Carbon Alert - December 2010
A monthly resource round-up of recently released reports and upcoming events and training opportunities.
- Climate Change Policy and Legislation
- Carbon Management and Accounting
- International Climate Change News
- Energy, Technology and Renewables
- Climate Change Science and Adaptation
- Carbon Events
- Workshops and Training Courses
Climate Change Policy and Legislation
Study into Emissions Reduction Policies in Key Economies. This background paper provides details on the Productivity Commission research scope into the effectiveness of carbon prices operating in economies including China, India, Japan, South Korea, Canada, the US and New Zealand, as instructed by the Commonwealth Government (November 2010)
Second Meeting of the Multi-Party Climate Change Committee. The Multi-Party Committee held its second meeting on November 10, discussing the policy principles that could provide a consistent basis for the Committee (November 2010)
Design of the Carbon Farming Initiative – Consultation Paper. This consultation paper released by the Commonwealth Government, outlines a process which would allow farmers, foresters and landholders to generate carbon credits under the Carbon Farming Initiative (November 2010)
Garnaut Climate Change Review Update. Minister for Climate Change and Energy Efficiency has requested Professor Ross Garnaut update the significant elements on his 2008 Garnaut Climate Change Review and provide the final report by May 31, 2011 (November 2010)
First Meeting Outcomes of Australia’s Business Roundtable on Climate Change. The business roundtable, held on November 26, brought together leaders from across the economy including the mining, transport, manufacturing, energy, retail and finance sectors to discuss Australia’s transition to a low-pollution economy (November 2010)
Comparing International Competitiveness Effects: Exchange Rates and Carbon Prices. This report by Access Economics, compares the relative impacts of exchange rate movements and a carbon price on the Australian economy (November 2010).
Summary of FOI Request from The Climate Institute to the Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency. Analysis of Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency documents obtained under Freedom of Information and released by the Climate Institute, shows Australia’s pollution reduction policy should adopt a new minimum target of 10 to 15 per cent below 2000 levels by 2020, with the flexibility for at least 25 per cent reductions (November 2010)
Carbon Management and Accounting
Commercial Buildings Emissions Reduction Opportunities. This report by ClimateWorks Australia for the Australia Carbon Trust identifies the significant carbon reduction opportunities and energy and cost savings achievable by making Australia’s commercial buildings more energy efficient (December 2010)
Quarterly Update of Australia’s National Greenhouse Gas Inventory. The latest inventory report provides an overview of Australia’s emissions trends up to the June quarter of 2010 (November 2010)
The Victorian Local Government Guide to Reducing Carbon Emissions. A guide developed by the Municipal Association of Victoria to provide councillors with an introduction to emissions reduction, support local government officers as policy makers and guide councils to make informed decisions regarding there greenhouse gas emissions (November 2010)
International Climate Change News
Ad Hoc Working Group on Long-Term Cooperative Action under the Convention (UNFCCC). This document outlines elements of a possible deal at the United Nations climate negotiations in Cancún, Mexico. It urges nations to accept the need to keep global temperature increase ‘well below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels’ and explicitly proposes that a review, to be completed by the end of 2015, consider when global emissions should peak and the necessary reductions in emissions (November 2010)
Report of the Secretary-General’s High-Level Advisory Group on Climate Change Financing. This United Nations report underlines the importance of putting a price on carbon (November 2010)
The Contribution that Reporting of Greenhouse Gas Emissions Makes to the UK Meeting its Climate Change Objectives. This report by the UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), considers the impact of company reporting of greenhouse gas emission, which includes specially commissioned research on the contribution that reporting makes to emission reductions and the associated costs and benefits (November 2010)
UK-India Collaboration for a Low-Carbon Economy: Opportunities, Challenges and Recommendations. This report from the UK-India Business Leaders Climate Group is the first report of its kind where business leaders have come together to consider the practical steps necessary to deliver a low carbon economy. It sets out a ‘Charter of Principles’ as well as practical ways that India and the UK can work together to unlock a new era of green growth and economic collaboration (November 2010)
World Energy Outlook 2010. The International Energy Agency’s latest World Energy Outlook (November 2010)
Strengthening International Climate Finance. This brief by the Pew Centre, summarises existing and projected financial mechanisms for mitigation and adaptation in developing countries. It also outlines key policy issues, including: improved coordination among finance channels, matching finance with mitigation actions, and improved reporting and verification of finance (December 2010)
