Article by Guest Contributor: David Hall

On July 1st this year, New Zealand’s Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) began to turn the screw on its greenhouse gas emissions. With forestry liable since 2008, the energy and industrial sectors finally entered the carbon era.

Fuel and power companies immediately displaced the cost of greenhouse gas emissions onto consumers, raising … Read More…

Article by Guest Contributor: Adalberto Maluf

The fourth meeting of the BASIC country ministers (Brazil, South Africa, India and China) on climate change took place in Rio de Janeiro on the 25th and 26th of July 2010 to further discuss their common positions regarding the Copenhagen Accord.

The BASIC countries were part of the final agreement reached … Read More…

The United Nation’s flexible mechanisms were introduced as a cost-effective and efficient method to help poorer countries develop sustainably, whilst providing developed countries another option to meet commitments under the Kyoto Protocol.

The Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) and the Joint Implementation (JI) have progressed at different rates, with different levels of engagement and varying degrees of … Read More…

The UK Government has claimed to become the ‘Greenest Ever Government’ since the previous Labour and Conservative leadership.

Following the announcement of the Energy Security and Green Economy Bill during the Queen’s Speech on 25 May 2010, David Cameron (Prime Minister) promised the country that he would lead the UK to become a low carbon economy … Read More…

France, Germany, and the United Kingdom have simultaneously launched a call for the European Union (EU) to commit to a larger reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by 2020. In recent months, the EU has weathered economic troubles. But the current plan for increased energy cuts is being billed as a bid to … Read More…

As of July 22nd , the second effort to enact a Climate Change bill in this congress failed. Democratic Senate Majority leader Harry Reid announced that the ‘We know that we don’t have the votes’ for a comprehensive reform. Instead, the focus will be on a slimmer package focusing on household efficiency and the … Read More…

On 21 July, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) announced a summary of Japanese Feed in Tariffs (FITs), in which electric power companies are required to buy the electricity generated by all types of renewable sources of energy by households and businesses. FITs seek to promote the adoption of renewable energy sources by offering long-term contracts … Read More…

In anticipation to the 16th Conference of the Parties of the UNFCCC, the Mexican Presidency anticipates to demonstrate the potential for innovative policies to address climate change. The Mexican Government has already presented an ambitious plan to mitigate carbon emissions (50 million tonnes by 2012); recent legislation suggests an adaptation framework.

Mexico is highly vulnerable to … Read More…