DC Water first in North America to use thermal hydrolysis for wastewater treatment.

Washington, D.C. — The District of Columbia Water and Sewer Authority (DC Water) is set to begin work on two massive environmental projects at the Blue Plains Advanced Wastewater Treatment Plant, the world’s largest facility of its kind.

Blue Plains processes an average of 370 million gallons of wastewater per day.

Thermal hydrolysis and anaerobic digesters

DC Water will be the first in North America to use thermal hydrolysis for wastewater treatment. When completed, it will be the largest thermal hydrolysis plant in the world. Though the practice has been employed in Europe, the water sector in North America has not yet adopted this technology. Industry leaders across the continent eagerly await the results of DC Water’s undertaking.

The process “pressure-cooks” the solids left over after wastewater treatment to produce combined heat and power—generating 13 MW of electricity ($10 million savings annually). These vessels can also ingest scraps, fats and grease to generate power. ($400 million project)

“DC Water is the largest consumer of electricity in the District, and the digesters should cut our consumption by a third,” said General Manager George S. Hawkins. “That’s enough to power 8,000 homes. We’re also saving $10 million in trucking costs and reducing our carbon emissions by cutting the amount of solids at the end of the process in half.”

Enhanced Nutrient Removal Facilities

Enhanced Nutrient Removal Facilities (ENR) is claimed to reduce the amount of nitrogen in effluent to meet the new U.S. EPA and Chesapeake Bay Program goals of 4.7 million pounds per year or less in 2014—one of the most stringent requirements in the world.

“The Enhanced Nutrient Removal Facilities are the result of years of technology research performed at Blue Plains,” said Chairman William M. Walker. “Blue Plains was the first to reach the 2010 Chesapeake Bay Program goals for nitrogen reduction, and we’re well on track to be the first for the next round.”

Nitrogen related run-off from agriculture and sewage are major pollutants of U.S. and global waterways. They represent the downside of the advantages of the Green Revolution.

These projects are slated for completion in 2014. There is more information on the project progress at dcwater.com.

Source: PR Newswire http://multivu.prnewswire.com/mnr/dcwater/50282/

WASHINGTON D.C. — NASA, Google, HP, Microsoft, The World Bank and Yahoo! are inviting software developers, independent computer experts and students to participate in the Random Hacks of Kindness (RHoK) event on June 4 and 5, 2011 at several worldwide locations.

RHoK is a “hackathon” that brings together the best hackers from around the world to use their skills to make the world a better place by building a community of innovation. They volunteer their time to develop new approaches to disaster relief challenges.

“NASA encourages RHoK developers to use open data sets to create cutting edge applications that can help solve global challenges,” said NASA’s Chief Information Officer Linda Cureton. “We are excited to support RHoK and explore new ways NASA data can help the world.”

RHoK also is an opportunity to meet and work with top software developers and experts, create new applications and win prizes. Events are planned in Hartford, Conn., Philadelphia, Atlanta, Seattle and Silicon Valley. International venues are in Berlin; Toronto; Aarhus, Denmark; Basel, Switzerland; Bangalore, India; Buenos Aires; Kampala, Uganda; Lusaka, Zambia;Melbourne, Australia; Nairobi, Kenya; Trento, Italy; and Santiago, Chile.

During past events, participants worked on applications that are already making an impact. “I’m OK,” a service that lets people inform their families about their status, was used during the earthquakes in Haiti and Chile in 2010. The World Bank is piloting software for visualizing landslide risk in the Caribbean. Other apps have received support and interest from government and non-government organizations around the world.

Source: PR Newswire http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/nasa-and-tech-partners-encourage-information-exchange-121938113.html

Chip maker STMicroelectronics announces new controller chip. Improves light quality & energy efficiency of fluorescent options.

GENEVA, May 17, 2011 — Lighting accounts for up to 19% of the overall electricity consumption in the world, according to figures from Energy Information Administration – EIA – Official Energy Statistics from the U.S. Government. Private and public organizations are looking towards incentives, standards and regulations for improved energy efficiency.

In this scenario, high-frequency electronic ballasts are rapidly replacing electromagnetic ballasts due to higher efficiency, no visible flickering, and low weight due to the use of electronic components.

STMicroelectronics (NYSE: STM), a global semiconductor company serving customers across the spectrum of electronics applications, has unveiled a new ballast controller capable of reducing design time and costs.

The vendor claims that the new controller chip will fulfill the requirements of energy-saving regulations such as ENERGY STAR and will significantly contribute to optimization usage of available energy, dramatically reducing the CO2 emission.

According to STMicroelectronics’s the new L6520 controller can be used with a wide range of lamp topologies, power ratings and has an extended temperature range from -25 degrees C up to 85 degrees C. The L6520 embeds a digital control core, integrating all functions and protection, saving as much as 30% of the external components required with alternative controllers.

Major features from vendor release:

• Digital control core allows a high level of integration
• Accurate and programmable preheating time to improve lamp life
• ST’s proprietary current-control circuit featuring over-current, over-voltage, choke-saturation control and hard switching protection
• Storage-time compensation circuitry for bipolar transistors enhance robustness
• Lamp end-of-life
• Compatible with series or parallel lamp topologies and different power ranges
• Extended temperature range from -25 degrees C up to 85 degrees C.
• Preheat duration for different lamps and international norms:
  • L6520: 1.5 seconds preheat
  • L6521: 0.8 seconds preheat

STMicroelectronics is a semiconductor solutions provider. In 2010, the company’s net revenues were $10.35 billion.

Source: PR Newswire http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/stmicroelectronics-reveals-breakthrough-solution-for-energy-saving-fluorescent-lighting-121994243.html

ATHENS, Georgia, USA — A new study evaluates the viability of the wood-based transportation fuel sector in the United States.  Wood biofuel projects attract strong private and public investment, and potentially advance federal energy policy objectives.

Published by Forisk Consulting and the Schiamberg Group, the study details 12 technologies and 36 projects that convert wood to fuels including ethanol, butanol, diesel, gasoline, and jet fuel.

