WWF/E3G: The tops and flops of policy to save climate and economy

November 5, 2009

Climate-friendly policies not only reduce greenhouse emissions and bring environmental benefits; they also boost and diversify the economy, a recent report scoring some 100 climate policies from G20 countries reveals.

The report carried out by Ecofys and Germanwatch for WWF and E3G evaluates climate policies of countries accounting for around three-quarters of global greenhouse gas emissions, identifying best and worst examples and lessons learned. As G20 Finance Ministers prepare to meet in St. Andrews, UK, on 6-7 November, WWF urges this group to take the steps required now to ensure that the next major wave of infrastructure investment is green. That includes concrete proposals on climate finance to help developing countries build low carbon economies and adapt to climate change, as mandated by the Pittsburgh Summit of G20 Leaders in September.

The top places in the report were given to an “Efficiency in buildings” programme implemented by the German government and a “Feed-in tariff for renewable electricity” initiative, also in Germany. The latter guarantees a producer of renewable energy a fixed feed-in tariff for 20 years. Germany’s buildings programme reduces emissions, creates jobs in the construction sector, and offers broad scope for replication in others countries.

A Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system in Mexico has shown that green solutions have strong potential to increase comfort and quality of life – important considerations for fast-growing, emerging economies.

China’s programme of targets for the 1000 most energy-intensive enterprises led to permanent improvements in energy management and efficiency in these companies. “This report shows that governments which implement green and climate friendly solutions will win and take a leadership position in the world,” Kim Carstensen, the leader of WWF’s Global Climate Initiative said. “Governments which don’t invest in low carbon solutions will lose in the end and their voters will turn away from them,” he said. “We call on the G20 to come up with a strategy to drive investment in the green economy. Not investing in low carbon solutions nowadays is simply short-sighted.”

The report also exposes a number of bad policies, very often in the same countries where the good policies were implemented, which both fail to deliver economic benefits and block the way to a low carbon future. These include measures such as subsidizing of local mining, preferential treatment of energy-intensive industries and lack of comprehensive water management.

Nick Mabey, CEO of E3G, said: “G20 leaders agreed at Pittsburgh to a framework for strong, sustainable and balanced growth. That commitment will be in vain unless it is backed by concrete investments in a low carbon recovery. One-off green stimulus packages aren’t enough. What investors are looking for is long-term, legal and loud policy signals that governments are serious about the low carbon transition. Copenhagen is the place to start.”

WWF estimates that industrialized governments will need to provide financing in the order of US$160 billion for adaptation and mitigation in developing countries, especially to those most vulnerable to climate change.

To download the full report: http://assets.panda.org/downloads/scorecards_2009_11_02_online_version_final.pdf

To download a briefing note: http://assets.panda.org/downloads/e3g_wwf_scorecards_ii_briefing_note_nov_2009.pdf

 

China’s new regs : Good for Canadian cleantech

An article in the New York Times consults XPV Capital’s David Henderson (a regular CWT contributor, click here for “Opportunity Knocks”) and Alan McMillan of Omazo Ventures, a technology incubator firm also based in Toronto, and chairman of BX Jishu, a Chinese clean-technology distributor. From the article:

The staggering economic growth in China has come at a heavy cost, paid in severe contamination of the country’s air, soil and water. But now the Chinese government is aggressively pursuing more stringent environmental regulation, with a particular focus on water distribution and wastewater treatment.

“Recent stimulus spending has opened up the Chinese market to green initiatives. And Canadian companies are responding to the call for advanced water treatment and reuse technology,” reads the article.

Canada has a strong track record for innovation and investment in clean water technology and already has a foot in the Chinese market. “Canadian companies like [Trojan Technologies] that are world leaders in ultraviolet technology have benefited a lot of the emerging companies looking to enter China,” said Henderson.

