UKCCSC News 29 May 2009

Hi Folks,

There will be meetings about meetings prior to the talks in Copenhagen in December, such as the World Business Summit on Climate Change also in Copenhagen in 24-26 May.

“Business “Call” Outlines Six Steps for Ambitious Global Climate Treaty” Copenhagen Climate Council (May 26)

“Emissions reduction at this scale will profoundly affect business but the “Call” states that business leaders stand ready to make those changes and support ambitious political decisions that support economic recovery and safeguard the planet.”

https://www.copenhagenclimatecouncil.com/get-informed/news/business-call-outlines-six-steps-for-ambitious-global-climate-treaty.html

The ‘call’ itself is at:

https://www.copenhagenclimatecouncil.com/dumpfile.php?file=ZmlsZWJveC8xNzU=&filename=VEhFIENPUEVOSEFHRU4gQ0FMTC5wZGY=

2) More Scottish bias on the subject of the UK Government competition to build a full CCS scheme:

“Environment charity backs Fife power station” STV (24 May)

“Dr Richard Dixon, director of WWF Scotland, said in a statement: “Choosing Longannet as the site for this carbon-capture demonstration project is a no brainer. The UK Government should stop wasting time and give the go ahead for the trial at Longannet.””

https://news.stv.tv/scotland/98354-environment-charity-backs-fife-power-station/

Concerning the same power station:

“Carbon capture technology tested” BBC News (29 May)

“ScottishPower’s parent company Iberdrola said the UK would be its global centre of excellence for CCS development, bringing together academics, industry experts and engineers.

A professorship of CCS will be based at Edinburgh University, but other academic institutions will also be involved including Imperial College, London.” Better get those CVs polished up…

https://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/edinburgh_and_east/8072583.stm

3) CCS features in both the first and second places in the annual Climate Greenwash Awards:

“Shell was announced “second” to a Swedish energy giant – Vattenfall as the winner of the Climate Greenwash Award 2009 (dissemination of misleading information to conceal its abuse of the environment in order to present a positive public image) at a ceremony in Copenhagen on Saturday May 23, on the eve of the World Business Summit on Climate Change.” Africa Science News (25 May)

https://africasciencenews.org/asns/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1293&Itemid=2

4) “The British and Norwegian governments yesterday [May 28] signed an agreement to jointly research the potential of using the North Sea for carbon capture and storage (CCS).” Fair Home (29 May)

“Lord Phil Hunt, minister of state for energy and climate change, and Norwegian minister Terje Riis-Johansen announced the agreement yesterday at the Climate Change and Technology conference in Bergen, Norway”

None of the reports seem to mention any hard cash. They probably just forgot to include that bit?

https://www.fairhome.co.uk/2009/05/29/north-sea-investigated-for-carbon-storage-potential/

5) The Greenpeace report on the Tordis incident has resurfaced to coincide with the above:

“Reality check on carbon storage”

“This report raises questions about the degree of certainty with which we can assess leakage or guarantee permanent storage of CO₂ in projects such as these.”

https://www.greenpeace.org/international/press/reports/reality-check-on-carbon-storage

6) Here’s one with some cash attached;

“Oslo to fund EU carbon storage project” FT.com

“Norway said it would contribute at least €140m to help fund projects in the European Union”

https://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/89ec7f5c-4b1e-11de-87c2-00144feabdc0.html

7) Ever wondered about how much carbon is emitted by delegates travelling to meetings to talk about reducing carbon emissions? Here’s the apparently impressive answer for the meeting of G8 Energy Ministers in Rome on May 24th which was mostly concerned with fuel prices:

“The Italian minister Claudio Scajola said this is the major energy event that is taking place in 2009, which accounts for 80 percent of all energy consumption and production in our world.” News.com (23 May)

https://www.voanews.com/english/2009-05-23-voa23.cfm

More usefully from the same source:

“US, Italy Sign Cooperation Agreement on Clean Coal and Carbon Capturing Technology”

8) Those of us resident in Europe know that cap-and-trade doesn’t work. The news is only slowly filtering over to the USA, where it is still fundamental to the Climate Change Bill. FT.com summarises the current state of play:

“On the drawing board is a vast and unfathomably complex new system, which fosters corruption, raises little revenue and tries to suppress the incentives that are its entire purpose. Otherwise, it all looks quite promising.” (18 May)

https://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/7db40a5e-43d3-11de-a9be-00144feabdc0.html?nclick_check=1

9) I’m a bit dubious about job ads but this has CCS written large within it:

IEA-GHG Project Officer “The successful candidate will be required to write clear and authoritative reports on all aspects of greenhouse gas mitigation and CCS.”

Closing date: 31st June 2009

https://www.ieagreen.org.uk/vacancy.html

10) “Cement makers eye big cuts to greenhouse gases” Reuters (20 May)

The Cement Sustainability Initiative … “has built a system for monitoring, reporting and verifying CO₂ and aims to share technology and best practice for cutting those emissions amid a myriad of regional and global regulations, caps and curbs.”

https://www.reuters.com/article/GCA-GreenBusiness/idUSTRE54J5L420090520

11) And lastly, proof that you can’t believe everything you read (carefully) on the web, or do they know something we don’t?

“A huge 1,100 euro investigation into carbon capture has just been announced in the UK by Energy Minister Ed Milliband. The first plant will be built in Kingsnorth in Kent.” The Olive Press (22 May)

https://www.theolivepress.es/2009/05/22/spain-joins-carbon-capture-trio/

That’s all Folks

Mark