“Major technical hurdles will likely disrupt commercialization for most of the technologies under development,” notes co-author Dr. Bruce Schiamberg of the Schiamberg Group.  The study finds an 11 year gap on average between estimated technology viability and firm announcements.

According to Schiamberg, one promising approach of note is the gasification technology under development by firms like Rentech and ClearFuels for diesel and/or jet fuel. Companies like INEOS New Planet, Rappaport Energy, Coskata, and Kior are pursuing new approaches using gasification and microbes, and catalytic fast pyrolysis.

Other firms studied include, for example, Mascoma, BlueFire Renewables and Enerkem.

According to the study, impacts on US timber markets appear minimal, with the highest potential wood use concentrated in Alabama, California,Michigan, Mississippi and Tennessee.

“If all projects succeed, the total impact on wood raw material markets peaks at 8.8 million dry tons per year by 2030,” says co-author Ms. Amanda Lang, Managing Editor of Wood Bioenergy US. This represents just over 3% incremental wood use relative to the existing forest products industry.

“Ultimately, investors must think hard about allocating capital to projects that require 10+ years of technological development and rely on EPA renewable fuel mandates, which are essentially moving targets,” says co-author Dr. Brooks Mendell.

Transportation Fuels from Wood: Investment and Market Implications of Current Projects and Technologies includes the status of 36 cellulosic bio-fuel projects and estimated commercialization timelines for 12 technology approaches.  The study includes implications for bio-energy and timberland investors.

Source: PRNW http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/study-finds-11-year-gap-between-announced-wood-biofuel-production-and-commercial-viability-of-in-development-technologies-cellulosic-ethanol-wont-materially-contribute-to-epa-renewable-fuel-targets-by-2022-121987478.html

KIEV, Ukraine /PRNewswire/ — “We are not just discussing the possibility to make a serious step forward and sign an association agreement, create a free trade zone – we are actively working on it,” said Stefan Fuele, the European Commissioner for Enlargement and Neighbourhood Policy summing up the meeting with Vasyl Dzharty, Prime Minister of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, Ukraine.

The European Commissioner’s comment was accompanied by a EUR 12 million pledge to support the joint initiative of cooperation in Crimea during the official three day visit of the Crimean Prime Minister to London and Brussels.

The latest round of the Ukraine-EU talks on the introduction of the Free Trade Zone between Ukraine and the EU took place onApril 4-8, 2011. The Free Trade Zone is the core of the Association Agreement which stipulates different aspects of economic and scientific cooperation between the EU and Ukraine and is aimed at promoting and enhancing their political collaboration in the future. Overall, Ukraine and the EU have held a series of negotiations regarding the deep and comprehensive Free Trade Agreement starting February 18, 2008.

Less than a month ago Ukraine has expressed its readiness to compromise with the European Union on the Free Trade Zone. The key priority issues for Ukraine in the free trade zone negotiations are the agricultural production and automotive transportation.

Despite the fact that upon signing of the Agreement Ukraine will get lucrative access to a market of about 500 million people, it still may require a transition period and compensation mechanisms for the local producers in the priority sectors.

Such provisions have already been embodied by the EU in the existing Euro-Mediterranean Partnership and include the WTO-compatible transition period of up to 12 years, varying between countries and sectors.

During the last high profile negotiations between the EU and Ukraine, the latter has clearly demonstrated its intention of not becoming a member of the Customs Union but deepening its relations with its eastern members without affecting the EU integration plans.

Taking into account that over 90 percent of the positions in the free trade agreement have already been agreed upon both parties are convinced that signing of the agreement will take place by the end of 2011.

Source: PRNewswire: http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/the-european-commission-is-contented-with-free-trade-zone-progress-with-ukraine-121984103.html

The Australian stock market has been stuck in the 4500 band on the major stock indices for the last week. Mainly on the back of the Greek crisis.

Investors in index funds of Australian stocks, and superannuation must be asking how things can get better?

4,500 points is about right…

For the last 3 years, I’ve been saying to anyone who would listen, including readers that the true value of Australian stock indices  is around 4,500 points assuming a recession.

It dropped below that last year, and is now back in sub-4,500 territory  from highs in November 2007.

The reality is the Australian stock market is trading in a band around 4,500 points based on fundamentals.

Why?

Australia lives in strange economic times, as there are both deflationary and inflationary pressures. Coupled with an over-inflated property market, it seems that Australia is awash on the tide of money flows from  rocks and resources.

And there’s a whopper of an asset inflation bubble. House prices should not  sit around 8 or 9 times salary. Land banking and stocks of empty passively held apartments are rife.

These factors exist in what 2thinknow identify as hollowed out job market of mainly blue-collar jobs. With a lot of white collar unemployment. This means Australian. fundamentals look like the U.S. except for those gazillion metric tons of resources.

Add to that some stimulus ending, and the fact aggregate numbers disguise trends, and you have a problem.

It’s the market, not the stock.

Individual stocks will change and have changed – e.g. Australia’s big bank CBA dipped below $30 and has been well above $50. But falls in some, make up in gains for the others.

So stock pickers, and the smart money, can make money.

As to the indices — I noted* to readers here on October 2007, that “I would sell any shares I had that were not ‘low-risk’ prior to April… I would sell them now.” So that turned out 1 month before the peak.

But the innovation, the next state change, is a case of probabilities. Neither resemble a flood of money into average investors hands.

The only way this will change, is if the fundamentals change…

Keep innovating,

Christopher Hire

* P.S. Please note: I DO NOT OR CANNOT GIVE FINANCIAL ADVICE. This is a general opinion on trends and state change as part of innovation analysis. I am an innovation expert, NOT a financial planner. But then you knew all of that!

After 3 years of publication, with our 3rd birthday this

In June 2010, the Globe Innovator changes will be announced. We’re looking at updating the publication, to provide more ongoing content on innovation across cities, business and policy. We’re also examining more frequent shorter content centred on single ideas.

Let’s look back over the last 3 years. There’s already been a lot of change since our 2007 inception, and what it is about that change – is that it changes us.

A Jaunt around the Boston Common. Our birthday of our first post from Boston MA, on April 23rd , 2007 tracks how far this site has come from a travel journal of innovation in cities worldwide. > Read our first post on Boston Walking City.

