Top Energy Industry Headlines August 31

A collection of today’s top stories

Russia Submits `Breakthrough’ Carbon Emissions Reduction Project, UN Says (Bloomberg)

In a step that could signal “a substantial increase” of followers Russia submitted for registration its first carbon emissions reduction joint implementation project, created under a UN Kyoto Protocol mechanism. 

Most US voters favor EPA action on climate: NRDC poll (Platts)

The Natural Resources Defense Council is hoping that a new poll showing that voters favor Obama administration action on carbon emissions will help ward off congressional efforts to prevent that regulation.

Japan Forsees Starting Carbon-Emissions Trading in 2013, Panel Reports (Bloomberg)

Japan plans to start emissions trading in 2013, as the government revived a climate-protection draft law that was scrapped earlier this year when then Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama resigned.

Banks Grow Wary of Environmental Risks (New York Times)

Several large commercial lenders are taking a stand on industry practices that they regard as risky to their reputations and bottom lines.

UN Climate Panel Should Change Management, Study Says (BusinessWeek)

The UN climate-science agency that was criticized for errors in forecasting when glaciers in the Himalayas may melt should “fundamentally change its management structure,” a review of the Nobel Prize-winning body said.

Politics aside, natural gas is beating up on clean coal (CNN)

Gas prices are dropping, threatening coal’s dominance in the North American energy market.