In this edition, economists polled in Australia show their preference for an emissions trading scheme over direct government action. And in Europe, environmental ministers are hoping that a unified voice is stronger than their individual shouts. They urge aggressive EU action by 2030.
Quote of the Day:
“The EU has been leading this market, but the Chinese and U.S.A. are seeing this as an opportunity and are catching up. My concern is that the EU is not moving anywhere near fast enough, but for a number of reasons political and economic, we are not getting our act together this time around.”
–Ed Davey, Britain’s energy and climate change secretary, told a Brussels conference, in Reuters’ “EU environment ministers call for action on climate”
Lead Stories
Economists back emissions trading over direct action: poll
Financial Review
Leading Australian economists have given a resounding thumbs down to the Coalition’s direct action climate change policy, with one saying it would cause more economic disruption for a lesser environmental pay-off than an emissions trading scheme.
http://jlne.ws/1aPEobW
EU environment ministers call for action on climate
Reuters
Thirteen European environment ministers urged the European Union on Monday to adopt ambitious energy and climate goals for 2030 or risk falling behind the rest of the world.
http://jlne.ws/HmTQF9
Energy: Serbia’s renewables growth aims to outstrip EU
Financial Times
Energy security, greater use of renewables and market liberalisation are the three priorities of Serbia’s energy strategy over the next decade. In June, the government adopted an action plan that foresees meeting 27 per cent of gross final energy consumption from renewable sources by 2020. This is up from 21.2 per cent at present and well above the EU’s 2020 target of 20 per cent.
http://jlne.ws/17oNQrC
GE’s Rice Sees Carbon-Price Mechanism in Australia’s Future
Bloomberg Businessweek
General Electric Co. (GE:US) says Australia will eventually adopt an emissions-trading system even as the government seeks to repeal a carbon-price mechanism imposed on the A$1.5 trillion economy by a previous administration.
http://jlne.ws/17oRUbi
NZ on track to miss targets by huge margin
Reuters Point Carbon
New Zealand’s greenhouse gas emissions are set to rise nearly 50 per cent by 2040, according to new government modelling, taking the country well off course to meet its commitment to cut emissions in half by mid-century.
http://jlne.ws/1aCJUSv
Why Do Mainstream Media Always Seem To Get REDD Wrong?
Ecosystem Marketplace
The scientists, economists, and developers who work in conservation finance are often taken aback when mainstream media try to cover their craft, only to get nearly everything wrong. Here’s how a great magazine made a tremendous blunder when writing about forest carbon, and a peek at the challenge of putting truth before story.
http://jlne.ws/16hIBH1
Events
Climate Leadership Conference
Association of Climate Change Officers
February 24-26, 2014
San Diego, CA
climateleadershipconference.org/
Carbon
Amazon Carbon Offset Project Avoids GHG Emissions While Fostering Responsible Forest Management
Press Release
The Brazilian Jari-Amapa forest managed by Biofílica Environmental Investments has just achieved third-party validation and verification by SCS Global Services (SCS) for its Jari-Amapa forest under the Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+) program, registered to the Verified Carbon Standard (VCS).
http://jlne.ws/1aw2jhQ
Carbon credit units hit two million
Climate Spectator
The Carbon Farming Initiative celebrated another major milestone recently when the number of Australian carbon credit units (ACCUs) issued for eligible offsets projects exceeded two million.
http://jlne.ws/16FwTs9
Carbon tax should be scrapped before it makes energy imported from Germany cheaper than domestic supplies
Daily Mail
The carbon tax should be scrapped before it makes energy imported from Germany cheaper than domestic supplies, according to City analysts. The City believes the green measure – championed by former Liberal Democrat energy minister Chris Huhne – is the easiest target for the Government to axe as it attempts to reduce household energy bills.
http://jlne.ws/Hsbozb
Natural Gas/Coal/Alternative Fuels
Emerald Biogas Starts Food Waste-to-Power Plant in U.K.
