Obama Gives Half A Billion Dollars To UN Climate Fund

19.01.2017

Barack Obama has transferred half a billion dollars to the UN’s Green Climate Fund, just three days before Donald Trump’s inauguration.

The president-elect has promised to stop all payments to UN global warming programmes.

But announcing the grant, John Kirby, the State Department’s spokesman said there was no “nefarious desire or intent” behind the timing, adding that “the investment had long been planned”.

Trump, a long-time climate change denier who once described global warming as a Chinese conspiracy, initially said he planned to withdraw the US from the Paris Agreement, although his stance has since softened.

Investment in the climate fund is a key part of America’s responsibilities under the agreement.

The latest move will go some way to protecting the fund, which was created in 2010 as a way of ensuring that developing nations could adapt to and mitigate the effects of global warming.

More than 100 organisations and nearly 100,000 people had called on Obama to transfer the US’s remaining $2.5bn commitment to the fund. Despite the fact the investment fell short, the move was praised by climate activists.

“The Obama administration is refusing to let president-elect Trump’s posse of oil barons and climate deniers dictate how the world responds to the climate crisis,” said Tamar Lawrence-Samuel, of Corporate Accountability International, which led the campaign.

Source: huffingtonpost.co.uk

Bulgaria and Serbia Signed Memorandum of Understanding on Gas Interconnector

19.01.2017

Bulgarian outgoing Minister of Energy Temenuzhka Petkova and her Serbian counterpart – Minister of Energy and Mining Aleksandar Antić, inked a Memorandum of Understanding on the project for construction of a gas interconnector between Bulgaria and Serbia, FOCUS New Agency journalist reported.

Under the document the two countries agreed to make maximum efforts to start the construction of the interconnector by May 2019, the latest, so as to launch it in exploitation by the end of 2020.

The signing of the Memorandum of Understanding continues the agreement signed between the two countries on the construction of a gas connection back on December 14, 2012.

The realization of the first stage of the project in the Bulgarian section was finalized on December 31, 2016. It was done with financing under OP Development of the Competitiveness of the Bulgarian Economy 2007-2013.

“Bulgaria has guaranteed financing of EUR 45 million for the project,” Ms Petkova remarked.

“I would like to thank my Serbian counterpart for the constructive dialogue between the two countries so as to have this memorandum a fact today,” she added.

Source: focus-fen.net

We Produce Biogas and Save up to 140,000 Euros per Year

19.01.2017

Plant for the waste water treatment in the Carlsberg beer factory in Čelarevo opened in 2010 in the presence of the top state officials. This brewery is among the first in Serbia which presented this kind of facility. They wanted to emphasize that they care about the broader community and the environment.

The total investment amounts to around 5 million euros and there is a plan for other innovations such as the use of treated water for the watering of green areas, which our interviewee has announced. There is ambition for more efficient use of resources, especially water, since in 2015 3.6 hl of water was used for the production of 1 hl of beer. There is a plan to spend 3.5 hl of water in 2016 for the production of the appreciated drink. We met Marko Mares after the presentation on which he presented Carlsberg as a responsible and active company. He gave us some more details on waste water treatment exclusively for our portal.

EP: At the fair dedicated to water management in the organization of RENEXPO, which lasted from 6^th to 8^th June 2016., you presented Carlsberg as a responsible and modern company that takes care about the waste water treatment and at the same time about the broader community. Tell us briefly what makes Carlsberg an exemplary when it comes to waste water?

Marko Mares: Since the Carlsberg has CSR (Carlsberg Social Responsibility) plan on environmental protection and self-preservation of the local community on a global level, our concern and responsibility about the environmental impact is related to many fields, and not only to the treatment of waste water, but waste water is the biggest and the most significant project in Carlsberg Serbia. When it comes to the plant itself, it is a very modern automated department for tertiary treatment of waste water, which means that the incoming waste water is purified, mechanically – by removing physical impurities, microbiologically – in methane and aerobic tanks and with sedimentation – with the reaction of chemical agents that bind chemical impurities such as phosphorus.

