reegle Blog

Under rules set by the Voluntary Carbon Standard (VCS), projects such as reducing the rate of tropical deforestation could get tradable credits for a voluntary market aimed at companies and individuals. "For the first time ever investors can rely on robust rules for crediting agriculture, agriculture and other land use projects," said David Antonioli, chief executive of the London-based VCS Association. The VCS is backed by the Climate Group, the International Emissions Trading Association, the World Economic Forum and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development. The VCS is expected to help UN climate talks to find new ways to grant developing nations to combat deforestration. Read the full article at www.energy-enviro.fi

A lot has changed since November 2006. That’s when REEEP helped finance a wind farm developed by South African wind developer, Genesis Eco-Energy (Pty) Ltd., through the sale of carbon credits to the UK government. The UK Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) purchased the credits generated by the Jeffreys Bay 10MW wind farm to offset their 2004 air travel emissions. Two years later the projects are 12 to 30 times bigger and now you have the French and Spanish governments providing assistance for African wind projects.

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The world should not wait until next year to cobble together a new climate change pact, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said on Sunday. The countries should aim for a meaningful breakthrough in Poznan, Poland, in December. Delaying major advances until the end of 2009, when a Copenhagen summit will aim to finalize an accord to tackle rising global temperatures, may be ill-advised, Ban told diplomats and officials at a ceremony for the 20th anniversary of the U.N. climate panel. Ban said that the Poland meeting should serve as "a very successful bridge" for Copenhagen. He said it was imperative for the new U.S. government to play a leadership role in climate change for the international community to agree on strong emission cut targets. "Whoever may be elected as president of the United States, they may be in a better position to address and to lead this process."

MIT researchers have overcome a major barrier to store solar power for use when the sun doesn't shine. The new process will allow the sun's energy to be used to split water into hydrogen and oxygen gases. Later, the oxygen and hydrogen may be recombined inside a fuel cell, creating carbon-free electricity day or night. The developers, Daniel Nocera, the Henry Dreyfus Professor of Energy at MIT and Matthew Kanan, a postdoctoral fellow in Nocera's laboratory are describing the work in the July 31 issue of Science. More engineering work needs to be done to integrate the new scientific discovery into existing photovoltaic systems, but Nocera hopes that within 10 years, for instance, homeowners will be able to power their homes in daylight through solar cells, while using excess solar energy to produce hydrogen and oxygen to power their own household fuel cell. James Barber, the Ernst Chain Professor of Biochemistry at Imperial College London, who was not involved in this research, called the discovery by Nocera and Kanan a "giant leap" toward generating carbon-free energy on a massive scale.

Currently, less than 4 percent of the EU’s electricity consumption is met by wind power, but the wind has potential to meet 28 percent of the demand by 2030, according to the European Wind Energy Technology Platform (TPWind). In its Strategic Research Agenda TPWind presents a vision in which wind energy covers 12-14 percent of the EU’s electricity consumption by 2020, with a total installed capacity of 180 gigawatts. By 2030, this could be increased to 300 gigawatts. Final focus will be strengthening European wind power exports. Fulfilling this vision will be a major industrial and technological challenge, and it requires both policy-makers and sector players implement strategic action in technology and policy research.

The Energy Globe Award has extended its deadline until 21.06.2008 for submitting projects. I would like to invite you to participate in the Energy Globe 2008 as I think it is a real great opportunity to promote good projects and create awareness for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency projects all around the world.

The Energy Globe Award is one of the most important environmental awards worldwide. The Award distinguishes projects that sustainably use our resources such as water, earth, energy and air or use renewable energy forms. This makes a significant contribution to climate and environment. Only if such harbinger projects are followed by many other projects can climate change be slowed.

The Energy Globe is awarded nationally and internationally in the categories earth, fire, water, air and youth. The first prize in each category of the international Energy Globe Award wins €10,000. Awards are made in a televised gala that is viewed worldwide.

See the Energy Globe Application site for further information and details on how to download the application form.

The Group of Eight countries want to work with the nearly 200 states involved in U.N. climate change talks to adopt a goal of at least halving greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, according to a draft communique obtained by Reuters ahead of its formal approval. Mid-term goals also would be needed to achieve the shared goal for 2050. The statement puts the focus of fighting global warming on U.N.-led talks. European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said the deal represented a "new, shared vision" and kept negotiations on track for a global deal in 2009. The G8 would also unveil a series of measures to help Africa and would give USD 50 billion extra in aid by 2010.