This was during the announcement of the first Innovation Cities ranking 2007 (now Index), and first Global Innovation Review process. I was staying in the Westin Copley Place at the time, and writing about Innovation Cities.

Cities of Innovation. Since that time, this year 2thinknow are into the 4th year of Innovation Cities, now featuring a Report, Program, Index and Framework (published in the aforementioned report).

Changing Formats. Over the same period this site has morphed immediately into a journal of change in politics and foreign affairs, then briefly into a journal of a broader view of innovation, and a finally an innovation analysis / news site moving domains only in 2009, and growing to its current standalone domain address.

Web 2.0. I still recall the panicked responses to my (albeit overwhelming) first seminar on web 2.0 in Melbourne, Australia later in 2007. Now some of the newbies of that period are leading social media voices in Australia.

The GFC Prediction. During this time our readers saw us (well, mainly me!) predict a “September 2008 shock turmoil event” for shares, a U.S. recession and even a potential depression as far back as October 2007 and in detail on December 2007. I said Australian shares would fall to 4,500 at the same time most forecasters saw only “blue sky”.

At the same time in February 2008, I warned our readers of U.S. bank nationalisation. this was foreseen by virtually no major U.S. commentators… Ultimately though, I was one of the handful of voices like Harvey Dent who analysed the basics, and saw a different view.

The prediction differed in that they were specific not general, time-limited and contained no ‘counter-predictions’.

The one that got away. The one area I was wrong is Australian house prices. I believed I undervalued 4 factors – 1) the sentimental flight to bricks and mortars of scared investors, 2) the government willingness to prop-up property prices at all costs, 3) relatedly, the size of the consequences of falling prices to create a general economic collapse and 4) foreign purchasing of Australian assets due to trade and legislation.

Wither Finance. Yes, I warned of the financial services industry over-dominance at a city-level in 2007 book – the Global Innovation Review 2007 Annual. Indeed, this was a major reason why I took the sometimes criticised decision to rank London low for innovation in 2007. I (rightly) saw that creativity-led innovation would drive successful cities into the future, all socio-political factors otherwise being equal.

Some more thoughts…

Often this site became a test ground for these ideas in other speeches, workshops or printed reports. Sometime the ideas copped flack – like my infamous bogan piece railing against Australian anti-intellectualism, which we later archived as it came to dominate all comments and over-shadow ideas. When Melbourne’s Lord Mayor Robert Doyle was elected, anti-bogan hoon-ism (if there’s such a term that can be conceived) was part of his platform. I felt that in some small way we contributed to that.

Ideas need testing, and thinking needs validating – and occasionally rejecting. Like markets readers are great validators (or not) of ideas. Whilst I always preferred civility, some of our commenters were not so kind.

For this reason, I see change as a process, innovation as a process, and this site as a testing ground for ideas leading that process. But it is this testing and validation that enables ideas to turn into implementable business concepts, and ultimately models. And 2thinknow is at that stage.

Now we stand in 2010, awaiting the ides of August-November 2010 to know how deep the trouble goes. As Mises and Hayek would point out you can only delay the inevitable, inevitably. And I see 2 cycles that have a probability of occurring, but the outcome 2021 is the same.

Oh, and yes, updates have been non-existent over the last 6 months. Why? Well, we are in implementation phase for launching new products and services, and Globe Innovator, is a part of that.

The key is to be relevant, and commercial, and that”s what we’re working on ensuring our relevance. But the times must match the ideas, and the ideas must match the times. Those who see only the din and clash, who hear sound and fury, miss the sense of what actually is happening. It’s ripples in a pond.

Right now, we face an uncertain period, conversely, that can be perceived with certainty. So, as an innovation agency, we are seeking to position this publication at the right point in the continuum from innovation to conservatism, relative to the time. So, this publication must adapt to the current global circumstance. There is also, always, the value equation.

By the by, in the mean time, I will post some economic thoughts soon, regarding innovation policy and process and economic effects at the macro and micro level.

P.S. Thanks to those of you who have written us saying you miss our updates!

Keep innovating,

Christopher Hire

White House Administration Member and Economic Thought Leaders Address Platts Global Energy Outlook Forum

U.S. Department of Energy Under Secretary for Science Dr. Steven Koonin States Importance of U.S. Leadership and Examines U.S. Role in Global Energy Sustainability

NEW YORK, Dec. 2 /PRNewswire/ — Platts — U.S. Department of Energy Under Secretary for Science Steven Koonin asked a group of energy industry leaders today to analyze America’s commitment to and progress toward sustainability against a challenging global backdrop, stating the need for engaged conversation about energy resources and how to use them in a more sustainable manner.

At the third annual Platts Global Energy Outlook Forum entitled “The Outlook for Sustainability: Charting a Course Amidst Economic, Geopolitical and Environmental Challenges” Koonin urged energy executives to apply a construct sense of balance in carving out such strategies, as “sustainability is about managing imbalances.” Those imbalances include the gap between oil reserves and demand for oil, as well as those inherent in the current human relationship with the carbon cycle.

Koonin also told attendees: “Energy changes are slow unless there is a deliberate drive for acceleration.”

The forum brought together globally renowned economists, analysts and business leaders to debate the viability of many of the sustainable solutions now under discussion or implementation worldwide. Koonin’s keynote address was followed by roundtable discussions debating the politics and economics of — and industry preparedness for — future electric power and oil supply solutions.

As part of the Forum, leading economists participated today in a lively debate about the true economics of proposed sustainable solutions for future electric power and oil supply. Among the issues discussed: cap and trade schemes, demand response including “smart meter” and “smart grid,” the renaissance of nuclear power, renewable energy such as wind and solar, clean coal technologies, OPEC, the Middle East and Russian oil supply, and biofuels.

Guerry Waters, vice president, industry strategy and marketing utilities global business unit, Oracle, led discussion surrounding the economics of sustainability, stating that achieving sustainability will be no small task or quick fix. Panelists included John Kingston, Platts global director of oil, who talked about how some U.S. companies are “betting their futures on what they believe will be a bonanza from shale natural gas.” Kingston also pointed to analysts who question the ultimate efficacy of that strategy.

