GHG standards for light-duty vehicles: U.S. automaker performance report

National Program consisting of standards for light-duty vehicles that reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and improve fuel economy was established by U.S. EPA  and requires compliance with progressively more stringent GHG emission standards for the 2012 through 2025 model years. According to the annual GHG Performance Report, which formally documents the status of auto company compliance with the GHG standards, the auto industry outperformed the GHG standard by a substantial margin for the fourth consecutive year.

Building energy use per floor area for world's major economies declined in 2000-2012 by 5-30%

IEA's report "Building Energy Performance Metrics" presents data and analysis needed to evaluate progress and identify opportunities for improvement in building energy performance. Building energy use per floor area (see the table above) provides a measure of building energy performance relative to building space.

Energy efficiency standards and labelling not only reduce appliance energy use but also induce price decline

Contrary to common assumption that raising energy efficiency levels will push up purchase prices for equipment, in Australia the real price for new refrigerators, washing machines and dishwashers, sold between 1993 and 2014, dropped by 33 - 49%, while energy consumption decreased by 20 - 44% (see the table above). The similar changes are happening also in EU countries and in the U.S. These data are presented in the recent IEA's report "Achievements of appliance energy efficiency standards and labelling programs".

Green Climate Fund contributes US$ 378 million to EBRD projects

This contribution will be made in support of sustainable energy financing facilities the Bank is offering in Armenia, Egypt, Georgia, Jordan, Moldova, Mongolia, Morocco, Serbia, Tajikistan and Tunisia. The program, with overall cost of more than US$ 1.4 billion in the 10 countries, is expected to leverage a five-fold additional financing by participating private sector banks to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by about 2 million tonnes a year.

Global EVs sales have risen nine-fold over last 5 years, while price of battery packs fell 65%

Costs of lithium-ion battery packs used in EVs fell 65 percent over the period 2010–15 – down to $350/kWh, and continue to drop. It happens faster than was expected because economy of scale, improvements in battery chemistry and better battery management systems.

The Asia Super Grid will connect China, Japan, Russia and South Korea to boost renewables

In March this year, SB Energy Corp. (Japan), State Grid Corporation of China, Korea Electric Power Corp., and Rosseti, a Russian electric power and grid operator, signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to conduct technical and economic feasibility studies toward creating the international electricity transmission network in Northeast Asia. 

Kigali HFCs agreement - climate deal which may be more practically important than Paris accords

The amendment to the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer endorsed in Kigali is the single largest contribution the world has made towards keeping the global temperature rise 'well below' 2 degrees Celsius. Leaders from 170 countries agreed to cut the worldwide use of hydrofluorocarbons, or HFCs, which are used in air-conditioners and refrigerators.

World's top GHG emitting industries

According to the World Bank report, about a third of both global carbon dioxide emissions and the world’s energy consumption are attributable to manufacturing industries.e. Industrial sector emissions grew 63 percent from 1970 to 2010. Report provides a ranking of the top emitting industries. Iron and steel, nonmetallic minerals (cement) and (nonferrous metals ( aluminum) industries are the major GHG emission contributors within manufacturing industries.

Paris Agreement will enter into force on 4 November 2016.

On 5 October 2016, further to the deposit of the instruments of ratification to the Paris Agreement by 74 Parties to the Convention, the per cent of the total global greenhouse gas emissions achieved was 58.82 per cent.  

Now we are living in a 400 ppm CO2 world...

September 2016 is a major milestone for the world’s climate change history - according to Mauna Loa CO2 program at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, the monthly value of atmospheric carbon dioxide failed to drop below 400 parts per million. It means, that 2016 will be the year that CO2 officially passed the symbolic 400 ppm mark, never to return below it in our lifetimes.

Globally number of electric cars on the roads has doubled in 2015 and reached 1.26 million

In 2014, only about half of today’s electric car stock existed, while in 2005, electric cars were measured in hundreds, according to new IEA report. 80% of the electric cars on road worldwide are located in the United States, China, Japan, the Netherlands and Norway. China is leading the global deployment of electric bus fleets, with more than 170 000 buses already circulating today.