Brazil's fossil drive undermines Lula’s green ambitions
Brazil's government has invested heavily in fossil-fuels and plans to make the country the fourth largest oil producer by 2030. This month, President Luis Inacio Lula da Silva signed a law regulating the green hydrogen industry in the country. He will be hosting the United Nations COP30 Climate Summit next year. Which country can compete against us in energy transition? He asked this question at the signing ceremony. Lula…
Philippines fishermen fear solar farm on lake could hurt their income
Alcones, a member of a group that opposes the government's plans to install solar panels on top of Laguna de Bay, the largest source of freshwater fish in the country, to meet the growing demand for electricity, is opposed to this plan. "Laguna Lake provides income and life to fishermen who have not finished school, like us. "It also provides many displaced workers with an alternative source of income by fishing," said Alcones a 55-year old father of two, who lives near Laguna Lake.
Senate Confirms Wheeler to lead EPA
The U.S. Senate on Thursday confirmed President Donald Trump's candidate, a former coal lobbyist, to lead the nation's top environmental regulator, infuriating Democrats and conservation groups who said his policies were endangering public health.Environmental Protection Agency Acting Administrator Andrew Wheeler, a Washington insider with years of experience working as a congressional staffer, was nominated by Trump in January to permanently replace Scott Pruitt…
Gunvor, Statoil Considers Joining Global Initiative
Commodities trader Gunvor and the oil trading desks of Statoil and other energy firms are considering joining a global initiative aimed at shedding light on companies' dealing with governments of resource-rich countries. The latest transparency drive by the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) could lead to the disclosure of the billions of dollars in payments made between commodities traders and national oil companies of energy-rich nations such as Nigeria and Azerbaijan.
BG Joins World Bank Initiative on Carbon Pricing
BG Group today announces it has joined the World Bank Carbon Pricing Leadership Coalition (CPLC), an initiative which brings together over 85 governments, corporate and civil society organisations to collaborate on carbon pricing systems and policies. The Group's entry to the CPLC coincides with the company's decision to also make public the internal carbon screening values it uses when reviewing investment decisions. BG Group has been valuing carbon internally for a number of years…
Delay in US Extractives Rules Aids Corruption - Oxfam America
Five years after the United States required oil, gas and mining companies to disclose how much they pay governments, U.S. reporting rules have yet to take effect robbing citizens in poor countries of critical data for combatting corruption, Oxfam America said on Wednesday. Every year, extractive industries pay hundreds of billions of dollars to some of the poorest countries in the world, and some of that money may be lost to bribery, it said in calling on U.S. regulators to stop delaying on extractives disclosure.
Union: Workers Need Care as Renewables Replace Fossil Fuels
Coal, oil and gas workers need a secure future as the world moves away from fossil fuel use, and governments and companies must plan to ensure any new global climate change deal is fair for all those impacted, a top trade unionist said. So far there has been little effort to design a "just transition" to a fossil-free future, putting workers in dirty energy sectors on the defensive, said Sharan Burrow, general secretary of the International Trade Union Confederation.
Big Oil Must Work Harder on Climate, Says UN
Oil companies should urgently intensify their efforts to fight climate change, the United Nations climate chief said in a letter replying to six European firms. "I would call on you to devote urgent attention to scaling this action up and look forward to learning about progress later in the year," Christiana Figueres said in the letter, published on Thursday. She also called on them to outline how they intended to meet the G7's call this month to decarbonisation their economies by the end of the century.
Burundians Strike Against High Fuel, Phone Costs
Burundians went on strike on Thursday to protest against high fuel costs and the price of their mobile phone bills, bringing the capital Bujumbura to a standstill as the government said the action was illegal. The government says it has had to raise taxes to seek revenues and cover its expenditures after a significant decrease of donor support to Burundi, caused in part by an economic slowdown in donor countries and concerns over graft and human rights abuses.
