Tag Archives: south-korea
Pöyry Releases Biocoal White Paper in Conjunction with PAM-Sponsored Biomass Conference
PRESS RELEASE June 18, 2013, 8:05 p.m. ET Pöyry Releases Biocoal White Paper in Conjunction with PAM-Sponsored Biomass Conference Pöyry announces biocoal white paper in conjunction with CMT’s Biomass Pellets Trade & Power in Seoul, September 9-10, 2013, co-hosted by EnerOne and sponsored by Pellet Association Malaysia (PAM) SEOUL, South Korea–(BUSINESS WIRE)–June 18, 2013– Global biomass and renewable power leaders will convene at the Biomass Pellets Trade & Power conference supported by Premium Sponsors Pellet Association Malaysia (PAM) and Agensi Inovasi Malaysia (AIM). PAM establishes common practices and standards and promotes Malaysian pellets internationally, aligning itself with AIM, the Malaysian National Innovation Agency driving innovation agenda and National Biomass Strategy. Asia’s renewable energy outlook is blooming, especially in biopower as consumption in China, Japan and South Korea grows. National Renewable Energy Policy in Japan and South Korea promotes biomass consumption growth, with co-firing in Japan’s power plants projected to increase while South Korea’s biomass usage expands to 10 million t/yr by 2020. The Biomass Pellets Trade & Power presents key country experts, Mr. Ken Kojima, Managing Director of Pellet Club Japan, and Professor Gyu-Seong Han of Chungbuk National University, elaborating on Japan’s and South Korea’s biomass market respectively. A market led by Europe, the global biomass market is expected to expand, with Asia driving up demand for wood and palm pellets and agricultural residues. Leading European biomass trader and power utilities will share markets and operational insights, with EDF Trading Markets’ Mr. Nicholas Tsirigotis on global wood pellets supply and trade dynamics, and Mr. Jens Price Wolf on DONG Energy’s experience in converting existing coal to wood pellets fired power plant. South Korea’s top power utilities, Korea Southern Power (KOSPO), Korea East-West Power (EWP), Korea South-East Power (KOSEP), Korea Western Power (KOWEPO) and Korea Midland Power (KOMIPO) will also lend perspectives on current biomass-based power generation projects and expectations of biomass supply. Onto biocoal, Mr. Andreas Teir, Director of Global BioFutures Practice, Pöyry, and author of “Biocoal — Bioenergy Game Changer in Asia?” white paper, shares more insights on Asia’s biocoal market potentials. Sharing on wood and palm pellets supply, sustainability, agricultural residue, collaborations and biomass market in Malaysia, Canada, US and Russia include Ekman & Co AB, Eco-Frontier, Indufor Asia Pacific, Global Green Synergy Sdn. Bhd., The National Bioenergy Union (Russia) and Firefly AB. http://www.cmtevents…0929&pu=222519 CONTACT: Centre for Management Technology Hafizah Adam, +65 6346 9218 hafizah@cmtsp.com.sg SOURCE: Centre for Management Technology Continue reading
Glimmer Of Hope For Carbon Markets
Eco-Business looks at the state of play in the first of a new series on the global carbon markets The UN’s Clean Development Mechanism has issued 2.4 billion carbon credits so far and generated billions of dollars in revenues for businesses in developing countries. It has supported 6,556 carbon market projects and $356 billion in investments. Image: UNFCCC Carbon markets suffered a heavy setback recently when the European Parliament rejected a plan to boost the flagging price of carbon in the region’s emissions trading scheme (ETS). But while carbon trading worldwide has been floundering, experts say carbon markets have a permanent role in combating climate change and are predicting an industry revival in the coming years. The controversial plan called ‘back-loading’ – which is now being reworked and put to the vote again on 2 July – was meant to temporarily withdraw a huge supply of carbon allowances from the ETS to prop up prices, which peaked around 30 euros per tonne in 2008 but have since plunged to new lows of 2 to 3 euros. Prices of United Nations-issued carbon credits under its Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) similarly have plunged some 98 per cent from their peak in 2008 to 39 euro cents per tonne. Carbon market players were looking to the European plan to restore confidence in the market and revive investments into carbon projects. The ailing markets in the past year or so have forced many carbon companies to consolidate or go out of business and dried up financing for further investment into clean energy projects. The underwhelming performance is the result of a combination of factors, including a lack of clarity from governments on the future of the Kyoto Protocol, a global agreement which binds developed countries to reduce their carbon