G20,KAPSARC
Date: 2020-02-05
In Riyadh, Arab News is reporting the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has become the third-fastest reducer of emissions from fuel consumption among G20 countries. CO2 emissions in the Kingdom fell by almost double the predicted amount during 2018, according to Enerdata. Prior to 2016, CO2 emissions grew by more than 5 pct each year.

Data for the year showed a 26 million tons (MtCO2), 4.4 pct fall in emissions from 579 MtCO2 in 2017 to 553 MtCO2 in 2018.

The results moved Saudi Arabia up from fourth to the third-fastest reducer of emissions from fuel consumption among the top-five G20 group of countries, behind Brazil and France and in front of Germany and Japan.

According to Dr. Nicholas Howarthat the King Abdullah Petroleum Studies and Research Center (KAPSARC), "the new data shows that the impact of energy efficiency and energy price reforms in reducing wasteful energy use has been even greater than expected." (Source: KAPSARC, Arab News, Feb., 2020) Contact: KAPSARC, +966 11 225 1064, info@kapsarc.org, www.kapsarc.org

More Low-Carbon Energy News G20,  Carbon Emissions,  KAPSARC,  

Climate Transparency’s 2019
Date: 2019-11-15
According to Climate Transparency's 2019 report card on Canada's climate plan and Canadian emissions within the G20:

Canada's per-capita emissions in 2016 were 18.9 tonnes per person, compared with a G20 average of 7.5 tpp. By way of comparison, the lowest per-capita emissions in the G20 were in India, at 1.9 tonnes, and the highest in Australia, at 21.8 tonnes.

Almost one-third of Canada's emissions come from transportation -- the second-highest in the G20 and still rising while they are falling in the G20 as a whole.

Buildings produced 13 pct of Canadian emissions, and Canada has no national strategy to reduce emissions from existing buildings. Building emissions in Canada are twice the G20 average, but while the G20 average has gotten slightly worse in the last five years, Canada has cut its emissions from buildings almost 10 pct.

Canada is among the three least likely G20 countries to hit its existing 2030 emissions-reductions targets, and are presently less than half of where Canada needs to go.

Climate Transparency is an open global consortium with a shared mission to stimulate a 'race to the top' in climate action through enhanced transparency. For this purpose, comprehensive, comparable and credible information about government climate action is spread by bringing together the most important actors in assessing and communicating climate action for the benefit of key influencers and decision makers.

According to its website, he Climate Transparency consortium produces the Brown to Green Report every year, providing a comprehensive overview of how the G20 countries are doing on the transition to a low-carbon economy. The report draws on the latest emissions data and covers over 80 indicators on decarbonisation, climate policies, finance, and vulnerability to the impacts of climate change. Providing country ratings, it identifies leaders and laggards of climate action in the G20. Additionally, a country profile is produced for each of the G20 countries. (Source: New Climate Institute, Nov., 2019) Contact: New Climate Institute, www.newclimate.org

More Low-Carbon Energy News Climate Change,  Carbon Emissions,  Climate Institute,  

Climate Transparency,G20
Date: 2019-11-13
According to Climate Transparency's just released 2109 Brown to Green Report grading the climate performance of the G20 countries, Canada, South Korea and Australia are the furthest from meeting their Paris Climate Accord (COP15) greenhouse-gas emissions commitments.

The G20 nations account for 85 pct of global economic activity and in 2018 produced 80 pct of all greenhouse-gas emissions. About half the G20 members -- 19 countries with advanced economies plus the European Union collectively -- are on track to meet their current targets for cutting emissions by 2030 but those targets are much too mild. If every G20 member does not drastically scale up its targets, the G20 overall will produce more emissions in 2030 than it does today, according to the report.

