Australian Carbon Farming Initiative

The Australian Government has approved a methodology that will allow farmers and land owners to generate extra revenue while reducing carbon pollution by planting permanent native forest trees.Australian Government's CFI  |  Farm Weekly Australia

Scotland could generate £2bn annually by exporting electriicty

According to a report by think-tank Reform Scotland the country could generate £2bn annually by exporting electricity and becoming a world leader in new energy technology if energy policy was fully devolved from Westminster. The report, Powering Scotland, said energy powers should be formally devolved to Holyrood so that the Scottish Government can formulate a policy that truly meets the country’s needs.

"This would increase Scottish exports by £2 billion per annum, equivalent to around 17% of manufacturing exports to the rest of the UK".
Reform Scotland

Durban Climate Deal or No Deal?

The UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) confirmed that attendees delivered a "breakthrough on the future of the international community’s response to climate change". A universal legal agreement on climate change will be adopted as soon as possible, but no later than 2015.

Governments also agreed to a second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol from January 2013 and to "get the Green Climate Fund up and running" to deliver financial support of developing countries to reduce emissions.
UNFCCC
 Climate activists are saying that this is still not enough and it will mean that the 2 degrees Celcius rise will be breached and it now be 4 degrees. Some even called the deal useless. Whilst the new agreement will be decided no later than 2015, it is not schedulded to come into effect until 2020 which many are saying is too late.
Further Views and links EcoAnalytics

Stop the Annual Charade of UN Climate Talks

A must read persepctive on Durban COP17 from Michael Liebreich saying it won't work and summising that the UNFCCC should be broken into three tracks.

1. A forum for the top 20 emitting nations to work on mitigation, or controlling the amount of greenhouse gases they produce.
2. A group to work on helping the poorest nations on Earth deal with adaptation, which should unequivocally be funded by the biggest historical emitters.
3. A group to deal with eliminating deforestation, which is far too complex to be seen through a climate and carbon lens alone.

Bloomberg

Met Office Climate Change Assessment

The results of a major new scientific assessment of climate change assessment commissioned by Chris Huhne, the UK's Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, and lead by the Met Office Hadley Centre studied 24 different countries, from developed to developing. It notes that all the countries in the study have warmed since the 1960s and that the occurrence of extremely warm temperatures has increased whilst extremely cold temperatures have become less frequent.

Key findings:

• All countries studied show an increase in the number of people at risk from coastal flooding due to sea level rise. By the end of the century, in the worst case scenario, up to about 49 million additional people could be at risk, with the majority being in Bangladesh, China, India, Egypt and Indonesia;
• The majority of countries studied are projected to see a significant increased risk of river flooding;
• The production of staple food crops may decline in parts of Bangladesh, Brazil, China, Egypt, India, Russia, Turkey, and the USA. In some cases, crop yield increases may be expected for example in Germany and Japan. Food security is highlighted as a growing risk before 2040 in Bangladesh and India;
• Water resources are threatened by drought and growing demand. Areas highlighted as likely to suffer increased water stress include parts of Italy, France and the southwest USA. In some cases however, water stress may decline in some regions.

Met Office | Country Specific Reports

Huhne opens UK’s first CCS plant

Plans to commercialise carbon capture storage (CCS) technology took a major step forward today, after Energy and Climate Change Secretary Chris Huhne formally opened a £21m pilot project in West Yorkshire.

Energy giant SSE launched the UK's first live trial of a CCS system at its Ferrybridge power station today, in collaboration with Swedish utility Vattenfall and engineering firm Doosan Power Systems.
BusinessGreen

Deutsche Bank Lowers Carbon Price

Deutsche Bank said its previous carbon price forecasts the EU ETS's year-ends from 2011-14 are too optimistic.  The bank now predicts the price of carbon will be:

• 2011 -  €12/t rather than €17/t, 
• 2012 - €15/t instead of €19/t 
• 2014 - €22/t rather than €24/t.

Business Green

Australian Carbon Farming Initiative

The Australian Government has introduced a scheme to encourage farmers to take advantage of carbon from land use credits from reforestatoin and also includes biochar.
The Carbon Farming Initiative includes:

• Legislation to establish a carbon crediting mechanism
• Fast-tracked development of methodologies for offset projects, and
• Information and tools to help farmers and landholders benefit from carbon markets

Aus Gov |  Offset Methodologies  |  Fact Sheet

China's Toe in the Water for an Emissions Trading Scheme

China has ambitious plans to reduce the carbon intensity of it economy by 40~45% by 2020 against 2005 levels. The country (where nearly 70 percent of the power supply comes from coal) is taking this commitment serious.

China has made significant progress in specifying the targets, incorporating them into national development strategies and notably, laying the foundation for pilot emission reduction incentive or trading schemes. China’s first steps to the establishment of a national carbon emission trading scheme are becoming visible.

Funding has been given for Tianjin to launch a pilot carbon market in 2013.  Tianjin Municipality alone has a population of around 13 million and had a nominal GDP of US$110 billion in 2009.

Tianjin is just one of seven cities and five provinces selected by the central government to launch pilot. 
China has comitted to having a fully functional Emissions Trading Scheme in place by 2015.

NY Times  |   Climate Focus  | Piloting Carbon Trading in China - Karla Lieberg and Jelmer Hoogzaad

Carbon Market Prices Tumbles

U.N.-backed carbon prices fell to a new record low on Wednesday, taking a cue from a 7-percent drop in European Union carbon permits amid growing worries about a slowing economy.

• EU Allowances (EUA's ) hit a fresh 33-month low of 8.45 euros.
• Certified Emissions Reduction (CERs) contract traded at a record 5.99 euros ($8.08), down 6.4 percent from the previous day's settlement.

In the same week a United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) report showed that Greenhouse gas emissions in 2020 could rise more than forecast to between 6 billion and 11 billion tons above what is needed to limit global warming to 2 degrees Celsius.

"To stay within the 2 degree limit, global emissions will have to peak soon (and) total greenhouse gas emissions in 2050 must be about 46 percent lower than their 1990 level, or about 53 percent lower than their 2005 level," the report said.


Reuters - EU CO2 underperfomance strains traders' faith
Reuters- Emissions cuts off course to halt global warming: UNEP

6 US States withdraw from WCI

Six U.S. states have abandoned the planned Western Climate Initiative greenhouse gas trading program leaving only California and four Canadian provinces involved in the program’s development.   New Mexico, Arizona, Washington, Oregon, Montana and Utah have formally declared their withdrawal from the WCI.

Instead they have joined the North America 2050 Climate Initiative which aims to collaborate on topics such as exploring carbon capture and sequestration and developing high quality offsets that may be used in emissions trading programmes.


