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U.S Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks during the Transforming Food Systems in the Face of Climate Change event on the sidelines of the COP28 climate summit at Dubai Expo, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates December 1, 2023. SAUL LOEB/Pool via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsSummary COP 'side deals' have boomed in recent yearsVoluntary climate pledges yield mixed resultsSome have led to tougher CO2-cutting policiesDUBAI, Dec 2 (Reuters) - While the world's climate diplomats huddle over draft decisions to be made at the end of this year's U.N. climate summit, governments at COP28 are firing off a flurry of new promises for action. Among the expected pledges at COP28 are a goal to triple renewable energy capacity and initiatives on methane and coal power. These voluntary side deals have proliferated in recent years, even as global temperatures and greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise. "They go much further than what you can do multilaterally," said Marc Vanheukelen, a former EU official who led the bloc's work on an international methane emissions pledge launched at the COP26 climate summit in 2021.

Persons: Antony Blinken, SAUL LOEB, Marc Vanheukelen, Jonathan Banks, Laurie van der, OCI, It's, Erin Matson, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Matson, Kate Abnett, Tommy Wilkes, Katy Daigle, Jon Boyle Organizations: Food Systems, United Arab Emirates, REUTERS Acquire, EU, Global, Air Task Force, Reuters, Bank, U.S, Change, WWF, Rainforest Alliance, Climate, Thomson Locations: Dubai, United Arab, DUBAI, COP28, Glasgow, U.S, Nigeria, Canada, The U.S, China, Russia, COP26, Britain, France, United States, Italy, Germany, Brazil

☆ COP28 Lines up New Climate Pledges - but Do They Work?
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-01 | by ( Dec. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +5 min

By Kate AbnettDUBAI (Reuters) - While the world's climate diplomats huddle over draft decisions to be made at the end of this year's U.N. climate summit, governments at COP28 are firing off a flurry of new promises for action. Among the expected pledges at COP28 are a goal to triple renewable energy capacity and initiatives on methane and coal power. These voluntary side deals have proliferated in recent years, even as global temperatures and greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise. Unlike official summit decisions, which must be passed by consensus among the nearly 200 countries, voluntary pledges can be made quickly, and boldly, without the worry of one party objecting. "They go much further than what you can do multilaterally," said Marc Vanheukelen, a former EU official who led the bloc's work on an international methane emissions pledge launched at the COP26 climate summit in 2021.

Persons: Kate Abnett DUBAI, Marc Vanheukelen, Jonathan Banks, Laurie van der, OCI, It's, Erin Matson, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Matson, Kate Abnett, Tommy Wilkes, Katy Daigle, Jon Boyle Organizations: Reuters, EU, Global, Air Task Force, Bank, U.S, Change, WWF, Rainforest Alliance, Climate Locations: COP28, Glasgow, U.S, Nigeria, Canada, The U.S, China, Russia, COP26, Britain, France, United States, Italy, Germany, Brazil

Some oil and gas companies have so far participated in voluntary programs to monitor or reduce their methane emissions. Last year's methane emissions from the energy industry totaled some 135 million metric tons, slightly higher than the year before. Climate experts say that including methane efforts in a legally binding summit agreement is a priority. That means that reining in methane emissions can have a more immediate impact in limiting climate change. Countries and philanthropies previously have pledged roughly $200 million for tackling methane – less than 2% of all current climate financing.

Persons: Rachel Kyte, Rick Duke, Mark Brownstein, Durwood Zaelke, Valerie Volcovici, Sarah McFarlane, Kate Abnett, Katy Daigle, Josie Kao Organizations: Reuters, Clean Air Task Force, U.S, United Arab, The, Bank, Environmental Defense Fund, Institute for Governance, Sustainable Development, D.C, EU, Thomson Locations: EU, United Arab Emirates, UAE, Turkmenistan, The UAE, U.S, China, Canada, COP28, Washington, London, Brussels

From there, the carbon can either be moved directly to permanent underground storage or it can be used in another industrial purpose first, variations that are respectively called carbon capture and storage (CCS) and carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS). Another form of carbon capture is direct air capture (DAC), in which carbon emissions are captured from the air. REUTERS/David Stanway/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsOne stumbling block to rapid deployment of carbon capture technology is cost. Countries including the U.S. have rolled out public subsidies for carbon capture projects. The Inflation Reduction Act, passed in 2022, offers a $50 tax credit per metric ton of carbon captured for CCUS and $85 per metric ton captured for CCS, and $180 per metric ton captured through DAC.

