Policy & Regulatory China plans to launch its national ETS in February 2021 7 Jan 2021 China plans to launch its national emissions trading scheme (ETS) in February 2021. Under the new rules, more than 2,200 companies above a cut-off point of 26,000 tCO2eq/year of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, equivalent to a…
Policy & Regulatory Ethiopia’s updated NDC targets 12% GHG emissions cut by 2030 6 Jan 2021 Ethiopia has updated its Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The country is committing to reduce economy-wide greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 12.4% in 2030 compared to a…
Policy & Regulatory Argentina unveils its 2nd nationally determined contribution 5 Jan 2021 The government of Argentina has updated its nationally determined contribution (NDC). The country has pledged not to exceed net greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of 359 MtCO2eq by 2030, which represents a total decrease in emissions of 19% by…
Policy & Regulatory UK-EU Brexit trade deal allows unchanged access to EU energy market 4 Jan 2021 The UK government has concluded a post-Brexit trade deal with the European Union. The energy part of the new agreement allows the country virtually unchanged access to the EU electricity and gas market,…
Policy & Regulatory Greece approves 2.8 GW of renewable energy projects 28 Dec 2020 The Greek Ministerial Committee for Strategic Investments has approved four renewable energy projects with a combined capacity of 2.8 GW and requiring an investment of over €2bn. Egnatia Group will invest €888m to develop 1.5 GW of solar…
Policy & Regulatory China plans to lift restrictions on foreign investment in energy sector 23 Dec 2020 The Chinese State Council Information Office has released a white paper on the country’s energy development and major policies and measures for energy reform, which plans to lift foreign investment restriction on coal,…
Policy & Regulatory Peru’s updated NDC targets 30% GHG emissions cut by 2030 22 Dec 2020 The government of Peru has updated its Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC). The country pledges to limit its greenhouse gas (GH) emissions to 208.8 MtCO2eq in 2030, which represents a non-conditional reduction of 30% compared to…
Policy & Regulatory The EU sets annual emissions limits for non-ETS sectors over 2021-2030 21 Dec 2020 The European Commission has set out the annual emission allocations (AEAs) for 2021-2030, under the Effort Sharing Regulation (ESR). The ESR sets binding annual greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions targets for Member States for 2030, which…
Policy & Regulatory Germany amends its EEG 2021 to support 2030 targets 18 Dec 2020 The Bundestag has passed the amendment to the Renewable Energy Sources Act (EEG 2021), which intends to raise the share of renewable energies in gross electricity consumption to 65% by 2030. In addition, the amendment…
Policy & Regulatory The EU plans to exclude oil and gas projects from infrastructure funding 17 Dec 2020 The European Commission has proposed to revise TEN-E Regulation, which governs cross-border energy infrastructure planning and help implement projects of common interest (PCIs), to focus on the upgraded 2030 climate and energy…
Policy & Regulatory European Commission approves €30bn SDE++ Dutch renewable support scheme 16 Dec 2020 The European Commission has approved, under EU State aid rules, the €30bn Stimulering Duurzame Energieproductie ("SDE++") scheme to support projects to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the Netherlands. The scheme, which will run until 2025, will…
Policy & Regulatory China unveils new carbon intensity target by 2030 15 Dec 2020 China has pledged to lower its carbon intensity (i.e. CO2 emissions per unit of GDP) by more than 65% by 2030 from 2005 levels, compared to a previous target of reducing its carbon intensity by 60-65% by…
Upcoming webinar – Energy and Climate Challenges: closing 2020 and key 2021 issues – 17th & 18th December 2020 – Enerdata and Climate Transparency As countries gradually revise their NDCs to target more ambitious emissions reductions, Enerdata and Climate Transparency analyse current mitigation trajectories, and how the current Covid19 pandemic…
Policy & Regulatory The European Council approves GHG emissions cut by at least 55% in 2030 14 Dec 2020 The European Council has endorsed a binding EU target of a net reduction of at least 55% in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2030 compared to 1990, which would put the regional…
Policy & Regulatory Brazil pledges to achieve carbon neutrality by 2060 11 Dec 2020 Brazil, which has updated its Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC), aims to reach carbon neutrality by 2060. The new target could be brought forward if developed countries transfer US$10bn/year to Brazilian projects starting in 2021, through the…
