Energy Saving News
General News
Pakistan's Energy Conservation Plan Extended
THE Pakistani federal government on Tuesday decided to maintain two-day weekly off and early markets’ closure by another three months till Oct 31, 2010. Pakistan has been facing stringent measures to reduce energy use since April, when office closures and early closing of markets were implemented, with stronger punishments added ...
Thursday 29th July 2010 | Read full article
UK Businesses to face 26 per cent Energy Bill Rise
UK Businesses' energy bills could rise by 26% in the next decade owing to UK policies to cut emissions, according to reports published by the Department of Energy and Climate Change. The estimates came as UK’s Energy Secretary Chris Huhne delivered the first annual energy statement to the British Parliament in ...
Wednesday 28th July 2010 | Read full article
Turkey's Urgent Need for Energy Efficiency
Turkey’s 2009 Review shows that the country is likely to see the fastest medium to long-growth energy demand among the IEA member countries according to the study Energy Policies of IEA Countries. Mr Nobuo Tanaka, Executive Director of the IEA said "Turkey has progressed significantly in all areas of energy policy ...
Wednesday 28th July 2010 | Read full article
Chinese Vice Premier Highlights Energy Efficiency
ON Friday Chinese Vice Premier Li Keqiang, appealed for greater effort in developing and in using advanced energy technologies as a way of boosting energy conservation and efficiency, while helping to fuel China’s economic growth. Li made the remarks while meeting with prize winners awarded for their contributions to China's energy ...
Tuesday 27th July 2010 | Read full article
UAE Needs Energy Efficiency
WITH utility bills in United Arab Emirates (UAE) for commercial buildings rising by over 50 per cent over the last two years, many more companies are embracing energy-saving measures to reduce costs and carbon emissions, reports Anita Mathews, exhibition director of Middle East Electricity. The financial as well as environmental issues ...
Tuesday 27th July 2010 | Read full article
New Zealand Draft new Energy Efficiency Strategies
NEW ZEALAND (NZ) businesses, the public service and households will be encouraged to save energy to help make the country as energy efficient as its Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) partners. The Draft New Zealand Energy Strategy sticks to the last NZ (Labour) government's 2007 target of having 90% ...
Monday 26th July 2010 | Read full article
U.S. Commercial Buildings Need Energy Efficiency Retrofit
COMMERCIAL building space in the United States covers a total of 79 billion square feet, and buildings are one of the leading sources of energy consumption and carbon emissions. With more than 80% of commercial buildings being more than 10 years old, they also represent a significant opportunity for energy ...
Thursday 22nd July 2010 | Read full article
UK Firms and Organisations Face Energy Use Fines
ONE third of UK companies could miss the 30th September deadline for registering for the UK's energy efficiency scheme requiring them to reveal information on their energy use, this will result in fines of up to £5000 ($7,644) each, an environmental consultancy revealed yesterday. The UK's mandatory Carbon Reduction Commitment Energy ...
Wednesday 21st July 2010 | Read full article
China Challenges IEA Report
CHINA is challenging the credibility of an International Energy Agency (IEA) report that branded the country the world's top energy consumer, surpassing the United States, claiming that the estimation is inaccurate, according to the Global Times. "The IEA's data on China's energy use is unreliable," Zhou Xian, an official with China's ...
Wednesday 21st July 2010 | Read full article
South Africa Sets Energy Efficiency Regulations for New Buildings
NEW energy efficiency regulations will soon be in place for all new buildings being built in South Africa. The South African Trade and Industry Minister, Rob Davies has published amendments to the energy efficiency regulations. This move will make it compulsory for all new buildings to be designed and built ...
Tuesday 20th July 2010 | Read full article
Victoria Doubles Energy Efficiency Target
The Victoria State Government in Australia has been strengthening their energy saving scheme, which will now also target businesses. John Brumby, Premier of Victoria, has launched an election climate-change policy, which expands the current energy-saving scheme to target 500,000 small and medium businesses. This has doubled the Victorian Energy Efficiency Target (VEET), ...
Friday 16th July 2010 | Read full article
Energy Saving Scheme at the Right Time for Property Owners
AN expert claims that the UK’s Carbon Reduction Commitment (CRC) Energy Efficiency Scheme is providing property owners with a benchmark enabling them to measure their energy efficiency. Don Jordison, managing director at property investment firm Threadneedle, stated yesterday that the CRC is providing the property industry a "legislative framework with ...
Thursday 15th July 2010 | Read full article
Canada and New England Together on Energy Efficiency
A conference held yesterday, in the U.S. State of Massachusetts with the New England Governors and five Eastern Canadian Premiers, outlined a series of key agreements to boost the regions energy efficiency. Governor Debal Patrick said: “As the region that started the Industrial Revolution, the Northeast can also be the region ...
Wednesday 14th July 2010 | Read full article
Australian Standards and Awards for Business Energy Efficiency
AN Australian National Energy Savings Scheme is likely to provide a combination of energy efficiency standards and financial rewards for businesses that make long term investments to cut their power use. Rob Murray-Leach, Chief Executive of the Australian Energy Efficiency Council (EEC) said, ''Our position is that a national energy efficiency target ...
Tuesday 13th July 2010 | Read full article
Healthcare Benefits from Energy Efficiency Investments
ACCORDING to new research healthcare organisations are more likely to invest in energy efficiency for their facilities compared to other industry sectors. According to PR Newswire in March American Society for Healthcare Engineering (ASHE), Johnstone Controlls and the International Facility Management Association (IFMA), commissioned the 2010 Energy Efficiency Indicator (EEI) survey, ...
Tuesday 13th July 2010 | Read full article
Australian Businesses Request Tax Breaks for Energy Efficiency
BUSINESS groups in Australia are appealing to the government to use tax breaks to improve energy efficiency, rather than the planned carbon tax or emissions trading scheme, at least until there is an international consensus on climate policy. The current Labor government is due to meet tomorrow, Tuesday 13th July, to ...
Monday 12th July 2010 | Read full article
U.S. DOE Ignores Its Own Advice
THE U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) web site publishes energy saving and efficiency advise – as you would expect, but the New York Times reports that it’s a case of “do as I say, not what I do” for the DOE An internal audit revealed on Wednesday that many of the ...
Friday 9th July 2010 | Read full article
EU Energy Efficiency Legislation Possible
THE European Union (EU) may need new legislation to produce the required long term reductions for carbon emissions, so stated the European Energy Commissioner Günther Oettinger yesterday during the annual Greenpeace energy revolution roadmap. Oettinger did not advocate any new specific legislation, only hinting that the EU could bring in laws ...
Friday 9th July 2010 | Read full article
Iran Plan Energy Conservation
THE Iranian Supreme Leader has announced a policy for energy conservation and consumption. After a consultation with Iran's Expediency Council, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei declared the mechanism for reforming consumption patterns, especially for the conservation of energy and water resources. The Ayatollah has forwarded a ...
Thursday 8th July 2010 | Read full article
Manila Police to Arrest Energy Use
THE Eastern Police District (EPD) of Manila is being forced to take energy efficiency measures to be able to pay its utility bills, by arresting the amount of energy wasted. Police chiefs are strictly implementing energy saving at district and station level after continuing increases in energy consumption across their precincts. EPD ...
Thursday 8th July 2010 | Read full article
Energy Efficient Buildings for India
INDIA is seeing a 10% annual increase in commercial buildings with the increase in the energy demand projected to be 5.4 billion kWh annually. The need for businesses in India to design and construct ‘high performance buildings’, so that the use of electricity can be controlled is imperative. Due to ...
Tuesday 6th July 2010 | Read full article
Report Reveals SMEs Can Save a Fortune through Energy Efficiencies
THE Committee on Climate Change in the UK has underlined the fact that substantial savings are just waiting for small and medium-sized businesses to claim through energy efficiency Although focused on UK SMEs the benefits apply worldwide for any business or organisation. The Committee reported that in the UK, and many other ...
