Summary
In today’s edition, the EU is set to emit 2bn tons more CO2 than it promised at the Paris climate talks, threatening an agreement to cap global warming at 2C, a note from the European commission has revealed. Other countries act: India introduces car sales tax to combat pollution, for example, while food giants launch search for sustainable protein.
Quote of the day
“If we do not raise the level of ambition and move towards a greater linear reduction factor for the ETS, the UK and other EU countries will not meet the groundbreaking climate change targets agreed in Paris.”
Seb Dance, the Labour party’s environment spokesman, in the Guardian’s story EU set to emit 2bn tonnes more CO2 than Paris climate pledge
Lead stories
How Leonardo DiCaprio became one of the world’s top climate change champions
By Suzanne Goldenberg – The Guardian
Leonardo DiCaprio was a climate champion long before the actor wrapped himself in an animal carcass, vomited up raw bison liver, and risked hypothermia for his Oscar-winning role in Revenant.
http://bit.ly/1TLBejk
(US’s) Energy secretary takes budget hot seat
By Timothy Cama – The Hill
Administration officials face a busy week with multiple trips to Capitol Hill for hearings on President Obama’s last budget request.
http://bit.ly/1Qo7xjH
EU set to emit 2bn tonnes more CO2 than Paris climate pledge
By Arthur Neslen – The Guardian
The EU is set to emit 2bn tonnes more CO2 than it promised at the Paris climate talks, threatening an agreement to cap global warming at 2C, a note from theEuropean commission has revealed.
http://bit.ly/1VNh6MJ
***LB: Also in this story “Carbon prices will rise too slowly to cut industrial emissions as much as needed, says a confidential note prepared for MEPs on the environment committee, which the Guardian has seen.”
India introduces car sales tax to combat pollution
By Jason Burke and agencies – The Guardian
India has introduced a new tax on car sales aimed at helping fight high levels of air pollution and congestion.
http://bit.ly/1RALxoq
Food giants launch search for sustainable protein
By Jocelyn Timperley – BusinessGreen
Some of the world’s leading food companies, including Waitrose, Hershey, Target, and Quorn, have joined a new coalition working to identify innovative techniques for meeting the world’s soaring demand for protein in a sustainable manner.
http://bit.ly/1oToOe8
***LB: Also in this story “Waitrose, Target, and Quorn among companies to sign up to newly launched Protein Challenge 2040 initiative.”
Events
The Wall Street Green Trading Summit
Columbia University Club, New York
March 14, 2016
http://jlne.ws/doFbLA
Northeast RECs Regional Thought Leader Round Table
March 23, 2016
Environmental Markets Association
Office of Dentons, 1221 Avenue of the Americas, New York
http://jlne.ws/1mg7iOT
Navigating the American Carbon World (NACW) 2016
Climate Action Reserve
May 4-6, 2016
San Diego, California
http://goo.gl/Ah5s1I
CARBON EXPO 2016
Global Carbon Market Fair and Conference
May 25-27, 2016
Cologne
http://jlne.ws/1mg8bqR
Cleantech Innovate Scotland
June 9, 2016
http://jlne.ws/1mg6nOG
Carbon
1000th primary auction of emission allowances at EEX
EEX Press Release
The European Energy Exchange (EEX) has today successfully conducted its 1,000th primary auction of emission allowances.
http://bit.ly/1Ti9KUa
Natural gas / coal
China coal consumption drops again
AFP
China’s coal consumption fell for the second year in a row, government data showed Monday, as the world’s biggest polluter attempts to tackle chronic pollution that accompanied economic growth.
http://bit.ly/1LQn75H
***LB: Also in this story “Coal use fell 3.7% in 2015, following 2.9% drop in 2014, as China tries to wean itself off fuel that causes local air pollution problems and global warming”
Arch Coal Accused of Funding a Leading Climate-Denial Litigator
By Leon Kaye – Triple Pundit
Recent years have not been kind to the U.S. coal industry, and despite the industry’s claim that the Obama administration’s affinity for clean energy has ruined their business, the reality is that the fracking boom has led to natural gas supplanting coal as the No. 1 electrical power generator in America.
http://bit.ly/1OIOqit
Natural Gas Prices Fall to 17-Year Low
By Nicole Friedman – The Wall Street Journal
The U.S. natural gas market faces another year of ultralow prices as winter comes to an end and the start of liquefied natural gas exports has failed to boost prices.
http://on.wsj.com/1WSlkTM
Power
World’s biggest floating solar farm powers up outside London
By Fiona Harvey – The Guardian
On a vast manmade lake on the outskirts of London, work is nearing completion on what will soon be Europe’s largest floating solar power farm – and will briefly be the world’s biggest.
http://bit.ly/1oJLU6h
SolarCity launches low-carbon energy bundle in Hawaii
By Madeleine Cuff – BusinessGreen
SolarCity, one of America’s leading installers of solar panels, has launched a new “self-supply” programme to residential customers in Hawaii that aims to minimise reliance on electricity from the grid.
http://bit.ly/1Tiax7p
Clean tech
Canada’s Clean Tech Agreement with China
By Roy L Hales – ECOreport
Zhigang Wang, China’s Minister of Science and Technology, was in Ottawa yesterday. He discussed possible areas of collaboration with Jim Carr, Canada’s Minister of Natural Resources.
http://bit.ly/1TLG7Jj
Tesla Motors, Inc.: This is Where TSLA Stock is Going Next
Profit Confidential
Investors like Tesla Motors, Inc. stock because of the company’s great potential and Elon Musk’s charisma.
http://bit.ly/1QQkNU2
Here Is Why Tesla Model 3 Might Cost More Than Chevy Bolt
By Saif Ali Jafri – Bidness ETC
Tesla Motors Inc. has pinned high hopes on its upcoming mass-market electric Model 3 sedan, which is on track for a rollout in the fourth quarter of 2017.
http://bit.ly/1TLGH9S
DoE provides US$30m battery/fuel cells research grant
By Roger Stansfield – Just Auto
America’s Department of Energy’s (DoE) Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E), says up to US$30m will be available in funding for a new programme focused on creating components for the next generation of batteries, fuel cells and other electrochemical devices.
http://bit.ly/21wTdjt
Water
A Tale of Two Water Systems
By Alana Semuels – The Atlantic
This growing region needs more water, and it’s spending hundreds of millions to get it. A $72 million plant opened here in 2014 to turn wastewater into drinking water, and the Santa Clara Valley Water District is planning to build five more plants to purify water in the region.
http://theatln.tc/1LQowJN
Amazon and Brita team up for Wi-Fi water pitchers
By Lauren Goode – The Verge
Back when Amazon first revealed plans for its Dash Replenishment Service, its automatic-reordering system that would be triggered by “smart” appliances, it named Brita as a partner.
http://bit.ly/1KYWRLG
Fears About Water Supply Grip Village That Made Teflon Products
By Jesse McKinley – The New York Times
One resident called 911 asking whether the village’s water would burn his skin off. Families have lined up to have their blood drawn and their wells tested.
http://nyti.ms/1T4jYqC
Five of the best water-smart cities in the developing world
By Frederika Whitehead – The Guardian
With the majority of the world’s population now living in cities, solving water problems specific to metropolitan areas is crucial. Whether there’s too much water or not enough, whether it’s too polluted or too salty, these issues can be solved with thought, ingenuity, money and organisation.
http://bit.ly/1Rg3Ex2