Top Stories

China on the Path towards Putting a Price on Carbon.—reliability medium.
"According to several reports, the Energy Research Institute (ERI) of the powerful National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) and the Ministry of Finance (MOF) announced on Tuesday that they have completed their study on the feasibility and necessity of establishing a carbon tax in China. In their report, ERI and MOF suggest that China should institute a carbon tax as early as 2012. This is a significant development given ERI and MOF’s influential role in setting Chinese policy. ... In this China Daily article, Jiang Kejun, a senior researcher at ERI, is quoted as saying, 'We can possibly surpass the United States between 2020 to 2025 in terms of research and development investment. If this comes true, we can start to dream of becoming a low-carbon technology leader in the world.'" From NRDC blog. [Relevant if your supply chain extends to China.]

EU opens up funding treasure chest for small green businesses.—reliability high.
"The European Union is on the look out for innovative small green businesses that can play a role in cutting Europe's environmental footprint as it seeks to dish out a new €35m (£29.83m) fund. The European Eco-Innovation fund has just begun inviting applications from businesses, and in particular small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), that have developed environmental products, services, management practices or processes with a proven track record, but have failed to reach the mainstream due to what the EU officials describe as 'residual risks'." See BusinessGreen.

Companies, Industries, Markets and Supply Chains

Tetra Pak to introduce FSC-labelled cartons in China.—reliability high.
"Tetra Pak will introduce aseptic cartons bearing the label of the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) in China starting this July. ... It’s expected that Tetra Pak cartons with FSC labels will reach two billion in 2010 in China alone, with a goal of reaching 14bn FSC-labelled Tetra Pak packages sold in China in 2011." See FoodBev.

Officially Official: 2011 Ford Fiesta rated at 40 mpg highway.—reliability medium.
"The EPA has finished calculating the fuel economy of the 2011 Ford Fiesta and, as the automaker projected, its new baby has hit 40 miles per gallon. The official numbers from the Feds are 29 mpg in the city and 40 mpg on the highway for Fiestas with the new 6-speed dual clutch Powershift gearbox." Includes press release. From Autoblog Green.

China telecom sector claims 48.5m tonne carbon saving.—reliability high.
"China's telecom sector saved a similar amount of emissions as the entire economy of Sweden in 2008, according to a report this week from WWF  and China Mobile. Thanks to teleworking, electronic data storage and more efficient logistics, their jointly commissioned report calculated 48.5m tonnes of carbon dioxide were avoided that might otherwise have been spent on transport, freight and the production of paper and other materials. ... In the new report, China Mobile insists such costs are worthwhile because its telecom services have saved five to six times as much carbon as the company emits." Story in The Guardian.

CLP India opens wind farm in latest of India’s renewable energy projects.—reliability high.
"Investor and project manager CLP India has opened a 99MW wind farm in Tamil Nadu, taking CLP’s total wind power portfolio to 446MW. ... The wind farm is the latest in a series of renewable energy projects that have been opened in India since the start of the year." Mentions several other India wind projects. From NewNet.

Government and Regulation

Tele towers face switch to solar power for back-ups.—reliability high.
"The [Indian] government may ask telecom companies to install solar panels to generate backup power for cellphone towers, a move that could hurt the sector already troubled by a squeeze in margins. A proposal being finalised by the ministry of new and renewable energy (MNRE) is aimed at containing the use of polluting diesel gensets to provide back-up power. The move could increase the cost of network expansion significantly." From The Economic Times.

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