This method of purification has an outstanding result for the efficiency of the department and up to 99% in comparison to the incoming pollutants, for which we obtain confirmation from the Institute for Public Health in Novi Sad by water analysis. The results of the analysis are in accordance with the stipulated standards for discharged water and present ecologically safe water for discharge into natural recipients.

EP: What else does Carlsberg implement in its business policies and ethics which is related to recycling and solid waste? What are your performance data in these areas?

Marko Mares: Brewery Čelarevo holds ISO 14001 standard for Management Systems of Environmental Protection, whose part is waste management.

The Brewery collects all hazardous waste, which includes waste oils, electrical and electronic waste, fluorescent tubes, hazardous waste packaging as well as waste which is non-hazardous and that is: cardboard, plastic, glass, metal, wood, by-products of primary production.

The transportation of the collected waste is carried out in accordance to the Law on Waste Management by external operators who have permits for transportation, disposal and waste treatment.

The company Carlsberg Serbia has annual national targets for the amount of recycled packaging which are successfully implemented together with the company Sekopak that is engaged in waste management.

EP: Does Carlsberg Serbia have some specifics in the process of treating waste water and what are they?

Marko Mares: As mentioned before, the station for waste water treatment in Čelarevo is specific precisely because it covers all the aspects of pollution and the water is released form polluters. By doing so, in a methane reactor (microbiological treatment) we get biogas in the form of methane as a product of metabolism of microorganisms which process wastewater. Carlsberg Serbia uses this gas as a replacement fuel for natural gas which we normally use in the quantity up to 18%. This method of biogas utilization generates the savings of around 140,000 euros annually.

EP: Can you tell us something about your new plans and will you improve and modernize the existing procedure?

Marko Mares: Current activities are related to the manufacturing processes in order to reduce the percentage of waste materials and then the preparation of waste materials for easier removal and treatment, which would reduce the load on the station for waste water treatment. This will be regulated by a combination of production processes’ optimization, as well as the inclusion of various technologies such as decanters for the treatment of tropes which would reduce the waste amount of solid matter.

Regarding the further plans for the factory for the waste water treatment there is an idea to further use the treated water for watering green areas, but that project is still in the initial stage.

Interview by: Vesna Vukajlovic

A Six Month Probation?

19.01.2017

The output cuts announced by OPEC and eleven non-OPEC producers have entered their probation period and it is far too soon to see what level of compliance has been achieved. The coming weeks will provide more clarity and in the meantime developments elsewhere in the oil supply/demand balance are very intriguing. Once again we have revised upwards our estimate for global oil demand growth in 2016: we now see growth at 1.5 mb/d, with most of the revision contributed by stronger European demand, mainly in LPG and diesel. Europe has seen two years of year-on-year growth following nine straight years of flat or declining demand.

In 2017, however, we still expect the rate of growth for global demand to fall back to 1.3 mb/d, albeit this is slightly above the average rate seen in this century of 1.2 mb/d. The prospect of higher product prices – assuming that the cost of crude oil rises in 2017 – plus the possibility of a stronger US dollar are factors behind our reduced demand growth outlook for this year.

In non-OPEC countries, the stabilisation since mid-December of Brent crude oil prices around the $55/bbl level, and the assumption that lower output from the parties to the output agreement will probably see prices rise, is offering encouragement to higher cost producers. Attention is inevitably focused on the US shale oil patch where data shows the rig count increasing for six straight months to November after reaching its nadir in May 2016; provisional data for December shows the highest number of new rigs added since the heady days of April 2014.

Not only is the rig count rising, but recent reports tell us that the productivity of shale activity has improved in leaps and bounds. Whether it be shorter drilling times or larger amounts of oil produced per well, there is no doubt that US shale industry has emerged from the $30/bbl oil world we lived in a year ago much leaner and fitter. The IEA has anticipated for some time that LTO production will increase in 2017, but we are now expecting an even larger increase of 170 kb/d, following a decline of nearly 300 kb/d last year.