Climate Transparency is a global partnership with a shared mission to stimulate a "race to the top" in G20 climate action and to shift investments towards zero carbon technologies through enhanced transparency. (Source: Climate Transparency, Nov., 2019) Contact: Climate Transparency, www.climate-transparency.org

More Low-Carbon Energy News Climate Transparency,  Climate Change,  G20,  

Saudi Arabia
Date: 2019-10-25
In Riyadh, the Saudi Arabian government reports a new comparative study -- How Does Saudi Arabia's Recent Energy Performance Compare with Other G20 Countries? -- found that Saudi Arabia leads the G20 countries in reducing carbon emissions, an indicator for the success of government programs and policies on raising energy efficiency amid the challenges posed by the country's GDP and population growths.

"For the first time in recent history since 2010, Saudi Arabia's carbon footprint has slowed down significantly," the study said, citing a host of successful energy efficiency policies that involve transport, industry, buildings, and energy price reforms for the fall in emissions.

The Kingdom's carbon emissions decreased by 1.1 pct in 2017 and 3.4 pct in 2018, while global carbon emissions increased by 1 and 2 pct, respectively. From 2015 to 2018, Saudi Arabia's carbon emissions decreased by 2.7 pct, the study claimed. (Source: Asharq Al Awsat, 24 Oct., 2019)

More Low-Carbon Energy News Carbom Emissions,  

Saudi Arabia Energy Minister
Date: 2019-07-22
"Over the coming decade, liquids burning in our utilities will be virtually eliminated, while the share of gas capacity will grow from around 50 percent currently to nearly 70 percent, which will be the highest among the G20." -- Khalid al-Falih, Saudi Arabia Energy Minister Contact: Saudi Arabia Energy Minister, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khalid_A._Al-Falih

G20
Date: 2019-07-01
In India, the Hindu is reporting a 5 pct rise in India's overall CO2 emissions from the Paris-based Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) reported 2076.83 million tonnes in 2016 to around 2,299 million tonnes in 2018. In 2016, India was the third largest emitter of carbon dioxide behind China and United States. On a per capita basis, India is the lowest emitter among the G20 nations while Saudi Arabia is highest.

Out of 32,314.20 million tonnes of emissions in the world in 2016, G20 nations contributed around 27,000 million tonnes -- roughly 80 pct. (Source: G20, The Hindu, Money Control News, 28 June, 2019) Contact: G20, www.g20.utoronto.ca; OCED, : +33 1 45 24 82 00, www.oecd.org

More Low-Carbon Energy News CO2Carbon Emissions,  

U20
Date: 2019-05-24
At the U20 Mayors Summit Mayors meeting this week in Japan, the mayors of some of the world's major cities urged their national leaders to "leverage the tremendous potential of our cities as hubs of diversity and innovation for the purpose of tackling global challenges, including climate change." Cities from G20 member states, known as the Urban 20 (U20) presented the following recommendations on addressing climate change;

Set ambitious targets for greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to peak no later than by 2020, reduce substantially by 2030 and reach net zero by 2050.

Commit to decarbonizing the energy grid, with 100 pct renewable electricity by 2030, and 100 pct renewable energy by 2050.

Enact national regulations and/or planning policy to ensure new buildings operate at net zero carbon by 2030 and all buildings by 2050.

[Help] expedite the transition to zero-emission vehicles and support cities' efforts to diffuse such vehicles.

Reduce the generation of plastic waste -- phasing-out certain single-use and hard to recycle plastics in particular.

Ensure a just transition to decarbonized development.

The U20 Communique was signed by the mayors, or governors of Amsterdam, Berlin, Brussels-Capital Region, Buenos Aires, Chicago, Christchurch, Durban, Hamburg, Helsinki, Houston, Jakarta, Johannesburg, London, Los Angeles, Madrid, Mexico City, Milan, Montreal, New York City, Osaka, Paris, Port Vila, Rio de Janeiro, Rome, Rotterdam, Sao Paulo City, Seoul, Sydney, Tokyo and Tshwane. (Source: U20, Japan Today, 23 May, 2019)

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Carbon Capture,PricewaterhouseCoopers
Date: 2018-10-08
According to a report from PricewaterhouseCoopers, there was "almost zero chance" of limiting global warming to below 2 degree C without carbon capture and storage (CCS). The report also noted that the gap between the current decarbonization rate and that needed to limit global warming to 2 degree C was widening and none of the G20 countries achieved the 6.4 pct rate required to limit warming to 2 degree C this year.

