Rhein on Energy and Climate

Archives for Copenhagen Climate Conference

How to pass from Copenhagen to Mexico

January 20, 2010

At the Commission Hearings by the EP, January 15, the new Climate Commissioner, Connie Hedegaard, has pleaded in favour of continuing to rely on the UN machinery as the way to reach an international agreement on climate change. After two years of unsuccessful preparations, in the UN framework, for the Copenhagen Climate Conference, this is… » read more

Posted by Eberhard Rhein

Climate change, English, Environment, EU Treaty & Institutions, Uncategorized

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Searching for Effective Results at Copenhagen

November 30, 2009

10 days before the start of the Copenhagen climate negotiations the outcome seems slightly more open than a few weeks ago. · The scientific community has just in time presented new evidence about the extremely risky acceleration of climate change, thereby putting negotiators under heavy pressure to come to substantive agreement now, rather than accepting… » read more

Posted by Eberhard Rhein

Business & Climate Change, Energy Efficiency, English, Environment, Uncategorized

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Schools should must introduce basic courses on climate science.

November 17, 2009

Climate change is bound to dramatically impair the living conditions of our children and grandchildren. To mitigate the extent of climate change robust action willaction will have to be undertaken by all countries, but in particular by OECD countries, in the course of the coming 20 years. Without such action happening, then it will be… » read more

Posted by Eberhard Rhein

Climate change, Education, English, EU Priorities and Opinion, Innovation and Growth, Uncategorized

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Copenhagen Climate Conference: one month to go

November 12, 2009

After two years of preparation intense diplomatic activity humanity does not seem to ready be up to the task of for taking the necessary action for the dramatic substantial reduction of green houses gases that is necessary to preserve the decent livingclimatic conditions on our small planet earth. As things stand, Formally speaking, tthe Copenhagen… » read more

Posted by Eberhard Rhein

Climate change, Energy Efficiency, English, Environment, Sustainable Dev., Uncategorized

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Sharing Of Green Technology? A Bogus In The Climate Debate

October 28, 2009

50 days ahead of the Copenhagen Climate Conference a new theme re-enters the debate between developed and developing countries: free transfer of green energy technologies to developing countries. India and China are particularly vociferous in demanding such technologies to be made accessible to their companies free of license fees, citing the example of anti-retroviral drugs… » read more

Posted by Eberhard Rhein

English

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A Roadmap For An Emission-free Economy

October 26, 2009

At their last preparatory meeting for the Copenhagen Climate Conference the EU environment ministers, October 20-21, have agreed to offer a 95 percent reduction of their green house gas emissions until 2050. This is praiseworthy; but it remains void of meaning unless the EU comes up with answers on three critical questions: What concrete steps… » read more

Posted by Eberhard Rhein

Climate change, Energy Supply, English, Trade & Industry, Transport & Services, Uncategorized

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Iran Moves To Cut Subsidies On Fossil Energy

October 21, 2009

Like most oil and gas producing countries Iran has been spoiling its citizens by ridiculously low prices for gasoline, fuel, gas and electricity, at a hefty charge for the national budget. The subsidies, including those for food, telephone and transport services, cost the government almost € 70 billion annually. Read also: Sanctions Are A Toothless… » read more

Posted by Eberhard Rhein

English, Uncategorized

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Tackling C02 Emissions From Air And Sea Transport

September 29, 2009

Accounting jointly for about six percent of global C02 emissions air lines and shipping companies constitute an increasing burden for the planet, as the volume of air and sea transport, of goods and passengers, keeps rising in the wake of globalisation. Until now both sectors have escaped any climate regulation, due to complex international legislation,… » read more

Posted by Eberhard Rhein

English, Uncategorized

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Copenhagen Follow-up: A Remodelled International Energy Agency

September 25, 2009

The Copenhagen Climate Conference is most likely to end in a failure, due to the complexity of the proposed solutions and the diversity of positions of the key actors. But this must not be the end of the story. Humanity has no option but to continue acting against climate change if it wants to avoid… » read more

Posted by Eberhard Rhein

English, Uncategorized

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Humanity Needs A Universal Carbon Tax

September 24, 2009

Whatever the outcome of the Copenhagen Climate Conference, humanity will need a simple and effective tool for making fossil energy increasingly more expensive and renewable energies relatively cheaper. An excise tax on coal, oil and gas would constitute such a tool. • The tax should be specific and not ad valorem, levied at the import… » read more

Posted by Eberhard Rhein

English, Uncategorized

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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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