Secretariat Initiates Dispute Settlement Procedures Against Four Contracting Parties in Relation to NERPs

18.03.2021

Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Alexander Tsang)

Secretariat launched dispute settlement procedures against Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo*, North Macedonia and Serbia for not meeting their NERP ceilings for the reporting years 2018 and 2019. NERPs (National Emission Reduction Plans) are an instrument to comply with the Large Combustion Plants Directive and as such, they are to provide for emission reductions for sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxides and dust for the group of plants covered by their scope. In the case of Serbia, compliance with the ceiling for sulphur dioxide presents the biggest challenge, while North Macedonia faces problems with ceilings for sulphur dioxide and dust. Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo* failed to meet the ceilings for all three pollutants.

By sending the Opening Letters, the Secretariat initiated a preliminary procedure, the purpose of which is to give the Contracting Parties concerned the opportunity to react to the allegation of non-compliance with Energy Community law within two months and to enable the Secretariat to establish the full background of the case.

According to Articles 7 and 17 of the Rules of Procedure for Dispute Settlement, interested parties may be granted access to the case file and may submit written observations on the present case to the Secretariat during the preliminary procedure.

Source: Energy Community

Charge&GO platform

17.03.2021

Charge&go-4-min — Photo: Bojan Džodan/MT-KOMEX

According to the International Council for Clean Transport (ICCT), road traffic accounts for about 20 per cent of global pollution. Air pollution has become a universal problem, and a growing number of countries are working intensively to reduce it and completely neutralize it. In aiming to reduce the exhaust gasses coming from traffic, the states pass the laws to limit the purchase of cars with ICE (internal combustion engines).

Thus, the United Kingdom, Germany, Ireland, and the Netherlands have devised the strategy to ban the sale of new cars with internal combustion engines by 2030. Norway has a very ambitious plan – to accomplish a full transition to cleaner forms of transportation by 2025, while most is expected from China, which, according to some forecasts, will make a sudden transition to full electrification of traffic by 2035. Subsidies and many other benefits encourage the purchase of electric and hybrid vehicles.

Many governments around the world are trying to improve air quality and protect the environment in this way. Serbia is slowly beginning to follow world trends. For subsidizing electric and hybrid vehicles’ purchase, our Government has set aside 120 million dinars for 2020, and electric vehicles can more often be seen on our streets. It is necessary to provide enough chargers for the drivers of these cars to function smoothly in traffic, without having to worry that they will drive all the way down to an empty battery.

In focus:

The leading men of MT-KOMEX realized that they could offer networked EV chargers as the best service for the drivers to find an ideal place to recharge their cars fast and easy. Charge&GO platform is everything an electric car owner needs. It is the first regional digital platform and application that remunerates the use of the charging spot for electric vehicles, which arose in partnership with the global Virta system form Finland.

The charge&GO system is designed to give e-powered car drivers the ability to find a charging point fast and easy, authorize themselves, plug in a vehicle when needed, stop charging and continue their journey. Registered and unregistered users can use this platform, and in addition

to chargers in Serbia, they have more than 100,000 chargers in 28 countries at their disposal. This system provides the possibility for foreigners to see the chargers in Serbia. At the same time, users registered in our country, through the partner network can find the chargers that are in the system, which includes internal and external roaming network of charging stations.

“The platform charge&GO has networked electric car drivers and owners of EV chargers, and we are the operators of the network. By using the platform, we can manage the energy power and consumption on the station systems themselves, and the remote check-up of each charger is also one of the possibilities of our system”, explains Miloš Kostić form MT-KOMEX.

Platform users can charge their electric vehicles fast and easy while having full control over the entire charging process, whether being a registered or unregistered user. The whole charging system is quite simple – the first step is to find a charging point through the platform or

mobile application. At mapa.chargego.rs you immediately get information which station is free to use. At the charging point, it is necessary to authorize by using an RFID card or mobile phone, either by scanning the QR code or entering the charger’s ID number. The charging session starts the moment you connect the cable to the selected charging point. You can follow the charging either on the platform or the application, and when you want to end the process, it is necessary to finish the process the same way you started it.

The last step is to unplug the cable and to continue your journey. If you use the system without registration, you need to start charging by scanning the QR code or typing the page ID number on the platform’s webpage punjenje.chargo.rs. When you do that, you will get the accurate display of a price per minute and the terms of use. You can change the language, and then it opens the page for entering the information of credit card. In the end, you choose the type of connection. You get the information on the amount of energy used and the duration of the session. Upon finished charging session you receive an email with an electronic invoice.

“The owners of electric vehicles who choose the option to register on the charge&GO system get a number of benefits, such as the better price for charging, both in the country and in the partner network, and can also choose between prepaid and post-paid options. It is usual for individuals to use the prepaid option, while corporate users have the opportunity to pay for our services on a monthly and quarterly basis”, adds Kostić.

The registration process on the charge&GO system is very easy and can be done by simply registering on the portal or installing a mobile application. You receive a welcome email in which you get the link to verify your account, and once you confirm it, you can access the following steps. The application or platform will guide you, and once you enter all the required data, your journey into the electric future can begin!

With the charge&GO app on your smartphone, you can find the nearest place to charge your electric car with either slow or fast chargers. You can manage the user account you have created and preview the history of all charging sessions. You can check the charger’s status at any time on the charger map, and the app makes all the following steps easier – to start charging, track the charging time on your phone and stop the session when needed. The platform users can use a roaming network with more than 100,000 chargers. It is important to know that all users of the Virta platform have the right to use intern roaming without additional fees. When it comes to external roaming stations Hubjet and

Gireve, charging vehicles can be done smoothly, but at an additional cost.

The partner of the charge&GO system is the company ABB. In front of their headquarters in Belgrade, a 50kW charger is installed, and it is integrated into the charge&GO system. The network also includes charging points at Gazprom gas stations in Stari Banovci, Velika Plana and Novi Sad, and in front of the company Termovent in Kladovo. There are also 5 chargers in Plaza Kragujevac shopping centre at your disposal. The same number of EV chargers are available at Promenada Novi Sad Shopping centre. Very soon, 6 new chargers in LEDI hub in Stari Banovci will be integrated into the charge&GO system.

“Our customers can be completely confident in our services because they have technical assistance, customer service with hotline and mobile teams for urgent technical support at their disposal 24/7. Besides, there is a Support/Frequently Asked Questions page on the charge&GO website where you can find a large amount of useful information, as well as the complete documentation with instructions”, adds Kostić.

Prepared by: Milica Radičević

You can read the article in the new issue of the Energy portal Magazine SMART CITIES, december 2020 – february 2021.

EBRD and EU Help Serbia’s Bel-Plast to Become More Energy Efficient

17.03.2021

užice — Foto: Wikipedia/ CrniBombarder!!!

How an investment in modern equipment led to significant savings

Thirty years ago, the Špijunović family started a small home business. Today, the company’s facilities span 4,000 m2. Bel-Plast, in the Serbian city of Uzice, specialises in producing foils and films (such as stretch hooding, shrink wrap and laminating film) for the food, beverage and construction industries. Over the past three decades, it has established itself as a leader in the product packaging sector.

