In today’s edition: Natural gas discoveries put E. Africa on world energy map, says the AP; S Africa in front line of global warming battle, according to the Financial Times. Reuters, meanwhile, reports: Brazil struggles to cash in on carbon credits.
Quote of the Day:
“You cannot address climate change without including REDD.”
–Arild Angelsen, an environmental economist with the Center for International Forestry Research and a professor at the Norwegian University of Life Sciences in Reuters’ “Analysis: Brazil struggles to cash in on carbon credits”
Lead Stories
Natural gas discoveries put E. Africa on world energy map
AFP
Massive offshore gas discoveries in East Africa are catapulting the region into a major player in the global energy arena, bringing billions in investment that could transform entire economies.
http://jlne.ws/NPf5kP
Climate change: S Africa in front line of global warming battle
Financial Times
At the UN climate change conference last year, it became clear that South Africa, the host nation, was a frontline in the battle against the effects of global warming.
http://jlne.ws/LjuPJN
Analysis: Brazil struggles to cash in on carbon credits
Reuters
A patchwork of regional legislation and complex rules governing land ownership have so far kept Brazil from cashing in on what could potentially be the world’s biggest carbon offset market.
http://jlne.ws/LCGC2D
Nasdaq Joins Four Exchanges in Sustainability Effort
Bloomberg
Nasdaq OMX Group Inc. (NDAQ) joined stock exchanges in Sao Paulo, Johannesburg, Istanbul and Cairo in an effort to require listed companies to report material information about environmental, social and governance risks.
http://jlne.ws/M21B0Q
UPDATE 1-Diplomats agree on ‘weak’ text for Rio+20 summit
Reuters
Diplomats from over 190 countries agreed on a draft text on green global development on Tuesday to be approved this week at a summit in Rio de Janeiro, but environmentalists complained the agreement was too weak.
http://jlne.ws/Muz1C0
GE claims breakthrough in carbon capture
Financial Times
General Electric of the US and Sargas of Norway launched a new technology for capturing carbon dioxide emissions from power plants that they say will be much cheaper than rival processes and commercially viable without any government subsidy.
http://jlne.ws/Kyhyh9
Overheard on the Street
The Wall Street Journal
If you had to describe the perfect nightmare for solar- and wind-power enthusiasts, a fossil-fuel-burning power plant that cuts its carbon emissions and helps produce more oil would probably be it.
http://jlne.ws/MuEzfT
UN: Aviation emissions plans delayed to 2013
Business Green
Draft proposals to tackle the carbon impact of aviation look set to be delayed until March 2013, according to the head of the UN body overseeing long-running negotiations to deliver a global deal to curb greenhouse gas emissions from the sector.
http://jlne.ws/Ljv47M
House Republicans Propose Cutting EPA Budget, Preventing Rules
Bloomberg
Republicans in the U.S. Congress proposed a budget for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency that would set funding at the lowest level since 1997 and prevent the agency from issuing clean-water standards.
http://jlne.ws/Lju3N3
Kerry slams ‘disgraceful’ climate denial
The Hill’s E2 Wire
Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) on Tuesday said there’s a “calculated campaign of disinformation” on climate change that has stalled action on the issue and endangered the country.
http://jlne.ws/M284Ja
Events
Responsible Business Summit
Asherleaf
June 27 -28, 2012, New York
http://jlne.ws/I9JaGh
Carbon Forum North America
October 1-2, 2012
Washington, DC
http://jlne.ws/zDe43B
Sustainability Summit – Innovation Challenge
October 9, 2012
New York
http://jlne.ws/wKbX7U
Carbon
Uncertain future for international forest scheme
ABC
To industrial nations scrabbling desperately for ways to reduce their carbon debt, the idea was instantly appealing: invest in developing-world projects that either prevent a forest from being cleared, or replant an area that has been cleared, thus reducing global carbon emissions, and earn carbon credits in the process.
http://jlne.ws/NgN6rC
Green is the New Gold Says Carbon Expert
Trade Arabia
Gold investors are switching to carbon credits, said a global carbon market leader, predicting up to 25 per cent returns for the ‘ethical’ commodity in 2012.
http://jlne.ws/KSiklG
Natural Gas/Coal
Miners hit by coal glut as prices tumble
Financial Times
Edward Muller, chief executive of GenOn Energy, a Houston-based utility, took an unusual decision a few weeks ago: he decided to declare force majeure on coal purchases.
http://jlne.ws/LAlJ9Z
Oil Sands Carbon: When Money and Morals Align
The Tyee
When world-renowned climate scientist Andrew Weaver and his colleague, Neil Swart, weighed in last February on the carbon threat posed by Alberta’s oil sands, their conclusions set off a storm of protest — and revealed a moral dilemma at the centre of the response to global warming.
http://jlne.ws/M27nzy
Burning more natural gas won’t be easy for Alberta
The Globe and Mail
So with gas prices in the sewer, production plummeting and a terrible outlook for the industry, the province is contemplating a strategy to boost its use of gas. One such idea is to increase the number of vehicles that run on it, as suggested by Premier Alison Redford Tuesday.
http://jlne.ws/KjtTks
Oil Firms in China And India Pull Closer
The Wall Street Journal
India and China’s largest oil companies have agreed to jointly explore for oil and natural gas world-wide, in an attempt to put aside a long-standing rivalry and better use their combined financial resources and expertise to secure energy supplies for their fast-growing economies.
http://jlne.ws/LdZyKd
Power
Uruguay Boosts Wind-Power Estimate to 1,000 Megawatts by 2015
Bloomberg
Uruguay increased the amount of wind-powered electricity it plans to bring online in coming years, saying it wants to capitalize on cheap turbine prices.
http://jlne.ws/MoI0J2
Canadian Solar Buys 11 U.S. Projects, Expands Development
Bloomberg
Canadian Solar Inc. (CSIQ), a solar-panel company with manufacturing operations in China, bought 122 megawatts of power projects under development in the U.S. as it expands its efforts to build and own generating assets.
http://jlne.ws/PojGr3
GOP lawmakers allege cozy ties between Obama officials, solar project company
The Hill’s E2 Wire
Republicans are expanding attacks on federal green-energy programs with allegations that officials at the Department of Energy (DOE) were too cozy with Prologis Inc., a company that received a $1.4 billion loan guarantee to help support a major nationwide rooftop solar project.
http://jlne.ws/LCKEIj
Reports
Public Views on Climate Policy Options: Spring 2012 NSAPOCC Findings (Posted June 18, 2012)
Brookings
http://jlne.ws/ND07OJ
Energy Technology Perspectives 2012 (Posted June 11, 2012)
IEA
http://jlne.ws/Kzt8mX
Strengthening the European Union Emissions Trading Scheme and Raising Climate Ambition
WWF/Greenpeace/Oko Institut (Posted June 11, 2012)
http://jlne.ws/LjodaU
Characterizing Pivotal Sources of Methane Emissions from Unconventional Natural Gas Production (Posted June 4, 2012)
API, ANGA
http://jlne.ws/M6RzMQ
Vulnerability of US and European electricity supply to climate change (Posted June 4, 2012)
Nature Climate Change
http://jlne.ws/L3Slcb
Developing Dimension: State of the Voluntary Carbon Markets 2012 (Posted May 31, 2012)
Ecosystem Marketplace
http://jlne.ws/JQ18Bv
