‘Nuclear power could triple over next 40 years – IEA’

Engineeering News, 17th June 2010

Almost one-quarter of global electricity could be generated from nuclear power by 2050, which would significantly contribute to cutting greenhouse gas emissions, the International Energy Agency (IEA) stated.

A joint study by IEA and the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development’s Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA) showed that such an expansion would require nuclear generating capacity to more than triple over the next 40 years, a target described as “ambitious”, but “achievable”.

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UN Secretary-General’s Advisory Group on Energy and Climate Change releases Report and Recommendations on Energy for a Sustainable Future

This report, released on 28 April 2010, calls for the transformation of global and national energy systems through the scaling up of energy access and energy efficiency so as to ensure the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals and sustainable development:-

Energy is at the heart of most critical economic, environmental and developmental issues facing the world today. Clean, efficient, affordable and reliable energy services are indispensable for global prosperity. Developing countries in particular need to expand access to reliable and modern energy services if they are to reduce poverty and improve the health of their citizens,

‘Green Credit, Green Stimulus, Green Revolution? China’s mobilization of banks for environmental cleanup’

To tackle China’s profound environmental problems, Chinese leaders are now incorporating environmental targets in 5-year plans and experimenting with market-based mechanisms to supplement their traditional command and control mechanisms for environmental protection. In the recent years, China has produced a series of green policies, including green tax, green procurement, as well as green policies relevant to the financial sector, namely, green credit, insurance, and security policies. Of the three, the green credit policy is the most advanced,

UN Habitat Green Building Conference

The Promoting Green Building Rating conference was held in Nairobi from 4-6 May 2010 where participants released a declaration inter alia recognising the importance of energy efficiency in buildings and the development of a green building rating system:-

We, experts, practitioners and decision makers from twenty countries in Africa, meeting at the Conference on Green Building Rating Systems for Africa, after three days of fruitful debates and discussions, declare our commitment to promoting and fostering green building practices in Africa. 

‘Challenge of the New Balance’ – study on options for reducing emissions in India

In January this year, India had declared that it would voluntarily reduce emissions intensity of the GDP by 20-25 per cent by 2020 in comparison to the 2005 level. Will it be able to do so and what is the technology-emission reduction road map for India? A report by Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), which was released here today, finds while industry can meet the 2020 target under even business as usual scenario, its options beyond this are few, difficult and very expensive.

The study, using extensive data on each sector collected from the industries, concludes that most Indian industry is already efficient in terms of its use of energy and emissions. But in all these sectors, technology options for emission reduction stagnate after 2020. There is no way to reduce emissions without impacting growth once we cross the current emissions-efficiency technology threshold, says the study.

World Bank and AusAid release report – Winds of Change: East Asia’s sustainable energy future

In light of East Asia’s rapid economic growth and urbanization, accompanied by a large increase in energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions, this report considers how to move the region towards a ‘sustainable development path’.

‘The key messages of this report are:

• It is within the reach of East Asia’s governments to maintain economic growth, mitigate climate change, and improve energy security. This study found that large-scale deployment of energy efficiency and low-carbon technologies can simultaneously stabilize East Asia’s CO2 emissions by 2025 and significantly improve the local environment and enhance energy security, without compromising economic growth.

Atomium Culture and Lund University release ‘Governance for a Low-Carbon Society’

While the international community has yet failed to provide any clear sense of direction, a swift transition to low- or zero-carbon energy systems will still be necessary to achieve over the coming decades. By and large, such a shift seems feasible and affordable based on what we know about available resources, technology and costs but will involve unprecedented challenges for political institutions and processes. In light of this, the report is a call for a new notion of governance to enable and instigate transitions towards a low-carbon society.

Renewable Energy Standard May Save $200B In Annual Energy

Energy efficiency and renewable energy standards could save U.S. consumers $200 billion a year by 2030.

There also is an equal opportunity for the commercial and industrial sectors to save money by the U.S. adopting more aggressive renewable energy measures, panelists said at a May 21 press conference from the Consumer Federation of America.

Hospitals Invest in Energy-Efficiency Upgrades

Hospitals are receiving much needed energy-efficiency upgrades thanks in part to special funding and grants designed to defray some of the costs. These upgrades can also lead to lower emissions, which is a significant related benefit considering that the U.S. healthcare sector accounts for 8 percent of the country’s carbon-dioxide emissions, according to a recent report.