Sanja Markovic, a daughter of the founder, runs the family business with her sister and father. She tells us about her father’s 30-year-old business vision, which the company follows to this day.

“My father started the company in the 1990s, when product packaging and design in Serbia were not nearly as popular as they are today,” Markovic says. “Still, he knew that good packaging was one of the most important features of a successful product and that it had great influence on business and sales growth.”

“Over the years, we have continued to invest in new equipment, technology and services with a view to improving our business,” she adds. “We have always striven for innovation, to offer our clients something new, because their perfect product needs perfect packaging, such as ours!”

Today, Bel-Plast employs 39 people and its packaging services are used by a vast array of companies in Serbia, including blue-chip corporations such as Coca-Cola and Holcim.

Modern technology that generates savings

With an eye on the future and keen to get on board with green trends, especially in the European Union (EU) markets, Markovic started to think more about how to improve the energy efficiency of Bel-Plast’s production processes and how to increase the use of modern materials that would allow users to easily recycle their packaging with no harmful, polluting effects on the environment.

“We were interested in purchasing a modern production line by a German manufacturer ‒ something completely new for the Serbian market – which would allow us to make significant resource savings during the production process, but at the same time increase our output capacity and make a better product,” she says. “This was a significant investment, the biggest in our company’s 30-year history, but we expected great results and we started planning how we could achieve it with EBRD support.”

The EBRD and EU support private small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in making investments that help them become more competitive, both in local and foreign markets.

To export to the EU, Serbian SMEs need to meet EU regulations, for example, in the areas of environmental protection, occupational health and safety, and product quality and safety – all of which require additional investment. The EBRD and EU-supported programme offers SMEs access to credit lines through local partner financial institutions, precisely for this kind of investment.

On successful completion of the investment, SMEs are eligible for a cashback grant of 15 percent, which significantly reduces the overall cost of their investment. In addition, SMEs can obtain EBRD advisory support, which, in Serbia, is also funded by the EU.

Greening the business

“We decided to take out a loan and invest in the new production line,” Markovic says. “The results have been very satisfactory: our production capacity has doubled and the modern technology has allowed us to create a full range of new products to meet the needs of even the most demanding customers.”

The investment has also allowed Bel-Plast to make significant cost savings.

“The new production line not only allows us to produce better and more, but to use fewer production resources, which has helped us to achieve significant savings,” Markovic explains. “We can now produce more in less time, using only 100 percent virgin materials, with improved energy efficiency.”

EBRD and EU support

Improving access to finance for SMEs is key to economic growth, especially in Serbia where SMEs account for around 65 percent of the country’s employment.

“In addition to supporting entrepreneurs with EBRD and EIB, EU-funded projects in Serbia promote job creation, economic and technological development and legislative framework improvement, all of which contribute to an improved economic landscape. The EU supports the Serbian economy by strengthening its private sector and SMEs, which are essential for its economic growth. Through different mechanisms, the EU offers direct support for business development and supports business incubators. Furthermore, by promoting the cooperation between science and economy, the EU encourages companies and science and research organisations to create innovative products with commercial potential”, said the Head of the EU Delegation to Serbia, Ambassador Sem Fabrizi.

“In 2020 alone, the EBRD provided over EUR 480 million financing for the private sector in Serbia, and the biggest part of this support went to SMEs. The Bel-Plast example shows how access to well-structured financial and advisory support can encourage local firms to invest in boosting their competitiveness. It pays off in the long run with higher sales with better quality products and higher production capacities, among other benefits. Encouraged by many great companies and their success stories to which we contributed through the EUR 40 million programme to date, we are united with the EU in our ambition to continue providing support to the local companies in Serbia,” said Zsuzsanna Hargitai, EBRD Director, Western Balkans.

Source: EBRD

Fast-Track Energy Transitions to Win the Race to Zero

16.03.2021

policija - traka - police — Foto-illustration: Unsplash (Ehimentalor Akhere)

Foto- illustration: Unsplash (Miriam Espacio)

Proven technologies for a net-zero energy system already largely exist today, finds the preview of World Energy Transitions Outlook by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA). Renewable power, green hydrogen and modern bioenergy will dominate the world of energy in the future.

Previewed at the Berlin Energy Transition Dialogue today, IRENA’s Outlook proposes energy transition solutions for the narrow pathway available to contain the rise of temperature to 1,5°C and halt irreversible global warming. 90 percent of all decarbonisation solutions in 2050. will involve renewable energy through direct supply of low-cost power, efficiency, renewable-powered electrification in end-use as well as green hydrogen. Carbon capture and removal technologies in combination with bioenergy will deliver the ‘last mile’ CO₂ reductions towards a net-zero energy system.

With 2030. deadlines around the corner, this Outlook comes at a critical time when acting fast and bold on global climate pledges is crucial in the decisive year of UN High-Level Dialogue on Energy and Glasgow Climate Conference COP26.

Francesco La Camera, Director-General of IRENA said: “The window of opportunity to achieve the 1,5°C Paris Agreement goal is closing fast. The recent trends show that the gap between where we are and where we should be is not decreasing but widening. We are heading in the wrong direction. The World Energy Transitions Outlook considers options of the narrow pathway we have to be in line with the 1,5°C goal. We need a drastic acceleration of energy transitions to make a meaningful turnaround. Time will be the most important variable to measure our efforts.”

“While the pathway is daunting, several favourable elements can make it achievable,” La Camera added. “Major economies accounting for over half of global CO₂ emissions are turning carbon neutral. Global capital is moving too. We see financial markets and investors shifting capital into sustainable assets. Covid-19 has highlighted the cost of tying economies to fossil fuels and confirmed the resilience of renewable energy. As governments pump huge sums in bailouts and recovery, investment must support energy transition. It is time to act and countries can lead the way with policies for a climate-safe, prosperous and just energy system fit for the 21st century.”

IRENA’s “1,5°C pathway” sees a trebling of global power dominated by renewables in 2050. It also sees a decline in fossil fuel use by more than 75 percent over the same time, with oil and coal consumption shrinking fastest. Natural gas should peak around 2025. becoming the

Foto-illsutration: Unsplash (John-o-Nolan)largest remaining fossil fuel by 2050.

Financial markets reflect this shift by allocating capital away from fossil fuels and into sustainable assets like renewables. The downgrading

of fossil fuels continues, with shares of fossil fuel-heavy energy sector in S&P index falling from 13 percent a decade ago to below 3 percent today. In contrast, investors are flooding money into renewable energy stock with S&P clean energy up by 138 percent in 2020.

However, significant investment will have to be redirected, IRENA’s Outlook shows. Major economies have announced economic stimulus packages that will pump approximately USD 4.6 trillion directly into carbon-relevant sectors such as agriculture, industry, waste, energy and transport, but less than USD 1,8 trillion is green.

