Sérgio Abranches
China is braced to become a green technology powerhouse even before it transitions towards a green economy. Although having to manage a huge carbon stock, after relying mainly in coal and oil to fuel its economy for many decades, China has become the world’s major investor in clean energy. More »
China has raised its 2015 target for solar-electricity capacity, helping its solar panels companies, many of which are struggling due to industry overcapacity, falling prices, slow global demand and trade disputes with Europe and the United States. More »
AtKisson Group analyzed 38 of the world’s largest carbon emitters, which are by themselves responsible for 76% of Fortune 500 emissions and 5.7% of global carbon emissions. It reviewed 10,000 pages of sustainability reports, annual reports, greenhouse gas reports and websites. It reached the conclusion that corporate reporting of carbon emissions is not correlated with a reduction in carbon emissions. More »
Sergio Abranches
Rio+20 can still arrive at a relevant outcome in spite of the dismal results of three rounds of negotiation at the United Nations headquarters in New York. But this outcome will certainly fall short of expectations and scientific requirements. The most a meeting with the characteristics of Rio+20 could achieve is to decide on a set of minimum ground rules for countries to build the architecture for a future green, low-carbon, low ecological footprint economy. More »
Sergio Abranches
Brazil wants an ambitious outcome to the Rio+20 summit. Diplomats say, however, that they will work to prevent this outcome from being exclusively oriented towards environmental issues.
Sergio Abranches
Last week, China’s National Development and Reform Commission reportedly directed seven regions to set overall emissions control targets and submit proposals for how caps should be allocated. The directive, which encompasses the cities of Beijing, Chongqing, Shanghai, Shenzhen and Tianjin and the provinces of Guangdong and Hubei, aims to establish cap-and-trade pilot projects for the country’s carbon market, meant to be in place by 2015. More »