Non-OPEC production is not all about the US, however. Elsewhere, long-planned projects are coming on stream in Brazil and Canada and their combined production will rise by 415 kb/d this year. In China and Colombia, the sharp declines in production seen in 2016 will be reduced. For the non-OPEC countries as a whole, net production growth will be 380 kb/d – after taking into account the output reduction commitments by eleven countries – and this increase could be supplemented by higher production from Libya and Nigeria, both of which are exempt from the production cuts.

We were reminded on Jan. 16th by Saudi Arabia’s oil minister that the output deal might not be extended beyond its six month expiry date. By saying that an extension was “unlikely” he has issued a powerful reminder that if stocks are drawn in the first half of 2017 by the approximately 0.7 mb/d implied by OPEC producing close to its target with support from other producers, the market will have tightened and prices stabilised but not at a sufficiently high level to allow another bonanza for high cost producers. In the meantime, the market awaits the outcome of the output deal.

Source: iea.org

Green Light for Wyoming Giant

19.01.2017

The US has given the green light to the Power Company of Wyoming’s (PWC) 1.5GW Chokecherry Sierra Madre wind farm, the first part of a two-phase 3GW development.

The Federal Bureau of Land Management has issued environmental approval for the construction of 500 turbines, a road network and associated facilities in in Carbon County, Wyoming.

The US Fish and Wildlife Service also approved eagle take permits that include aviation conservation measures. It is likely that one to two bald eagles and 10 to 14 golden eagles per year would be harmed or killed by the wind farm, according to the service.

The 220,000-acre site is located on a cattle ranch consisting of checkerboard private land, federal land and state land. PCW has yet to sign a power purchase agreement but plans to export electricity about 800 miles south to California, Arizona and Nevada.

The entire project is expected to employ 1,200 workers at peak construction and more than 100 permanent operations and maintenance staff. Phase one will generate an estimated $200m in property tax revenue during construction and over the first 20 years of operation.

The 1.5GW scheme will also contribute about $116m from sales taxes and $118m from a state wind-electricity tax over 20 years. PCW is owned by the Anschutz Corporation, a privately-held company based in Denver.

Source: renews.biz

WMO Confirms 2016 as Hottest Year on Record, about 1.1°C above Pre-Industrial Era

19.01.2017

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) yesterday announced that the year 2016 has been the hottest year on record, surpassing the exceptionally high temperatures of 2015, according to a consolidated analysis.

The globally averaged temperature in 2016 was about 1.1°C higher than the pre-industrial period. It was approximately 0.83° Celsius above the long term average (14°C) of the WMO 1961-1990 reference period, and about 0.07°C warmer than the previous record set in 2015.

WMO uses data from the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies and the UK’s Met Office Hadley Centre and the University of East Anglia’s Climatic Research Unit. WMO also draws on reanalysis data from the European Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasts and the Copernicus Climate Change Service, which use a weather forecasting system to combine many sources of data to provide a more complete picture of global temperatures, including in Polar regions.

“2016 was an extreme year for the global climate and stands out as the hottest year on record,” said WMO Secretary-General Petteri Taalas. “But temperatures only tell part of the story.”

Throughout 2016, there were many extreme weather events which caused huge socio-economic disruption and losses. Record ocean heat contributed to widespread coral reef bleaching.

WMO’s final statement on the global climate in 2016, which includes full details of regional and national temperatures, extreme events, sea level rise and tropical cyclones, will be published in March 2017. The annual climate reports monitor natural year-to-year variations in the climate as well as long-term climate change due to human activities and serve as a tool to inform decision makers about the need both to control and to adapt to climate change.

Source: public.wmo.int

EDF Opens Edinburgh Office

18.01.2017

EDF Energy Renewables has opened a new office in Edinburgh to support the company’s growth plans in Scotland.

Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon was present at the opening ceremony, as was EDF Energy chief executive Vincent de Rivaz.

