Tag Archives: memorandum
California And Australia Bolster Carbon Trading Ties
Memorandum of understanding comes weeks after Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd pledged to accelerate introduction of emissions trading scheme By Jessica Shankleman 31 Jul 2013 California and Australia have agreed to step up efforts to work together to link their respective carbon markets, just weeks after Australia’s prime minister announced he would accelerate plans to replace the country’s carbon tax with an emissions trading scheme. California’s Air Resources Board and Australia’s Clean Energy Regulator yesterday signed a memorandum of understanding that aims to establish a working relationship for the two organisations to co-operate on efforts to curb greenhouse gas emissions . The agreement builds on existing work over the last year, which has seen the two organisations share some of the practical experiences gained introducing a new carbon market. The new framework focuses on measures to increase investment in clean energy generation and improve market integrity, as well deepening collaboration between the two agencies. For example, it will allow the organisations to share information on designing and running carbon pricing programmes and discuss how they could link their markets in future . Mary Nichols, chairwoman of CARB, said the agreement would continue California and Australia’s “productive relationship” as both jurisdictions seek to expand their carbon markets. “It is another step forward in California’s efforts to establish relationships with other programs to continue sharing information and best practices to fight the global danger of climate change,” she said. The agreement comes just weeks after Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said Australia would replace its carbon tax with an emissions trading scheme (ETS) a year earlier than planned if his Labor party were to win this year’s election. Rudd wants the fixed price on carbon to end on 30 June 2014, rather than 2015, with a floating market linked to the European Union’s ETS opening the following day. Continue reading
Malaysia Eyes Region’s First Commercial Biomass-Ethanol Plant
http://www.thestar.c…0&h=413&crop=1 BINTULU: Malaysia may set up the first commercial-scale biomass ethanol plant in the region, following a memorandum of understanding to conduct a detailed feasibility study was signed between a consortium led by the Bintulu-based Hock Lee Group and international bio-tech company Beta Renewables. Agensi Inovasi Malaysia, which announced the agreement, said the development was in line with the government’s vision for biomass owners to be involved in downstream high-value activities through forging smart partnerships, rather than selling their biomass resources as a commodity. The feasibility study came about as a result of the National Biomass Strategy 2020 initiatives by Agensi Inovasi Malaysia (AIM), which wants to position the country as the region’s leader in biomass-based downstream activities. The expectation is that the plant – should it materialise – will be a catalyst for a biomass-based industry cluster with a wide range of new industries like bio-fuels, bio-energy and bio-chemicals. “Such a cluster is expected to increase the state’s GDP as well as create high-value jobs by attracting high-value partnerships with local companies that will also benefit local SMEs, smallholders and local communities,” AIM said. According to the agency, it was working closely with the Sarawak Yek Siew Liong while Beta Renewables was represented by its business development director for Asia Pacific, Peirlugi Picciotti. The Hock Lee Group is a private Bintulu-based corporation with interests in property development and hospitality, and also owns the Xcel petrol retail chain in Sarawak, while Beta Renewables is an Italian-Danish-American joint venture that owns the patented PROESA technology for the conversion of non-food cellulosic biomass into ethanol. Last year, Beta Renewables successfully completed the commissioning and start-up of the world’s first commercial scale (60,000 tons of ethanol capacity) biomass-to-ethanol plant in Crescentino, Italy. Continue reading
