By Ed King
– The day’s top climate change stories as chosen by RTCC
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– Updated from 0900-1700 BST (GMT+1)
Latest news: Thursday 13 September
UK: The independent Climate Change Committee (CCC) has today warned that the government would breach the Climate Change Act if it pursues plans for a surge in gas investment.
In an open letter to the Energy and Climate Change Secretary the CCC said a ‘dash for gas’ would be “incompatible” with meeting the UK’s legally binding targets of reducing carbon emissions by 80% by 2050.
The letter has been welcomed by green groups.
EU: Climate Commissioner Connie Hedegaard has hit back at suggestions that member states are looking to scrap plans to include aviation in the bloc’s emissions trading scheme. “Clear corrections from governments on odd press story from yesterday: no changes in EU and member states approach on the ETS and aviation,” Hedegaard said on Twitter.
UK: The UK wind energy industry is poised to reach a major new milestone over the next few days, BusinessGreen reports, with National Grid predicting that a record 4.14GW of power will come onto the grid from wind farms later this evening.
IEA: The International Energy Agency’s chief economist says the door to 2 degrees could be “closed forever” if there are not “significant investment changes” in low-carbon technology by 2017.
EU: European Environment Agency (EEA) estimates show that EU greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions declined by 2.5% in 2011, in part due to a mild winter, which lowered heating demands, as well as to increased consumption of renewable energy.
UNFCCC: The global carbon market is drowning in a chronic oversupply of carbon credits, according to analysts at Thomson Reuters Point Carbon. Agreements at COP18 in Doha could exacerbate the situation – many countries are currently overestimating their requirements, which could lead to another surplus as large as 3.6Gt.
Cambodia: The 30th meeting of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has concluded with a declaration stating that efforts to adapt to climate change and develop cleaner sources of energy are vital to the region’s future stability.