government's plans to cut carbon emissions were headed for defeat in a hostile Senate after the elevation of a new opposition leader opposed to carbon trade laws, setting a trigger for an early 2010 election.

Climate talks: Three issues that could bust a deal
With only days left before the UN climate talks in Copenhagen, three big questions have emerged that could seal or shatter the effort to turn back the peril of global warming.

I'd rather not know: the psychology of climate denial
If the evidence is overwhelming that man-made climate change is already upon us and set to wreak planetary havoc, why do so many people refuse to believe it?

Coal concerns lead U.S. climate bill challenges
For anyone trying to understand why the United States is having such a hard time joining an international effort to combat global warming, a short drive west from Washington to one of the smaller states in the country might explain a lot.

World carbon emissions overshoot "budget" -PwC
The world has emitted extra greenhouse gases this century equivalent to the annual totals of China and the United States above a maximum for avoiding the worst of climate change, a study estimated on Tuesday.

REDD hopes for green light in Copenhagen
While nations bicker over the size of emissions cuts and climate funds, saving forests has turned out to be among the least contentious issues in U.N. climate talks and has achieved the most progress.

Options for delaying the ethanol blending wall: John Kemp
As the market for E10 gasoline (a mixture of 10 percent ethanol and 90 percent petroleum-derived gasoline) becomes saturated, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the ethanol industry are urgently seeking ways to push back the "blending wall" .

In murky waters, a contentious plan for carbon
The company, Asia Pacific Resources International, says it wants to create a ring of industrial tree plantations around the Kampar Peninsula's core to preserve it.

India's provisional emissions intensity target at 24% by 2020
India thinks it may be possible to cut its carbon intensity by 24 percent by 2020 compared with 2005 levels, according to provisional government estimates obtained by Reuters on Wednesday.

Google eyes investments in renewable energy
Google Inc. plans to invest funds in one or more renewable energy projects, a company executive said yesterday.

Carmakers race to secure electric lead
Snub-nosed and squat, with a no-frills, cramped cabin, the little Peugeot Ion is unlikely to win any design awards. But if current industry trends continue, it may one day be remembered as a trailblazer of zero-emission cars.

Big developing nations oppose halving emissions by 2050
China, India, Brazil and South Africa oppose setting a goal of halving world greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 at a Copenhagen climate conference starting next week, European diplomats said on Wednesday.

Fluor sees U.S. power market boost with carbon law
Fluor Corp, the largest publicly traded U.S. engineering company, expects the now-dormant market for work on U.S. power plants to take off once carbon regulation is put in place.

Green future affordable, with deep CO2 cuts-study
Prices of everyday goods such as clothing and food will barely rise if rich nations slash greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, according to a study on Wednesday that concludes green lifestyles are affordable.

Scope and complexity of climate debate makes teaching a big challenge
Environmental law has expanded rapidly over the past four decades and now encompasses concerns ranging from air and water quality to the decontamination of hazardous waste sites and the protection of biodiversity. One of the most recent specialties to be studied in law schools is climate change, a complex field that many schools are now starting to explore.

China to remove outdated industry: state media
China is planning "rare" and "heavy-handed" steps to phase out outdated industry, state media said Wednesday, days after Beijing pledged to slow the growth in its fast-rising carbon emissions.

Efficiency best policy says study
Governments around the world could make rapid, substantial and relatively cheap cuts to carbon emissions by pursuing energy efficiency in place of more ambitious, but expensive, technological solutions, says a new study.

Japanese manufacturers to cut GHGs 14% by 2020
Japanese manufacturing firms expect to cut their emissions by 14 per cent by fiscal 2020. The expected cuts are relative to 1990 levels, and are the result of an environmental management survey conducted by Nikkei, Japan's biggest business daily.

In Denmark, a haven of green thinking, electric cars meet skeptics
A big tax break may draw buyers, but it is not certain they can be persuaded to make the switch.