EDF said it already has 270MW of wind power in operation in Scotland, 215MW under construction, 400MW consented and 800MW in planning and development.

EDF Energy Renewables chief executive Matthieu Hue said: “Scotland has huge potential for renewable energy and we see it as key area of growth.”

The company also officially opened the six-turbine 19.2MW Pearie Law wind farm in the Central Belt of Scotland today.

Source: renews.biz

Photo: EDF

Australian Minister Says Coal Power can Help Reduce CO2 Emissions

18.01.2017

global warming, air pollution — Photo: Pixabay

Don’t throw out your climate science books just yet, folks. Australian resources minister Matt Canavan recently said burning a certain kind of coal could help the country slash its overall carbon emissions. He commissioned a study conducted by the Department of Industry, Innovation, and Science that reportedly claimed the country could reduce emissions by 27 percent if they replaced current coal power stations with “ultra-supercritical” coal technology. But experts slammed the findings, saying such technology wouldn’t reduce emissions nearly as much as was claimed.

Australia’s goal is to reduce emissions by 28 percent beneath 2005 levels by 2030, so a reduction of 27 percent with the help of new coal technology seemed almost too good to be true. But that’s the figure The Australian reported this week, although now it appears those statistics were inaccurate or misreported. The coal technology would actually only reduce emissions by around 12 percent, according to The Guardian, which also reported electricity sector emissions would need to be cut down to near zero to meet the 2030 target.

Canavan said in a statement that the coal “has an important role to play as Australia, and the rest of the world, reduce carbon dioxide emissions.” He also attacked “people who oppose the coal industry for ideological reasons,” and some of those people quickly fired back.

Australia Institute economist Rod Campbell said if Australia were to replace old coal stations with ones boasting the new technology, electricity prices would go up, even higher than if renewable energy replaced coal.

Member of Parliament Mark Butler said, “The latest intervention by Minister Canavan trumpeting coal isn’t about securing a reliable and affordable energy future; at its core it is just the latest ideological attack on renewables by a government desperate to draw attention away from the fact it has no plan on energy and climate.”

Source: inhabitat.com

IRENA Director Urges Faster Pace on Decarbonization

18.01.2017

“As we advance deeper into a new energy paradigm, we need to pick-up the pace of our decarbonization efforts.” That was the message this week from the director-general of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), Adnan Amin.

Speaking after the launch of an IRENA report called Rethinking Energy, Amin said that policies and regulations “continue to remain crucial to this end and to develop the renewables market.”

“We are seeing more and more countries hold auctions to deploy renewables, and as variable and distributed sources of renewables take on a greater role, regulators have implemented changes to enable grid integration at scale,” he said, adding that, “heating and cooling, and the potential of renewables for transport, are areas where future efforts are needed.”

The Rethinking Energy report states that falling costs, driven by innovation in technology and policy, is spurring renewable energy deployment and on the back of this is a “myriad of socioeconomic benefits.”

Speaking after the launch of an IRENA report called Rethinking Energy, Amin said that the report states that global investment in renewables has steadily grown for more than a decade, rising from less than $50 billion in 2004 to a record $305 billion in 2015.

The report states that solar PV will grow the fastest in terms of capacity and output, and new ways to store electricity “will be a game changer for growing variable renewable energy generation”. Indeed, IRENA estimates that battery storage for electricity could increase from less than 1 GW today to 250 GW by 2030.

Amin also stressed the importance of off-grid renewables in the bid to bring about global electrification.

“Achieving universal electricity access by 2030 will require us to boost global power generation — nearly 60 percent of that will have to come from stand-alone and mini-grid solutions,” Amin said. “Meeting this aim with off-grid renewables depends on the right combination of policies, financing, technology and institutional capacity. Making needed changes and accelerating deployment will allow countries to address global issues in sustainability, education, gender equality, health, water and food.”

Source: renewableenergyworld.com

France’s Energy Transition Is Vital for Energy Security, According to Latest IEA Review

18.01.2017

The International Energy Agency (IEA) praised France for setting in motion significant reforms towards more secure, affordable and sustainable energy supplies and the green growth of its economy.

