Proponents of Carbon-Capture-and-Storage (CCS) have long hailed the technology as the silver bullet that will enable the world to both fight climate change and keep using coal reserves. In Germany, the debate about the merits and pitfalls of this approach has once again surfaced. It highlights three key problems with using CCS to solve the [...]

This week France and Germany suggested that rich nations should collectively guarantee deep cuts in GHG by 2020. That stance is nothing new. But the flexibility suggested on the pathway to such collective cuts certainly is a huge step forward in attitudes regarding climate change negotiations. The Paris meeting held this past week is one [...]

International Success… On the international stage, Indonesia can claim with some justification that it is leading the way in advancing the climate change agenda. In the last month alone, Indonesia has been active in: Putting the role of oceans on the climate change map as well as signing the Coral Triangle Initiative (discussed in last [...]

Canada, has announced that it is beginning to formulate its own Cap and Trade system this week, to continue the trend of North American policy convergence on Climate Change issues. Fresh off the press (from Treehugger),it has been reported that what many Environmental proponents have long hoped for In Canada, could soon become a reality [...]

In a state not short of green ideas, British Columbia once again looks forward to displaying its green credentials but this time on the international stage. The Vancouver 2010 winter Olympic organisers aim to make the 2010 Winter Olympics a showcase of the state and city’s progress in embracing sustainable eco-values. Historically, Olympics have not [...]

There has been a huge amount of coverage of conferences so far this year, the G20 foremost among them. There was another conference that took place last week that was important to anyone interested in climate change policy but you would be forgiven for missing it. The Western press, in a fit of parochialism, ignored [...]

Seven years ago, Hamburg sold its municipal energy provider to the Swedish utility Vattenfall. Yesterday, in a telling example of changed thinking on energy policy, Hamburg’s Green environment minister announced the start of construction for the first (admittedly tiny) windpark operated by the city’s newly created municipal energy provider. The re-claiming of political control over [...]

Although as yet unofficial, an exciting new development is expected when President Obama will soon – probably later today – announces new federal rules for automobile emissions and mileage standards. When Obama cleared the road for a federal waiver, which would have allowed California (and 13 other states which would have followed suit) to develop [...]

Last year France was axed from the Grand Prix calendar after the French motorsport federation withdrew support of the Magny-Cours track, citing lack of funds.  Formula 1 CEO, Bernie Ecclestone, ruled out returning to the rural venue, with his sites set on a Paris race date to grace the Formula 1 calendar. Things were looking [...]

Quebec is in the process of taking a bold step towards North America’s first Cap and Trade system.  Bill 42, tabled recentlyis designed to bring in a mandatory Cap and Trade system to Quebec, in line with the WCI, of which Quebec is a key member along with Ontario and British Columbia and California among [...]