A vision of a renewable world
In an article last month in Scientific American, two California academics outline a path to 100 percent renewable energy by 2030 through "millions of wind turbines, water machines and solar installations."

China solar panel makers see boost from Copenhagen
In Trina Solar's brilliant white factory in eastern China, masked workers in lab coats turn silicon wafers into solar power cells capable of harnessing the sun's clean and limitless energy. China is now the world's top producer of the cells -- the tile-like engines of solar panels -- and firms like Trina see next week's climate talks as a potential key moment in the wider adoption of renewable energies like solar.

Bypassed on the road to Copenhagen
Days before the opening of the Copenhagen meeting on climate change, Europe has been largely pushed to the sidelines, watching as China and the United States seek to set the rules of the game.

China, India targets in right ball-park' for carbon budget PwC
argets from China and India to reduce their carbon intensity are in the right ball-park for getting the world back in line with its 'carbon budget', according to PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC).

Bankwatch blasts EIB over fossil fuel lending
Spending on renewable energy by the European Investment Bank (EIB) is being undermined by its continuing support for fossil fuels, according to funding watchdog CEE Bankwatch Network.

Three G10 governments mulling climate-linked bonds'
Governments of at least three of the world's 10 largest economies are actively discussing issuing 'index-linked climate bonds', according to the think-tank that has pioneered the concept. And a number of sub-national bond issuers are also considering launching bonds whose returns are linked to policies to tackle greenhouse gas emissions, said Michael Mainelli, director of the Z/Yen Group.

Coke to move to climate friendlier vending machines
Coca-Cola Co said on Thursday that it will eliminate a major greenhouse gas in its new vending machines and coolers, raising the bar for climate friendly refrigeration in the food and beverage industry.

New energy investors focus on proven technology
Venture capitalists are moving away from early stage energy technologies and are focusing investments on scaling up proven techniques, a member of the British Venture Capitalist Association said on Thursday.

Global emissions to double on current pledges-Ecofys
Global greenhouse gas emissions will nearly double from 1990 levels by 2040 based on current emissions reductions pledges, climate consultancy firm Ecofys said on Thursday.

U.S. 2008 greenhouse gas emission fall 2.2% -EIA
Man-made U.S. greenhouse gas emissions fell last year as record oil prices and a weak economy reduced demand for fossil fuels, the Energy Information Administration said on Thursday.

New index rates forests' potential to combat warming
A new "Forest Carbon Index" released today by a nonpartisan think tank uses a range of data to pinpoint the best places to channel billions of dollars that could flow to forests under global efforts to address climate change.

Experts divide over size of the electric car 'boom'
To some experts, the future of electric cars is right around the corner. Others say that even if this future arrives, it will be fraught with risk.

Agriculture CO2 market could reap $50 billion-FAO
A scheme allowing carbon emitters to pay farmers to operate sustainably could create a $50 billion carbon market but such a programme is unlikely to emerge from the Copenhagen climate talks, a U.N. official said on Friday.

ADB spends 700 million dollars on global warming fight
The Asian Development Bank said Friday it would invest 700 million dollars to help member countries adapt to climate change and develop renewable energy technologies.

Global warming skepticism on rise in U.S.
In the U.S. heartland, global warming talk is often seen as hot air and opinion polls show skepticism on the rise, fueling conservative opposition to a climate change bill that is a priority for President Barack Obama and making some Democrats vulnerable in the November 2010 congressional elections.

Copenhagen talks must mandate CDM reform-IETA
A multi-billion dollar scheme driving clean-energy investment in poorer nations is faltering and urgently needs reforms mandated by negotiators at this month's U.N. climate talks, a report released on Friday said.

Green-job sector stumbles along in U.S.
The United States is likely to install just one-eighth as much new solar power this year as Germany does, and China is expected to surpass America this year as the leader in adding new wind energy capacity.

