World Bank boosts green credentials by appointing clean tech czar

The World Bank announced yesterday that it has appointed an influential Californian professor as its first clean tech "czar" as it attempts to meet growing demand for financing from low-carbon projects in developing countries.

Daniel M Kammen, the professor of energy at the University of California, Berkeley, will take up the position as the organisation's first chief technical specialist for renewable energy and energy efficiency from 4 October, and will be tasked with shaping the bank's clean tech policy.

Inger Andersen, World Bank vice president for sustainable development, said that the appointment had been made in response to "unprecedented" demand for loans to renewable energy and energy-efficiency projects.
"More than ever, our clients and countries are looking for solutions as they put in place economic growth and poverty reduction policies for their citizens today, while taking into account the needs of the planet tomorrow," he said. " The supply and use of clean energy is a prime element in responding to both concerns."

Kammen is an influential figure in the field of clean energy and has worked as an advisor to both the Californian and the US federal government on renewable energy policy.

He said the World Bank was in a position to make "incredible contributions" to efforts to improve environmental responsibility and could play a key role in providing more "low-cost, high-quality clean energy worldwide".

The appointment is the latest in a series of measures designed to bolster the bank's green credentials and increase the amount of money it lends to low-carbon projects.

Kammen will work alongside World Bank veteran Andrew Steer, who was appointed earlier this summer as special envoy on climate change and has been tasked with overseeing $6bn in projects funded through the organisation's Climate Investment Funds.

The Bank is likely to play an increasingly influential role in funding low-carbon projects in emerging and developing economies as industrialised nations attempt to increase funding for climate change adaptation and mitigation.

However, the organisation remains a controversial source of funding for clean-tech projects, with some countries criticising the financing terms it imposes on developing nations and others accusing it of continuing to fund carbon-intensive projects at the same time as financing green initiatives.
Most notably, the US, the Netherlands and the UK all abstained from a recent vote approving a $3.75bn loan for a planned coal-fired plant in South Africa on environmental grounds.

View the original article here

DECC lifts ban on councils selling green energy

The UK government will from next week allow local authorities to sell energy that they produce back to the grid, ending a ban that has been in place for a quarter of a century.

The Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) confirmed today that the ban, which was originally imposed in 1976, would be repealed on August 18.

Energy and Climate Change Secretary, Chris Huhne, who first announced that he would lift the ban last month, said that the change would free up councils to accelerate the roll out of community-scale renewable energy projects.

"For too long, Whitehall's dogmatic reliance on 'big' energy has stood in the way of the vast potential role of local authorities in the UK’s green energy revolution," he said in a visit to Woking Council. "Forward thinking local authorities such as Woking in Surrey have been quietly getting on with it, but against the odds, their efforts frustrated by the law."

The lifting of the ban allows councils to sell surplus energy generated by their onsite electricity projects back to the grid, providing them with an additional source of revenue.

Soon after the announcement, councils began explaining how they might benefit from the reversal in policy. Derby is due to complete a hydroelectric plant at Longbridge with a peak power output of 230Kw by the end of next year and also wants to install photovoltaic panels on two council buildings.

Meanwhile, Hampshire already has three energy from waste plants in place that process unrecyclable waste and generate enough energy each year to power 50,000 homes.

"Having the ability to sell our own generated electricity - instead of through an energy supply company - would really help us to invest in cleaner and more efficient generation technologies," said Councillor Mel Kendal, Hampshire County Council's Executive Member for Environment. "The benefits for Hampshire include ensuring energy security and reducing our vulnerability to future price increases."

The move is the latest step in the government's plan to promote greater uptake of small and community-scale renewable energy projects. However, it also comes at a time when many within the UK's renewable energy industry are frustrated at changes to planning rules that should make it easier for councils to overturn applications for mid-scale wind farms and other renewable energy projects.

A series of industry insiders told the Sunday Times' yesterday that the government had effectively "sanctioned nimbyism" by telling councils that it would roll back central government targets and allow them to have a greater say in planning decisions.

The CBI has also issued a major report today warning that the government's failure to provide greater detail on its proposed low carbon energy policies is blocking billions of pounds of renewable energy investment.

View the original article here

Green skills course on offer

Young people are being encouraged to learn more about sustainability while developing their own skills.

The Green Talent Programme has been launched in Exeter by EDF Energy in a bid to encourage students to examine environmental and business issues.

It is intended to offer insight into possible career paths, while helping students to see the practical uses of science, maths, technology and engineering.

Rob Clemens, head of humanities at West Exeter Technology Centre, commented: "The Green Talent Programme is well-structured and gives young people the opportunity to see for themselves not just how a business operates, but how it is facing up to key challenges that matter to us all – how we become more sustainable and help tackle climate change."

EDF Energy intends to run the course in London this month (July), before rolling it out on a nationwide scale next year.

The Woodlands Trust recently revealed that pupils from schools in Lancashire are top of its league when it comes to planting trees, reducing carbon dioxide emissions and encouraging recycling.

View the Original article

Fisker feeling flush after fresh funding

US green car start-up Fisker Automotive has confirmed that it is to move forward with ambitious expansion plans after securing multimillion dollar loans from both the federal and the Delaware State government last month.

View the Original article

Enel sets sights on October for green IPO

Italian energy giant Enel is planning to complete a €4bn IPO for its Enel Green Power renewable energy unit in early October, according to reports yesterday.

View the Original article

Labour launches green growth strategy

Gordon Brown today unveiled a new Plan for Growth detailing how a Labour government would continue to step upsupport for emerging low-carbon industries and deliver economic growth whilediversifying the UK's economy.

View the Original article