Both EU institutions and member states are actively undermining the investment climate in the energy sector, writes Alan Riley, Senior Fellow at the Institute for Statecraft in London. The European Commission is undermining investor protection by its determination to apply EU state aid law to arbitration awards. Member States are disrupting investor expectations through arbitrary political interventions in the energy sector. Worst of all, the … [Read more...]
Energy companies under pressure to improve non-financial reporting – “the accountants are taking over”
Most energy companies today report on their climate, environmental and social impacts. In the EU they are even legally obliged to do so. But how transparent are these reports? How can they be compared? And how will they be used by investors and policymakers? Clare Taylor spoke to a number of experts and learned that energy companies are increasingly under pressure to improve their non-financial reporting – and that there is more legislation to … [Read more...]
EU policy must wake up to carbon dioxide removal
Most scenarios to meet the Paris Agreement’s targets require negative emissions technologies. However, carbon dioxide removal is not part of the EU’s climate policy yet. Its integration presents a serious challenge to the EU’s low-carbon policy paradigm and experience, write Oliver Geden of the German Institute for International and Security Affairs, Vivian Scott of the University of Edinburgh and James Palmer of the University of Bristol. … [Read more...]
Interview Iberdrola’s Director of Climate Change Saenz de Mira: “Europe is losing leadership” (Energy Post Weekly)
“In renewables there are more investments today in the US and China”, says Gonzalo Saenz de Miera, Director of Climate Change at Iberdrola, a world leader in renewables, in an interview with Energy Post. “Europe is losing its leadership.” Saenz de Miera calls for a binding target for 2050, not just 2030, and for it to be more ambitious than the current 80-95% greenhouse gas emission reduction. He also advocates “polluter pays” taxation that puts … [Read more...]
Six reasons to be more optimistic about climate change than five years ago
There are reasons to be more optimistic about climate change now than five years ago, writes climate change economist Adam Whitmore. Several trends, including emissions reduction, carbon pricing or investment into low-carbon technologies, make it appear that the worst of the risks of climate change can be avoided. Courtesy Whitmore's blog On Climate Change Policy … [Read more...]
The dangers of green technology-forcing
Current technology-forcing policies imply that wind and solar power, combined with battery electric vehicles, represent our only viable energy future, observes independent researcher Schalk Cloete. Given the fundamental limitations of these technologies, this is a very dangerous notion, he argues. A shift to technology-neutral policies is needed, especially in developing nations. … [Read more...]
Reducing the costs of nuclear energy in three steps
New nuclear plants shouldn’t have to be expensive, writes David Hess of  the World Nuclear Association. To reduce nuclear costs - and project times - three things need to happen: access to cheap financing should be facilitated, regulatory barriers should be lowered, and industry should improve its performance. … [Read more...]
German electricity market in 2017: records for battery storage and redispatch
Renewable energy generation is still on the rise in Germany, though at a much lower pace than in the years around 2010, writes Marius Buchmann of Jacobs University in a detailed overview of the German electricity market in 2017. Costs of the feed-in tariff are stagnating, notes Buchmann, but redispatch costs which grid operators incur to keep the system stable, reached a new record far above €1 billion. Courtesy of Buchmann’s blog Enerquire. … [Read more...]
EVs alone won’t solve our transport problem
Electric cars are a quick fix that helps tackle climate change and improve air quality to a point, but they won't get us to a sustainable mobility system, warns Martin Brueckner of Murdoch University. We need a new transport paradigm. Courtesy The Conversation. … [Read more...]
The rush for cobalt and what it means for EVs
There are no short-term alternatives to using cobalt in electric vehicle batteries today, writes financial energy specialist Gerard Reid. Even if the cobalt price continues to go up, it will be a long while before production is able to match growing demand, Reid argues. … [Read more...]
The secret of the great American fracking bubble
While politicians and the mainstream media trumpet fracking as a great American energy revolution, it has in fact been a financial disaster, writes Justin Mikulka of DeSmog blog. The American shale oil and gas boom, he writes, may be "one of the largest money-losing endeavors in the nation's history". Courtesy DeSmog blog. … [Read more...]
Boosting green investment: EU wants ecolabel for financial products
The European Commission’s recently adopted Sustainable Finance Action Plan aims to boost investment in green projects, mainly by providing more reliable information for investors, writes David Thorpe, consultant and author of books on energy efficiency. An EU "ecolabel" for financial products is in the works. … [Read more...]
$100 Oil is back on the table
Only a week ago, news surfaced that Saudi officials were quietly hoping to push oil prices up to $80 per barrel, which would help boost the valuation of Saudi Aramco IPO. But why not $100 per barrel, asks Nick Cunningham of Oilprice.com? … [Read more...]
How Volkswagen’s Dieselgate billions are helping to jump-start EV charging
Interstate high-speed charging corridors have emerged as popular options for spending the Volkswagen settlement fund in American states affected by the automaker’s emission scandal, writes Mike O’Boyle of think tank Energy Innovation. Coupled with public education and interstate planning, these corridors are a good use of these funds to decarbonize transportation, the author argues. … [Read more...]
UK will legislate net-zero carbon emissions target, says minister
The UK will draft new laws that will cut emissions to net-zero, climate minister Claire Perry announced on Tuesday. Under the UK's 2008 Climate Change Act, the country has committed to 80% emission cuts, but this may prove inadequate to meet the Paris limit in 2050, writes Megan Darby, deputy editor of Climate Home News.  Article courtesy Climate Home News. … [Read more...]
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