Rhein on Energy and Climate

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2012 might become a pivotal year in US history. Never before has the country been hit by a such a devastating combination of severe droughts and hurricanes in the very same year, the economic cost of which may run up to some $ 60 billion. For the first time, leading politicians like Michael Bloomberg, the… » read more

Posted by Eberhard Rhein

On October 25, the 27 EU Environment ministers have adopted their “negotiation directives” for the forthcoming Doha Climate Conference. Their seven – page cryptic conclusions, drafted in UN style, constitute a mixture of incantations and empty phraseology that no normal citizen will be prepared to even look at. Ministers felt it necessary to stress their… » read more

Posted by Eberhard Rhein

EU political leaders love to create new financial instruments. The latest example of this inclination is the proposal by European Council President Van Rompuy to endow the euro-area with a “fiscal capacity”, meant to help its members soften “asymmetrical shocks” or offer them incentives to tackle painful socio-economic reforms like phasing out wage indexation, making… » read more

Posted by Eberhard Rhein

The Lisbon Treaty has introduced a major institutional innovation in the field of external relations by creating a common diplomatic service, the “European External Action Service” (EEAS). During the past 20 months this service has progressively been set up. With some 3000 officials and a budget of around € 500 million per year it is… » read more

Posted by Eberhard Rhein

After one year of intensive consultations with auto makers, unions, consumer and environmental groups and energy experts the US government has finalised its 2025 fuel efficiency standards for passenger cars and light trucks. By 2025 the average fuel consumption will be half of today’s values, 4.3 litre/100 km compared to more than 8 litre today.… » read more

Posted by Eberhard Rhein

As of January 2012, the EU will formally include aviation into its emission trading system. From that date onwards all airline companies, domestic and foreign, will require allocations for C02 emissions, no different from power, steel or chemical companies, for operating in the EU. The allocations for 2012 will be equal to 95 percent of… » read more

Posted by Eberhard Rhein

In a declaration published May 20th , the Governing Board of the “International Energy Agency”, which represents the 28 major energy consuming countries, has expressed serious concerns about rising oil prices affecting global recovery by reducing household incomes and putting pressure on inflation and interest rates. This declaration, which represents a call upon OPEC countries,when… » read more

Posted by Eberhard Rhein

During the past 10 years the international community has witnessed a bizarre spectacle of two parallel negotiating processes. The negotiations on the Doha Development Round that have started in 2001 as a reaction to the terror attack on the World Trade Centre in New York. These negotiations, involving all the 150-odd WTO member countries, aim… » read more

Posted by Eberhard Rhein

On May 3rd, the UN decided to allow EU representatives to participate in the debate at the General Assembly and present oral proposals or amendments in the name of the EU. This decision follows eight months of intensive discussions with other UN member states, in particular those of the Caribbean Common Market. It will turn… » read more

Posted by Eberhard Rhein