Efficient aviation
Both Boeing and Airbus have trumpeted the efficiency of their newest aircraft, the 787 and A350 respectively. Their clever designs and lightweight composites certainly make a difference. But a group of researchers at Stanford University, led by Ilan Kroo, has suggested that airlines could take a more naturalistic approach to cutting jet-fuel use, and it would not require them to buy new aircraft

Heat count - Carbon-management software
Carbon-management software takes off. Programs that help businesses cut greenhouse gases are proliferating.

A Chinese wind-power IPO
China's biggest producer of wind power, China Longyuan Power, is in essence a staid regulated utility. It buys turbines, erects them and sells the electricity they generate to China's power distributors at prices fixed by the state. So why is its initial public offering next week on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange generating such excitement?

Good policy, and bad
Greenhouse gas emissions targets can be implemented through three sorts of policy instrumentsregulation, carbon-pricing and subsidies. Governments generally like regulation (because it appears to be cost-free), economists like carbon prices (because they are efficient) and businesses like subsidies (because they get the handouts).

What needs to change
Those who have had the misfortune to be closely involved in climate-change negotiations are not short of ideas on how the process might be made more productive. One improvement would be to stop trying to deal with so many gases at once (see box). Another would be to stop trying to deal with so many countries.

A long game
Unlike America's leaders, China's bosses are not much troubled by recalcitrant legislatures. The government has therefore had no difficulty in executing a smart volte face on climate change. Around three years ago its fierce resistance to the notion of any limit on its greenhouse-gas emissions started to soften. It now seems to be making serious efforts to control them.

The green slump
The slogan that BP adopted in 2000, "Beyond Petroleum", was brilliantly unforgettable. It linked the company's name with the bright, clean future which, the flower/sun logo implied, was to be found on the far side of fossil fuels. But that, as it turned out, was unfortunate, for the company is no longer hurrying towards those fresh green pastures.

Cap and tirade
After eight years of resistance from the Bush administration, America may be about to get mandatory federal greenhouse-gas emissions controls. The House of Representatives has passed the American Clean Energy and Security Act, otherwise known as the Waxman-Markey bill.

Stopping climate change
Rich and poor countries have to give ground to get a deal in Copenhagen; then they must focus on setting a carbon price.

Is it worth it?
Ever since climate change became a subject for public discourse, economists have been making life difficult for environmentalists. Their problem is that mitigating climate change will require sizeable investments. When making investments, governments and companies normally look at rates of return. If an investment looks likely to deliver a decent return, it is worth making. If it doesn't, it isn't.

Copenhagen climate talks: Main issues
The December 7-18 UN climate conference was initially billed as the completion of a new pact for tackling greenhouse-gas emissions and their impacts beyond 2012.

UN climate talks: The key players
Following is a snapshot of the main players in the global climate talks, ahead of the December 7-18 conference in Copenhagen.

Factfile on UNFCCC, Kyoto Protocol, Copenhagen talks
The December 7-18 UN climate conference in Copenhagen is tasked with framing a new deal for tackling global warming and its impacts beyond 2012.

Climate change in Brazil: follow the meat
Brazil's ability to meet its ambitious 2020 target of cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 20 percent from 2005 levels depends largely on the ability of its agriculture sector, and particularly its huge cattle industry, to meet growing world demand without destroying more forest. The cattle industry is the main culprit of deforestation, which accounts for around 75 percent of carbon emissions in Brazil, one of the top global emitters

U.N. climate talks to seek deep CO2 cuts, aid
The biggest climate meeting in history, with 15,000 participants from 192 nations, begins in Copenhagen on Monday seeking to agree curbs on greenhouse gas emissions and raise billions of dollars for the poor in aid and clean technology.

Historic climate conference opens to dire warnings
A landmark conference on climate change opened in Copenhagen on Monday, with grim warnings of the apocalyptic dangers for mankind if world leaders fail to agree a way to save future generations.

Poorer nations target mid-2010 climate deal-draft
China, Brazil, South Africa and India want a global climate treaty wrapped up by June 2010, according to a joint draft document prepared for the Copenhagen climate summit which opened on Monday.

