A summary of today’s top climate and clean energy stories.
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(Pic: Mario Roberto Durán Ortiz)
Brazil: A Brazilian network of 30 environmental groups, the Climate Observatory, says emission levels of greenhouse gases in Latin America’s biggest country fell last year to their lowest in two decades. Greenhouse gas emissions amounted to 1.48 billion metric tons in 2012 compared to 1.43 billion metric tons in 1992. Their highest point was 2.86 billion metric tons in 1995. (Las Vegas Sun)
Europe: The IPCC needs to submit courageous and realistic proposals when presenting its reports on the impact of climate change in Warsaw, Poland, this month, writes Eberhard Rhein, senior adviser to the Brussels-based think tank the European Policy Centre and former director at the EU Commission in charge of the Mediterranean and Arab world. (EurActiv)
UK: Britain has begun paying firms millions of pounds in compensation to industrial companies to help shield them from higher energy bills due to European carbon permits, a government spokeswoman said on Thursday. (EurActiv)
India: Union Environment and Forests Minister, Jayanthi Natarajan, says “India is not a nay-sayer. This government is very anxious that we work with the rest of the world to make sure that the 2°C mark is not breached.” (The Hindu)
Europe: The European Union has announced plans to formally ratify an extension to the Kyoto Protocol that was agreed at last year’s UN climate summit in Doha. (RTCC)
US: The Department of Energy has awarded $84 million to 18 projects across the country to help limit carbon dioxide emissions from coal-fired power plants. (Las Vegas Sun)
Europe: Whether or not rich countries should pay compensation to most vulnerable states is expected to prove controversial at the UN climate talks next week in Poland. (RTCC)
US: The military is forecast to purchase nearly 100,000 non-tactical electric vehicles to meet Co2 reduction. (RTCC)
Europe: UN climate chief Christiana Figueres says governments must advance in providing climate finance and creating a loss and damage mechanism. (RTCC)
Research: A £15 million institute dedicated to studying how climate change is affecting Britain’s woodlands is to be created at the University of Birmingham. The new centre will also examine how trees can be protected from the threat of invasive pests and diseases, such as the Chalara fraxinea virus which has caused the spread of Ash dieback across the country. (Telegraph)
UK: Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg has asked Tesla Motors chief Elon Musk to advise the government on how to boost growth in the UK’s low emission vehicle sector. (RTCC)