Bill Gates and Billionaire Allies Launch $1bn ‘Breakthrough’ Clean Tech Investment Venture

13.12.2016

A year on from announcing plans to accelerate investment in clean energy research on the sidelines of the Paris Summit, Bill Gates has officially launched a new $1bn clean tech investment fund alongside more than a dozen of his fellow billionaires.

Breakthrough Energy Ventures (BEV) was unveiled yesterday, as a spin off from the Breakthrough Energy Coalition that was launched by Gates 12 months ago with a view to increasing investment in early-stage clean tech research.

The 20 year fund is backed by some of the world’s richest entrepreneurs, including Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, Virgin Group’s Richard Branson, Jack Ma of Alibaba Group, and leading venture capitalists John Doerr and Vinod Khosla.

“I am honored to work along with these investors to build on the powerful foundation of public investment in basic research,” Gates said in a statement. “Our goal is to build companies that will help deliver the next generation of reliable, affordable, and emissions-free energy to the world.”

Further details on the group’s ambitions and investment strategy are expected to be revealed on a media call later today.

However, Gates told Quartz magazine the fund would take a long term perspective and would be looking to back ambitious, next generation technologies. “People think you can just put $50m in and wait two years and then you know what you got,” he was quoted as saying. “In this energy space, that’s not true at all… Our goal is to build companies that will help deliver the next generation of reliable, affordable, and emissions-free energy to the world.”

The venture’s new website hints it will look to invest in a wide range of technologies.

“To provide reliable and affordable power without contributing to climate change we need to address emissions in five key areas: electricity, transportation, agriculture, manufacturing, and buildings,” it states. “We have mapped out a landscape of innovation that we believe will help humanity meet those challenges.”

It also sets out four investment criteria for the technologies it will consider: the ability to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least half a gigaton; the potential to attract capital from other sources besides BEV; the ability to demonstrate ‘existing scientific proof of concept’; and requirement for patient and flexible capital.

The move was welcomed by the UK’s Climate Change and Industry Minister, Nick Hurd, who hailed the venture as providing “even more momentum” to the global transition to a low carbon economy and presenting fresh opportunities to the UK clean tech sector.

“The transition to a clean energy system is well underway in the UK and around the world,” he said in an emailed statement. “[This announcement] is a great opportunity for British innovators in the UK low carbon sector, which is already worth over £80bn in turnover. Again we see how reducing emissions goes hand in hand with commercial opportunity.”

Source: businessgreen.com

Camden Council Launches Fuel Poverty Tackling Solar Project

13.12.2016

Camden Council has this week announced it has teamed up with Islington Council and Waltham Forest Council to deliver a pilot programme designed to reduce the fuel bills of residents at risk of fuel poverty.

The ’24/7 Solar’ initiative is being part-funded by national fuel poverty charity National Energy Action and will utilise solar panels and energy storage systems to test the potential benefits of storing solar electricity to supplement a householder’s evening power use.

The aim of the trial is to see if there is evidence that integrated solar and storage technologies can effectively reduce the energy bills of fuel poor households.

The panels, ranging from 1.62kWp to 3.78kWp, are being tested using three different battery types from Maslow, Growatt and Sonnen, to compare performance during the lifetime of the project.

Installations have already taken place at 41 low income households across the three boroughs, the local authorities said.

Comparative data will be generated to assess the performance of each brand of battery storage set against key parameters such as installation, reliability and savings generated, the councils said.

The study will also explore whether householders will shift their electricity use to make use of stored solar power during the peak 4pm to 8pm period.

“Solar plus storage is of huge interest to Camden Council,” said Councillor Meric Apak, Cabinet Member for Sustainability and Environment. “Fuel poverty is a very serious issue, blighting people of all ages and circumstances nationwide and storing solar energy can be one of the methods to offer our tenants significant savings to help reduce this burden. This technique also helps meet our Green Action for Change environmental targets by actively reducing the carbon footprint across our housing stock.”

