In the run-up to the Paris climate change conference, there is much focus on countries’ voluntary commitments to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions (their so-called Intended Nationally Determined Contributions). But much less attention is paid to a part of the negotiations that is just as important, writes Henrik Selin of Boston University: how to finance the efforts of developing countries at mitigation and adaptation. … [Read more...]
Why Paris will be a Peace Conference – before the wars begin
A failure to cap greenhouse gas emissions will not just bring on climate shocks, but also worldwide instability, insurrection, and resource wars, writes Michael T. Klare In this sense, COP21 in Paris should be considered not just a climate summit but a peace conference as well – one taking place before the wars begin. … [Read more...]
How cheap can energy storage get? Pretty darn cheap
If current trends hold, the world is on a trajectory to achieving energy storage that will be cheap enough to allow 24/7 clean energy in the next 15-20 years, writes famous author and thinker Ramez Naam. … [Read more...]
What Volkswagen and the EU’s climate models have in common
The European Commission’s climate and energy modelling, based on intransparent models from the National Technical University of Athens, is based on ludicrous assumptions, writes Brook Riley of the Friends of the Earth Europe. The consequences for the climate are deadly: energy efficiency targets would be much higher if proper models were used. Riley calls for a reform of current practices. On Wednesday 21 October there will be a hearing at the … [Read more...]
From the horse’s mouth: The new oil world is radically different from the old one
We have entered a new oil world in which most of the old oil market truths can go overboard. This was the stark message given off by BP’s Chief Economist Spencer Dale in a speech he gave in London on 13 October. According to Dale, oil market realities have changed fundamentally: “We need a new set of principles reflecting the New Economics of Oil”. Karel Beckman discusses the profound implications following from Dale’s ground-breaking analysis. … [Read more...]
Euracoal attacks European Climate Foundation: “US super-rich are buying EU climate and energy policy”
Euracoal, the European Association for Coal and Lignite, has launched a full-frontal attack on the European Climate Foundation, one of the most influential climate NGO’s in Europe, accusing it of “twisting the truth” and undermining democracy with “money and power”. Energy Post editor Karel Beckman looks at Euracoal’s claims and concludes that they are unsubstantiated and even cynical. … [Read more...]
New European trend: renewables without borders
So far there has been very little cooperation between EU countries in stimulating renewable energy, although better coordination could save tens of billions of euros in support costs. Now that the EU has decided not to have national renewable energy targets for 2030, more and more organisations and countries are trying to develop regional approaches to support renewables projects. The Heinrich Böll Foundation, a think tank close to the German … [Read more...]
How Russia is plotting to split OPEC
Russia’s geopolitical strategy, including its intervention in Syria, is all about energy, writes Dalan McEndree of Oilprice.com. According to McEndree, President Putin is aiming to split OPEC into two blocs – the haves (Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, UAE and Qatar) and the have-nots (Iran, Iraq, Libya, Algeria, Venezuela. Nigeria) – with Russia supporting the have-nots. In this way Putin tries to pressure Saudi Arabia to reverse its oil policy, which is … [Read more...]
China and US: new climate commitments, common vision
US President Obama and Chinese President Xi announced far-reaching new climate policy proposals on 25 September during Xi's state visit in Washington DC. Ahead of the UN Climate Summit (COP21) in Paris in December, they came out with several new pledges in areas such as climate finance and energy efficiency standards. Moreover, China announced the launch of a national emission trading system in 2017 and the implementation of a new green dispatch … [Read more...]
The Price of Oil: why it rose stupendously, why it is likely to remain low and what this means for the world
Although oil has experienced an extraordinary price increase over the past few decades, a turning point has now been reached where scarcity, uncertain supply and high prices will be replaced by abundance, undisturbed availability and suppressed price levels in the decades to come, write Roberto F. Aguilera of Curtin University in Australia and Marian Radetzki of LuleĂĄ University of Technology in Sweden. In this article they provide a synopsis of … [Read more...]
Paris, give us carbon pricing, but give us market mechanisms too!
The world’s leading energy companies and investors, represented by the World Energy Council, have made it crystal clear they consider carbon pricing essential to generate sufficient investment for a low-carbon future, writes Joan MacNaughton, Chair of the World Energy Trilemma project of the World Energy Council. But according to MacNaughton, it is vital that policymakers in Paris don’t just put a price on carbon, but also allow for market … [Read more...]
Solar finance wizard David Arfin: “Why should people have to prepay their electricity bill for 30 years?”
With his invention of the SolarLease for SolarCity, he revolutionised the US residential solar market. Now, David Arfin, CEO of First Energy Finance, wants to take his business model to other parts of the world, including Europe, and apply it to other technologies, like wind, energy efficiency and geothermal heat pumps. In an exclusive interview with Energy Post, he explains his approach and what future financial innovations he sees coming. “Why … [Read more...]
How companies can determine their fair climate share
If energy-intensive industries were to get together and make joint climate pledges, how could they determine what would be a fair and significant contribution for each company? There are new tools available for this, including so-called Science Based Targets used by organisations like WWF, the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) and the World Resources Institute (WRI), writes Rolf de Vos in a new post on the Ecofys Paris Climate blog hosted by Energy … [Read more...]
When fuels compete: the new dynamics of global energy markets
For a long time global energy markets were relatively stable, dominated by long-term investment in asset-intensive fuel businesses that rarely competed with one another. Now, rapid change is sweeping across the energy world: fuels are increasingly encroaching on each other’s territory and the silos of regional markets are breaking down, write Christophe Brognaux and Nicholas Ward of The Boston Consulting Group (BCG). As a result, fundamentally … [Read more...]
Standardising energy efficiency: US initiative aims to transform European market
Energy efficiency remains one of the most intractable transition challenges. There are now finally plenty of funds available, yet progress remains slow. To overcome the last hurdles, major new initiatves have started up aiming to standardise energy efficiency processes to make it easier to invest in them. One of these is the Investor Confidence Project (ECP), originated by the Environmental Defense Fund. Goal: to turn energy efficiency projects … [Read more...]
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