End Fossil Fuel Subsidies by 2020, Insurers and Investors Tell G20

15.02.2017

A coalition of 16 leading investors and insurers, including Aviva Investors, Aegon Asset Management and Legal & General, have today urged G20 nations to halt all subsidies for fossil fuels by the end of the decade, warning ongoing government support risks destabilising the financial sector and jeopardising the Paris Agreement climate goals.

The group, which combined represents more than $2.8tr assets under management, issued a joint statement urging the G20 to set out a firm plan to halt fossil fuel subsidies by 2020 at its summit in Hamburg, Germany, in July.

“Subsidies and public finance supporting the production and consumption of fossil fuels are a key concern to the finance sector,” the statement reads. “They increase the risk of stranded fossil fuel assets, decrease the competitiveness of key industries, including low‐carbon businesses, and negate the carbon price signals many of us have been calling for.”

In May 2017 G7 nations committed to phasing out fossil fuel subsidies by 2025, although a G20 summit two months later failed to deliver a wider commitment from all G20 nations, despite appeals from more than 200 non-governmental organisations.

“In line with the commitments already made by G20 governments, we need to see a clear plan to phase out subsides to fossil fuels,” said Meryam Omi, head of sustainability and responsible investment strategy at Legal and General. “The current level of inefficient subsidies and lack of transparency are jeopardising the global goal of meeting the Paris climate targets and of ensuring a secure, healthy and reliable energy system.”

She added investors are looking for clear signals from governments to help them funnel money into the low-carbon transition.

“As investors, we are faced with a tremendous opportunity to finance the low carbon transition and, as such, we look for the governments to set a clear timeline and a plan for phasing out fossil fuel subsidies to enable an orderly transition,” she said.

Research from the Overseas Development Institute (ODI) and Oil Change International suggests G20 governments spend $444bn each year supporting fossil fuel production.

Howver, there is some controversy over the definition of a subsidy and some countries, including the UK, claim not to subsidise fossil fuel production at all, arguing hefty tax breaks for the industry and other supportive policies do not constitute subsidies.

According to the ODI and the Global Subsidies Initiative, ending fossil fuel subsidies would be lead to reductions in greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to the global aviation sector.

Shelagh Whitley, head of the ODI’s climate and energy research programme, said fossil fuel subsidies are “bad economic policies” and urged ministers to take note of the calls from investors.

“G20 ministers must heed investor voices, and ensure that the leaders of their countries commit to a firm deadline to end fossil fuel subsidies at the G20 Summit in Hamburg later this year,” she said in a statement.

In related news, Austrian pension fund VBV-Pensionskasse announced today it has cut 100,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide per year from its portfolio by switching its core investment – the VBV Passive World Equities Fund – to a low carbon approach at the beginning of the year.

The move cut the carbon intensity of VBV-Pensionskasse’s portfolio by 55 per cent – equivalent to the average annual consumption of around 40,000 diesel cars.

“As market leader, we believe that the carbon footprint of investments and appropriate decarbonisation strategies for capital investments are landmark issues that reach far beyond the pension fund sector,” head of investments Guenther Schiendl said in a statement. “In the interest of our customers and with our responsibility for the location in mind, we have decided to send out a signal and hope there will be a knock-on effect among the companies we share the market with.”

Source: businessgreen.com

65 Per Cent of British Public Support New Clean Air Act, Says Survey

15.02.2017

More than half of the British public believe air pollution levels across the UK are damaging to their health and almost two-thirds back proposals for new laws to tackle the issue, according to research.

Canvassing the views of 1,670 adults, the survey found that 58 per cent believed the current levels of air pollution in the UK to be either harmful or very harmful to health, a figure that rose to 73 per cent among Londoners. What’s more, 65 per cent of those polled said they would support a new Clean Air Act to tackle the issue.

The study, undertaken by YouGov, was commissioned by the environmental law organisation ClientEarth on behalf of the campaign for a new Clean Air Act.

Launched this week, the campaign is a coalition of organisations, charities and activists – including Greenpeace, the British Lung Foundation and Sustrans – calling for fresh legislation to reduce air pollution.