Advocates of solar technologies have long argued that falling energy storage costs could help make the technology increasingly attractive for a wide range of domestic applications. However, experts have acknowledged more real world data is needed to see if solar and storage solutions can deliver an attractive return on investment.

Sources: businessgreen.com

Conservation Agreements Help Preserve Andean Ecosystems

13.12.2016

conguillio-national-park, nature — Photo: Pixabay

Andean ecosystems are under threat from unsustainable agricultural and rangeland management practices, fire, deforestation, and over exploitation of natural resources. To overcome this challenge, Peru and Ecuador have put in place Conservation agreements to help stem damage to the Andean region’s globally significant carbon stocks and biodiversity. This is one of the main achievements of a 2014-2018 project led by UN Environment at three sites in Ecuador and two in Peru.

“There has been a lot of deforestation in this territory. With the help of the project, local leaders interested in correcting this have initiated restoration processes that attracted the attention of settlers resulting in communities asking for seedlings to plant,” says Washington Benalcázar, president of the Andean-Chocó Commonwealth of Local Governments in Ecuador.

About the project

In 2014 the Global Environment Facility, the world’s largest public funder of international environmental projects, began funding a four-year project titled Multiplying environmental and carbon benefits in high Andean ecosystems. The project aims to contribute to the conservation or enhancement of carbon stocks and biodiversity at three sites in the tropical Andes of Ecuador (Carchi, Pichincha and Tungurahua ) and two in Peru (Piura and Huancavelica).

Both countries have signed the Convention on Biological Diversity, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, and the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, and are developing plans and incentives to ensure the conservation and restoration of natural ecosystems.

UN Environment is the implementing agency for the project, and the Consortium for the Sustainable Development of the Andean Eco-Region manages it at the international, bi-national and national levels, in coordination with national environmental authorities.

The GEF activity-based budget is US$4,796,364. Counterpart cash and in-kind contributions surpassed requirements, and are estimated at $16.2 million.

Source: unep.org

Coronal Energy Will Increase Number of Solar PV Projects

13.12.2016

Coronal Energy has announced plans to substantially increase the number of solar PV projects it will acquire in 2017 and 2018. The ambitious program will support a rapidly expanding solar pipeline in North America that already totals over three gigawatts under development.

“While many companies are retrenching, Coronal Energy, powered by Panasonic, is in growth mode,” said Jonathan Jaffrey, chairman and CEO of Coronal Energy.

“We are fortunate to be backed by a Fortune Global 500 entity in Panasonic (#128) that has made a long-term commitment to the future of solar energy in North America. Our financial strength and stability as a buyer sets us apart from our competition.”

Coronal’s Solar Acquisition Program will focus on utility-scale solar PV projects five megawatts and larger, located in North America. Coronal will review projects under any stage of development, including operational projects.

“We will be an exceptional partner for sellers seeking an experienced, efficient, and motivated buyer,” said Danny Van Clief, chief commercial officer for Coronal Energy.

“Our team has worked on solar projects in almost every US state, and having sold projects ourselves we know how to treat sellers fairly. A reputation as a premier buyer is one of our primary goals.”

Source: solardaily.com

Wind Farms Saved 36 Million Tonnes of Carbon Emissions over Six Years, Study Shows

13.12.2016

Wind power has played a major role in cutting UK carbon emissions, preventing the creation of almost 36 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuel sources over the six years up to 2014, a new analysis has found.

The study, published today in the journal Energy Policy by engineering researchers from the University of Edinburgh, analysed National Grid figures between 2008 and 2014 to assess the power generated by various electricity sources such as wind, coal and gas.

The results show wind farms have made a significant impact in limiting carbon emissions from other sources of power generation in Great Britain, saving the emissions equivalent to taking 2.3 million cars off the road over the six year period.

The study comes after the UK wind industry last week set a new output record of over 10,000MW, delivering 23 per cent of Britain’s total electricity demand for half an hour on Thursday afternoon.

According to the authors, the new study suggests a greater investment in wind energy could help meet Scottish and UK emission reduction targets.

