Qatar can become world leader in sustainable technology

Gulf Times – Qatar’s top-selling English daily newspaper - Qatar

A leading expert in sustainable engineering has said that even though Qatar has the largest per capita carbon footprint in the world, it has the resources, leadership and vision to become a world leader in sustainable technology.
Keith Clarke, former chief executive of Atkins, the largest engineering consultancy in the UK, told Gulf Times that Qatar’s carbon footprint is not surprising given that energy is effectively free, and is located in a region with a challenging climate. He said the government and industrial sector are looking carefully at what the economy will be “beyond carbon”, and are developing sustainable technologies and the accompanying “ethos and values” that can be exported to other countries facing similar challenges.

Qantas pushes for jet fuel alternative

Qantas pushes for jet fuel alternative | The Courier-Mail

QANTAS will next month embark on the nation's first commercial flight using biofuel when it powers one of its Airbus jets with a mixture primed with vegetable cooking oil - on Friday the 13th.  In a surprise to industry observers, the two US companies that Qantas has been working with to develop a potential biofuel production plant for Australia will not be supplying the historic flight.  Instead the flying kangaroo will import a biofuel mixture made by Dutch firm SkyNRG, which powered a Lufthansa aircraft that flew a domestic German passenger route for six months from July to January this year.

Abbott promises to dissolve carbon tax

Abbott promises to dissolve carbon tax | The Australian

Speaking on Sky News's Australian Agenda program yesterday, the Opposition Leader continued to insist Labor's poor showing in the weekend's Queensland election was linked to the carbon tax -- despite the torrid campaign having been fought on state issues and strong denials by Labor strategists, who insist exit polling gave no indication that the tax played a role.  Mr. Abbott said the Australian public was sick of governments that procrastinated on important policy commitments, so an incoming Coalition government would "move quickly" to repeal the carbon and mining taxes and restore effective border protection if they received a mandate at the next federal election to do so.

Australian carbon tax 'gutsy', power firm says

Australian carbon tax 'gutsy', power firm says | News.com.au

THE Australian Government is "gutsy" to follow through on its pledge to introduce a carbon tax, the world's top industrial conglomerate says.  GE vice chairman John Rice said the $23 a tonne tax applying from July 1 would prompt the company to allocate more resources to carbon-reducing technologies.  Mr. Rice said GE, which made the nuclear power plant reactors at Fukushima and was heavily involved in renewable energy, had long believed in a trading mechanism to reduce carbon emissions and encourage the development of new technologies.