By contrast, energy transition investment will have to increase by 30 percent over planned investment to a total of USD 131 trillion between now and 2050. corresponding to USD 4,4 trillion on average every year. Socio-economic benefits will be massive, investing in transition will create close to three times more jobs than fossil fuels, for each million dollars of spending. To address concerns about a fair and just transition, IRENA’s Outlook calls for a holistic and consistent overall policy framework.

IRENA’s “1,5°C pathway” sees electricity becoming the main energy carrier in 2050. with renewable power capacity expanding more than ten-fold over the same period. Transport will see the highest growth of electrification with a 30-fold increase. Almost 70 percent of carbon emission reductions in transport will come from direct and indirect electrification.

Green hydrogen will emerge as one of the major demand for electricity, representing 30 percent of total consumption in 2050. Bioenergy combined with carbon removal technologies (BECCS) will increasingly be important for industry to bring “negative emissions” in face of a limited carbon budget for 1,5°C.

Source: IRENA

Solar and wind in South Africa contributed more than nuclear energy for the first time

15.03.2021

Foto-ilustracija: Unsplash (Science in HD)

South Africa’s grid is dominated by coal. According to the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), published in its latest “Statistics of utility-scale power generation in South Africa in 2020″ report, coal still accounts for a whopping 83.5 percent of power generation.

South Africa’s coal power plants provided 184,4 TWh of electricity in 2020. Nuclear energy contributed 11.5 TWh (5,2 percent), and for the first time ever, variable renewable energy surpassed nuclear, contributing 12,4 TWh (5,6 percent). The rest was met by other sources, including diesel, hydro, and pumped storage plants.

In total, South Africa’s power plants generated 227 TWh of electricity. Variable renewable energy refers to utility-scale wind, solar PV, and concentrating solar power (CSP) — excluding hydro.

Nuclear’s contribution comes from Eskom’s Koeberg nuclear power station. The Koeberg plant is the only nuclear power station in Africa. It is a pressurised water reactor (PWR). According to Eskom, Koeberg has the largest turbine generators in the Southern Hemisphere and is the most southerly-situated nuclear power station in the world. It has two 970 MW units giving an installed capacity of 1.940 MW.

South Africa has been gradually adding utility-scale wind, solar PV, and concentrating solar power (CSP) for years, increasing the installed capacity from 467 MW in 2013. to 5.027 MW by the end of 2020. 414 MW of wind and 558 MW of solar PV were added in 2020. alone.

Notably, South Africa’s electricity production has been dropping since 2011. from 250 TWh to 227 TWh in 2020. Eskom power plants’ average annual energy availability factor dropped to 65 percent in 2020. This has resulted in Eskom implementing a power rationing programme to manage demand. The situation got so bad that in 2020. there was a total of 859 hours of loadshedding in 2020. which is 10 percent of the year.

Most of the loadshedding fell into the Stage 2 category. Eskom’s loadshedding programme is structured in “stages” in which Eskom sheds a certain quantum of load from the grid to stabilise the grid. Depending on the severity of the crisis, loadshedding is implemented in stages from Stage 1 to Stage 8, where Stage 1 sheds 1.000 MW of load from the grid and Stage 8 means removal of 8.000 MW of load from the grid. Loadshedding is implemented over 2-hour or 4-hour blocks on a rotational basis depending on the severity of the crises. Stage 8, however, means most consumers will experience a blackout for about 12 hours.

Distributed solar at scale in the commercial and industrial sectors can play a big role in addressing the shortfall. Incentivising and accelerating the penetration of solar systems on rooftops and carports can help quickly bridge the generation gap.

Warehouses, schools, universities, and farms, amongst others, can host PV plants capable of producing excess electricity that can be fed into the grid and “transported” for a reasonable charge to where the demand is greater under corporate PPA programmes.

This can unlock a new revenue stream for the utility company for its already exiting transmission infrastructure and provide clean electricity for energy intensive sites such as data centres, smelters, large factories, and mines.

Source: Clean Technica

Second SEEGAS Stakeholder Meeting Generates Widespread Interest in Boosting Regional Gas Market Cooperation

15.03.2021

gas_pipeline_gasovod — Foto-ilustracija: Unsplash (Danil Sorokin)

Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Quinten de Graaf)

Gas experts continued their efforts to harmonise views and practices in relation to the development of a common and integrated South East and East European gas market during the second SEEGAS Stakeholder Meeting on 10 March 2021.

The first panel focused on the importance of clearing services for a liquid gas exchange. Panellists underlined that clearing systems require well-defined rules and the implementation of the EU’s legal framework. This includes financial services regulations MIFID II and MIFIR as the most effective tools to underpin market confidence. In the second session, traders and other experts shared their views on gas market development potential in the SEE region and identified barriers to the establishment of a liquid gas hub. The final session introduced active gas exchanges in Bulgaria and Turkey to the SEEGAS initiative and outlined Georgia’s plans to establish a gas exchange in the near future.

The SEEGAS Platform, managed by the Secretariat, is open to all stakeholders working on national gas hub creation, relevant pan-European stakeholders and experts from the national authorities in charge of regulating the energy and financial sectors in the countries from the SEEGAS region.

Following calls from stakeholders, cooperation under SEEGAS will be strengthened by a dedicated expert group on clearing. Furthermore, a green field market analysis of each participating country will be prepared by the Secretariat.

Source: Energy Community

Dozens of US cities are banning natural gas hookups in new buildings

14.03.2021

A fight over legislation banning gas hookups in new buildings is exploding across the country, a Seattle Times and InsideClimate News joint investigation found.

In the summer of 2019., Berkley, California, became the first city in the country to ban natural gas hookups in new building construction. Now, 42 cities in California have passed bans or severe restrictions, and the California Energy Commission, which is in the process of updating the state’s building codes, could pass a statewide ban. Other cities across the country, including Denver and Seattle, have passed similar laws.

Seattle adopted a partial gas ban last month focused on larger buildings, whereas Denver is considering a law that bans gas for heating in new buildings, while allowing for gas cooking.

The gas industry has responded to these laws with a seemingly contradictory public approach, both downplaying the dangers of natural gas and pledging to cut emissions and plug gas leaks. Behind the scenes, the industry is working to lobby states to pass legislation that restricts cities’ ability to pass gas bans.

Currently, four states — Arizona, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Tennessee — have passed laws restricting the ability of cities to ban gas hookups.

“You’re seeing more cities, in states where this is possible, banning natural gas, and you’re seeing more states take preemptive measures. It’s becoming more front-of-mind for policymakers all over.” said Lucas Davis, a business professor at the University of California, Berkeley.

Source: Clean Technica

New Study Shows Socio-Economic Benefits of Weather Observations

13.03.2021

bad-weather-nevreme — Foto-ilustracija: Pixabay

Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Ricardo Resende)

Behind every weather forecast, every early warning of life-threatening hazards, and every long-term climate change projection are observational data.

A new report published by the World Bank, produced in collaboration with the World Meteorological Organization and the Met Office (UK), estimates improving the collection and international exchange of surface-based observational data will deliver additional socioeconomic benefits worth more than USD 5 billion a year.