Omazo, through BX Jishu, distributes in China equipment manufactured by UV Pure Technologies, also of Toronto, that purifies water using ultraviolet light. The company is bringing clean water to China’s hotel industry. “We see the hotel industry as being one of the first to demand clean water. Hotels have extreme water needs for their pools, restaurants, showers,” says McMillan. “And the people who stay in them have high expectations.”

Yesterday’s Vancouver Sun, however, says that industry insiders believe that Canada is falling behind in the global clean tech market. At a recent event, Natural Resources Minister Lisa Raitt declared Canada a global leader, but a follow-up panel “politely scolded the federal government for failing to make cleantech a strategic priority.”

Read McMillan’s article from CWT’s September/October 2009 issue here. In similar news, Guelph, Ontario-based ENPAR Technologies Inc. recently entered an Asian joint venture, and Quebec’s BioSpec Global Solutions, a company that develops rapid, onsite monitoring of microbial contamination in drinking water, recently announced they’re applying for Eurasian patents in anticipation of entry China.

Harvard Business : 4 Tips for Writing Better Email

Harvard Business Publishing

Friday March 6, 2009

After all [David Silverman's] posting about what makes for bad business writing, what is his advice for writing well?

1. Call to action. The number one thing that separates a memo, report, or PowerPoint from A Tale of Two Cities is a call to action. A novel is to be enjoyed. Business writing is intended to get the audience to do something: invest in a popcorn factory, fill out a kidney donor form, or flee the building in an orderly manner.

Questions to ask: Does my email ask the reader to do anything? If not, why am I sending it?

2. Say it up front. M. Night Shyamalan is paid to surprise folks. We are paid to not surprise our boss. Whatever the purpose of your missive, say it in the first line. Mystery and story are great ways to entertain and teach, so unless you’re looking for a job doing that, spit out why you’re writing up front.

Questions to ask: Can the reader tell from the subject line and first sentence what I’m writing about without going further? If not, why are you insisting that they guess?

3. Assume nothing. Does the reader need to know that the project won’t succeed if the subway workers strike, that everything depends on a category 5 hurricane not happening in the next 100 years, or that if Lehman goes under the entire firm will implode? Let the reader know what thinking has gone on behind the scenes. And when following up, don’t assume everyone remembers everything you’ve said. If you’ve got any worries that an acronym, term, or reference is going to elicit a confused moment, just explain it.

Questions to ask: Am I relying on what the audience knows or what I think they ought to know? Am I hiding anything from the reader unintentionally? If so, why do I want to surprise them later on?

4. Do the thinking. How many times have you gotten an email that says, “What are your thoughts?” followed by a forwarded chain of messages. That’s the writer saying, “I can’t be bothered to explain my reasoning or what I want you to focus on.” When you write, make sure you’ve explained what you’re thinking and what you want the reader to spend time on.

Questions to ask: Is my email giving my opinion and options for the reader to respond to? If not, why am I making them try to read my mind?

 

treehugger : Denmark Inaugurates World’s Largest Offshore Wind Farm

The world has a new largest offshore wind farm: The 209 MW Horns Rev 2 project, located 30 kilometers off the west coast of Jutland in the North Sea, was inaugurated today by Denmark’s Crown Prince Frederik. Constructed by DONG Energy, the project consists of 91 Siemens turbines and is expected to produce about 800 GWh of electricity per year — enough for 200,000 households.

In addition to the being the current record-holder for offshore capacity, Horns Rev 2 is the first offshore wind farm to be manned year-round by up to 24 workers on an offshore maintenance platform, dubbed Poseidon.

DONG Energy chairman of the board Fritz Schur touted his company’s offshore wind power prowess:

In many ways the establishment of Horns Rev 2 is a final test piece for DONG Energy. Half of the world’s current offshore wind power capacity was constructed by us. This inauguration of the world’s largest offshore wind farm underlines that DONG Energy is among the frontrunners in the field.