“Until now, the impact of clean energy from wind farms was unclear,” said Dr Camilla Thomson, a carbon footprinting specialist from the University of Edinburgh, who led the study. “Our findings show that wind plays an effective role in curbing emissions that would otherwise be generated from conventional sources, and it has a key role to play in helping to meet Britain’s need for power in future.”

The study indicated that government estimates for carbon savings may have underplayed the benefits from wind farms, with the findings showing 3.4 million tonnes more greenhouse gases were saved than previously thought.

The researchers claim the study is the most accurate of its kind to date as it uses real rather than estimated energy output figures, while also taking the inefficiency of individual conventional generators into account. The detailed data produced in the study shows output figures for every half hour, showing how demand over time was met by power from the various sources.

Green groups welcomed the study, with Lang Banks, director of WWF Scotland saying it shows more clearly than ever just how significant the contribution from wind power and other renewables really is.

“It’s great to finally have an independent and authoritative study that puts a more accurate figure on the massive amounts of climate-damaging carbon emissions being avoided thanks to wind power,” he said in a statement. “The figures in the study highlight just one example of the many benefits that have come from shifting our electricity system to a clean renewable one.

“However, with electricity generation accounting for less than a quarter of our climate change emissions, it’s now time to begin to reap the same benefits by increasing the use of renewables in our heat and transport sectors,” Banks added, urging the Scottish government to increase its 2030 renewables target to 50 per cent of all energy.

Source: businessgreen.com

Fossil Fuel Divestment Pledges Top $5tr, as Investors ‘Fast Losing Faith’ in High Carbon Assets

13.12.2016

The anniversary of the Paris Agreement was marked today with the release of a new report, revealing companies and individuals with nearly $5.2tr of assets under management have now pledged to divest from fossil fuels.

The analysis from impact investing consultancy Arabella Advisors reveals that 688 institutions and 58,399 individuals across 76 countries have committed to divest from fossil fuels, representing a doubling of the reach of the global divestment campaign in the past 15 months. In total institutions and individuals managing $5.197tr assets have pledged to divest from fossil fuel assets.

Outgoing UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon welcomed the latest report, arguing the divestment trend was in line with the goals of the Paris Agreement.

“One year after the adoption of the historic Paris Climate Agreement, it’s clear the transition to a clean energy future is inevitable, beneficial and well underway, and that investors have a key role to play,” he said. “I commend today’s announcement that a growing number of investors are backing a shift away from the most carbon intensive energy sources and into safe, sustainable energy. Investments in clean energy are the right thing to do – and the smart way to build prosperity for all, while protecting our planet and ensuring no one is left behind.”

The analysis confirmed that three quarters of the divestment commitments have come from universities, foundations and faith-based organizations. But the report also noted growing support from the private sector, where a significant number of high profile institutional investors have voiced concerns about their exposure to so-called carbon bubble risks in the wake of the Paris Agreement.

For example, Legal & General Investment Management (LGIM) recently launched a new fund designed to incorporate a climate ’tilt’ to address the investment risks associated with climate change. Meanwhile, a survey last week from banking giant HSBC detailed how many investors had shifted their holdings as a result of the Paris Agreement, and over 40 per cent of listed companies reckoned the treaty would result in a loss in value for certain types of activities or assets.

Mark Campanale, founder and executive director of Carbon Tracker Initiative, which helped popularise the idea of a ‘carbon bubble’ whereby efforts to decarbonise will leave high carbon assets stranded and overvalued, said the surge in divestment pledges underlined how “financial markets are fast losing faith in the investment case for fossil fuels”.

“A technological revolution is underway in the energy and transportation sectors, as cheap solar and electric cars take away demand for coal and oil,” he explained. “With a climate trifecta of physical risks, stranded assets and the threat of legal liability – fiduciaries are now on notice to implement measures to protect their portfolios. Over time, climate risk management will likely become an enforceable obligation, as financial market regulators stand ready to move from rhetoric to tough action.”

His comments were echoed by Lou Allstadt, former executive vice president of Mobil Oil, who argued the oil and gas industry is currently experiencing “an unprecedented level of negative factors – from reduced profits to increased borrowing to pay dividends – while the costs of solar, wind and batteries continue to fall”.

