2012: The Year of The Super-Drought?

Businesses urged to prepare for 2012 super-drought - 17 Feb 2012 - News from BusinessGreen

The government is to offer to help businesses save water at next week's crisis summit aimed at tackling a looming super-drought in three UK regions this spring and summer. Environment secretary Caroline Spelman will hold the drought summit on 20 February in a move designed to "tackle head-on" the prospect that large areas of the UK face drought this year, following record low rainfall over the winter. According to the Environment Agency, the Anglia region is already classified as being in drought, while the South East and Midlands are experiencing dry conditions. The Anglian region saw its lowest March-January rainfall in a series since 1910, while the Thames basin is at its driest since 1972-74, according to provisional figures from the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (CEH).

Thinking outside sustainability's box - Where art meets science

Thinking outside sustainability's box at the intersection of art and science | Science Codex

VANCOUVER, British Columbia — Science is about facts, but the science of sustainability also involves questions underpinned by values. With this in mind, a Michigan State University environmental sociologist will ask scientists to consider how art can provoke people to consider their perceptions of sustainability at this year's annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.\ "Good decisions about the complex issues of sustainability have to be grounded in science, but science alone isn't sufficient to make decisions that also involve our values and ethical concerns," said Thomas Dietz, MSU assistant vice president for environmental research. "We have to think about things that aren't usually part of our everyday routines, and challenging routine thinking has been one of the roles of art in our society."

Obama bypasses Congress Climate Change . . . Again

Obama bypasses Congress again on climate change

President Obama, who said last month that divisions in Congress are "too deep" to tackle climate change, bypassed Capitol Hill again this week with another effort to reduce climate-warming emissions. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton announced Thursday, accompanied by officials from Bangladesh, Canada, Ghana, Mexico and Sweden, a joint effort to curb the short-lived emissions of pollutants including soot (also called black carbon), methane and hydrofluorocarbons that account for 30% to 40% of global warming. The United States plans to contribute $12 million and Canada $3 million over two years to begin the project, which will be run by the United Nations Environment Program.

Are we on the brink of an aviation trade war?

Moscow air talks to debate measures against EU: draft

Nations opposing a European Union law that forces all airlines to pay for their carbon emissions will next week debate an array of counter-measures, a draft agenda seen by Reuters on Friday showed, raising the risk of an aviation trade war.

BP, Shell, Exxon Mobile, and others are shamed for their lack of disclosure regarding forest use.

Forest Footprint Disclosure Annual Review Shames BP, Shell, ExxonMobil, Others

Forest Footprint Disclosure has criticized leading oil and gas companies including BP, Chevron, ExxonMobil, ConocoPhillips, Royal Dutch Shell, Total and Valero Energy for their lack of disclosure regarding their forest use.

Starbucks Opens Store Made From Recycled Shipping Containers

Starbucks Opens New Reclamation Drive Thru Made From Recycled Shipping Containers Reclamation Drive Thru-Starbucks – Inhabitat - Green Design Will Save the World

Inspiration for the shipping container drive thru came from the company’s use of the containers to ship their coffee and tea from sources around the world. Rather than let the containers wallow after moving their goods, the brilliant minds in Seattle thought to put them to good use and so the Reclamation Drive Thru was brewed up. So far, it’s just a one-off shop, but it could serve as the prototype for future retail locations. Although it’s not certified yet, the company hopes to achieve LEED soon, which will make the shop the first LEED building in Tukwila. They’ve reduced signage by using the actual building as the sign and also integrated rainwater harvesting and xeriscaping to minimize water consumption. Frankly we’re happy that the coffee giant is jumping on the green bandwagon as their growing interest can help push sustainability and design further. We can’t particularly say we’re please that the latest shop is a drive-thru, but at least they included other strategies to reduce the impact. The new coffee shop opened on December 13th and is plying Washingtonians with their Christmas Blend as we speak. We had a chance to check in with representatives from Starbucks to find out more about their newest store. Read on to get the skinny (as in latte) on what could soon be the standard Starbucks coffee shop.

Eli Lilly sustainability report not matching up

Lilly Sustainability Report: Scope 1,2 Emissions Fall, Scope 3 Rise

Pharmaceuticals firm Eli Lilly and Company achieved a three percent reduction in its Scope 1 and Scope 2 greenhouse gas emissions from 2009 to 2010, but its Scope 3 emissions rose 11 percent over the same time period, according to the company’s2010 corporate responsibility report.