This is a conservative estimate and does not include the huge non-monetary benefits such as potential lives saved and improvements to well-being, particularly for developing countries.

In their report, lead author Daniel Kull from the World Bank and his co-authors argue that “In view of the growing climate- and weather-related challenges facing humanity… surface-based observations should be treated as a critical public good”.

Whilst satellites are becoming increasingly important, this does not diminish the need for reliable and accessible surface-based observations.

Lars Peter Riishojgaard from WMO, one of the co-authors of the report, points out that there are big gaps in the ground-based observing network in particular in Least Developed Countries (LDCs) and Small Island Developing States (SIDS), and that these gaps reduce the quality and accuracy of numerical weather prediction products, which form the basis of most weather and climate forecasts, early warnings and related services for decision-making on a day-to-day basis.

The report estimates that highly weather-sensitive sectors such as agriculture, energy, transport and construction and disaster risk management can benefit by over USD 160 billion per year from potential improvements in weather forecasting capabilities that would be within reach given our current state of scientific knowledge and our technology.

Several regions have severe gaps in the basic weather and climate observing systems, especially African, some Latin American, Pacific and Caribbean Island states. This has a major negative impact on the reliability of the early warning services in those areas, but also worldwide. There is an urgent need to invest in improvement of basic ground-based and balloon sounding stations to enhance the capacity of less developed countries to mitigate climate risks, like storms, flooding, drought, heat waves, forest fires and sand/dust storms. At the moment the limited weather and climate observations are an obstacle to development and human welfare.

One of the recommendations of the report is to increase the quantity of observations that are exchanged globally by investing in the countries where these data are sparse. “Observations taken in the areas where few are currently available are known to have the highest impact on the quality of weather predictions and climate analysis products” says John Eyre from the Met Office, another co-author of the report.

Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Raychel Sanner)

Therefore, investments in LDCs and SIDS are expected to generate the highest return from an overall global perspective. “Increasing the number of surface-based observations in these regions delivers a global benefit to cost ratio of more than 25,” says Kull. In other words, for every dollar invested, at least twenty-five dollars in socioeconomic returns could be realized.

Systematic Observations Financing Facility

The findings of the report will inform discussions at a first Funders Forum of the proposed Systematic Observations Financing Facility (SOFF) on 24 March, 2021.

This new financing mechanism will specifically seek to close the observations data gap that undermines our weather and climate services locally, regionally and globally. It is calling for a global, coordinated and long-term response in support of countries with the largest capacity and financial gaps.

The creation of the SOFF is spearheaded by WMO in collaboration with a wide range of international organizations, including the members of the Alliance for Hydromet Development. The Alliance is a coalition of major climate and development finance institutions to close the capacity gap on high-quality weather forecasts, early warning systems and climate information.

As an urgent priority, the SOFF will support SIDS and LDCs to improve and maintain the generation and exchange of surface-based observations. In doing so, it will help strengthen climate adaptation and resilience across the globe, especially for the most vulnerable.

Global Basic Observing Network

The SOFF seeks to accelerate progress towards full implementation of the Global Basic Observing Network (GBON), which was approved in principle by the World Meteorological Congress in 2019. GBON is based on an agreement by which the basic surface-based weather observing network is designed, defined and monitored at a global level.

The world has yet to fully implement the system envisaged under this agreement, as there are still huge gaps in observations. The lack of data from Africa, parts of South America and Asia, and from small island states in general is often caused by lack of sufficient resources to generate and exchange the data—in particular to operate and maintain the observing system in the long-term.

The new report published by the World Bank in collaboration with WMO and the Met Office assesses the socio-economic benefits of the Global Basic Observing Network overall, and in particular it provides an estimate of the benefit/cost ratio of the investment required to progress from the current status of our networks to a full implementation of GBON.

Source: WMO

Austria Post Selects Mobility House To Manage 100 Percent Electric Vehicle Fleet

12.03.2021

punjenje_električni_auto — Foto-ilustracija: Unsplash (Markus Spiske)

Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Michael Marais)

Austria Post has a goal of using 100 percent electric vehicles by 2030. It began delivering mail and parcels with EVs in 2011. It currently owns the largest fleet of electric vehicles in Austria, which serves about 80 percent of all delivery districts throughout the country. It has 2,400 AC and DC charging stations in over 130 depot locations and will be adding more to support its goals. But Austria Post is a delivery service, not a charging network manager. For that, it has chosen the ChargePilot system from The Mobility House. About 10 percent of all electric buses in Europe use the ChargePilot platform to manage charging times and power requirements, and the public transportation system in St. Louis has recently selected The Mobility House to manage the charging of its new electric bus fleet.

In a press release, Paul Janacek, head of fleet operations, says, “Austrian Post has already been using electric delivery vehicles in daily delivery operations since 2011. Since then, the battery-electric drive has proven to be optimal for us. Therefore, it is our goal to further expand this pioneering role and to be emission-free on the last mile by 2030 at the latest. This requires a technically up-to-date and scalable charging management system. We have found ChargePilot and are looking forward to the further expansion of our e-fleet.”

The ChargePilot system enables Austrian Post to automatically take advantage of lower electricity pricing throughout the day and ensure cost-optimized charging across its fleet without investing in expensive infrastructure expansion. The biggest advantage of the system is that it is technology agnostic, meaning it can manage charging equipment from different manufacturers as well as AC and DC equipment. It identifies potential failures across the charging network, allowing time for preventive maintenance before a breakdown occurs. Additionally, the solution can be used to prioritize the charging of certain vehicles to, for example, guarantee the range of individual delivery vehicles as needed. Watch the video at the end of this story to learn more.

Some Austrian Post locations have as many as 70 charging stations. “Especially with such large installations built on both AC and DC charging stations from different manufacturers, you need a system that is compatible with all these components. An open interface architecture is therefore the linchpin for meeting the various requirements and making flexible expansion possible,” explains Greg Hintler, the managing director of the company’s US operations.

“Since 2009, Mobility House has been selected to intelligently integrate electric vehicles into the power grid. It has partnered with several EV charger manufacturers, more than 750 installation companies, 65 energy suppliers, and automakers such as Audi and Tesla. The Mobility House’s unique vendor-neutral and interoperable technology approach to smart charging and energy management has been selected to manage more than 500 commercial installations around the world.”

It is interesting that a nation which purports to be exceptional has decided recently that good old fashioned gasoline power vehicles are good enough for its postal service for the next 20 to 30 years and that electrics will be added only when absolutely necessary. This formerly great nation has selected a defense contractor with little knowledge of electric vehicles to build the next generation vehicles for its postal service. At a time when other nations are pushing hard to lower the carbon footprint of their government fleets, it is content to remain mired in the past. “Curiouser and curiouser,” said Alice.

Source: Clean Technica

Green Shoots: Are COVID-19 Recovery Funds Helping the Environment?

