Bloomberg’s Ambitious Plan to Improve Energy Efficiency in NY Buildings

New York Mayor Bloomberg harnessed the green power of Earth Day to unveil a plan that would require NYC buildings – responsible for 80% of the city’s emissions – to undergo regular energy audits and retrofits, as needed, in order to become more energy efficient.

Fortune China’s “25 Powerful People in Business” Suggests Getting Rich, ESG is Glorious

For the fifth year running, Fortune China has published its “25 Most Influential Business Leaders in China 2008” list, the feature article in the April issue. As in the past, selection was based on “leading executives influential within their corporation and industry, and capable of changing things on a wide scale,” both in China and internationally, said the syndicate.

Guardian Article on China Emissions Plan Amounts to Wishful Thinking

Those who stumbled across the recent Guardian article “China Considers Setting Targets for Carbon Emissions” probably did not fall off of their seats like I did. But at the very least you might have involuntarily raised an eyebrow, or two, and thought “huh, now that’s a game changer.”

For people who monitor developments in climate negotiations religiously, this article was practically heaven sent. But, upon closer examination, it proved little more than a manipulated quote and a very sexy, if misleading argument.

Shanghai to Pilot China’s First Municipal Emissions Exchange

Annual CO2 Emissions

Shanghai, often recognized for its free-market tendencies and environmental leadership, is introducing China’s first municipal trading mechanism as a means to curb pollution. Last Friday, in advance of a major carbon trade industry event taking place in Beijing this week, word began surfacing in the Chinese media that Shanghai plans to pilot an emissions trading scheme that will involve more than 300 companies’ trading “pollution discharge rights.”

Climate Change and Deforestation Engaging in Vicious Cycle of Destruction

Most of you know by now that deforestation, and the emissions that cleared forestlands add to the atmosphere, exacerbates climate change. But it may come as a surprise to learn that the opposite is true. New scientific findings suggest that climate change is threatening remaining forests more dramatically than previously suspected.

Michelle Obama Organic Garden Supporters to Pesticide Lobby: “Bug Off”

Are you worried that an organic garden on the White House grounds might cause some Americans to start eating a wide variety of chemical-free, locally grown produce? The Mid America CropLife Association, a lobbying group for agribusinesses giants, is.

Seeing the Forest for the Trees: Shaping Financing to Prevent Deforestation

The Waxman-Markey bill signals Washington’s intentions to pony up to fund deforestation prevention as part of overall climate legislation. But will climate scientists, C-15 negotiators, developing countries and environmental groups agree on an international forest protection program that everyone, including the trees, can live with?

Westward Ho! Hong Kong Tycoon Invests in Africa-based Biofuels

Hong Kong magnate Stanley Ho is at it again. Not formulating a “Ho Plan” for Hong Kong energy security that centers around wind power, as the growing similarities between him and T. Boone Pickens might suggest. Stanley Ho’s investment du jour, while on par with his recently established eco-trend, will not be in Asia. Rather, the biofuel play will be located off of the Western coast of Africa.

Grassroots Environmental Activism, with Chinese Characteristics

In a somewhat rare state-sponsored rally, over 8,000 students gathered in Beijing’s Olympic Park last Saturday to show their commitment to environmental protection. The event launched the newest phase of the “Green Long March,” an ongoing effort to bring youth together and initiate a grassroots-esque environmental conservation movement nationwide.

Breathing Easier: Beijing Extends Car Restrictions for Another Year

Beijing authorities have announced that driving restrictions will be extended another year, as part of the city’s overall strategy to reduce airborne pollution and traffic congestion, according to reports from China’s state-run media. The plan hopes to take 930,000, or roughly 20%, of Beijing’s over 3.6 million vehicles off the road each weekday.

Clinton Climate Initiative to Pay $20m for Empire State Building Efficiency Retrofit

Former President Bill Clinton and Mayor Bloomberg appeared at a press conference on the Empire State Building’s 80th floor today to announce a cooperative initiative between the Clinton Climate Initiative and other partners to help green New York’s 78-year old signature building.

Talk of Carbon Tariff Flatly Rejected by China, Prompts ‘Protectionist’ Charges

One day after China’s top climate official, Li Gao, requested that his country’s export sector be exempt from greenhouse gas emissions reductions, U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu announced the possibility of levying a carbon tariff on countries that do not match US greenhouse gas emissions restrictions.

Newly Released House Energy and Climate Legislation Contains More Aggressive Measures than Obama Plan

Senior US Representatives Henry Waxman (D-Calif) and Ed Markey (D-Mass) released draft cap-and-trade legislation on Tuesday that would reshape US energy and climate policy through drastic cuts in emissions in the next 20 years and significant increases in renewables by 2025.

China Solar Subsidies Address Economic, not Environmental, Problems [Updated]

Last week’s news of a sizable and unprecedented subsidy for solar installations in China generated noteworthy commotion in the market, as Chinese solar companies’ share price soared as investors’ rush to snatch up solar stocks, followed by confusion over the terms of the subsidies, disenchantment at the likelihood of eligibility restrictions, and finally malaise as analysts concluded, having clarified the arcane wording of the measure and considered the time lag likely involved, that it was not the golden ticket for which they had hoped.

AUTO ZONE (Part II): China Aims for 10 Million New Cars in 2009, Pledges $1.5 Billion to EVs

AUTO ZONE looks at China’s evolving relationship with automobiles, the race to develop cheaper & better electric vehicles, and new initiatives to get cars off China’s streets.