A €30 Million Joke

January 21, 2011By Andy RowellBlog Post, Featured

For a long time the concept of carbon trading has had its critics. The primary one is that trading carbon does not really get rid of the problem: the emissions of carbon dioxide. It merely changes pollution into a commodity that can be traded. As the NGO Carbontrade Watch argues: “Carbon offsets allow companies and … Read More

BP “Exerting Too Much Influence” at the EU

February 3, 2009By Andy RowellBlog Post

Despite announcing profits of $25 billion yesterday, shares in the oil giant fell by over 4% after it reported a 24% drop in quarterly profits for the last quarter of 2008. Like the other oil majors, the company was hit by the falling oil price. Oil industry analysts said that the company’s profits were “well … Read More

Lake Mead Could Dry Up Within Years

February 14, 2008By Andy RowellBlog Post 1 Comment

Another day and another disaster looms over climate. Lake Mead, the vast reservoir for the Colorado River water that sustains the fast-growing cities of Phoenix and Las Vegas, could lose water faster than previously thought and run dry within 13 years, according to a new study by scientists The lake, located in Nevada and Arizona, … Read More

Barroso Urges EU Businesses to Act On Climate

January 21, 2008By Andy RowellBlog Post

The President of the European Commission Jose Manuel Barroso is urging companies to treat the fight against climate change as a business opportunity and not a burden. His call comes ahead of Wednesday’s unveiling in Brussels of tough new greenhouse gas emission limits, which are necessary to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least 20% … Read More

Business Plays the Job Card

January 16, 2008By Andy RowellBlog Post

The scare-mongering over climate continues. Instead of seeing climate change as a business opportunity, employers and trade unions see it as a threat. The European Trade Union Confederation is warning that to 50,000 steelworkers’ jobs could go if their industry moves to areas with lower costs for polluters. And lobby group BusinessEurope says companies will … Read More

Another industry off the hook…

December 21, 2007By Andy RowellBlog Post

The EU has caved in to another powerful industry. EU ministers have finally agreed to impose carbon emissions quotas on airlines in an attempt to fight climate change. However, the start date for the EU emissions trading scheme will be delayed to 2012, a year later than MEPs were asking for. The scheme also faces … Read More

Happy Xmas to the Airlines too

December 17, 2007By Andy RowellBlog Post

Oh the irony. Airlines stand to make billions of pounds in “windfall profits” from an emissions trading scheme that was supposed to make them pay for the environmental damage they cause. A UK government report argues the airlines will take advantage of the scheme to raise fares substantially, even though their costs will hardly change.

EU Aviation Plans “Deluded”

September 5, 2007By Andy RowellBlog Post

EU plans to include aviation in its Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) will have minimal effect without a major rise in carbon prices, according to a new scientific study. “We delude ourselves if we believe the proposed framing of the EU ETS is in keeping with the EU’s own and repeated commitment to limit climate change … Read More