These days the United States’ federal government is promoting coal and backtracking on climate ambition and the European Union is no longer cutting its greenhouse gases emissions. So, who is leading the fight against climate change ? China, India and South Korea are.
South Korea
South Korea enacts its cap and trade market
The world’s seventh carbon emitter started earlier this month the second biggest cap and trade program. As we have seen previously, South Korea is willing to cut its emissions by 30 percent by 2020. This cap-and-trade programm will enable it to do so.
South Korea confirms its 2020 climate targets
According to RTCC : ” South Korea remains on course to meet its target of a 30% cut in greenhouse gas emissions by 2020 (…) It says the total reduction in climate warming greenhouse gases will be equivalent to 233 million tonnes. “ ” Specifically, the country plans transportation emission cuts of 34.3%, 26.9% in … Read more
South Korea to increase its climate efforts
To several sources including TreeHugger and The Energy Collective, South Korea is about to ” create the world’s most ambitious cap and trade market, with the highest global price on carbon. “ The launch will take place in 2015. This initiative will cover 70 percent of the nation’s emissions and will charge no less than … Read more
South Korea to enact carbon trading scheme
Things do seem to accelerate on the climate front. South Korea will have in 2015 a national emissions trading scheme that will cover sixty percent of the country’s carbon dioxide emissions. As Reuters noted: ” (t)he programme won approval, despite fears it would hurt the economy, because of the long-term benefits to the country’s huge … Read more
Five great reforestation projects
While browsing old articles on Sustainablog, I found one that I particularly liked on successful huge reforestation projects. I learned many cool things and thought that was well worth a post.
” Governments, NGOs, and even for-profit companies recognize the environmental and economic losses caused by deforestation, and are working to restore the health of these important ecosystems.”
This reminds me of an old post I published in 2009 about afforestation projects. Meanwhile, the Billion Tree Campaign is nearing 12 billion planted trees. This is absolutely stunning !
Countries with more than 30 percent of nuclear
Further to the catastrophe in Fukushima, Japan, the Christian Science Monitor wrote an interesting article on the ten countries relying for more than 30 percent on nuclear for their electricity. As they put it :
” As dependent as Japan is on nuclear power, 12 nations are even more reliant it, according to the World Nuclear Association. Using 2007 data, here are the Top 10 most nuclear-dependent nations. ”
As you may perhaps remember I believe this energy source could provide 40 percent of the electricity of the United States and the European Union. This would enable both to cut their emissions.
South Korea to build 2,500 MW wind farm
To CleanTechies : ” The South Korean government will help fund construction of a massive offshore wind farm that proponents say would generate about 2,500 megawatts of electricity (…)” “The $8.2 billion project (six billion euros), which proponents hope to complete by 2019. (…) In South Korea, Asia’s fourth-biggest oil importer, officials see the initiative … Read more
South Korea to invest $35 billions in energy
” The South Korean government has announced that it intends to invest $35.4 billion in the renewable energy sector over the next five years as it aims at reducing its dependence on fossil fuels and build a green economy for the future.” “The South Korean government announced the ‘Green Korea’ plan in September 2008 which … Read more
The top 10 coal-burning countries
We all know it : coal is by far the most greenhouse gases emitting energy source. It is also a major air pollutant. For these two reasons it is the environmental enemy #1. (cf The Economist’s cover, back to 2002)
However, many countries like China, India, Germany or the United States are still relying importantly on this solution to generate their electricity, and some of them to astronomic proportions.
TreeHugger recently published a list of the ten countries that burn coal the most according to the data provided by the US Department of Energy (DoE).
The Cleantech arms race continues
Earlier this year I was wondering if cleantech is the new arms race. I noted at the time that America, Europe and China are beginning to compete in such an important economic sector.
A US study released last month shows that not only there is an arms race between the United States and Asian nations, but that America ‘s government invests much less than China, Japan and South Korea.
If nothing was done this could become an important problem for America as it would have to import its cleantech equipments. As a matter of fact, it already has been the case.