“This poll clearly shows that people across the UK want the prime minister to get serious about the toxic and illegal levels of air pollution,” said James Thornton, the chief executive of ClientEarth which is leading the coalition.

“This is an urgent public health crisis over which the prime minister must take personal control,” he added. “She must listen to the country and come up with a credible plan that will reduce air pollution as soon as possible, so we are not choking on illegal levels of pollution until 2025 or beyond. The time for excuses is over.”

Poor air quality is a growing issue in cities around the world and is linked to a host of health problems, including heart failure, strokes and dementia.

“It’s no exaggeration to say that air pollution is a public health crisis. It contributes to up to 40,000 early deaths a year across the UK,” said Dr Penny Woods, chief executive of the British Lung Foundation. “Toxic air is a risk to everyone but hits those with a lung condition, children and the elderly hardest.”

The problem is acute. Last month it was found that parts of London had exceeded their annual legal limits for nitrogen dioxide (NO2) in the first five days of the year, while January’s cold, still weather exacerbated problems across swaths of the UK, with multiple regions rated as having high or very high pollution levels, and the capital put on high alert. Last week, the European commission announced it was escalating action against the UK for its failure to keep to agreed limits on air pollution.

But while the study suggests the majority of Britons would back attempts to improve air quality, the fervour appears to be split along Brexit lines. Those who voted to leave the EU were less concerned about air pollution, less likely to support the banning of diesel vehicles in areas of high pollution, and were less inclined to place the burden of addressing the problem on the government’s shoulders; while 67 per cent of remain voters held the government among those chiefly responsible for keeping our air clean, only 47 per cent of leave voters felt the same. By contrast both camps strongly believed the motor industry and other businesses linked to air pollution should lead the way.

What’s more, while half of remain voters said air pollution had worsened over the last eight years, those who voted leave were more sanguine, with only 36 per cent believing the problem had grown.

Although 57 per cent of leave voters support a new Clean Air Act, with mooted measures including reducing traffic and shifting to low-emission vehicles, only 33 per cent felt that when Britain leaves the EU, there should be stronger laws on air quality in Britain. More than half of remain voters said they supported stronger laws.

Simon Birkett, founder and director of Clean Air in London, part of the new coalition, stressed the need for action, adding that any legislation should ensure powers and responsibilities are given to the mayor and local authorities to tackle the problem.

“Sixty years after the first Clean Air Act, which fought respiratory problems from short-term exposure to visible air pollution from coal and wood burning, we need a new Clean Air Act to address newly understood health effects that include heart attacks and strokes from long-term exposure to invisible air pollution from diesel fumes,” he said.

A government spokesperson defended current plans to tackle the issue. “We are firmly committed to improving the UK’s air quality and cutting harmful emissions. We have committed more than £2bn since 2011 to increase the uptake of ultra-low emissions vehicles, we support greener transport schemes, and have set out how we will improve air quality through a new programme of clean air zones.

“In addition, in the autumn statement, we announced a further £290m to support electric vehicles, low-emission buses and taxis, and alternative fuels. We will update our air quality plans in the spring to further improve the nation’s air quality.”

Source: businessgreen.com

More than 70 Per Cent of Councils Lack ‘Solar Strategy’

15.02.2017

Ikea, CEEFOR, MT-KOMEX, solar — Foto: EP

Hundreds of local councils across the country have no official strategy for solar deployment and do not plan to add any new solar power to their portfolio in the next five years, a series of Freedom of Information (FOI) requests has revealed.

Data obtained from 332 local authorities by LG Electronics reveals 71 per cent of councils have no strategy or plan for future solar investment, including no target for future deployment. Meanwhile, 70 per cent of respondents said they had no plans to deploy solar in the next five years.

Many councils blamed changes to government subsidy schemes, with 47 per cent citing cuts in financial support as the main barrier to investment in solar energy. Lack of capital to provide up front investment was also cited as a barrier by 23 per cent of respondents, while a lack of internal stakeholder buy-in was highlighted by six per cent.