Sarah O. Ladislaw, fellow, Energy and National Security Program, Center for Strategic and International Studies, discussed the intersection of security and sustainability, pointing out how “consumer feelings of insecurity increased when the price of oil went up.” Michael Mandel, former chief economist for BusinessWeek, “was optimistic, long-term” despite projections about the industry in the face of a global population crisis and global warming prospects that will exacerbate energy supply. Robert Murray, vice president of economic affairs, McGraw-Hill Construction, pointed to housing starts and transmission line expansion: “The leading indicators for the construction industry trend upward.”

David Wyss, chief economist, Standard & Poor’s, maintained that the U.S. economy has bottomed out after the longest and deepest recession since the 1930s, “but the recovery remains fragile.” Wyss expects the recovery to be slow and uneven, because “there are too many internal and external imbalances to support robust growth.”

James Parish, executive vice president, energy solutions and LEAN transformations, RWD, headed up the other panel on sustainability. Michael F. Mansfield, Sr., chief executive officer at Mansfield Oil Company, discussed the pre-eminent position of sustainable policy at Mansfield. Roberta Bowman, senior vice president and chief sustainability officer, Duke Energy Technology, maintained that “sustainability, on an industry basis, will only come about through dedication to efficiency, collaboration and capacity-building.”

Curt L. Hebert, Jr., executive vice president, external affairs, Entergy Corp., approached sustainability from the perspective of “conduct,” as well as creating proper incentives and price signals. Pedro Azagra, chief development officer, Iberdola, tied sustainability policy to the proper servicing of clients and communities.

John Caroselli, executive vice president of National Grid, discussed the innovative way the company tasks sustainability goals to its individual lines of business and how to mobilize customers to get on board.

R.W. Beck was the principal sponsor of the Forum joined by co-sponsors Oracle, RWD and Capgemini.

The names of winners of the Platts Global Energy Awards “Award of Excellence” can be found at: http://img.en25.com/Web/Platts/AOE_GEO_Forum_Final.pdf.

The forum precedes the energy industry’s most prestigious annual awards program, now in its 11th year and hosted by Platts, the world’s leading energy and metals information provider, which this year is celebrating its 100th anniversary. The awards showcase exemplary accomplishments by businesses and individuals worldwide.

As part of the program, winners will be announced on December 3 for several new or updated categories for 2009, including Green Energy Initiative of the Year, Deal of the Year; Infrastructure Project of the Year; and Energy Producer of the Year. The annual awards finalists and winners exemplify the spirit of innovation and an enduring commitment to employees, customers, shareholders, the environment, and the energy industry as a whole.

About Platts: Platts, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies (NYSE: MHP), is a leading global provider of energy and commodities information. With a century of business experience, Platts serves customers across more than 150 countries. An independent provider, Platts serves the oil, natural gas, electricity, emissions, nuclear power, coal, petrochemical, shipping, and metals markets from 17 offices worldwide. Platts’ real-time news, pricing, analytical services and conferences help markets operate with transparency and efficiency. Traders, risk managers, analysts, and industry leaders depend upon Platts to help them make better trading and investment decisions. Additional information is available at http://www.platts.com.

About The McGraw-Hill Companies: Founded in 1888, The McGraw-Hill Companies (NYSE: MHP) is a leading global information services provider meeting worldwide needs in the financial services, education and business information markets through leading brands such as Standard & Poor’s, McGraw-Hill Education, Platts, Capital IQ, J.D. Power and Associates, McGraw-Hill Construction and Aviation Week. The Corporation has more than 280 offices in 40 countries. Sales in 2008 were $6.4 billion. Additional information is available at www.mcgraw-hill.com.

SOURCE Platts

ICON2009 Succeeds in Busan

BUSAN, South Korea, Dec. 3 /PRNewswire-Asia/ –

– Became the discussion forum of world renowned game, animation and movie CG specialists
– About 2,600 digital contents professionals and preliminary workers from 15 countries participated in the event

The bureau of ICON2009 (Busan IT Industry Promotion Agency (BIPA), http://www.iconconf.or.kr , President: Gyucheol Kim) announced that it has successfully hosted ICON2009 (International Contents Creator’s Conference) for 2 days from Nov. 26 to 27, in the biggest scale ever for the event.

Celebrating the 3rd year, the theme of this year’s event was “Future Vision of Core Leading Contents of Digital Entertainment Industry.” For the first time, the conference was held in Busan along with G-Star 2009, adding more profundity to the whole event.

Each year, world renowned game, animation and movie CG specialists participate in ICON and present the current trends and the future vision of their technology. In this year’s event, 28 professionals from 8 countries, including the US, China and Japan, and 26 Korean specialists lectured in 45 classes in 4 sessions.

The keynotes included the introduction to Blade & Soul by Jaehyun Bae, the Chief of Development Unit in NC Soft; the presentation on the world gaming industry by Nocolay Nickelsen, the vice president of Funcom, famous for Age of Conan; and the one on the Chinese market by Diana Li, the CEO of Shanda games. Each of these keynotes was hailed by industry followers.

Also, the development know-how and the trailer videos were revealed for the first time ever in the world to draw attention from many enthusiasts. An online game Dragon Ball Online and a Japanese animation Yonayona Penguin were partially revealed by the developers before their official launch in the market.

“In the event, the current trends and the future vision of creating, marketing and developing digital contents were presented, and the Korean professionals and preliminary workers could find information and hope for moving one step ahead of their current position,” said BIPA, the organizer of this conference.

Increased by 38% from last year, 2,596 people from 15 countries worldwide participated in this year’s event, which was far more developed both in quality and in quantity. Also, it is expected to play a large part in creating a new image for Busan as a world-class city specializing in digital contents.

    Contact

     Jungwon Yoon
     Tel:   +82-51-749-9432
     Email: gardeny@busanit.or.kr

SOURCE BUSAN IT Industry Promotion Agency

The Copenhagen climate conference: key EU objectives

International negotiations were launched at the end of 2007 to draw up a United Nations agreement on tackling climate change for the period after 2012, when the first commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol expires. The EU wants these negotiations to result in a comprehensive, ambitious, fair, science-based and legally binding global treaty.

