Carbon dioxide emissions reach record high

Carbon dioxide emissions reach record high - KansasCity.com

WASHINGTON -- Emissions of heat-trapping carbon dioxide reached an all-time high last year, further reducing the chances that the world could avoid a dangerous rise in global average temperature by 2020, according to the International Energy Agency, the energy analysis group for the world's most industrialized states.  Global emissions of carbon-dioxide, or CO2, from fossil-fuel combustion hit a record high of 31.6 gigatonnes in 2011, according to the IEA's preliminary estimates, an increase of 1 Gt, or 3.2 percent from 2010.

EU govts to sell 80 mln more phase two permits in 2012

At least eight member states plan to sell a minimum 78 million EU carbon permits in the next six months, according to data compiled by Reuters Point Carbon, as EU rules say governments cannot bank them into the third phase of the bloc's cap and trade scheme, which starts next year.

Small Emitters can opt out of EU ETS from 2013

The UK is offering small emitters and hospital installations the opportunity to ‘opt out’ from the EU ETS from 2013 as part of Government efforts to cut down on red-tape.  The Opt Out scheme could save industry up to £80 million from 2013-2020, depending on take up from the around 250 eligible installations, accounting for 1% of UK EU ETS emissions.  The EU ETS remains the primary scheme through which the UK will meet its ambitious carbon emission reduction targets in the EU. The opt out will help ensure that the policy is implemented in a proportionate manner.

Bluenext ERU auction clears below market at 3.25 euros

Bluenext, a Paris-based carbon exchange, said an auction for 407,000 Emission Reduction Units it hosted on Friday cleared at 3.25 euros, 26 cents below Thursday’s settlement, despite being six times oversubscribed.

Waste Heat Recovery Thru Organic Rankine Cycle Systems: Behind the Scene in Clean Energy Technology

Some of the most popular clean technology and renewable energy solutions include wind turbines, dams generating hydro power, and solar thermal and photovoltaic panels. Waste heat recovery is one important and growing clean energy technology that many have not heard and others never will.  Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) is a process being used in waste heat recovery systems since the 1960's. It integrates well into existing manufacturing production and power generation infrastructures. ORC units capture heat that is being released in the atmosphere and convert it to useable carbon dioxide-free electricity. The process involved in ORC uses organic and environment friendly refrigerants that are able to generate electricity from low temperature heat sources and water restricted environments. ORC technology systems require only a small footprint, yet create widespread attention from those looking for ways to maximize the efficiency of their existing investments and infrastructures.

Climate bond market slowed by cheaper bank financing

The climate bond market is ready to explode as investors are eager to participate in these transactions, but renewable energy sponsors have preferred to seek financing in the cheaper bank markets, according to a Citigroup official.  Most of the $16 billion in green bonds written so far have been from municipal or multilateral development banks, said Terry Pratt, a director in the utilities and infrastructure ratings group at Standard & Poor’s (S&P) in New York.

EU to verify clean-tech performance claims

An EU-led programme to verify the performance claims of new environmental technologies could help companies break into new markets – and help investors in their due diligence.  The European Commission has launched a pilot programme on environmental technology verification (ETV) in seven EU member states, which will run for the next two or three years, Pierre Henry, a policy officer at the Commission, told the Green Week conference in Brussels yesterday.  An ETV will provide environmental technology companies with a ‘statement of verification’, detailing the performance of their products, but not to pre-defined standards as in certification schemes. Independent verification of product performance will help businesses differentiate their products from the competition and give them visibility in the market, Henry said.

Gevo Rises After Opening First Commercial Biofuel Plant

Gevo Inc. (GEVO), the U.S. biotechnology company backed by the French oil company Total SA (FP) and the specialty chemicals maker Lanxess AG (LXS), rose the most in more than two months after its first commercial biofuel plant went into production.  Gevo rose 9.5 percent to $5.86 at the close in New York, the most since March 8.  The company’s plant in Luverne, Minnesota, began making isobutanol yesterday, the world’s first commercial facility using renewable sources to do so, the Englewood, Colorado-based company said in a statement today.  Gevo makes isobutanol from corn and non-food crops. Isobutanol may be blended with gasoline or refined into jet fuel, specialty chemicals or other products that are typically derived from petroleum.

Icahn Buys Stake in Chesapeake, Seeks Board Replacements

Billionaire investor Carl Icahn bought a 7.56 percent stake in Chesapeake Energy Corp (CHK) as the second-largest U.S. natural-gas producer’s stock price plunged amid shareholder concern about Chief Executive Officer Aubrey McClendon’s personal financial affairs.  Four of Chesapeake’s nine directors should be replaced, Icahn said today in a letter to the Oklahoma City-based company’s board included in a U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission filing.

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Point Carbon's OTC price assessments

		Close	+/-
EUA	Dec 2012	6.92	0.07
sCER	Dec 2012	3.58	0.01

 

 

 

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