At current decarbonization levels, the global carbon budget for 2 degree C would run out in 2036.

Each year the global economy failed to decarbonize at the required rate, the 2 degree C goal would become more difficult to achieve. The gap between current decarbonization and that needed to limit global warming to 2 degree C was 6.4 pct a year, the PwC report added.

London, UK-headquartered PricewaterhouseCoopers is a multinational professional services network of firms in 158 countries and 743 locations. (Source: PwC, The Australian, Graham Lloyd, Environment Editor, 7 Oct., 2018) Contact: PricewaterhouseCoopers, www.pwc.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News PricewaterhouseCoopers,  Climate Change,  Carbon Capture,  CCS,  

OECD
Date: 2018-02-19
In its report Taxing Energy Use 2018 the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) finds that current energy taxes are insufficient to effectively address climate change.

The report analyzes the coverage and magnitude of 2015 energy use taxes, and assesses changed between 2012 and 2015. Data is based on the OECD's Taxing Energy Use database, which compares taxes on energy use in 42 OECD and G20 economies, representing 80 pct of global energy use and associated CO2 emissions.

The publication finds that, outside the road transport sector, 81 pct of emissions were untaxed, noting there was almost no change in emissions tax rates between 2012-2015. Overall, tax rates fell short of the €30 low-end estimate of climate cost per tCO2 for 97 pct of emissions. Though not addressed in this publication, the report notes that emissions trading systems had minimal impact on this broader trend.

Emissions from coal-fired energy generation, which were responsible for nearly half of the carbon emissions associated with energy use in the 42 countries studied, remained untaxed in almost every country. In contrast, taxes on oil products were relatively high, exceeding €100 per tCO2. The share of road sector fuel emissions taxed above climate costs increased from 46 pct to 50 pct between 2012-2015, driven by fuel tax reforms in China, India and Mexico. Road transport fuel tax rates remained nonetheless below levels required to cover even non-climate external costs, according to the study. Additionally, in all but two countries, taxes on diesel for road use were lower than taxes on gasoline, despite diesel's known effects on air quality.

The report concludes that, aside from increases in transport fuel taxes that occurred in some low to middle income economies, no structural change to taxation patterns on energy use materialized between 2012-2015. It recommends that, if public compensation for higher energy costs is deemed necessary, targeted transfers should be provided rather than lower tax rates or exemptions to maintain the environmental integrity of market-based instruments

Download the Taxing Energy Use 2018 Report HERE. (Source: OECD, PR, Feb., 2018) Contact: Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, www.oecd.org

More Low-Carbon Energy News OECD,  Carbon Emissions,  Carbon Tax,  Climate Change,  

CDP,OECD
Date: 2018-01-15
The Economist is reporting that 41 OECD and G20 governments have announced either a carbon tax or a cap-and-trade scheme, or both. Add state and local schemes, and they cover 15 pct of the world's emissions, up from 4 pct in 2010.

Of the approximate 6,100 worldwide companies that report climate-related data to CDP, 607 now claim to use "internal carbon prices" while 782 say they will introduce similar measures within two years. Total annual revenues of these 1,389 carbon-price champions amount to $7 trillion, according to the Economist.

CDP, formerly the Carbon Disclosure Project, is an international non-profit that runs a global disclosure system for investors, companies, cities, states and regions to help manage their environmental impacts. (Source: CDP,Economist, Jan., 2017) Contact: CDP, (212) 378 2086, info.northamerica@cdp.net, www.cdp.net

More Low-Carbon Energy News CDP,  Carbon Emissions,  Carbon Tax,  Carbon Pricing,  

Date: 2017-09-25
According to the Bonn-based not-for-profit NGO Germanwatch, India is out-performing China on climate change protection measures deployed as rated by the Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI). The performance was analyzed on parameters such as emissions levels, development of emissions, renewable energies, efficiency and climate policy.