The new treaty should aim to ensure global warming is kept below 2°C above the pre-industrial temperature. It should cover all elements of the 2007 Bali Action Plan, which set the agenda and scope of the international negotiations.

Given the slow progress made in the negotiations to date, and a lack of consensus about the shape of the eventual agreement, it is now unlikely that the treaty can be finalised at the UN climate change conference in Copenhagen on 7-18 December as originally planned.

The EU’s goal is therefore to make as much progress as possible in Copenhagen towards a full treaty and to reach an ambitious and comprehensive political agreement covering all its key elements.

This agreement would shape the full contours of the final outcome of the negotiating process, provide the guidance needed to elaborate it into a legal text, and specify both a process for doing so and, if possible, the shape of the legal agreement to be reached.

From the EU’s viewpoint, the Copenhagen agreement will need to cover four elements:

1. Pledges on emissions and finance

The two central pledges that developed and developing countries alike will be expected to make in Copenhagen are their contributions in terms of mitigating their greenhouse gas emissions and of providing financial assistance, particularly to the poorest and most vulnerable developing countries.

On mitigation, developed countries should make ambitious, binding and quantified emission limitation or reduction commitments. To keep the 2°C target within reach, these commitments need to amount to a cut in collective emissions from developed countries in the order of 30% below 1990 levels by 2020.

Action is also needed by developing countries. In particular the more economically advanced developing countries should pledge ambitious, quantified mitigation actions. Overall developing country pledges should amount to a substantial deviation – in the order of 15-30% – below the currently predicted growth rate in their collective emissions by 2020.

The EU has committed unconditionally to cut its emissions to at least 20% below 1990 levels by 2020 and is implementing this goal through the climate and energy package ( IP/09/628 ). It has also committed to scale up its emission cut to 30% provided other industrialised countries agree to make comparable reductions and developing countries contribute adequately to the global effort according to their responsibilities and respective capabilities.

Regarding finance , a deal is needed on both ‘fast start’ financing to help developing countries strengthen their capacities to tackle climate change in the short term (2010-2012) and a significant scaling up of public and private financial flows to developing countries from 2013. The EU is ready to contribute its fair share of both.

Total international public finance required by developing countries to combat climate change is estimated by the European Commission in the range of €22-50 billion per year by 2020 under a global agreement that is in line with the EU’s level of ambition. The EU wants contributions to be shared fairly on the basis of a comprehensive global key reflecting contributing countries’ emission levels and ability to pay (GDP). All countries except the least developed should contribute, but developing countries would be net beneficiaries.

It is vital that both mitigation and financial commitments are captured in the Copenhagen agreement in the strongest possible manner. The best way to do this is to include them in a Decision by the Confererence of Parties (COP) of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

2. Key architectural components of the future treaty

The key architectural components of the future treaty need to be agreed because they can significantly affect how ambitious the mitigation pledges are in practice. They are also needed to ensure the pledges are implemented.

These key architectural components include the following:

• A procedure for codifying emission mitigation contributions by developed and developing countries and for reviewing and updating them;
• Targets for reducing global emissions from the international aviation and maritime transport sectors, an international arrangement to address emissions of hydrofluorocarbon gases (HFCs) and a work programme for the agriculture sector;
• A framework for action on adaptation to climate change;
• A framework for reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD) and promoting conservation, sustainable management of forests and enhancement of forest carbon stocks (REDD+) in developing countries;
• Accounting rules for emission changes due to land use, land-use change and forestry (LULUCF) in developed countries;
• The role of low carbon growth plans and nationally appropriate mitigation actions (NAMAs);
• The role and use of carbon markets, including reform of the Clean Development Mechanism and Joint Implementation mechanism and the establishment of sectoral carbon market mechanisms;
• Institutional arrangements for the management and matching up of international financial resources with developing countries’ financing needs;
• A framework for stepping up international cooperation on technology;
• The length of the treaty’s commitment period; starting levels for measuring emission reductions; common accounting rules for the banking of national emission rights (assigned amount units) from the Kyoto Protocols first commitment period; and a framework of rules on compliance;
• Strengthened rules on m onitoring, reporting and verification (MRV) of action on mitigation and adaptation and of related support.

The conference should anchor political agreements on each of these elements in the text of an overarching COP Decision.

3. A ‘fast start’ deal

The implementation of key elements of the Copenhagen agreement should start immediately after the conference, facilitated by the provision of targeted ‘fast start’ financial support to developing countries.

Possible elements of the ‘fast start’ deal are:

• Preparation of low carbon growth plans and NAMAs, including financing to support these activities;
• Readiness for REDD, including financing for capacity building and elaboration of national forest inventories;
• Implementation of the adaptation action framework, including the set-up of any institutions and provision of financing to developing countries for further adaptation plans and their implementation;
• Preparations for implementing sectoral carbon market mechanisms, including capacity building for the monitoring and reporting of emissions from key sectors in advanced developing countries;
• Preparations for the implementation of a strengthened system of monitoring, reporting and review (MRV).

Each of these elements could be elaborated through separate Decisions taken by the COP or by the COP serving as the Meeting of the Parties (CMP) to the Kyoto Protocol.

4. The follow-up process

The international negotiations have been organised on two parallel ‘tracks’ under the UNFCCC and the Kyoto Protocol respectively. The Copenhagen agreement needs to decide on which tracks decisions on points 1, 2 and 3 above will be taken and what follow-up process(es) will be created.

The EU has made clear it wants to see a single, new, legally binding treaty as the outcome of the current two-track process. The treaty should contain all the essential elements of the Kyoto Protocol plus further emission commitments by all developed countries, including the US, and emission actions by developing countries. It should be capable of universal ratification.

