Business Edition
nr 76
November 15, 2007
Special:
‘Commission considers trading renewables among Member States’
The European Commission is said to move away from proposals for cross-border trade of certificates among companies in the upcoming Directive for renewable energy. A trade system among countries would be favoured now. But a spokesman from the Commission replies ‘a whole range of options for more flexibility’ is still being considered. Read more
Draft sustainability criteria for EU biofuels
Greenhouse gas performances and land-use change issues will be the most important sustainability criteria for biofuels imposed by the European Commission. Extracts from the draft Directive on the promotion of renewable energy sources, obtained by GreenPrices News Desk, contain some interesting details. Read more
Editorial: Sustainability criteria watered down
The first documents from the draft Renewable Energy Directive, due on 23 January 2008, have ‘leaked’ into the hands of GreenPrices. At first sight, we should not be too optimistic about the sustainability criteria for the production and use of biomass. Read more
GreenPrices Market Monitor November 2007
GreenPrices Weekly regularly reports on market developments, prices and recent trades of green certificates in Europe. This week we present: Prices of Guarantees of Origin traded on a voluntary basis; the most recent prices and volumes of various green certificates traded on national markets in Belgium, Italy, Poland, Sweden and UK. Read more
Clearer skies from 2011
From 2011 on, all flights to and from EU countries will be included into the European emissions trading scheme. Yesterday, the European Parliament decided to propose a 2011 cap of 90% of the 2004-2006 emissions. 25% of all emission allowances have to be bought, to current CO2 prices of 22 €/tonne representing an investment of around 1.2 billion Euros.
Read more
‘Carbon budgets’ crucial in UK Climate Bill
Today, the UK Climate Change Bill is published for discussion in Parliament. Crucially, it provides for a system of legally binding five-year carbon budgets set fifteen years ahead, which would give business, investors and policymakers greater certainty and direction, which is an important element in the move towards a low carbon economy. Read more
New Directive on VAT and car taxation soon to be made public
On 4 December EU finance Ministers will gather to reach further agreement on a comprehensive package – including new directives on VAT and on passenger car-related taxation. Some of these measures are intended to enter into force by 1 January 2010. Read more
VAT Directive more ‘green’
This week the European Ministers of Economic and Financial Affairs (Ecofin) started the discussion on the update of the EU Value Added Tax (VAT) Directive. The current VAT Directive does not allow Member States to apply reduced VAT rates to products and services related to energy efficiency or renewable energies. Read more
WEC discusses recipe for energy future
The 20th World Energy Congress in Rome is entering its final stage. On Tuesday energy Ministers from Algeria, India, Italy, Qatar, Russia, the United States and the European Union gathered at the Ministerial Forum to discuss the common goal of guaranteeing the safety of both energy supply and demand. Read more
World Energy Council: Accessibility, availability, acceptability
This week the 20th World Energy Congress started in Rome. The main objective of the Congress is to combine challenges of competitiveness, global energy security and climate change as well give rise to a new debate about the future of nuclear energy. Read more
In Brief
- Call for more ‘market’ in EU renewables
- First the IPCC Synthesis Report, then Bali
- US invests in ‘next generation’ solar energy
- Germany wins at the European court of justice
- Poland lost; now Bulgaria wants to sue
- Republicans want slow the US CO2 emission trading system
- China willing to cope with climate change
- EU and US towards biofuels standardisation
- Biodiesel production in Germany threatened
Agenda Read
more
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GreenPrices Weekly is a periodical newsletter on climate change and sustainable energy issues. On our website, we provide you with daily news.
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Rolf de Vos
Editor in chief
GreenPrices Newsdesk