Data released last month by the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) confirmed the slowdown in the pace of solar deployment since the closure of the Renewables Obligation scheme and changes to the Feed-in Tariff subsidy scheme came into effect last February. In 2015 hundreds of megawatts of new solar capacity were being added every month, but provisional BEIS estimates for December 2016 suggest just 10MW of new capacity was deployed.

However, Bob Mills, senior sales manager for LG Electronics, insisted solar still could deliver a 14 per cent commerical return, making it a “no-brainer” for public sector decision-makers. “Local solar projects have been remarkably successful – saving money and benefitting the wider community,” he said in a statement.

A number of councils have pressed ahead with solar investments despite the subsidy cuts, with many authorities pioneering new finance models to fund deployment.

For example, Swindon council launched a series of solar bonds last year, while in June 2016 Stanley Town Council teamed up with North Star Solar to offer fuel-poor households the chance to install solar panels, battery storage technology and LED lighting free of charge and independent of government subsidies.

However, Mills warned that without a change to government policy councils would continue to spend the bulk of public money on more traditional – and polluting – energy projects.

BEIS was considering a response at the time of going to press.

Source: businessgreen.com

Five EU Member State Regulators Confirm Application of Third Package Network Codes on Borders to Energy Community Contracting Parties

15.02.2017

The national regulatory authorities of Bulgaria, Greece, Hungary, Poland and Romania have signed a general unilateral declaration on the applicability of all Third Energy Package gas network codes on interconnection points between Energy Community Contracting Parties and EU Member States. The signatory regulators declared that they will respect the application of gas networks codes and guidelines on the interconnection points with the Contracting Parties, once the Secretariat has been notified by the Contracting Party of its transposition. This corresponds to a binding interpretation of the Ministerial Council issued in 2014.

Director Janez Kopač said: “The network codes declaration signed by five EU regulators, approached jointly by the European Commission and the Energy Community Secretariat, is a key step towards removing one of the obstacles to pan-European energy market integration. The EU and Energy Community markets must operate as one regulatory space for the benefit of system security, security of supply, market functioning and above all energy consumers.”

At present, EU Member States are legally obliged to apply network code rules between each other, but not on the interconnection points that border the Contracting Parties. The adoption of the network codes, which are already mandatory in the EU, is under preparation in the Energy Community. The European Commission is expected to propose the first two network codes – on interoperability and congestion management – for adoption in the Energy Community in the first half of 2017. This does not prevent Contracting Parties to proceed with an early voluntary implementation in cooperation with EU neighbours and assistance of the Secretariat.

Source: energy-community.org

How Norway Is Leading the Way in Making the Planet Greener

15.02.2017

From being a UNESCO World Heritage Site to boasting the razor sharp peaks of the Lofoten Islands and emerald green fjords, it is easy to see why Norway is one of the leading lights in protecting our planet.

Given it only has a population of around five million, the country has surpassed expectations when it comes to climate change. Here are a few ways Norway is spearheading the safeguarding of our environment.

Norway will be climate neutral by 2030

Only a few months ago, Norway’s parliament approved a plan to achieve climate neutrality by 2030, two decades earlier than originally scheduled. It has put into action an accelerated programme of CO2 cuts and carbon trading to reduce emissions from areas such as the country’s oil and gas industries, which are likely to be completely removed from Norwegian life in the near future (recently, Ireland also signalled its intention to become fully divested from fossil fuels).

Zero tolerance for deforestation

Norwegians are big on being the first to achieve a goal. Last year, the country’s leaders passed a ban on public procurements that contribute to rainforest deforestation – the only country to do so. It makes perfect sense when trees sprawl across the country. Norway also sponsors similar green projects in Brazil and Indonesia. Indeed, in 2010 Norway gave the latter $1 billion to save their rainforests.

Water is power

In 2017, hydropower is now commonplace for Norwegians with around 275 stations built to date. According to the International Hydropower Association, they account for approximately 99 percent of all power production in the country.