Policy & Regulatory UK Ofgem unveils a €44bn green investment plan for 2021-2026 10 Dec 2020 The UK energy regulator has approved a £40bn (€44.3bn) investment plan for 2021-2026, which seeks to improve the country’s gas and electricity transmission and distribution infrastructure and to deliver emissions-free green energy. Compared to a…
Policy & Regulatory Australia will not use Kyoto GHG emissions credits to meet 2030 target 9 Dec 2020 Australia has abandoned its plan to use Kyoto carryover credit to achieve its remissions reduction targets. The country received carryover credits as Australia exceeded its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction target for the…
Policy & Regulatory France plans to auction a 1 GW offshore wind project in 2022 8 Dec 2020 The French government has selected an area located 32 km off the coast of Cotentin (Normandy) to build a 1 GW offshore wind project. The tender is scheduled in 2022. The government’s current multi-year energy…
Policy & Regulatory The UK’s updated NDC targets 68% GHG emissions cut by 2030 7 Dec 2020 The UK government has updated its Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC). The country aims to reduce its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 68% by 2030, compared to 1990 levels, compared to a previous NDC target…
Policy & Regulatory Kenya selects KenGen to complete the 465 MW Menengai geothermal project 4 Dec 2020 Kenya has dropped independent power producers (IPPs) as partners to develop the second and third phases of the 465 MW Menengai geothermal project, located about 185 km northwest of capital city Nairobi. The first phase of…
Policy & Regulatory Japan will boost investment in renewables to tackle climate change 3 Dec 2020 As part of its growth strategy, Japan will ramp up investment in technologies to tackle climate change, such as renewable energy, hydrogen fuel and carbon recycling. The plan targets 30 GW of offshore wind capacity…
Policy & Regulatory Colombia’s updated NDC targets 51% GHG emissions cut by 2030 30 Nov 2020 The government of Colombia has updated its Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC). The country aims to reduce its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 51% by 2030. In its first NDC, the country pledged to cut GHG…
Policy & Regulatory India’s SECI awards 1 GW of solar capacity at a record low tariff 26 Nov 2020 The Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI), which is a fully owned subsidiary of the Ministry of New and Renewables Energy of India, has announced the results of a July 2020…
Policy & Regulatory UK issues amendments to the Contracts for Difference (CfD) scheme 25 Nov 2020 The government of the United Kingdom has issued amendments to the Contracts for Difference (CfD) scheme for the fourth Allocation Round (AR4) planned for late 2021, as a result of a public consultation issued in March 2020. The CfD…
Policy & Regulatory South Africa launches a public consultation on 2.5 GW nuclear procurement 24 Nov 2020 The National Energy Regulator of South Africa (NERSA) has launched a public consultation on a government plan to procure 2,500 MW of additional nuclear capacity to come online in South Africa after 2030. Read more…
Policy & Regulatory Canada unveils a new climate plan, targeting net-zero emissions by 2050 23 Nov 2020 The Canadian government has unveiled a new plan to reach net-zero emissions by 2050. The new regulation would force the federal government to create interim emissions reduction targets every five years until 2050….
Policy & Regulatory The EU unveils its offshore wind strategy, targeting 60 GW by 2030 20 Nov 2020 The European Commission has unveiled the EU Strategy on Offshore Renewable Energy, which proposes to increase the EU’s offshore wind capacity to at least 60 GW by 2030 and to 300 GW by 2050….
Policy & Regulatory The US administration aims to fast-track oil and gas lease in Alaska 18 Nov 2020 The US authorities have launched a 30-day consultation on lease tracts within the Coastal Plain (CP) of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska (United States) that may be offered for lease in the…
Policy & Regulatory The French National Assembly approves FiT cuts for 3.6 GW of PV projects 17 Nov 2020 The French National Assembly has approved a retroactive cut in feed-in tariffs (FiTs) granted to large photovoltaic (PV) projects – with capacities exceeding 250 kW – between 2006 and 2010, considering that those tariffs…
Volume 5 Issue 11, November 2020 Spend time outdoors Outdoor testing is key to the electrical characterization of solar cells as their performance in the field could differ to that under laboratory conditions. After extensive tests in a hot and sunny climate, Aydin et al. show that the bandgap of…