“The prudent fiduciary is acting now to reduce the risk to their portfolios,” he added. “Divestment is speeding up the clock on the final accounting that will show fossil fuels are out and clean energy is in.”

A number of fossil fuel industry executives – including Rex Tillerson, the ExxonMobil CEO who is tipped to become US Secretary of State under the Trump administration – have attacked the divestment movement and ‘carbon bubble’ hypothesis, arguing continued investment in fossil fuels is essential for global development efforts and insisting that if rapid decarbonisation occurs fossil fuel firms can adapt.

However, May Boeve, executive director of campaign group 350.org, said the scale and reach of the divestment trend suggested it had now become “unstoppable”.

“What began on a few college campuses in the US has spread to every corner of the world, squarely into the financial mainstream,” she said. “Divestment has permeated every sector of society: from universities and pension funds, to philanthropic and cultural institutions, to cities, faith groups, insurance companies and more. Now at $5tr, the movement is unstoppable. Institutions and investors must choose whether to be on the right side of history.”

The report came as Trinity College Dublin became the latest high profile academic institution to issue a divestment pledge. “Trinity intends to play our part in delivering on the Paris Agreement, said Dr. Patrick Prendergast, the provost and president of Trinity College Dublin. “We aspire to be a leader in sustainability and climate solutions in every aspect of the College, not only in investments but in our research, and also in how the campus operates. We made this decision following the impressive campaign of our own students’ ‘Fossil Free TCD’. We responded to their call, and today is a historic day for all of us as we participate in this global announcement along with universities and multiple organisations from around the world.”

Meanwhile, a new campaign, dubbed DivestInvest Culture, was also kicked off today to encourage cultural bodies to end their investment in fossil fuels backed by actors such as Mark Ruffalo, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Adrian Grenier.

The developments come in the same week as billionaire Bill Gates similarly marked the anniversary of the Paris Agreement with the launch of a new $1bn clean tech investment fund designed to channel funding into next generation technologies capable of delivering large scale greenhouse gas emissions reductions.

It also comes two days ahead of the expected publication of a series of recommendations from the Financial Stability Board working group, set up by Bank of England governor Mark Carney to investigate climate risks within the global financial system. It is expected to call for more comprehensive climate-related disclosures from listed firms, including an analysis of how firms will cope with a range of climate and decarbonisation scenarios.

Source: businessgreen.com

NIS Investing RSD 18 Billion in Construction of TE-TO Pancevo

12.12.2016

Naftna Industrija Srbije (NIS) is planning to raise a thermal power plant / heating plant (TE-TO) in Pancevo, as well as the Plandiste wind farm, as part of its response to the current oil crisis, said deputy CEO of NIS, Anton Fyodorov.

He pointed out that the construction of TE-TO Pancevo would start the next year.

– This facility will have 140 megawatts of power, its construction will cost RSD 18 billion, and it should be completed in two years – Fyodorov emphasized.

TE-TO Pancevo will be producing electricity for the needs of NIS”s refinery in the city, as well as for Petrohemija, and it will be producing heat for the people of Pancevo. Surplus electricity will be distributed to the electricity market in Serbia.

Fyodorov added that NIS had acquired all the necessary permits for the construction of the Plandiste wind farm. Let us remind that it was announced earlier that the project would be realized by the joint company NIS Energowind, 50% of which is owned by NIS, whereas the remaining 50% is owned by private investors.

During the realization of the project on the territory of the municipality of Plandiste, 34 wind generation devices will be installed, with a total capacity of 102 megawatts. Capital investments in the realization of the project, including the preparation of the base documentation package and the acquiring of all the necessary permits, will amount to around EUR 160 million.

Source: icbbg.rs

Air Quality in Holy City of Varanasi ‘Most Toxic in India’

12.12.2016

Air quality in the Indian holy city of Varanasi is “the most toxic in the country” according to research that reveals the extent of the pollution crisis across northern India.

