China says it will not set carbon cap

London-although several major newspapers of record in May reported that the Chinese national development and Reform Commission (NDRC) had proposed introducing a limit on greenhouse gases from 2016, says the nation that it has no such plan.

The Financial Times reported that Jiang Kejun, a CO2 policy researcher with the NDRC said China considered an emissions cap for the 13th five-year plan (2016-2020) and was looking at an appropriate level.

Su Wei, China's Chief climate negotiator and Director-General of the NDRC Department of climate change, dismissed the reports in an interview with Bloomberg in determining that China its current agreement to the cut the carbon intensity (a measure of CO2 emissions in relation to economic performance) maintained the levels of up 2020. Su's comments will be about 40 percent 2005 are the first by a senior Chinese negotiator, since the reports were published.

"There are many ways that we can achieve the carbon intensity target by 2020," said Su. "We would make certainly five-year plans regulations both in the 12th and 13th to achieve this goal." NDRC announced a carbon trading system in Shenzhen to launch the 638 companies recorded to produce the 38 percent of emissions in the city. Six other sites plan to roll out before 2014 scheme.

Nearly a quarter of the world's CO2 emissions for China.

View the original article here

Europe Sinks Its Flagship Carbon Trading Scheme

Although even proponents of the ETS saw the proposed reform as stop-gap tinkering, the EP’s failure to revive its faltering mechanism could have wide-ranging implications for renewable energy expansion in Europe, especially for countries without a feed-in-tariff pricing system.

“This was a hugely important vote and a backlash for European climate policies. If this vote will not be corrected we are entering into a re-nationalization of European climate and energy policy,” says Regine Gunther of the World Wide Fund For Nature Germany, one of the country’s biggest environmental NGOs. “Carbon emissions have to have a price to make the shift from CO2 intensive fuels to renewables attractive”

“Because of the way the electricity market in Germany is structured, the lower the price of carbon, the more you pay for renewables, and the more carbon-intensive fuels you have in the mix, “ explains Ms. Gunther. “This is why Germany is burning so much lignite coal now. It’s a fatal spiral downwards.

Launched in 2005 to much fanfare, the ETS was meant to be the centerpiece of Europe climate policies and a best-practice pioneer that other continents and countries would replicate. (Despite its travails in Europe it has been copied across the world, from California and New England to China and Australia.) The ETS covers roughly half of the factories, power plants, and airlines in all 28 EU member states, accounting for half of the EU's emissions of CO2 and 40 percent of its total greenhouse gas emissions.

The goal of the "cap and trade” system is to set limits on emissions and allot allowances in the form of permits. If companies emit more carbon than the allowances they possess, they are forced to purchase more permits to compensate. If they emit less, they can sell their extra permits. The disincentive would make fossil fuels more costly and the price of renewables more attractive, and ultimately drive down carbon emissions. The EU’s goal was to reduce 20 percent of its total emissions (from 1990 levels) by 2020.

But the ETS never lived up to its hype. The number of permits issued was too great from the onset, which pushed the price of carbon down to less than 10 euros a ton. Moreover, the eurocrisis caused a contraction of production and lower energy demand, thus further exacerbating the market’s surplus of carbon permits. Experts say that permits would have to cost at least 30 euros a ton in order to dissuade companies from using high-carbon-emitting fuels. The EP was voting to “backload” the market, an initiative that would have reduced the excess supply of permits and thus push up the price of carbon on the carbon market. Most observers called the back-loading a patch-up job of a mechanism that ultimately requires a much bigger overhaul.

But Europe’s center-right EU parliamentarians, taking their cue from a powerful business lobby, blocked the efforts in a razor thin vote. They noted that Europe is already close to meeting its 2020 emissions goals, a result not of climate protection measures but of weak economic activity. Today the price of carbon is less than three euros, a record low.

Just how much the ETS impacts renewables growth is a matter of contention.

“The ETS has to date not been able to drive investments in renewable, and it is unlikely that it could even were it healthy, namely reflecting the true price of carbon,” explains Luci Tesniere Senior Policy Advisor at the European Council on Renewable Energy in Brussels. “Renewable energy developments would not have happened at all without renewable targets. Now more than ever, binding 2030 renewable energy targets are needed to show the direction to investors in the renewable energy sector.