Strengthening Measurement, Reporting and Verification. This brief by the Pew Centre, describes and evaluates existing requirements for the measurement, reporting and verification (MRV) of parties’ mitigation actions under the UNFCCC and the Kyoto Protocol, and outlines recommendations for building on these mechanisms to establish a more robust MRV system (December 2010)
Climate Investment Funds – Business Guide. The Climate Investment Funds (CIF) is a collaborative effort between banks and countries to help developing countries transform to a low-carbon economy. This business guide to the program aims to create awareness in the business community of the Climate Investment Funds and to cast light its role, structure and current status (released November 2010)
Energy, Technology and Renewables
A Cleaner Future for Power Stations. This discussion paper, released by the Commonwealth Department of Resources, Energy and Tourism, outlines the possible approach to establish new emissions standards and reporting requirements for power stations (November 2010)
Continuing Opportunities: A Look at Results for the Energy Efficiency Opportunities Program 2006-2009. This report by the Commonwealth Department of Resources, Energy and Tourism details the performance of corporations covered by the EEO scheme (November 2010)
Funding the Transition to a Clean Energy Economy. This study by the Australian Conservation Foundation investigates funding options for Australia’s transition to a low carbon economy. The report suggests measures must be put in place to support investments totalling more than $100 billion over the next decade (November 2010)
Electricity Generation: Major developments – October 2010 Listing. A new analysis of major energy generation projects by the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics indicates renewable power projects at an advanced stage of development are set to deliver more than a gigawatt of power at a cost of almost $3 billion (November 2010)
Australian Electricity Generation Technology Costs – A Reference Case 2010. This report, commissioned by the Australian Government, provides a data set to examine the cost and performance of globally available electricity generation technologies in Australia (November 2010)
Transmission Congestion and Renewable Generation. A report commissioned by Roam Consulting exploring transmission congestion in the Australian National Electricity Market (NEM), and particularly the relevance of transmission congestion to the development of renewable generation under the 20% by 2020 Renewable Energy Target (RET) (November 2010)
Assessment of the Impact of Policies on Renewable Energy Development in Victoria. This report by Carbon Market Economies compares existing and proposed renewable energy policies in Victoria and their potential impact on renewable energy development. The report outlines the policy outcomes in terms of energy generation, investment and job creation (October 2010)
ORER Outlines 2010 Compliance Year Deadlines and Glossary of Terms. The Federal Office of the Renewable Energy Regulator has issued this 2010 compliance year update, specifying deadlines for creating, registering, transferring and surrendering renewable energy certificates. ORER has also issued a new glossary of terms used in the Large-scale Renewable Energy Target (LRET) and the Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme (SRES) (November 2010)
Nuclear Power in Context. This presentation, given by John Daley of the Grattan Institute assesses the viability of nuclear energy contributing to Australia meeting its 2050 emissions targets (November 2010)
Developing an Anaerobic Digestion (AD) Framework Document. This framework strategy published by the UK Government sets out the steps it believes are needed to increase energy from waste in England through anaerobic digestion (December 2010)
Climate Change Science and Adaptation
Developing a National Coastal Adaptation Agenda: A Report on the National Coastal Climate Change Forum. This report by the Commonwealth Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency identifies the national priorities for preparing our coasts for climate change that were discussed at the Forum (November 2010)
Climate Change Overview. This brief slideshow issued by the Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency, summarises climate science and Australia’s abatement challenges. The slideshow also compares Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions to those of other countries (November 2010)
Global CO2 Emissions May Set a Record This Year. Global carbon dioxide emissions contributing to atmospheric warming show no sign of decreasing and may reach record levels in 2010, according to the Global Carbon Project and CSIRO (November 2010)
New Study Shows Dire Messages about Global Warming can Backfire. According to new research by the University of California, Berkley, dire or emotionally charged warnings about the consequences of global warming can backfire if presented too negatively, making people less likely to reduce their carbon footprint and more likely to discount evidence for global warming (November 2010)
Four Degrees and Beyond Special Issue Journal. The Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research is a major contributor to this specially themed '4 degrees and beyond' edition of the Royal Society’s prestigious journal Philosophical Transactions A. This special edition was released to coincide with the start of the UN climate change summit in Cancun, Mexico (November 2010)
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