Climate Envoys Seek Consensus on $100 Million in Aid for Poorer Nations (Bloomberg)

Envoys from more than 40 nations are in Geneva to brainstorm ways to help poorer nations get the estimated $100 million a year needed to fight global warming.

US EPA to issue more rules in climate fight (Reuters)

The EPA “has a huge role to play in continuing the work to move from where we are now to lower carbon emissions.” – Senior administration official

Openness urged on UK’s emissions (BBC)

If “embedded” emissions are counted, the United Kingdom’s 15 – 16 percent CO2 reduction disappears. – UK chief environment scientist

UN Carbon Offset Trades Near Record Premium to 2011 on Regulatory Review (Bloomberg)

The premium of United Nations emissions offsets for this year to those for 2011 traded near a record as the regulator reviews the way it awards emission credits tied to hydrofluorocarbons.

The Changing Climate for Environmental Legislation (Newsweek)

Waiting might be the best strategy for energy and climate-change advocates stymied by political inaction.

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.

Greenhouse-Gas Regulation Backed by a Majority in Defense Council’s Poll (Bloomberg)

A majority of U.S. voters say the government should regulate greenhouse gases linked to global warming and that the Environmental Protection Agency is up to the job, a poll for the Natural Resources Defense Council found.

U.S. Ex-Im Bank Approves Funding For Massive Coal-Fired Plant in India (Reuters)

After bowing to political pressure to reverse its rejection of a huge coal-fired power project in India, the United States Export-Import Bank (Ex-Im Bank) voted on Wednesday to provide a “final commitment” and send the project to Congress for final review.

Japan plans to bind large firms to CO2 caps: draft (Reuters)

Japan’s compulsory emissions trading scheme is set to start in April 2013 and cover large CO2 emitting companies, a draft of the government’s proposals showed on Monday, but several issues are still open to debate.

Implementation the crux for China energy plans: IEA (Reuters)

A massive $736 billion energy investment plan could make China the world leader in renewable energy and help meet global CO2 emissions targets, but turning words into action might prove challenging, the chief economist with the International Energy Agency said on Friday.

“Sustainability,” as defined in the business lexicon, has evolved over the years. Today, its principles move small and large companies alike to proudly align what they make or what they do with progressive environmental and social practices, standards, and reporting measures. Today’s truly sustainable businesses, it seems, use less, reuse more, and take precise public measure of their “footprints” on society, striving to make a difference to the nature, and the nurture, of our planet.

The tired predecessor to sustainability, the term “green” and its palette of cousin colors and metaphors, have lost any real meaning. Companies have shamelessly attached the word to every level of environmental product, service, or strategy for decades now. Losing such a bandwagon term from common use would be far from tragic; companies and organizations will just have to be more specific in describing exactly how they protect resources, eliminating the clutter and cliché. Kids can again pick brown and black crayons for certain nature scenes. Most important, words that more accurately describe the environmental challenges we face may lead us to thoughts and strategies that do the same. As George Orwell said, “If thought corrupts language, language can also corrupt thought.”

So “green” will go the way of a lot of other clichés in the race to extinction — obsolescing water-cooler icons such as “value-add,” “no brainer,” and “synergy.” The list goes (painfully but thankfully) on. We all drank the Kool-Aid on the green trend; it’s time for better semantics. Perhaps our thoughts about the environment should be more color blind. With “green” no longer dominating environmental branding, we might come to see how even colorless places — landfills, coal mines, pulp plants, or poor urban neighborhoods, for example — are a vital part of both our society and our environment. We may soon agree that a business that’s healthy can only help the environment when its suppliers are open, its people at work, and its families and neighborhoods spending and contributing in a local economic value chain.

For these reasons and more, “sustainability” is worth saving, carrying with it real business sensibilities and an intuitive meaning for consumers and manufacturers. The term supposedly was introduced at a 1987 United Nations event to mean (roughly) ‘meeting present and future needs by using and preserving renewable resources.’ Since then, science, civilization, and advocacy have aggressively added requirements for human interactions to the definition. BP’s experience in the Gulf of Mexico likely will inspire even more editing. “Green” was paint-by-numbers; “sustainability” is a social and industrial genre requiring relevant context and meaningful language to communicate its value as a whole.

As a firm that works with environmental, energy, and “green” technology firms, Calypso will be glad to see the single-color mentality give way to a more integrative philosophy, even though many companies still covet the “green” label ( e.g. one billion-dollar power firm recently wanted a new tab for its website with ‘Green’ appended to the corporate name and then populated the section with a description of how incandescent light bulbs are regularly changed at headquarters and employees urged to shut down idle computers). More progressive companies take different approaches, many of them subscribing to strict standards for measuring corporate sustainability. According to the Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes (www.sustainability-indexes.com), corporate sustainability “is a business approach that creates long-term shareholder value by embracing opportunities and managing risks deriving from economic, environmental, and social developments. …”

Building a sustainable enterprise benefits far more than just the environment. Sustainability from both an environmental and operational standpoint maintains competitiveness, preserves brand reputation, meets ownership and governance demands, fosters loyal customer relationships, and protects and empowers your people, ultimately driving your company’s profitability. A sustainability strategy — dutifully enforced — keeps the doors open, the lights on, and the human and natural resources you need to run your business in healthy and abundant supply. As a viable business, your strategy can engage local neighborhood and philanthropic causes, supporting diversity, education, public health, and the environment as elements of a fully sustainable community.