“Renewables will suffer in the long-run, especially if other renewable support schemes eventually fall away,” explains Dr. Christoph Riechmann of the consulting firm Frontier Economics in London. “The higher the CO2 costs, the more competitive renewables become compared to fossil fuels. The ETS was one way to make renewables more competitive.” Another way to change the equation, says Riechmann who also calls the back-loading scheme a short-term fix, is to set a clear emissions reduction goal beyond 2020, and to make this tighter than the 2020 targets.

Alexander Knebel of the Berlin-based Agency for Renewable Energies, a think tank and advocacy group, says that the impact on renewables could be greater in countries that don’t have a strong feed-in-tariff like Germany. “Given the ETS’s low price level, it has ceased to be an effective instrument for climate protection,” Knebel says. “In terms of renewables, even without the ETS Germany has a feed-in-tariff that helps level the playing field between fossil fuels and renewables. It’s a mechanism that has proven itself much more effective than quota systems, which the ETS resembles when taken alone [without support schemes like the feed-in tariff].”

But Ms. Gunther of the WWF says the issue is extremely relevant in Germany,. “There’s a heated debate going on right now about the cost of renewables in Germany,” she says. “There’s a lot of pressure to cut the feed-in-tariff for renewables. A relevant carbon price would increase the price of electricity at the stock market but it would have the effect of lowering the amount consumers have to pay in terms of the incentive for clean energy.”

According to the European Wind Energy Association (EWEA) in Brussels, the low price of carbon will adversely affect the investment climate for clean energy technology in Europe. “Because investors believe that the low cost of carbon will persist, there’s no incentive for investment in wind power,” explains Remi Gruet, a senior staff member at the EWEA. “We need a level playing field for new-build investment opportunities. In its present form, the ETS has no impact on investment decisions in the power sector.”

Germany doesn’t dictate environmental policy in the EU, but as the biggest and most economically powerful actor, it has plenty to say about climate policy. While it is unlikely that anything will happen between now and the autumn nationwide election, many observers think that Merkel could put it back on the table were the vote to change her coalition partner, which polls say is likely. Speaking earlier this week at the Petersberg Climate Dialogue in Berlin, she as much as promised this. The Petersberg event is a warm-up to the annual U.N. Climate Conference, which will be held in Poland later this year.

Until then, Europe will continue to burn coal for next to nothing.

View the original article here

Growing interest in carbon tax could improve the Outlook for renewable energy.

Conservative economists and fossil lobbyists combines a year to fend off 2009 climate change legislation, which would have introduced a CAP-and-trade mechanism. They are locked now in a backroom debate on a tax on CO2 emissions, which could raise an estimated $100 billion in the first year.
A CO2 tax would force to pay a fee for the greenhouse gases generators, refineries and manufacturers that emit them. It gains interest as lawmakers and President Barack Obama agree that the corporate tax code to simplify and try to restrict the revenue to the deficit. The destruction of Superstorm Sandy to the fires and the drought of this summer also have increased concern about global warming.

"It fits with the Republican idea of cleaning of the tax code, and have a clean instrument for dealing with this problem," said John Reilly, Co Director of the Massachusetts Institute of technology joint program on the science and policy of global change, in an interview. In the face of this year's weather disasters, "it's hard to stand up and say that global warming is a hoax," he said.
Gilbert E. Metcalf, Deputy Assistant Treasury Secretary for the environment, energy, said this week no CO2 tax was that the Administration is planning to propose, though, "Part of the mix" could be an overhaul of tax according to the Hill newspaper. Asked yesterday, Obama said that he doubted that enough political agreement for the tax, although he warned the delay in the fight against of global warming.

Storm costs

"It is important, because, you know, one of the things the we not always factor into the cost of these natural disasters," Obama said at a White House Press Conference. "We only she pushed for our behavior as something."

The Washington-based American Enterprise Institute (AEI), which States that the favour of libertarian and conservative values, instead of a full-day discussion of November 13 to to check how a CO2 tax to implement that economists might say allow from regulation by the environmental protection agency a lowering of corporate taxes and head. On the same day filed a opponent of the idea, which would be said competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI), a lawsuit against the Treasury Department, seeking private emails show that the Government is secretly pushing for a CO2 tax.
"they need new sources of revenue, and this is a nice," Chris Horner, senior fellow at the Washington-based CEI, said in an interview. "This thing is gaining steam."

Environmentalists support

Environmentalists how environmental wants Defense Fund and former Vice President Al Gore say control greenhouse gas emissions, it is the best way to curb the use of fossil fuels such as coal and oil, cleaner energy sources such as wind power and energy efficiency. The idea was also support for the economists who have worked for the Republican Governments, including Kevin Hassett, also at the AEI, and Gregory Mankiw, an economist at Harvard University.