Environmental Finance
Environmental Leader
NA 2050 Factsheet Download on WCI's website

BP Target Neutral

BP has launched its Target Neutral offering using AMEE data which allows you to calculate and off-set personal travel emissions.  Off-sets are accredited by  internationally-recognised ICROA Code of Best Practice and money goes towards a varied spread  of off-set projects http://www.bptargetneutral.com/our-projects/
https://calculatetargetneutral.bp.com/ 

CDP Launches Supplier Emissions Scoring

The Carbon Disclosure Project and FirstCarbon Solutions have launched a program to score the CDP Supply Chain program.
Environmental Leader

CCS - We shouldn't focus on the capture

Article showing that the focus on the Capture is wrong, we should be focussing on the connection, network development, and transferring and storing the captured carbon dioxide.
Utility Week

Renewable Energy as Share of Total Primary Consumption, 2010

Link to Graph and stats for 2010.  Environmental Leader

Water footprint of energy companies set to be key theme of 2012

Deloitte's 'Energy & Resource Predictions 2012' report outlines 10 key themes likely to impact the energy and resources sector over the next year.  This includes: volatility in commodity prices; new technologies in oil recovery; demergers among international oil companies; and breakthroughs in nanotechnology.

It notes that we will see a rise in the importance of water footprinting of energy companies and that "according to a recent Globescan/Circle of Blue survey, water-related themes represented the number one and number two concerns identified, with even climate change ranked sixth".
Deloitte

Global project financing hits a new peak but Asia experiences its first decrease since 2010

Global project financing volumes grew to $49.9 billion in 3Q11, a 15% increase on the $43.4 billion recorded in 2Q11 and a 50% increase on the $33.3 billion in the corresponding period last year. This rise pushed financing volumes to their highest level ever recorded.
Clean Energy Pipeline

Skills Research Energy Efficiency and MicroGeneration

The report was commissioned by the Scottish Government, in conjunction with Built Environment Sector Skills Councils and The Alliance of Sector Skills Councils (Scotland), to enhance the evidence base for energy efficiency and low carbon skills in Scotland. This complements the objectives outlined in the Energy Efficiency Action Plan ( EEAP) for Scotland in which the Scottish Government has set out a "wide-ranging programme of activity on behaviour change, household, business and public sector energy efficiency, infrastructure, skills and finance"

Scottish Government

Analysis say EU carbon costs may force refiners to relocate

Concern that EU cabon prices will make it too expensive to stay in Europe and the UK refining industry is t particular risk due to UK government plans for a carbon floor price. Reuters

Scope 3 GHG Reporting Standards Finalised

Useful article and links to Scope 3 emissions

Environmetal Leader

Scotland: sustainable communities in 2030

Scotland’s Futures Forum most recent project looks at what sustainable communities might look like, in Scotland, in 2030.
Scotland's Futures Forum

Sustainable Travel and better ways to travel

Scottish websites and movement to encourage better ways to travel.

Scottish Enterprise Business Gateway - Practical information and help for Scottish businesses
Ways 2 Work - a business led, business informed initiative to increase efficiency through better ways of working and travelling
ChooseAnotherWay - an initiative of Transport Scotland and its partners to encourage more sustainable transport choices through the implementation of travel plans.

Scottish Government's Economic Strategy

The Scottish Government published an updated version of its economic strategy on 12 September.
The Strategy is intended to ensure that central and local government and other public bodies, work collaboratively with the private, academic and third sectors, in pursuit of the Scottish Government’s purpose and economic recovery.  The document maintains the five Strategic Priorities that were set out in the original 2007 Economic Strategy:

• Supportive Business Environment;
• Learning, Skills and Well-being;
• Infrastructure Development and Place;
• Effective Government;
• Equity.

 Mr Swinney said the addition of the sixth Strategic Priority – Transition to a Low Carbon Scotland, which includes:

• A £70 million National Renewables Infrastructure Fund to help leverage private sector investment to develop the infrastructure across the country to support offshore renewables
• Positioning Scotland as a world leader in low carbon activities – a sector which is estimated to have the potential to support 130,000 jobs by 2020
• Investing in further improving the quality of Scotland’s housing stock, including initiatives to improve energy efficiency and tackle fuel poverty.

 Defra

Influencing Behaviours for Sustainability

The Cabinet Office Behavioural Insights Team’s first annual report highlights examples of the application of behavioural insights to policy over the last year, including energy efficiency Defra

Graham Russell, Head of the Centre of Expertise on Influencing Behaviours at Defra, explains how the new Framework for Sustainable Lifestyles provides a tool to help develop effective approaches to influencing behaviour and encouraging more sustainable lifestyles.
Defra

A Frawework for Sustainable Lifestyles - provides a tool to help develop effective approaches to influencing behaviour and encouraging more sustainable lifestyles

Scottish Government Publish 2011 Spending Review

• Commit £200 million to the Fuel Poverty and Domestic Energy Efficiency programmes over the next three years. The funds will also aim to leverage additional funding from energy companies and other sources
• Commit £69 million to reduce congestion and support better public transport, active travel, low carbon vehicles and freight modal shift
• Use the Scottish Futures Fund to provide additional support for emissions reduction measures, with £100 million for Warmer Homes and Future Transport over the course of this Parliament;
• Enhance the Community Renewable Energy Scheme to aim to reach a target of 500 megawatts of community and locally-owned renewable energy by 2020
• Improve the energy efficiency of the public estate and the school estate, e.g. through improving energy efficiency with the new HMP Grampian, and the pilot project to deliver high quality, sustainable designs for the new Eastwood and Lasswade High Schools
• New buildings standards in place from 2013 with the aim of cutting building emissions by a further 30% from the requirements set down in 2010
• Improve the efficiency of existing infrastructure - e.g., Scottish Water's continued programme to reduce leakage, and its installation of small-scale hydro generation turbines within existing water assets
• To work towards a 70% target for recycled waste and a maximum of 5% to be sent to be landfill by 2025; to support businesses to use resources more efficiently; and to help families and individuals to reduce their waste - e.g. by cutting food waste

 

Verified Carbon Standards Growing in Polularity

Verified Carbon Standards (VCS) are growing in popularity and will be set to prosper if there is not a dramatic change of opinion by World leaders to continue with the support of the Kyoto Protocol and CDM projects beyond 2012.

Carbon trading outside of the political regimes is operated via VERs (Voluntary Emission Reduction). VERs generally have a broader mix of proejct with a simpler registration process and therefore lowers the cost. All VERs must be of a Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) to qualify.
REDD credits are also cropping up under VCS - REDD in Kenya
http://v-c-s.org/

Clean Informatics Blog

Link to a Blog by Andrew Mitchell of Edinburgh Centre on Climate Change (ECCC)  it provides useful information on news and views on how Informatics and ICT can help deliver a low carbon economy.  The blog includes links to Scottish Cleantech start-ups.
http://www.cleaninformatics.com/
http://cleaninformatics.com/renminpresentations/beijing24082011_session_3_ict.pdf

EU Sustainable Roadmap

The European Commission set out a 'roadmap' aimed at transforming Europe's economy into a sustainable one by 2050.  The Roadmap to a resource-efficient Europe outlines how we can achieve the resource efficient growth which is essential for our future wellbeing and prosperity.
The roadmap identifies the economic sectors that consume the most resources, and suggests tools and indicators to help guide action in Europe and internationally.