There has been a growing awareness of the dangers of the smog that envelopes Delhi in the winter months, but a report released on Monday by three environmental groups highlights the extent of the problem across the north Indian plains, where levels of harmful airborne particles are routinely higher than in the capital.

According to 2015 data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), Varanasi and Allahabad, both located in India’s largest and most populous state, Uttar Pradesh, did not record a single day of “good” air quality in the more than 220 days that measurements were taken.

“Good” air indicates an Air Quality Index score below 50. Anything above 100 – “moderate” – is considered to be dangerous for children, the elderly and people with respiratory conditions.

The report’s lead author, Aishwarya Madineni, said the levels recorded in Varanasi appeared to regularly breach 150, when the air is classified as “unhealthy” and begins to affect the general population.

The researchers found that levels of airborne pollution in Varanasi finer than 2.5 micro-metres – the most harmful variety because they can reach deep into the lungs and breach the blood-brain barrier – were routinely double the safe limit in October and November 2015.

Levels of coarser particles finer than 10 micro-metres were triple the safe limit in 2016 and had increased by more than one-third since 2010, the research showed.

A 2016 World Health Organisation study found that half of the world’s 20 most polluted cities were in India, starting with Gwalior in Madhya Pradesh.

Allahabad and Delhi were also listed as suffering from toxic levels of fine pollution in the WHO report but Varanasi was not measured.

The spiritual capital, which draws hundreds of thousands of Hindu pilgrims to the banks of the Ganges river each year, had just one monitoring station capable of measuring the finest pollution particles, and even that station had “huge gaps in the data”, Madineni said.

The pollution’s cause in Varanasi is much the same as in Delhi: a mix of dust kicked up by traffic and construction sites, vehicular and industrial emissions, smoke from private diesel generators and open fires lit by poorer residents.

Uttar Pradesh is also home to at least 18 coal-fired power stations, the emissions from which can travel hundreds of kilometres and diminish air quality across the region.

Among six cities in Uttar Pradesh highlighted in the report, only two – Kanpur and Agra – had more than 12 “good” air quality days each year. Child specialists cited in the report said there had been an eight-fold rise in respiratory illnesses in Varanasi and the degrading air quality seen as the main cause.

Rates of asthma and patients reporting breathlessness in the city had also increased by up to 25%, according to R N Vajpayee, a pulmonologist and chest physician cited in the study.

Air quality in Delhi fell to its lowest levels in 17 years in the past three months, leading to emergency shutdowns of power stations, construction sites and schools. A 2015 study has shown that about half the capital’s 4.4 million schoolchildren have had their lung capacity permanently compromised because of the pollution.

Source: theguardian.com

Medium-Term Coal Market Report 2016

12.12.2016

Growth in global coal demand will stall over the next five years as the appetite for the fuel wanes and other energy sources gain ground, according to the latest coal forecast from the International Energy Agency.

The share of coal in the power generation mix will drop to 36% by 2021, down from 41% in 2014, the IEA said in the latest Medium-Term Coal Market Report, driven by lower demand from China and the United States, along with fast growth of renewables and strong focus on energy efficiency.

But in a sign of coal’s paradoxical position, the world is still highly dependent on coal. While coal demand dropped in 2015 for the first time this century, the IEA forecasts that demand will not reach 2014 levels again until 2021. However such a path would depend greatly on the trajectory of China’s demand, which accounts for 50% of global coal demand – and almost half of coal production – and more than any other country influences global coal prices.

The new report highlights the continuation of a major geographic shift in the global coal market towards Asia. In 2000, about half of coal demand was in Europe and North America, while Asia accounted for less than half. By 2015, Asia accounted for almost three-quarters of coal demand, while coal consumption in Europe and North America had declined sharply below one quarter. This shift will accelerate in the next years, according to the IEA.

Because it is relatively affordable and widely available, coal remains the world’s number one fuel for generating electricity, producing steel and making cement. It provides almost 30% of the world’s primary energy, declining to 27% by 2021. However it is also responsible for 45% of all energy-related carbon emissions and is a significant contributor to other types of pollution.