Germanwatch notes that India's per capita emissions are "relatively low" despite the fact India is one of the ten largest CO2 emitters. It also states that India's 25 pct of the energy supply is covered by renewable energy and that the Indian government is running "one of the largest renewable capacity expansion programmes in the world".

Over all, India's performance in areas of efficiency and emission levels puts India far ahead of China. When it comes to energy efficiency, India's performance has been categorized as a "poor". However, China trails India with a "very poor" performance in terms of energy efficiency too.

Both India and China have performed almost equally when it comes to development of emissions, climate policy and renewable energies. Within the G20 economies, India's climate change performance is ranked 4th, while China is ranked 12th. (Source: Germanwatch, MoneyControl, 29 Sept., 2017) Contact: Germanwatch, www.germanwatch.org/en

More Low-Carbon Energy News Climate Change,  Carbon Emissions,  

International Energy Agency,IRENA
Date: 2017-07-28
In the jointly published and released Perspectives for the Energy Transition -- Investment Needs for a Low-Carbon Energy System study, the International Energy Agency (IEA) and the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) have identified technically feasible pathways towards achieving a transition to a low-carbon energy economy.

Published ahead of this months G20 Summit, the IEA/IRENA study explores the investments needed for an energy sector transition that would be consistent objective of the Paris Agreement on climate change. The two agencies note that investments in financing the clean energy transition would yield important co-benefits and that a transformation of the energy system in line with the 2 degree C goal is "technically possible but will require significant policy reforms, carbon pricing and additional technological innovation." The study also addresses policy interventions such as power market reform; significantly increased levels of investment in energy supply and end-use sectors; low-carbon fossil fuel technologies; steady, long-term price signals; near-term scaled-up budgets for technological innovation; and stronger price signals from phasing out fossil fuel subsidies and carbon pricing.

Download the Pespectives for the Energy Transition -- Investment Needs for a Low-Carbon Energy System Report HERE. (Source: IRENA, IISD, 25 July, 2017)Contact: IRENA, +91 2 417 9000, www.irena.org; International Energy Agency, Dr. Fatih Birol, Exec. Dir., +33 1 40 57 65 00, www.iea.org

More Low-Carbon Energy News Low-Carbon Energy,  Renewable Energy,  International Energy Agency,  IRENA,  

G20
Date: 2017-07-14
"The Paris Agreement is irreversible !" That's the crux of the G20 Communique issued at the end of the Hamburg summit. In many ways, the message seems aimed directly at U.S. President Donald Trump and the U.S. withdrawal from the almost universally subscribed to agreement.

"We remain collectively committed to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions through, among others, increased innovation on sustainable and clean energies and energy efficiency, and work towards low greenhouse-gas emission energy systems.

"We take note of the decision of the United States of America to withdraw from the Paris (Climate) Agreement. The United States of America announced it will immediately cease the implementation of its current nationally-determined contribution and affirms its strong commitment to an approach that lowers emissions while supporting economic growth and improving energy security needs.

"We reiterate the importance of fulfilling the UNFCCC commitment by developed countries in providing means of implementation including financial resources to assist developing countries with respect to both mitigation and adaptation actions in line with Paris outcomes and note the OECD's report Investing in Climate, Investing in Growth.

"We reaffirm our strong commitment to the Paris Agreement, moving swiftly towards its full implementation in accordance with the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities, in the light of different national circumstances and, to this end, we agree to the G20 Hamburg Climate and Energy Action Plan for Growth."

Download the full G20 Communique HERE. (Source: G20, PR, Various Media, July, 2017)

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Date: 2017-07-10
"Climate protection increasingly makes economic sense across the G20 as renewable energy becomes cheaper than dirty coal and nuclear. Any G20 country that is still investing in coal and nuclear power plants is wasting their money on technology that will not be competitive in coming years." -- Tobias Austrup , Greenpeace Germany Renewable Energy Expert

More Low-Carbon Energy News Renewable Energy,