Green cars, green energy

A little behind their European peers’ levels of CO2 emissions, Norway is now upping the pace. With a plan currently in place, and waiting to be passed, the country aims to ban the sale of fossil fuel-based cars over the next decade, and have all cars running on green energy by 2025. As a current world leader in electric cars per capita – having just become the fourth country on the planet to have around 100,000 of them on the roads – the plans certainly seem realistic. Starting out as a means to carry on, the country’s capital of Oslo – which boasts around 14,000 electric cars – placed a two-day ban on diesel cars in January 2017.

Feel the wind, feel the power

Norway has set out an initiative to triple its wind power capacity by 2020, with a $3 billion investment in the sector approved back in 2013. In a push to support a non-oil economy, it also announced a strategy to build the largest onshore wind power project in Europe. Comprising of six wind farms – with a combined capacity of 1000 MW – the scheme will make it the fourth biggest in the world.

In fact, caring about climate change is so ingrained within Norwegian culture, they believe conservation is everyone’s responsibility. Certainly, the country is showing the world how to go about it. Now we all need to follow suit.

Source: huffingtonpost.co.uk

Antarctic Sea Ice Shrinks to Smallest Ever Extent

15.02.2017

Data contradicts climate change sceptics, who have pointed to earlier increases in areas of sea ice to support their views.

Sea ice around Antarctica has shrunk to the smallest annual extent on record after years of resisting a trend of manmade global warming, preliminary US satellite data has shown.

Ice floating around the frozen continent usually melts to its smallest for the year towards the end of February, the southern hemisphere summer, before expanding again as the autumn chill sets in.

This year, sea ice extent contracted to 883,015 sq miles (2.28m sq km) on 13 February, according to daily data from the US National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC).

That extent is a fraction smaller than a previous low of 884,173 sq miles recorded on 27 February 1997 in satellite records dating back to 1979. Mark Serreze, director of the NSIDC, said he would wait for a few days’ more measurements to confirm the record low.

“But, unless something funny happens, we’re looking at a record minimum in Antarctica,” he told Reuters. “Some people say it’s already happened. We tend to be conservative by looking at five-day running averages.”

In many recent years, the average extent of sea ice around Antarctica has tended to expand despite the overall trend of global warming, blamed on a build-up of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, mainly from burning fossil fuels.

People sceptical of mainstream findings by climate scientists have often pointed to Antarctic sea ice as evidence against global warming. Some climate scientists have linked the paradoxical expansion to shifts in winds and ocean currents.

“We’ve always thought of the Antarctic as the sleeping elephant starting to stir,” Serreze said. “Well, maybe it’s starting to stir now.”

World average temperatures climbed to a record high in 2016 for the third year in a row. Climate scientists say warming is causing more extreme days of heat, downpours and is nudging up global sea levels.

At the other end of the planet, ice covering the Arctic Ocean has been at repeated lows in recent years.

In the northern winter, sea ice expands and is at its smallest extent for mid-February, at 5.38m sq miles.

Source: theguardian.com

Better Waste Management in Šid

15.02.2017

The public utility companies (PUCs) in charge of keeping Šid clean, are now able to do their job more efficiently. Through the “Enhancing Local Resilience to the Migration Crisis” a $1.3 million project, funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), and implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the municipal PUC “Standard” received ten large containers for solid waste, and the PUC “Vodovod” improved its car pool with a new liquid waste cleaning truck.

The new equipment will ensure better service for 35,000 Šid citizens, public institutions, local businesses, and the three Reception Centers in the municipality.

Through the project, the UNDP is working with experts to identify the most urgent municipal infrastructure needs to prepare for, and create a better response to current and future emergency situations. The purchase of the waste management equipment delivered today with an estimated value $83,700.00 was recognized as a top priority for Sid PUCs.

In cooperation with the Ministry of Public Administration and Local Government and the Commissariat for Refugees and Migration of the Republic of Serbia, “Enhancing Local Resilience to the Migration Crisis” works to improve the lives of local populations and migrants and ensure sustainable development of Subotica, Kanjiža, Šid, Bosilegrad, Dimitrovgrad, and Preševo municipalities.