Exxon, the legislation in 2009, which limits CO2 emissions and allows an auction would act, said at the time that a CO2 tax would be easier to implement and more predictable.

Exxon posts

"In combination with further progress in energy efficiency and new technologies, spurred by market innovations a well-thought-out CO2 tax in dealing with the problem of rising emissions play an important role could be," said Kimberly Brasington, a spokeswoman for the company, in an E-mail. "A CO2 tax revenue should be made neutral about tax offsets in other areas," she added.

Exxon political action Committee announced millions of political candidates in the last two years 93 percent $1.2 almost of Republicans, according to the Center for responsive politics.

Exxon is the largest U.S. natural gas producer. A CO2 tax could demand for natural gas in the U.S. power plants, boost, such as gas as coal for electricity make half carbon dioxide emitted.
"Is the source of most coal", David Kreutzer, researcher in the energy sector at the Heritage Foundation in Washington, said that against the tax in an interview. "The biggest replacement for coal will be natural gas."

Taxes on greenhouse gas emissions would help convoluted corporate tax to finance an overhaul of the code and is a better way, the address global warming as regulations from the EPO by Aparna Mathur, an economist at AEI.

Carbon Conference

Exxon, the world's largest energy company by market value, $295.000 last year gave AEI. Exxon in the Mathur, research or the session played no role, she said.

Some say Mr Mathur of the scholars at the think tank in Washington a new tax is a mistake, and the Conservatives are always cheated to think it would take the place of the imposed - not in addition to - other taxes and rules.

"Conservatives are completely naive to believe that they get compromises in response to a CO2 tax," said Kenneth Green, as a resident scholar at the AEI, in an interview. "Some rugged, we have had discussions about the lunch about our differences."

Tax revenues

CO2 emissions since the industrial revolution caused warming of the Earth's temperature, to extreme weather, drought and coastal flooding, according to the global change program to create research threatens US. Taxation would trigger more than $100 billion in the first year, according to a study by a ton of carbon dioxide at $20 Mathur this week presented.

Mathur, said that she will support any CO2 tax in the abstract. She said it is better than EPA regulation and studied how it could best be implemented.

National Journal reported that Grover Norquist, President of Americans for tax reform, said he favors a CO2 tax, Exxon does just what said is necessary to compensate for the revenue increases with other tax cuts. The next day, Norquist issued a statement clarifying his remark, saying that the new tax "would lead to higher taxes."
"In the real world, it is not conceivable," that the revenues from a carbon tax would be associated by reductions in other taxes, Norquist said in an interview. It would mean "higher taxes on short and long term."

Other opponents of the CAP-and-trade remain skeptical that a CO2 tax.

Opponents plan

National Mining Association, which represents coal producers such as Peabody Energy Corp., is aimed against "unique as it would damage that growth," said Luke Popovich, a spokesman, in an E-mail. It is a regressive tax that "heavily on the least able to afford would fall."

And even the environmentalists are skeptical the before and cons main table, Congress to approve any legislation. Obama of regulatory efforts bear fruit, and that should not be thrown away, they say.
"You hear lots of talk about a CO2 tax," Ann said senior counsel the weeks, clean air task force in Boston, in an interview. "But EPA regulatory front so much has progressed," she said. "I hope that they it cannot fall for the promise of something else."

Copyright 2012 Bloomberg.
View the original article here

Spotlights in an effort to overtake consumer energy costs taxing carbon France

More people make on claim so-called "social" utility prices energy will make more accessible, he said in a speech at an environmental conference in Paris. Applicable law for 1 million households benefit can, he said.
The budget 2013 is a "General control" belong to the companies that contribute to air pollution, he said. The Government plans also the CSPE to check that goes to pay the higher costs of renewable energy tax on electricity bills.

President Francois hollande has begun to overtake a plan to reduce France's reliance on nuclear power and energy costs for the consumer. The prices which they regulated households on the domestic market by the Government raise ELECTRICITE de France SA and GDF Suez SA, who have based former monopolies, Paris.
A Bill to promote energy efficiency and reduce the demand would make complex rules about the rates because they home will depend on isolation and sales.

"I want to encourage moderation, energy use," Ayrault said today. Under the plan, the Government wants, that 1 million houses are renovated for the financial support available, he said.