UCI cuts their energy use in half by installing new "smart labs"

UC Installs Ten ‘Smart Labs’; Expects 20%, 2-Year Electricity Drop

The University of California – Irvine expects to cut electricity use by 20 percent from 2010 to 2012, after installing ten “smart lab” systems that cut laboratories’ energy use by 50 percent compared to code.

New Business Opportunities in New Jersey

Renewable Energy Alert:

In the final days of the recent lame-duck session of the state legislature, the Senate and Assembly passed and sent to New Jersey Governor Chris Christie a dozen bills that address renewable energy, energy efficiency and related subjects. Not all the bills met with the governor's approval. Some of them may be modified and considered again during the new legislative session that began early last month. But here are four the Governor did sign that should be of interest to businesses looking to save on their energy dollar or branch out into renewable energy. (All references are to the Laws of 2011.)

Latest Carbon Headline News

Latest news 

 

 

EU ETS

17 Feb 2012 18:34

CERs outpace EUAs as industrials lock in profits

Prices for U.N.-backed carbon credits rocketed 9 percent on Friday, outstripping a 4 percent rise in… 

EU ETS

17 Feb 2012 12:10

Moscow air talks to debate measures against EU: draft

Nations opposing a European Union law that forces all airlines to pay for their carbon emissions wil… 

CDM/JI/AAU

17 Feb 2012 16:26

Weekly CER issuance set to remain below 2012 average

Project developers have asked the U.N. to hand out 4.3 million Certified Emission Reduction (CERs) n… 

EU ETS

17 Feb 2012 17:39

UPDATE 1: EUAs up 3.3 pct, extend 8-week high

EU carbon prices gained around 3 percent and hit a fresh eight-week high of 9.46 euros on Friday as… 

Markets

16 Feb 2012 13:04

EU permit set-aside gets strong backing: MEPs

Party leaders in a key committee of MEPs will support a withdrawal of carbon permits from the EU mar… 

Domestic policy

16 Feb 2012 21:47

Agency wants scrutiny of California CO2 auction revenue

California lawmakers should put the brakes on Governor Jerry Brown’s plans to use the estimated $660… 

Policy

16 Feb 2012 20:27

U.S. leads bid to curb non-CO2 climate pollutants

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Thursday announced the launch of a new six-country initia…

Latest news

• 17 Feb 12 18:34 CERs outpace EUAs as industrials lock in profits 
• 17 Feb 12 17:39 UPDATE 1: EUAs up 3.3 pct, extend 8-week high 
• 17 Feb 12 16:26 Weekly CER issuance set to remain below 2012 average 
• 17 Feb 12 14:06 EU finmins push for transport cash to fill Green Climate Fund 
• 17 Feb 12 12:10 Moscow air talks to debate measures against EU: draft 
• 17 Feb 12 02:44 CCAs slip 3 pct as market uncertainty mutes trading 
• 16 Feb 12 21:47 Agency wants scrutiny of California CO2 auction revenue 
• 16 Feb 12 20:27 U.S. leads bid to curb non-CO2 climate pollutants 
• 16 Feb 12 18:14 EU eyes bilateral crediting schemes using ETS benchmarks 
• 16 Feb 12 16:35 EU carbon prices soar 9 pct on set-aside deal 
• 16 Feb 12 16:27 EUA could emerge as global carbon currency after 2020 
• 16 Feb 12 13:22 Solvay earnings from CO2 credits fall 25 pct in Q4 
• 16 Feb 12 13:04 EU permit set-aside gets strong backing: MEPs 
• 16 Feb 12 09:55 NZ carbon sheds 4.5 pct as demand shifts to CERs 
• 16 Feb 12 05:42 S.Korea parliament delays emission bill vote again 
• 15 Feb 12 17:46 Ireland eyes share of REDD investment after tax breaks 
• 15 Feb 12 17:42 EUAs hit 4-day peak as oil spurs energy gains 
• 15 Feb 12 17:06 POLL: Set-aside could double EUA prices by 2014 
• 15 Feb 12 17:03 Climate Change Capital founder sees Bunge deal soon 
• 15 Feb 12 13:01 Russia to issue 100 mln ERUs in 2012: Sberbank 
• 15 Feb 12 13:02 Germany issues 407m EUAs for 2012 
• 15 Feb 12 12:27 Power sector, financials key to China ETS success 
• 15 Feb 12 12:00 IETA falls short of backing EU allowance set-aside 
• 15 Feb 12 11:24 Lithuania to sell 850k EU Allowances on March 15 
• 15 Feb 12 11:22 China loans $238 mln to domestic firms to cut emissions 

All news

Global CO2 Aviation Plan: A Posibility?

