Carbon Alert - October 2010

A monthly resource round-up of recently released reports and upcoming events and training opportunities.

Climate Change Policy and Legislation

Multi-Party Climate Change Committee Established.  The Prime Minister and Minister Combet have announced the establishment of the new Multi-Party Climate Change Committee to investigate options for implementing a carbon price and to help build consensus on how Australia will tackle climate change (September 2010)
Media Release
Terms of Reference

Government To Seek Business, Environment and Non-Government Organisations' Views on Climate Change.  Media release on the Government’s announcement that it will establish two roundtables to engage the business community, environment and non-government organisations on its climate change policies (September 2010)

Appointment as Minister for Climate Change and Energy Efficiency.  Media release from the Australian Government (September 2010)

First Opportunities in Depth.  Two detailed reports on the mining and transport industries from the Commonwealth Department of Resources, Energy and Tourism, looking at the results from the Energy Efficiency Opportunities Program for 2006 to 2008 (September 2010)
Mining Industry
Transport Industry

Climate Change Act 2010.  Legislation passed by the Parliament of Victoria (September 2010)

Inquiry into Soil Carbon Sequestration in Victoria.  Released by the Environment and Natural Resources Parliamentary Committee, this final report finds that there are a number of agricultural and environmental benefits of soil carbon sequestration, but also highlights problems around how to measure the stored carbon and risks around land holders participating in a carbon trading scheme (September 2010) 

Hybrid Scheme the Best of Both Worlds for Cutting Carbon. Tristan Edis and John Daley of the Grattan Institute argue that a hybrid scheme combining tax and cap and trade would be the best solution for Australia  (September 2010)

 

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Carbon Management and Accounting

Carbon Neutral Report 2010 – Australian Region.  A report by the National Australia Bank on their journey of achieving carbon neutrality (October 2010)

The Carbon Management Strategic Priority.  A new report by the Carbon Disclosure Project explores companies perceptions of carbon management and helps evidence the case that carbon management is a growing strategic issues (September 2010)

Carbon-Induced Financial Disruption – Linking Climate Science to Investment Risks and Opportunities.  A report by Paul Gilding and Phil Preston linking climate science to investment risks and opportunities (September 2010)

Small Business and Climate Change.  A series of ten fact sheets developed by the Victorian Employers’ Chamber of Commerce and Industry.  They include tailored, sector-specific information for small business in tourism, accommodation, cafes and restaurants, retail and wholesale transport, business and professional services and manufacturing (September 2010)

ICT’s Role in the Low Carbon Economy.  A green technology white paper released by the Australian Information Industry Association exploring the role of information and communications technology in enabling Australia’s transition to a more sustainable future (September 2010)

 

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International Climate Change News

Scaling Up Low-Carbon Technology Deployment – Lessons From China (China) This report released by the World Resource Institute examines how low-carbon technologies have been introduced, adapted, deployed and diffused in three greenhouse gas-intensive sectors in China (October 2010)

China’s Pathway Towards a Low Carbon Economy (China)  This publication by the China Council for International Cooperation on Environment and Development, outlines in brief the roadmap its Task Force proposes for China to successfully make a transition towards a Low Carbon Economy (September 2010)

Carbon Disclose Project 2010: Global 500 Report (Global) A global report by Carbon Disclosure Project shows two main areas of focus for action: the energy efficiency of operations and the development of innovative products and services that enable customers to cut their emissions (September 2010)

Shifting Private Capital to Low Carbon Investment (Europe)  A position paper by Europe’s Institutional Investors Group on Climate Change recommending a series of additional policy steps the European Union can take to unlock the significant flows of private capital that are necessary for the transition to a low-carbon economy (September 2010)

Tackling Global Climate Change – Meeting Local Priorities (Global) This report by World Greening Building Council highlights how green buildings can play a valuable role in meeting local needs worldwide, including in areas hit by natural disasters, as well as providing the most cost-effective way of tackling climate change (September 2010)

UNFCCC Executive Secretary Press Conference Video (Global). At a press conference at UN Headquarters in New York, UNFCCC Executive Secretary Christiana Figueres said that at the upcoming UNFCCC negotiating session in Tianjin, governments need to cut down the number of options on the table, identify what is achievable and muster political compromises that will deliver what needs to be done at COP 16 in Cancun (September 2010)

Ice Pigs and Thin Tins: The Keys to Cutting Carbon in Food Manufacture? (UK)  Media release from Carbon Trust on how they are working with industry leaders to cut energy and carbon emissions on production lines (September 2010)

Green Streets: Exploring the Potential of Community Energy Projects (UK) Interim report prepared by Institute for Public Policy Research on Green Streets – a unique challenge, run by British Gas, that is generating important lessons about the role ‘community energy projects’ can play in cutting carbon emissions and about the opportunities and challenges involved in creating the ‘Big Society’. (September 2010)

Ecosystems, Climate Change and the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs): Scaling Up Local Solutions (Global) This working paper sets out a framework to scale up locally-driven solutions to ecosystem decline, climate change and poverty (September 2010)

Report of the Interagency Task Force on Carbon Capture and Storage (US)  This report released by the United States Environment Protection Agency, delivers a series of recommendations to the United States President on overcoming the barriers to the widespread, cost-effective deployment of CCS within ten years (August 2010)

 

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Energy, Technology and Renewables

End Use Energy Intensity in the Australian Economy.  The report from the Australian Bureau of Agriculture  and Resource Economics, provides analyses on historical energy intensity trends and identifies key factors affecting the amount of energy consumed in all end use sectors of the Australian economy between 1989-90 and 2007-08  (September 2010)

Solar Energy to Become More Affordable for Victorians.  Innovation Minister Gavin Jennings announces $5 Million Government Grant to help further develop a printable light-sensitive ink that can convert sunlight into energy, potentially opening the door to inexpensive, mass produced solar panels (September 2010)

Carbon Capture and Storage: Mobilising Private Sector Finance.  The Climate Group and the Ecofin Research Foundation are working on a joint initiative to assess, and possibly stimulate, private sector financing for first generation industrial scale carbon, capture and storage (CCS) projects. This brief report provides an overview of initial findings from a European perspective (September 2010)

Improving the Energy Efficiency of Industrial Equipment. This discussion paper, prepared for the Equipment Energy Efficiency Committee under the auspices of the Australian and New Zealand Ministerial Council on Energy, sets out ideas for improving the energy efficiency of new industrial equipment such as motor-driven systems, that is, electric motors connected to equipment such as pumps and fans, and gas fuelled equipment such as boilers (September 2010) 

National Strategy for Smart Electricity Networks. Report released by the Energy Networks Association providing a framework for the smart network activities that the electricity that electricity distribution businesses are undertaking jointly (September 2010) 

Key Energy Market Policies – Stage 1 Report.  This report, prepared by KPMG and released by AEMO, focuses on the major energy policies likely to drive Australian energy market developments, in respect of energy demand, over the next 20 years (August 2010)

Electricity Statement of Opportunities for the National Electricity Market. The ESOO presents the outlook for Australia’s National Electricity Market (NEM) supply capacity for years 2013-2020 and demand for years 2010-2020. Released by The Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) (August 2010)

 

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Climate Change Science 

CAF Working Paper 6: Coastal Inundation Under Climate Change: A Case Study in South East Queensland.  This This Working Paper, released by CSIRO, assesses the costs and benefits of proactive, planned adaptation on built infrastructure in South East Queensland, a region recognised as facing a high risk of inundation in the future. (September 2010)

 

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