APO Research

One year after the Garnaut Climate Change Review
21 September, 2009 The emissions trading scheme should be passed into law quickly and with no further distortion, argues Ross Garnaut in East Asia Forum

Emissions trading - has it worked?
Leslie Nielson Parliamentary Library21 September, 2009 This background note looks at whether programs such as the proposed Australian Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme (CPRS) have been successful in reducing greenhouse gases emissions in areas where they have been implemented.

Powerful choices: transition to a biofuel economy in Australia
Barney Foran Triple Helix Consulting21 September, 2009 This paper summarises the findings of eight years' research into the implications of a transition to a biofuel economy using woody biomass feedstocks for second-generation biofuels.

Environmental sustainability in residential housing
Kelly S. Fielding Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute21 September, 2009 This positioning paper addresses the attitudes and behaviour towards waste, water, and energy consumption and conservation among Australian households.

Great Barrier Reef outlook report 2009
Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority22 September, 2009 The first in a series, this report provides an overview of the past and present condition of the environmental, economic and social values of the Great Barrier Reef and presents its possible future.

Towards climate safe homes: The case for zero emissions and water saving homes and neighbourhoods
Australian Conservation Foundation, Environment Victoria, the Alternative Technology Association, Friends of the Earth and the Moreland Energy Foundation23 September, 2009 With the right government support and with efforts to fast-track stronger environmental building standards, Australian homes and neighbourhoods could be emissions free and water efficient by 2020, according to this report.

Renewables a cottage industry - Nuclear science boss
Ford Aust drops Focus sedan locally but to go greener
Aquaflow, Solray join up in bid to turn algae into biofuel
Castlemaine shows businesses how to cut emissions
Power plant claims it attains 90 percent carbon capture

Rules for Fuels: Biofuels and Climate Change Impacts
As biofuel production ramps up, counting all the associated greenhouse gas impacts is critical to good energy and climate policy.
Below is an interview with WRI economist and biofuels expert Liz Marshall.

Support for new biofuels technology

The Minister for Resources and Energy, Martin Ferguson AM MP, has launched the Australian Government's $15 million Second Generation Biofuels Research and Development Program.

Businesses and institutions researching second generation biofuels are now able to apply for grants of between $1 million and $5 million. Second generation biofuels use fuel stocks such as biomass and algae (rather than grain or other livestock feed) and will allow the industry to move beyond the 'food versus fuel' debate.

Green oil by 2020

World's leading publicly-funded R&D algae project launched to make new sustainable biofuel a commercial reality

World Food Day: Climate Change and Biofuels

By Laura Lee Dooley on food

"World Food Security: the Challenges of Climate Change and Bioenergy" is the theme for World Food Day this year on October 16, 2008.

The cost of food has been rising steadily since 2000. This year's skyrocketing world food prices for cereals, vegetable oils and dairy products---up almost 50% since last year---triggered riots across the developing world.

For many of the 1.1 billion people living on less than $1 a day, higher food prices seriously threaten the food security of those already living on the edge of hunger and poverty.

The world's food supply is now facing dual threats posed by climate change and the boom in biofuels ---liquids produced from plant matter that can substitute for gasoline or diesel fuel.

Biofuel Support Policies: An Economic Assessment

Governments in many OECD countries, as well as in a number of countries outside the OECD area, actively promote the production and use of alternative transport fuels made from agricultural commodities. This report, jointly produced by the OECD and the IEA and drawing on information from a number of other organisations, analyses the implications of this support from various perspectives. The report shows that the high level of policy support contributes little to reduced greenhouse-gas emissions and other policy objectives, while it adds to a range of factors that raise international prices for food commodities. It concludes that there are alternatives to current support policies for biofuels that would more effectively allow governments to achieve their objectives.

Government urged to ditch biofuel subsidies

By author@nospam.vnunet.com (James Murray) on climate-change

James Murray, BusinessGreen, Wednesday 27 August 2008 at 15:11:00

Think tank argues investment in forestry protection offers more cost effective and credible means of cutting emissions

Projects designed to halt deforestation and peatland destruction represent a far more cost effective means of cutting carbon emissions than biofuel subsidies and should play a greater role in the...

Sustainable biofuel standards released

By BusinessGreen.com Staff on News

BusinessGreen.com Staff, BusinessGreen, Thursday 14 August 2008 at 12:04:00

Draft document sets out 12 rules biofuels must adhere to

International standards for guaranteeing that biofuels originate from environmentally sustainable sources moved a step closer yesterday after the Roundtable on Sustainable Biofuels (RSB) released draft guidelines....

Biofuel green credentials: DEBUNKED

A new report from the UK Renewable Fuels Agency admits that only 19 percent of biofuels meet environmental standards...

Australia should strive for energy diversity:GM strategist

13/8/08:

Australia should look to emerging technologies including solar power and biomass fuels to run the cars of the future, a General Motors strategist says.

Diversification of fuel sources is the key to lessening Australia's reliance on petrol imports, says GM vice president Larry Burns.

Achieving sustainability of the energy sector in Canada

Achieving sustainability of the energy sector in Canada
Energy represents a major sustainable-development challenge for Canada. In the short term, labour shortages and infrastructure bottlenecks are likely to hinder energy developments and need to be addressed.In addition, provincial fiscal management could be improved by adopting prudent allocation and withdrawal rules of revenues from non-renewable resources to and from a long-term fund. Eventually the main challenge will be to curb greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs), despite the rapid expansion of high emitting sectors. The effectiveness of environmental policies could be enhanced by better federal-provincial coordination. Efforts should be concentrated on designing and implementing an missions-trading scheme compatible with corresponding systems abroad. Finally, effective and efficient systems of regulation and taxation are essential to facilitate the timely realisation of energy supply plans.

OECD’s Economic Assessment of Biofuel Support Policies

Biofuel policies in OECD countries costly and ineffective, says report
16/07/2008 - Government support of biofuel production in OECD countries is costly, has a limited impact on reducing greenhouse gases and improving energy security, and has a significant impact on world crop prices, according to a new study of policies to promote greater production and use of biofuel in OECD countries.

ACHIEVING SUSTAINABILITY OF THE ENERGY SECTOR IN CANADA

ECONOMICS DEPARTMENT WORKING PAPER No. 618
By
Annabelle Mourougane

Energy represents a major sustainable-development challenge for Canada. In the short term, labour
shortages and infrastructure bottlenecks are likely to hinder energy developments and need to be addressed.
In addition, provincial fiscal management could be improved by adopting prudent allocation and
withdrawal rules of revenues from non-renewable resources to and from a long-term fund. Eventually the
main challenge will be to curb greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs), despite the rapid expansion of high
emitting sectors. The effectiveness of environmental policies could be enhanced by better
federal-provincial coordination. Efforts should be concentrated on designing and implementing an
emissions-trading scheme compatible with corresponding systems abroad. Finally, effective and efficient
systems of regulation and taxation are essential to facilitate the timely realisation of energy supply plans.