The International Energy Agency and six "partner countries" – Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, Russia and South Africa – on Wednesday for the first time expressed their mutual interest in pursuing a stronger, more enhanced form of multilateral co-operation. The Joint Declaration on Association was issued at the end of the 2013 IEA Ministerial Meeting. Chaired by Turkish Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Taner Yildiz, the IEA Ministerial … [Read more...]
World Energy Council: “We are looking in the wrong place”
“To deliver sustainable energy systems our focus must shift from the supply mix to demand efficiency.” This is the conclusion that Christoph Frei, Secretary-General of the World Energy Council (WEC), draws from the World Energy Scenarios recently published by WEC. According to this new report, “current technologies, policies, and innovation are not enough to meet climate goals”. Despite strong growth in renewables, fossil fuels will remain … [Read more...]
Interview Ambassador Wu: “An energy revolution is very much needed”
In a speech in Groningen at the Energy Convention 2013, Wu Jianmin, Executive Vice-Chairman of the influential China Institute for Innovation and Development Strategy, a government-aligned think tank in Beijing, declared that China “very much needs an energy revolution”. China “depends too much on coal”, said Wu. But in an interview with Energy Post he added we should not expect miracles. “We can't get rid of the coal yet.” … [Read more...]
Coal industry calls for emission performance standards
The World Coal Assocation  issued a CommuniquĂ© in Warsaw on 21 November at the much-criticized International Coal and Climate Summit which was held simultaneously with the UN Climate Conference COP19 in Warsaw. In this so-called Warsaw CommuniquĂ© the coal industry calls on governments to introduce performance standards for power plants to lower CO2 emissions in the world. The literal text of the CommuniquĂ© is as follows: "We note that while … [Read more...]
Global electricity producers: credible carbon pricing essential
Electricity utilities see having a credible price level for CO2 and long-term, predictable policies as the crucial factors for driving change in their fuel and technology mix, according to the latest insights from the Global Electricity Initiative (GEI), presented today. Despite important efforts to increase investments in renewables, the GEI utilities expect fossil fuels to continue to be the basis of generation capacity from 2015 to 2035. … [Read more...]
Exclusive interview IEA-Director Maria van der Hoeven: “We cannot rule out new revolutions”
In its new World Energy Outlook (WEO), the IEA is cautious about the prospects of unconventional oil and gas outside the US. As regards shale gas, it notes that “uncertainty remains over the quality, the costs and public acceptance.” Yet in an interview with Energy Post, IEA Executive Director Maria van der Hoeven notes that “the gas is there. All geologists are agreed on that.” Moreover, “there may be other surprises in store, for example with … [Read more...]
VIDEO: Brussels Briefing on Environment – All you need to know for the month of November 2013
Sonja van Renssen, leading environment journalist at viEUws.eu, provides an overview of the latest developments in the field of EU Environment Policy: - UN climate talks in Warsaw - A leaked impact assessment shows six different scenarios for 2030 climate & energy targets - Commission’s proposal on reducing the use of plastic bags - Look ahead at possible environment policies of the next European Commission for 2015 Featuring … [Read more...]
The failure of Kyoto and the futility of European energy policy
The EU has been one of the front-runners on climate policy ever since the Kyoto Protocol was adopted in 1997. However, according to geologist and energy author Euan Mearns, who runs the blog Energy Matters and is a former editor of the famous "peak oil" website The Oil Drum, Kyoto has been an outright failure and current EU energy policy is futile and counterproductive. He wonders why EU governments "continue to pursue this futile course of … [Read more...]
IEA in World Energy Outlook: no oil abundance in sight
Technology and high prices are opening up new oil resources, but this does not mean the world is on the verge of an era of oil abundance, according to the International Energy Agency’s (IEA) 2013 edition of the World Energy Outlook (WEO-2013). Although rising oil output from North America and Brazil reduces the role of OPEC countries in quenching the world’s thirst for oil over the next decade, the Middle East – the only large source of low-cost … [Read more...]
Why a carbon tax is a bad idea
With the EU Emission Trading Scheme (ETS) struggling and “carbon credit frauds” in the news, many analysts argue we should get rid of carbon trading and opt for carbon taxes instead. But according to Alex Trembath and Matthew Step, carbon taxes will do nothing to cut emissions because they don’t lead to innovation. “Steve Jobs didn’t develop the PC because the price of typewriters went up.” … [Read more...]
Peak Coal in China – or long, high plateau?
Recent reports predicting a "peak" in Chinese coal power consumption are misleading, Armond Cohen and Kexin Liu of the Clean Air Task Force (CAFT) point out. The amount of Chinese coal-fired power generation will "continue to skyrocket". The same goes for other parts of Southeast Asia. The only way to prevent climate disaster is by scaling up carbon capture and storage (CCS). (Photo from Shanxi province by Bert van Dijk) … [Read more...]
VIDEO: 2030 Climate & Energy – Will Europe have the courage to fix its climate & energy tools?
Sonja van Renssen, leading environment journalist at viEUws.eu, gives an insight into the EU’s progress on reducing green house gas emissions in order to tackle climate change and an outlook on the debate on reduction targets for 2030 coming up next year. … [Read more...]
Fossil fuel euphoria: oil and gas forever!
A European country like Germany may have embarked on an energy transformation away from fossil fuels - with major German energy companies like RWE following suit - worldwide there is no such trend, notes US energy expert and author Michael T. Klare. On the contrary, countries and companies, particularly in the US, are euphoric about all the new "unconventional" oil and gas coming on the market. "What we're seeing is a sea change in elite thinking … [Read more...]
Europe is not alone on climate
Cynics claim that the EU has failed in its attempt to achieve a worldwide climate policy and is only hurting its own economy by insisting on highly ambitious CO2 emission reduction targets. But this is a far too simplistic view of how the world works, argues Liz Gallagher of E3G. According to Gallagher, Europe has achieved much more than most observers realise. Countries across the world are increasingly modelling their policies on the EU … [Read more...]