Page 11 - Gi March 2019 - Flipbook

international news

AROUND THE WORLD CHINA’S GREENHOUSE GAS

GERMANY EMISSIONS RISING, DESPITE
It is thought German plans to phase
out coal by 2038 will boost demand
for Norwegian gas. CLIMATE PUSH
Germany should shut all its
coal-fired power plants by 2038 at
the latest to help to meet carbon
emissions targets, a government-
appointed commission has said,
paving the way for the expansion of
renewables and gas-fired plants.
UNITED STATES
Energy companies are flooding
Europe with US natural gas,
establishing a foothold in a market
dominated by Russia and seen as a
key battleground in Washington’s
efforts to curb Moscow’s energy CHINA IS STRUGGLING TO GET
influence. EMISSIONS UNDER CONTROL
Europe is now the top buyer of
US LNG after a near fivefold spike CHINESE METHANE emissions are to the Global Carbon Project.
in sales to the continent this winter, rising at an alarming rate despite recent In 2010, the Chinese government
overtaking South Korea and Mexico, government regulations aimed at enacted a series of new polices
Reuters analysis shows. curbing the climate-changing pollutant, requiring methane from coal mining
a new report has revealed. to be captured, or to be converted
CHINA A study released in the journal into carbon dioxide.
China is the Nature shows a steady growth in But scientists found that the policies
world’s largest China’s methane emissions, primarily had failed to curb overall emissions.
producer and from the country’s massive coal Using data from Japanese satellites,
consumer mining sector, undermining Beijing’s the study found China’s annual
of coal, but claims to be leading the world on methane emissions increased by 50
the country’s climate change action. per cent for at least five years after
continued “Methane emissions in China appear government regulations were passed
reliance on the to be increasing, business as usual. We in 2010. The jump is equivalent to the
fossil fuel has were unable to detect any impact of total emissions of other large nations
come under regulations on the country’s methane such as Russia and Brazil.
increased scrutiny in recent years. emissions,” the report’s lead researcher “China has had great ambitions for
President Xi Jinping has placed a Scot M Miller told CNN. capturing that methane and using it
huge emphasis on tackling pollution China is among the world’s largest for electricity production or heating
and greenhouse gas emissions in his emitters of methane. While methane buildings, but what we found is that
second term in office, making it one is less prevalent in the earth’s there’s little evidence that they’ve been
of his “three battles” in 2017. atmosphere than carbon dioxide, it able to meet those ambitions,” Miller
traps “28 times more heat” according told CNN.

NEW EPA POLICY WOULD OFFER ALTERNATIVE TO
PENALTIES FOR SOME OIL, GAS POLLUTERS

THE ENVIRONMENTAL Protection new company owners who choose to
Agency’s (EPA) office of enforcement’s self-audit their emissions and report
finalised audit policy will offer any failures to meet EPA’s regulations,
significant new penalty reductions for according to the December draft
the oil and gas industry, according to memos.
internal memos obtained by The Hill. The policy was originally slated to
The New Owner Clean Air Act be rolled out in late December but was
Audit Program, tailored specifically delayed due to the partial government
for oil and natural gas producers, will shutdown, according to an EPA source
focus on offering more flexibility to with knowledge. THE EPA LOOSENS REGULATION
FOR OIL AND GAS COMPANIES

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News.indd 6 14/02/2019 12:51