CARBON-BALANCE

The latest report on the Voluntary Carbon Market is out with some encouraging conclusions and findings. This report provides invaluable information on developments in the Carbon Market outside the various sanctioned and regulated carbon markets. Some key findings: Over the past several years, these markets have not only become an opportunity for citizen consumer action, but also an alternative source of carbon finance and an incubator for carbon market innovation The formation of coalitions to encourage self-regulation; and increased market transparency. The voluntary carbon markets, like any other commodity market, were not immune to the over-arching forces of the economy and regulatory developments. In 2008 the CCX overtook the OTC market in terms of tracked volume, it also overtook the OTC market in terms of growth. CCX trades tripled in 2008 (202%), whereas the OTC market grew by 26%—a clear break from the trend in 2007, when the OTC market tripled, while the CCX only doubled. The...

How can we interpret the news that the US and China have been discussing emissions reductions over secret meeting for a few months now. As the Guardian has been reporting: A high-powered group of senior Republicans and Democrats led two missions to China in the final months of the Bush administration for secret backchannel negotiations aimed at securing a deal on joint US-Chinese action on climate change, the Guardian has learned. The initiative, involving John Holdren, now the White House science adviser, and others who went on to positions in Barack Obama's administration, produced a draft agreement in March, barely two months after the Democrat assumed the presidency...The two sides began discussing ways to break through the impasse, including the possibility that China would agree to voluntary – but verifiable – reductions of greenhouse gas emissions. China has rejected the possibility of cuts as it sees that as a risk to its continued economic growth, deemed essential to li...

Waxman, Markey Announce Breakthrough on Climate Change Bill: Democrats on the House Energy and Commerce Committee have reached a deal on the most contentious aspects of cap-and-trade legislation for carbon emissions and plan to unveil the bill on Thursday, Chairman Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) said Tuesday night. “We have resolved a good number of the issues,” Waxman said after a meeting with committee Democrats, adding that the bill remains on track to clear his panel next week. Opening statements are planned for Thursday with a marathon markup beginning on Monday.

As one of the leading members of Caricom and the one with arguably the most diversified resource base it is encouraging to highligght the position Guyana has taken and expressed on the issue of deforestation , climate change and carbon Finance. Head of State Bharrat Jagdeo delivered the feature address at the Forest Carbon Finance Summit 2009 where he highlighted Guyana’s position on avoided deforestation. Avoided Deforestation is now touted as a concept where countries are paid to prevent deforestation that would otherwise occur. He said that country can play a critical part in helping to outline a successor Agreement to the Kyoto Protocol in time for the December 2009 Copenhagen Climate Conference. While acknowledging that developed countries need to have strong political will and dedication to addressing the climate issue, the Guyanese leader also pointed out the responsibility of developing countries as part of the solution, using forests as a cost effective abatement solut...

Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd's announcement that the country’s cap-and-trade program will to be delayed a year and will not roll out until July 2011 comes as no surprise to those who have been following the debate down-under. I Rudd's words "I believe (this) is the most sensible, rational, balanced response to a fundamental change in economic circumstances." Are the adverse economic condition solely be be blamed or has conservative politics won the debate?

Continuing on the topic of Alternative Energy and the potential of Solar Energy. An earlier Reuters report of an Israeli company wanting to prove it doesn't need constant sunshine for a solar power plant to make non-stop electricity to power off-grid communities.

Continuing on the subject of Pig Waste it appears that Pig farmers in Sweden are trialing a new network to sell the combustible gasses emitted by their fertilizer, raising cash and helping the environment according to a Reuters report:

We have yet to reach the limits of the ways and things to recycle. Pig waste has lots of potential. Half of what pigs consume is returned as waste which consist of among other things a host of toxic substances: ammonia, methane, hydrogen sulfide, carbon monoxide, cyanide, phosphorous, nitrates. Not surpising then that we are slowly but surely finding ways to use this waste in beneficial ways: Berrybank Piggery Duckweed Turns Pig Waste Into Ethanol! Maybe the Simplest Way To Produce Alternative Bio-Fuels Living with Livestock: Dealing with Pig Waste in the Philippines Here is a typical flow chart for extracting the benefits from Pig Waste !

An analysis of the scope (sectoral) distribution of registered CDM projects tells a fascinating story. As of 2009 almost 60% of these projects were in energy related industries. Less than one half of 1% was is Forestation related projects. One reason for the sectoral bias is the relative role of the energy sector in carbon emissions and by extension its resulting demand for carbon credits. From the perspective of charting a course forward for the CDM, the present sectoral distribution provides strong evidence in support of the need for more Forestation delated CDM projects.