11.03.2021

poljoprivreda-farmer-agro-kupus-povrće-sadnja-zemljoradnik-bašta — Foto-ilustracija: Unsplash (Zoe Schaeffer)

Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Dmitry Dreyer)

In the last year, governments have pledged trillions of dollars in COVID-19 relief, creating what some observers have called a once-in-a-generation chance to make planet-friendly investments—and save the Earth from a looming environmental catastrophe.

But, that doesn’t mean the path to a green recovery will be easy.

According to a report launched today by the Global Recovery Observatory only 2.5 percent of all COVID-19 recovery spending will have “positive green characteristics,” like reducing greenhouse gas emissions and protecting natural capital.

The Observatory is tracking the fiscal rescue and recovery spending of the world’s fifty largest economies, to pin down the level of green spending built into rescue and recovery plans. The study is part of the broader Oxford University Economic Recovery Project, supported by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the International Monetary Fund, and the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ).

Researchers studied funds announced for both short-term “rescue” and long-term recovery. They found that green spending is concentrated in wealthier countries and populations, threatening to reinforce dangerous pre-pandemic inequities.

“Pandemic recovery packages are a massive opportunity to accelerate action on the three crises facing humanity: climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution,” said Steven Stone, Chief of Resources and Markets at UNEP. “We must seize it or we risk scarring, saddling future generations with massive debt and a broken planet.”

Spending so far

In 2020, USD 368 billion was announced in national spending on programs that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions. While this is a large sum, it pales in comparison to the USD 14.6 trillion in total spending announced by the fifty largest economies. Much of that larger number consists of spending that is not expressly green, which threatens reinforcing business as usual patterns of production and consumption that are ravaging the planet, the new report said.

Despite the severity of air pollution, which causes up to 9 million deaths annually, only 16 percent of total recovery spending (excluding the European Commission) is deemed to potentially reduce air pollution. When it comes to preserving natural capital—or the global stock of natural resources— and reversing ecosystem degradation, “only 3 percent of recovery spending is deemed positive”.

There are reasons for hope, though, the report said. Numerous countries are bucking trends and making substantial green investments. Poland, for instance, has put forth USD 2.1 billion in a recovery push to position itself as a European leader in the production and adoption of electric vehicles. Spain has earmarked over USD 7.2 billion for a recovery plan— “España Puede”—meant to spur a “just and inclusive energy transition” through direct investment.”

Recovery requires long-term thinking

Most green spending is concentrated in countries with a history of driving green investment. The report points to Germany’s leadership, highlighting its USD 8.3 billion investment in green hydrogen. And it said France, through a USD 8.4 billion allotment to its sweeping “France Relance” recovery program, has emerged as a leader in green building and energy efficiency retrofits.

While some Advanced Economies and the European Commission account for most of the green recovery spending, the report warns that “for the vast majority of countries, recovery spending has been relatively low and minimally green.” The economic ravages of the coronavirus are only exacerbating existing disparities—and recovery spending— between nations. The report points out that advanced economies are spending about 17 times more per person than what is being spent in emerging markets and developing economies.

The imbalance among nations reflects inequalities that exist within nations—inequalities that have only worsened during the pandemic. Disparities in health and healthcare access “led to the disease burden falling heavily on low-income and otherwise marginalized groups,” according to the report. Worldwide, those groups have also experienced the bulk of job losses and wage cuts.

The report urges decisionmakers to remember that focusing on short-term economic recovery could further exacerbate long-term social and environmental crises.” As risks like climate change, pollution and biodiversity loss threaten, like COVID-19, to drive up poverty and inequalities, UNEP and partners are calling for increased ambition—directed and spending— to chart a sustainable path.

“Rebuilding and recovery will be a long process, and it will involve the greatest investment of public resources our world has ever seen,” said Steven Stone. “Thankfully, the die isn’t yet cast. There is still time for countries to ensure that recovery and stimulus spending contributes to a better future for people and the planet.”

UNEP itself is retooling for COVID-19 recovery. The organization’s recently launched Medium-Term Strategy for 2022-2025 sets out a vision to address climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution and maps out the actions needed to shift consumption and production patterns towards sustainability. It will bolster UNEP’s efforts to advance the environmental dimension of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Source: UNEP

Jadarite Between Business Secret and Public Interest

10.03.2021

The American information site Bloomberg published an estimate that lithium demand will increase eight times in the next ten years. This forecast does not seem surprising, since there is already an almost insatiable hunger for batteries that power numerous devices, from iPhones to electric cars, which contain this alkali material. It is not difficult to conclude where we stand in this frenzy for perhaps the most sought raw material in the world at the moment if we take into account that one of the world’s largest jadarite deposits (from which lithium is extracted) is located in the Jadar Basin in Western Serbia.

Our reserves of this ore are estimated in the range of 100 to 200 million tones. Although it is popularly called “Serbian oil” because ten per cent of the world’s reserves are located on the Serbia’s territory, the lithium obtained from jadarite for the inhabitants of the Loznica area is not just a paradigm of the future economic prosperity of this area.

We asked the representatives of this company, which is registered in Serbia as Rio Sava Exploration, and Miroslav Mijatović, the president of the Podrinje Anti-Corruption Team (PAKT) who has been following plans to open the mine from the beginning whether the “treasure of the future” is buried in Serbia and what benefits the local population, the company Rio Tinto that will do the ore exploitation, and the state have. As you will notice, the answers given to us by the representatives of Rio Sava Exploration are not accompanied by the name and surname of the person whocompiled them. It is not common for our Confrontation section, and since we did not want to omit the other side, very important and powerful in this ore exploitation venture such as Rio Tinto, we decided to deviate from the rule, where persons with name and surname confront their views and publish their answers as follows.

EP: Lithium Mine is declared as a new hope not only for the residents of the Loznica region but also for the whole of Serbia. What is the role of lithium in the future?

Rio Sava Exploration: Lithium owes its importance to the fact that at the global level the so-called the “green agenda” is becoming one of the priorities, which, among other things, means reducing carbon dioxide emissions. In the EU, measures related to CO2 emissions are constantly being tightened, so the expansion of electric and hybrid cars is expected in the coming years. This is where lithium comes into play because it is primarily used to produce high-density energy batteries for this type of car. It is also used for the temporary storage of electricity obtained from large systems of solar panels and wind generators, which greatly contributes to this goal – reducing CO2 emissions and the transition to a green economy. It is important to point out that the green economy plays a role in the design and planning of the future exploitation and processing of jadarite. We are considering the number of measures and investments to ensure the lowest possible direct and indirect emissions of carbon dioxide.

Miroslav Mijatović: The role of lithium-ion batteries is already extremely large since these batteries are used in the production of electric cars, and also telephones and many electrical devices of modern technology. However, there is a misconception that lithium batteries for vehicles are an environmentally friendly solution, which is simply not true. Currently, in the most advanced countries in the world, the lithium battery is recycled in an extremely small percentage – from one to three percent. This can by no means be an acceptable solution from the point of view of environmental protection. As far as I know, science is paving the way for the production of cars that will run on hydrogen, which will be an acceptable environmental solution. Lithium certainly isn’t.