Monday 5th July 2010 | Read full article
Energy Efficiency can save Canadian Businesses $100,000s
SAVING hundreds of thousands of dollars in operational costs through energy conservation and efficiency is not that difficult, so heard an audience of business leaders in the Canadian City of Guelph, at the Guelph Chamber of Commerce Environmental Sustainability Forum this week. They discovered it can be a simple to save ...
Friday 2nd July 2010 | Read full article
Sticks not Carrots for SME Energy Efficiency
"I don't think incentives work, sticks do." so said Bob Wigley, chairman of the UK government’s Green Investment Bank Commission. Wigley encouraged the UK government to show they have “the guts” by imposing financial penalties on businesses who fail to become energy efficiency and accept their environmental responsibilities. Wigley, speaking yesterday at ...
Thursday 1st July 2010 | Read full article
Western Australia Misses Out on $50 Million from Energy Saving
THE Western Australia (WA) Government has been criticised for wasting $50 million dollars on energy after an audit discovered they had failed to meet energy reduction targets. The Energy Smart Government program started in 2002 and set a target of reducing energy use by 12 per cent within five years, but ...
Thursday 1st July 2010 | Read full article
Cuyahoga County Three Year Retrofit Pay Back
CUYAHOGA County in Ohio State, U.S., is taking advantage of Federal stimulus funding and local taxes to cut the amount of energy used in 15 of the County’s own buildings. The U.S. Department of Energy is submitting a grant of $1.9 million, covering 40 percent of the project, with the rest, ...
Tuesday 29th June 2010 | Read full article
Indian SMEs Encouraged to Become Energy Efficient
THE Indian governmental Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE), with the support of the Ministry of Power, has started putting into action its national energy efficiency program. There have been 35 small and medium enterprise (SME) groups selected and BEE aims at encouraging SMEs to implement energy efficient technologies and practices ...
Monday 28th June 2010 | Read full article
Energy Saving Businesses Booming
A recent report by the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in the United States has shown the expected expansion for energy service companies (ESCOs) to be around 26% annual growth from 2009-2011 with the revenue reaching $7.1 billion. ESCOs are private companies that typically offer energy savings improvements under long-term performance ...
Monday 28th June 2010 | Read full article
Pakistan's Energy Problems Continue
WE have reported regularly on the problems of energy supply in Pakistan, where draconian measures have been enacted, if not fully implemented. Due to a shortage of capacity from their power stations the Pakistani government imposed restrictions on opening times for retail and businesses and even reduced opening for their own ...
Thursday 24th June 2010 | Read full article
China Contiues Push for Energy Efficiency
THE Chinese Vice Premier appealed for greater efforts in increasing awareness of energy-savings as well as seeing more investments into research for energy-efficiency technology. Vice Premier Li Keqiang made his remark last week in correspondence to the sponsors of China’s 20th national energy-saving publicity week. Campaigns and promotional activities were organised during ...
Thursday 24th June 2010 | Read full article
U.S. EPA Reckon American Power Act Could Cut Costs Initially
THE U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has stated the proposed American Power Act promoted by Senators John Kerry and Joe Lieberman could initially cut consumer energy costs. The economic analysis of the energy and climate change bill by the EPA, says it would be affordable for both consumers and industry. While energy ...
Tuesday 22nd June 2010 | Read full article
Taiwan Council to Create Green Jobs
THE Taiwanese Council for Economic Planning and Development (CEPD) revealed yesterday one or two projects are in their plans for this year that will help create green jobs. CEPD is Taiwan’s top economic planning agency and this latest scheme is driven by 2010 being the year of energy conservation and CO2 ...
Tuesday 22nd June 2010 | Read full article
Indian State Combats Energy Shortage with Efficiency Workshop
INDIAN State Maharashtra faces severe power shortage, hence the Mahratta Chamber of Commerce, Industries and Agriculture (MCCIA) is today holding an interactive workshop on 'Energy conservation, renewable energy and energy audits'. The workshop is bringing together the private sector with the government on a single platform so they can learn ...
Monday 21st June 2010 | Read full article
New Book Focuses on Energy Efficiency
Last week we reported on U.S. President Barak Obama’s Oval Office address about the Gulf of Mexico oil spill, when he stated it was part of his proposed plan to end the U.S. "addiction to fossil fuels," and bang on cue a new book supports this proposal. Invisible Energy: Strategies to ...
Monday 21st June 2010 | Read full article
South Korea Investing Billions to become Energy Efficient
One of Asia's biggest energy consumers, South Korea is investing $88 billion over the next five years to improve its energy efficiency. This investment is attracting many South Korean companies into the energy-efficiency trend. There are 68 energy saving technologies being advertised for homeowners and businesses to use. A model ...
Friday 18th June 2010 | Read full article
United States Retailers Concerned about Energy Efficiency
NATIONAL retailers in the US are increasingly concerned about energy efficiency and are making efforts to promote cost-saving, sustainable business practices. This was the findings of a survey conducted in the U.S. by an energy company and Chain Store Age, a leading industry trade publication, the survey was been carried out ...
Friday 18th June 2010 | Read full article
Energy Efficiency Measures Set to Achieve Security in Brunei
THE Energy Efficiency and Conservation (EEC) Strategy in Brunei requires a shared effort in order to achieve energy security and sustainability was the theme of an address by Dato Paduka Hj Ali Hj Apong, the Brunei's Deputy Minister of Development.. "Brunei's current reliance on oil and gas as the sole source ...
Thursday 17th June 2010 | Read full article
Obama Talks Oil Spill and the U.S. Energy Future
BARAK Obama used his Oval Office address on Tuesday to solicit support for a climate and energy bill, with critics complaining there were few details about what his administration wants in Senate legislation. Supporters of a thorough energy and climate legislation were looking for Obama to layout his intentions and plans ...
Thursday 17th June 2010 | Read full article
Australian Cities are Livable but not Sustainable
“Australia’s major cities consistently rate among the most livable, but live ability is not the same as sustainability,” said Australian Conservation Foundation’s (ACF) executive director Don Henry, adding: “Australians use more water and energy and own more cars per person than the citizens of almost any other developed country. “Many decades of ...
Wednesday 16th June 2010 | Read full article
Toronto Schools make Big Bucks through Energy Efficiencies
Last year in Canada the Toronto City Summit Alliance, a coalition of civic leaders in the Toronto region which was formed to address challenges to the future of Toronto, set up the Greening Canada Fund and it has offered a fantastic opportunity to Toronto Schools. The Toronto District School Board (TDSB) is ...
Thursday 10th June 2010 | Read full article
China to Fund Energy Management
THE central Chinese government is to allocate around $300 million this year towards energy conservation reconstruction through energy management in the fields of industry, construction and transportation, and for public institutions, so reported the Ministry of Finance. Businesses and organisations will be able to apply for government subsidies if the energy ...
Wednesday 9th June 2010 | Read full article
UK Master Builders Look to Energy Efficiency for Jobs Boost
THE UK’s Federation of Master Builders (FMB) have stated that energy efficiency improvements in buildings, particularly retrofits, will provide a jobs boost to the UK’s construction sector. This is the reckoning of Brian Berry, the director of external affairs at the FMB. "The new (UK) government is committed to actually encouraging a ...
Wednesday 9th June 2010 | Read full article
Major Initiative to Green the FIFA World Cup Kicks Off
THREE days before the kick-off of one of the greatest global sport events on the planet – the FIFA 2010 World Cup in South Africa – a major initiative to green the World Cup and help reduce carbon emissions was launched in Johannesburg today. The initiative is a result of a ...
Tuesday 8th June 2010 | Read full article
Fossil Fuel Subsidies Need to be Replaced by Energy Efficiency
CONCERN is growing over the amount of fossil fuel subsidies being provided by governments, particularly in the developing world, and the affect it is having on climate change and when energy efficiency could fill the gap in the increasing demand for energy. The International Energy Agency (IEA) have published the results ...