emissions, and a weak global economy that has reduced demand for carbon credits. The market also suffers from a crisis of confidence stemming from questionable credits being issued by the CDM board, and its approval process that has been criticised for being bureaucratic and opaque. KPMG director for climate change and sustainability services, Rahul Kar, however, noted that despite the setbacks, carbon markets are here to stay. “It’s now in a transformational stage. We need to weed out the deficiencies, make the system more realistic in terms of affordability and eligibility criteria,” he told Eco-Business in an interview this week. “Even though the carbon markets are depressed today, chances are it will be hot again in about three years’ time,” noted Kar. This is because new regional carbon markets are emerging, such as in China, Australia and the United States, which would revive demand for carbon credits on the international markets, he added. “ The innovation, energy and farsightedness among the people developing these national and sub-national systems that convinces us at the World Bank that carbon pricing is emerging and carbon markets have a future Rachel Kyte Recent reports issued by institutions such as the World Bank and the Center for American Progress affirm the view that carbon markets have a key role to play in addressing climate change. Policymakers continue to recognise the importance of putting a price on carbon – regarded the culprit for climate change – and there are 40 national and 20 sub-national jurisdictions that are implementing carbon markets or putting a price on carbon, noted the World Bank in a report released last month, called ‘Mapping Carbon Pricing Initiatives – developments and prospects’. World Bank vice president for sustainable development, Rachel Kyte, noted it is the progress at country level that gives hope. “The innovation, energy and farsightedness among the people developing these national and sub-national systems that convinces us at the World Bank that carbon pricing is emerging and carbon markets have a future,” she said. The new initiatives build on previous experiences and valuable lessons learned, developing a range of novel design features, such as pricing stabilization mechanisms, which make them flexible and adjustable to new economic realities, the report noted. These emerging pricing schemes can make an important dent in greenhouse gas emissions. Today, countries with implemented and scheduled carbon pricing mechanisms emit the equivalent of roughly 10 gigatonnes of carbon dioxide per year, equal to about 20 per cent of global emissions. To gain efficiencies and benefits from larger markets, linkages and agreements are being put in place, such as the one between the EU ETS and Australia’s Carbon Pricing Mechanism. Team leader of the report, Alexandre Kossoy, senior financial specialist at the World Bank said: “There may not be a one-size-fits-all, but it is clear that the foundation of the first generation of market-based instruments is informing what will constitute the future landscape of carbon pricing,” Indeed, the Center for American Progress and Climate Advisers in an April report outline how, despite the rocky road for carbon markets, they have catalysed climate action in major countries. Titled ‘Carbon Market Crossroads – New Ideas for Harnessing Global Markets to Confront Climate Change’, the report noted that the sale of the 2.4 billion CDM credits issued so far has generated billions of dollars in revenues for businesses in developing countries, which has in turn spurred even more local economic activity by providing jobs and wages that benefit local businesses. The CDM has supported 6,556 carbon market projects and $356 billion in investments in emission reductions, it said. These projects have helped to create an ecosystem of climate entrepreneurs and elicited millions of dollars in government spending on climate. Each of the 10 developing nations that participated most actively in global carbon markets over the past decade are today out front experimenting with new, more ambitious climate policies, noted the report. China, South Korea, Mexico, Brazil, and India, for example, are establishing domestic carbon markets largely because of their positive experiences with the CDM. Lead author of the report and president of Climate Advisers, Nigel Purvis, noted that critics and defenders of international emissions trading have “missed the big picture”. “The developing nations that participated the most in global carbon markets are now taking the lead in adopting domestic carbon-pricing policies. The benefits of helping to spur climate policies in these major emerging economies greatly outweigh whatever environmental benefits or problems early carbon projects