GMO - Week 2 Carbon News by Green Market Opportunities

CARBON IN THE NEWS 

WEEK 2 2012

Carbon Neutral Investments congratulates What Car? Car of the year 2012 winners

Volkswagen up! wins Car of the Year 2012 and BMW X3 wins SUV category prize at the first ever 100% carbon neutral What Car? Car of the Year awards ceremony, courtesy of carbon offsetting by CNI . Carbon Neutral Investments (CNI) congratulates Volkswagen and BMW on their successes at this year’s What Car? Car of the Year awards. As sponsor of the SUV category, CNI continues its partnership with What Car? and has successfully offset the entire carbon footprint of the Car of the Year awards ceremony. In addition, CNI will also offset the carbon emissions of all road tests conducted by the magazine in 2012 – making What Car? not only the UK’s leading, but now the most environmentally responsible motoring media brand.  What Car? editor in chief, Chas Hallett, said of the Volkswagen up! – What Car? Car of the Year 2012: “The best car we’ve seen this year, and sets new standards for the £10,000 price bracket.” CNI is a leading provider in the carbon-offset market working alongside industry leaders to help them achieve carbon neutrality, and is the company that brought us the world’s first carbon neutral F1 team – in a pioneering new partnership with Vodafone McLaren Mercedes. To read this article in full click here

Carbon cutting not just for big organisations

THE Environment Agency has published the carbon footprints of more than 2,000 public and private sector organisations to help promote the reduction of carbon emissions by the business community. The Carbon Reduction Commitment's (CRC) Energy Efficiency Scheme Performance League Table aims to act as a reputational driver for participating firms to reduce their carbon emissions. The scheme features a range of reputational, behavioural and financial drivers, which aim to encourage organisations to develop energy management strategies that promote a better understanding of energy use. Any participating firms that did not report on activity or take early action to reduce their emissions will therefore be at the bottom of this year's table. As can be expected, well known names such Center Parcs and Manchester United all scored 100%, but Rolls-Royce, Britannia Hotels, Unilever and Amazon.co.uk were among the 800 organisations who did not fare so well having all been ranked in joint 1301st place for failing to record any early action measures. To read this article in full click here

EU Nations to Sell 124 Million Carbon Permits in 15 Months

European Union nations will sell 124 million metric tons of surplus carbon allowances originally set aside for new entrants during the next 15 months, Tschach Solutions GmbH estimated.

Of a total surplus of 220 million tons in the five years through 2012, 124 million will be sold, 20 million will go to new entrants and the remaining 76 million tons will be canceled, Tschach Solutions in Karlsruhe, Germany, predicted in a Jan. 12 report e-mailed today. Germany and the U.K. may be forced to cancel at least some of their new-entrant allowances because of rules that limit sales to 10 percent of a nation’s cap in the five years, Ingo Tschach, managing director, said today by phone. Tschach Solutions, which sells analysis on carbon and energy markets, estimated Germany will probably be required to make 55 million tons of the cancellations, while the U.K., which is already selling from its reserve, may need to cancel 4 million. To read this article in full click here

Green Energy Solution Industries, Inc. Looks to the $122.28 Billion Dollar Carbon Credit Global Market as Revenue Enhancement

Green Energy Solution Industries, Inc. announces that they will look to enter the global Carbon Credit market as part of the Western Climate Initiative (WIC). Carbon markets across the world were valued at 96 billion euros ($122.28 billion) last year, up 4 percent on 2010. GESI will look to its waste rail tie to energy production to enter and enjoy this revenue enhancer.  According to recent news; "British Columbia, Ontario and Manitoba, who along with Quebec are all members of the Western Climate Initiative (WCI), have all announced plans to introduce cap and trade programs (and are currently at different stages of legislative progress on these promises), but Quebec continues to lead on implementation and will almost surely become the first province with an enforced cap-and-trade program." In regional markets Carbon Credits suffered a slight decline in Europe, yet enjoyed an increase from 2010-2011 in North America. Other news articles suggest that the volume of permits and credits traded could reach 179 million tons, valued at $782 million. It has also been predicted that the WCI will become the biggest North American market by value. In so doing it will overtake the RGGI, an agreement between nine north-eastern states. Point Carbon predicts that the WCI will distribute 24 million metric tons of allowances later this year in California and Quebec, for use in 2013." To read this article in full click here

US wrests clean energy investment crown back from China

Global clean energy investment reached a record $260bn in 2011 as the US usurped China to become the world's largest investor, analysts Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF) confirmed yesterday. Global investment in the sector rose five per cent compared to 2010, ensuring that investment levels have now risen almost five-fold since 2004. The US had lost its title as the world's biggest clean energy investor to China in 2009 and 2010, but surged back in 2011 with $55.9bn invested over the year, a 33 per cent annual increase. In contrasct, China saw investment rise just one per cent to $47.4bn. The strong performance was achieved despite scarce bank finance, cuts in government subsidies, and some notable bankruptcies, including high-profile solar panel manufacturer Solyndra. To read this article in full click here

States raise finances alarm on carbon tax

STATE treasuries, including in Labor-held Queensland, have issued warnings that the carbon tax will punch a hole in state finances, potentially adding hundreds of millions of dollars of costs to their agencies and slashing the profits of government-owned electricity utilities that pay dividends to the state. Queensland joined the conservative states in highlighting the impact the carbon tax would have on state finances, revealing in its mid-year budget update that it was expecting $883 million less from its government-owned corporations over the forward estimates period to 2014-15 compared with forecasts in its June budget. This was based on the impact the tax would have on government-owned electricity generation assets, as well as higher community service payments to Queensland Rail and Ergon Energy. On top of this, Queensland revealed in the update last Friday that it would have to set aside $100m each year to help its agencies meet expenses related to the start of the carbon price on July 1. This will be reviewed in the state's 2012-13 budget. To read this article in full click here

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