The EU has several reasons for this preference:

• Universal participation: a single instrument favours universal participation because only one ratification process would be required. By contrast, an agreement involving two or more instruments would run the risk of them not achieving an identical number of ratifications and of not entering into force at the same time.
• Consistency: A single instrument enables consistency because it avoids separate parallel international regimes.
• Institutions: a single instrument would offer better opportunities to streamline the international institutional framework for addressing climate change, avoiding duplication and waste of resources.
• Carbon market: a single instrument would promote greater certainty for the international carbon market, given the risk of a fragmented international climate regime if two or more instruments require ratification.
• Differentiation: a single instrument does not preclude the differentiation of obligations between different countries.

Further information:

Press release: IP/09/1867

Climate Action website www.ec.europa.eu/climateaction

SOURCE: European Union Press Office

Brussels, 2 December 2009

Copenhagen conference must produce global, ambitious and comprehensive agreement to avert dangerous climate change.

The European Commission today underlined the crucial importance of reaching a global, ambitious and comprehensive climate agreement at the UN climate change conference in Copenhagen on 7-18 December. The European Union will be working to achieve maximum progress towards finalisation of an ambitious and legally binding global climate treaty to succeed the Kyoto Protocol in 2013.

The conference must settle the key political elements of the treaty and set up a process and mid-2010 deadline for completing the full text. The Copenhagen agreement must also incorporate a ‘fast start’ deal allowing for immediate implementation or preparation of certain actions, including financial assistance to least developed countries. Commission President José Manuel Barroso and Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas will both participate in the conference, as will some 90 other world leaders.

President Barroso said: “In Copenhagen world leaders must take the bold decisions needed to stop climate change from reaching the dangerous and potentially catastrophic levels projected by the scientific community. We must seize this chance to keep global warming below 2°C before it is too late. But Copenhagen is also an historic opportunity to draw the roadmap to a global low-carbon society, and in so doing unleash a wave of innovation that can revitalise our economies through the creation of new, sustainable growth sectors and “green collar” jobs. The European Union has set the pace with our unilateral commitment to cut emissions 20% by 2020 and our climate financing proposals for developing countries. We will be ready to scale up our emission reduction to 30% provided our partners in both the developed and the developing world take on their fair share of the global effort.”

Commissioner Dimas added: “I very much welcome that several major partners including the US and China have recently put concrete emission targets or actions on the table. The scientific evidence tells us that to keep global warming below 2°C, industrialised countries must cut their emissions to 25-40% below 1990 levels by 2020 while developing countries need to hold their emissions growth at some 15-30% below projected levels in 2020. However, the aggregate offers from developed countries still fall well short of the level of ambition needed, so I urge those countries with weak targets to improve them. Moreover a number of provisions in the current negotiating texts would have the effect of reducing developed countries’ targets in practice. These provisions must be tightened up in Copenhagen. Ensuring the environmental integrity of the future treaty is of paramount importance to the EU.”

International negotiations

International negotiations were launched at the end of 2007 to draw up a United Nations agreement on tackling climate change for the period after 2012, when the first commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol expires. For the European Union, these negotiations must result in a comprehensive, ambitious, fair, science-based and legally binding global treaty.

Given the slow progress made in the negotiations to date, and a lack of consensus about the shape of the eventual agreement, it is now unlikely that the treaty can be finalised in Copenhagen as originally planned.

The EU’s goal at the conference is therefore to make as much progress as possible towards a full treaty and to reach an ambitious and comprehensive political agreement covering all its key elements as well as a ‘fast start’ deal (see MEMO/09/534 ).

Copenhagen programme

For just over the first week of the conference, until 15 December, the negotiations will take place at official level. These will be followed, from 16 December until the end of the conference on 18 December, by a high-level segment. This will initially involve ministers and Commissioner Dimas, but from 17 December world leaders are invited to join them. More than 90 have already accepted, including President Barroso.

Commissioner Dimas will arrive in Copenhagen on 12 December to participate in an informal international ministerial meeting the next day hosted by Connie Hedegaard, the Danish minister who will also chair the UN conference. Ms Hedegaard has been designated Commissioner for climate action in the next European Commission.

EU representation

The Swedish EU Presidency and the European Commission will be jointly responsible for negotiating on behalf of the EU in Copenhagen.

The EU ‘Troika’, comprising Sweden, the Commission and Spain (as the next EU Presidency), will hold daily press briefings at 1400. These will be streamed live and on demand on the website of the UN climate change convention at www.unfccc.int .

Further information:

The Copenhagen climate conference: key EU objectives: MEMO/09/534

Climate Action website : www.ec.europa.eu/climateaction

DG Environment Copenhagen page: http://ec.europa.eu/environment/climat/copenhagen_09.htm

New Report: The Global Carbon Market 2009

LONDON, December 1 /PRNewswire/ — The global carbon market has grown from $11 billion in 2005 to $126 billion in 2008 accoring to a new report on http://www.companiesandmarkets.com.

The Global Carbon Market 2009: Trading Thin Air – http://www.companiesandmarkets.com/r.ashx?id=5rZnm7564169138

Global climate change and reduction of greenhouse gasses (GHG) are an important concern for many US businesses and throughout the world, and are shaping policies and initiatives. The United States is responsible of 23% of the world’s GHG emissions but as of 2009, there are no federal restrictions and no binding federal carbon trading system. However, many states and corporations have committed to cutting GHG through emissions trading.

Carbon emission credits are a key component of national and international emissions trading schemes that have been implemented to mitigate global warming. They provide a way to reduce greenhouse emissions on a large scale by capping total annual emissions, allowing the market to assign a monetary value to any shortfall through trading. Credits can be exchanged between businesses or bought and sold in international markets. Credits can also be used to finance carbon reduction schemes between trading partners and around the world. There are also many companies that sell carbon credits to commercial and individual customers interested in lowering their carbon footprint, on a voluntary basis.

For trading purposes, one allowance is equivalent to one metric ton of CO2 emissions. There are three legally binding carbon trading arrangements and one major voluntary market. The Kyoto Protocol is an international agreement with two main trading devices, the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) and Joint Implementation (JI). The European Emission Trading Scheme (EU ETS) is a government-backed trading program adopted by the European Council. The United States does not participate in the Kyoto Protocol but the US voluntary carbon markets can be divided into two main segments: the voluntary, but legally binding, cap-and-trade system that is the Chicago Climate Exchange (CCX) and the broader, non-binding, over the counter (OTC) offset market.