European Commission

Huhne earmarks £35mn for energy efficiency innovation

Energy and climate change minister Chris Huhne set out the measures the Government has developed to improve consumer protection and increase the powers of Ofgem. He announced that £35mn has been earmarked to support the development and demonstration of innovative technologies and systems that can reduce carbon emissions from buildings. He also confirmed that a new Energy Efficiency Deployment Office will be established within DECC.
DECC

2010 carbon targets “decisively missed”

A report issued by Cambridge Econometrics on Friday 16 September said the Government’s goal of a 20% reduction in carbon emissions by 2010 has been “decisively missed” as the result of a further increase in carbon emissions despite a sharp reduction in 2009. The group warned the Government that it will need to put effective policies in place for renewables generation targets to be achieved and energy demand needs to be reduced if the country is to meet its goal of becoming a low-carbon economy.
Cambridge Econometrics

Friends of the Earth say "Council carbon cuts due to recession not green action". FoE

ETI launches major project for future roll-out of CCS in the UK

The Energy Technologies Institute (ETI) today launched a £3m project that will help support the future design, operation and roll-out of cost effective carbon capture and storage (CCS) systems in the UK, helping to ensure the UK’s leadership position in this area.


The two-and-a-half year long project will create a modelling tool-kit capable of simulating the operation of all aspects of the CCS chain, from capture and transport to storage.
ETI

LULUCF in the National Inventory

Report from Centre for Ecology and Hydrology on behalf of DECC for Land Use, Land Use Change & Forestry sector shows that land converted to cropland released the most carbon, but allowing forestry land to remain as forest sequested the most carbon.

DECC

Businesses tackle demand for clear, concise carbon reporting

International Integrated Reporting Committee (IIRC) published a new framework for carbon reporting which will be roadtested next month.

The Paper - Communicating Value in the 21st Century, considers the rationale for Integrated Reporting, offering initial proposals for the development of an International Integrated Reporting Framework and outlining the next steps towards its creation and adoption. Its purpose is to prompt input from all those with a stake in improved reporting, including producers and users of reports.

IIRC

Scottish Government's Economic Strategy targets low-carbon

Reflecting on Scotland's world-leading work in areas such as renewable energy and Scotland's world leading Climate Change Act, the updated Strategy sets a new Strategic Priority - Transition to a Low Carbon Economy
Scottish Government

The Scottish Government - Greenhouse Gas Emissions Published for 2009 - Figures showed a drop in greenhouse gas emissions in Scotland from 54.8 million tonnes carbon dioxide equivalent (Mt C02e) in 2008, to 51.0 Mt C02e in 2009. Sustainable Scotland Network


The Scottish Government - Updated version of its Economic Strategy which is intended to provide direction to the public sector, establishes a new Strategic Priority - Transition to a Low Carbon Economy - in addition to the five Strategic Priorities that were set out in 2007.  Sustainable Scotland Network

Eight Bio-based Technologies for 2050

Interesting outlook on future technologies including:
1. Waste capture
2. Breakthrough in carbon fixation and solar efficiency
3. Development of symbiotic communities of enhanced organisms
4. Off-the-shelf parts inventory in synthetic biology
5. Shift from freshwater to saline water
6. Rooftop bio systems
7. Super-light, super-strong materials
8. Bio-processors built into biomass

Renewable Energy World

The SNP has confirmed it will invest £50m in green transport if re-elected.

The proposal was included in the SNP's planned £250m Scottish Futures Fund, which would be funded by savings made from the Forth bridge project.

Speaking in Dundee, SNP leader Alex Salmond said: "Transport is a major source of CO2 gases and accounts for a quarter of Scotland's total emissions. Through the Scottish Futures Fund the SNP will invest £50m in improving connectivity and innovation in transport.

According to the SNP, the fund could potentially encourage the transformation of Scotland's bus fleet into low-carbon vehicles, create bike rental schemes and improve electric vehicle infrastructure.


STV

Research finds benchmarking data encourages interest in energy

DECC published a report  on the results of research undertaken by Ipsos MORI on the potential for including energy consumption benchmarking data on energy bills. Consumer groups had an appetite for benchmarking and providing the data is likely to encourage greater interest in bills and levels of consumption. But the research was limited in its ability to assess the impact of providing benchmarking data on actual consumption.
DECC

Huhne's green print for keeping lights on

Mr Huhne was explicit at the scale of the "Herculean task ahead", but warned of the potential for "costly blackouts" if nothing is done.

"The scale of investment needed to keep the lights on is more than twice the rate of the last decade," he said. "The current electricity market is not be able to meet that challenge."

There is no dispute that Britain's electricity sector needs attention. A quarter of its capacity will be turned off over the coming decade as obsolete power stations shut down and European regulations bite. 

Independent 

Solar industry "perplexed" by exclusion from renewables roadmap

The UK's solar industry has been left "frustrated" and "perplexed" by the government's decision to exclude photovoltaic (PV) technologies from a list of eight renewable energy sources it expects will play a key role in the UK's energy mix through to 2020 and beyond.
DECC's Renewable Energy Roadmap
BusinessGreen.com 

EU Wind Power to Triple by 2020

The European Wind Energy Association (EWEA) says electricity production from wind power will increase from around180TWh in 2010 to 580TWh in 2020, which equates to 16% of total demand. Pure Power: Wind Energy Targets for 2020 and 2030 presented scenarios for onshore and offshore wind power development in the EU and projected that the UK would be able to meet 19% of its domestic electricity demand from wind power by 2020.

EWEA

EU Funding for Energy Efficiency in Public Sector

So implementing energy efficiency measures sounds like a good idea in principle, but how can local authorities or municipalities balance the equation of technology costs and fund the capital expenditure?AltEnergyMag

UK Renewables Roadmap

DECC's UK Renewables Roadmap, sets out a comprehensive programme of targeted, practical actions to tackle the barriers to renewables deployment, enabling the level of renewable energy consumed in the UK to grow in line with our ambitions for 2020 and beyond. This will mean over a four-fold increase in our level of renewable energy consumption by the end of the decade. It identifies eight technologies that have either the greatest potential to help the UK meet the 2020 target.
DECC

The energy market white paper is too vague to encourage funding

Poor clarity in the Government's Paper has led to fundraising doubts. The paper "didn't provide enough details of how the future energy market would operate and had therefore failed to end the uncertainty about the role of renewables and the tariffs they would attract."

Scotland on Sunday

Green Bank to focus on Energy Saving

Potential switch towards providing Green Deal finance rather than investment in large scale renewables is not good news for Scotland's plan to use it for infrastructure investment. Scotland on Sunday

EU says CDM projects may be eligible post 2012

The European commission on 24 June clarified rules on UN measures that could help scale up programmatic CDM projects and ensure more foreign offsets are eligible for the EU ETS after 2012.

Under current EU rules, if a CDM project is registered after 2012 its credits will only be eligible for use in the EU’s carbon market if the scheme is located in a least developed country (LDC)

Solar industry collapse could be avoided without busting feed-in tariff budget

The crippling cuts to feed-in tariffs for large solar installations could have been avoided, according to a new report from Ernst & Young that argues that more modest cuts to incentives would have allowed larger projects to remain commercially viable while still ensuring that the scheme does not breach its assigned budget.

BusinessGreen 

EU gets tough with energy firms in bid to cut consumption

Energy companies will be forced to offset sales with energy-efficiency measures and public buildings face green makeovers as part of new EU plans to cut energy consumption by 20 per cent.

Europe's utilities could be obliged to save 1.5 per cent of their energy sales by volume by installing more efficient boilers, fitting double-glazed windows and insulating lofts for their customers, if today's proposed Energy Efficiency Directive is approved.