In focus:

EP: What do the processes of obtaining underground deposits of lithium mineral and its extraction involve? What kind of consequences this procedure has on the local environment and nature protection?

Rio Sava Exploration: Let us first explain the whole process, what will be produced and how. The final products of the Jadar mine will be lithium carbonate, boric acid and sodium sulfate. All three products will be in powder form. We must mention that the lithium carbonate will be of the quality needed to go immediately into the production of batteries, which is not the case with other deposits in the world but also required an intermediate phase in processing. The three mentioned products will be obtained from jadarite, which will first be exploited in an underground mine, and then go to prepare the mineral raw material you mentioned. That is only the first phase of processing, which involves crushing and wet classification, without flotation. Concentrated jadarite, which results from the first phase, goes immediately further into processing, that is, dissolution after which the final products are separated by crystallization. The processing of concentrated jadarite itself will take place in a modern plant with a new, innovative and stable technology that has been tested in a pilot plant in Australia and has undergone many independent audits by relevant experts in various fields. This means that our domestic and foreign experts’ team has improved the current lithium ore processing methods and lowered the processing temperature from over 250 to below 100 degrees Celsius, which is a much more environmentally friendly solution. When we talk about the Environmental Impact Assessment Study, it is being developed during the feasibility study, the development phase of the project, which is exactly the phase in which the “Jadar” project is in from August 2020. This Study is developed for all the project elements and includes an assessment of the cumulative impact, including the landfill. As for evaporation and deterioration of air quality, that is out of the question. Strict legal frameworks and standards are applied in the process industry, and in accordance with that, we will take all the measures defined by the Study on the Assessment of Environmental Impact by the competent institutions. If there is even the slightest risk to which there is no adequate technological response on our part, we will not be able to obtain the necessary permits to start the construction and use of the mine.

Miroslav Mijatović: What we know so far is very little. The plant for the preparation of mineral raw material will be produced concentrated ore of jadarite from the raw ore. On the surface, the ore will be crushed, wet sieved, rinsed and deposited. The crushing process was followed by wet sieving and hydro cyclones. The residue from the phase of preparation or mineral raw materials is fine granulation particles that are transported into precipitator. The processing plant will be located next to the ore beneficiation plant and produce boric acid, lithium carbonate (and/or lithium hydroxide monohydrate) and sodium sulphate. Depending on the production stages, the processing plant will be divided into parts for dissolution and crystallization of boric acid; elimination of impurities and crystallization of sodium sulfate and other objects. Due to strong evaporations in the processing process, it is assumed that it will significantly deteriorate air quality, and it is still unknown exactly on which area. It is also certain that the number of sunny days will decrease in the Jadar valley area, and the wider impact on the environment will be acknowledged when the final location of the tailings is known.

EP: In what way Rio Tinto plans to remediate the potential environmental devastation of the entire area allocated for the mine and how will the land rich in this ore be purchased?

Rio Sava Exploration: Rio Tinto primarily plans to build a mine, refining plant, process plant, industrial waste landfill and all supporting infrastructure following the best available techniques (BAT) as well as to apply all technical and technological measures that reduce the impact on the environment, respecting the legally defined limit values and standards. Thus, there is no ecological devastation of the area and therefore no need to rehabilitate it. We cannot deny the impact of mining, as well as industrial ore processing on the environment. Still it is our legal and any other obligation to apply protective measures approved by the competent institutions and to avoid or reduce the impacts to the legally approved minimum. Otherwise, neither we nor any other investor in the mining industry can obtain a permit for either construction or exploitation. Currently, the planned investment in the construction of systems and equipment in environmental protection alone amounts to over 100 million dollars. We can expect an increase in planned investments in this segment after completing of conceptual design and project design. The process of land acquisition is underway and is taking place in accordance with the laws of the Republic of Serbia and the best world practices, which principles have been determined by the International Finance Corporation (a member of the World Bank Group). Our goal is for both parties to be satisfied at the end of the redemption process.

We are aware that this is a sensitive and important issue for families involved in redemption, and that is why we approach this topic in a very transparent, careful and fairway. We are in a a regular communication with the landowners, and we are pleased to point out that in the vast majority of cases, we have developed the relationship of mutual respect and trust.

Miroslav Mijatović: We are not familiar with the fact that Rio Tinto completely rehabilitated any area where they mined. These are so far experiences, and the activists around the world are telling us about them. Recently, for example, they left the project on the island of Bougainville in Papua New Guinea, leaving the local population to take care of billion and a half tons of dangerous substances. For Rio Tinto to have an adequate field remediation plan, they would have to do it based on the relevant data on the impact of pollution. However, there is no such data, nor it seems to be of excessive interest to the company. When it comes to the redemption, Article 4 on the Law of Mining and Geological Research states that lithium ore is of strategic importance for Serbia. In paragraph 3 land expropriation is allowed for such projects. For that and only for that purpose, the Spatial Plan of the special purpose area for the realization of the “Jadar” project was adopted overnight, so that the locals would be informed soon after that their properties were converted from agricultural and forestry to construction land. According to our knowledge, Rio Tinto has hired a law firm, whose lawyers call the locals and arrange land sale.

EP: Who finances the infrastructure needed for such an endeavor?

Rio Sava Exploration: When it comes to infrastructure for the needs of the project, it is financed by Rio Tinto. Financing of the public infrastructure is in the competence of the Republic of Serbia, and it is realized in accordance with the law and valid planning Acts.

Miroslav Mijatović: Unfortunately, the infrastructure for the mine’s needs will be financed by Serbia, that is the citizens. Of course, no one asked us if we have agreed that our money is spent on such things. The state treasury will finance 13.4 km of Loznica-Valjevo road, which passes by the mine itself and should connect it with the fast road Loznica-Šabac and the highway Šabac-Ruma-Novi Sad and Šabac-Belgrade. I think that the Loznica-Valjevo railway construction in the length of about 80 km will be much important for the company. I don’t know whether it is a coincidence or not, but on two occasions, the beginning of this railway’s construction was interrupted by the world wars.

Interview by: Jovana Canic

Read the whole interview in the new issue of the Energy portal Magazine SMART CITIES, december 2020 – february 2021.

2021: it’s Now or Never for Mediterranean Wetlands

09.03.2021

It’s World Wetlands Day on 2 February – and there has never been a more important time for us to take stock of what’s being celebrated and why. That’s because the future of our wetlands and the future of humanity itself are inextricably connected, and 2021 is our best opportunity to do something about it.

For much of our recent history we’ve treated wetlands like they don’t matter. Coasts are there to build on, rivers and lakes are there to provide limitless water supplies for farms and factories, swamps are there to be drained for development. Here in the Mediterranean we’ve been converting and degrading our wetlands for centuries, and since 1970 we’ve lost half of what remained.

What too many of us still ignore though is that life begins in wetlands, and wetlands keep life going. If we’re to have any hope of solving the growing challenges our region faces and if we want to secure a sustainable future for Mediterranean people, then it’s time for a new beginning and a concerted, communal effort to save and restore these vital ecosystems.