Tuesday 8th June 2010 | Read full article
East Asia Promotes Energy Efficiency to Combat Climate Change
THE World Economic Forum for East Asia, on 7th June, discussed how Asia can promote green technology for energy efficiency. The issue called for the participation of representatives from the Ministries of Natural Resources and Environment of Vietnam, the Republic of Korea (RoK) and the leaders of big businesses. Asia is ...
Monday 7th June 2010 | Read full article
Indian State Government sets Example in Energy Saving
THE Maharashtra government, a state government in Western India with Mumbai as its capital, has decided to set an energy efficiency example by making it mandatory for all government departments, local self-government bodies and organisation receiving government grants to use energy saving technology. Chief Secretary J P Dange, issued a communication ...
Monday 7th June 2010 | Read full article
Taiwan Premier sets Energy Efficiency Lead for Business
Taiwan's Premier Wu Den-yih stated today that his government will continue promoting low-carbon businesses and communities, as he urged large companies to put greater efforts into adopting new technologies to reduce carbon emissions. Wu said that companies with high carbon emissions should consider revamping their infrastructure and reduce their carbon footprint ...
Friday 4th June 2010 | Read full article
Lahore Traders Reject Governments Energy Conservation Measures
We have been reporting regularly on the energy problems in Pakistan and the enforced black-outs to conserve energy. The nationwide measures are dues to a serious shortage in generating capacity in Pakistan, with the planned load-shedding being used to prevent sudden and unplanned black-outs. Amongst the measures were the closing for holiday ...
Thursday 3rd June 2010 | Read full article
EU-Russia to Cooperate on Energy Efficiency
THE European Union-Russia summit held at Rostov-on-Don in Russia this past Monday and Tuesday had energy as an important part of the agenda. At the post-talks press-conference European Commission (EC) president Jose Manuel Barroso stated: “We have discussed cooperation in terms of energy, energy security and energy efficiency, and this is ...
Thursday 3rd June 2010 | Read full article
Chinese Banks to Curb Lending to High Energy Consuming Sectors
The central bank in China has asked Chinese banks to rein in lending to high energy consuming industries, a move which echoes the government's energy-saving measures. According to a circular issued today, by the People's Bank of China, banks must now strictly review loan applications from companies in heavy energy-consuming ...
Wednesday 2nd June 2010 | Read full article
Inner Mongolia's Huge Energy Increase from Industry
Xinhua News Agency reports that electricity consumption by energy intensive industries in Inner Mongolia surged this year. The Calcium carbide and ferroalloy sectors consumed 14.571 billion kwh of electricity in the first four months accounting for one third of the whole countries consumption. Industrial electricity consumption in the region soared 41.54% ...
Tuesday 1st June 2010 | Read full article
Pakistan Continue Power Battle
ON these news feeds we have been covering the enforced closing hours by the Pakistani government on markets, retail, industry and governmental offices, all because of a shortage in generating capacity. The latest news from Lahore reveals that the Pakistan Electric Power Company (PEPCO) informed the Lahore High Court, yesterday, that ...
Tuesday 1st June 2010 | Read full article
Queen's Speech Reveal's the UK's New Governments Energy Efficiency Aims
THE Queens Speech yesterday outlines new laws are to be introduced to improve energy efficiency in UK businesses and homes, to promote low carbon emission energy and to secure the country’s energy supply. The Queen's Speech also highlighted that the UK Government would seek global collaboration in combating climate change, particularly ...
Wednesday 26th May 2010 | Read full article
China's Aim to Reach Energy Goals in 2010
CHINA’S five year energy saving and emission reduction goals will be put at the forefront throughout 2010, aiming to meet their targets ahead of global talks at the end of the year. “We would lose the trust from the international community and be pressured during the global climate talks in ...
Tuesday 25th May 2010 | Read full article
"Outlook for Energy" Report Predicts 35% Energy Increase
ExxonMobil recently revealed the results of their annual Outlook for Energy Report with the results highlighting the need for energy efficiency. Robert Gardner, ExxonMobil manager of energy and economics, revealed that annual growth of energy consumption will be by 1.2 percent resulting in the world consuming 35 percent more energy in ...
Monday 24th May 2010 | Read full article
UK Public Sector Cuts Energy Bills by £650m
The UK public sector is on track to deliver cost savings in excess of half a billion pounds through energy saving projects and can go even further, the UK’s Carbon Trust have claimed. The news was announced as 120 UK public sector organisations including central government departments, local authorities, schools, universities, ...
Monday 24th May 2010 | Read full article
Royal Institute Praises EU Energy Efficiency Measures
The European Union (EU) agreement to introduce measures to improve the energy efficiency of commercial property has been praised by the UK’s Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (Rics - so reports UK Business Property. According to Rics, the new bill will help make business property more environmentally friendly, as well as ...
Friday 21st May 2010 | Read full article
U.S. Industry can Benefit from Energy Saving
THE New York Times carried an interesting article in their Energy and Environment section (www.nytimes.com) The article pointed out how the American Power Bill introduced by Senators John Kerry and Liberman, reported on these pages last week, is empowering many within the U.S. industrial sector to take note and act on ...
Wednesday 19th May 2010 | Read full article
FM Expo Highlights Energy Efficiency for UAE
THE Property and Facilities Management Conference is being held this week as part of the Facilities Management Expo at the World Trade Centre in Dubai. Due to the ever rising electricity costs and high levels of energy consumption practical ways of energy saving and related topics will be the focus of ...
Wednesday 19th May 2010 | Read full article
Philippines Take Steps toward Energy Conservation
THE Philippine’s Department of Energy (DOE) will be conducting a seminar on energy conservation and energy spot checks for government agencies on May 19-20 in support of the Government Energy Management Program (GEMP). The seminar on power conservation and efficiency will discuss various energy conservation tips along with the GEMP campaign, ...
Tuesday 18th May 2010 | Read full article
Jakarta Needs to be Energy Efficient
DATA from the Jakarta Industry and Energy Agency shows the Indonesian capital needs at least 4,600 megawatts of electricity, which is currently supplied by power plants in Muara Karang and Tanjung Priok in North Jakarta. A major problem is that both plants have a total maximum capacity of 2,000 megawatts, ...
Monday 17th May 2010 | Read full article
IPEEC Aim for Global Energy Saving Policies
THIS week saw the first Policy Committee meeting of the International Partnership for Energy Efficiency Cooperation (IPEEC) to promote global collaboration on energy-saving programs and policies. The meeting involved leaders from 15 countries and the European Commission U.S, Assistant Secretary of the Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable ...
Friday 14th May 2010 | Read full article
Will Reworked American Power Act Do Enough for Energy Efficiency?
A U.S. Senate measure intended to make the United States a "clean-energy leader," will direct a cut in carbon emissions of 17 percent over the next 10 years. U.S. Senators John Kerry and Joe Lieberman have introduced The American Power Act. "We can finally tell the world that America is ready to ...
Thursday 13th May 2010 | Read full article
Energy Efficiency Cheapest Way to Generate Energy - UK Energy Secretary
THE UK’s new Energy Secretary told the BBC today, “We must make sure we are much energy efficient because the cheapest way to generate energy is to save energy. “By doing those two courses of action (renewable and energy efficiency) I believe we can make our national security more secure as ...
Thursday 13th May 2010 | Read full article
Chile's Energy Demand Dented by Energy Efficiency
CHILEAN ministry officials have announced energy efficiency measures could cover 20% of Chile's projected demand growth by 2020. "If Chile meets its growth targets, we will need to double the amount of energy generated," the spokesperson said from Washington, DC. "If all goes well, energy efficiency should cover for 20% of ...
Wednesday 12th May 2010 | Read full article
2010 Energy Efficiency Global Forum gets Underway
THE 2010 Energy Efficiency Global Forum and Exposition (EE Global 2010) kicked off on Monday in Washington D.C. The gathering of world-class business, technology, government and policy leaders are convening for the only such international event focused exclusively on energy efficiency. The participants will be calling for improved energy efficiency ...