BusinessGreen

Salmond's green energy policy 'will double power bills'

Professor Ian Fells makes a public attacks Alex Salmond's green energy policy in the light of Scottish Power’s price hike. He claimed that household bill's in 2020 "will be double what they are now.”

Telegraph

Energy giants' plan for new Scots onshore CO2 pipeline

Longannet project requiring a CCS pipeline from Falkirk to Peterhead for the combined Scottish Power, National Grid and Shell UK project.  Hoping to use an existing natural gas line.

BBC

Future green cars and planes could be made from bananas

Scientists have developed a more effective way to use fibres from bananas, pineapples and other plants to make a new generation of green vehicles.

Brazilian researchers have found the natural solution to a new generation of automotive plastics that are stronger, lighter, and more eco-friendly than plastics now in use.

ClickGreen

Energy firms fear "tremendous decline" in CO2 price

The Europe Union's carbon market could be flooded with excess pollution permits over the next decade, deflating prices and undermining investment in green energy, five EU energy companies warned on Tuesday.

The utilities, including Britain's Scottish and Southern Energy and Denmark's Dong, said falling carbon prices could: "severely hamper business incentives to invest in low-carbon technologies."

One leaked study seen by Reuters foresees carbon prices falling to 14 euros per tonne, compared with a business-as-usual price of 25 euros. Another sees the price dropping to zero.

STV

Google invests $280 million in partnership with SolarCity

 Google has now entered the residential solar industry with its largest investment into the renewable energy industry by partnering with SolarCity which provides roof leasing to domestic customers. 
RenewableEnergyWorld.com

Nearly half UK's biggest companies failing to act on carbon emissions law

Carbon Trust finds forty of the FTSE 100 do not have emissions targets, despite years of legislation and campaigning.

Guardian

New microchip could prevent 'standby' energy loss

Japanese scientists have developed a new micro-processing chip which they claim could do away with the energy loss caused by appliances while on "standby".
Guardian 

Government confirms deep solar incentive cuts

DECC approves proposed cuts to solar feed-in tariffs, slashing support for large projects by up to 70 per cent.

Business Green

NASA Study finds rainforests can store 25 years of carbon emissions

An article by ClickGreen outlines that NASA has produced a detailed report for forests in more than 75 tropical countries globally which is the first detailed study of its kind.

"Previous studies have estimated the carbon stored in forests on local and large scales within a single continent, but there existed no systematic way of looking at all tropical forests. To measure the size of the trees, scientists typically use a ground-based technique, which gives a good estimate of how much carbon they contain. But this technique is limited because the structure of the forest is extremely variable and the number of ground sites is very limited. "
  ClickGreen

'Green deal' may cover cost of solar panels for homes

Small-scale energy generation may be eligible for the government-backed loan scheme for householders.Guardian

Biomass and RHI for public sector - the government expect that by 2020, 90% of all new builds in the public and commercial sector will be heated by renewable sources. When we add this to the existing buildings that will be “retro-fit” with biomass we will see a very large number of buildings switch to renewables.Green Energy Net

Prospect of limiting global temperature rise looks bleak

Energy-related carbon-dioxide (CO2) emissions in 2010 were the highest in history, according to the latest estimates by the International Energy Agency (IEA).

“Our latest estimates are another wake-up call,” said Dr Birol. “The world has edged incredibly close to the level of emissions that should not be reached until 2020 if the 2ºC target is to be attained. Given the shrinking room for manœuvre in 2020, unless bold and decisive decisions are made very soon, it will be extremely challenging to succeed in achieving this global goal agreed in Cancun.” Dr Fatih Birol, Chief Economist at the IEA
IEA

UK misses 2010 carbon reduction goal

.The latest analysis by Cambridge Econometrics confirmed that the UK has missed its long-standing target to cut carbon by 20% by 2010, Forecast shows the UK will miss its targets to cut emissions over the next decade if it relies on existing policies.

Under the EU rules, the UK has to supply 15% of all energy – including heating and transport as well as electricity – from renewables. However on current policies renewables are set to make up 17.5% of electricity generation by 2025, well below the government's stated aspirations of 30% by 2020.

Guardian

100% Renewables by 2020

The Scottish Government's 2020 renewable electricity target has been raised to 100% and it has already met its interim 2011 target of generating 31% of electricity from renewable sources.

Salmond announced that offshore wind will play a key role and ht launched Scotland's offshore wind portal offshorewindscotland.org.uk . By 2020 the First Minster said we will be 'generating twice as much electricity as Scotland needs'.
Alex Salmond | Energy Minister Fergus Ewing

90 Meter Wind Turbine Blades to be Tested

 Energy Technologies Institute (ETI) has commissioned a project to design, build and test the next generation offshore wind turbine blades which will be 90m long and capable of  8MW-10MW capacity.
ETI

UK Emissions to be cut by 50% by 2025

The Fourth Carbon Budget sets to cut UK emissions by 20% by 2050 which is in line with CCC's recommendations.
DECC

80% of world’s energy from renewables by 2050

IPCC release a report showing that 80% of world’s energy from renewables will be possible by 2050.
IPCC

UK missing 20% targets

UK has missed a long-standing 2010 target to cut carbon emissions by 20% and will continue to miss targets for the next decade if there is no change to existing policies.
Cambridge Econometrics

UK capable of 30% renewable energy by 2020

The CCC report confirms that the UK should be able to generate 30% of energy demand from renewables by 2030.
Committee on Climate Change

Global Market Outlook for PV

In the last year, the photovoltaic market has reached a cumulative installed capacity of roughly 40 GW world-wide, with an annual added capacity of 16.6 GW. The photovoltaic power is well on the way to becoming a fully competitive part of the electricity system in the European Union (EU) and an increasingly important part of the energy mix around the Globe. But much of the progress in recent years has been very heterogeneous, varying from country to country, due to several factors, the most important being different national regulations and incentive schemes as well as varying availability of financing facilities.

EPIA-Global-Market-Outlook-for-Photovoltaics-until-2015 (8Mb)

Carbon capture schemes could create 5,000 Scottish jobs

Scotland has the potential to become a global leader in developing CCS technology

More than 5,000 Scottish jobs could be created if three proposed carbon capture and storage (CCS) schemes go ahead, according to a new study. Scottish Enterprise has looked at the potential economic impact of CCS projects at Longannet, Peterhead and Hunterston.

BBC

4th Carbon Budget

The fourth carbon budget, which covers the period spanning 2023 to 2027, commits the UK to cut its emissions by 50% on 1990 levels, on course for emissions cuts of 80% by 2050, has been announced.  Huhne accepts the recommendations of the independent Committee on Climate Change (CCC)

The Government will by the end of the year announce a "working up a package of measures" to help energy-intensive industries "adjust" to the transformation while remaining competitive.  It intends to "keep our carbon trading options open to maintain maximum flexibility, and minimise costs in the medium long term".

Chris Huhne said, "Today’s announcement will give investors the certainty they need to invest in clean energy. It puts Britain at the leading edge of a new global industrial transformation."

www.theccc.org.uk/reports/fourth-carbon-budget
www.aldersgategroup.org.uk
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-13417997
http://www.energyefficiencynews.com/policy/i/4106/

http://www.businessgreen.com/bg/news/2071622/huhne-confirms-ambitious-achievable-carbon-budget 

IPCC Report says Renewable energies to surge by 2050

Renewable energies such as wind or solar power are set to surge by 2050, and expected advances in technology will bring significant cost cuts, a draft United Nations report showed on Wednesday.

