Reform of support for fossil fuels is often identified as a priority for a country’s fiscal consolidation efforts and for climate action to align financial flows with low-carbon pathways. Its implementation, however, remains elusive for many countries as they face seemingly irreconcilable policy agendas of economic growth and sustainability coupled …
The Australian government is set to introduce an emission trading scheme (ETS) which it plans to commence in 2010. Although the government has released a Green Paper outlining the parameters for the design of an emission trading scheme, one of the key debating points is around the caps on emissions, …
The Prime Minister has constituted a high powered committee under the chairmanship of Shri B K Chaturvedi, Member, Planning Commission, to examine the financial position of oil companies. The terms of reference of the committee will be: to examine the impact of the increase in oil prices between 2004-05 and …
World marketed energy consumption is projected to increase by 50 percent from 2005 to 2030. Total energy demand in the non-OECD countries increases by 85 percent, compared with an increase of 19 percent in the OECD countries. This report presents international energy projections through 2030, prepared by the Energy Information …
By Kate Kelland LONDON (Reuters) - Sparked by surging oil, a dramatic rise in the value of old plastic is encouraging waste companies across the world to dig for buried riches in rotting rubbish dumps. Long a symbol of humanity's throw-away culture, existing landfill sites are now being viewed as …
For most people, the nuclear energy issue is much like the story of the six blind men and the elephant: different pieces, but no coherent overall picture. For some, it
This Agricultural Outlook offers an assessment of agricultural markets covering cereals, oilseeds, sugar, meats, milk and dairy products over the period 2008 to 2017. For the first time, it also includes an analysis of and projections for global biofuel markets for bioethanol and biodiesel, facilitating the discussion of interactions between …
AUSTRALIA lags behind most rich nations in taking the easiest steps to make an emissions trading scheme as cheap as possible: becoming more energy efficient at home, work and on the road. Due largely to a love of petrol-guzzling cars and an energy-intensive manufacturing sector, Australia's energy efficiency improved at …
Air pollution is a major environmental health threat in OECD countries, contributing to a number of illnesses, such as asthma, cancer and premature deaths. Despite national and international interventions and decreases in major emissions, the health impacts of air pollution are not likely to decrease in the years ahead, unless …
For transport, a major contributor to greenhouse gases, the challenge to reduce emissions is immense, particularly as most forecasts see transport activity doubling or tripling in the next 30 years. Fortunately, governments in the OECD area (which is where most greenhouse gases come from) are starting to act, though much …
A 50% rise in global greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, higher temperatures, with more droughts and storms harming people, crops and buildings; more animal and plant species becoming extinct under expanding farmland and urban sprawl; dwindling natural resources; a billion more people living in water-stressed areas by 2030, with more …
This study looks at trends in GHG emissions in different regions across the world, and analyses the major drivers. It provides an overview of the policies, strategies and measures being adopted and planned worldwide to combat climate change. It compares the different approaches adopted in different regions and the reasons …
Global patterns of funding clearly show that medical education remains very much a state-dominated sector. In countries belonging to the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development
This term was first coined in 2001 by a UN panel of experts investigating the illegal exploitation of natural resources in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Since 1998, timber there has helped fund a conflict that has killed around 4 million people. The volume of wood removed by rebel factions, …
India has submitted a new offer to liberalise its services sector to the World Trade Organization (wto), but the August 12 offer has not been made public. wto negotiations on the General Agreement on Trade in Services (gats) have made little progress as countries want some clarity in the important …
There is a prominently held view that dissemination of renewable energy technology is marred by high costs. It's true that a few technologies like wind power have become cheaper, but others are still expensive. Solar photovoltaics (PV) and wind energy now cost one tenth of what they did in early …
Starting before industrialised Germany and the UK, India has perhaps promoted renewables the longest though a dedicated establishment. The country's Ministry of Non-conventional Energy Sources (MNES) is one of its kind in the world. India has the fifth largest installed wind capacity in the world at 2400 MW. In 2003 …
At Renewables 2004 "an international action plan will be on the agenda, including actions and commitments by governments, international organisations and stakeholders,' says the conference announcement document. "The conference outcome will include arrangements for a follow-up and a mechanism to share information on progress in implementing the international action plan.' …
According to IEA’s factsheet, Renewables in global energy supply, the wind energy sector has grown at more than 52 per cent per annum since 1971, and solar power by 32 per cent per annum. Renewables in 2000 accounted for 13.8 per cent of the world’s total primary energy supply (electricity, …
There is a prominently held view that dissemination of renewable energy technology is marred by high costs. It’s true that a few technologies like wind power have become cheaper, but others are still expensive. Solar photovoltaics (PV) and wind energy now cost one-tenth of what they did in the early …
