The brainwaves that could save offshore wind farms £3bn
A boat with a giant robotic arm and a "seahorse" vessel could generate £3bn of revenues a year by making it considerably easier to mend and maintain the next generation of mega offshore wind turbines. The Carbon Trust is running a competition to solve the problem of getting engineers and their equipment safely on to wind turbines and has shortlisted 13 designs for potential development. At the moment, most offshore wind farms are within 25km of the coast, making them relatively easy to access. To read this full article click here
S&P, TSE launch carbon-weighted index
S&P Indices and Tokyo Stock Exchange, Inc. announced today the launch of the S&P/TOPIX 150 Carbon Efficient Index, which comprises all Japanese companies included in the S&P/TOPIX 150 re-weighted to reflect the level of carbon emissions produced by each, while simultaneously tracking the S&P/TOPIX 150 as closely as possible. The S&P/TOPIX 150 Carbon Efficient Index retains the same constituents as the underlying S&P/TOPIX 150 created in cooperation with the Tokyo Stock Exchange (“TSE”), but utilizes the Carbon Footprint metric to compare the relative emissions of different companies within particular sectors and adjust the weight of each component within the index accordingly. To read this full article click here
Carbon Emissions Continue to Rise Despite Reductions
In a report entitled “Long-term trend in global CO2 emissions” prepared by the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre and PBL Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency, it has been found that global emission of carbon dioxide (CO2) have increased by 45% between 1990 and 2010 and reached an all-time high of 33 billion tonnes by 2010, all despite increased energy efficiency, nuclear energy and a growing renewable energy industry. “The report, which is based on recent results from the Emissions Database for Global Atmospheric Research (EDGAR) and latest statistics for energy use and other activities, shows large national differences between industrialised countries. To read this full article click here
Nation leads in carbon capture, says IEA
BEIJING - China is playing a leading role in applying carbon capture and storage (CCS) technologies, an initiative that the International Energy Agency (IEA) expects to help cut global carbon emissions in industrial sectors by 4 gigatons a year by 2050. CCS technologies capture carbon dioxide (CO2) before or after combustion in the industries such as cement, oil and power, and store it for other uses. The IEA considers it the most effective way to cut carbon emissions.
"One goal of the IEA is to generate 100 CCS projects worldwide by the end of 2020, and we estimate that half of them will probably be in developing countries," Levina said.
China has great potential to launch more CCS projects in the next 10 years, Levina said, adding that those projects will help it meet its emission-reduction target. China has committed to reduce its CO2 emissions by 40 to 45 percent from 2005 levels for each unit of GDP by 2020. CCS can be profitable for China - the world's second-largest economy and a big emitter - if it develops its own technology and sells it to other countries, Levina said. To read this full article click here
Entrepreneur Sir Richard Branson tackles energy inefficient US buildings
The non-profit climate change organisation founded by entrepreneur Sir Richard Branson, the Carbon War Room, is launching a new effort improve the energy efficiency of US buildings.
The Carbon War Room has brokered the creation of a new consortium, the PACE Commercial Consortium (PCC), which promises to bring together Lockheed Martin, Barclays Capital, Energi and HannoverRe with Ygrene Energy Fund to unlock investment for retrofitting commercial properties. The initiative makes use of property assessed clean energy (PACE) legislation, which allows property owners to have a voluntary tax assessment as a means of repaying upfront financing for energy efficiency and renewable energy improvements. The PCC’s first undertaking will be a $650 million private capital funding package for Miami-Dade County in Florida and Sacramento in California, which it says could stimulate more than $2.3 billion in economic activity and create more than 17,000 jobs in the two cities. Ygrene Energy Fund will lead the effort, with engineering partner Lockheed Martin providing its programme management and energy services expertise for the technologies deployed under the project. “The PACE Commercial Consortium is the missing piece in the jigsaw puzzle for cities looking to implement green plans,” says Branson. “This ground-breaking mechanism… will unlock a trillion dollar market for green retrofits, creating jobs and growth around the world.” To read this full article click here
ICAEW is first institute to achieve Carbon Trust Standard
The institute managed to obtain the accolade following a programme of recording, measuring and managing its carbon emissions each year between April 2008 and March 2011. Robin Fieth, (pictured) finance and operations director ICAEW, said: "There is a growing movement towards carbon reduction across business as a way to enhance performance and reduce risk. "As the UK's largest accountancy body, ICAEW wants to be at the forefront of that movement - achieving the standard ourselves enables us to understand and communicate those issues with integrity." To read this full article click here
