The death of Saparmurat Niyazov, the idiosyncratic dictator of Turkmenistan, the former Soviet republic, could trigger a new round in the fierce battle between the United States and Russia for control of Central Asia‘s huge oil and gas reserves. Turkmenistan is the second-largest natural-gas producer in the former Soviet Union, after Russia. The country holds … Read More
European Union
EU ETS Scheme Faces Renewal
This week the EU will reveal new allocations for the next phase of the Europe-wide greenhouse gas emissions trading, a market worth 12 billion Euros and covering 11,000 installations throughout Europe. Since it was introduced many people have argued that the emission caps are too high in the scheme. Now some of Europe’s most influential … Read More
EU’s Secret Rethink on Carbon Emissions
The European Commission is arguing that Europe should set a new, unilateral, target for cutting CO2 emissions, agree legally binding plans to boost renewable energy and bring cars into its carbon trading scheme. The secret blueprint, drawn up by the Commission’s vice-president, Gunther Verheugen, marks a significant shift in thinking as officials in Brussels seek … Read More