Bloomberg
Emerald Biogas Ltd. today began operating a facility in northeast England that will use food waste to generate enough energy for about 2,000 homes a year.
http://jlne.ws/19O0OwC
Duke seeks to build new natural gas power plant in South Carolina
Reuters
U.S. power company Duke Energy Corp’s Carolinas unit filed with South Carolina regulators for approval to build a 750-megawatt natural gas-fired combined-cycle power plant at its existing Lee power station.
http://jlne.ws/1ceuOBT
Consol to Sell Five Coal Mines to Murray Energy for $3.5 Billion
The Wall Street Journal
One of the country’s biggest coal companies is rushing to get out of coal. Its future: Natural gas.
http://jlne.ws/HpvI52
Power
Morgan Stanley’s Continuum Dumps Suzlon Model for Growth
Bloomberg
Morgan Stanley-backed Continuum Wind Energy Pte, which plans a more than 10-fold surge in its India capacity, is dumping a 20-year model that helped Suzlon Energy Ltd. (SUEL) dominate Asia’s second-biggest turbine market.
http://jlne.ws/18weGYv
Prudential Buys Stake in Tenaska’s California Solar Plant
Bloomberg
Prudential Financial Inc. (PRU) bought a stake in a California solar power project from closely held U.S. power generator Tenaska Inc.
http://jlne.ws/19O0YUB
General Electric to Supply 22.8 Megawatts for Wind Farm in Italy
Bloomberg
General Electric Co. (GE), the largest U.S. producer of wind turbines, agreed to supply 22.8 megawatts of systems to Toto Costruzioni SpA for a power plant in southern Italy.
http://jlne.ws/1aaU48F
Editorial: UK energy market needs perestroika
FT.com
Since UK opposition leader Ed Miliband promised to freeze energy bills for 20 months, the Conservatives have vacillated between calling him a conman and peddling snake oil of their own. If Britain is to keep the lights on without incurring crippling costs, the country’s energy policy debate needs more substantial fuel.
http://jlne.ws/1aaW6pp
Suntech Unit Sale Gets Regulatory Approval in China
The Wall Street Journal
The main assets of what was once China’s largest solar-panel maker are poised to be scooped up by a much smaller peer.
http://jlne.ws/1ceDHeS
Water
Smart Water-Management Market May More Than Double in Five Years
Bloomberg
The smart water-management market that includes meters, network monitoring and water-efficiency software is expected to more than double in five years to $12 billion from $5.4 billion, according to a study.
http://jlne.ws/1aaVBeP
Danone-Backed Project Provides Water at Cost to Cambodia
Bloomberg
When Francois Jaquenoud knocked on Danone’s door seven years ago seeking clean-water funds for Cambodians, the maker of Evian turned him down. Two years later, Danone reversed course.
http://jlne.ws/193IC2A
Chile court freezes Glencore hydro project to weigh appeal
Reuters
A Chilean appeals court has preventively blocked a recently approved $733 million hydroelectric dam to weigh an environmental appeal, a surprise setback for owners Origin Energy and Glencore Xstrata PLC.
http://jlne.ws/17oMf59
Reports
Global 500 Climate Change Report 2013 (Posted September 12, 2013)
CDP
http://bit.ly/16mBo8p
The Future of China’s Power Sector (posted August 27, 2013)
Bloomberg New Energy Finance
http://bit.ly/14Bk1k2
Sub-national involvement in NAMA development (posted August 7, 2013)
Ecofys’ International Climate Policies Unit
http://bit.ly/19LKChs
U.S. Energy Sector Vulnerabilities to Climate Change and Extreme Weather (Posted July 14, 2013)
U.S. Dept. of Energy
http://bit.ly/12z1YK5
Turn down the heat: climate extremes, regional impacts, and the case for resilience (Posted June 19, 2013)
World Bank
http://bit.ly/14KrLza
Four energy policies can keep the 2 Degree C climate goal alive (Posted June 10, 2013)
IEA
http://bit.ly/12Bpk41
Maneuvering the Mosaic: State of the Voluntary Carbon Markets 2013 (Posted June 10, 2013)
Ecosystem Marketplace
http://bit.ly/12Cyi0X