China Emissions Suggest Climate Change Could Be Faster than Thought

China Emissions Suggest Climate Change Could Be Faster than Thought: Scientific American
China's carbon emissions could be nearly 20 percent higher than previously thought, a new analysis of official Chinese data showed on Sunday, suggesting the pace of global climate change could be even faster than currently predicted.  China has already overtaken the United States as the world's top greenhouse gas polluter, producing about a quarter of mankind's carbon pollution that scientists say is heating up the planet and triggering more extreme weather.  But pinning down an accurate total for China's carbon emissions has long been a challenge because of doubts about the quality of its official energy use data.  It is that data which is used to compute how the planet's climate will change, helping plan for more extremes of drought, flood and the impact on crops.

Nuclear And Coal Power Face Future Cooling Water Shortages, Study Suggests

Nuclear And Coal Power Face Future Cooling Water Shortages, Study Suggests
Warmer water and reduced river flows will cause more power disruptions for nuclear and coal-fired power plants in the United States and Europe in future, scientists say, and lead to a rethink on how best to cool power stations in a hotter world.  In a study published on Monday, a team of European and U.S. scientists focused on projections of rising temperatures and lower river levels in summer and how these impacts would affect power plants dependent on river water for cooling.  The authors predict that coal and nuclear power generating capacity between 2031 and 2060 will decrease by between 4 and 16 percent in the United States and a 6 to 19 percent decline in Europe due to lack of cooling water.

Ocean Renewable Power, Tidal Energy Company, To Sell Electricity To Maine

Ocean Renewable Power, Tidal Energy Company, To Sell Electricity To Maine
Maine regulators on Tuesday put three utilities on the path to distribute electricity harnessed from tides at the nation's eastern tip, a key milestone in a bid to turn the natural rise and fall of ocean levels into power.  The Maine Public Utilities Commission set terms for a contract that would be in place for 20 years. The regulators also directed the three utilities to negotiate with Ocean Renewable Power Co. to put electricity onto the grid this summer, the first long-term power purchase agreements for tidal energy in the United States.

Free ETS permits could force China to tax carbon

Free ETS permits could force China to tax carbon: official - News - Point Carbon
China could tax carbon emissions if regulators of domestic CO2 trading schemes hand out too many permits for free, a government official said Sunday, adding pressure on regulators of schemes to put a price on emitting greenhouse gases...

Can Shale Gas Meet China's Energy Needs? Call The Frackers

Can Shale Gas Meet China's Energy Needs? Call The Frackers - Forbes
China has ambitious targets to boost natural-gas consumption. It also sits on extensive deposits of shale gas that may be among the world’s largest. Put those two facts together and you might anticipate a repeat of the gas boom seen in the U.S., where fracking has transformed energy policy. China’s National Energy Administration has targeted shale gas output by 2020 of 60-100 billion cubic meters. Current output is roughly zero. Foreign oil companies are licking their lips at the prospect of a Chinese gas rush...

China’s Top Planner Sets Up Climate-Change Center, Xinhua Says

China’s Top Planner Sets Up Climate-Change Center, Xinhua Says - Bloomberg
The National Development and Reform Commission, China’s top economic planning agency, will set up a research center aimed at facilitating efforts to cope with climate change, Xinhua News Agency reported.  The National Center for Climate Change Strategy and International Cooperation will research strategic planning, laws and regulations, international policy, carbon markets and information consulting, Xinhua said, citing Xie Zhenhua, deputy director of the NDRC.

Global investment in renewable energy at record high

Global investment in renewable energy at record high | Environment | guardian.co.uk
Global investment in renewable energy surged to a new high last year, despite the widespread recession.  But experts warned that the rate of growth was showing signs of slowing, and would need to speed up if the world's economies are to be transformed on to a low-carbon footing.  Last year, investment in renewable energy reached $257bn (£165bn), a rise of 17% on the previous year. The record investment was a six-fold increase on the 2004 figure and nearly double the total in 2007, the year before the world financial crisis, according to a report from the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Renewable Energy Policy Network for the 21st Century (REN21).  However, the rate of growth has fallen year on year – last year's growth of 17% on the previous year failed to match the 37% increase in investment from 2010 to 2011.  "We need to do more, if we are to combat climate change and use low-carbon technology, said a representative for REN21. "These figures are very good, but there is still a long way to go."

