In this edition, coverage centers on Europe’s latest move (following its pairing with Australia in recent months) to sync up on ETS and other efforts: Reuters has “Top emitter China agrees to work with EU to cut carbon” and Business Green brings its own take on these developments. Elsewhere, The Wall Street Journal digs in to “Shale: A New Kingmaker in Energy Geopolitics.”
Quote of the Day:
“[Chinese financing deal is] an important step for an ever closer cooperation towards a robust international carbon market. Needless to say that it makes a significant difference when now also China wants to use carbon markets to reduce emissions cost-effectively and boost low-carbon technologies.”
–EU Climate Commissioner Connie Hedegaard in Reuters’ “Top emitter China agrees to work with EU to cut carbon”
Lead Stories
Top emitter China agrees to work with EU to cut carbon
Reuters
China, the world’s biggest carbon dioxide emitter, has struck a deal to work with the European Union to cut greenhouse gases through projects including the development of Chinese emissions trading schemes, the European Commission said on Thursday.
http://jlne.ws/S8cEFn
**RKB – The starting point: The European Union will contribute 25 million euros ($33 million) and technical assistance over a four-year period to three carbon-reduction projects.
EU to work with China on carbon cutting projects
Business Green
The EU yesterday signed a financing deal with China to help the world’s largest emitter of CO2 work on ways to transition to a low-carbon economy, including the introduction of carbon trading systems.
http://jlne.ws/RGTZko
EU, China leaders avoid protectionism after trade rows
Reuters
European Union and Chinese leaders agreed on Thursday to avoid trade protectionist measures following months of increasing tensions between the global partners with China undertaking to continue to invest in European debt.
http://jlne.ws/VitBRO
Businesses plead for changes to California’s new cap-and-trade market
Sacramento Bee
Heavyweight business groups are staging a last-ditch protest against California’s new cap-and-trade carbon market, demanding changes to a program they’ve labeled a job killer.
http://jlne.ws/RBMWiF
**RKB — Despite the pleas from business, the Air Resources Board isn’t expected to take any concrete action today, said agency spokesman David Clegern, in the article.
How green banks can transform our energy system
GreenBiz.com
The Green Bank opportunity has emerged just as the U.S. clean energy industry is poised at an important crossroads – the industry is maturing, creating jobs and cutting costs but faces challenges from inconsistent policy support, political attacks and low natural gas prices.
http://jlne.ws/UvpmTM
Shale: A New Kingmaker in Energy Geopolitics
The Wall Street Journal
During America’s Age of Imperialism, Henry Cabot Lodge famously said that “commerce follows the flag.” Send over U.S. gunships, and U.S. business will be right behind.
http://jlne.ws/Pu9f61
Special Report: How Romney energy czar fuels business with politics
Reuters
It’s a cornerstone policy in Mitt Romney’s bid for the White House: build the Keystone XL Pipeline. The controversial $7.6 billion conduit would pump a river of crude from Canada down to Texas refineries.
http://jlne.ws/ScB9qF
America’s Greenest Presidents
The New York Times
What do Theodore Roosevelt, Richard M. Nixon and Jimmy Carter have in common? They are viewed as environmentally progressive presidents — at least by the 12 groups that ranked them in a survey released this week. Still, the challenges faced by presidents who stand up for the environment have shifted greatly over time, some of those organizations point out, making it hard to compare one leader’s achievements with another’s.
http://jlne.ws/UwnuKd
Cem Özdemir: why German industry is thanking the Green party
The Guardian
One of Germany’s first senior politicians from an immigrant background describes how environmentalism went mainstream – and celebrates the national football team’s ethnic transformation.
http://jlne.ws/UmnrxO
Insurers Pressed to Take Lead in Tempering Climate Risk
Bloomberg
U.S. property-casualty insurers, a group that includes Travelers Cos. (TRV) and Allstate Corp. (ALL), should take a leadership role in preparing for climate-change risks as severe weather becomes more frequent, a lobbying group said.
http://jlne.ws/Uj4TTq
Events
GreenGov Symposium
ACCO & White House Council on Environmental Quality
September 24-25, 2012
http://jlne.ws/OfOB9D
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
EMA 2012 Fall Meeting
**Keynote speaker is Richard Sandor
October 24 – October 26, 2012
Santa Monica, CA
http://jlne.ws/NIFCwM
Carbon
Carbon forestry sector threatened – Mackey
Voxy.co.au
The National Government’s decision to not restrict cheap international carbon credits to secure the vote of ACT leader John Banks has enormous implications for the forestry sector, Labour’s Climate Change spokesperson Moana Mackey says.
http://jlne.ws/PtHbj5
Dodging the carbon emissions question
Power Engineering Magazine
Developed countries are increasingly bold in planning to reduce nuclear power but hesitant in announcing clear plans to cut greenhouse gas emissions, leaving themselves wriggle room to replace low carbon nuclear generation with fossil fuel gas.