Source: rs.undp.org

ABB Delivers Dubai Sun

15.02.2017

ABB has completed a substation to deliver the electricity generated by a 200MW photovoltaic plant in Dubai.

The 400/132kV gas-insulated switchgear unit, built for local utility Dubai Electricity & Water Authority (DEWA), will connect and integrate the second phase of the Mohamed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum solar park with the transmission grid.

The facility is expected to reach 5GW of capacity by 2030, becoming the largest solar plant in the world, ABB said. A 13MW pilot phase was completed in 2013 and the second is expected to start operating this year.

“We are proud to work with DEWA and to be associated with this important project,” ABB power grids division president Claudio Facchin said. “Our state-of-the-art GIS substation will boost transmission capacity and bring clean solar power to the people.

“Integrating renewables is a key element of our Next Level strategy as a partner of choice for enabling a stronger, smarter and greener grid.”

Source: renews.biz

Photo: abb.com

Bumper Year for Offshore Wind Sees Construction Projects Delivering Record Investment

15.02.2017

The UK’s offshore wind sector has enjoyed a bumper year according to new data, with the total value of construction projects in 2016 hitting £4.1bn, up from just £2.45bn a year earlier.

New figures released yesterday from construction industry analysts Barbour ABI indicate offshore wind farms accounted for 42 per cent of total construction value for the utilities and power sector, and a fifth of the country’s entire infrastructure sector, in 2016.

“Back in 2013 offshore windfarms accounted for only 7.5 per cent of the annual construction value for the utilities and power sector, which increased to 42 per cent in 2016, on the back of significant investment in this type of project,” Michael Dall, lead economist at Barbour ABI, said in a statement. “With reports showing that the cost of producing electricity in this way have fallen significantly, the increase in construction value makes sense.”

The 2016 figures were boosted by progress on three major offshore wind projects: the Beatrice, Galloper and East Anglia One offshore wind farms, which together were worth more than £3bn in construction value over the course of the year.

According to Barbour ABI, the sector is set to continue to grow into 2017, with £23.2bn of construction contract value in the pipeline from offshore farms which have been awarded planning permission.

“We have also seen a large uptake in the planning pipeline for future offshore windfarms with £23.2bn worth of construction planned over the coming years, suggesting this burgeoning sector will continue to expand in 2017 and beyond,” Dall added.

However, the £23.2bn figure is driven by just 11 major offshore wind projects, including the Dogger Bank and Hornsea offshore projects, and industry experts fear the pipeline for new projects will slow to a trickle beyond 2020 without fresh moves by government.

Analysis of government data published last month by the environmental think tank Green Alliance suggests UK investment in renewables is set to plummet by up to 95 per centwithout a decision to clarify post-2020 clean energy support mechanisms such as the future of the Contracts for Difference scheme, which has proved crucial for bringing new offshore wind projects on stream.

In related news, the Dutch Parliament urged the government to add another offshore wind farm zone to current development plans, opening the door for additional offshore wind capacity to be deployed in the next five years.

The vote calls on government to investigate the potential for developing an additional farm by 2023, in addition to projects already in the pipeline.

The Netherlands currently aims to have 4.5GW of offshore wind capacity installed by 2023, and is considering a new 30 per cent renewable energy target by 2030.

Source: businessgreen.com

Volvo Cars to Introduce First All-Electric Models in 2019

14.02.2017

Volvo Cars will be introducing its first all-electric models in 2019, going by recent comments made by the Senior Director of Electric Propulsion Systems at the firm, Mats Anderson.

The comments — which were made at the SAE 2017 Hybrid and Electric Vehicle Technologies Symposium in San Diego — were accompanied by others that revealed that Volvo Cars was also planning to introduce a front-wheel drive, 3-cylinder engine variant of its Twin Engine plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) system in 2018.

“Both the Compact Modular Architecture (CMA) and Scalable Product Architecture (SPA) architectures are being evaluated for the initial vehicles, with FWD and AWD variants,” Green Car Congress notes.