The most comprehensive U.N. overview of the sector to date said renewables excluding bioenergy, which is mainly firewood burned in developing nations for cooking and heating, could expand by three to 20 times by mid-century.Reuters

Sustainable Transport Funding

European Commission roadmap suggests investing €1.5 trillion in transport infrastructure and a further €1 trillion in vehicles and equipment over the next two decades. East of Scotland European Consortium

UK £560m Sustainable Transport Fund announced. - Sustainable Opportunity Solutions  

World's first carbon offsetting lottery launches in the UK

A new Carbon Lottery offering businesses and individuals a chance of scooping a weekly €4m (£3.5m) jackpot while offsetting emissions is to be launched at the end of the month.

BusinessGreen

EU Carbon Intensity Top 300

Environmental Investment Organisation's (EIO) has produced a list of the 300 biggest EU companies and ranked them with regard to the carbon intensity of their operations.
EIO

Solar Partnership to provide solar thermal to benefit from RHI

Solar Fusion has agree to install solar thermal systems manufactured by London-based Surface Power. They announced they would be working in partnership in a £52million  equipment deal to capitalise on the RHI which comes into force this July for businesses and 2012 for households.  The RHI offers payments for 20 years to projects producing heat from renewable sources.

BusinessGreen

21 FTSE 100 undertake carbon offsetting

A report  by Carbon Retirement shows that 21 of the FTSE 100 companies carry out voluntary carbon off-setting, six of these claiming to be carbon neutral. Renewable energy projects were found to generate the most popular offset credits, being purchased by 12 out of the 21 FTSE 100 offsetting companies.
Carbon Retirement

Scotland is a Net Carbon Sink

The Scottish Government announced the results of a report on Emissions and Removals of GHG's from Land Use, Land Use Change and Forestry (LULUCF) which highlighted Scotland as a net sink of GHG's from LULUCF activities. A report produced by the Centre of Ecology & Hydrology showed that the size of forests in the country contributed to the removal of 8.7MtCO2e.
Scottish Government | LULUCF Report | DEFRA

Renewable energy targets not met despite billions in investment

Billions of pounds in grants to the wind industry have failed to assist the UK in meeting its renewable energy target for 2010, prompting one industry organisation to call for a review of what it describes as "infeasible" green energy.
Energy Ecosse

SNP Manifesto

• New coal-fired stations must demonstrate carbon capture and storage on at least 300 MW of its capacity from day one and retro-fitting for those stations by no later than 2025, with 100% CCS expected on new builds from 2020.
• Increase domestic energy generation from renewables to 100% by 2020, ensuring 130,000 jobs are delivered in the low-carbon economy.

BBC

Solar firms file for judicial review against feed-in tariff cuts

A group of 11 solar firms filed a claim in the High Court late yesterday, seeking a judicial review against the Government's decision to launch a fast-track review of the feed-in tariff incentives available for larger solar installations.

BusinessGreen 

IEA CCS Roadmap

The International Energy Agency (IEA) has release a CCS roadmap which includes the expected projects to 2050.

IEA

UK Carbon Price to 2020

Budget 2011 confirmed that the Government would introduce a carbon floor price of £16/tCO2 from 1 April 2013. The floor price will follow a linear path to reach £30/tCO2 in 2020 equating to a £2 per annum increase.

Biomass could provide 4% electricity demand

Biomass could provide 4% electricity demand
The UK Energy Research Council published research stating the UK could meet 4% of electricity demand by using Short Rotation Coppice (SRC) biomass. It found that 39% of land in the country is unsuitable for SRC because it is prime agricultural land or protected, but large areas of marginal land could produce 7.5mnt of biomass without damaging agricultural sustainability.

UK ERC

Shale gas 20% more emissions than coal

Research carried out by Cornell University showed that up to 8% of methane escapes during shale gas production through venting and leaks. The study comes at an inappropriate time for the fledgling shale gas industry where the resource has been advocated as being “clean”.
Reuters

UK to Miss its 2010 Renewables Target

Research by the Renewable Energy Foundation (REF) claims the UK failed to reach its 10% renewable electricity target for 2010, generating only 6.5% of power from green technology sources.
ClickGreen

CCS Adoption to be Accelerated

Energy Ministers from around the world have agreed to proposals to help speed up the global deployment of carbon capture and storage. 

The UK’s Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, Chris Huhne said “there can be no solution to climate change and energy security globally without carbon capture and storage.”DECC

Solar Power May Already Rival Coal, Prompting Installation Surge

Bloomberg, the London-based research company says solar is viable against fossil fuels on the electric grid in most sunny regions such as the Middle East.

“We are already in this phase change and are very close to grid parity,” Shawn Qu, chief executive officer of Canadian Solar Inc. (CSIQ),

Bloomberg

UK 2010 Provisional Greenhouse Gas Emissions Figures Published

The Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) announced on 31 March that it has published provisional 2010 estimates of UK greenhouse gas emissions
Sustainable Scotland Network

Study finds UK renewables funding gap smaller than previously expected

The UK’s renewable funding gap is about £37bn––81.5% less than a previous estimate of £200bn, according to a report published on Monday 7 March by financial service company Paradigm Change Capital Partners but raised concerns that the timing and concentration of the finance will not be sufficient to meet UK and EU targets.
Paradigm Change Capital Partners

Scotland Government Slashes Renewable Red Tape

The Scottish Government announced on Thursday 24 February that owners of public buildings and businesses will soon be able to generate energy using renewables without the need for planning permission. A Parliamentary Order has been laid that will permit various micro-generation technologies to be installed on non-domestic buildings from 18 March including:

• Solar thermal panels;
• Solar photo voltaic panels;
• Pipework for ground source heat pumps;
• Pipework for water source heat pumps;
• Biomass boilers

Scottish Government

More debate over FiT's

Huhne hits out at large-scale solar project developers stating that an increase in the largest-scale solar projects risked “skewing the costs of the whole scheme” and could increase costs for consumers.
DECC

The solar industry has launched two separate online campaigns calling on the Government to cancel its early review of the Feed-in Tariff (FiT) Scheme, We Support Solar and Power to Society, warned the Government that its review of the scheme had left many solar farm owners unable to plan for the next financial year.
Businessgreen

Alex Cunningham (Stockton North, Labour) stated that solar development in the UK has been “knocked off course”, during a debate in Westminster Tuesday 29 March. He said the fast-track review of feed-in tariffs was “one more victim of ideologically-driven policy”.
Epolitix

CBI Advises Reinstating the Recycling Payments or Scrap the CRC

The Carbon Reduction Commitment (CRC) is unworkable in its current form and the government must now either reinstate the revenue recycling mechanisms that were scrapped last autumn or replace the scheme altogether, the CBI has says
CBI
A few weeks back, KPMG also claimed the CRC has suffered from “over consultation”, which has led to delays and a loss of clarity and simplicity. It also raised concerns that the scheme had “lost its purpose”.

