BEIJING, May 27 (UPI) — China and the United States signed eight green energy deals Wednesday in Beijing but financial details were not disclosed, Chinese media reported.

The deals, designed to increase cooperation in the sector, cover areas such as aviation biofuel, distributed energy systems using natural gas as fuel, smart meters and cellulosic ethanol, the China Daily reported. A number of Chinese and U.S. companies would be involved in the eight deals.

The report quoted analysts that the agreements between the world’s two largest energy users would encourage global collaboration in increasing energy efficiency and protecting the environment.

The agreements came at the conclusion of the two-day China-U.S. Strategic and Economic Dialogues in Beijing.

Zhang Guobo, head of the National Energy Administration, also noted bilateral collaboration in renewable energy development, adding: “The United States has advanced technology, and China has a huge market,” the China Daily reported.

U.S. Ambassador to China Jon Huntsman was quoted as saying the two countries will “take every angle” to ensure their cooperation in energy and environment.

Zhang said renewable energy development is important for China to achieve goals of increasing the use of non-fossil energy to 15 percent of primary energy use by 2020, and reducing carbon intensity by 40 percent to 45 percent in 2020 from 2005 levels, China Daily reported.

He said China will continue to focus on the development of hydro, wind, solar, and biomass energy in the renewable sector.

Earlier, U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu was quoted as saying improving energy efficiency would both reduce greenhouse gas emissions and boost economic growth.
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Recent estimates expect the global automobile fleet to double over the next 20 years – growing from 800m today to over 1.6bn in 2030.  This massive growth is occurring as developing powers like China and India increase levels of individual car ownership.  However, the extra emissions resulting from millions upon millions more vehicles on the world’s roadways could be dramatic, and adversely affect global efforts to limit greenhouse gas emissions.

The European Commission has launched a “green transport” initiative in an effort to reach their emissions reductions goals.  By 2050, the EU is aiming for an 80 to 95% decrease in transport-related emissions.  The Commission believes widespread deployment of green transportation options, such as electric vehicles, public transportation and low-carbon and sustainable fuels will go a long way to achieving this goal.

The initiative calls for, among other things, Europe-wide standards for electric vehicle charging by 2011, continued research into low-carbon and energy efficient methods of transportation, financial incentives to encourage consumers and will work with the European Investment Bank to catalyze funding for green vehicle infrastructure and services.

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Renewable energy is becoming a more significant player in the U.S. energy dynamic, according to latest figures from the Energy Information Administration (EIA).

In its latest Monthly Energy Review, the EIA says renewable energy production made up over 10% of total U.S. energy production in 2009, a 5.5% increase over 2008 levels and a nearly 16% increase from 2007 levels.

Biomass contributed the most, accounting for 51% of all renewable energy production, followed by hydropower at 34.2%.  Next in line were wind, geothermal and solar power, contributing 8.9%, 4.7% and 1.2% respectively.

At this stage, renewable energy contributes almost as much as nuclear power to the nation’s energy mix.

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Bloomberg New Energy Finance says although global spending on renewable energy may double by 2030, it still may not be enough to combat the worst dangers of climate change.

Projections from the Global Energy and Emissions Model (GE2M) shows that investment in renewable energy must reach at least $230 billion by 2020, and $500 billion by 2030.  Likewise, to achieve a high level of carbon emissions reductions, the price of carbon will need to increase to $100/ton by 2030.

“These findings confirm that in spite of the ongoing economic malaise, investment in renewable energy should continue to grow, driven heavily by existing government targets.  If governments take the threat of climate change seriously, there will be an increasing role for renewable energy up to 2030,” remarked Guy Turner, director of Carbon Market Research at Bloomberg New Energy Finance, who foresees growth in wind, solar PV and biomass technologies.

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As part of the Renewable Energy Directive of 2009, the European Union pledged to generate 20% from renewable sources such as solar and wind by 2020.  According to a new analysis by the European Wind Energy Association (EWEA), the EU is on track to meet those targets.

“Europe has witnessed a sea-change since the 2009 Renewable Energy Directive was agreed as in 2008 many countries were stating that their target would be difficult to meet – now the majority are forecasting that they will meet or exceed their national target,” said Justin Wilkes, Policy Director of EWEA.

A number of countries, including Spain and Germany, are expected to exceed their national targets.  Spain, for example, is predicting a nearly 3% increase over its 20% target with 22.7% of energy coming from renewables by 2020.

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New Delhi, 4 February 2010 – The World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) today launched the Vision 2050 report ( 2.6 MB), a study that lays out a pathway leading to a global population of some 9 billion people living well, within the resource limits of the planet by 2050. The report, released at the World CEO Forum in New Delhi, India, was compiled by 29 leading global companies representing 14 industries.

This work results from an 18-month combined effort with CEOs and experts, and dialogues with over 200 companies and external stakeholders in some 20 countries.

The report presents new opportunities for business in a broad range of business segments with the foresight to lead their societies on a sustainable business development agenda. Entitled Vision 2050: The new agenda for business, the report “lays out the challenges, pathway and options that business can use to create an opportunity-rich strategy, both regionally and globally, that will lead to a sustainable world,” said Dr. Mohammad A. Zaidi, Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer of Alcoa, who led the project as one of four co-chairs.