“To enable the cost-effective production of a range of BEVs meeting different requirements, Volvo is developing the Modular Electrification Platform (MEP) — a set of modular building blocks for electrification than will allow Volvo to deliver vehicles ranging between 100–450 kW of propulsive power, with battery packs of up to 100 kWh in size. Volvo’s BEVs will support AC charging up to 20 kW and high-speed DC, with support for CCS and CHAdeMO; Volvo Cars is a member of CharIN.”

As a reminder here, Volvo Cars execs have publicly stated in the past that the company is aiming to have 1 million “electrified” Volvos out and about by the year 2025. “Electrified” in this case seems to refer to conventional, non-plug-in hybrid vehicle, as well as to PHEVs and all-electrics (EVs).

Anderson commented: “We are committed (to electrification). There is no way back.”

Source: cleantechnica.com

India Officially Doubles Its Solar Parks Target to 40 Gigawatts

14.02.2017

The Indian government has confirmed that it will go ahead with a second phase of its solar power park program.

The announcement was made by the Minister of Finance in the union budget speech for financial year 2017-18. India will increase the planned capacity addition under its solar power park program from 20 gigawatts to 40 gigawatts.

The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, along with the Solar Energy Corporation of India, has already identified several solar power projects with cumulative capacity of 20 gigawatts. Under the second phase an additional 20 gigawatts capacity will be added.

While the existing solar power park program has been expanded, the overall installed capacity target remains the same at 100 gigawatts by March 2022.

This could essentially mean that the government recognizes that the planned capacity addition of 40 gigawatts under the rooftop solar segment may be too large of a target.

Recent auctions for solar power parks have received a huge response, with tariff bids falling sharply nearly each time.

Distribution utilities remain unprepared for rooftop solar power systems and consumers also seem unaware about the benefits of the such power systems.

Large-scale solar power parks, on the other hand, have numerous advantages, including low cost, large generation potential, and one-time investment in power generation infrastructure.

Source: cleantechnica.com

One third of new transit buses will be electric in 2020, all by 2030: Proterra CEO

14.02.2017

bus, usa, traffic — Photo-illustration: Pixabay

Several companies already manufacture electric buses, which now operate in several cities around the country.

But the CEO of electric-bus maker Proterra believes these vehicles will soon challenge their internal-combustion counterparts for dominance of city streets.

The market share of electric buses will expand much more rapidly than has been the case with electric cars, Proterra boss Ryan Popple said on Greentech Media’s Energy Gang podcast. Popple predicted that by 2020, one-third of new fleet bus purchases will be electric.

He went on to say that electric buses will account for half of fleet purchases by 2025, and that by 2030, every new bus purchased will be electric.

That would represent strong growth in a relatively short period of time, but Popple believes it is achievable due to the nature of the commercial-vehicle business.

Proterra is “already beating” diesel and CNG [compressed natural gas] on pricing, Popple said.

That pricing advantage may translate into increased bus sales more quickly than it would for electric passenger cars, he suggests.

That’s because buses are essentially commodity purchases, while passenger cars are consumer goods.

So while individual consumers may base their purchasing decisions on many factors, a lower price may be enough for fleet operators to convert to electric vehicles en masse.

All electric vehicles—buses and cars—will also benefit from anticipated decreases in the cost of lithium-ion battery cells.

A recent report by think tank Carbon Tracker predicted that average battery prices will drop to $100 per kilowatt-hour by 2020, down from $268 per kwh today.

Besides a potential price advantage, electric buses are also less affected by charging and range issues than electric cars.

Because buses operate on predictable routes, at scheduled times, and within predefined areas, coordinating the installation of charging infrastructure is somewhat easier compared to passenger cars.

Electric buses’ near-silent operation and lack of exhaust fumes may also be a bigger selling point in the crowded urban areas where they operate.

Source: greencarreports.com

EBRD, EU and Partners Support Energy Efficiency Investments in Western Balkans

14.02.2017

European Commission provides €30 million grant to regional programme.

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the European Commission (EC) are stepping up their joint efforts to promote energy efficiency across the Western Balkans.