Over the past ten years the French economy has reduced its carbon intensity and benefitted from greater energy efficiency, notably in the residential sector, according to the IEA report, Energy Policies of IEA Countries: France 2016 Review. The IEA praised France’s leadership role in climate change mitigation and green finance around the world and at home, particularly thanks to the adoption of the ambitious set of measures under the Energy Transition for Green Growth Act in 2015.

But the IEA found that the government’s plan to cut the share of nuclear power from 78% of electricity produced today to 50% by 2025, while also reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 40% in 2030, will require significant investments in energy efficiency and new low-carbon generation.

“France has to implement nothing less than a transformation of its energy system and power market,” said Paul Simons, the IEA Deputy Executive Director, speaking at the launch of the report in Paris. “France’s Transition Act is a first-class energy and climate framework, based on a low-carbon strategy, carbon budgets, and the related investment planning. France leads on carbon pricing with a long-term carbon price trajectory set by law up to 2030.”

Source: iea.org

VW Group Plans 8 Plug-In Electric Cars for China

18.01.2017

As it works to recover from its diesel emission scandal, the Volkswagen Group is rapidly embracing electric cars. By 2025, the company hopes to be selling 1 million electric cars per year, and plans to launch 30 different electric models across multiple brands in the coming years.

According to a news report, China—for several years, the world’s largest single car market—will be a major focus of the VW Group’s electric-car activities.

The automaker is planning no fewer than eight new or updated plug-in models for the Chinese market, according to Chinese car website Autohome.

Citing what appears to be an internal planning document, the report shows a mix of battery-electric cars and plug-in hybrids from the main Volkswagen brand, as well as Audi and domestic Chinese brands established by VW and Chinese partners.

The list includes the Volkswagen e-Golf, an updated version of which was unveiled at the 2016 Los Angeles Auto Show with a larger battery pack, a more powerful motor, and minor styling updates.

China will also get a plug-in hybrid version of the second-generation VW Tiguan crossover. That model may come to the U.S. as well, although Volkswagen has not confirmed anything so far.

The VW Group is also reportedly planning two larger plug-in hybrid sedans for the Chinese market

One is an updated version of the Audi A6 L e-tron already on sale there, the other is a version of a sedan from local automaker SAIC that shares a platform with the Audi.

China will also get the Audi e-tron electric SUV, slated to start European production in 2018, as well as the production version of the Volkswagen ID concept first shown at the 2016 Paris Motor Show.

The ID is a compact hatchback, but VW also showed an alternate version called the ID Buzz at the 2017 Detroit Auto Show, with styling inspired by the classic Microbus.

While the government wishes local firms to be competitive in the electric-car segment, it also wants to get more electric cars on its roads faster—which it has concluded means putting fewer restrictions on the foreign automakers already producing them elsewhere.

Source: greencarreports.com

Wyoming Lawmakers Launch Bill that Would Ban Selling Renewable Energy

18.01.2017

In a move that puts the “R” in regressive, a group of Republican lawmakers in Wyoming just launched a bill that would effectively ban selling wind and solar power in the state. The measure proposes to fine utilities for purchasing energy produced by large-scale renewable power projects.

According to Inside Climate News, the bill is chiefly sponsored by representatives from the state’s main coal-producing counties. If enacted, it would force utilities to use power from only approved energy sources like natural gas, nuclear power, hydroelectric, oil – and of course coal. Your average homeowner could still install a rooftop solar, backyard wind or other renewable energy setup, but the state’s utilities would get slapped with big fines for buying power from renewable projects.

According to Inside Climate News, the move is confusing some locals who know the lay of the land. “I haven’t seen anything like this before,” said Shannon Anderson, director of local organizing group, Powder River Basin Resource Council. “This is essentially a reverse renewable energy standard.”

But Inside Climate News adds that Republican Senator David Miller, the bill’s sponsor, says the goal of the legislation is to make sure Wyoming residents have access to inexpensive power.

