The funding support, coming in the form of subsidies and loan guarantees, will accelerate over the years, eventually reaching €290 million/year by 2014.  The program aims to attract an additional €2 billion from private investors and other research groups.

France’s extensive use of nuclear-fired plants has contributed to the country’s claim to 90% low carbon electricity.  However, President Sarkozy’s administration is furthering efforts to develop renewable energy sources such as solar and wind.  The new funding will also support sustainable transportation initiatives and smart grid technology developments.

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Over 2,000 steel mill, cement works and other energy-intensive factories have been ordered to close down by the end of September.  This announcement comes on the heels of another made by the powerful National Development and Reform Commission last week, which forced 22 provinces across China to stop providing discounted electricity to energy-intensive industries such as aluminum production.

Energy efficiency has become increasingly important in Chinese economic planning.  The nation’s current five-year plan targets 20% less energy usage per unit of economic output this year compared with 2005.

However, high industry output since last winter has driven China’s energy consumption to sky-high levels, producing the single largest surge ever of greenhouse gases by a single country.  According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), China surpassed the United States last year to become the world’s largest consumer of energy after becoming top global carbon emitter in 2006.  These rankings, combined with continued high expectations for economic growth, lead many to doubt China’s ability to meet its stated energy intensity goals.

Nevertheless, China is forging ahead with plans for major new investment in energy efficiency, including $15 billion into energy efficient vehicles.  $8 billion of this proposed funding would be set aside for development into pure energy efficiency techniques.  The remaining funding will be funneled towards infrastructure construction, potentially including electric vehicle charging station.

China is currently pushing to put 4 million eco-friendly vehicles on its roads by 2012.

Read more about energy efficiency here and proposed vehicle investments here

Greece’s  €12 billion investment plan includes urban improvement projects, new natural gas pipelines and storage facilities in northern Greece.  The government hopes to attract a total of €22 billion in external private investment in the coming decade.  Environment Minister Tina Birbili hopes the program will “decisively contribute to face recession and lead to dynamic economic growth.”

Although Greece has ample wind and solar resources, renewable energy contributed only 4% of the nation’s electricity generation in 2009.  However, by 2020 Greece has pledged to ramp up renewables’ share to 40% of its total electrical output.

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Global coal use, however, has remained steady.  In fact, as a percentage of world primary energy usage, coal has risen to levels not seen since 1971.

On the other hand, oil’s percentage of global energy usage has fallen consistently over the past decade; from 39.00% in 1999 down to 34.77% in 2009.

As oil production becomes more difficult and expensive, coal is increasingly being employed as a source of transportation fuels.  Nations like South Africa and China have been expanding their coal-to-liquid (CTL) programs, and China reportedly has six major CTL projects under development.

CTL processes may present an alternative way to generate liquid fuel, but it comes at a price.  CTL produces nearly double the greenhouse gas emissions of conventional fuel production from oil, and many climate and environmental advocates worry that if CTL programs become more widespread the world would experience increased emissions levels.

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The United States Department of Energy (DOE) is instituting its first-ever strategic plan to deal with “Rare earth metals” – the special group of elements that are essential components of clean energy technologies like electric vehicle batteries, compact flourescent light bulbs and solar panels.

As nations around the world increase development and deployment of clean energy, there is a growing anxiety about China’s clear dominance of these essential supplies.  China currently supplies nearly 95% of global demand  for rare earth metals, and the government is attempting to control all processing of rare earth metals.  Over the past seven years,  China has reduced global exports by 40% and some estimates expect China will begin halting exports of these rare earths within the next two years.

“It goes without saying that diversified sources of supply are important for any strategic material,” said David Sandalow, Assistant Secretary of Energy for Policy & International Affairs.  ”So too are substitutes and strategies for re-use and recycling.  If rare earth metals are going to play an increasing role in our economy, we need to pursue those strategies.”  The DOE is soliciting information from industry, research labs and other related organizations to gain a more complete understanding of cost and supply issues regarding rare earth metals.

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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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According to HSBC research, China’s share of the world electric vehicle market will jump from 2.7% to 35% in the next ten years.  During this rapid period of growth, HSBC expects China to push past the United States and Japan.

There is a rapidly growing, yet little serviced market here, and many believe this is a perfect opening to jump in.  A recent example is Better Place, the electric vehicle service provider which aims to install vehicle charging networks to support an electric vehicle infrastructure.  Better Place has inked a deal with Chery Automobile, China’s largest independent auto producer and a major exporter of electric vehicle technology, and will bring its business to the Chinese market for the first time.

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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 a new report, Pike Research predicts hybrid sales in the global fleet sector will total 4 million by 2015.  The North American market will experience the most growth as awareness of the energy savings properties of hybrid vehicles grows.  By 2015, nearly 10% of all buses sold will be hybrids, the report says.

Carlos Ghosn, the CEO of Nissan, is expecting similar growth in the global electric vehicle market, largely because of growing environmental consciousness.  ”I’m betting 10% of the global buyers will make a rational decision on what to drive.  And I think I’m being conservative at 10%,” he said.  According to consulting firm J.D. Power, approximately 50,000 electric cars will likely be sold in the U.S. in 2015.

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