Tuesday 11th May 2010 | Read full article
Canada Vote in Climate Change Bill
LAST week the Canadian House of Commons approved legislation that commits the country to cut their greenhouse gas emissions by 25%, based on 1990 levels, by 2020 and 80% by 2050. The New Democrat Climate Change Accountability Act is Canada’s only federal climate change legislation which will force the Canadian Government ...
Tuesday 11th May 2010 | Read full article
India's Power Minister Calls for Vigorous and Focused Awareness on Energy
INDIA'S Union Power Minister, Sushil Kumar Shinde today stressed the need for a vigorous and focussed national awareness campaign to improve energy efficiency. Inaugurating a National Seminar on Energy Efficiency and Conservation in New Delhi, he said the reason for the seminar was to engage all stakeholders and seek their inputs ...
Thursday 6th May 2010 | Read full article
Questions raised about Smart Meter Energy Savings
IN a report from management consultancy Accenture, discounts of 10% to 20% will be demanded by customers in return for allowing energy firms to use smart meters to regulate their energy use. After asking more than 9,000 consumers in 17 countries, Accenture found only 16% would give electricity providers remote control ...
Wednesday 5th May 2010 | Read full article
UN Call for more Energy Efficiency to Secure Future for All
A UN press release yesterday stated in part: A global effort to scale up investment in clean, efficient energy and bring affordable energy services to the 1.6 billion people worldwide currently lacking them would go a long way towards stopping climate change and achieving the Millennium Development Goals, United Nations Secretary-General Ban ...
Friday 30th April 2010 | Read full article
Encouragement for China to Tackle Energy Efficiency
CHINESE Premier Wen Jiabao has called for greater efforts to fulfill the energy-saving and emission reduction goals set out in the nation's 11th Five Year Plan. The plan was laid out in 2006 which stated that China will cut its per unit GDP energy consumption by 20 percent compared with 2005 ...
Thursday 29th April 2010 | Read full article
Not all Sunshine for the UK Solar Panel Industry
UK consumer organisation Which? has heavily criticised solar thermal sellers for exaggerating the potential savings as well as using high pressure sales techniques. Via an undercover investigation, Which? discovered that 10 out of 14 installers had exaggerated their claims, with two companies, Everest and Ideal Solar Energy, potentially breaking UK law ...
Wednesday 28th April 2010 | Read full article
Pakistan Battle Power Shortage
PAKISTAN is battling a chronic power crisis and has announced measures to combat the problem, and like recent actions in Venezuela some draconian measures. Addressing a press conference following a three-day energy conference that deliberated on the severe power shortage crisis Prime Minister of Pakistan Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani announced measures ...
Wednesday 28th April 2010 | Read full article
Energy Efficiency Could Offset Virginia's Increasing Energy Costs
AN expected increase in demand for energy in the US state of Virginia during the next two decades could nearly be offset by energy efficiency technologies and practices, a new report claims. Released by Duke University and Georgia Tech, the report examines the energy usage of 16 Southern states, focusing on ...
Tuesday 27th April 2010 | Read full article
Plenty of Benefits from Federal Building Energy Efficiency Investment
FEDERAL buildings across the United States are benefiting from retrofitting of energy efficiency technologies and products since last year. The US General Services Administration (GSA) has so far invested $4 billion on improving the energy efficiency of federal buildings. Under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), GSA was awarded $5.5 billion ...
Tuesday 27th April 2010 | Read full article
Pakistan Facing Huge Financial Loss due to Poor Energy Efficiency
THE President of Islamabad Chamber of Commerce & Industry (ICCI) Zahid Maqbool remarked that Pakistan is facing huge financial losses due to uncontrolled line losses, theft, inefficiency & wastage of power. He suggested the Pakistan government should consider promulgating an Energy Efficiency Law to promote a culture of energy efficiency ...
Monday 26th April 2010 | Read full article
Russia Waking Up to Energy Efficiency Problems
RUSSIAN authorities are beginning to recognise the unsustainability of an economic model based on natural-resource extraction, and to understand that improvements in energy efficiency would boost long-term economic competitiveness. According to the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, Russia uses more than seven times as much energy per unit of ...
Thursday 22nd April 2010 | Read full article
Energy Efficiency Spending to Grow
SPENDING on energy efficiency is projected to grow as the economy improves and businesses ramp up capital spending. This is the result of a survey conducted by Johnson Controls who contacted more than 1,400 executives in North America about energy costs, carbon-mitigation plans and energy-efficiency spending trends. The survey found that improving ...
Wednesday 21st April 2010 | Read full article
East Asia - "Winds of Change: East Asia's Sustainable Energy Future"
EAST Asia can stabilise its greenhouse gas emissions by 2025 without sacrificing growth, a new World Bank report says. But, the report warns, the region would need an additional investment of $80 billion a year, a figure it refers to as a "major hurdle", to reach a sustainable energy growth path. The ...
Tuesday 20th April 2010 | Read full article
Benefits of Energy Management and Efiiciency Recognised
THE financial wisdom of becoming energy efficient has been highlighted today by Process Engineer magazine. In an article discussing the cost of Carbon Capture Schemes and how they are in the early stages of development the magazine points out the importance of industry, in particular, and commerce becoming energy efficient as ...
Monday 19th April 2010 | Read full article
Report Advises Businesses to Start Energy Saving Now
A new report suggests that business leaders need to address their business energy efficiency and improve it quickly in order to meet carbon reduction goals. A study from independent analyst research firm Verdantix reveals that rising energy prices, the threat posed by climate change and the increasing risk of energy supply ...
Friday 16th April 2010 | Read full article
Asian Development Bank Encourage Energy Efficiency
DEVELOPING nations in Asia have only a narrow window to take steps to prepare for a future marked by high oil prices and greater volatility, warns the Asian Development Bank (ADB). Its 2010 Asian Development Outlook recommends governments taking policy actions to push industry and households to use energy more efficiently. ...
Thursday 15th April 2010 | Read full article
Ireland look to save 40 Million Euros by Energy Saving
OVER the next two days Energy Show at the Royal Dublin Society in Ireland is expected to generate 40million Euros worth of business for the 200 exhibitors present at this year's event. Organisers are expecting around 5,000 professional visitors from the sustainable energy sector. Opening the event was Ireland's Energy Minister Eamon ...
Thursday 15th April 2010 | Read full article
SustainabilityLive! Exhibition will Highlight Energy Saving
NEXT week sees the annual SustainabilityLive! exhibition will take place at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham, UK (April 20-22). SustainabilityLive! is one of the sustainability businesses leading events in Europe with, apart from the exhibitors, seminars, conferences and interactive feature areas, all designed to help companies work towards a more ...
Tuesday 13th April 2010 | Read full article
Billions Could be Saved in Southern U.S. through Energy Efficiency
A report released on Monday revealed the substantial savings to be made through the application of energy efficiency across 16 southern U.S. States. "The question always arises as to how much wasted energy can be eliminated, and at what cost," said Marilyn Brown of the Georgia Institute of Technology. "We've tried ...
Tuesday 13th April 2010 | Read full article
Thai Hospitals to make Healthy Energy Savings
MORE than 1300 private and public hospitals across Thailand are expected to participate in a new energy-saving programme, according to the Thailand Department of Alternative Energy Development and Efficiency (DEDE). Krairit Nilkuha, the department's director-general, said the Energy and the Public Health Ministries would offer advice to the hospitals on applying ...
Monday 12th April 2010 | Read full article
Massive Savings from Energy Efficiency for Texas
THE US state of Texas would avoid having to build 17 power plants by 2020 if it adopts strict energy-efficient guidelines for businesses, and homes, now a new study is expected to reveal today, according to Dalas News. Texans could save a combined $13.7 billion on their utility bills and create ...