Persons: David Stanway, Benjamin Longstreth, Petra Nova, Simone Stewart, Stewart, Leah Douglas, Marguerita Choy Organizations: 28th United, United, United Arab Emirates, CCS, Global CCS Institute, Drillers, International Energy Agency, REUTERS, U.S, CCUS, DAC, Task Force, U.S . Department of Energy, Navigator, U.S ., National Wildlife Federation, Thomson Locations: 28th United Nations, United Arab, U.S, Norway, Iceland, China, Canada, Qatar, Australia, Texas, Louisiana, Wuhu, Anhui province, North America, East Africa, U.S . Midwest

☆ Can hydrogen be green? The debate heats up as the White House pours $7 billion into hydrogen hubs
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-19 | by ( Catherine Boudreau | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The White House is spending $7 billion to spur "clean" hydrogen. The goal is to spur the production of "clean" hydrogen, because the way it's currently produced is a dirty business. Anna Menke, the task force's senior hydrogen-hubs manager, said she wants the debate to move away from green versus blue hydrogen because each technology has its pros and cons. Korgel noted that the federal definition of "clean" hydrogen has been evolving, but should be more clear soon. The Internal Revenue Service has to decide what "clean" hydrogen is eligible for a tax credit worth up to an estimated $100 billion over its lifetime.

Persons: Joe Biden, it's, Robert Howarth, Howarth, Anna Menke, Menke, Brian Korgel, Biden, Korgel Organizations: Service, Cornell University, Air Task Force, US Department of Energy, Energy Institute, University of Texas, Chevron, ExxonMobil, Sempra Infrastructure, Internal Revenue Service Locations: Gulf Coast, Pacific Northwest, Appalachia, Austin, Gulf

This undated handout image shows the carbon sequesterization unit at American Electric Power Company's Mountaineer Plant near New Haven, West Virginia. REUTERS/Tom Dubanowich/Handout /File PhotoAug 8 (Reuters) - U.S. power plant owners warned the Biden administration on Tuesday that its sweeping plan to slash carbon emissions from the electricity sector is unworkable, relying too heavily on costly technologies that are not yet proven at scale. Proposed in May, the EPA plan would for the first time limit how much carbon dioxide power plants can emit, after previous efforts were struck down in court. Industry is particularly concerned about proposed standards for existing natural gas power plants, saying those facilities would be hard to retrofit with CCS, or hydrogen, due to space constraints and other limitations. The EPA's proposal had been crafted to reflect constraints the Supreme Court imposed on the agency after it ruled an Obama-era power plant proposal went too far by imposing a system-wide shift from fossil fuels to renewable energy.

Persons: Tom Dubanowich, Biden, EEI, Joe Biden, Jim Matheson, Nichola Groom, Valerie Volcovici, Sharon Singleton, Marguerita Choy Organizations: American Electric Power, Edison Electric Institute, U.S . Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, Task Force, Natural Resources Defense, National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, Labor, United Mine Workers of America, International Brotherhood of Electricity Workers, Thomson Locations: New Haven, West Virginia, U.S, Baltimore, Los Angeles, Washington

During those COP27 climate talks last year in Egypt, China's top climate envoy, Xie Zhenhua, made an unexpected appearance at a meeting of the Global Methane Partnership, a U.S.-EU led initiative aimed at slashing 2020-level methane emissions by 30% by the end of this decade. Xie said China had drafted a plan with concrete measures to curb methane emissions from energy, agriculture and waste. COAL GASTwo big sources of methane emissions growth in China are livestock and rice production, neither of which are included in the country's climate plans. China is the world's largest source of methane from coal mines, with 28% of the world's biggest methane emissions points, according to Antoine Halff, co-founder of the environmental research group Karryos. "When you look around at the sources of coal mine methane worldwide, China is three or four times bigger than the next country's coal mine methane emissions," Banks said.

Persons: John Kerry, Kerry, Xie Zhenhua, Xie, Jonathan Banks, Joe Biden, Biden, Banks, Antoine Halff, Halff, Valerie Volcovici, David Stanway, Dominique Patton, Timothy Gardner, Katy Daigle, Will Dunham Organizations: Sunday, Methane Partnership, EU, Air Task Force, Program, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Task Force, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, U.S, China, Beijing, United States, Washington ., Glasgow, Sharm el, Egypt, Dubai, Shanxi, Boston, Singapore, Washington

☆ The intensity of methane emissions from oil and gas sector has declined, study finds
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-23 | by ( Emma Newburger | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The primary component of natural gas is methane, which is odorless when it comes directly out of the gas well. In addition to methane, natural gas typically contains other hydrocarbons such as ethane, propane, butane, and pentanes. The report, which assessed the production-based emissions of more than 300 U.S. producers, found that the methane emissions intensity of natural gas production and the greenhouse gas emissions intensity of oil and gas production vary dramatically across companies. Natural gas producers in the highest quartile of methane emissions intensity have an average emissions intensity that's nearly 26 times higher than producers in the lowest quartile, the study found. And oil and gas producers in the highest quartile of greenhouse gas emissions intensity have an average emissions intensity that is more than 13 times higher than producers in the lowest quartile.

☆ How Electrifying Everything Became a Key Climate Solution
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-14 | by ( Nadja Popovich | Brad Plumer | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +19 min

Water heating Air conditioning Space heating Refrigeration Washing and dry. Refrigeration Air conditioning 16% electric Water heating 99% Refrigeration Air conditioning Residential Cooking Space heating Refrigeration Other 96% Lighting and electronics Lighting and elec. Cooking 2021 Current Electricity Use Electricity as percent of total energy consumed in 2021 36% Water heating Space heating Washing and dry. Cooking 2050 Net Zero Pathway Electricity as percent of total energy consumed in a high-electrification scenario Water heating Space heating 63% Washing and dry. Air conditioning Refrigeration Other Air conditioning Water heating 99% Refrigeration Space heating 96% Other Lighting and electronics Lighting and elec.