“Because of the implications for air quality and carbon emissions, coal has come under fire in recent years, but it is too early to say that this is the end for coal,” said Keisuke Sadamori, the director of the IEA’s energy markets and security directorate, who launched the report in Beijing, China.

“Coal demand is moving to Asia, where emerging economies with growing populations are seeking affordable and secure energy sources to power their economies. This is the contradiction of coal — while it can provide essential new power generation, it can also lock-in large amounts of carbon emissions for decades to come.”

The report also points out that despite the Paris Agreement there is no major impetus to promote the development of carbon capture and storage technology.

Source: iea.org

OPEC and non-OPEC Ministerial Meeting

12.12.2016

HE Novak at 8th JMMC meeting Jeddah — Photo: OPEC

Following the ‘Vienna Agreement’ decided upon at the 171st Meeting of the Conference of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) on 30th November, 2016, Ministers from OPEC met with a number of Ministers from non-OPEC oil producing countries on Saturday, 10th December, at the OPEC Secretariat in Vienna.

The Meeting noted that OPEC Member Countries met on 30th November 2016 and decided to implement a production adjustment of 1.2 million barrels a day (mb/d), effective from 1st January 2017. The Meeting recorded that OPEC Member Countries, in agreeing to this decision, confirmed their commitment to a stable and balanced oil market and underscored the importance of other oil producing countries joining their efforts.

The Meeting recognized the desire of Azerbaijan, Kingdom of Bahrain, Brunei Darussalam, Equatorial Guinea, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Mexico, Sultanate of Oman, the Russian Federation, Republic of Sudan, and Republic of South Sudan, as well as other non-OPEC producers, to achieve oil market stability in the interest of all oil producers and consumers. In this regard, the aforementioned countries proposed to adjust their oil production, voluntarily or through managed decline, starting from 1st January 2017 for six (6) months, extendable for another six (6) months, to take into account prevailing market conditions and prospects.

The aforementioned countries and OPEC, convinced of the necessity to jointly cooperate to help stabilize the oil market, reached the following:

-OPEC maintains its decision made on 30th November 2016, whereby arrangements were recorded following the extensive understanding of OPEC’s adjustment;

-Azerbaijan, Kingdom of Bahrain, Brunei Darussalam, Equatorial Guinea, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Mexico, Sultanate of Oman, the Russian Federation, Republic of Sudan, and Republic of South Sudan commit to reduce their respective oil production, voluntarily or through managed decline, in accordance with an accelerated schedule. The combined reduction target was agreed at 558,000 barrels a day for the aforementioned producers;

-That two participating non-OPEC countries shall join the OPEC Ministerial Monitoring Committee, consisting of oil ministers, chaired by Kuwait with the Russian Federation as alternate chair and assisted by the OPEC Secretariat;

-To strengthen their cooperation, including through joint analyses and outlooks, with a view to ensuring a sustainable oil market, for the benefit of producers and consumers; and

-To regularly review at the technical and ministerial levels the status of their cooperation.

-Finally, the Meeting expressed its gratitude to the Government and to the people of the Republic of Austria, as well as the authorities of the City of Vienna for their warm hospitality and excellent arrangements made for the Meeting.

Source: opec.org

Enel Starts Operation of Integrated Geothermal-Hydropower Plant in Utah

12.12.2016

Enel S.p.A., through its subsidiary Enel Green Power North America Inc. (EGPNA), has begun operation of its Cove Fort geothermal-hydropower plant. EGPNA added a fully submersible downhole generator technology to a geothermal injection well at Cove Fort in Utah, U.S. The facility began operation in 2013 with a capacity of 25 MW.

“The operation of this technology, a world’s first, is a major milestone for the geothermal industry and a reinforcement of our commitment to innovation and energy efficiency,” said Francesco Venturini, head of Enel’s Global Renewable Energies. “We are creating innovative solutions that are making renewable energy better, stronger and smarter. As a result, we have once again discovered a more resourceful way to maximize plant operations and power generation with the aim of using this technology at our facilities around the world.”