“The world already has the knowledge, science, technologies, skills and financial resources needed to achieve Vision 2050. However, concerted global action in the next decade will be required to bring these capabilities and resources together, putting the world on the path to sustainability,” explained WBCSD President Bjorn Stigson.

The publication outlines a future in which 9 billion people live well, enjoying health, food, shelter, energy, mobility, education and other basics of life. Syngenta CEO, Michael Mack added that “humanity has largely had an exploitative relationship with our planet; we can, and should, aim to make this a symbiotic one.” In the Vision 2050scenario, global society attains this standard of living at a sustainable rate, without further harm to biodiversity, climate and ecosystem services.

The report states that the world already has the resources to achieve Vision 2050,but there is a catch: “The radical changes highlighted in Vision 2050 demand a different perspective from business leaders, requiring them to rethink how they operate to stay on-track for a sustainable future,” added Samuel A. DiPiazza Jr., former CEO and Chairman of PricewaterhouseCoopers. This includes a radical transformation of global markets, governance and infrastructure, and a re-thinking of our ideas of growth and progress.

Vision 2050 spells out the “must haves” – the things that must happen over the coming decade to make a sustainable planetary society possible. These include incorporating the costs of externalities, starting with carbon, ecosystem services and water, into the structure of the marketplace; doubling agricultural output without increasing the amount of land or water used; halting deforestation and increasing yields from planted forests: halving carbon emissions worldwide (based on 2005 levels) by 2050 through a shift to low-carbon energy systems and improved demand-side energy efficiency, and providing universal access to low-carbon mobility.

As part of this transformation, Vision 2050 calls for a new agenda for business: to work with government and society worldwide to transform markets and competition. “Sustainability will become a key driver for all our investment decisions,” added Idar Kreutzer, CEO of Storebrand and another project co-chair. New rules for markets will reframe environmental challenges as economic challenges, driving innovation and competition in the direction of sustainability and away from resource- and energy-intensive production. Rationalizing prices to include such externalities as climate and biodiversity impacts will make corporate environmental efficiency a true competitive advantage across all industries and regions.

Business will lead market change by doing what business does best: forming partnerships, creating efficiencies and competitive advantage, seizing opportunities and meeting customer needs. At the same time, a shift toward sustainability will trigger trillions of dollars in new investments in infrastructure, technology and human services, creating new opportunities for business to thrive and grow. A recent study commissioned for this project with PricewaterhouseCoopers and released today indicates that this investment could reach US$ 3-10 trillion per annum in 2050.

Vision 2050, with its best-case scenario for sustainability and pathways for reaching it, is a tool for thought leadership, a platform for beginning the dialogue that must take place to navigate the challenging years to come. “It is hoped that the Vision 2050 work will be used for many years to come. It is designed to be a platform for companies when deliberating strategies and for dialogue with governments and society about how to realize the sustainable future,” concluded Per Sandberg, Project Director for Vision 2050.

Download

• Vision 2050: The new agenda for business – full report ( 2.6 MB)
• Vision 2050: The new agenda for business – summary report ( 2.4 MB)

In his first State of the Union address, President Obama spoke in no uncertain terms of the important role clean energy and energy efficiency must play in the United States economy now, and in the years to come.

The President emphasized the connection between investing in clean energy and job creation in the United States, which has been struggling with high unemployment.  Upgrading aging and inefficient infrastructure and expanding the reach of renewable energy and smart grid systems will be crucial to reviving the U.S. economy.  “We should put more Americans to work building clean energy facilities and give rebates to Americans who make their homes more energy-efficient,” he said.

Obama spoke favorably of the impact the Recovery Act has had on new energy technologies.  Under the sweeping legislation, the Department of Energy (DOE) has invested hundreds of millions of dollars into research and development initiatives for advanced biofuels, wind, solar, geothermal, advanced batteries, and smart grid systems.  These investments are paying off, Obama said, as new factories, manufacturing plants and power installations enter project pipelines all around the country, putting more Americans to work.  Obama also expressed support for construction of new, safe nuclear energy plants and for exploration of sites for offshore oil and natural gas drilling.

President Obama offered praise to the House of Representatives for passing the Waxman-Markey climate bill, and urged the Senate to break its inertia and move quickly on the legislation in its chambers.  “Washington has been telling us to wait for decades, even as the problem has grown worse,” he warned.  We need to pass a “comprehensive energy and climate with incentives that will finally make clean energy the profitable kind of energy in America.”   Acknowledging critics who say the timing is not right for such complex energy and climate legislation, Obama reiterated the urgency of the issue, forcefully saying “the nation which leads the clean energy economy will be the nation that leads the global economy.  And America must be that nation.”

United States is the World Market Leader

The latest global market analysis released by Hart’s Global Biofuels Center (GBC) says the global biofuels market is poised to double in size by 2015.  GBC says the biofuel usage in the United States will likely increase by 35%, boosting the U.S. market to the world’s number one spot.  Brazil’s biofuel supplies are expected to expand as well, with production growing by 30% and export volume doubling in size.  Germany is expected to remain Europe’s largest biofuel producer, but GBC notes that important market players are emerging in countries such as Indonesia, France, China, India, Thailand, Malaysia, the Philippines and Argentina.  The report says by 2015, demand for ethanol will represent between 12 and 14% of overall demand for gasoline.  The GBC report also expects the Asia-Pacific region to become a major ethanol producing region, potentially producing 20% of global ethanol supplies by 2015.