Feed-in tariff fight intensifies as developers predict halt to solar projects

DECC says it is in "listening mode" as evidence suggests virtually all mid-sized solar projects will be ditched if incentive cuts go through. Officials saw presentations from three solar developers - building giant Kingspan, solar specialist Suntech and insulation and solar technology installer Mark Group - all of which demonstrated that the scale of the feed-in tariff cuts proposed in the government's ongoing review will make the full range of 50kw plus projects unviable.

Most notably, Kingspan used three real life projects with capacities of 100kW, 250kW and 500kW to undertake a detailed analysis of the rates of return available to firms at different locations and under the current and proposed tariff regimes.

The analysis found that, with the current tariffs, firms deploying the projects could expect to receive rates of return before tax ranging from 7.1 per cent for a 100kW installation in Edinburgh to 11 per cent for a 500kW array in Plymouth.

In contrast, once the tariff proposed in the government's consultation is applied, none of the projects attains the five per cent rate of return DECC has said in its impact assessment that it wants to achieve. The best rate of return is 4.7 per cent for a 100kW array in Plymouth, while all other projects would deliver returns of between 3.8 and -1.2 per cent.

Business Green

Scottish Onshore Wind Turbines operated for just 21.9 per cent of the time

SCOTLAND'S onshore wind farms were idle for record periods last year because of unusually calm weather, which industry analysts claimed could lead to higher power bills.

Turbines operated on average for just 21.9 per cent of the time - more than five percentage points less than in 2009, the Renewable Energy Foundation claimed. They are expected to operate at an average output of about 30 per cent of maximum capacity.

The Scotsman

The Australian Carbon Farming Initiative - REDD

The Australian government aims to pass the Carbon Farming Initiative (CFI). The scheme aims to generate farm and forest-linked carbon credits for sale. Agriculture, deforestation and burning emit more than 20 percent of Australia's greenhouse gases.
CFI could become an important revenue stream for some farmers.
Reuters

Climate Bonds Public Consultation

The proposed International Standards and Certification Scheme for Climate Bonds is open for public consultation. The Scheme will be aimed at mobilising investment from the private sector to help address the challenge climate change. Climate Bonds are themed asset-backed or ring fenced bonds issued to raise finance for climate change mitigation or adaptation related projects or programs.
Climate Bonds Standards will help grow the market by:

• Providing assurance for investors about the environmental integrity of climate bonds.
• Providing governments with an easy-to-use tool to preference investments.
• Supporting liquidity in secondary markets

Climate Bonds

Transport Scotland's Low Carbon Vehicles Report

A progress report on Low and Ultra Low Carbon Vehicles has been published by Transport Scotland.

“The Scottish Government is committed to achieving decarbonisation of road transportation by 2050, along with a mature market for low carbon cars by 2020 – resulting in lower emissions by 2020.

“As noted in this report we are pushing ahead with schemes to enable us to achieve these world leading targets - we have supported the public sector procurement of over 100 LCV’s through the Low Carbon Vehicle Procurement Support Scheme, have started with the installation of an initial 375 electric vehicle charging points, capitalising on the UK-wide Plugged-in Places scheme, as well as provided over £4.4m of funding this year for the Green Bus Fund.

“As we move forward we are working with stakeholders, including the 2020 Climate Change Group, on the future Low Carbon Vehicle Action plan about the scope for further intiatives and priorities for action, including reviewing the autonomy for Scotland to tailor fuel and vehicle excise duties.

Transport Scotland

Annual Plug-in Electric Vehicle Sales to Cross the 1 Million Mark by 2015

Pike Research has released research:

Auto manufacturers are in the process of launching plug-in vehicles in two different forms: Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEVs) and Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs). Both types of plug-ins offer many advantages over traditional non-electrified vehicles, including improved fuel economy or no petroleum-based fuel usage, lower or zero emissions while driving, and a quieter ride. While the penetration of plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) will remain low for the foreseeable future in relation to the total light duty vehicle market, a recent report from Pike Research forecasts that sales volumes will reach a critical mass in the next several years, and by 2015 global PEV sales will cross the 1 million unit threshold for the first time.

“Electric vehicles have received a great deal of attention in recent months due to the launches of several high-profile vehicles,” says senior analyst Dave Hurst. “The PEV market is already becoming a highly competitive market and over the next few years, the marketing initiatives of multiple manufacturers will help build consumer familiarity with, and drive adoption of, plug-in vehicles as a viable alternative to internal combustion engines.”

Pike Research

Business leaders urge Cameron to support ambitious fourth carbon budget

Rumours suggest Treasury is leading opposition to Committee on Climate Change recommendations for ambitious fourth carbon budget proposing to cut ghg emissions post-2010 by 50 per cent by 2025, putting it on track to reduce emissions 60 per cent by 2030.

Business Green

Edinburgh hoping to Stake its claim to home the Green Investment Bank

An alliance of Scotland's finance sector, power and renewable energy firms and universities is backing a campaign being taken to Westminster to house the GIB in Edinburgh.
BBC  |  The Scotsman

China Sets Carbon Targets

China, the world's biggest producer of climate-changing greenhouse gases, has pledged to cut carbon produced per unit of GDP by 17 percent by the end of 2015, with energy intensity also slated to fall 16 percent.Reuters

The world’s new growth frontier: Midsize cities in emerging markets

Over the next 15 years, 400 cities that most executives have never heard of will power global growth. New research from the McKinsey Global Institute (MGI) seeks to arm executives with the knowledge they’ll need to tap into global urban growth. Midsize cities in emerging markets are poised not only to generate much of the world’s growth in the years ahead but also to become dramatically richer.

McKinsey Global Institute |  Interactive Map of Cities

Budget 2011-12 23rd March - What it means.

• Allowances under the Carbon Reduction Commitment will be priced (as expected) at £12/t. The Government hopes it will publish draft regulations to implement allowance sales later in 2011.
• UK Aiming to be the first country to introduce a floor price for carbon at £16/tonne CO2 in 2013 rising to £30/tonne by 2020.
• Introduce relief for CCS and CHP.
• Remove an existing exemption in the CCL for electricity CHP plants who supply indirectly to an energy consumer.
• Funding for CCS demonstration programme – The Government remains committed to providing public funding for CCS demonstration plants. However, consistent with its objectives for tax simplification, it will not proceed with the CCS levy. It will instead fund its commitments to CCS demonstration from general taxation.
• £3bn has now been allocated for a Green Investment Bank. The GIB will not have borrowing powers until 2015-16, with the caveat that the Government’s target for national debt as a percentage of GDP has been met.
• Fuel duty will be cut by 1p/litre with immediate effect.The Government will also abolish the fuel duty escalator and replace it with a fair fuel stabiliser.
• However there is an increasing the supplementary charge on oil and gas production companies from 20% to 32% which industry says it will have to pass onto the consumer.

New HP Products are 50% More Energy Efficient

HP announced that on average, the company's products are 50% more energy efficient today than they were in 2005.
This will make the business case for an IT refresh much more attractive.Sustainable Life Media -Linkedin

Scottish Government paves the way for its climate change adaptation

The Scottish Government published various 'Environment' documents relating to its Climate Change Adaptation Plan. These included; a progress report on climate change adaptation in Scotland; and a study on Scotland’s low-carbon and environmental services sector. 16th, 17th March.Scottish Government Environment Reports

Government Solar Feed-in-Tariff U-turn proposals

Government proposals contained in the consultation highlights new installation FiT's at:

• 50kW to 150kW will receive 19p/kWh. 
• 150kW to 250kW capacity will receive 15p/kWh (from32.9p/kWh). 
• 250kW and 5MW will receive just 8.5p/kWh (from 30.7p/kWh). 