may have produced,” he said. The report’s authors also had a few recommendations that offered solutions for restoring global carbon markets, including: • The World Bank and International Monetary Fund convening an emergency climate summit to agree on new measures • Countries making political commitments to increase demand for global carbon-market credits, either through a new specialized fund at the World Bank or through coordinated but decentralized bilateral actions • Countries should establish a new International carbon-market coordinating body to encourage carbon markets to converge on the same high standards and help nations link their markets KPMG’s Rahul Kar says intervention by multilateral institutions such as the IFC or ADB can help lift the carbon markets by buying up credits in the short- to medium-term. In the longer term, the market will stabilise when regional trading markets give their demand projections and pricing for carbon. “ In terms of reliability and quality, the CDM is still far superior Rahul Kar, KPMG Meanwhile, carbon entrepreneurs awaiting the markets to spark back to life have either put their business and projects in cold storage, or moved into developing clean energy projects where carbon credits are a side product and not a main revenue generator. Singapore-based Blue World Carbon managing director for Southeast Asia, Joost van Acht, told Eco-Business that companies that depended on selling carbon credits for revenues have gone out of business. Projects that have multiple revenues, such as power generation, have been able to weather the storm. “Reform of the entire system is now urgently needed to make the markets work again,” he said, adding that the CDM board needed, for example, to remove controversial projects such as on air conditioning coolants known as HFC-23 or large hydropower projects to restore confidence in the process. Critics have questioned if these projects achieved the aim of cutting emissions. There is also the voluntary market, which is still thriving despite the current woes, where companies have bought carbon credits of differing standards directly from project developers as part of their social responsibility efforts. Carbon companies have also increasingly turned to consumers to generate demand. The explosion of social media and online “crowd-based” finance may prove a sustainable alternative source of demand while the regulated markets are still being reformed. Kar pointed out, however, that such credits will remain on the fringe. Besides administrative difficulties, the level of scrutiny that each project goes through under the UN’s CDM is much more rigorous than any voluntary scheme. “In terms of reliability and quality, the CDM is still far superior. So perhaps the UN may come up with a piece of legislation which allows CERs to be used for voluntary purposes, and this would put some life back into the global carbon markets.” What are carbon credits? Each carbon credit allows the holder to emit one tonne of carbon dioxide equivalent. Carbon trading is the buying and selling of these credits. The credits are created in two ways – one is based on allowances, which are given to developed countries emitters who set a quota on their pollution. The second is created under the United Nations’ Clean Development Mechanism, which verifies and approves projects in developing countries that permanently reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Owners of the project can then sell the credits to developed country buyers. The CDM was created as part of the Kyoto Protocol, the only global agreement that binds developed countries to cut their emissions. The credits are traded on exchanges and through financial institutions, which buy up credits from projects across the world and sell them on to end-buyers. There are also companies that sell carbon credits to companies and individuals on a voluntary basis. These credits may be verified by third party standards such as the Verified Carbon Standard. Continue reading
Eight Ways To Solve World Hunger
Millions of people are starving, despite the world producing more than enough to feed everyone. What can we do about it? Alex Renton The Observer , Saturday 8 June 2013 It is estimated that extensive food trade with Africa means China will have no malnourished people by 2020. Photograph: How Hwee Young/EPA PREVENT LAND GRABBING An ugly side of current scares over future food supply is wealthy, land-poor states, like those in the Gulf and South Korea, acquiring tracts of undeveloped countries to use as allotments. It is a campaigning cause of the multi-charity IF campaign against hunger. Ethiopia, Sudan, Madagascar and Cambodia have been targeted and a total area the size of Spain may already have been acquired. Problem: Hard