The initial testing phase, from July to September 2016, revealed that adding the hydro generator increased output by 1,008 MWh, offsetting the energy consumption of the Cove Fort plant by 8.8 percent.

The generator technology captures the energy of the water flowing back into the earth while also better controlling the flow of brine back into the ground, Enel says. The name of the company providing the technology was not disclosed.

Cove Fort is EGPNA’s second hybrid power plant to begin operations in the U.S. The first, in Fallon, Nev., combines medium enthalpy, binary cycle geothermal with solar thermal and solar PV technologies.

The Enel Group owns 27.6 GW of hydropower facilities and a total installed generating capacity of 36 GW.

Source: renewableenergyworld.com

Canada Sets its First National Carbon Price at C$10 a Tonne

12.12.2016

The Canadian government has agreed a deal with eight of the country’s 10 provinces to introduce its first national carbon price, Justin Trudeau has told reporters.

The prime minister said the move would help Canada meet its international climate change obligations.

The agreement was struck on Friday only after heated talks. The energy-producing province of Saskatchewan did not sign up, saying the cost would be too great. Manitoba also declined to sign but officials said it might do so later.

Trudeau is promising to impose a carbon price on any province that refuses to sign on.

Under his plan, carbon pollution would cost C$10 (£6, US$7.60) a tonne in 2018, rising by C$10 a year until it reaches C$50 in 2022. The provinces can either implement a carbon tax or a cap-and-trade market.

In November Canada announced it would phase out the use of coal-fired electricity by 2030.

“Taking traditional coal power out of our energy mix and replacing it with cleaner technologies will significantly reduce our greenhouse gas emissions, improve the health of Canadians, and benefit generations for years to come,” the environment minister, Kathleen McKenna, said.

Trudeau is broadly aligned politically with The US president, Barack Obama, who has pushed hard to cut emissions of greenhouse gases.

The US vice-president, Joe Biden, told the meeting he doubted the president-elect, Donald Trump, could undo much of the administration’s policies since many of them had taken firm hold.

The premier of Saskatchewan, Brad Wall, said the carbon price would make Canadian firms less competitive at a time when Trump looked likely to adopt policies cutting energy costs.

Four of Canada’s 10 provinces still use coal-based electricity. Alberta has been working toward phasing out coal-fired electricity by 2030.

Source: theguardian.com

France to Require ‘Clean Stickers’ on Vehicles in High Pollution Areas

12.12.2016

paris-pollution — Photo-illustracija: Pixabay

French motorists in high pollution areas will be required to display a “clean sticker” on their vehicle from January to combat pollution that has created a cloud of noxious smog in Paris and other cities.

The six differently coloured Crit’Air (air criteria) stickers will be large enough for the police to see at a distance and will indicate the age of the vehicle, its engine and cleanliness on a scale of one to six.

Although emergency vehicles, vintage cars and certain delivery and security vans will be exempt from the regulation, to take effect from 16 January, stickers will be obligatory for motorbikes and scooters.

On weekdays, vehicles without the stickers will be banned from entering designated zones à circulation restreinte (ZCR – low-emission zones), which will be determined by local authorities based on pollution evaluations.

Announcing a raft of measures to combat the increasing problem of pollution in France’s cities, the ecology minister, Ségolène Royal, said the government was “taking the problem seriously”.

“What we now need is a revolution bringing clean transport, responsible cities, electric vehicles in cities and different ways of moving around,” Royal said.

The alternating traffic rule – in which cars with odd or even registration plates are banned from cities – was enforced for a record four days in Paris last week. It was dropped after the pollution improved over the weekend when the roads were less busy. But Airparif, which monitors air quality in the French capital, warned that the smog, which led to a rise in asthma and hospital admissions for breathing difficulties and caused schools to cancel outdoor sports, could return with the rush-hour traffic on Monday.

Other measures announced include an extension of the “superbonus scheme” in which vehicle owners can obtain a €10,000 (£8,400) payment for changing an old polluting vehicle for an electric one. Until now this has been offered to private car owners but is to be extended to taxis and vans.

From January, the government will also offer €1,000 to those buying an electric scooter.

