A selection of the latest headlines and best researches on sustainable development, climate change, cleantech and the world energy sector.
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    A young French Management professional I have been delving into sustainability and energy issues since 2004. Here you will find all the projects I am involved in.

    Started in January 2007, my professional blog offers a selection of the latest headlines and best researches on sustainable development, climate change, cleantech and the world energy sector. Over 1,500 articles.

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    After several missions in Marketing, Communications and Quality management, I am seeking new challenges –preferably- in the cleantech and sustainability areas.

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  • Cleantechies

    A leading knowledge hub and fast-growing career & business network for cleantech professionals.

    Cleantechies provides insight, orientation, and opportunities for the Clean Tech community.

    It has published since June 2009 my articles and opinion pieces on French and European energy policies.

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South Korea to increase its climate efforts

South KoreaTo several sources including TreeHugger and The Energy Collective, South Korea is about to “  create the world’s most ambitious cap and trade market, with the highest global price on carbon. “ The launch will take place in 2015.

This initiative will cover 70 percent of the nation’s emissions and will charge no less than $90 (67 euros) per ton of carbon. All this is done to reduce carbon emissions by thirty percent (30% !) compared to business as usual scenario by 2020.

Congratulations to South Korea for showing some leadership in the climate area. If only all G2O countries could do the same…

Global wind capacity to exceed 300 GW this year

Wind energy greenpeace posterAs Cleantechnica reported, according to data collected from the European Wind Energy Association (EWEA) and the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC), global wind capacity may exceed 300 gigawatts this year.

As Greenpeace pointed out (see left), this represents the capacity of all power plants in Mexico and South and Central Americas. In 2012, the global wind capacity increased by no less than 20 percent.

As I noted in February, the total capacity reached 282 Gigawatts as both the United States and China had installed roughly 13 gigawatts each. Cleantechnica believes we may enter the century of wind energy.

IEA presents four energy policies to keep Earth cool

IEA Redrawing the energy climate mapAs I noted last week, the prestigious International Energy Agency reported that despite some emission reductions from the United States and Europe, the world keeps on spewing more and more gigatonnes of greenhouse gases.

Luckily, the IEA proposes in its latest report four energy policies that would cut by eight percent the 2020 emissions compared to a business as usual scenario. This would amount to 3.1 Gt CO2 equivalent.

While these actions are not exactly what the worlds need to keep its climate as cool as it should be, they could be done at no net economic cost. Read more

French people and business leaders support energy transition

eiffel-tower-hdrHere is another guest post I wrote for Cleantechies. This time we are delving into the energy transition from dirty fossil fuels to clean energy sources like renewables and how it is supported in France.

According to a Harris poll carried out for the European Climate Foundation and the French Economic, Social Affairs and Environment Council (CESE), over 80 percent of French people and business leaders are supporting the energy transition.

Interestingly, this post is the occasion to have a look at the little support given to shale gas and oil. As usual, please share and post your comments and questions there.

IEA : Emissions increased by 1.4 percent in 2012

Carbon emissions are up and upWhile emissions in Brazil, the United States or Europe decrease, global greenhouse gases emissions keep on increasing. Indeed the International Energy Agency – IEA – has noted that global emissions increased by 1.4 percent in 2012.

If nothing was done to reverse this nefarious trend, the average global temperature would increase by a massive 5.3°C. This would have “potentially disastrous implications” as IEA Executive Director Maria van der Hoeven stated.

Continuing the inaction would have a staggering cost as it would be much more difficult afterwards to limit global warming to 2°C. Read more

Carbon Emissions in Brazil Dropped 39% from 2005 to 2010

We have seen time and again that Brazil is working hard at stopping or at least decreasing deforesation of its marvelous Amazon rain forest. It seems all these efforts are paying of. To Cleantechies :

” Greenhouse gas emissions in Brazil fell by nearly 39 percent from 2005 to 2010, largely because of reductions in the amount of forest loss, according to a new government report. “

” Overall, Brazil emitted the equivalent of 1.25 billion tons of carbon dioxide in 2010, which was more than 10 percent lower than 1990 levels.

Soon the self-driving car

A Google carI think it is safe to write that everybody just hate traffic congestion which combines wastes of time, money and energy on top of being helpless. The dream of ultimate mobility offered by cars is often transformed in cities as an immobile nightmare.

Given how Google has mapped the Earth and how computers have gain in performance, the driverless car could soon be there to help our societies kiss good bye to car ownership as personal cars spend up to 95 percent of their time parked.

As Grist notes, self driving cars could be here between five and ten years, so don’t throw away your driving license yet. Meanwhile keep cycling and stay safe…

A second chance to save the climate

Climate is warmingAccording to the New Scientist ” Humanity has a second chance to stop dangerous climate change. Temperature data from the last decade offers an unexpected opportunity to stay below the agreed international target of 2 °C of global warming.

” A new analysis (…) suggests that Earth will warm more slowly over this century than we thought it would, buying us a little more time to cut our greenhouse gas emissions

This might give us five to ten years more to act on climate change. This doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t do anything in the meantime… Au contraire : let’s boost massively energy efficiency and renewables.

Nuclear saves lives, decreases emissions

Nuclear Power Yes PleaseWhile I am not advocating nuclear as much as I was doing a few years ago – the incident in Fukushima have shown how the technology can be dangerous – I am still believing that it is better than coal. (Sidenote : anything IS better than coal…)

According to a study quoted by Cleantechies, ” The use of nuclear power from 1971 to 2009 prevented more than 1.8 million premature deaths related to air pollution and 64 billion tons of greenhouse gas emissions.

Of course, there are huge safety concerns over nuclear and having it based on plutonium over thorium wasn’t the best idea Humankind had, but who knows what will happen. Read more

Could the European Union ban coal ? When ?

a plant spewing carbon dioxideYesterday Alice Stollmeyer asked on Twitter What should the European Commission do to improve air quality ? ” as she is participating today to a EU chat session dedicated to green topics. My answer was quite simple:

Ban new coal projects and phase out the existing capacity. Replace by efficiency and renewables. This would create hundred of thousands of jobs, help avoid catastrophic climate change and clean the air.

If we have seen that the United States could be coal-free by 2030, there have been to my humble knowledge no study of such a fact for the European Union. Read more

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A young French Management professional - now for hire - Edouard Stenger has been selecting since January 2007 the latest headlines and best researches on sustainable development, climate change, environmental issues, cleantech and the world energy sector.

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