Weak consumption in the People’s Republic of China will partly offset robust domestic demand in South Asia. Disinflation is expected to continue, driven by lower food and energy prices, along with the lagged effects of previous monetary policy tightening. The region’s high-income technology exporters remain a bright spot, benefiting from …
The Intergovernmental Technical Panel on Soils (ITPS) of the Global Soil Partnership (GSP) has released a briefing paper on the role of soil organic carbon (SOC) in offsetting climate change. The paper reviews recent research on SOC and concludes that actions to reverse the loss of soil organic matter could …
Companies and governments around the world committed US$705 million in new finance in 2014 to enhance the role of forests in combating climate change, according to a report released by Forest Trends’ Ecosystem Marketplace, Converging at the Crossroads: State of Forest Carbon Finance in 2015. Over the last decade, private …
The National Treasury publishes the Draft Carbon Tax Bill for public comment, following on the announcement made by the Minister of Finance in the 2015 Budget. Cabinet approved the publication of the Bill and noted that the carbon tax forms an integral part of the system for implementing government policy …
China, the world's biggest source of heat-trapping greenhouse gases, will impose tougher penalties on firms that fail to comply with emission targets, according to draft market regulations seen by Reuters on Thursday. The draft rules, which have been circulated among market players, will be submitted to lawmakers next year for …
Support for carbon pricing is growing around the world. Governments, businesses and investors are recognising that nationally-appropriate taxes and trading schemes, as part of a well-aligned package of policies for low-carbon change, can reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions without harming the economy. Strong, predictable and rising carbon prices send an …
Jakarta, Indonesia — Project helps Indonesia in its goal to preserve forests and fight climate change by cutting carbon emission. Indonesia's Rimba Raya Biodiversity Reserve, the world´s largest REDD+ forest preservation project, in terms of total verified emissions to date, has retained the coveted Triple Gold ranking under the global …
The United Nations is making it easier for companies and people to "offset" their carbon dioxide emissions by investing in clean energy projects in developing countries. The initiative aims to minimize carbon pollution in the short-term as countries wrestle with shifting their energy mix from fossil fuels toward lower-carbon alternatives. …
The UN has launched a major new initiative designed to get businesses and consumers to voluntarily become 'climate neutral'. The Climate Neutral Now scheme encourages individuals, companies and governments to measure their climate footprint, reduce emissions where possible, and offset the remainder through a UN-certified website. Several high-profile businesses have …
The case for climate action has never been stronger. Current weather extremes, including storms, floods and drought, affect millions of people across the world. Climate change is putting water security at risk; threatening agricultural and other supply chains as well as many coastal cities. The likelihood of severe pervasive and …
Existing carbon offset protocols for improved cookstoves do not require emissions testing. They are based only on estimated reductions in the use of non-renewable biomass generated by a given stove, and use simplistic calculations to convert those fuel savings to imputed emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2). Yet recent research has …
The vast majority of carbon credits generated by Russia and Ukraine did not represent cuts in emissions, according to a new study. The authors say that offsets created under a UN scheme "significantly undermined" efforts to tackle climate change. The credits may have increased emissions by 600 million tonnes. In …
Major UNFCCC carbon trading scheme hit by serious corruption allegations involving organised crime in Russia and Ukraine A key carbon offsetting scheme was so open to abuse that three quarters of its allowances lacked environmental integrity, a new report says. UN officials confirm the findings by the Stockholm Environment Institute …
The Co-operative Bank has reported reductions in its waste and water use and sourced 99% of its electricity from renewable energy in the company's latest values and ethics report. The report is the bank’s first corporate social responsibility report since its separation from the Co-operative Group. The bank sourced 99% …
The Norwegian government has selected a total of five projects in Brazil and South Africa under its second tender to purchase carbon credits to meet its emission targets, helping prop up ailing demand for carbon-cutting projects. The U.N.'s Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) allows investors in emission reduction projects located in …
With data from the nearly 6,000 households in the Nepal Living Standards Survey of 2010–11, this paper finds that the mean reduction in household firewood collection associated with use of a biogas plant for cooking is about 1,100 kilograms per year from a mean of about 2,400 kilograms per year. …
When the international negotiations take center stage in Paris this December in the hopes of reaching an agreement to rein in climate change beginning in 2020, negotiators will be able to draw on the lessons learned in the voluntary carbon markets, according to a new report from Forest Trends’ Ecosystem …
This “Background Report on Long-term Climate Finance” was prepared by Climate Policy Initiative and CICERO for the German G7 Presidency 2015. It aims to inform discussions on how to scale up climate finance to meet low-carbon, climate-resilient investment needs and discusses current investment levels, future needs, and potential solutions that …
At first, the numbers and company names flashing on a big board in Beijing’s financial district suggest a booming market. A closer look indicates otherwise: The scrolling list rotates the same dozen or so trades, all from last year. The lights from the Beijing Environment Exchange — one of seven …
European companies have used almost all of their quotas of cheap U.N. carbon credits to reduce emissions costs under the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS), which is likely to push up their compliance costs in later years, analysts said on Tuesday. The ETS is the bloc's flagship policy to cut …
Firms in Europe's Emissions Trading System (ETS) have swapped a total of 255 million U.N.-backed carbon offsets for European Union emissions allowances (EUAs) from April 2013-2014, data published by the European Commission showed on Monday. Traders in the EU carbon market watch the swap figure because it can indicate both …