Cost of doing business

"What worries us the most how much it will cost and who pays", Laurence Parisot, head of the business organisation MEDEF said energy and the proposed pollution control after the Conference on the Government's policies. "No costs for companies without a major impact can increase employment and competitiveness we believe."

The Government until end of the year for two offshore wind farms in the vicinity of Le Treport in the channel and Noirmoutier island off the Atlantic coast and the large-scale solar systems start also tenders, said Ayrault. This is accompanied by a streamlining of the administrative procedures for the development of onshore turbines.

EDF and partners including turbine manufacturer of our Alstom SA in April a French Government tender for three offshore wind farms to build, while Iberdrola SA a got. Was this first round for almost 2,000 megawatts, which an estimated 1.1 billion euros to household electricity is added to bills if the wind farm are running, the Government has said.
France, which does not have more offshore wind energy, plans 6,000 megawatts of offshore wind, tidal and wave power by 2020 to install boost clean energy.


View the original article here

United States with a focus on carbon capture technology

WASHINGTON, 26 Aug. UPI)-the US Department of energy, said it would help 16 projects, the ways to capturing carbon dioxide better would develop.

The projects, the dissemination of New Jersey, United States, Washington will $41 million over the next three years. Everyone is focused on ways to improve the existing carbon-capture technology from finding ways to reduce energy and cost penalties.

The Energy Department said that efficient not, since current recording systems for larger power plants large amounts of energy require existing technology.

Objective of the programme is to provide energy losses at the search technology that reach at least 90 percent CO2 removal, the Department said for ways to develop carbon capture.

"Charting a way in the clean coal to achieve our objectives of providing American jobs to create, clean energy and greenhouse gas emissions is essential," Energy Secretary Steven Chu said in a statement. "It helps a leader of the United States in the global clean energy race."

President Barack Obama has a goal with less than 10 pilot projects online by 2016 as part of a plan to develop an efficient CO2 capture technology within the next 10 years set.

View the original article here

Carbon capture: A flimsy plaster or the response to climate change?

{"s": "SOT."}""HM", k:" a00, a50, b00, b60, c10, g00, h00, l10, p20, t10, v00 ","o":" "," j ":" "} Rowena Mason, 7: 10, Friday 11 February 2011"

Clean coal sounds like a misnomer. The fossil fuel tends to conjure up images of Chinese power plants puffing thick clouds of smoke and grimy-faced Victorian miners.

But when the world will reduce its CO2 emissions, coal sanitising looks like the only answer.

For starters, it is unlikely that developing countries such as China and India go from their dependence on fuel anytime soon deposed to.

Although it think only an early-stage technology, scientists, burning coal, suck carbon dioxide and pump it underground possible.

Estimates would only 10pc of emissions of a traditional coal-fired power station to publish.

It could also be that a money spinner for the UK Treasury, which licenses exhausted oil and where the carbon dioxide ultimately keep gas fields.

With most UK's creaky old coal stations over the technology in European law offers withdrawn are, as you also pollutive, new hope for maintaining the security of energy supply of the country.

Britain is ready, up to four pilot projects costs ? 1bn Fund in the hope that UK world leader to be and might license its technology to other countries.

It can quickly add ? 17 annual energy costs, but given the coal relatively cheap compared to the fossil fuels peers it could end end up without subsidies to be economically viable.

There are even more experimental technologies, financing, underground like the burning of coal and win trapping carbon dioxide down there.

But at the moment the greatest support for "Carbon Capture and Storage" is equipment that could be fitted to existing coal plants.

The technology was not without its problems. The first competition by the British Government saw a raft of applicants to put the proposals.

One by one, broke you, realize that it would be too expensive and risky. E.on, was while uncertain about the future of energy demand to take more coal plants such as not ready on the load of the building.

Dr. Paul Golby, Chief Executive of E.on UK, has insisted a "key technology", but increased doubt coal is clean about his current viability.

"" There are two elephant in the room: markets and money, "he said.""If they are not fixed, nothing is progress expected to long-term carbon capture and storage beyond the blueprint phase".

The only plant, the links in the current competition the first ? 1 billion for a Demonstrationg to Scottish Power's Longannet that you set plant get.

However, the fact is that it encouraging nine bidders for the next round of money.

Big names such as Scottish and southern (Hamburg: SOT.)HM - News) and DRAX are ready their hopes on this experimental technology in the hope that it will save this coal dependent company and a coal UK - reliant from future without this critical fuel.

View the original article here