These dramatic changes will cripple the solar industry in the UK.

Business Green    |   Click Green

Glasgow Named an IBM Smarter City

Glasgow City Council announced that it has become the first UK city to win a grant from the IBM Smarter Cities Challenge initiative. The grant, worth up to £250,000, provides Glasgow with access to IBM experts who will immerse themselves in local issues and offer a range of options and recommended next-steps. Among the issues examined will be healthcare, education, safety, social services, transportation, communications, sustainability, budget management, energy, and utilities. The bid for a Smarter Cities Challenge grant was made through the city's Sustainable Glasgow initiative. 

Glasgow Council. | SSN  |

Sustainable Scotland Network's Scottish Local Authorities - Sustainability Round-Up

• Scottish Local Authorities Invest in Low Carbon Vehicles
• East Lothian Council Approves Environment Strategy 
• Clackmannanshire Use Thermal Imaging to Assess Heat Loss
• Fife Council Move Forward Plans for Anaerobic Digestion Facility

European Commission Sets Out 'Cost-Effective' Roadmap to 2050 Low Carbon Economy

The EU Commission adopted a Roadmap setting out how Europe could meet its targets of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 80-95% of 1990 levels by 2050. The Roadmap uses comprehensive economic modelling to show that the most cost-efficient pathway to the 2050 target requires a 25% emissions cut in 2020, to be achieved through internal measures alone, rather than the current 20% reduction target.

Sustainable Scotland Network

Launch of £860 million Government Renewable Heat Incentive Scheme

DECC announced the launch of the Renewable Heat Incentive scheme on 10 March. The £860 million government scheme - the world's first such financial incentive - will encourage installation of equipment like renewable heat pumps, biomass boilers and solar thermal panels.
Sustainable Scotland Network  |  DECC |  RHI FAQ's

Scotland has CCS capacity to process a century of CO2 output

Rocks deep beneath the Moray Firth are capable of storing decades of CO2 output from Scotland’s power stations. Scotland's potentially massive offshore CO2 storage capacity is of European significance. The European Union has specified that three of the eight CCS demonstrator plants that it will fund under its multi-billion euro demonstrator programme must inject into saline aquifers. The results from this study place Scotland in a strong position to secure future EU support for more detailed assessment of CO2 storage in saline aquifers. ClickGreen

The impact of a global temperature rise of 4ºC

An interactive map from the Met Office showing the effects globally of a 4degree rise.

National Archives

Government Releases Carbon Plan

The Government has released its draft plan of ongoing and planned cross-Government action on climate change that takes into account the first three UK carbon budgets covering the period 2008-2022. Following the fourth carbon budget (2023-2037) in June an updated ‘live’ Carbon Plan will be published in October 2011 that will take all four carbon budgets into account.

The Carbon Plan sets out the Government’s vision of cleaner, more efficient energy, secure supply and stable energy prices as well as the growth that a low carbon economy will bring.

BT calls on procurement standard to cut supply chain CO2 emissions

BT has introduced a climate change procurement standard that will apply to all its suppliers. The initiative includes three "minimum expectations" to be undertaken by all contracted suppliers.

• Firstly the supplier must demonstrate it has a policy in place to address the challenge of climate change.

• Secondly the supplier should be actively measuring and reporting carbon, as well as other relevant green house gas emissions. 
• Finally, the supplier must have in place "challenging targets" to reduce emissions and is reporting on progress.

Procurement Leaders

Smart Grid Investment in Europe to Total $80 Billion by 2020

By 2020, almost 240 million smart meters will have been deployed in Europe and smart grids are an essential element in realizing the vision of a low-carbon Europe  A new report from Pike Research forecasts that, during the period from 2010 to 2020, cumulative European investment in smart grid technologies will reach $80.3 billion. The cleantech market intelligence firm anticipates that smart grid revenue in Europe will peak at $9.8 billion in 2017 before declining somewhat to $9.1 billion by 2020.

Pike Research

NASA study reveals global sea levels could rise 12 inches by 2050

A 20 year study reveals the pace at which the polar ice sheets are losing mass was found to be accelerating rapidly and that sea levels could rise more rapidly than previously expected.
Click Green

EU will fall well short of a target to sharpen its energy efficiency by 2020 on current trends.

The Commission will stick to a plan to tighten the supply of emissions permits to its carbon market, in a proposal it will publish on Tuesday, as it tries to shore up action to fight climate change.

Meeting the EU's goal of cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 80 percent by 2050 will require an extra 270 billion euros annually, or 1.5 percent of EU economic output or GDP.

Reuters

Scottish Local Authorities - Sustainability Round-Up

Several Local authorities publish their sustainability plans

• Glasgow City Council Launch 'Future Glasgow' Project
• CnES and Outer Hebrides CPP Receive Electric Vehicles Funding
• Moray Council Consulting on Draft Carbon Manangement Plan
• East Dunbartonshire Plans to Reduce Energy Use
• Shetland Islands Council to Publish Marine Renewables Study to Encourage Investment

Sustainable Scotland

Top UK Companies and Inconsistencies in Report

The Environmental Investment Organisation has released the UK Top 100 companies carbon rankings whilst Reuters slate UK companies for their inconsistency to report GHG emissions

EIO - UK top 100 Carbon Rankings    Reuters

CCS at Peterhead is back on

Scottish and Southern Energy (SSE) collaborating with Royal Dutch Shell and Petrofac, is submitted a proposal under the EU’s NER300 funding process to develop a carbon capture and storage (CCS) project at its gas-fired power station at Peterhead in Aberdeenshire. Company chief executive Ian Marchant said Peterhead “represents the best site in the UK for a gas CCS project” and the co-operation with Shell and Petrofac “strengthens this proposition even further.”
SSE

Feed-in-Tariffs Cuts for Solar PV

Energy Secretary Chris Huhne has announced that FiT cuts are coming, but at what scale and how much, that is the question. The comprehensive FIT review will:

• Assess all aspects of the scheme including tariff levels, administration and eligibility of technologies.
• Be completed by the end of the year, with tariffs remaining unchanged until April 2012 (unless the review reveals a need for greater urgency).
• Fast track consideration of large scale solar projects (over 50kW) with a view to making any resulting changes to tariffs as soon as practical, subject to consultation and Parliamentary scrutiny as required by the Energy Act 2008.

Reuters - Britain said on Monday it would cut support for large solar power plants before the summer and all installations from April 2010, it a review showed subsidies were driving too rapid uptake, as expected.

Click Green - Energy Secretary Chris Huhne has today launched a comprehensive review of the Feed in Tariffs (FITs) scheme following growing evidence that large scale solar farms could soak up money.

Solar Power Portal (Sept 2010) - FiT changed for UK - Unlikely.

Solar Power Portal (Feb 2011) - Breaking News: UK Government launches FiT review.

Guardian - Cuts to feed-in tariff could result in legal action

Business Green - (14th Feb 2011) Solar firms meet to discuss legal action against DECC.