US says carbon shift is boost to Copenhagen
The United States said it had seized the climate initiative with a regulatory shift that labels greenhouse gases a dangerous pollutant, as a landmark conference entered a second day Tuesday.

Obama admin will speed reviews of 'green' patents
The Obama administration vowed today to streamline the patent review process for "green" technologies and committed $100 million for federal research, development and demonstration projects.

U.S. will formalize carbon dioxide ruling
The Environmental Protection Agency completed its determination that greenhouse gases endanger human health and the environment.

Delegates stake out positions in Copenhagen
A much-anticipated global meeting of nearly 200 nations - all seeking what has so far been elusive common ground on the issue of climate change - began in Copenhagen on Monday.

Putting a price on biodiversity
Science shows that when forests are cut, a wide range of global ecological benefits is diminished, and coming up with substitutes is very expensive.

China CO2 targets not enough to avert climate risks -report
China must do much more if it is to halve per capita greenhouse emissions by 2050 and thereby avoid a catastrophic rise in global temperatures, but it cannot go it alone, a report released in Beijing said on Tuesday.

Stern report: 2C goal may be closer than you think
Carbon reduction targets pledged as part of international climate negotiations may be sufficient to put the world on a path that gives a reasonable chance of limiting global temperature rise below two degrees Celsius, a new report has found.

Japan industry unites against carbon tax
Japan should not consider a carbon tax as it would damage the economy which is already among the world's most energy efficient, its top industries said in a rare combined stand on the opening day of the Copenhagen climate conference.

CDM project developers baffled by Chinese wind farm rejections
Project developers are baffled by a U.N. climate panel's decision to block 10 Chinese wind farms from receiving carbon financing, saying the move could slash investment in Chinese wind and other forms of clean energy.

Coal throbs at the heart of India growth engine
A thin coat of coal dust covers everything from trees to houses in Korba, a coal mining town in central India which lies at the heart of the country's struggle to balance economic growth with climate change concerns.

Trimming the costs of wind power;
Significant challenges remain before the wind-energy industry can achieve its potential, and chief among these is cost.

The science of warming is once again in the spotlight
Just two years ago, a United Nations panel that synthesizes the work of hundreds of climatologists around the world called the evidence for global warming ''unequivocal.'' But as representatives of 192 nations converge in Copenhagen on Monday to begin negotiating a new international climate accord, they do so against a background of renewed attacks on the basic science of climate change.

Obama, flipping plan, to attend on final day
The White House said that President Barack Obama had changed the date he would appear at the U.N. climate change conference in Copenhagen to Dec. 18, the last scheduled day.

Many fault lines cut through the climate debate
With the scientific consensus more or less settled that human activity - the burning of fossil fuels, torching of forests, and so forth - is contributing to a warmer and less hospitable planet, one might reasonably ask, why is it so hard to agree on a plan to curb those activities? The answer lies with the many fault lines that cut through the debate over climate change.

Trading struggles to shrug off its jinx
Without a predictable and reasonably high price for carbon emissions, most economists say, there is little prospect of setting in motion the many investments needed to shift from a carbon-intensive industrial economy to a more sustainable energy base in developed and developing countries alike.

Copenhagen takes to mini-windmills
In a bid to introduce wind power into the cityscape, the utility company Dong Energy, 73 percent-owned by the Danish government, has acquired rights to sell a device that is only 30 feet high and produces enough energy annual to satisfy the needs of a family of four.

Will big business save the Earth?
Many major U.S. companies are now a force for environmental progress and do not only care about immediate profits.

U.N. climate talks open, deal "within reach"
The biggest climate meeting in history, with 15,000 participants from 192 nations, opened in Copenhagen on Monday with hosts Denmark saying an unmissable opportunity to protect the planet was "within reach".

Reducing carbon emissions: the options
Here are the main options for tackling greenhouse-gas emissions, listed by order of feasibility.

