Energy and Environment News Roundup – 9.24.14
A daily roundup of the most important energy, environment, and climate news from around the world.
UN CLIMATE SUMMIT
Here’s what major nations pledged at the UN climate summit (via National Journal)
Fortune 500 companies take center stage at UN climate summit (via Fortune)
Obama: U.S., China must lead on climate change efforts (via Wall Street Journal)
China, U.S. make treaty pledges during climate summit (via Climate Central)
UN climate summit pledges to halt loss of natural forest by 2030 (via The Guardian)
Major firms pledge climate change disclosure as “fiduciary duty” (via Environmental Leader)
COAL
India’s top court scraps nearly all coal blocks allocated since 1993 (via Reuters)
Coal mogul Murray says more bankruptcies possible (via Houston Chronicle)
RENEWABLES
Kazakhstan mulls 713MW new solar PV capacity by 2020 (via Renewable Energy World)
Mexico’s solar energy revolution (via The Energy Collective)
Brazil free market “could add 1.3GW new wind capacity (via Recharge News)
Santander tops green bank list as Europe’s lenders surge (via Bloomberg)
IKEA, Swiss Re, Marks, H&M go all-in on renewables (via GreenBiz)
Investors anxious and ready to grow green bond market (via Sustainable Business)
DOE report: U.S. wind has come far but faces challenges (via Energy Manager Today)
Feds draft renewable energy plan for California desert (via The Hill)
Developers plan $8 billion renewable energy project for Los Angeles (via Bloomberg)
Siemens unveils 3.3MW onshore wind turbine (via Recharge News)
SolarCity seeking $500 million in fourth panel-backed bond offer (via Bloomberg)
SolarCity strikes deal with New York for solar manufacturing plant (via Greentech Media)
CLIMATE
New analysis shows global exposure to sea level rise (via Climate Central)
Report: Little climate aid for poor countries could threaten global treaty (via The Hill)
Climate change puts out the welcome mat for invasive species (via Grist)
New executive order: U.S. must consider climate change when helping other countries (via Climate Progress)
Houston takes lead with climate plan (via Houston Chronicle)
NATURAL GAS
EU plans for Iran gas imports if sanctions lifted (via Reuters)
Panel: Don’t expect high natural gas prices any time soon (via Houston Chronicle)
Pennsylvania natural gas leaks among worst in U.S. (via Houston Chronicle)
EMISSIONS
Record year for fossil fuel emissions pushes carbon budget to brink (via The Guardian)
European Union to cut emissions 80% by 2050 (via The Hill)
China targets emissions peak “as soon as possible” (via BusinessGreen)
Hong Kong seeks to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 50% (via Bloomberg)
Cities may reduce carbon emissions 8 gigatons by 2050 (via Bloomberg)
Quebec, California seeking to boost size of carbon market (via Bloomberg)
Analysts, states bullish on success of clean power plan (via Climate Central)
Brown says global lead on zero emissions beating forecast (via Bloomberg)
Rockefellers pledge to ditch fossil fuel assets (via GreenBiz)
OIL
Delta: oil exports would prompt refinery closures (via Houston Chronicle)
TRANSPORTATION
BIO says EPA inaction on RFS rule causing increase in emissions (via Green Car Congress)
An electric power plant on the roof of your car? (via Los Angeles Times)
Rapid charging EV batteries: Less damaging than we thought? (via Green Car Reports)
Even without Tesla, EV batteries can help California (via Phys.org)
NUCLEAR
Japan won’t restart nuclear plants unless safety is restored (via Reuters)
GRID
North America’s biggest battery gets unveiled today (via Greentech Media)
America’s grid has a baby boomer social security problem (via RMI Outlet)
New York grid operator takes a close look at distributed energy (via Renew Grid)
Can batteries replace coal plants? (via Chicago Tribune)
ENERGY EFFICIENCY
3,000 NYC buildings to get energy retrofits (via Energy Manager Today)
GREEN BUSINESS
Sustainable corporations perform better financially, finds report (via The Guardian)
Companies are taking the baton in climate change efforts (via New York Times)
ENVIRONMENT
No drought relief in U.S. West without deep mountain snow (via Bloomberg)
OPINION
All over the planet, countries are completely missing their emissions targets (via Washington Post)
What good is a climate summit without emissions cuts? (via Washington Post)
Analyzing outcomes from the UN climate summit (via WRI Insights)
Tough slog ahead to fulfill UN climate summit promises (via Bloomberg)
Obama is pushing climate-change resilience, but he’s not promising new carbon cuts (via National Journal)
How to explain climate change so Congress can actually understand (via National Journal)
How does the People’s Climate March stack up against the largest protest rallies in U.S. history? (via The Energy Collective)
How to tap the medium-scale clean energy market (via Clean Energy Finance Forum)