☆ Inside the fierce debate over clean hydrogen, with $100 billion in federal subsidies on the line
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-03 | by ( Catherine Clifford | In Catclifford | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +13 min

The impact of the tax credit on emissions reductions depends on how federal agencies implement it. On one side of the debate, some energy providers say that making the rules too strict could kill the clean hydrogen industry before it ever gets off the ground. CERAWeek returned in-person to Houston celebrating its 40th anniversary with the theme "Pace of Change: Energy, Climate, and Innovation." This hourly approach to energy accounting has been adopted by Google, which has been a forerunner in adopting clean energy, for example. In the long run, Garabedian says, his stance is about protecting his company, the industry's reputation, and the tax credit.

Methane is the main component of natural gas, so captured emissions can be sold as fuel. The energy sector accounts for about 40% of all methane emissions from human activity, second to agriculture. Dozens of oil companies have also voluntarily committed to reduce emissions through the Oil and Gas Methane Partnership, and the Oil and Gas Climate Initiative. Altogether, the coal industry was responsible for about 40 million tonnes of methane emissions in 2022. Coal-related methane emissions in China are equivalent to total CO2 emissions from the whole of sub-Saharan Africa," Gould said.

☆ The U.S. passed a historic climate deal this year — here's a recap of what's in the bill
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-30 | by ( Emma Newburger | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +11 min

The IRA's provisions have major implications for clean energy and manufacturing businesses, climate startups and consumers in the coming years. As 2022 comes to a close, here's a look back at the key elements in the legislation that climate and clean energy advocates will be monitoring in 2023. Taking aim at methane gas emissionsSome pumpjacks operate while others stand idle in the Belridge oil field near McKittrick, California. Mario Tama | Getty ImagesThe package imposes a tax on energy producers that exceed a certain level of methane gas emissions. And the bill has a hydrogen production tax credit, which provides hydrogen producers with a credit based on the climate attributes of their production methods.

The declaration would build on an agreement spearheaded by the United States and EU last year to slash methane emissions 30% by 2030 from 2020 levels. The draft said signatories could also bolster monitoring and reporting of methane emissions - forcing companies to face up to the scale of their problem. The 27-country EU is the world's biggest buyer of gas, while the United States is the world's biggest oil and gas producer. Agriculture is the top source of methane emissions worldwide, but experts say the energy sector can cut emissions faster - and often at low cost. So far, the Global Methane Pledge does not include China, the world's biggest methane emitter.

☆ How super-hot rocks miles under the earth's surface could provide limitless clean energy
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-28 | by ( Catherine Clifford | In Catclifford | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +12 min

The Clean Air Task Force commissioned a non-profit geothermal organization, the Hot Rock Energy Research Organization, and an international clean energy consultancy, LucidCatalyst, to estimate the levelized cost of commercial-scale superhot rock electricity. Graphic courtesy Clear Air Task ForceRegular versus superhot geothermalWhile energy from superhot rocks is not being used now, geothermal energy is being used in a few places where super-hot temperatures exist close to the surface of the earth. But accessing superhot rock energy involves tapping into hotter, dry rock — which is everywhere, but sometimes far beneath the surface. Graphic courtesy Clear Air Task ForceIceland is a leader in investigating superhot rock geothermal energy with its Iceland Deep Drilling Project. Beyond Iceland, Italy, Japan, New Zealand and the United States are leaders in superhot rock geothermal, according to Friðleifsson.

☆ How super-hot rocks miles under the earth's surface could help combat climate change
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-28 | by ( Catherine Clifford | In Catclifford | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +12 min

"It will take public and private investment similar to those being allocated to nuclear, carbon capture, and hydrogen fuels," Hill told CNBC. But accessing superhot rock energy involves tapping into hotter, dry rock — which is everywhere, but sometimes far beneath the surface. Graphic courtesy Clear Air Task ForceIceland is a leader in investigating superhot rock geothermal energy with its Iceland Deep Drilling Project. Beyond Iceland, Italy, Japan, New Zealand and the United States are leaders in superhot rock geothermal, according to Friðleifsson. Oil and gas companies could use their resources to help spur development in the superhot rock industry, the CATF report said.

Gas leak at Nord Stream 2 as seen from the Danish F-16 interceptor on Bornholm, Denmark September 27, 2022. But since both Nord Stream pipelines contained mostly methane, "the potential for a massive and highly damaging emission event is very worrisome", McCabe said. Scientists say sharp cuts in methane emissions over the next few years will be a vital lever in curbing climate change. Releasing that amount in entirety to the atmosphere would result in around 200,000 tonnes of methane emissions, said chemical engineer Paul Balcombe at London's Queen Mary University. ENVIRONMENTAL RISKWhile oil spills can immediately affect and ultimately kill wildlife, authorities say the gas pipeline gas leaks pose a limited threat to the surrounding plant and animal life.

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