Majority of SMEs Say Their Green Policies Undaunted by Recession, UK Survey Shows
Sixty-one percent of the small and medium enterprises responding to a recent survey by the Forum of Private Business say the recession has had no impact on their environmental policies, while the remainder are divided over whether the downturn has hobbled or spurred their green plans.

Japan steel makers set voluntary 2020 CO2 target
Japan's steel makers aim to generate 5 million tonnes less carbon dioxide in 2020 than their forecast under a "business as usual" scenario, the Japan Iron and Steel Federation said on Thursday.

A heated debate
A majority of the world's climate scientists have convinced themselves, and also a lot of laymen, some of whom have political power, that the Earth's climate is changing; that the change, from humanity's point of view, is for the worse; and that the cause is human activity, in the form of excessive emissions of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide. A minority, though, are sceptical.

Mail-strom
Is global warming a trick? That is what some saw in a huge batch of e-mails and documents taken from the servers of the Climate Research Unit (CRU) at the University of East Anglia, in England, and put up anonymously on the web. The result has been a field day for those sceptical of the idea of man-made climate change, who have combed through them, pouncing and pronouncing on snippets that seem to show scientific malfeasance.

It's off to Denmark we go
In the optimistic view, Barack Obama has given a jolt of energy to the Copenhagen climate talks. On November 25th the White House announced that he will appear during the first week of negotiations with a specific American promise: to cut greenhouse gases by 17% from 2005 levels by 2020, by 30% by 2025, by 42% by 2030 and by a full 83% by 2050. But cynics can spin the news the other way: Mr Obama was going to be in Scandinavia anyway, to pick up a Nobel prize that many feel he did not deserve in Oslo.

Corporate America seeks clarity on plans to cut emissions
The White House said Wednesday that President Barack Obama would present a provisional target at the Copenhagen summit meeting on climate next month to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

China sets target on greenhouse gas emissions
The Chinese government announced Thursday that it had set a target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 2020, relative to economic development. China is aiming to reduce what it calls carbon intensity by 40 to 45 percent compared with 2005 levels, according to Xinhua, the state news agency.

Sustainable investment in China a growing opportunity' BSR
Investing sustainably in China is possible but growth is being hampered by a number of factors, including a lack of relevant information, according to a report from sustainability consultancy BSR.

Green stimulus cash at risk HSBC
Less than a fifth of the promised $513 billion in government green stimulus money is set to be spent this year, raising the risk of retrenchment as governments seek to exit fiscal stimulus strategies, according to HSBC

Earth Capital Partners on course' for $5bn fund-raise
The Stanley Fink-backed Earth Capital Partners (ECP) is still on course to raise $5 billion into environmentally-focused funds, as it prepares to name a cornerstone investor in a new renewable energy fund.

Aircrafts' efficiency 'barely improved since 2000'
The energy efficiency improvements of new commercial aircrafts have been close to zero since the beginning of the decade despite the oil price hike, a study published by the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT) on Tuesday has shown.

Companies seek climate certainty
The most important environmental meeting in more than a decade and arguably the most important ever will take place next month in Copenhagen. At the United Nations conference countries will attempt to forge a new global framework on climate change and greenhouse gas emissions.

Obama to pledge carbon reduction
The president will tell delegates to the international climate summit meeting that the United States intends to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions "in the range of" 17 percent below 2005 levels by 2020 and 83 percent by 2050, officials said.

China unveils carbon target ahead of Copenhagen
China has unveiled its first firm target to curb greenhouse gas emissions, laying out a carbon intensity goal on Thursday that Premier Wen Jiabao will take to looming climate talks as his government's central commitment.

Parliament rubberstamps law on tyre labelling
The European Parliament yesterday (25 November) gave its final blessing to a new EU regulation that will introduce fuel efficiency labels for all new tyres from November 2012.