A Global Dialogue on Sustainability: Rio+20 Kicks Off This Week

A Global Dialogue on Sustainability: Rio+20 Kicks Off This Week - Forbes
For the next two weeks, the city of Rio de Janeiro will host a truly global dialogue on sustainability. Though the main official event will not start until Wednesday, June 20, a 3rd ‘Prep Com’ begins this Wednesday. It aims to finish the negotiations on a draft outcome document which is to be adopted by our governments at next week’s official UN Conference on Sustainable Development...

EU Report on Carbon Market Due Before August

EU Report on Carbon Market Due Before August: Hedegaard - Businessweek

The European Union will present a report on its emissions trading system and a proposal to delay auctions of some carbon permits before the summer recess that starts in August, EU climate Commissioner Connie Hedegaard said.  The report, which is being brought forward by a year, will include some long-term options to improve the EU cap-and-trade program, Hedegaard told reporters after a meeting of the bloc’s environment ministers in Luxembourg today.

Airlines call on EU to defuse carbon emissions row

Airlines call on EU to defuse carbon emissions row | Reuters

Global airlines on Monday urged the European Union to defuse an international emissions row as a group of nations led by China, the United States and India kept up their opposition to EU plans to force carriers to join a carbon trading scheme.  Europe has angered trading partners with its plan to make airlines cut pollution by levying a fee based on the amount of carbon emissions calculated for whole flights, not just the portion over Europe - a measure its critics regard as interference with their national airspace.  The head of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) said all parties shared the view that a global agreement was needed to head off the threat of a trade war over the EU's Emissions Trading Scheme ETS.  "Europe seems more committed to implementing its ETS unilaterally than to sincerely negotiating a multilateral agreement," IATA director general Tony Tyler told a gathering of 240 airlines in the Chinese capital.  "For Europe's international counterparts it's like being asked to negotiate with a gun to their head," he added in an opening speech to the group's annual meeting.  "Sustainability should unite the world with common purpose, not divide it with affronts to sovereignty that risk a trade war, a war that nobody wants and from which no winner can emerge."

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11 Jun 2012 18:11

Greek EUAs stigmatised over Grexit fears

LONDON, June 11 (Reuters Point Carbon) – EU carbon permit buyers are willing to pay up to eight cent…

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11 Jun 2012 16:58

EU set-aside not enough to lift CO2 price: study

LONDON, June 11 (Reuters Point Carbon) - EU regulators need to do more than merely delay the sale o…

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11 Jun 2012 17:43

EUAs fall back from 10-day high as EU optimism fades

LONDON, June 11 (Reuters Point Carbon) - European carbon fell back from a 10-day high on Monday as i…

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11 Jun 2012 12:04

Austria to sell 300k EUAs on July 2

LONDON, June 11 (Reuters Point Carbon) – Austria will sell 300,000 spot EU Allowances on Dutch emiss…

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11 Jun 2012 09:21

Free ETS permits could force China to tax carbon: official

BEIJING, June 11 (Reuters Point Carbon) - China could tax carbon emissions if regulators of domestic…

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08 Jun 2012 21:11

When spot is not: New EU registry rules mean long delays

LONDON, June 8 (Reuters Point Carbon) – The EU’s long-awaited common CO2 registry will go live on Ju…

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11 Jun 2012 04:28

Airlines call on EU to defuse carbon emissions row

BEIJING, June 11 (Reuters) - Global airlines on Monday urged the European Union to defuse an interna…

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IEA Calls for More Funds to Support Carbon Capture Technology

IEA Calls for More Funds to Support Carbon Capture Technology - Businessweek
Governments must increase funds to support carbon capture and storage technology and ramp up efforts to improve energy efficiency or risk missing climate change targets, the International Energy Agency warned.  Progress in deploying nine out of 10 technologies that curb carbon emissions and reduce energy use is stalling, the Paris- based agency, which advises 28 nations, said today in a report.  Greater use of electric vehicles and pollution-trapping CCS equipment are needed to cut energy-related CO2 emissions by half by 2050, according to the IEA. That’s required to ensure an 80 percent chance of limiting the average global temperature rise to 2 degrees Celsius, it said. The IEA reiterated that about $140 trillion will be required to shift to a low-carbon energy industry by 2050.