Global CO2 Aviation Plan Could Replace EU Curbs, Hedegaard Says - Bloomberg

The European Union can replace its carbon curbs on aviation with a global measure to cut pollution from the industry as long as the broader program is as ambitious as the EU plan, the bloc’s climate chief said. The 27-nation EU won’t abandon the expansion of its emissions trading system into international aviation in the face of opposition from nations outside the region, Climate Commissioner Connie Hedegaard said in an interview today. The first expansion of the EU emissions cap-and-trade program abroad has drawn fire from countries including the U.S., Russia and Japan, which said the measure was inconsistent with international law.

Are we close to a carbon trade war?

Carbon trade war edges nearer - FT.com

An alliance of countries opposed to a carbon tax on airlines is threatening to tear up trade deals with the European Union and impose new taxes on EU carriers, in a sign the world’s first carbon trade war is edging closer. A meeting has been called for next week by the 26 countries that have been fighting to stop Brussels charging airlines flying in or out of the EU for their carbon emissions.

Renewables projects demand weather insurance

Environmental Finance | News | Insurers eye weather risks for renewables

Insurers are expecting business from renewable energy projects to grow, notably in protecting them against a lack of natural resources, according to brokerage firm Marsh. Operators and financiers of renewable energy generation are demanding “all-encompassing” coverage, said Steven Munday, Marsh’s London-based renewable and clean-tech power team leader. These include commercial risks that may previously have been held by a project’s equity investors, delays to installation because of poor weather and political risks.

Not much budget help for California from emissions trading

Emissions trading small help to Calif. budget plan-report | Energy & Oil | Reuters

Brown's budget plan for the fiscal year beginning in July estimates the state will have $1 billion at its disposal in its next fiscal year from the greenhouse gas emissions trading system, which is scheduled to begin in 2013.

Citi to back renewable bonds

Environmental Finance | News | Citi pushing for ‘Global OPIC’ to back renewable energy bonds

The head of environmental finance at Citi is canvassing support for a “Global OPIC” to help raise large volumes of debt for renewable energy projects. Speaking at the Environmental Bonds 2012 conference in London today, Michael Eckhart proposed “an insurance operation to facilitate the flow of capital to developing country projects from institutional investors in OECD countries”. The organisation would be partly modelled on the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC), a US government-backed body that, among other things, provides guarantees for projects undertaken in developing countries.

California forest carbon fund closes

Environmental Finance | News | New Forests closes California forest carbon fund

Asset management firm New Forests has closed a fund that will supply forest carbon offsets into California’s emerging carbon market. The Forest Carbon Partners fund will “deliver carbon market revenue to landowners and a reliable supply of high-quality offsets to California compliance buyers”, the company said. Sydney-based New Forests has not disclosed how much it has raised into the fund, which was closed last year but only announced today. Neither has the company revealed who has invested in the fund. However, Brian Shillinglaw, San Francisco-based manager of carbon investments and policy, said that the fund expects to finance offset projects on more than 100,000 acres of forest land in the continental US. “We plan on developing large volumes of offsets for California and the [Western Climate Initiative] market,” he told Environmental Finance.

Climate action lending dips

Environmental Finance | News | EIB climate action lending dips to €18bn, but percentage rises

The European Investment Bank (EIB) lent €18 billion ($24 billion) for “climate action” in 2011 – down from €20.5 billion in 2010, but up as a percentage of the bank’s total lending. That figure rose to 30% from 28% in 2010 and just 21% in 2009, new EIB president Werner Hoyer said today at the bank’s annual press conference in Brussels. Of the €18 billion, €5.5 billion was directed towards renewable energy investment, €8 billion to sustainable transport and €1.3 billion for energy efficiency. Last year, those figures were €6.2 billion, €7.9 billion and €2.3 billion, respectively.