http://jlne.ws/SaUHKU
Shale Gas: Cutting Carbon Emissions While Remaining Controversial
Forbes
Presidential politics these days is about improving economic production and job creation. And while the focus lately is on which half of the country is more entitled to the federal pie, the attention should shift in part to the unyielding trends that now permeate the climate change debate.
http://jlne.ws/S8IuSA
**RKB – Contributor is Ken Silverstein, Energy Central Editor
Natural Gas/Coal
Canadian Court Clears Cnooc’s Nexen Bid
The Wall Street Journal
Cnooc Ltd.’s CEO -1.89% planned $15.1 billion acquisition of Nexen Inc. NXY.T +0.20% took another step toward completion after a Canadian court cleared the deal.
http://jlne.ws/SdphVp
A Delay in New York’s Fracking Decision?
The New York Times
New York State’s top environmental official just announced that he has asked the state health commissioner to assess the potential health impacts from allowing high-volume hydraulic fracturing in New York State.
http://jlne.ws/OfNIRx
W.Va., Va. coal communities still weighing impact of Alpha mine shutdowns, worker layoffs
AP
When 400 Appalachian coal miners learned their lives were turning upside-down with the sudden shutdown of mines in three states, Trent Lucas got relatively good news: He’ll still have a job.
http://jlne.ws/SaTsLu
Department issues coal seam gas emissions warning
The Age
No one knows precisely how much methane leaks from Australia’s growing coal seam gas fields, and more research is needed to back up industry claims about greenhouse emissions, a report produced for the federal government has found.
http://jlne.ws/OfOVsd
Power
3Degrees Achieves B Corporation Certification
Press Release
Certification Demonstrates Green Power Market Leader’s Commitment to Social and Economic Performance, Transparency, and Accountability
http://jlne.ws/Tapw4V
Argentina Says Biodiesel Export Tax Rate Will Be 19.1%
Bloomberg
The Argentine government will charge a 19.1 percent tax rate for soybean biodiesel exports during the next 15 days, deputy Economy Minister Axel Kicillof said today in a press conference held in Buenos Aires.
http://jlne.ws/PETJUE
Brazil May Export 2.2 Billion Liters of Ethanol to U.S. in 2013
Bloomberg
Brazil may export about 2.2 billion liters (581 million gallons) of ethanol to the U.S. next year, up 30 percent from this year, to meet increasing demand for fuel made from sugar cane, according to SCA Trading SA.
http://jlne.ws/QpZ8xW
Windfarms could provide windfall for local communities
The Guardian
Communities with windfarms in their area could get money off their electricity bills or grants for facilities such as playgrounds, the government has suggested.
http://jlne.ws/QpxMLe
International Renewables Agency Hires Masdar Power Head Wouters
Bloomberg
The International Renewable Energy Agency appointed as deputy director general Frank Wouters, formerly head of the power unit at Abu Dhabi’s government-owned low-emissions project Masdar.
http://jlne.ws/Uj05gQ
RECs
Tax Credit in Doubt, Wind Power Industry Is Withering
The New York Times
Last month, Gamesa, a major maker of wind turbines, completed the first significant order of its latest innovation: a camper-size box that can capture the energy of slow winds, potentially opening new parts of the country to wind power.
http://jlne.ws/P55lPM
Reports
The Hidden Costs of Electricity: Comparing the Hidden Costs of Power Generation Fuels (Posted Sept. 19, 2012)
http://jlne.ws/PCt372
CDP Global 500 Climate Change Report (Posted Sept. 11, 2012)
Carbon Disclosure Project
Beyond the bluster: Why wind power is an effective technology (Posted Aug. 30, 2012)
IPPR
http://jlne.ws/UeZB9b
Carbon Tax Revenue and the Budget Deficit: A Win-Win Solution? (Posted Aug. 27, 2012)
MIT
http://jlne.ws/Ri3So8
The 21st Century Corporation: The Ceres Roadmap for Sustainability (Posted Aug. 21, 2012)
Ceres
http://jlne.ws/ONwe8M
EPA REGULATIONS AND ELECTRICITY (Posted Aug. 16, 2012)
GAO
http://jlne.ws/NHwlos
European Power & Renewables Deals: Quarterly M&A outlook (Posted August 15, 2012)
Pricewaterhousecoopers
http://jlne.ws/TFZjaV
Advancing Technology for America’s Transportation Future (Posted August 6, 2012)
http://jlne.ws/MA2U6I
Benchmarking Air Emissions Of the 100 Largest Electric Power Producers in the United States (Posted July 31, 2012)
http://jlne.ws/QbRr0J
Per capita CO2 emissions in China reached European level (July 18, 2012)
http://jlne.ws/NAjBQQ
The Interim Regulation of Voluntary Greenhouse Gases Emission Trading in China (Posted July 10, 2012)
The Climate Group
http://jlne.ws/Mhv62s
Measure for Management: C40 Cities (July 9, 2012)
Carbon Disclosure Project
http://jlne.ws/L9LC37