Monday 12th April 2010 | Read full article
Motor Control Saves Energy
Next week in a keynote speech entitled "Sources of Innovation for Motion Control" John Hanks, who has many years experience in motor controls, will provide details on the amount of energy used globally to power motors. The address is the kickoff event of the EE Times Motor Control Virtual Conference that ...
Wednesday 7th April 2010 | Read full article
UK Businesses Must Pay Attention to Energy Use
UK businesses have been encouraged to pay closer attention to their energy use ahead of the implementation of the Carbon Reduction Commitment Energy Efficiency regulations. The scheme kicked off this month (April) but will only gradually come into force with the full bill for carbon emissions not being applied until ...
Wednesday 7th April 2010 | Read full article
Virtual Power Station maybe the Answer for Israel
Israel’s electricity reserves are dangerously low, so reports the Jerusalem Post. In a conversation with The Post, one government official compared them to Sub-Saharan Africa. Any drastic rise in appliance usage could plunge parts of the country into darkness or force the Israel Electric Corporation (IEC) to initiate rolling brown outs ...
Tuesday 6th April 2010 | Read full article
Companies Suffer Creditbility Gap in Sustainability Reporting
CLIMATE and sustainability data reported by some of the world's largest companies suffer from a credibility gap, a new report found, primarily because companies fail to have the information verified. Smart Sustainability’s new report suggests that the carbon and sustainability data put out by FTSE 350 companies is lacking in credibility. ...
Thursday 1st April 2010 | Read full article
UKs CRC Scheme Starts April 1 - Are UK Businesses Ready?
THE CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme is the UK’s new legally binding climate change and energy saving scheme that aims to reduce the energy consumption in commercial buildings. Compliance failures, such as incorrect reporting, pose the greatest risk to both reputation and the bottom line for participant organisations. Research shows two thirds ...
Wednesday 31st March 2010 | Read full article
Smart Meters not as Smart as Real-Time Energy Monitors
WHICH? a consumer protection organisation in the UK have just released some details regarding Smart Meters - often lauded as a panacea for energy saving. Which? chief executive Peter Vicary-Smith said: ‘We've long argued that consumers shouldn't foot the bill for installing Smart Meters - consumers will save a few pounds ...
Tuesday 30th March 2010 | Read full article
Report Points to Bright Future for Intelligent Energy Efficiency Solutions
THE global research firm, Cleantech, has released comprehensive analysis of energy efficiency innovations in commercial buildings. The report, titled “As Energy Efficiency Booms, Buildings Get a Brain”, has been produced through extensive research and interviews with leading businesses, investors and industry influencers. Sheeraz Haji, president of Cleantech Group states, “Commercial office buildings consume ...
Monday 29th March 2010 | Read full article
"Malaysia still a long way from being energy efficient" - Gelber
Efforts by Malaysia to adopt energy efficiency measures are fairly limited as energy in the country is still cheap. Greenest Person on the Planet 2008 award winner, Matthias Gelber said on Sunday: "Malaysians are having it easy as their energy rates are subsidised by the Government. “The challenge now is how the Malaysian ...
Monday 29th March 2010 | Read full article
Ukraine and Japan Cooperate on Energy Saving
Vice Prime Minister of Ukraine, Serhii Tihipko's has released details of cooperation between Ukraine and Japan to develop energy savings and alternative power sources. Tadashi Idzava, Japan's Ambassador to Ukraine, confirmed Japan's interest in cooperating with the Eastern European country with “green investments. Tihipko released a statement, saying that Ukraine wanted to ...
Sunday 28th March 2010 | Read full article
Earth Hour to Help Pakistan with Energy Efficiency
Chairman of Pakistan’s Senate, Farooq H. Naek, underlined today, Friday Mrach 26, the need for enhancing coordination among parliamentarians, different sections of the society, government institutions, commerce and NGOs to conserve energy and save environment for future generation of Pakistan. “We have to work together to save every sapling, every ...
Friday 26th March 2010 | Read full article
Ermenkov wants Energy Efficency Focus in Bulgaria
TASKO Ermenkov, the executive director of the Bulgarian Energy Efficiency Agency (EEA), stated during the European Day of Energy Efficiency 2010: “Energy efficiency is not fashionable and is not end in itself, but it brings improvement in the quality of people’s lives, “The present assessment shows the energy consumption in Bulgaria is ...
Friday 26th March 2010 | Read full article
Earth Hour - Saturday 8:30pm
Saturday, March 27, at 8.30pm locally but all around the globe people will recognise the World Wildlife Fund’s (WWF) Earth Hour 2010 by turning off lights and other appliances for one hour, it is a global call to action to every individual, every business and every community. A call to ...
Thursday 25th March 2010 | Read full article
European Call for Energy Efficiency Aid for SMEs
Small and medium-sized firms need financial help to recruit experts to apply for loans for energy efficiency projects, industry representatives said at a workshop in Brussels on Wednesday. SMEs do not have sufficient resources to do so at the moment, they said. Guido Lena of small business association Ueapme told delegates ...
Thursday 25th March 2010 | Read full article
U.S. Cities with the Most Energy Efficient Buildings
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released a list of U.S. metropolitan areas with the largest number of energy efficient buildings that earned EPA’s Energy Star in 2009. The list is headed by Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., San Francisco, Denver, Chicago, Houston, Lakeland, Dallas-Fort Worth, Atlanta and New York. Energy efficiency ...
Wednesday 24th March 2010 | Read full article
$3 Trillion Investment Needed for Eastern Europe & Central Asia
According to a report from the World Bank entitled: Lights Out? The Energy Outlook in Eastern Europe and the Central Asia, the region as a whole will face an energy crunch unless investments of more than $3 trillion are made over the next 20 years. “The demand for primary energy in ...
Tuesday 23rd March 2010 | Read full article
Local Authority Aims to Save Millions Through Energy Efficiency
Bury, a medium sized town in Greater Manchester, North West England, is aiming to save millions through energy efficiency. Bury's local authority has unveiled plans to divert greater attention to cheap energy usage and sustainability. Bury Council said it plans to reduce its carbon emissions by 35 per cent by 2014 ...
Tuesday 23rd March 2010 | Read full article
Venezuela Cuts Power to Over 80 Companies
Restaurants, liquor stores, hotels, gyms, car dealerships and a yacht club are on the list of 81 companies in the Venezuelan capital Caracas that will have their power cut on Monday for failing to bring consumption down 20 percent, the state utility said. Even the local unit of Sony Corp will ...
Monday 22nd March 2010 | Read full article
WBCSD Report on Energy Efficiency in Buildings
IN Geneva yesterday, March 18, the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) released their report on energy efficiency in buildings, which reveals how energy use in buildings can be cut by 60 percent by 2050 – essential to meeting global climate change targets – but this will require immediate ...
Friday 19th March 2010 | Read full article
South Africa to get Mandatory Energy Efficiency Standards
Businesses in South Africa can expect mandatory energy efficiency standards, for both fuel and buildings, in a new climate change policy being drawn up, environmental lawyer and consultant Andrew Gilder told a conference in Johannesburg yesterday. Regulations for mandatory emissions monitoring and reporting would also be developed as part of this ...
Thursday 18th March 2010 | Read full article
French Help Chinese Enterprises to Save Energy With Funds
China's Ministry of Finance (MOF) announced Tuesday it has signed an agreement with the French Development Agency (AFD) under which the AFD will provide 120 million Euros in loans to support energy-efficiency and emissions cuts projects in China. The credit loans would be operated in China through three Chinese commercial banks ...
Wednesday 17th March 2010 | Read full article
Australian Study Reveals Benefits of Energy Efficiency
Improving energy efficiency, is a better than cheap answer for Australia to cut greenhouse gasses as it will save businesses money. Australia’s non-profit organisation ClimateWorks will release research today that estimates the cost of cutting the country’s carbon emissions to 25% on 2000 levels by 2020 could be as low as ...
