Rhein on Energy and Climate

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Climate Targets need Compliance Control

February 27, 2009

The international community is busy negotiating new C02 reduction targets for 2013-2020. There is agreement that these ought to be much tougher than those for 1990-2010. For the developed countries the ambition is for a 25-40 cut over 1990. That is a tall order! The risk is therefore high that governments will take commitments without… » read more

Posted by Eberhard Rhein

Climate change, English, Public Affairs, Uncategorized

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A welcome nuclear alliance

February 26, 2009

France and Italy have signed an agreement on closer cooperation in the nuclear field. It will allow Italy to benefit from long French experience and accelerate its return to nuclear power generation after Chernobyl in 1986. But it will take until 2020, before any of the new reactors planned to be built jointly with EDF… » read more

Posted by Eberhard Rhein

Business & Climate Change, Energy Supply, English

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Avoiding another gas supply shock in 2010

February 25, 2009

After having been cut off twice in the last three years from Russian gas supplies, the EU is getting finally serious with improving its short-term gas supply security. Member states have started discussing to put in place a system of short-term storage, similar to the emergency oil storage installed after the first oil crisis in… » read more

Posted by Eberhard Rhein

Energy Supply, English, Trade & Industry

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Heed the Warnings on the Wall

Throughout the last 15 years, Alan Greenspan, the once illustrious FED Chairman, had indulged in an irresponsible deregulation of the American banking system, ignoring occasional warnings from subaltern officials. He had full trust in the self-regulating capacity of Wall Street and could fully rely on the backing of US Presidents, in particular G.W. Bush. Today,… » read more

Posted by Eberhard Rhein

Business & Climate Change, Climate change, English

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European Utilities merging for the EU-wide Electricity Market

February 24, 2009

Vattenfall, the state-owned Swedish power company, has announced the take-over of Nuon, a Dutch power company heavily engaged in wind energy. This decision follows the take-over bid made by RWE, the German power giant, for another Dutch utility, Essent, and the completion of the lengthy take-over battle for the Spanish Endesa by the Italian Enel… » read more

Posted by Eberhard Rhein

English, Uncategorized

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How to best reduce C02 emission?

February 20, 2009

The new US approach on climate policy has led American oil and energy companies to redefine their positions. Realising that it is no longer possible to block any action aiming at reducing C02 emissions they now accept working with the Administration with the objective of obtaining the most business-friendly solutions. Their main concern is, of… » read more

Posted by Eberhard Rhein

Business & Climate Change, CO2 emissions, Energy Efficiency, English, Europe

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Sweden takes a Lead in Energy and Climate Policy

February 10, 2009

After 30 years of banning new nuclear power and decommissioning four reactors, the Swedish government has reversed its anti-nuclear course. The 10 reactors operating presently can continue until the end of their economic life time, maximum 60 years, and be replaced by new, even bigger ones on the present sites. But they will not receive… » read more

Posted by Eberhard Rhein

Business & Climate Change, Energy and Climate Policy, Energy Efficiency, English, Sweden

Rhein on Energy and Climate

Thoughts on energy and climate, the Mediterranean and whatever comes to mind.

Eberhard Rhein has devoted most of his life to European and global issues. During the 1980s and  1990s,  he served successively as chef de cabinet to the Commission VP in charge of external relations and director responsible for the Mediterrranean and Arab world.

For the past 10 years he has focused more on global environmental issues.

He also gives a course on economic  policy at the "Mediterranean Academy for Diplomatic Studies" in Malta. He is the author of many articles on EU, Mediterranean and international subjects


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