Climate change to cost trillions, say economists
Estimates vary widely on the costs of damage from climate change, easing these impacts and taming the carbon gas stoking the problem, but economists agree the bill is likely to be in the trillions of dollars.

Optimism for greentech sector points to more IPOs
Purse strings are loosening, new bets are being placed, and cautious optimism has caught on in the green technology sector.

Passing Climate Tipping Points Would Devastate Ecosystems, Economies
Rising global temperatures could take the world past a number of tipping points, the results of which would have enormous environmental, social and economic impacts on ecosystems and regions around the world.

Obama offers 17% U.S. emissions cut, to attend Copenhagen
The United States unveiled its proposal to cut greenhouse gases by 2020 on Wednesday and said President Barack Obama will attend U.N. climate talks in Copenhagen next month -- before other world leaders show up.

India electric car pioneer plans biggest plug-in car plant
Chetan Maini, the engineer who pioneered India's first electric car, had his eureka moment two decades ago when he drove a vehicle fuelled by solar power across the blazing Australian outback. Now Maini, the man behind Reva Electric Car Co., is building in southern India what he says will be the world's biggest factory making battery-powered city commuter cars.

India's solar energy promise
India said last week that it would spend about $900 million on solar energy, but many skeptics doubt the government will pull off a big increase in solar power.

Land pressures turning a quarter of India to desert: study
Nearly a quarter of India's land mass is desert or is turning into desert, according to a study published Wednesday, with deforestation and overgrazing among the main factors spurring the process.

Tiny "carbon neutral" club struggles with costs
Norway, Costa Rica and the Maldives are struggling with high costs and technological hurdles to stay in the world's most exclusive club for fighting climate change -- seeking to cut net greenhouse gas emissions to zero.

Electricity still a dream for a quarter of the world's people -- report
Some 130 years since Thomas Edison's breakthrough with artificial light, nearly a quarter of humanity still lacks electricity, a fact officials here want delegates to the upcoming U.N. climate talks to consider.

DuPont bets on bright future for solar sales
To become one of the biggest suppliers to the solar sector, DuPont has had to think small. Working at near-nanoscale level is how its researchers and scientists have quietly made the U.S. chemical giant the leading producer of non-silicon materials for the sector, and why it expects its revenue from the solar business to more than double in the next three years.

U.S. carmakers continue long lag in efficiency -- EPA
Light-duty vehicles featured better fuel economy and emitted less CO2 for the fifth year in a row, U.S. EPA said in an annual report on Friday.

Big investors push SEC to make companies disclose climate risks
Institutional investors managing more than $1 trillion in assets have asked the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission to spell out the climate-related financial risks corporations should disclose on their financial forms.

S.Korean steel firms to invest $16 bln - ministry
South Korea's steelmakers plan to spend 18.71 trillion won ($16.02 billion) in capital investments in the next three years on equipment to reduce greenhouse gases and energy consumption, the government said on Monday.

Megacities must tie clean air goals to carbon cuts, say experts
Residents of the world's largest cities are ideally positioned to achieve the twin goals of clean air and lower carbon emissions, according to scientists in China and the US.

Spain: Windfall for the Grid
IPS, 10 November 2009 - Wind energy notched up a new record in Spain on Sunday, when it generated 53 percent of total electricity demand nationwide for part of the day, according to official figures announced Monday.

How to rewire the 'scientist-public disconnect' on climate change
A greater understanding of human nature may be the key to protecting Mother Nature from climate change, a new book says.

Climate fears may cool oil demand, but prognosis is still on gloomy side
Copyright 2009 International Herald Tribune All Rights Reserved The International Herald Tribune November 12, 2009 Thursday FINANCE; Pg. 4 813 words Climate fears may cool oil demand, but prognosis is still on gloomy side; Economic crisis and push to find alternatives may have effect on emissions Jad Mouawad NEW YORK ABSTRACT The International Energy Agency has reduced its forecast for oil consumption, citing slowing demand because of the economic crisis and increasing use of alternative energy sources.