Though it will be able to bask in the number one spot for some while, there are a number of other larger offshore wind farms in planning and construction, including the now-slightly-downsized London Array — of which DONG is a backer — scheduled to come online in a few years.

More: DONG Energy – Horns Rev 2

Offshore Wind Power
The 1 GW London Array Offshore Wind Farm (Again) Moving Forward
Offshore Wind Power in Great Lakes Touted as Untapped Resource
Rule Britannia: UK is Now World’s #1 Offshore Wind Power Producer

First Biodiesel mandate in Canada now in effect in Manitoba

November 2, 2009
Province of Manitoba

Manitoba has taken another step forward as a leader in support of the biofuels industry by becoming the first jurisdiction in the country to implement a biodiesel mandate, Premier Greg Selinger said today at Speedway International, a Manitoba biodiesel processing facility.   

 “This mandate is one of the building blocks of our clean energy plan, an important climate-change initiative that will see the reduction of greenhouse-gas emissions in Manitoba,” said Selinger. “As a result of the two per cent biodiesel blend with diesel, it is expected greenhouse-gas emissions will be reduced by 56,000 tonnes or the equivalent of removing more than 11,000 cars from the road annually.”  

“Biodiesel is better for the environment as it has fewer emissions than regular diesel and will help to reduce greenhouse gas emissions,” said Royce Rostecki, president of Speedway International. “The potential market for biodiesel is significant.”  

Biodiesel is a safe, non-toxic, renewable and clean-burning fuel made from a variety of sources such as oilseed, animal fats from rendering facilities and used restaurant oils and grease.  It is biodegradable in water, produces fewer emissions and has a more pleasant odour than petroleum diesel.  

Selinger also said the province will provide greater support for local biodiesel production by replacing the current fuel tax exemption with a 14-cent-per-litre, five-year production grant for biodiesel produced in Manitoba. He said the grant keeps Manitoba competitive with incentives offered in other North American jurisdictions.  

Selinger noted that biodiesel is already being used in Manitoba by some vehicle fleets, such as Manitoba Hydro, Winnipeg School Division and Canada Safeway using this biofuel to reduce their greenhouse-gas emissions. It is expected biodiesel will be widely available to consumers by summer 2010.  

“We know biodiesel is a proven renewable and clean-burning fuel source,” said John Graham, public affairs manager, Canada Safeway.  “Safeway supports Manitoba’s biodiesel initiative and is already using biodiesel in our fleets.”   

 Today’s announcement builds on a previously announced regulation in 2008 requiring the licensing of biodiesel manufacturers and the adoption of fuel quality standards which ensures the integrity of the province’s fuel supply, said Selinger.  

For more information on biodiesel visit www.gov.mb.ca/stem/energy/biofuels/biodiesel/.

EDC’s Fall forecast

EDC’s forecast, released this morning, contains sectoral and regional outlooks that will be of interest to sector and geographic groups and posts and is available at the following link: http://www.edc.ca/gef             

EDC projects that Canadian exports will grow by 6% in 2010 after a 23% contraction in 2009. For Canadian GDP, EDC’s forecast remains at the lower end of the range, projecting 1.9% GDP growth in Canada in 2010, versus the Canadian banks that average at 2.5% and the Bank of Canada at 3%.

NRC’s Clean Energy Portal

The Clean Energy Portal is a repository of information related to Canadian climate change mitigation expertise and relevant Canadian or international organizations, initiatives and events. It lists activities, directories, products, international projects, financing from all CleanTech sub-sectors.  

http://www.cleanenergy.gc.ca/tech_dict/index_e.asp

enhanced Canada Business Network online

The enhanced Canada Business Network website came on line on October 19th. The site includes export related information for Canadian businesses as well as a search engine for Canadian companies looking for grants and financing.

This funding search engine has drop-down menus including,

 ”Purpose of financing” (one option is “To export my products or services”),

“Your Industry” (where you can make one or more selections based on NAICS codes). 

