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ICAO strikes deal on aviation CO2 standards, focus turns to market mechanism

Government negotiators at a two-week ICAO meeting on Monday agreed to global CO2 standards for newly-built planes from 2020, but they included loopholes that mean it will take until 2028 before all manufacturers’ models are forced to comply.

EU Market: Carbon hits fresh 20-mth low amid weaker power prices

EU carbon prices hit a fresh 20-month low of €5.15 on Monday, extending January’s massive losses that have now sliced almost 38% off the price to emit in Europe so far in 2016.

RGGI emissions fall nearly 4% y/y in 2015 as allowance prices soften

Emissions from power plants in the nine member states of RGGI declined by 4% in 2015, EPA data showed, as allowance prices receded following several weeks of gains.

Australia to award carbon credits to landfills that reduce organic waste

Landfills that cut greenhouse gas emissions from organic waste will now qualify to earn offsets that they can sell to the government under the Emissions Reduction Fund (ERF), the Department of the Environment announced Monday.

Norway utilities float idea to tap ETS to meet non-ETS goals, as EU climate chief reveals struggles

European nations should be allowed to pay for additional emissions reductions in ETS sectors to put towards targets in non-ETS sectors from 2020, according to a proposal floated by Norway’s power industry body Energy Norway on Monday.

Engie announces closure of UK’s Rugeley coal power plant

French utility Engie on Monday said it would shut its Staffordshire-based 1GW Rugeley power station this summer, marking the second major UK coal-fired plant closure to be announced in a week.

Croatia hints at cleaner energy direction, backs off coal

Croatia is unlikely to go ahead with plans involving Japan’s Marubeni to build a new coal-fired power plant as the newly formed coalition government prepares to revamp the Balkan nation’s energy strategy.

UK to renew opt-out of common EU carbon auction platform

The UK has decided to retain its opt-out from the EU ETS common auction platform following the expiry of the government’s current contract with exchange operator ICE, which ends in Nov. 2017.

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Job listings this week:

Power & CO2 Emissions Trader, BASF – Germany
Researcher/Policy Analyst, Energy and Climate Change, IIEA – Dublin
Intern, Environment and Climate Change Unit, IEA – Paris

Or click here to see all our job adverts

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Bite-sized updates from around the world

Germany has ‘Plan B’ if coal exit plan fails – The government “has a plan B up its sleeve” in case there is no political agreement on a coal exit: the Minamata convention on mercury emissions. Germany could use its obligations to set new mercury pollution limits next year, with new regulations for power plants as a consequence. This could spell the end for many lignite plants because it is not worth upgrading them with expensive technology. (Tagesspiegel, via Clean Energy Wire)

European aviation emissions to grow significantly by 2035 – That’s according to the first European Aviation Environmental Report by the European Commission. It said aviation CO2 emissions increased from 144mt in 2005 to 151mt in 2014, a rise of just 5%, as a result of technological and traffic management improvements, fleet renewal and the 2008 economic downturn. But after this period of largely static growth, forecasts suggest future technological and operational gains will not be enough to prevent a significant rise in emissions over the next 20 years as a result of an expected 45% increase in the number of flights. (GreenAir Online)

Two US House representatives have formed the first bipartisan climate ‘caucus’ aiming to “educate members on economically-viable options to reduce climate risk”. Green groups hope the move can build on the small amount of common ground among US lawmakers on the issue. (Think Progress, H/T Climate Nexus)

Republican presidential candidates Marco Rubio and Jeb Bush have agreed to meet with a group of 15 south Florida mayors concerned about climate change’s impact on their state and on the country as a whole. The mayors had sent letters to Rubio and Bush in late January, urging the candidates to “acknowledge the reality and urgency of climate change” and asking them to take meetings with them to discuss the issue. (Climate Progress)

Changes at the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF) – Climate change industry veteran Kate Hampton will next month take over as CEO at the charity, whose endowment of over $4 billion makes it one of the UK’s biggest. Formerly at Climate Change Capital, Hampton has been head of CIFF’s climate change portfolio for seven years, overseeing around $180 million in grants to organisations including the European Climate Foundation and the Carbon Pricing Leadership Coalition, and to causes such as carbon pricing initiatives in China. CCS champion and former Shell executive Graeme Sweeney, who is also a CIFF trustee, will take over as board chairman to oversee an upcoming review of CIFF’s mission, approach and focus areas.

And finally… In Mexico, cars will soon run on cactus.  A company has built the world’s first digester to make biogas from the desert plant’s fruit, according to Noticias MVS. (H/T Climate Home)

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