New Zealand has raised a huge wave of opposition against the government's imposition of agricultural carbon emission tax
EU proposes to strictly legislate against air and water pollution
Saudi Arabia, Greece and France discuss energy cooperation
GFANZ dropped its requirement for members' commitment to Race to Zero
Portugal sells green bonds
Apple aims to achieve carbon neutrality in the global supply chain by 2030
Two renewable energy projects invested by Amazon in China have been put into use
BMW's lithium supplier plans to go to the US for backdoor listing with a valuation of nearly US $1 billion
Boston Consulting Group: Survey finds very few companies can measure their greenhouse gas emissions
Dubai Islamic Bank sets up Green financing framework
Norfund, BII and finfund invested $200 million in the African Forestry Fund
Weilai set up a new company with 2 billion yuan to lay out battery manufacturing
New Zealand has raised a huge wave of opposition against the government's imposition of agricultural carbon emission tax
New Zealand's plan to levy a carbon tax on agriculture has attracted a huge wave of opposition. On Thursday (October 20, local time), a large number of New Zealand farmers gathered in urban centers across the country, driving tractors and pickup trucks, holding slogans to protest against the government's tax plan.
New Zealand government has adopted the proposal of He Waka Eke Noa, a social organization. According to the plan, from 2025, farmers in the country will need to pay for carbon emissions (methane, carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide) from their farms. This proposal is currently being solicited for comments. The consultation will last until November 18. If it is approved, it is expected to be signed into law in early 2023.
EU proposes to strictly legislate against air and water pollution
On October 26, the European Commission adopted a number of proposals, suggesting that stricter regulations should be formulated to control air and water pollution and strive to achieve zero pollution by 2050. The European Commission issued a communiqu é on the same day, saying that air and water pollution will harm health, economy and the environment, while implementing stricter regulations can bring significant returns on investment. The EU should take concerted action to better solve the pollution problem at the source. The proposal will be considered by the European Parliament and the Council in accordance with the ordinary legislative process. Once the proposal is adopted, it will gradually become effective according to the set time target.
Saudi Arabia, Greece and France discuss energy cooperation
Saudi Arabia News Agency reported on October 27 that Saudi Energy Minister Abdul Aziz bin Salman held video conferences with Greek and French energy ministers to discuss renewable energy cooperation and other topics.
Abdul Aziz and Greek Energy Minister Costas Screcas discussed the cooperation between the two countries in the field of renewable energy and the export of clean energy to Greece and other European countries by promoting the power interconnection between the two countries. The two sides stressed the importance of hydrogen energy and discussed the "best way" for Saudi Arabia to transport hydrogen energy to Europe through Greece.
Abdul Aziz also discussed the cooperation between the two countries in the field of renewable energy in a video conference with French Minister of Energy Transition Agnes Panier Rinacher. "
GFANZ dropped its requirement for members' commitment to Race to Zero
The Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero (GFANZ) is a United Nations-backed alliance of climate-focused financial institutions. On October 28th it said it would no longer require its signatories to commit to the UN's "Race to Zero" climate campaign.
The Race to Zero campaign aims to cut global emissions in half by 2030 and achieve zero carbon emissions by 2050.
Launched in April 2021, GFANZ brings together several leading zero-carbon groups representing the financial industry, including asset owners and managers, banks, insurance companies, investment advisers, service providers, and investors. The initiative has grown rapidly, reaching more than 450 companies worldwide.
A spokesman for GFANZ said that "GFANZ members will now be encouraged, but not required, to join the Race to Zero campaign ".
Portugal sells green bonds
The Portuguese government is exploring to sell green bonds and has identified about half of the expenditures it could finance. The government has not made a formal commitment to issuing green bonds, but has asked ministries to report on any projects that could be financed through green bonds.
Many European countries, from Germany to Italy, have issued green bonds in recent years to fund a range of environmentally beneficial projects, from clean transport to renewable energy.