Energy “one of the biggest global risks”

The “water-food-energy” nexus: A rapidly rising global population and growing prosperity are putting unsustainable pressures on resources. Demand for water, food and energy is expected to rise by 30-50% in the next two decades, while economic disparities incentivize short-term responses in production and consumption that undermine long-term sustainability. Shortages could cause social and political instability, geopolitical conflict and irreparable environmental damage. Any strategy that focuses on one part of the water-food-energy nexus without considering its interconnections risks serious unintended consequences
World Economic Forum

Solar PV investment set to double by 2015

The European Photovoltaic Industry Association (EPIA) and Greenpeace International published on Wednesday 3 February three potential scenarios for solar photovoltaics (PV) up to 2050. Solar Generation 6: Solar Photovoltaic Electricity Empowering the World said that investment in the technology could more than double to €70bn (£59.7bn) a year by 2015 if governments delivered suitable financial incentives and policies required for the technology to achieve grid parity.
EPIA

UK wind power load factors fall in 2010

The Renewable Energy Foundation published statistics showing that UK wind farms loperated at just 24% of capacity in 2010, down from 29% in 2009.
REF

Europe requires €2.9 trillion in capital for low carbon infrastructure

A joint report from Accenture-Barclays estimates that Europe requires €2.9 trillion in capital for low carbon infrastructure between 2011 and 2020. To facilitate this, they said the UK Government must: introduce fiscal incentives to reduce the risk of investments; set compliance standards for low-carbon technology investments; and kick-start the market for green bonds.
Accenture

Two-thirds of biofuel “fails green standard”

According to the Renewable Fuels Agency’s (RFA) second annual report to Parliament, which was published on Thursday 27 January, just 31% of UK biofuels meet government environmental standards. For the remaining 69%, the majority of suppliers could not say where it had come from or prove it was sustainably produced.
RFA

FiT capacity up 50% in Q410

DECC published its latest monthly energy statistics and data on feed-in tariff (FiT) capacity. The FiT data noted a 50% increase in capacity in Q410 to 68MW, up from 44.1MW in Q310. The monthly energy statistics showed a 1.8% dip in total production of indigenous primary fuels on year-ago levels, coupled with a 4.3% increase in total inland consumption of primary fuels over the period.
DECC

CDP Supply Chain Report

The CDP has released its 'Supply Chain Report 2011'. Only one third of responding suppliers had a target for carbon reduction. Members have a big influence on their suppliers and they are increasingly using their power to enforce a chain reaction with regards to sustainability.
CDP

Scotland to receive £95mn for network upgrade

A £95mn investment package will be made available over the next two years to increase the capacity of Scotland’s power networks. More than £80million of the funding will be spent by National Grid Electricity Transmission and Scottish Power Transmission on a package of projects to increase the amount of electricity that can flow between the high-voltage networks of England and Scotland. Scottish Hydro Electric Transmission will spend a further £11.5mn on upgrading its network to connect generation in the north of Scotland.
Ofgem

Guinness reveals details of renewable energy fund

Guinness Asset Management has recently launched a fund aiming to make renewables investors a 10%-12% return from feed-in tariff (FiT) projects by combining FiT revenues with tax relief available from the Enterprise Investment Scheme.  Normally FiT investors would expect an annualised return of 5%-8%, but Guinness said this fund can exceed these returns by offering 20% initial income tax relief and exemption from capital gains tax and inheritance tax on qualifying investments. The fund has a minimum investment level of £10,000 and a target size of £10mn.
Utility Week   Guinness

Scotland gets €50mn for offshore wind industry

Wind turbine manufacturer Gamesa unveiled proposals to build a €50mn technology centre in Glasgow. The company said it has advanced its strategy to make the UK the core of its worldwide offshore wind business and that Scottish authorities have been informed of its plans. Scotland’s First Minister Alex Salmond said the announcement was further testament to Scotland's leading role in the global development and deployment of renewables.
Gamesa  Scottish Government

Industry hits out at RHI delay

Geothermal International operations director Karl Draye criticised the Government’s “repeated delay” on introducing the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI). He said a “speedy introduction” of the RHI was vital to lower the risk of installing ground- or air-source heat pumps as it would shorten the payback times and would make the technology “far more attractive” to small businesses and social housing providers.
Businessgreen

DECC provides guidance on penalties under CRC

On Thursday 20 January DECC published guidance to authorities on imposing civil penalties under the Carbon Reduction Commitment Energy Efficiency Scheme (CRC) Order 2010. It noted that penalties should only be used as a last resort and it may be appropriate for the administrator to waiver or reduce penalties in certain circumstances.
DECC

BP predicts renewables to out-grow oil

BP's Energy Outlook 2030 report predicts that up to 2030 oil will grow slowly at 0.6% a year, compared with natural gas at 2.1% a year. Coal will increase 1.2% a year and by 2030 it is likely to provide as much energy as oil (excluding biofuels). But wind, solar, biofuels and other renewables will continue to grow strongly, increasing their share in primary energy from less than 2% now to more than 6% by 2030.
BP

EWEA confirms UK lead in offshore wind

The European Wind Energy Association (EWEA) published a factsheet on offshore wind, which noted that total EU offshore capacity is close to 3GW with an additional 19GW already consented. The statistics confirmed the UK is both the European and world leader in the sector with 1,341MW installed capacity. In second place in Europe is Denmark (854MW) followed by the Netherlands (249MW), Belgium (195MW) and Sweden (164MW).
EWEA

EU grid could handle 68% renewables by 2030

The EU power grid could cope reliably with up to 68% of power from renewable sources by 2030 if up to €97bn is spent on carefully selected grid reinforcements, according to a study published by consultants Energynautics.  It identified specific locations where the grid would need to be reinforced and concluded the most effective method to optimise the use of installed renewables is to introduce European-wide renewable energy prioritisation in the generation dispatch process.
Energynautics

UK could need “fuel rationing” by 2020

The All Parliamentary Group on Peak Oil warned the UK could face fuel rationing to ensure fair and equal access to fuel by 2020. The parliamentary report, A Policy Framework for Peak Oil and Climate Change, set out a proposal for a fuel rationing system of electronic tradable energy quotas (TEQs) which would distribute “energy credit” units to all adults.
Parliament

Scotland Hydrogen Office Opens

A state-of-the-art demonstration and research facility powered by hydrogen fuel cell technology was officially opened today by First Minister Alex Salmond as he visited the £4.7 million facility in Methil, Fife.
Scottish Government 

Is a solar trade war about to flare?

US is considering taking a case against China to the World Trade Organization regarding Beijing's support of its solar companies.


Every solar company in the world relies on some form of subsidy to build or sell its products. That's because solar electricity is still about eight times more expensive than power generated by coal-fired plants. The global solar industry only really began to take off when, about a decade ago, governments introduced subsidies for clean energy systems in an effort to trim their carbon dioxide output and reduce dependence on fossil fuels.


Western companies also argue that Beijing's subsidy regime discourages the use of solar panels in China. Unlike Germany, China refuses to introduce tariff incentives that would drive domestic demand for solar energy.


"The (Chinese) government does not want to be purchasing or installing PV at the current prices. It wants to use the Western market to create volume to drive down the cost and, when the cost is lower, then China will start buying," says Michael Eckhart, president of the trade group American Council on Renewable Energy.
Reuters