Top Stories
Greenhouse Gases: Who's Cheating?—reliability
high.
On the problem of getting accurate figures on greenhouse gas
emissions. "Relying on self-reported emissions and paper audits 'seems
to be asking for misdeclaration or even fraud, at all levels from local
emitter to great nation,' says geologist Euan Nisbet at the University
of London, who heads the European Union's methane monitoring program."
"Consider sulfur hexafluoride . . . . They calculate emissions using
information on how much SF6 manufacturers sell to customers and
estimates of how much escapes to the atmosphere from devices or
production facilities. If you believe the reports, emissions of SF6 are
declining. The reports are wrong. When researchers actually measure the
chemical in the air, they find it in quantities more than three times
greater than what the reported amounts would indicate—and levels are
increasing, not declining." Other examples and discussion. From
BusinessWeek.
Business comes to terms with a disappointing
[Copenhagen] outcome.—reliability high.
"Many [business leaders] shrug off events in Copenhagen on the grounds
that national, regional and local regulations are the main drivers of
clean-tech investment, not international deals. Paul Holland of
Foundation Capital, a venture firm, points out that many municipalities
in America have promised to reduce carbon emissions to 1990 levels.
This is driving strong demand for smart grids, green building materials
and the like. Many states have green initiatives too." But some
observers see a slowing of momentum for greening companies and green
investment. From
The Economist.
Companies,
Industries, Markets and Supply Chains
VC Investment in Greentech Approaches $5B in
2009.—reliability high.
"VC investment in green technologies totaled $4.85 billion in 356
deals in 2009, down from 2008's $7.6 billion, though the number of
deals in 2009 exceeded the previous year" "According to data from GTM
Research, solar power was once again the leading investment segment at
more than $1.4 billion in 84 deals followed by biofuels at $976 million
in 44 rounds. Investment in smart grid, energy storage and automotive
technologies gained momentum along with wind, water and lighting
technologies. 'Water has finally made it onto venture capital radar
screens with more than $130 million invested in 33 deals,' the firm
noted." Lists some notable deals. "Also noteworthy was the increasingly
global nature of greentech investment during 2009. Approximately
one-fifth of greentech deals came from outside the United States, many
from the U.K. and France." From
GreenBiz.
Fact Sheet: Are You Ready for the Lacey Act?—reliability
high.
Highlights of the Lacy Act which prohibits commerce in illegally
sourced plants and their products—including timber, wood, and paper
products. "the Lacey Act sets a precedent for the global trade in
plants and plant products, acknowledging and supporting the efforts of
other countries to govern their own natural resources and putting in
place powerful incentives for companies trading in these commodities to
do the same." See
WRI site. PDF of fact sheet here.
[Every business
uses paper and plant-based packaging materials, so every business needs
to be sure it is in compliance. Does the Act also apply to most
biofuels?]
Lightspeed's 2010 Cleantech Predictions.—reliability
medium.
Peter Nieh of VC firm Lightspeed shares his four major predictions for
the cleantech sector for 2010. See
Renewable Energy World.
Government and
Regulation
U.S. states strive to regulate shale gas
industry.—reliability high.
"As U.S. energy companies scramble to mine natural gas from shale
deposits, state regulators are struggling to keep pace amid criticism
that they lack the resources to enforce environmental laws." Many
homeowners, farmers and others complain that state agencies are
favoring energy companies rather than responding to pollution problems.
From
Reuters.
[Crossposted from HaraBara.com courtesy of HaraBara, Inc. Copyright © 2009 HaraBara, Inc.]