 Should be very useful when looking for sector-specific funding options for Canadian clients.  

The October 19th news release “Canada Business Network enhanced website to offer better service to businesses” can be found here.

Canadian industry sectors view from Australia Trade

http://www.austrade.gov.au/Solar-energy-to-Canada/default.aspx

Profiled industries:

Bioenergy-to-Canada
http://www.austrade.gov.au/Bioenergy-to-Canada/default.aspx

Carbon-capture-and-storage-to-Canada
http://www.austrade.gov.au/Carbon-capture-and-storage-to-Canada/default.aspx

Consumer goods to Canada
http://www.austrade.gov.au/Consumer-goods-to-Canada/default.aspx

Food and beverage to Canada
http://www.austrade.gov.au/Food-and-beverage-to-Canada/default.aspx

Green building to Canada
http://www.austrade.gov.au/Green-building-to-Canada/default.aspx

ICT to Canada
http://www.austrade.gov.au/ICT-to-Canada/default.aspx

Mining to Canada
http://www.austrade.gov.au/Mining-to-Canada/default.aspx

Oil and gas to Canada
http://www.austrade.gov.au/Oil-and-gas-to-Canada/default.aspx

Solar energy to Canada
http://www.austrade.gov.au/Solar-energy-to-Canada/default.aspx

Wind energy to Canada
http://www.austrade.gov.au/Wind-energy-to-Canada/default.aspx

EurActiv : EU to invest billions in energy research

EU to invest billions in energy research / EurActiv

7 October 2009 – The European Commission today revealed its long-awaited blueprint for tripling Europe’s energy research funding within the next decade, in a bid to shift monies towards supporting the transition to a low-carbon economy in the next EU budget.
————————————————–
The EU executive calls for the energy research budget to be increased to €50 billion over the next ten years. This would require yearly flows from both the public and private sectors to jump from their current €3bn to €8bn, it calculated.

The Communication on Financing the Development of Low-Carbon Technologies sets out how this money should be divided between key low-carbon technologies that can move Europe from 80% dependence on fossil fuels to 80% emissions cuts by 2050. The research priorities were identified in the 2007 Strategic Energy Technology Plan (SET-Plan) that intended to reassert Europe’s competitiveness by putting declining EU energy research budgets back on track.

The financing plan, which was originally due out last year, was partly delayed due to the financial crisis, which required new thinking on how to reactivate growth, Energy Commissioner Andris Piebalgs told journalists. Furthermore, drawing up roadmaps for the various technologies took time, he added.

The final plan earmarks €6bn for research into wind energy, which the Commission believes could produce a fifth of the EU’s electricity by 2020. The money would help to fund developments offshore, where winds are stronger, by investing in next-generation turbines and new structures.

Solar energy would get €16bn for developing new photovoltaic concepts and large industrial concentrating solar power (CSP) installations to contribute 15% of EU electricity in ten years’ time. Bioenergy research would also get €9bn so that it could provide 14% of EU energy while respecting sustainability criteria.

In order to integrate renewables and implement the internal energy market, electricity grids would get €2 billion so that half of the networks can operate along a “smart grid” principle.

Apart from renewables, carbon capture and storage (CCS) is set to receive €13bn for up to 12 demonstration projects. Nuclear research would also get €7bn for putting the fourth generation into operation.

The financing proposal also foresees €11bn for a ‘Smart Cities’ programme, in order to counter criticism that the SET-Plan disregards energy efficiency. Between 25 and 30 cities are to be upgraded with low-carbon houses and transport so that they emit 40% less greenhouse gas emissions in 2020 than they did in 1990.

In addition, the Commission is calling for more money for future breakthrough technologies, such as motors fuelled directly by sunlight or batteries which store power at ten times their current density.

Public partnering with private money

The Commission believes that public-private partnerships are the most credible way to go about funding energy research. However, it did not spell out how the financial burden should be shared between the two.

Read more …