In the latest push, the EC is providing a €30 million grant to implement the next phase of the Regional Energy Efficiency Programme (REEP) which aims to unleash the energy efficiency and renewable energy potential of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, FYR Macedonia, Kosovo, Montenegro and Serbia, also known as the Western Balkans Six.

Energy efficiency is an important component of the EBRD’s work to make the countries where it invests greener. This is an integral part of the six transition qualities which the Bank has defined in its updated transition concept as key to a well-functioning market economy – resilience, competitiveness, sustainability, inclusion, integration and governance.

The REEP programme was launched in 2013 as a joint initiative of the EC, bilateral donors and beneficiary countries cooperating under the Western Balkans Investment Framework (WBIF), and implemented by the EBRD in close collaboration with the Energy Community Secretariat. REEP combines crucial medium- to long-term financing with tailor-made technical assistance and support for key policies to boost energy efficiency and renewable energy investments in both the private and public sectors in these countries.

Under the next phase of REEP, the EBRD joins efforts with the German development bank KfW to continue providing direct and intermediated financing in commercial and public sectors while also launching the first dedicated regional residential sector credit line facility to help unlock the tremendous untapped energy efficiency potential of buildings in the Western Balkans.

The contribution agreement was signed in the Macedonian capital Skopje today by Genoveva Ruiz Calavera, Director, Western Balkans, Directorate-General for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations (DG NEAR) of the European Commission; the Head of the EBRD’s office in Skopje, Anca Ioana Ionescu; the European Investment Bank’s (EIB) Head for the Western Balkans, Matteo Rivellini; and member of the KfW Management Committee, Roland Siller.

The programme will also benefit from €1.8 million contributed by donors to the European Western Balkans Joint Fund, a multi-donor fund and the main source of financing under the WBIF, as well as €2.7 million from the government of Austria.

Anca Ioana Ionescu, Head of the EBRD office in Skopje, added: “Energy efficiency projects typically entail significant up-front spending, subsequently recovered through energy savings achieved over a long period, particularly in the construction sector. Availability of long-term financing to financial intermediaries who appreciate the economics of energy efficiency investments is therefore necessary to support the sector. Donors and development institutions have been essential in opening up the market over the past few years through the provision of long-term funding, technical assistance and incentives.”

Violeta Kogalniceanu, Head of Infrastructure and Energy Efficiency Unit at the Energy Community Secretariat, said: “REEP is the Western Balkans Six flagship programme for energy efficiency and small renewables and represents a unique set-up of tailored technical support, investment incentives and the Green Economy Financing Facility, a dedicated lending facility established by the EBRD. The Secretariat is proud to be the trusted partner of both the Western Balkans Six countries and the international financial institutions as the REEP programme further expands its scope.”

The REEP programme encourages the private and public sectors to take a leading role in promoting energy efficiency as envisaged in countries’ national energy efficiency action plans, developed as part of the Energy Community process. The programme builds on the success of the EBRD’s integrated approach to developing green economy markets and financing.

Over the past 10 years the EBRD has provided over €2 billion for the implementation of green investments in the six Western Balkans countries, which have enormous potential to benefit from the greater use of renewable energy and energy efficiency measures.

Source: ebrd.com

Medium-Term Coal Market Report 2016

14.02.2017

Analysis on coal often tends to be one-sided. But to truly understand the important role that coal plays, for better or worse, in the global energy system, it is critical that we examine both sides of the coin. This means understanding the implications of climate agreements on the future for coal while at the same time coming to terms with what coal is doing – and will continue to do – for energy security and energy access in developing and emerging economies.

Meanwhile, despite an increase in the price of natural gas price in the United States, coal consumption continues to drop. Is this decline inevitable? The last coal plants closed in Belgium and Scotland in 2016 while other European nations have announced the end of coal generation. Is coal going to disappear forever from Europe? At the same time, banks and funds are turning away from coal financing. Will this bring a halt to construction of new coal power plants?

The Medium-Term Coal Market Report 2016 addresses these questions and more, providing insight into the drivers of coal demand, supply and trade through 2021.