to police. Difficult to distinguish between genuine investment in Africa and the expropriation of land from the poor who need it to grow their food. Chances: 3/10 BLOCK THE SPECULATORS Photograph: Mario Tama/Getty Images[/color] Huge sums of investment fund money have flooded into the commodities markets since the financial crisis, looking for returns no longer available in equities. Automated trading systems that exploit tiny flaws in the market and encourage volatility make it impossible for traditional traders to keep prices stable and hedge against spikes. Problem: Much discussed in the G20 and G8, an international agreement on reforming and regulating the commodities markets looks no nearer than when the problem was first identified. Banks and investors have marshalled strong arguments against interference. Chances: 3/10 PRODUCE LESS BIOFUEL Photograph: Michael Wald/Alamy[/color] The pressure to achieve targets on reduced carbon emissions from fossil fuel has seen rich countries turning sugar, maize and other food crops into ethanol and biodiesel. Problems: Many economists doubt how important this issue really is in food price rises. Food and fuel prices are inextricably linked, so producing biofuel may lower food prices. A proportion of food crops have always been used for energy – 100 years ago 10% of the world’s grain went to feeding horses. Second-generation biofuels won’t use food crops, but wood, stalks and other waste. Chances: 1/10 STOP THE MEAT FEAST Photograph: Andrey Armyagov/Alamy Meat production is a wasteful use of the planet’s limited resources – even today, 40% of grain crops are going to feed livestock and fish. It is most inefficient with intensive beef farming , where it has been shown that just 2.5% of the feed given to cattle emerges as calories for our consumption. That is why the UN says agricultural production will have to rise 60% to feed the extra 2 billion mouths in 2050. Problems: There is no international mechanism to regulate or alter collective human diets, and no models other than famine that have ever worked. Chances: 0/10 SUPPORT SMALL FARMERS Photograph: AFP/Getty Images Most African farmers are less productive than a US farmer was 100 years ago. There is a consensus between NGOs and governments that supporting and training small farmers is the best possible solution to future food security . A combination of aid, education in low-tech methods such as better rice planting and irrigation, and the introduction of better seeds and fertilizer could spark a green revolution in Africa, such as the one that transformed South Asia in the 20th century. Problem: Rich countries have proved poor at delivering on their aid pledges. Genetically modified crops are already part of these schemes. Chances: 8/10 TARGET INFANT NUTRITION Photograph: Hoberman Collection/UIG via Getty Images “Eliminating malnutrition is achievable. It’s within our reach,” Bill Gates told the London summit, and many companies and rich nations are backing an African government-led plan to tackle it. Big improvements have already been made. The solution lies in education on good feeding techniques and getting the right nutrients to the mother and child from the beginning of pregnancy. Overall, malnutrition makes people poorer – it is responsible for an 11% decline in GDP in affected countries. Problem: Critics say it diverts policy makers’ attention from the job of solving the systemic problems in food supply. Chances: 9/10 ROLL OUT BIOTECH Photograph: Wayne Hutchinson/Alamy Huge gains could be available for health and agricultural productivity if the promises of genetic modification can be believed. Gene-splicing crops to help them withstand drought and flood may be vital. Pigs and chickens could have their digestive systems altered so that they eat food not required by humans, and pollute the environment less. Problem: There are risks with the technology, and no satisfactory regulatory system in place. Public distaste at the idea of GM, especially in Europe, is holding up research and stopping investment. Safer ideas, like stem cell meat fed on algae, are still far from production. Chances: 6/10 REDUCE POVERTY Economic growth has long been seen as the key to reducing hunger. More trade, financial liberalisation and open markets should aid the flow of food, of which there’s no overall shortage. Successful poverty reduction in China has led some economists to predict there will be no more hungry people there by 2020. Problems: Not easy to organise, with the west in economic recession and aid spending falling. More importantly, economic growth does not necessarily trickle down to the hungry poor.Child malnutrition has increased in India during the past decade despite the country’s boom. Chances: 2/10 Continue reading