The Paris mayor, Anne Hidalgo, who has made fighting pollution in the city a priority, has declared she wants the capital free of diesel vehicles by 2020 and the whole of France by 2025.

Source: theguardian.com

Commission Takes Italy back to the Court and Proposes Fines

12.12.2016

The European Commission is taking Italy back to the Court of Justice of the EU for its failure to fully and completely comply with the Court’s judgment of 2012. The Italian authorities have still to ensure that urban waste water is adequately collected and treated in 80 agglomerations across the country out of the 109 covered by the first judgment to prevent serious risks to human health and the environment.

On 19 July 2012, the Court of Justice of the EU ruled (case C-565/10) that the Italian authorities were violating EU law (Council Directive 91/271/EEC) by not adequately collecting and treating the urban waste water discharged by 109 agglomerations (towns, cities, settlements).

Four years later, this issueremains unaddressed in 80 agglomerations, covering more than six million people. These include areas in seven Italian regions: Abruzzo (one agglomeration), Calabria (13 agglomerations), Campania (seven agglomerations), Friuli-Venezia Giulia (two agglomerations), Liguria (three agglomerations), Puglia (three agglomerations), and Sicilia (51 agglomerations). The lack of adequate collection and treatment systems for these 80 agglomerations poses significant risks to human health, inland waters and the marine environment.

The Commission is calling on the Court of Justice of the EU to impose a lump sum payment of €62,699,421.40. The Commission is also proposing a daily penalty payment of €346,922.40 if full compliance is not achieved by the date when the Court issues its ruling. The final decision on the penalties rests with the Court of Justice of the EU.

Ensuring that all urban areas have waste water treatment facilities working properly can bring considerable benefits to EU citizens, as untreated water poses risks to human health and the environment.

Source: europa.eu

Clean Energy Jobs Increasing, Fossil Fuel Jobs Decreasing, Says IRENA

12.12.2016

IRENA, the International Renewable Energy Agency, says the trend is clear. Jobs in clean energy industries like solar, wind, geothermal and hydroelectric are increasing while jobs in oil, natural gas, and coal extraction are decreasing worldwide. About 8.1 million people worldwide had jobs in the clean energy in 2015. That’s up from 7.7 million in 2014, according to the latest figures from IRENA.

The clean energy advocacy group, which is based in Abu Dhabi, says jobs in the solar industry in the US were greater than those in oil and gas extraction for the first time in 2015. Job creation in the solar sector grew 12 times faster than overall job creation. By contrast, oil and gas producers slashed 351,410 jobs worldwide since prices began to slide in the middle of 2014, according to Houston-based Graves & Co.

“The continued job growth in the renewable energy sector is significant because it stands in contrast to trends across the energy sector,” said Adnan Amin, director-general of IRENA. “This increase is being driven by declining renewable energy technology costs and enabling policy frameworks. We expect this to continue as the case for renewables strengthens and countries move to achieve climate targets.” IRENA predicts there will be 24 million jobs in clean energy by 2030, driven in large measure by efforts to meet carbon reduction targets agreed to by all nations at the COP 21 summit in Paris last December.

In a trend little noticed by the mainstream press, renewable energy is starting to gain a foothold in rural America, the very place where Donald Trump support is strongest. People may disagree about climate change and what to do about it, but simple economics are driving a switch over to renewable energy in so-called red states like Texas, Oklahoma, and South Carolina.

Polls show that voters across all political fault lines strongly favor renewable energy. One such poll done by Hart Research on behalf of NextGen Climate Action shows that 70% of swing state voters support the goal of 50% clean energy by 2030, including 54% of Republicans. James and Deborah Fallows have been crisscrossing the country on behalf of the American Futures project. They say their task is “taking seriously places that don’t usually get registered seriously.”

What they are finding in their travels is that renewable energy projects in rural America are giving small town residents pride in their contribution toward green jobs and greener energy. People who make that pride part of their identity become more open to further action. Someday they may even come to see themselves as part of a larger struggle against climate change.

Source: cleantechnica.com

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