Some of the main markets for carbon reduction projects include renewable energy (solar, wind and hydropower), energy efficiency / demand-side management, methane capture or waste-to-energy, reforestation, carbon capture and storage (sequestration), power plant revamping and fuel switching. These are all sectors in which the United States excels, providing gateways into carbon market participation.

Emissions trading is on track to play a key role in the world’s transition to a low-carbon economy. As countries meet their commitments under the Kyoto Protocol, the global carbon market has experienced rapid growth. From 2005 to 2008, the market grew from $11 billion to $126 billion. This growth and accompanying diversification has been made possible by an increasingly elaborate set of players. In addition to the suppliers, intermediaries and end users in the carbon market, services providers are also needed in the areas of quality control, legal advisory services, information and analysis and capacity building. Legal frameworks and regulatory bodies are also present.

Although the Kyoto Protocol will expire in 2012, there is general consensus that a cap-and-trade system will be established in the United States and a global carbon trading system will be a fixture in the world economy for decades. Carbon is predicted by some to become a commodity with its emissions regulated worldwide.

The Global Carbon Market 2009: Trading Thin Air – http://www.companiesandmarkets.com/r.ashx?id=5rZnm7564169138

Contact: Mike King, info@companiesandmarkets.com, +44-0203-086-8600

SOURCE Companiesandmarkets.com

Brussels, 25 November 2009

Commissioner Piebalgs participates in the inauguration of a state-of-the-art Wind Farm in Belgium

Energy commissioner, Andris Piebalgs, together with Belgian authorities, inaugurated recently in Estinnes, near Mons, Belgium, the world’s first wind park with giant 7MW wind turbines, a state-of-the art European technology achievement. The project for the development of the world’s most powerful wind turbine today was co-financed by the European Commission with up to € 3.3Million from the 7th Framework Programme. “Estinnes is a milestone on our ambitious road to sustainable energy. All those having worked hard to bring this project forward should take pride today in their achievements, and take courage for the work ahead”, said Commissioner Piebalgs after the inauguration.

This 7MW ENERCON E-126 wind turbine is not only the largest turbine ever put into operation in the world but it is also said to be the most efficient. For a wind park equipped with such turbines the utilization factor expressed in MW/km² increases by a factor 2,3 compared to applying state-of-the-art 2 MW class wind energy converters. To install this machine 198m high the world’s largest crawler crane was used, this is a 1.600 t crane, which was developed and constructed especially to lift the giant 127 m diameter rotor in one step.

This E-126 wind turbine comprises the most advanced power electronics in use in the wind sector and is able to provide grid stabilising ancillary services which before were reserved for conventional power plants. This project will be the largest and highest capacity wind park in the world that delivers services where power electronics have been incorporated in the wind turbines themselves. This innovative adoption of power control-electronics contributes to improving not only the performance of the wind energy converter but also the power system stability (regulation of active power, voltage, frequency and reactive power in both normal and emergency situations).

These new capabilities are a significant and indispensable feature to allow for a higher penetration of wind power into the European power systems.

The European Commission is committed to support the wind industry in achieving its 2020 target and namely to install a total wind power capacity of 180 GW.

European Commission welcomes the entry into force of the Treaty of Lisbon.

The Treaty of Lisbon enters into force today – 1 December 2009. The occasion will be marked by a ceremony in the City of Lisbon organised jointly by the Portuguese Government, the Swedish Presidency and the European Commission.

The Commission believes that the new treaty provides significant new benefits for citizens and will settle the institutional debate for the foreseeable future. This will allow the European Union to fully concentrate on managing a smooth exit from the economic and financial crisis and pushing ahead with the 2020 strategy for greener growth.

President of the European Commission, José Manuel Barroso said, “The Treaty of Lisbon puts citizens at the centre of the European project. I’m delighted that we now have the right institutions to act and a period of stability, so that we can focus all our energy on delivering what matters to our citizens”.

The Treaty of Lisbon amends the current EU and EC treaties, without replacing them. It will provide the Union with the legal framework and tools necessary to meet future challenges and to respond to citizens’ demands.

The Treaty of Lisbon will ensure European citizens have their say in European affairs and see their fundamental rights set out in a charter. The EU will be better equipped to meet expectations in the fields of energy, climate change, cross-border crime and immigration. It will also be able to speak with a stronger voice on the international scene.

Among key improvements are:

• a more democratic and open and accountable Union – The European Parliament and national parliaments will now have a much greater say in the EU’s decision-making process, and citizens will have the right to know what their Ministers are deciding at the EU level. All European citizens will be given the opportunity to influence proposed EU laws.
• a more effective Union – through effective and streamlined institutions. Including swifter, more consistent decision-making on law and order issues, giving the EU greater ability to combat crime, terrorism and human trafficking.
• more rights for Europeans – the EU’s values and goals will be set down more clearly than ever before. And the charter of fundamental rights will be given the same legal status as the EU treaties themselves.
• a more prominent global actor – new posts have been created as part of work to bring more coherence between the different strands of its external policy, such as diplomacy, security, trade and humanitarian aid.

These improvements give the Union the capacity to deliver change, to make Europeans more secure and prosperous and to open up their opportunities to shape globalisation.