Wetlands come in diverse natural and artificial forms, from rivers and lakes to marshes, ponds, coastal systems and marine areas, and between them they provide fundamental natural services on which depend the livelihood of millions of people in the Mediterranean Basin. Not only do wetlands store and purify most of our drinking water, they supply food and raw materials, sustaining local economies. They’re also vital hubs for biodiversity, and they have a critically important role to play in the fight against climate change.

But today in the Mediterranean the growing demands of agriculture, industry, tourism and urban development have pushed our wetlands to the brink. Over-abstraction of water (two-thirds of it for farming) has reduced flows between 25-75% in recent decades, and freshwater availability is projected to decrease by 15% over the next 20 years. As wetland habitats are drained and destroyed, vital natural systems are breaking down even as demand continues to rise.

How can we carry on like this? The simple answer is we can’t. Current projections for the Mediterranean region show some 250 million people living under water-stressed conditions by 2040, up from an already shocking 180 million today.

Climate change – which figures show is hitting the Mediterranean 20% harder than most other parts of the world – is amplifying the crisis, raising temperatures, reducing rainfall and driving a sharp increase in floods, storms, droughts and other extreme weather events.

At the same time, a biodiversity crisis is unfolding rapidly in the region. Wetlands are among the most biodiverse of all ecosystems, but in the Mediterranean wetland vertebrate abundance has nearly halved since 1990, and over a third of wetland species are threatened with extinction. Development and pollution are taking a disastrous toll.

Biodiversity loss and climate change are two sides of the same coin: both are driven by human activities, and each makes the other worse.

Yet wetland ecosystems can provide invaluable natural solutions – but only if we allow them to function properly.

Healthy wetlands store and purify water, and here in the Mediterranean we desperately need more clean water as our atmosphere heats up and our population keeps growing.

Healthy wetlands also capture greenhouse gases, cooling the planet. Coastal wetlands sequester carbon per unit area at a rate 10-20 times faster than terrestrial systems – but when they’re destroyed, part of that carbon is released back into the atmosphere.

Wetland ecosystems have a vital role in protecting Mediterranean communities from the growing risks associated with climate change. They buffer us from extremes of all kinds, such as ongoing sea level rise or increasingly frequent and violent storm surges. Further inland, wetlands soak up intense rainfall, guard against flooding, and replenish low flows in times of drought. They are referred to as unique nature-based solutions offering services of great social, economic and environmental value to humankind.

More than ever, the prosperity and well-being of Mediterranean people depend on how we look after our natural capital. More than ever, we need to invest in Mediterranean wetlands as we face an uncertain future.

To meet the challenge we need drastic changes, and 2021 offers unmissable opportunities to make them: the world is to decide on a new global framework for biodiversity, the European Union is committed to a greener future under the European Green Deal and the UN is launching the decade for the restoration of ecosystems.

This makes it the perfect time to launch innovative policies and management schemes in the region promoting wetland restoration and sustainability as well as equitable resource use in agriculture, industry and tourism alike. All stakeholders – local communities, the private sector, public authorities, academia, NGOs and international donors – have a role to play to give wetland conservation and restoration the boost they need. The social, economic and political stability of the Mediterranean Basin really is at stake.

And what about the public, what can we do? Well, wetlands concern us all, and it’s in everyone’s best interests to learn more about how important these amazing ecosystems really are, to spread the word and to support everybody who’s out there preserving and restoring them.

World Wetlands Day 2021 is the perfect opportunity to start making a difference for the future of Mediterranean biodiversity and people, at all levels.

Source: IUCN

Why Gender Has to be at the Heart of the Agenda for Green

09.03.2021

žena-fabrika-rad — Foto-ilustracija: Unsplash (Jeswin Thomas)

Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Christina Wocintechchat)

Climate change is one of the defining challenges of our times, and women are disproportionately vulnerable to it and have an important role in addressing it.

Tackling climate change effectively will require deep changes to how we live, work and think – and the only way these can be implemented is if everyone takes an active role and if the emerging opportunities related to the green transition are shared equitably.

There are many ways to understand how men and women experience climate change differently. Women form the majority of the world’s two billion poorest people, for instance, among whom the negative impacts of climate change are concentrated. Women are also often more affected than men by climate change impacts as a result of persisting gender norms and discriminations, for instance finding more obstacles in their way when borrowing to finance introducing greener technologies.

In the developing world, women are often the primary agricultural producers. As farmers, entrepreneurs, producers, consumers and household managers, women are key for implementing low-carbon strategies – and thus important agents of change. But, since women seldom own the land they work on, they have often been excluded from decisions on development. Including them can change outcomes.

Yet, to achieve the dual track of tackling climate change through gender action, we must recognise women as economic, social and political actors who play a crucial role in adopting new technologies, taking and supporting the tough decisions needed to spur action at scale, and seizing the opportunities that a new, greener economy can bring.

At the EBRD, we recognise that gender equality has to be an integral part of green investment and policy action. In 2020, the new strategic priorities we set for the next five years centred on making our investments not only more green but also more inclusive, gender equal and digital. The critical connection between climate action and gender equality is at the heart of our agenda.

Over the past year, we have been integrating gender across EBRD’s flagship green programmes.

We promote women’s access to green skills and jobs. In Egypt and Kazakhstan, we leverage partnerships with our private sector clients, national ministries and education providers to enable women to gain “green skills” and promote their progression into careers in the renewable energy sector.

We support women entrepreneurs to adopt low-carbon technologies and promote access to green finance. In our Green Economy Financing Facilities (GEFFs), we are working with local banks to ensure that both men and women have access to green finance, low-carbon technology and entrepreneurship opportunities.

We improve women’s access to green infrastructure and services. Through the EBRD Green Cities programme, we are accelerating the transition to low-carbon cities while promoting women and men’s equal opportunities in the infrastructure sector. In Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia, one of our lead Green Cities, we signed a new metro project in 2020 that will provide commuters with comfortable and environmentally friendly transport, encouraging residents to shift from private to public transport and thus reducing air pollution. It will also tackle gender-based harassment on public transport, and open up opportunities for women to train as metro drivers.

We empower women to act as managers of natural resources. In Morocco’s agribusiness sector, we are helping female farmers adopt enhanced water management technologies in the face of a changing climate in the Saïss Plain region.

This year, we will be launching a new Strategy, further raising our ambition to affect positive change at the nexus of climate change and gender equality. One focus is on the EBRD Green Cities programme through its enhanced policy reforms on gender as part of municipal decision-making, budgeting and public engagement.

We will also promote the uptake of low-carbon technologies in industry in Armenia, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Morocco, Serbia, Tunisia, and Uzbekistan. Together with the Green Climate Fund, we will ensure that women will be able to harness the opportunities coming from these new technologies through access to skills and green jobs throughout the transition to a low-carbon economy.

Likewise, we are working closely with the European Investment Bank and the CDC Group, the UK’s development finance institution, through the 2X Climate and Gender Taskforce, an initiative aimed at leveraging the power of gender-smart investments for climate action.