Apple aims to achieve carbon neutrality in the global supply chain by 2030
Apple issued a statement on October 25, calling on its global supply chain to address greenhouse gas emissions and take comprehensive measures to achieve decarbonization by 2030. The statement pointed out that Apple will accelerate its cooperation with suppliers to achieve decarbonization of related production and expand investment in clean energy and climate solutions worldwide. The statement mentioned that more than 200 suppliers, which account for more than 70% of Apple's direct manufacturing expenditure, have promised to use clean energy such as wind or solar energy in all Apple related production. The major manufacturing partners of Apple, such as Corning Corporation, Nitto Electric, SK Hynix, Italy France Semiconductor, TSMC and Yutong Technology (002831), have committed to using 100% renewable energy to power all Apple related production. According to the statement, Apple also plans to promote the construction of large-scale solar and wind energy projects in Europe, with a project scale of 30 to 300 MW, adding 3000 GWh of renewable energy to the power grid every year.
Two renewable energy projects invested by Amazon in China have been put into use
On October 26, it was announced that the first batch of renewable energy projects supported by Amazon in China, Shandong Solar Power Plant and Qian'an Wind Power Plant, had been officially put into operation. The total installed capacity of these two projects can reach 200 megawatts (MW), and it is estimated that 496000 megawatt hours (MWh) of clean energy can be generated each year, equivalent to the electricity consumption of 250000 ordinary Chinese households. Zhang Wenyi, global vice president of Amazon and executive director of Amazon Cloud Technology in Greater China, said that Amazon would support local customers and partners to create and practice green solutions by providing extensive and in-depth cloud services to help them achieve their sustainable development goals.
BMW's lithium supplier plans to go to the US for backdoor listing with a valuation of nearly US $1 billion
Recently, a subsidiary of Europe Lithium Ltd., a BMW lithium supplier and an Australian mining company, will go to the United States to be listed through SPAC. The transaction may be completed in the first half of 2023. European lithium company has a key lithium mine in Wolfsberg, Austria, which is the first licensed lithium mine in Europe and is expected to become the first major source of battery grade lithium concentrate in Europe, and can support the production of about 200000 electric vehicles every year.
Boston Consulting Group: Survey finds very few companies can measure their greenhouse gas emissions
The survey was conducted in 2022 and led by Boston Consulting Group (BCG). It selected more than 1600 organizations with 1000 or more employees as research subjects to study their CO2 emissions management.
According to the survey, very few companies can measure greenhouse gas emissions, and there are still large gaps in measurement accuracy.
In 2021, BCG have also conducted a research on a similar topic to investigate progress in measuring and reducing carbon emissions. The study found that the inability to accurately measure emissions was a major barrier to companies' ability to meet climate targets.
The 2022 survey found that minimal progress had been made over the past year, with only 10% of respondents fully measuring Scope1, 2 and 3 emissions in 2022.
Dubai Islamic Bank sets up Green financing framework
Dubai Islamic Bank plans to finance environmental and social projects under a new sustainable finance framework announced recently.
The framework will allow the bank to issue sukuk and loans related to green and sustainability to finance projects such as renewable energy, clean transport, green buildings and wastewater management, and support job creation and affordable housing.
Norfund, BII and finfund invested $200 million in the African Forestry Fund
As development finance institutions in Norway, Britain and Finland, Norfund, BII, finfund announced they had invested $200 million in an African forestry fund as part of a plan to invest in sustainable tree operations in the region.
Weilai set up a new company with 2 billion yuan to lay out battery manufacturing
On October 21, Weilai Battery Technology (Anhui) Co., Ltd. was established with a registered capital of 2 billion yuan. Its legal representative is Zeng Shuxiang and Li Bin is the chairman. The company's business scope includes: technology import and export; Battery manufacturing; Battery sales; Sales of graphite and carbon products; Sales of new membrane materials; Sales of electric accessories for new energy vehicles; Artificial intelligence application software development, etc. The company is 100% controlled by Weilai Holding Co., Ltd., which is a big step forward in Weilai's self made battery strategy.
