Today’s top five climate change stories chosen by RTCC
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EPA administrator Gina McCarthy will visit China next week, where pollution is causing public anger
1 – China can learn from the US, says chief environmental regulator
Gina McCarthy, head of the Environmental Protection Agency, said yesterday that China can learn from America’s own struggle to reduce pollution, Reuters reports. She was speaking ahead of a visit to Beijing, Shanghai and other Chinese cities next week, where air pollution can reach hazardous levels.
2 – Greg Hunt defends scrapping carbon pricing
Speaking in Melbourne, Australian environment minister Greg Hunt has said that the government’s decision to scrap the “brutal” carbon pricing system is consistent with action being taken in other countries, and that the replacement Direct Action approach will be in place for decades, the Guardian reports. He said the new scheme, which has been criticised across the globe, will pass the senate by July next year.
3 – Canada’s bid to become energy “superpower” at risk
Delays to the approval of new oil pipelines is threatening Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s hopes that the country will emerge as an energy “superpower”. This means Canada can’t get its surging crude supplies to markets in Asia where prices are higher than in North America. “The reality is it’s by no means certain which of them will be approved and built,” Judith Dwarkin, director of energy research at ITG Investment Research Inc. told Bloomberg.
4 – UN carbon offset market ‘in a coma’
Project developers say that the UN’s carbon offset market is likely to remain in a coma for years, following the failure of countries to resolve its difficulties at UN climate talks in Warsaw this month, according to Reuters. Investments in the $315 billion Clean Development Mechanism have ground to a halt as the value of credits has dropped 95% over the past five years to around €0.30.
5 – Delayed car emissions targets to cost EU £21bn
A compromise made last week over the EU’s new car emissions regulations will end up costing the EU £21billion, warns campaign group Transport & Environment. Business Green reports that plans to bring in implementation of a new 95g CO2/km target a year later than planned could cost motorists nearly £650 each.