10 examples of benefits for European citizens

• A right for citizens to make a request to the Commission for it to propose a new initiative (“European citizens initiative”)
• Better protection for citizens through the new status given to the Charter of fundamental rights
• Diplomatic and consular protection for all EU citizens when travelling and living abroad
• Mutual assistance against natural or man-made catastrophes inside the Union, such as flooding and forest fires
• New possibilities to deal with cross border effects of energy policy, civil protection and combating serious cross border threats to health
• Common action on dealing with criminal gangs who smuggle people across frontiers
• Common rules to avoid asylum shopping where multiple applications are made to different member countries
• Tackling terrorism through the freezing of assets
• More democratic approach to EU decision-making (strengthened role of European Parliament and national Parliaments)
• An ability to provide urgent financial aid to third countries

Milestones concerning the Treaty of Lisbon:

• June 2007: European Council mandate for an Intergovernmental Conference aiming at amending the existing Treaties
• July-October 2007: Intergovernmental Conference
• Approval of the Treaty approved at the informal European Council on 18-19 October 2007
• 12 December 2007: Proclamation of the Charter of Fundamental Rights by the Presidents of the European Parliament (EP), the Council and the Commission.
• 13 December 2007: Signature of the new Treaty in Lisbon
• December 2007 – November 2009: ratification procedures in all 27 Member States
• 1 December 2009: – entry into force of the Treaty

A copy of the Treaty of Lisbon can be found at: http://europa.eu/lisbon_treaty

SOURCE: EUROPA.EU

The non-payment risk in European e-commerce has fallen to the lowest level in seven years. The chargeback ratio – the share of credit card payments charged back after an objection by the cardholder – is down to just 0.26%, from 0.34% in the year before.

Cologne, November 2009 – This is a record low in the history of the annual E-Commerce Report, which has been published since 2002 on the basis of payment transactions processed via the platform of Deutsche Card Services. This is one of the results described in the latest issue of the study by the Deutsche Bank subsidiary. In contrast to other research, the report on “Trends in E-Commerce Purchasing and Payment Behaviour” is based on real-life transactions, not on surveys. The database consists of roughly 30 million purchase transactions processed via the platform of Deutsche Card Services between October 2007 and September 2008.

Use of 3-D Secure technology helps to reduce the chargeback ratio further
Using the up-to-date security technology 3-D Secure considerably reduces the risk of fraud for merchants. This is evident from a look at the chargeback ratio for the new online payment method Maestro, where the use of the security technology is obligatory. The overall ratio is only 0.10% and declines to 0.07% if 3-D Secure is used. Even though 3-D Secure is not offered by all banks, using it makes sense for merchants. Merchants will not be exposed to the risk of a high number of credit card payment chargebacks if they want to use 3-D Secure, but an authentication is impossible because the cardholder or the cardholder’s bank do not support the system.

Chargeback ratio particularly low for German consumers
The decline in the chargeback ratio is largely due to the fact that the ratio for Germany fell from 0.19% to 0.12%. Most chargebacks occur because the cardholder has not authorised the transaction or because the card was not presented. 3-D Secure prevents such events, which are usually fraud attempts. 77.32% of all chargebacks are due to attempted fraud. The most important reason for a rejection of a credit card transaction in European e-commerce is that the financial institution or the authorisation system reject the card. The share of that reason rose by almost 2pp again. In contrast, the E-Commerce Report 2009 found that the importance of errors connected with card use (“card invalid”, “CVV not given or invalid”) had declined.

Ratio of fraud attempts much smaller in German e-commerce than in bricks-and-mortar trade
The chargeback ratio can be compared to the shoplifting ratio in stationary retail trade. The well-known EHI Retail Institute found that, in 2008, one out of 200 shopping baskets was not paid for. This is equivalent to a shoplifting ratio of 0.5% in Germany. This ratio is 0.38pp than the fraud ratio in German e-commerce, where only one out of 833 transactions is obviously a fraud attempt. This is equivalent to a chargeback ratio of 0.12%.

Risk of non-payment of direct debits declining
German consumers in particular still like direct debiting as an online payment method. However, from the merchants’ vantage point this payment method entails the risk of chargebacks. The debit charge may not be honoured because of a lack of funds in the debited account, because the account does not exist at all or because the account holder objects to the payment and questions its legitimacy. While the direct debit chargeback ratio fell from 4.27% to 3.24% in Germany, it is still much higher than the non-payment ratio for credit card payments. Lack of funds is still the main reason why direct debits are not honoured in Europe. The percentage of chargebacks on account of closed accounts has declined most, by about 2pp.

Chargeback ratio in UK shops has halved
British merchants saw the risk of non-payment halve when their customers used credit cards. This suggests that British merchants increasingly use fraud prevention measures. 3-D Secure is already obligatory for Maestro, so it seems the procedure was extended to credit cards. The fact that the direct debit chargeback ratio of consumers from the rest of Europe fell from 1.946% to 0.032% is probably due to the fact that these consumers have adapted online payment methods.

Rising transaction values increase the risk of non-payment for credit card transactions in e-commerce
According to the E-Commerce Report 2009 by Deutsche Card Services, the chargeback ratio rises in parallel to the transaction value. This was less evident in the preceding year. However, the trend is not visible for direct debits, where the chargeback ratio is highest for the transaction value category “below 10 €”. The direct debit chargeback ratio (4.802%) is highest for transactions worth less than EUR 10 in German shops. In other words: almost one out of 20 payments fails. It seems that merchants try to do without additional security measures in this low-price segment.

Non-payment risk of credit card transactions effected by German men doubles that of transactions effected by women
In Germany, the non-payment risk nearly doubles for credit card transactions effected by men in comparison to those effected by women. In contrast, in Europe as a whole, chargeback ratios are roughly equal for men and women. In all other regions analysed in the E-Commerce Report 2009 (UK and outside Europe) the chargeback ratios are lower for men. The direct debit chargeback ratio is nearly the same for both sexes. A clear difference only appears in the transaction value category above EUR 500, where the non-payment risk of direct debits is clearly higher for men.

E-Commerce Report 2009 segues seamlessly from former issues
The E-Commerce Report 2009 segues seamlessly from the former issues published as “Pago Reports”. The study only sheds a light on purchase transactions in European shops, since only merchants domiciled in Europe use the Deutsche Card Services platform. The transactions are initiated by customers from all over the world. The E-Commerce Report 2009 distinguishes between consumers from Germany, the United Kingdom (UK), the rest of Europe and countries outside Europe. It covers both traditional payment methods such as credit cards, direct debiting and offline payment methods (e.g. COD) and ever more popular new online payment methods such as giropay and Maestro.

The E-Commerce Report 2009 is available at a price of EUR 500 (excl. VAT) from the online shop of Deutsche Card Services from now on.

REPRODUCED FROM RELEASE BY DEUTSCHE BANK CARD SERVICES