In the run-up to November’s COP26 climate summit and beyond, we have a unique once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to build back better post-Covid.

I look forward to working with businesses, policy partners and other key stakeholders to jointly take this opportunity – for a more equal, green and sustainable future for all. Green and gender inclusion need to go hand in hand.

Source: EBRD

Rio Tinto announces Board changes

08.03.2021

tunnel-tinel-rudnik-rudari-mine-miners — Foto-ilustracija: Pixabay

Rio Tinto Chairman Simon Thompson has informed the Board that he will not seek re-election as a non-executive director at the 2022 annual general meetings (AGMs) of Rio Tinto plc and Rio Tinto Limited. Sam Laidlaw, senior independent director of Rio Tinto plc, and Simon McKeon, senior independent director of Rio Tinto Limited, will now therefore jointly lead the search for Simon’s successor as Chair.

Sam Laidlaw said: “The Board accepts Simon’s decision and is grateful that he has agreed to provide an important period of stability and support for Jakob and the new executive team ahead of the AGMs in 2022. This will allow an orderly process for the appointment of our new Chair and other key Board members. The Board wishes to thank Simon for his commitment and continuing leadership during this challenging period for Rio Tinto.”

Simon Thompson said: “I am proud of Rio Tinto’s achievements in 2020, including our outstanding response to the COVID-19 pandemic, a second successive fatality-free year, significant progress with our climate change strategy, and strong shareholder returns. However, these successes were overshadowed by the destruction of the Juukan Gorge rock shelters at the Brockman 4 operations in Australia and, as Chairman, I am ultimately accountable for the failings that led to this tragic event.”

“Over the past eight months, we have engaged extensively with investors, government, civil society, Indigenous leaders and, most importantly, Traditional Owners to learn the lessons from Juukan Gorge. We have taken decisive action to address the weaknesses identified in our risk management and governance, while also acknowledging the need to improve our work culture and to rebuild relationships. In January, we appointed a new Chief Executive, Jakob Stausholm, who has moved swiftly to appoint his new executive team and has identified his key priorities to rebuild the trust that we have lost.”

Photo-illustration: Unsplash (David Hellmann)

“Throughout my seven years on the Rio Tinto Board, I have endeavoured to promote a progressive environmental, social and governance agenda. While I am pleased with the progress we have made in many areas, the tragic events at Juukan Gorge are a source of personal sadness and deep regret, as well as being a clear breach of our values as a company.”

In addition, Michael L’Estrange, a non-executive director, will retire from the Board at the conclusion of the 2021 AGMs.

Simon Thompson said: “Following significant surgery in February, Michael has decided after careful consideration that he should reduce his workload and will not therefore be seeking re-election as a non-executive director at the forthcoming AGMs. The entire Board wishes Michael a full and speedy recovery and thanks him for his outstanding contribution. Rio Tinto will greatly miss his insights and wise counsel.”

Michael L’Estrange said: “It has been an honour to have had the opportunity to serve on the Rio Tinto Board for what will be six and a half years. I wish Jakob and the new executive well for the future as they build on Rio Tinto’s many strengths and continue to implement the critical changes aimed at ensuring that an occurrence such as the destruction of the Juukan Gorge rock shelters never happens again.”

Source: businesswire.com

Innovation and Market Reform Needed to Drive Japan’s Clean Energy Transition, IEA Policy Review Finds

07.03.2021

sunce_vetar_enegija — Foto-ilustracija: Pixabay

Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Priscilla Du Preez)

New report notes Japan’s success in making its energy system more resilient and sustainable, but says reaching carbon-neutrality by 2050 requires quick action now.

Japan will need to move quickly to make headway on the steep emissions reductions that are required to achieve its recently announced ambition of reaching carbon-neutrality by 2050, the International Energy Agency said today in its latest in-depth review of the country’s energy policies.

Nearly a decade after the 2011 earthquake and the resulting Fukushima nuclear accident, Japan has made real progress towards developing a more efficient, resilient and sustainable energy system. It has embarked on major reforms of its energy market and diversified its energy mix. Energy-related CO2 emissions have fallen continuously since their peak in 2013, thanks to the expansion of renewable energy, the restart of some nuclear power plants and energy efficiency gains. By 2018, Japan’s emissions had declined to a level last seen in 2009. Reliance on fossil fuels has also declined but remains high at nearly 90 percent of energy supply, making Japan among the most carbon-intensive economies of IEA members.

“Japan needs to accelerate the deployment of low-carbon technologies, remove regulatory barriers and increase competition in its energy markets if it is to reach carbon-neutrality by 2050. I welcome Japan’s new Green Growth Strategy that puts emphasis on these priorities. The IEA is committed to supporting the government in these vital efforts,” said Dr Fatih Birol, the IEA’s Executive Director, who launched the report today at an online event with Shin Hosaka, Commissioner of the Agency for Natural Resources and Energy at Japan’s Ministry for Economy, Trade and Industry.

The new IEA report on Japan’s policies analyses its energy challenges and recommends possible solutions to help it achieve a secure, affordable and sustainable energy future. It finds that Japan has made important strides in reforming its domestic electricity and natural gas markets. The increasing competition in these sectors is encouraging, but further reform is needed to achieve a true level playing field for all market participants. Additional regulatory reforms will be important to encourage investments in zero-emissions electricity and to improve power system flexibility. The IEA also calls for policy makers to ensure that the market regulator has sufficient powers and independence.

Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Zbynek Burival)

The report highlights that Japan has seen continuous growth in renewables in the power sector, but that grid constraints have hampered investment in new projects and posed challenges to security of supply. Creating a well-integrated national grid and taking steps to improve the operational efficiency of the electricity system will facilitate the integration of more renewables while enhancing system resilience. The recent cold snap in January led to very low reserve margins in Japan’s electricity systems. This event provided a reminder of the importance of regional interconnections and the need to have sufficient generation capacity.

The IEA welcomes the government’s recent announcement to phase out inefficient coal plants by 2030. This will further improve the already high efficiency of Japan’s thermal power fleet. Yet even efficient coal plants emit more CO2 than any other power generation source, and Japan ranks among the few IEA members that plan to add new coal capacity. Japan should tackle emissions from those new coal power plants by retrofitting, repurposing them as flexibility sources or able to use other fuels, or through other measures to help them avoid becoming stranded assets.

The IEA report highlights that Japan’s strong innovation and technology base can play a vital role in developing the technologies needed to achieve its 2050 energy and climate ambitions. “I applaud Japan for its leadership in advancing low-carbon hydrogen and carbon-recycling technologies, which will be crucial for decarbonising sectors where emissions are hardest to reduce, such as long-distance transport and heavy industry,” Dr Birol said.

Reducing the costs of these technologies will be essential to promote their deployment at scale. Stronger reliance on market-based instruments is an additional option for Japan to reduce emissions cost-effectively, foster innovation for low-carbon technologies and further increase Japan’s already high level of energy efficiency.

Source: IEA

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