GREENHOUSE GAS MITIGATION

Paris treaty to shrink economy

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Original article by Adam Creighton, Ben Packham
The Australian – Page: 1 & 2 : 9-Jan-19

Analysis by the Brookings Institut­ion suggests that the Paris climate change agreement will have a negative impact on the Australian economy and jobs growth, even if the nation were to opt out of the agreement. The report notes that Australia’s fossil exports would still be subject to the Paris agreement’s carbon tax under such a scenario. It also questions whether the Paris agreement would achieve its goals in terms of reducing carbon emissions and limiting global temperature increases.

CORPORATES
THE BROOKINGS INSTITUTION, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY, AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, ORGANISATION OF PETROLEUM EXPORTING COUNTRIES, MINERALS COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA, UNITED STATES. EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT

IPCC coal call not for us: PM

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Original article by Graham Lloyd
The Australian – Page: 1 & 6 : 9-Oct-18

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has concluded that coal-fired power generation would need to be almost completely phased out worldwide by 2050 if global warming is to be limited to 1.5C above pre-industrial levels. The IPCC’s special report argues that meeting this target would require global net human carbon ­dioxide emissions to be reduced to zero by 2050. However, Prime Minister Scott Morrison says Australia is not bound by any of the report’s conclusions, while Treasurer Josh Frydenberg says removing coal from the nation’s energy mix would result in power blackouts on the east coast.

CORPORATES
INTERGOVERNMENTAL PANEL ON CLIMATE CHANGE, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, GLOBAL CARBON PROJECT, CSIRO, GLOBAL CARBON CAPTURE AND STORAGE INSTITUTE LIMITED, AUSTRALIAN CONSERVATION FOUNDATION INCORPORATED

Rio, Alcoa, Apple in green aluminium bid

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Original article by Matt Chambers
The Australian – Page: 21 : 11-May-18

Rio Tinto aims to commercialise a new aluminium smelting process that does not generate carbon dioxide emissions within six years. The resources group will develop the Elysis process in partnership with Alcoa and technology giant Apple. Aluminium generates carbon dioxide emissions from both the smelting process itself and the electricity that is consumer in its production. Rio Tinto and Alcoa claim that the Elysis process is the industry’s most significant innovation in more than a century.

CORPORATES
RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO, ALCOA INCORPORATED, APPLE INCORPORATED

Rio targeted by activist over MCA

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Original article by Peter Ker
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 6 : 30-Jan-18

The Australasian Centre for Corporate Responsibility will use Rio Tinto’s upcoming shareholders’ meetings in London and Melbourne to lobby the resources group to review its membership of the Minerals Council of Australia. Rio Tinto is said to have similar concerns as BHP Billiton regarding the MCA’s stance on issues such as climate change and coal-fired power generation. BHP will decide whether to retain its MCA membership by the end of 2018, in response to lobbying by the ACCR.

CORPORATES
RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO, MINERALS COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALASIAN CENTRE FOR CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY, BHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHP, WHITEHAVEN COAL LIMITED – ASX WHC, WORLD COAL ASSOCIATION

Minerals Council pushes back over BHP threat

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Original article by Matt Chambers
The Australian – Page: 13 & 18 : 21-Dec-17

A Minerals Council of Australia spokesman says it intends to keep lobbying on the issues of climate and energy policy. This is despite BHP Billiton’s threat to cancel its membership if the MCA continues to advocate polices that are contrary to its own. However, BHP’s 50 per cent stake in the Bass Strait gas fields means it has less exposure to rising electricity prices on the east coast than fellow MCA members such as Rio Tinto and Glencore. BHP’s share of Bass Strait gas is equivalent to about 10 per cent of domestic demand for gas on the east coast. In contrast, BHP’s mining operations on the east coast account for around one per cent of National Energy Market demand.

CORPORATES
BHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHP, MINERALS COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA, RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO, GLENCORE PLC, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY

World builds coal plants faster than they shut

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Original article by Simon Benson
The Australian – Page: 1 & 7 : 13-Sep-17

Analysis by the federal parliamentary library shows that 621 new coal-fired power generation units are under construction worldwide, including 299 in China. Countries with nuclear power generation, such as Japan, are also building new coal-fired power plants. National Party senator John Williams argues that transitioning to renewable energy in Australia will have no impact on global greenhouse gas emissions, as the new coal-fired power plants under construction overseas will generate more emissions than the nation as a whole.

CORPORATES
NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF PARLIAMENTARY SERVICES. PARLIAMENTARY LIBRARY, THE AUSTRALIA INSTITUTE LIMITED, INTERNATIONAL ENERGY AGENCY

Trump pulls out of Paris climate deal

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Original article by Cameron Stewart
The Australian – Page: Online : 2-Jun-17

President Donald Trump has confirmed that the US will withdraw from the Paris climate agreement, although he is open to negotiating more favourable terms. Trump has stated that the climate accord in its current form is "very unfair" to the US and represents a "massive redistribution" of wealth from the US to other countries. He also said that the climate accord would have resulted in the loss of around 2.7 million US jobs by 2025. The US would have been required to reduce its carbon emissions by 26-28 per cent from 2005 levels by this date.

CORPORATES
UNITED STATES. EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT, UNITED STATES. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY, UNITED STATES. DEPT OF STATE

Turnbull reaffirms Paris accord

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Original article by Sarah Martin
The Australian – Page: 4 : 11-Nov-16

The Australian Government will not change its commitment to the Paris Agreement on climate change. US President-elect Donald Trump signalled his willingness to withdraw from the Paris Agreement, but Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said Australia will continue to pursue its action on global warming. Foreign Minister Julie Bishop and Energy Minister Josh Frydenberg will participate in a global meeting in Morocco in mid-November 2016.

CORPORATES
UNITED STATES. EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND TRADE, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF INDUSTRY, INNOVATION AND SCIENCE, BUSINESS COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA

Rusal boss calls for worldwide tax on carbon to curb emissions

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Original article by Barry FitzGerald
The Australian – Page: 18 : 13-Jan-16

Rusal president Oleg Deripaska argues that action to address the issue of climate change requires a global carbon tax. He has proposed that this tax be initially set at $US15 per tonne, while 33 per cent of revenue generated by the tax could be allocated to financing R&D projects in the fields of cleaner energy sources and energy efficient technology. There is widespread support for a carbon tax among Australian mining companies.

CORPORATES
RUSAL, MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

Anglo American rallies to the defence of coal

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Original article by Peter Ker
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 27 : 11-Jun-15

Anglo American spokesman James Wyatt-Tilby notes that coal is used to generate about 41 per cent of global electricity supply at present. He expects coal to remain a primary source of energy supply for many years, and argues that a global push for investment funds to eliminate their exposure to coal producers will have no impact on demand. However, he says it will result in less funding for initiatives aimed at reducing carbon emissions.

CORPORATES
ANGLO AMERICAN PLC, AXA SA, OXFORD UNIVERSITY, UNISUPER LIMITED, AMP CAPITAL INVESTORS LIMITED, AMP LIMITED – ASX AMP, HUNTER HALL INTERNATIONAL LIMITED – ASX HHL, GROUP OF SEVEN (G-7), GLENCORE PLC, PEABODY ENERGY CORPORATION