Wednesday 17th March 2010 | Read full article
Cost Main Driver for Energy Efficiency
There are plenty of businesses that are concerned about the environment and reducing their carbon footprint - they wish to contribute towards making the future safer for their children and grand children - but that doesn’t reach the heart of businesses. A recent UK survey of nearly 300 small to medium ...
Tuesday 16th March 2010 | Read full article
Earth Hour Focuses On Energy Saving & Environment
Energy saving is about to come into a global sharp focus, as in just 11 days time the WWF (World Wildlife Fund) holds it Earth Day 2010 - Mar 27, at 8.30pm. The Earth Day campaign first came to public attention in March 2007, when Sydney, Australia, took the radical step ...
Tuesday 16th March 2010 | Read full article
Venezuela Power Crisis Continues
Venezuela is undergoing its worst-ever power crisis, leading President Hugo Chavez to declare a national emergency. The worsening situation has lead the government to impose drastic rationing, and penalties for those who fail to cut energy consumption by 20 percent. The population of Caracas are having to do whatever they can to ...
Monday 15th March 2010 | Read full article
The Ups & Downs of Saving Energy
The UK’s Guardian newspaper runs several blogs and this week Dave Hill’s blog had an interesting post after he received an email from a regular reader which is of interest to those involved in energy saving. The email describes an experience he had on Wednesday evening this week in one of ...
Friday 12th March 2010 | Read full article
Energy Efficiency Means A Hot Bath & a Cold Beer
"Nobody really wants to buy electricity, but they sure want a hot bath and cold beer. "Efficiency is about wasting less to make sure that you have the hot bath and the cold beer." These words were spoken by Harvey Sachs, of the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy, during CERAWeek in ...
Friday 12th March 2010 | Read full article
Watts, Volts, Amps, Joules and now the Rosenfeld?
Art Rosenfeld's has been called the father of energy saving and efficiency and now his name is being suggested as a term for a new energy measurement unit - the Rosenfeld, but more on that shortly, who is Art Rosenfeld? Apparently back during an oil crisis in 1973, on a Friday, ...
Thursday 11th March 2010 | Read full article
China Emphasise Stricter Energy Conservation
Xie Zhenhua, vice minister of the National Development and Reform Commission, reveled on Wednesday that the Chinese government will adopt stricter measures to boost energy conservation during 2010 to attain the goal set by a new five-year plan. "It's the last and decisive year for us to realise the goals set ...
Thursday 11th March 2010 | Read full article
Singapore Industry Must Monitor & Manage Energy Use
Singapore has announced steps the country will be taking to improve energy-efficiency in the industrial and commercial sector. Energy-hungry companies will be required to monitor their energy usage, appoint an energy manager and draw up plans to improve efficiency. This new regulation was announced by the Environment and Water Resources Minister, ...
Wednesday 10th March 2010 | Read full article
Energy Efficiency Favoured for Funding
Commercial money is tight, but not quite as tight when projects involve increasing energy efficiency. Some innovative financing techniques are emerging to allow customers to make improvements without incurring initial out-of-pocket costs. Energy efficiency has emerged as the most palpable and least controversial way to make environmental changes, although the ...
Tuesday 9th March 2010 | Read full article
23% Energy Saving & 17% ROI on Building Retrofit
Gordon Holness, president of ASHRAE, in recent presentations cited the McKingsley Report, which indicates that if the U.S. were to spend $170 billion on the retrofit of existing buildings it would save, on average, 23 percent of all building energy use and get a 17 percent return on investment. He went ...
Monday 8th March 2010 | Read full article
Report Claims Financial Blindness to Industrial Energy Saving Benefits
Claims that even small greenhouse gas targets will hurt industry have been undermined by an Australian government report that revealed basic efficiency improvements would cut nationwide emissions and save businesses more than $700 million. An assessment of 199 large energy users found improving efficiency could stop at least 6.4 million tonnes ...
Monday 8th March 2010 | Read full article
Six Times More Businesses Affected By New Legislation
According to the Financial Times the UK government has underestimated by up to six times the number of businesses affected by the new CRC Energy Efficiency (Carbon Reduction Campaign) greenhouse gas emissions legislation, with the scheme due to start on April 1. For more than a year government ministers stated that ...
Friday 5th March 2010 | Read full article
China Faces Energy Dilemma
Like many countries in the developing world, China faces a series of fundamental dilemmas related to energy and electricity use. Growing consumption of energy and services not only bolsters the Chinese economy, but also exposes it to volatile prices and potential disruptions in supply. Providing electricity to rural villages alleviates energy ...
Thursday 4th March 2010 | Read full article
Health Trust Launches Energy Saving Campaign
A National Health Service (NHS) Trust in Coventry in the East Midlands of the UK have launched an energy saving campaign. The Coventry and Warwickshire Partnership NHS Trust – which runs the areas mental health services, is aiming to cut its carbon emissions by 10 per cent enabling it to meet ...
Wednesday 3rd March 2010 | Read full article
Hong kong Study Will Look To Energy Efficiency For Emission Reductions
Hong Kong’s Secretary for the Environment Edward Yau revealed that the HK Government is carrying out a climate change consultancy study. The study will assess the likely impact of climate change on Hong Kong, outlining options to further reduce greenhouse gas emissions, particularly through energy efficiency, and adapt to climate change. Yau ...
Wednesday 3rd March 2010 | Read full article
American Report Highlights Energy Efficiency for a Quick Result
The American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy expects there to be a $250 billion market for efficiency upgrades in the commercial and industrial sector over the next decade. A founding father of energy efficiency policy in the U.S., Art Rosenfeld, is a CalCEF (California Clean Energy Fund) board member and ...
Tuesday 2nd March 2010 | Read full article
Energy Efficiency The Way To Go
Distributed Energy magazine has published a very interesting editorial that recognized the importance of new energy generation and distribution but admitted that energy efficiency is the way ahead. Editor, Elizabeth Cutright, stated: The smart grid and renewables capture our imagination, but it’s energy efficiency that’s affecting real change, right now—and the public ...
Friday 26th February 2010 | Read full article
Medvedev Wants Incentives For Russian Energy Efficiency
TASS Reports - Amendments in the Russian environmental laws should be aligned with the energy efficiency matters, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said on Thursday. Amendments in the environmental legislation should be accompanied by measures to encourage businesses to invest into modernization of their production facilities to bring them up to the ...
Thursday 25th February 2010 | Read full article
Government Funding To Save Hospital 36% Of Energy
It is a year since President Obama's Recovery Act and the US health secretary, Kathleen Sebelius, has highlighted a federal project to increase energy efficiency at a Shriners Hospital that will eventually save more than $60,000 per year. The Erie Shriners Hospital, Erie, Pennsylvania, received funding under American Recovery and ...
Thursday 25th February 2010 | Read full article
South Korean Hospital Has Poor Energy Efficiency
The Korea Times reports that one of the country’s largest hospitals is not very energy efficient and appear to need educating regarding energy saving solutions. As far as energy is concerned, Samsung Medical Center uses the most among the nation's 10 major hospitals, which are mainly situated in Seoul and the ...
Wednesday 24th February 2010 | Read full article
South America Realising Energy Efficiency Is A Power Source
Equipment providers are set to see a boost from a new focus on energy efficiency in Latin America, which will increase demand for efficient lighting technologies, industrial electric motors and appliances, according to a BNamericas.com Energy Intelligence Series on energy efficiency across the continent. While the biggest barrier to energy efficiency ...
Wednesday 24th February 2010 | Read full article
Power Saving Is Vital For Philippines
Philippines Department of Energy (DOE) Assistant Secretary Mario Marasigan shared energy-saving measures while addressing the Power Stakeholders Meeting at the Grand Regal Hotel in Davao City, Philippines, over the weekend. It was highlighted that aside from ensuring power supply, saving power is being counted as a vital measure to take particularly ...