Please find summary here.

Source: iea.org

Rosatom Has Approved Aartnership with the Dutch Lagerwey for Perspective Wind Energy Projects

14.02.2017

Rosatom has approved partnership of its daughter company Otek with the Dutch Lagerwey in wind energy projects. On studying the feasibility of partnership with a number of wind turbines manufacturers Jsc Otek had proposed Rosatom to approve a deal, basing on a number of criteria: innovative design, experience, easy logistics of parts and components in Russia, readiness of a foreign partner for localization and maximum technologies’ transfer. The goal of the partnership is to develop the production of the wind turbines in Russia. In 2017 the partners will create a joint venture to ensure maximum commitment of the both partners to the implementation of the projects in Russia.

“Here we speak of the formation of the entirely new industry in Russia”, – stated the first deputy director general of Rosatom Kirill Komarov, – Rosatom sees its goal not only in building of wind farms, but in development of regulatory system, personnel training system, production localization, certification, R&D system for the wind energy. We have the second to none experience and knowledge in creation of new industries from the scratch, as we solve such tasks daily in our nuclear energy segment both in Russia and worldwide”.

“The basis of the future energy balance is based on low-carbon technologies like nuclear power and renewables combined. The decision to diversify our market proposal in low-carbon energy is a reasoanble follow-up to the overall business development of Rosatom. Moreover, it corresponds to the government 2017-2025 strategy aimed at shifting to the sustainable “green” development model”, – noted Kirill Komarov.

Rosatom has evaluated the capacity of the domestic wind energy market. By 2024 wind power generation capacity will amount up to 3.6 GWh with annual turnover of approximately 1.6 bln USD. The estimated volume of potential market for wind energy equipment, facilities and maintenance and aftersales services is about 6.3 bln USD. Rosatom plans to build 610 MW of wind farms during 2018-2020 and localize the production of parts and components of wind turbines including blades for 250MW a year. The localization will involve Rosatom’s production facilities of Atomenergomash and Umatex Group.

Source: Press Service of Rusatom International Network

Floods, Food Security and Wildlife Loss Top Public’s Climate Change Concerns

14.02.2017

Nearly two thirds of British adults accept climate change is happening and is primarily due to human activity, according to a major new poll that detects a “discernible shift” in the public’s engagement with climate-related risks.

The ComRes survey of 2,045 British adults found 64 per cent say climate change is happening, and is primarily due to human activity, representing a sizeable increase on the 57 per cent who accepted man-made climate change was occurring in a 2014 survey.

“Over just three years there has been a discernible shift in public opinion towards acceptance that climate change is both happening and mainly caused by human activity,” said Andrew Hawkins, chairman of ComRes.

“Seven in 10 now believe that almost all, or a majority, of climate scientists believe the same.”

He added that the acceptance of climate change science was feeding in to the public’s stance on a number of environmental policy issues. “The significance of this is that the public are becoming increasingly willing to see polluting energy sources phased out, to adopt alternative technologies and accept public policy changes to shift behaviour,” he said.

A raft of recent polling has revealed overwhelming majority support for renewables and a desire to see UK environmental policies protected post-Brexit.

The latest poll, which was commissioned by the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit think tank, also revealed the climate-related risks which spark the most concern amongst the public.

Eight out of 10 respondents said they were concerned about the impact of climate change on wildlife and nature, while 73 per cent said they were concerned about increases flood risks. Meanwhile, 60 per cent said they were concerned about more volatility in the availability and price of some foods.

Professor Joanna Haigh, co-director of the Grantham Institute at Imperial College London, welcomed the evidence that understanding of climate change is growing. “For people who have worked on climate change for decades, the finding that people recognise the sheer weight of scientific evidence is extremely heartening,” she said.

“But as the climate system sends increasingly urgent signals of the stress it is coming under, this understanding must be turned into action to address to the problem. We have the means to avoid the very worst impacts of climate change, and create a cleaner, healthier society – all it takes is the will.”

Source: businessgreen.com

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