US to boost solar manufacturing with tax credits
US Senators have introduced a bill that would extend the 30% solar investment tax credit (ITC) to equipment and facilities used to manufacture solar technology.

Airlines to commit to ambitious fuel savings
The international air transport sector last week agreed to improve its fuel efficiency beyond government goals in a bid to halve the industry's emissions by 2050.

Demand has peaked in developed nations, never to return -- report
Demand for oil in developed nations peaked in 2005, and changing demographics and improved motor-vehicle efficiency guarantee that it won't hit those heights again, IHS Cambridge Energy Research Associates says in a new report.

EU promotes smart metering in fight against global warming
The European Commission is calling on member states to support the rollout of technologies to boost energy efficiency, estimating that household energy bills would drop by 10% thanks to smart metering devices. However, no common standards for the devices are currently available.

Saudi Arabia to inject CO2 into biggest oilfield
Saudi Arabia, the globe's largest crude producer, plans to inject carbon dioxide into the world's bigest oil field by 2013 to trap the climate-warming gas and improve production, the kingdom's assistant petroleum minister said on Tuesday.

Goldman Sachs completes continent's largest carbon offset deal
Goldman Sachs Group Inc., Blue Source LLC and CE2 Carbon Capital LLC said today that they have completed a more than $12 million carbon offset transaction -- the largest deal of its kind in North America.

India says aims for green GDP alternative by 2015
India aims to factor the use of natural resources in its economic growth estimates by 2015, the environment minister said on Tuesday, as New Delhi seeks to underscore the actions it is taking to fight global warming.

Senators say U.S. climate bill making progress
Democratic U.S. senators pushing legislation on global warming said on Tuesday they were making progress in winning support for the controversial measure, which is expected to begin moving through a key Senate committee sometime in November.

China, U.S. can bridge global climate divide-group
The United States and China could bring the world together on tackling climate change even though U.N. talks have been bogged down, members of a sustainable business group said.

IEA calls for massive investments in carbon capture
The world will need to set up 100 CO2 capture and underground storage projects by 2020 to ensure that the fight against climate change remains affordable, the International Energy Agency (IEA) said yesterday (13 October).

Brussels to propose mandatory EU energy savings goal
The European Commission plans to impose binding energy-efficiency targets on EU member states, according to a draft of the EU's revised Energy Efficiency Action Plan obtained by EurActiv.

Climate talks set to drag on for another year
UN climate talks in Barcelona last week ended with little progress, prompting speculation that a legally binding treaty will need another year to negotiate.

Study suggests peat CO2 credits more valuable
An Indonesia-based study is showing carbon-rich tropical peat lands trap more greenhouse gases than first thought, driving up their potential value on the carbon market and strengthening the case for their protection.

European patent office to study green innovation
The European Patent Office (EPO) has embarked on a detailed study to map the growth in eco-innovation since the introduction of the Kyoto Protocol on climate change. The move comes ahead of the next month's UN climate summit in Copenhagen and as major industry players line up behind green technology.

For peat's sake, stop
Bogs, mires, marshes, swamps, fens and quagmireswhatever they are called, and wherever they are found, peaty wetlands emit about 1.3 billion tonnes of CO2 a year as a result of human activity that drains them and thus exposes them to the oxidative effect of the atmosphere. Nor does this figure include the effect of fire on dried-up bogs. That can double the amount of CO2 released in a year, in those places it affects. That, at least, is the conclusion of a report published by Wetlands International, a lobby group, at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change meeting being held in Barcelona this week.

Japan may meet CO2 goals, but only due to recession
Japan is expected to report as early as this week that its greenhouse gas emissions sank last year, the first year of its Kyoto Protocol obligations.

U.S. eyes deal with China on climate change monitoring
The United States hopes to reach agreement with China during President Barack Obama's visit on how to record and monitor countries' efforts to fight global warming, a top State Department official said on Tuesday.

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