Monday 22nd February 2010 | Read full article
India - Climate Change Needs To Be On The Agenda
Shockingly only 32% of Indians profess to know anything about climate change, so said Ansgar Sickert, Managing Director of Fraport India and Council Member of the European Business Group (EBG) in India. He is shocked by Indian’s ignorance of climate change compared with that of 75% in Brazil, 59% in ...
Sunday 21st February 2010 | Read full article
Jordan's Energy Conservation - "State Of Emergency"
The Kingdom of Jordan is beginning to crank up the pressure to become energy efficient. Encouraging environmental investments in the Kingdom and reducing energy consumption are among the Environment Minister Hazem Malhas’ top priorities for 2010. Malhas declared "a state of emergency" with regard to Jordan’s energy consumption, underscoring that all ...
Thursday 18th February 2010 | Read full article
Asia Looking for Energy Efficiency Investment
Asia's aggressive emission targets and legislation around carbon and power use are expected to drive demand for energy efficiency products and services, creating lucrative opportunities for investors in the sector. Although the climate talks at Copenhagen and commitments from around the region to slash emissions did not reach all the aims ...
Wednesday 17th February 2010 | Read full article
Energy Saving And A Plate Of Broccoli
In Boulder, Colorado the City Council is taking pro-active measures to get the businesses and citizens to become energy efficient. Convincing business owners to tackle even the tiniest energy-saving projects seems as easy as convincing a child to eat his vegetables. When it comes to a child at the dinner table, explaining ...
Tuesday 16th February 2010 | Read full article
Israel Wish To Learn Energy Efficiency From U.S.
Energy efficiency is doing more to power the economy in the US than any other fuel mainstay, says Alliance to Save Energy President Kateri Callahan. Callahan is visiting Israel for the Eilat-Eilot Renewable Energy Conference as a guest of the Israel Energy Forum. When policymakers look at the basket of renewable energies ...
Sunday 14th February 2010 | Read full article
'M'illumino di meno' - I'm using less light
Today is 'M'illumino di meno' in Italy. The term translates as "I'm Using Less Light" and is an initiative started in 2005 by a radio programme in Rome called Caterpillar and is designed to focus attention on energy saving/wastage. During this truly Italian annual awareness-raising day, individuals and organisations are asked to make ...
Friday 12th February 2010 | Read full article
Energy Efficiency The Future For US North West
More and more authorities are realising that energy efficiency is the way ahead to get control on demands for energy and rising generation costs. This realisation was reached by the North West States in the United States. The Northwest Power and Conservation Council unanimously adopted a regional energy plan Wednesday that avoids ...
Thursday 11th February 2010 | Read full article
Haggis Sales Boom Due To Energy Efficiency
The Financial Times reports on an Edinburgh haggis maker is and has been shouting about his green credentials, this has allowed the family run business employing 50 people to not only withstand the downturn but to come through it in better shape, because their actions were not just about saving ...
Wednesday 10th February 2010 | Read full article
Canadian Tire Tread The Way Of Sustainability
Canadian Tire, a retailer of tyre and automotive parts, gas stations, general merchandise and apparel, says it will be among one of the first Canadian companies to include their sustainability metrics in its quarterly and year-end financial reporting, according to its first Community and Business Sustainability Report. Starting in 2010, the company ...
Monday 8th February 2010 | Read full article
Indian Prime Minister Announces Energy Efficiency Policy
The Indian Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, said on Friday that India will spare no efforts to contribute to the success of the post-Copenhagen process when he announced the launch of a National Mission on Enhanced Energy Efficiency, which is aimed at cutting carbon emissions by 99 million tonnes. Inaugurating an ...
Monday 8th February 2010 | Read full article
Energy Saving Payback
With current demand for energy raising concerns regarding the future consistency of supply and so-called “green” energy not being sufficient to fill in the gap left by fossil fuels, refurbishing and retrofitting commercial buildings as part of an overall sustainable strategy, is the main challenge for many cities and regions ...
Thursday 4th February 2010 | Read full article
Emission Submissions
The Copenhagen Summit in December last year has implications for all interested in energy saving, as it will be the driver of much legislation and incentives for action to be taken by all to manage their energy use. January 31st was the deadline for nations to submit their emission reduction plans ...
Wednesday 3rd February 2010 | Read full article
Rising Energy Costs Cancel Out Climate Change Denials
A poll conducted by Opinion Matters on behalf of an energy saving advice body found that up to 49 percent of firms surveyed were concerned about rocketing energy prices. Energy-intensive businesses such as construction (55 percent) and hospitality (52 percent) were most worried. Often environmental concerns are secondary for commerce and ...
Monday 1st February 2010 | Read full article
Countries Worldwide Adhere To The Copenhagen Accord
The European Union and the United States have made their adherence to the Copenhagen Accord formal this week, as the end of January deadline approches. The US aims to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 17% from 2005 levels by 2020. This target only represents a 4% reduction on 1990 levels, ...
Friday 29th January 2010 | Read full article
Davos & Retrofitted Energy Efficiency
I am pleased to say that energy efficiency has been one of the topics on people’s minds at the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland, this week. CEO of Jones Lang LaSalle, Colin Dyer, writes on his Davos Blog about the discussions when he chaired the Governors Meeting for ...
Friday 29th January 2010 | Read full article
Energy Efficiency To Help Recovery - Obama
The eyes of the world were focussed on the US yesterday as a very important man revealed the future, as he sees it. Yes Steve Jobs revealed the iPad! Oddly enough later on President Obama was also giving his first State of the Union Address. While people wowed at Apples new product, the ...
Thursday 28th January 2010 | Read full article
2010 The Year For Energy Efficiency
GREEN-tech experts reckon 2010 will be dominated by investments in energy efficiency, so claims the Silicon Valley Mercury News. The US government is certainly driving energy efficiency with US Energy Secretary Steven Chu usually describes himself as an "energy-efficiency nut." Venture capital investment in energy efficiency hit a record in 2009: at ...
Tuesday 26th January 2010 | Read full article
BASIC Urges Rich Nations To Hand Over $10 billion Funding Aid To Poor Countries
The group known as BASIC, composed of Brazil, South Africa, India, and China, has urged developed nations to quickly start distributing the $10 billion pledged in Copenhagen, aimed to help poorer countries adapt to the effects of climate change. With a share of this funding initiative, poor countries would be able ...
Monday 25th January 2010 | Read full article
EU Targets Ambitious Carbon Emissions Reduction
A recent draft European Union letter has shown that the EU intends to stick to the offer made during the UN talks last month to cut CO2 emissions to one fifth below 1990 levels over the next 10 years. The letter, intended for top UN Climate Official Yvo de Boer, states: ...
Friday 22nd January 2010 | Read full article
Brazil Creates United Fund For Poor Nations' Adaption To Climate Change
Brazil is going to suggest the creation of a united fund with China, South Africa and India, with the aim of helping poor countries adapt to global warming, and more broadly, in an attempt to revive stalled global climate talks. The creation of a fund to help poor nations sustain themselves ...
Friday 22nd January 2010 | Read full article
French Carbon Tax Law To Be In Place By July 2010
The French high court recently rejected President Sarkozy's law on carbon tax, a few days before it was meant to come into force, claiming it contained too many exemptions which unjustly placed the burden on a minority of consumers. This came as an embarrassment for the French leader, who had fiercely ...
Thursday 21st January 2010 | Read full article
E.ON And MASDAR Set Example To Reduce Carbon Footprint
The German outfit E.ON and the United Arab Emirates' Masdar have joined forces to develop projects aiming to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The company's new name is E.ON Masdar Integrated Carbon (EMIC) and its goal is to develop and fund emission reducing projects in the Middle East, Africa and Asia, focusing ...
Tuesday 19th January 2010 | Read full article
Russia's PM Urges Experts To Solve Energy Failures
Vladimir Putin, Russia’s Prime Minister, has urged power engineering specialists to solve energy failures without delay. Mr. Putin expressed his concerns during a meeting with the Regional Development Minister, Viktor Basargin, a few days ago. Mr. Putin explained that Russia had entered the peak heating season as usual , and that ...