EU Exerts Muscle as it Seeks Emissions Cut
France to host U.N. summit at end of year; Geneva talks under way to prepare U.N. negotiating text. The European Union will exert "maximum pressure" to extract by June at the latest pledges from major economies to cut greenhouse-gas emissions, a document seen by Reuters says. Mindful of the failure of its 2009 climate summit in Copenhagen, the United Nations is preparing ahead of time for a U.N. conference that from late November will try to forge a new global climate deal.
Shell Announces Nigerian Spill Settlement
Shell’s Nigerian subsidiary agrees £55 million settlement with the Bodo community. Shell’s Nigerian subsidiary, The Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited (SPDC), has announced a £55 million settlement agreement with the Bodo community in respect of the two highly regrettable operational spills in 2008. The £55 million settlement provides for an individual payment to each claimant who accepts the settlement agreement in compensation for losses arising from the spills, amounting to up to £35 million in total.
Brazil Carbon Emissions Rise for the First Time Since 2004
Brazil's annual greenhouse gas emissions increased last year for the first time since 2004 after years of reductions as deforestation and the use of thermal power plants rose, a new study found. Latin America's largest economy generated 1.56 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) in 2013, a 7.8 percent jump over the previous year, according to a report released Wednesday by the Climate Observatory, a network of civil society organizations.
Energy, Manufacturing to Lead Obama, Modi Talks
U.S. President Barack Obama and new Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday plan to discuss issues ranging from manufacturing to sanitation as the two leaders aim to deepen ties. Obama and Modi were scheduled to meet at the White House at 10:55 a.m. (1455 GMT) during Modi's first visit to the United States since taking office in May, part of a larger effort aimed at expanding security partnerships and spurring foreign investment.
Statoil Ramps Up Carbon Pricing, Methane Reduction Efforts
Statoil CEO Helge Lund addresses the company's climate commitments today at the UN Secretary General’s Climate Summit in New York. “Fighting climate change is vital,” says Lund. “More than 80% of greenhouse gas emissions are linked to the use of fossil fuels. Today, Lund will address the importance of the Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC) Oil and Gas Partnership on behalf of the founding partners at Secretary General Ban Ki-moon’s press conference at the UN Climate Summit in New York.
Marine Salvage Saves Time, Money, Lives & the Environment
Though maritime transportation is unequivocally proven as the safest and most environmentally benign means to move goods from ‘point A to point B,’ it is a given that accidents do happen. When they do, having a qualified, competent marine salvage company around can be the difference between minor incident and major tragedy. For insights on the maturation and future of marine salvage sector, MR reached out to the leadership of the American Salvage Association (ASA) for answers.
India: Greenpeace Endangers Economic Security
India's domestic spy service has accused Greenpeace and other lobby groups of hurting economic progress by campaigning against power projects, mining and genetically modified food, the most serious charge yet against foreign-funded organizations. The leak of the Intelligence Bureau's report comes as Prime Minister Narendra Modi's new administration seeks way to restore economic growth that has fallen to below 5 percent, choking off investment and jobs for millions of youth entering the workforce.
Congo Oil Campaign Generates Death Threats
Two employees of WWF have received death threats in Democratic Republic of Congo because of the conservation group's opposition to plans by British company Soco International to search for oil in a national park, WWF said. Soco's plans have drawn criticism from the British government and from environmentalists who fear they could damage Virunga National Park, the oldest and most bio-diverse in Africa. Emmanuel De Merode, the park's Belgian director who was also publicly critical of Soco's plans…
Biden visit to Kiev to show U.S. support for Ukraine
U.S. Vice President Joe Biden will travel to Kiev on April 22 to meet with government officials and civil society groups ahead of the Ukrainian presidential election in May, the White House said on Saturday. "The vice president will underscore the United States' strong support for a united, democratic Ukraine that makes its own choices about its future path," the White House said in a statement. (Reporting by Roberta Rampton; Editing by Will Dunham)
