China is facing pollution challenges today similar to what Los Angeles faced during the 1980s, a problem that energy efficiency helped mitigate. In China, combining cleaner heating fuels with better-insulated buildings is one concrete measure that would support cleaner skies in northern China and beyond, Clay Stranger writes in the Christian Science Monitor. China smog: … Continue reading China looking to energy efficiency to address urban air quality problems
A green urban network being planned in Hamburg
The German city of Hamburg is planning a green network that will cover 40% of the city area, contributing to resilience and allowing biking, swimming and nature watching in the city. Elisabeth Braw provides a good overview of the plans in the Guardian. Hamburg's answer to climate change Hamburg is planning a green network that … Continue reading A green urban network being planned in Hamburg
New OECD book on carbon prices
The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has published a book, titled 'Effective Carbon Prices,' which synthesizes a number of case studies on carbon prices in 15 selected countries and sectors. The book provides estimates of the costs to society of reducing carbon dioxide emissions in 15 countries using different policy instruments in five sectors: … Continue reading New OECD book on carbon prices
The latest balancing act in energy policy
The UK government has recently agreed to have two new nuclear power plants built with the agreement to subsidise the costs for decades. At the same time, Britain is steeped in controversy over the effectiveness of their two flagship energy efficiency programmes, the Green Deal and the Energy Company Obligation. Frances Lamberts provides an excellent … Continue reading The latest balancing act in energy policy
Quote of the week
On November 12th, the IEA launched its 2013 World Energy Outlook. At the launch in London, Maria van der Hoeven, Executive Director of the IEA said: Energy efficiency will be essential to getting that balance right – and I am pleased to say that it has become a focal point of energy policies. As we … Continue reading Quote of the week
Where are subsidy policies going?
Following the numbers of the week Agence France Presse writes that the EU is having a re-think about the level of subsidies for renewable energy. Hopefully, whatever happens, there will be a level playing field, as they say. The numbers of the week show the extent of the subsidies for fossil fuels. Last week, the … Continue reading Where are subsidy policies going?
Numbers of the week – 4 and 5
In a recent study by the Overseas Development Institute, Germany ranks 4th and the UK ranks 5th in the group of countries leading in subsidising fossil fuels. The top 11 rich-country emitters (E11) spent $74 billion on subsidies in 2011. Importantly, each of the 11.6 billion tonnes of carbon emitted from the E11 countries in … Continue reading Numbers of the week – 4 and 5
Personal investments in renewable energy on the rise in the UK
Rebecca O’Connor, editor for the Trillium Fund, provides a detailed account of the dynamics of personal investing in renewables in Britain on the Ecologist website. While this is a welcome sign, it will be interesting if we see the same activity for energy efficiency. Any information on this will be welcome. Small investors pile billions … Continue reading Personal investments in renewable energy on the rise in the UK
What you wanted to know about fracking but were afraid to ask
Bryan Burrough reviews a new book on fracking in the New York Times. The book provides an excellent account of the ‘fracking revoluton’ that has turned energy policy in all directions. ‘The Frackers’ and the Birth of an Energy Boom One could argue that, except for the Internet, the most important technological advance of the … Continue reading What you wanted to know about fracking but were afraid to ask
Changes start at DG Energy
Tony Vogel of European Voice writes about big changes at the head of DG Energy Ristori to succeed Lowe as head of energy department European Commission appoints Frenchman to key post. The European Commission has appointed Dominique Ristori of France as the new director-general of its department for energy. He is to take over on … Continue reading Changes start at DG Energy