Monday 18th January 2010 | Read full article
EU Agree To Aim For 30% CO2 Cut By End Of 2010
A climate change policy officer, at the European Commission, last week announced that the European Union will hopefully be able to succeed in its commitment to reach a 30% reduction of carbon emissions (presently sitting at 20%) by the next U.N. climate conference in Mexico at the end of the ...
Friday 15th January 2010 | Read full article
UK Carbon Reduction Meaningless
The UK's efforts to tackle climate change could be 'rendered meaningless', if world leaders fail to reverse the growth in global emissions by 2020, MPs on the cross-party Environmental Audit Committee warn. Nevertheless, the Committee's new report on Carbon budgets calls on the Government to redouble its efforts to cut emissions ...
Wednesday 13th January 2010 | Read full article
Germany Encourages Green Focus
German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, made comments on Monday, at an environmental event on biodiversity, about her concerns in regards to climate change: "The fight against climate change and securing biodiversity is crucial to preventing costly environmental damage". Mrs Merkel's words come after the result of the UN-sponsored climate conference in December ...
Monday 11th January 2010 | Read full article
UK Cold Snap Not Disproving Global Warming Reality
As the UK currently suffers an unusual cold snap, questions are being raised concerning the validity of the global warming theory, according to Stephen Dorling, of the University of East Anglia's school of environmental sciences, However, Mr. Dorling insists the cold weather should not be considered a proof that global warming ...
Thursday 7th January 2010 | Read full article
France Rejects Sarkozy's Carbon Tax Proposal
When he proposed his carbon tax scheme, French President Nicolas Sarkozy expected to earn the position of head of the worldwide climate change battle. However, in France the council rejected the carbon tax proposal, which allowed for too many tax exemptions for the country's major polluters. Indeed, the scheme enabled about 93% ...
Wednesday 6th January 2010 | Read full article
Oz Heats Up With Temp Records For Last Decade
Australia has been experiencing its hottest temperatures on record over the past 10 years, from 2000 to 2009, with an average temperature rise of 0.48 degrees Celsius above the 61-90 degree average, according to the Bureau of Meteorology. This phenomenon will continue and even increase, and 2010 temperatures are expected to ...
Tuesday 5th January 2010 | Read full article
UK's PM Believes In Global Climate Change Agreement
Despite the non-binding results of last month's climate summit in Copenhagen, Prime Minister Gordon Brown has recently announced that he believed a global agreement to combat climate change might still be possible. When asked what was next on the agenda following the UN climate meeting, Gordon Brown told the BBC: "I've ...
Monday 4th January 2010 | Read full article
Brazil Makes "Voluntary Commitment" To Cut CO2
Brazilian President, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, has approved a new law confirming that the country will cut its greenhouse gas emissions by 39% by 2020. This new law meets a commitment made during the climate change summit in Copenhagen earlier this month, which states that Brazil would make a "voluntary ...
Wednesday 30th December 2009 | Read full article
Energy Efficiency Needs To Be First And Second Priority
The Carbon Trust report that firms' poor energy efficiency is putting Britain’s emission targets at risk; hence energy efficiency should be the first and second priority for organisations! The Trust’s new report concludes that increased investment in the energy efficiency of non-domestic properties is needed to reduce the carbon footprint of commercial ...
Tuesday 22nd December 2009 | Read full article
Copenhagen Accord Considered A 'Step Forward'
Chinese Minister Yang Jiechi claims that a positive step forward has been achieved by the Copenhagen summit, in the recognition of different responsibility regarding climate change for both developing countries and richer nations. This shared responsibility implies that measures are going to be taken by all countries to reduce emissions by ...
Sunday 20th December 2009 | Read full article
Carbon Reduction Urged By US President
At the Copenhagen conference yesterday, US President Barack Obama pressed world leaders to break barriers regarding climate change, despite the US having been accused by many nations of lacking ambition. President Obama outlined the threats the world is facing, as he warned of dramatic consequences if nothing is done to inhibit ...
Friday 11th December 2009 | Read full article
Japan And Indonesia Determined To Curb Climate Change
Japanese and Indonesian leaders are urging UN climate conference negotiators, currently in Copenhagen, to agree on a deal setting up targets to reduce carbon emissions. Indonesia is one of the developing countries that could experience the most damaging consequences of rising temperatures. Japan is offering Indonesia a helping hand by proposing ...
Thursday 10th December 2009 | Read full article
Proposal For Worldwide Emission Reduction Targets
Where the Kyoto Protocol obliged only richer nations to cut down on CO2 emissions, the US, Australia, France and Denmark have issued a new climate regime proposal that would cancel the element of differentiation and be addressed to all nations. This proposal suggests that every country will need to submit their ...
Wednesday 9th December 2009 | Read full article
EPA Ruling Opens Doors To US Greenhouse Gas Control
A ruling was issued yesterday by The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), stating that greenhouse gases are a recognised threat to public health, thereby providing the Obama administration with the power to regulate the emissions that fuel global warming. According to specialists, this ruling means that the US can now control greenhouse ...
Tuesday 8th December 2009 | Read full article
The CBI Call For Carbon Permits And Energy Efficiency
Today marks the opening of the UN Copenhagen Climate Change Conference, and the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) called on other countries to adhere to carbon emissions reduction target schemes, in order to help fight global warming. The CBI believe that emission cutting measures along with protocols allowing businesses to purchase ...
Monday 7th December 2009 | Read full article
Canada Sets Green Example
Ontario's 2nd annual report on climate change, released on Wednesday, has led environmentalists to the conclusion that the province is making a lot of progress toward reducing carbon emissions. Steps forward toward achieving carbon reduction targets include the implementation of energy efficient systems, enabling energy savings and cost reductions. According to the ...
Thursday 3rd December 2009 | Read full article
US Propose Carbon Reduction Targets
As promised a few days ago, US President Barack Obama has revealed the country's carbon reduction target, and announced he would be joining the other 75 world leaders already scheduled to attend the UN climate summit in Copenhagen this month. The United States aim to cut greenhouse gas emissions by about 17% below 2005 ...
Tuesday 1st December 2009 | Read full article
Proposals For Climate Summit Promote Energy Saving
Denmark - host country for the Copenhagen climate summit from December 7th to 18th - has recently released a draft proposal ahead of the conference, stating that the world should aim for a 50% carbon emissions reduction by 2050 from 1990 levels. This achievement is accessible through the implementation of energy ...
Monday 30th November 2009 | Read full article
Greenwashing in the Workplace
Recent research, conducted by the Lumison (a UK business ISP), has shown that less than 30 % of UK companies use energy efficient products, or carry out a carbon audit, which evaluates ways in which the company could reduce carbon emissions. The study shows that while 70% of UK employees are said to ...
Thursday 26th November 2009 | Read full article
Climate Change Creating UK Floods
Climate change manifests itself in many ways, one of which is the recent flooding of Cumbria, which was described as a 'once in a millenium' event. An increasing number of natural disasters is going to occur and events such as the Cumbrian floods have already started to multiply worldwide. Climatic disturbances are ...
Thursday 26th November 2009 | Read full article
Energy Efficiency For Businesses A Priority
Businesses should implement energy efficient measures in the work place to cut down on their carbon emissions, says the presenter of "Dumped" on Channel 4, Rob Holdway. It would appear that although most employees use energy efficient solutions in their homes, they lose their momentum when they go to work and forget about environmental issues. At ...
Thursday 26th November 2009 | Read full article
Sir John Parker Endorses Energy Efficiency For Businesses
UK's influential newspaper, the Daily Telegraph interviewed the Chairman of the National Grid last week, Sir John Parker, concerning his views on energy efficiency. Sir John has successfully been implementing sustainability and energy saving policies for years, as he worked in collaboration with numerous major industrial and commercial organisations. It is Sir John's firm belief that ...
Thursday 26th November 2009 | Read full article