“Wyoming is a great wind state and we produce a lot of wind energy,” Miller said. “We also produce a lot of conventional energy, many times our needs. The electricity generated by coal is amongst the least expensive in the country. We want Wyoming residences to benefit from this inexpensive electrical generation. “He added that he doesn’t want to see Wyoming “averaged into” other states that require utilities to supply “more expensive” renewable energy.

The proposed bill would allow renewable energy producers in the state to sell power to customers outside Wyoming without a penalty. The cost of selling power in their own state would be $10 per megawatt hour of energy sold.

Republicans significantly outnumber Democrats in both the state’s House and Senate, but Miller still puts his chances of passing the bill at “50 percent or less.”

Source: inhabitat.com

Lidl Rings up New Electric Car Charging Network

18.01.2017

The UK’s expanding electric vehicle charging network received a further boost yesterday with the news Lidl is to become the latest supermarket to install rapid charge points at some of its stores.

Charging point supplier POD Point announced it has inked an exclusive partnership agreement with the supermarket chain that will see rapid charge points installed at 40 selected Lidl stores, allowing customers to charge their electric vehicles (EVs) free of charge while they shop.

The Triple Standard Rapid Charge points are designed to deliver an 80 per cent charge to an EV such as a Nissan Leaf in around 30 minutes.

Erik Fairbairn, chief executive of POD Point, said the expansion of the network of public charge points would make EVs even more attractive to prospective customers.

“While most electric vehicle charging happens where drivers live and work, we know that a fast, reliable public charging network is also a vital component – and a real shop window for EV,” he said. “We’re excited to be working with Lidl to ensure its customers get a faster and better charging service.

“Our partnership with Lidl is also an important element in the wider rollout of the Open Charge Network, and a significant step towards our target of putting a POD Point everywhere people park for an hour or more by 2020.”

The deal is the latest in a series of high profile contracts for POD Point, which last year inked agreements to install its charge points at Birmingham and Luton Airports and secured deals to become an approved charge point supplier for Motocorsa, Volkswagen, and Nissan GB.

Source: businessgreen.com

China: ‘All Parties Must Stick to Paris Agreement’

17.01.2017

Chinese premier Xi Jinping has urged world leaders not to abandon the historic Paris climate change agreement in a high profile speech today to the World Economic Forum in Davos.

In an address that stressed the importance of world trade for delivering economic growth and stability, President Xi said it is vital countries stick to their commitments for tackling climate change for the sake of future generations.

He described the Paris Agreement as a “hard won” diplomatic achievement which he insisted “all signatories should stick to it instead of walking away”. He added that fulfilling the aims of the agreement – primarily to limit global warming to “well below” two degrees – is a “responsibility” that countries must assume on behalf of future generations.

The call for global unity on tackling climate change will be interpreted by many as a thinly veiled message to the US President-elect Donald Trump, who will be inaugurated as President on Friday. During his election campaign last year Trump repeatedly threatened to withdraw the US from the historic agreement. If he did so, it would not only plunge the future of international climate negotiations into uncertainty, but also seriously damage the diplomatic partnership President Obama forged with China on climate issues in recent years.

Xi also expressed his support for the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), saying the sustainable development agenda should be implemented to ensure “balanced development” that protects the environment while ensuring social progress across the world.

He added that China’s efforts to pursue green development are “paying off”, and encouraged other nations to “relentlessly pursue” innovation and foster new industries and business models as a route to future growth.

Earlier this month China pledged to invest $360bn in renewable energy projects by 2020, while earlier this week the country’s energy regulator announced it has stopped the development of more than 100 coal-fired power plants, with a combined capacity of more than 100GW, in its latest bid to curb the country’s use of fossil fuels.

China’s National Energy Agency announced yesterday it had suspended development of the plants, some of which were already under construction, in order to fulfil its pledge in the 13th Five Year Plan to cap coal capacity at 1,100GW.

Source: businessgreen.com

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