New nuclear plants not ‘democratic’, at least for the time being

In the aftermath of Fukushima nuclear disaster, the word ‘nuclear’ has become so sensitive that it touches the nerves of ordinary people. This week, groups of battling protesters clashed with police in France and Germany over a Germany-boundtrainload of nuclear waste. In a poll released by GlobeScan today, there is little public appetite across the world for building new nuclear reactors. Over 70% of respondents believe their country “could almost entirely replace coal and nuclear energy within 20 years by becoming highly energy-efficient and focusing on generating energy from the Sun and wind”. Running counter to public opinion and opposed to German and Swiss governments, the UK has embarked on one of the most ambitious nuclear programmes in Europe, with plans for up to 12 new reactors by 2025. Personally, I do not recommend any expansion of nuclear power until scientists celebrate the birth of nuclear fusion technique which pro-nuclear countries are desperate for. The government’s decision to give a go-ahead to a number of nuclear projects across Britain may be based more on political than environmental considerations.

A simplified Carbon Reduction Commitment, can it become a commitment for both business and the environment?

Manchester United and some 20 top energy performers are shined whereas interesting high-street brands such as Virgin Atlantic and Sheraton Hotels are shamed on the first ever CRC Energy Efficiency Performance League Table, published by the Environment Agency last Tuesday (8 Nov). The league table, however, is being criticised by major retailers as not being reflective of the true and whole picture of organisations’ efforts to reduce their environmental impact primarily because they are not compared like with like. Ricocheting in the minds of many entrepreneurs are the carbon reduction compliance procedures which have also been blamed to be overly complex and bureaucratic.

In June, the Energy & Climate Change Secretary, Chris Huhne, listened to this view and announced details of simplification to the CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme to make it more “business-friendly”. The policy document principally reviews the private sector organisational rules, CRC supply rules, qualification criteria, overlapping between similar carbon reduction schemes and timing and frequency of allowances sales from 2012 onwards. DECC will publish a green paper to consult the public on all areas where simplifications could be discussed early next year. When our carbon emissions still rose by 3% during a recession-sodden year – 2010, would this ‘pure’ simplification exercise for the CRC that is to accomplish the sacred mission of facilitating businesses to meet the UK’s stringent carbon budgets be the right thing to do? Would this become a commitment to businesses rather than to our environment? Can we turn it to be a commitment for both?

The state of green built environment in Britain

Hard on the heels of its confirmation that non-domestic new builds must be ‘zero-carbon’ by 2019 before last Christmas, Whitehall has this spring launched a Carbon Plan to tackle climate change. The latest plan highlights, among other things, the required changes in the way electricity is generated, in the way people travel as well as in the way homes and businesses are heated. Coupled with a hierarchy of national Acts, regulations and codes and guidance on built environment, Her Majesty’s Government are adopting a multi-pillar approach to meet the UK’s carbon reduction targets in punctuality. This chapter aims to introduce and briefly discuss the latest green build policies, regulations and assessment systems in the United Kingdom, which have a major part to play in driving the economy to an era of low-carbon growth.

The State of Carbon Finance in Europe: a ‘SWOT’ Analysis of the EU’s Emissions Trading Scheme

As Phase 3 of the European Union’s Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS) will begin in January 2012 when airlines operating flights to or from Europe will have to buy carbon permits to help offset their emissions under EU legislation, carbon finance and trading in Europe is set to proceed to a new horizon. Launched in January 2005, EU ETS is one of the established multilateral measures in the broader climate deals which are tackling the vertiginous growth of carbon emissions in the region on its way to attain its “20-20-20” targets. Illustrating the background of and the relevant operational aspects of the EU ETS, this article will investigate the efficacy, potential problems, business opportunities and uncertainties of the ETS by taking a SWOT analysis. It will lead to a discussion on the system’s usefulness in mitigating the ‘common’ problem of climate change.


Click here to access a recent video - "The European Emissions Trading Scheme: 2020 & beyond" - produced by Comment Visions.

Renewable Heat Incentive challenges Ofgem

Around this time last month, Ofgem advised on its homepage that the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) scheme was going to be delayed as the European Commission has expressed reservations over the over the large biomass tariff. (It was supposed to be open by the end of September.) This morning, I received an email notification from Ofgem that the scheme will ‘finally’ be open for applications by the end of November 2011, subject to state aid approval by the parliament. Even so, a parliamentary approval does not necessarily mean a comfortable road ahead for Ofgem.

The prospect of the United Nations’ climate change negotiating framework: implications from Copenhagen and Cancun

Concluded with a piece of “Copenhagen Accord” that is not legally binding, thirteen days of seesaw battles on Denmark’s negotiation table did not yield any substantial results. Neither did the end of another twelve days of climate change conference in Mexico a year later in 2010, marked with a "Cancun Agreement" that achieved nothing but money – the Green Climate Fund. For years, state leaders have gone home almost empty-handed. The international community, hitherto, have not accomplished the mission to complete the negotiations on the international climate change regime for periods from 2012 by late 2009 as enshrined in Bali Roadmap. Copenhagen and Cancun summits all proceeded within the UN’s framework agreed in 1992, but a comprehensive, all-encompassing and legally binding climate change deal which many activists and governments want remains out of reach for the world. Actually, is the current climate change negotiating framework outdated? To answer this question, we have to analyse briefly the outcomes of both conferences first.

The green agenda ‘is’ the emergency plan

“Check, Switch, Insulate” is the achievement after the energy prices summit chaired by the prime minister this month. It is no different from just saying “God bless you” to people in predicament. Why don’t the government consider leveraging the green agenda - distributed generation - to fuel growth while suppress energy prices? Here, I am not just talking about the energy prices, but the strategy Britain desperately needs for economic growth.

Last week, columnist Leo McKinstry suggested in his ten-pronged emergency plan for Britain’s economy, published in Daily Express on 10 Oct 2011, that the green agenda be abandoned in the current economic recession. A day later, Lord Young, the former Trade & Industry Secretary, echoed in The Times (11 Oct) that this was no time to waste our money on windmills. In their views, promoting renewable energy simply represents the triumph of scientific uncertainty but “cripples us economically” as it is destroying our industries and pushing up our utility bills. I consider this opinion completely ludicrous. Instead, the green agenda should be the key to economic recovery.

         

Carrier bag levy for England - Can we learn a lesson from Hong Kong?

No doubt that carrier bags are really bad for the environment. In a bid to cut back on their “excessive” use, from this month, a charge of 5p per single-use carrier bag is introduced in Wales, with England and Scotland expected to begin public consultations soon. Applause should be given to the government when environmental issues are moving up the political agenda, but some green campaigners grumble over a 5p charge being not good enough. It, however, reminds me of the not-so-successful “plastic bag tax” imposed in Hong Kong since mid-2009.[1] The writer is apprehensive that the new levy may turn out to be a similar game of numbers. When the Government are liaising with the retailers, can we actually learn a lesson from the former colony?