Presenting CP Daily, Carbon Pulse’s free newsletter. It’s a daily summary of our news plus bite-sized updates from around the world. Subscribe here
Ex-UN climate chief Figueres eyes more climate ambition pre-2020 in new venture
Former UN climate chief Christiana Figueres is launching a new global initiative to drive businesses, financiers, and governments to ramp up climate action by 2020 to prevent dangerous climate change.
China steel producers warn of losses if govt cuts CO2 allocation
China’s steel producers could face additional costs of 400 million yuan ($58 million) annually if the government reduces their free allocation of CO2 permits by 1% each year, the sector said Monday.
US energy emissions drop 1.7% in 2016 as transportation overtakes power
CO2 emissions from the US energy sector dropped by 1.7% in 2016, according to data released today by the US Energy Information Administration.
EU Market: EUAs shed 2% on weaker energy after late slump
European carbon prices slipped on Monday on the back of falling energy prices, with a big chunk of the EUA losses registered in the final 10 minutes of trade.
Two more EU member states cleared to issue ‘derogation’ allowances for 2016
Two more EU member states have been given the green light to hand out free EUAs to their utilities for 2016 via the so-called ‘derogation’ programme outlined under Article 10c of the bloc’s ETS Directive.
Waste projects drive increase in Australian offset issuances
Australia’s Clean Energy Regulator (CER) more than doubled its offset issuance last week to 608,963 credits, with energy firm EDL LFG receiving 70% of the volume for emission cuts at eight landfill sites.
Australia’s young right-wingers break with party leadership on emissions trading
The youth division of one of Australia’s ruling Coalition parties on Monday broke with the party leadership, coming out in favour of a carbon trading market to cut the nation’s greenhouse gas emissions.
———————————
Job listings this week:
CEO, UpEnergy – Kampala
Air Resources Engineer, California Air Resources Board – Sacramento, USA
Deputy Head of Climate Change and Energy, UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office – Shanghai
Energy System Research Officer, Climate Council – Melbourne
Senior Environmental Policy Consultant, Climate Change, Amec Foster Wheeler – London
Senior Officer, Climate Finance, ICLEI: Local Governments for Sustainability (World Secretariat) – Bonn
Or click here to see all our job adverts
———————————
BITE-SIZED UPDATES FROM AROUND THE WORLD
Sign of the times – G7 energy ministers have failed to reach an agreement on a joint statement on climate change after the US expressed reservations. According to Carlo Calenda, the Italian minister for economic development who chaired the G7 ministerial meeting in Rome on Monday, the US “reserved its position” on the text aimed at reaffirming commitments made by G7 countries under the 2015 Paris Agreement.
Scaling back: UK edition – The UK government plans to scale back its international diplomatic efforts on environment to help secure post-Brexit trade deals with emerging economies in Latin America and Africa, the Sunday Times newspaper reported. The paper cited documents belonging to a senior trade ministry official and photographed by a train passenger saying “some economic security-related work like climate change and illegal wildlife trade will be scaled down”.
This potential scaling down by the UK comes as think-tank Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit points out that the country has provided the best evidence of decoupling GDP from emission reductions among any OECD nation since 1992. It finds that the British carbon footprint is now 33% less than in 1992 and people are more than 130% richer, due to a ‘dash for gas’ in the 1990s, a switch to a service-based economy and policies focused on energy efficiency and cutting methane from landfill.
Scaling back: US edition – Dramatic shifts are coming to the US State Department, including how it approaches its international work on climate change, Politico reports. For one, Trump’s team will not name new a special envoy for climate change to replace Jonathan Pershing or, before him, Todd Stern. The role was was seen as key during international negotiations that helped ink the Paris Agreement during the Obama Administration. And much of the State Department’s work on international climate change issues has already gone to the White House, two sources told Politico, giving warring factions heavy influence on whether the US should leave the landmark climate agreement.
Barrier bleaching – Aerial surveys show severe bleaching for the second consecutive year has damaged two-thirds of Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, with one expert warning that the reef was now in a “terminal stage”. Coral bleaching is caused by rising water temperatures and exacerbated by man-made climate change, The Guardian reports in a series of articles on the issue.
And finally… Sorry hombre, it’s all coal – “God I love coal and you guys have suffered terribly, worse than anyone. As president, I promise I’m going to do everything I can to make sure you people work in coal for the rest of your lives. And your kids will work in coal, and your grandkids. It’s going to be incredible!” Trump’s coal industry deregulation efforts made a brief appearance on Saturday Night Live this weekend. Watch the entire 5-minute skit here.
Got a tip? Email us at news@carbon-pulse.com
