Yesterday, the UK government announced plans to introduce a Renewable Heat Incentive. So, it does seem to be taking seriously its promise to be “the greenest government ever”.
read more »Last week, I went to Rome to talk to Chicco Testa, who used to be chairman of Enel, Italy’s largest energy utility (and the third largest in Europe). He has now set up an organisation called NewClear to press Italy and other European countries to build new nuclear power stations.
read more »The US EPA is to issue guidelines on which forms of biomass are sustainable and which not. This is some progress, but the Scottish government is doing much better, issuing mandatory standards in April 2011.
read more »Sweden has taken over the six-month presidency of the EU. It was also president when Bush withdrew the US from the Kyoto Protocol and was central in rescuing this treaty. Therefore, the arrival of Swedes is good news for the Copenhagen Conference later this year.
read more »I have just returned from a trip to Slovenia. On Monday, I chaired a session on the transition to new energy at the Bled Strategic Forum, an annual event which brings together politicians, business people, NGOS and journalists. This year, the forum was about the global challenges of the next decade, so there was a lot of discussion about climate change.
read more »On Thursday 22 and Friday 23, I went to Clingendael, the Netherlands Institute for International Relations, for a seminar on how to meet the EU 20% renewables target. It certainly felt ironic for an Englishman to be invited to go and tell the Dutch what to do about renewable energy.
read more »The French government has called for tenders for 3Gw of offshore wind off France, and has given a grant to GDF Suez for a district heating network in Paris, which will use renewable heat.
read more »Ed Miliband was a good Energy and Climate Change Secretary, so the UK now has a ‘green’ Prime Minister, ‘green’ Energy Secretary and ‘green’ Leader of the Opposition. Now for some delivery…
read more »President Obama’s meeting with the Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari on 6 May understandably focussed on how to combat the Taliban and control Pakistan’s nuclear weapons.
read more »It isn’t often worth commenting on the fact that an agreement has been signed. Too many politicians make too many promises about what they plan to do in the future. However, a co-operation agreement between the US, the world’s top polluter, and Iceland, the world leader on geothermal energy use, is an exception.
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Agriculture is only directly responsible for a small percentage of carbon emissions, but it is responsible for a higher percentage of total greenhouse gas emissions due to emissions of methane (particularly from cows) and nitrous oxide (from the use of manure and artificial fertilizers). As far as forests are concerned, as well as being beautiful, vital for biodiversity and home to millions of people, they are crucial carbon sinks.
read more »The EU should not buy electricity from countries with highly-polluting coal power stations, and should instead support efficiency and clean energy in these countries.
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There are several myths or misunderstandings that have grown up surrounding climate change and renewable energy. Both sides of the debate can be at fault. This article tries to debunk some of nonsense that is often cited as fact.
read more »The Committee on Climate Change sensibly calls for an ‘all of the above’ approach to decarbonisation.
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The UK government is strongly supportive of biomass as a means of increasing energy security. It also regards biomass as a major contributor to meeting the UK’s EU renewable energy target, and as an important contributor to carbon reductions – though it has stressed that not all biomass is sustainable.
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Questions about pollution from biomass combustion and the efficiency of heat pumps, from Allessandro de Maida
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This is a paper that the three authors of the Repowering Communities book discussed with UK government officials and other experts at a seminar on 1 November 2010. It covers examples of which local governments are doing best on energy efficiency and renewables, and makes some recommendations.
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The ANC government has connected 80% of all South Africans to the electricity grid – one of its greatest successes. However, this mass electrification programme, combined with strong economic growth and rapid industrialisation, meant that demand for power outstripped supply in early 2008.
read more »The low-carbon energy sectors – efficiency, most renewables, CCS and nuclear – should work together more strategically
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40% of heat in Denmark is delivered through district heating networks and 82% of this heat comes from Combined Heat and Power plants. How has Denmark done so well?
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