Sustainability is a term that will last and a philosophy that will increasingly guide customers, regulators, stakeholders, and activists in choosing their support for business. Ensuring that your company has a defined and deliverable sustainability philosophy is a sound investment.

Climate-Control Failures May Send Coal Trading to Record: Energy Markets (Bloomberg)

Coal trading is poised to rise to an all-time high this year as prices at less than half their 2008 peak stoke demand, defying government efforts to phase out the most-polluting fossil fuel.

Analysis: Are EU carbon offset limits a boon for brokers? (Reuters)

New European Union proposals to limit the use of industrial gas carbon offsets in its emissions trading scheme from 2013 could be a boon for reeling carbon brokers as exchanges wait for clarity before they alter their offerings

Obama administration sides with utilities in Supreme Court case about climate change (Washington Post)

The Obama administration sided with major utility companies in a Supreme Court case about climate change on Thursday, angering environmentalists who say that the administration’s broad argument could hurt their ability to force reductions in greenhouse gas emissions or even to bring other lawsuits

Energy use is way down – but wind surges (CNN)

Energy use in the United States fell nearly 5% last year, marking the largest annual drop on record, according to an analysis of federal data by the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.

World Bank Trying to `Subvert’ UN Fix for Emission Offsets, Lobby Says (Bloomberg)

Three environmental groups called on the World Bank to stop obstructing the overhaul of the United Nations program for awarding emission credits tied to hydrofluorocarbons.

Africa May Become Next Big Market for Carbon Projects, Emission Group Says (Bloomberg)

Africa may be the next major market for carbon-reduction ventures amid investigations into Chinese certification and as the European Union imposes new regulations, the International Emissions Trading Association said.

Obama Admin Urges Supreme Court to Vacate Greenhouse Gas ‘Nuisance’ Ruling (New York Times)

The Obama administration has urged the Supreme Court to toss out an appeals court decision that would allow lawsuits against major emitters for their contributions to global warming, stunning environmentalists who see the case as a powerful prod on climate change.

Americans using less energy, thanks to recession, technology (Christian Science Monitor)

Coal and oil use in the United States saw a significant dip in 2009 because of the current economic downturn and advances in technology, particularly wind power.

In recent years, the energy industry has been positioned directly in the national spotlight. From the unfavorable BP oil spill affecting the Gulf coast to the renewable energy initiatives across the country, energy innovations and issues are ubiquitous, penetrating the blogosphere and making local and national headlines.

As energy companies are soaking in the national spotlight, it’s important that they execute the most innovative and effective communication strategies available. In this fast-paced society where everyone wants information now, real-time communication is more essential than ever.  Thankfully social media is emerging as an effective communication tool for a variety of energy players, from local grassroots advocates and technology innovators, to national organizations like the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA).  The Department of Energy, through the use of various social platforms, is now sharing and connecting with the public in real-time.

With an initial presence on YouTube and Flickr posting video clips and photos of recent events, the DOE recently expanded its reach into the social media world with the launch of a new energy blog, and Facebook and Twitter pages. Despite the fact that social media isn’t new to the DOE, it was exciting to welcome @energy to the “Twittersphere.” And if you’re curious like we are, we checked the DOE’s current number of fans and followers. So far, the Facebook page has 1,128 fans and the Twitter page has 2,745 followers – and steadily growing.

In the first post of the new Energy Blog, Secretary of Energy, Steven Chu, explains the DOE’s goals for the Twitter and Facebook pages and the new blog.

“While the act of starting a blog is hardly novel, it is a first for us and part of our commitment to achieving the level of transparency, engagement, and accessibility that you should expect from your government,” the Secretary wrote in the first post for the new Energy Blog. “Our goal is to use the Energy Blog and our other social media outlets to show you who we are, what we do, and why it matters to you, while allowing you to connect with us in new and creative ways.”

Chu goes on to say more about the DOE’s new blog and increased social media engagement. We find the post quite interesting and suggest that when you are finished reading this that you head over to Energy Blog and read the entire post.

This is a compelling example that social media isn’t just for the young and savvy crowd anymore. Energy organizations of all types are identifying the need to stay connected with their online communities because they recognize the benefits including managing brand reputation, connecting with new communities, and providing real-time customer service, just to name a few.

Is this a harbinger of communication trends in the energy industry? We think the results will speak for themselves.

Carbon Credit Prices May Increase in 2010, Emissions Trading Group Says (Bloomberg)

Prices of carbon credits generated by developing countries may rise over 2010 as regulators review industrial gas projects and Chinese wind energy facilities, fueling speculation that supplies will slow.

Carbon trade lobby calls for rule clarity from EU (Reuters)

An emissions trading lobby group has called for the European Commission to clarify rules on UN-backed carbon offset use in the third phase of its emissions trading scheme in order to boost ebbing market confidence

Are Chemical Companies Gaming the Carbon Credit System (Reuters)

A controversy is brewing over whether some chemical companies are abusing a program that gives them carbon credit revenues for destroying a potent greenhouse gas created as a by-product in their operations

Plan Seeks 100 Pct Renewable Energy in Australia in Ten Years (Reuters)

The tipping point for climate change, after which many of its most destructive effects will become irreversible, strongly suggests that atmospheric CO2 must be reduced from its current level.