LATEST REPORT
Wednesday, February 9, 2005
Content
- New Publication: Northeast Asia Energy Focus
- Northeast Asia Energy Cooperation
- Russian-PRC-Japan Relations
- UN Plan to Support DPRK Energy Infrastructure
- PRC’s Three Gorges Dam Ordered to Halt Construction
- New LEAP Report: Cape Town Energy Futures
- Climate Change Meeting: Tenth Session of the Conference of Parties (COP 10)
- Fuel Cell Technology
1. New Publication: Northeast Asia Energy Focus
The Center for Energy Research (CERNA) at Korea Energy Economics Institute (KEEI) released the inaugural edition of “Northeast Asia Energy Focus” a publication created to regularly provide energy-related updates to promote mutual understanding of energy policy and issues in Northeast Asia. The publication will provide energy statistics, issues, analyses, new updates, and opinion pieces.
2. Northeast Asia Energy Cooperation
Korean Energy Economics Institute (Y.D. Park, “A STUDY ON ESTABLISHMENT AND OPERATION OF NORTHEAST ASIA ENERGY COOPERATION NETWORK,” December 31, 2004) prepared this study. Park states, “through the Northeast Asia energy cooperation, all six Northeast Asia countries can be mutually interconnected.” The report stresses the importance of the WTO’s role in increasing energy cooperation and security in the region. In conclusion, Park emphasizes the need to provide measures for open-regionalism that conform to the WTO system in order to properly establish the Northeast Asia energy cooperation framework.
3. Russian-PRC-Japan Relations
Japan Focus (Sergei Blagov, “RUSSIAN MIX OF OIL AND WEAPONS TO RESOLVE BORDER DISPUTES: THE RUSSIAN, CHINESE, JAPANESE TRIANGLE,” January 18, 2005) reported that Moscow has offered Japan and the PRC different packages to improve bilateral relations. According to the author, Russia and Japan remain divided by the Kuril territorial dispute, despite recent moves to mend differences through energy cooperation. Meanwhile, Moscow has so far refrained from large-scale commitments in energy ties with the PRC, seemingly trying to compensate with security ties and apparent territorial concessions.
View the full article here.
The Japan Times, (David Wall, “KEEPING EVERYONE HAPPY: PUTIN RAISES STAKES IN ASIA,” February 2, 2005) reported that the signing of an agreement defining the PRC-Russian border was characterized by Putin and Hu as “an important contribution to the security and stability of the Asia Pacific region and the world at large.” According to the author, Russia’s dependence on the PRC for trade, has led Putin to negotiate for the PRC’s “happiness” by offering energy deals after the announcement of the Nakkhoda pipeline deal. Putin pointed to the ease of building a spur pipeline into the PRC from the new long distance line as has promised to triple delivery of oil by rail to PRC. There has also been talk of the PRC’s investment in Russia’s Yuganskneftgas and alternate pipelines.
View the full article here.
4. UN Plan to Support DPRK Energy Infrastructure
Yonhap News (“UN BODY LOOKING TO HELP NORTH KOREA WITH INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT,” January 31,2005) reported that the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) is putting the finishing touches on a plan to help with DPRK’s dilapidated infrastructure. Kim Hak-su, who has been re-elected to the organization’s executive post for another two-year term, said the support blueprint covers energy, transportation, water use, environmental protection and statistics management. The United Nations’ projects will touch on such areas as disposing of solid waste, dealing with yellow dust storms from the PRC, improving waters that flow through Pyongyang and training engineers to handle certain electricity cables.
View the full article here.
5. PRC’s Three Gorges Dam Ordered to Halt Construction
Reuters News (“CHINA PRESSES THREE GORGES PROJECT TO HEED RULES,” February 1, 2005) reported that PRC’s State Environmental Protection Administration (SEPA) might take the operators of Three Gorges Dam to court in an effort to clean up the industry. SEPA has told the state owned Yangtze River Three Gorges Development Corp. it must heed an order to halt construction at the three new projects or face fines and legal penalties. In mid-January, SEPA ordered the suspension of construction at 30 major infrastructure projects around PRC, most of them in the power sector, because they had flouted a law requiring environmental impact assessments before work began.
View the full article here.
6. New LEAP Report: Cape Town Energy Futures
The Energy Research Centre (ERC) in Cape Town, South Africa (Harald Winkler, Mark Borchers, Alison Hughes, Eugene Visage and Glen Heinrich, “CAPE TOWN ENERGY FUTURES: POLICIES AND SCENARIOS FOR SUSTAINABLE CITY ENERGY DEVELOPMENT,” January, 2005) has developed a new set of scenarios that simulate how energy might develop in Cape Town over the next twenty years. The report identifies a wide range of policy interventions that are viable in terms of costs, social benefits and the environment. For example, major energy savings can be made from modal shifts in the transport sector and with efficient lighting. Efficiency measures can save money, and can also help poor households in particular reduce their energy bills substantially. Targeted interventions can reduce local air pollution, and allow Cape Town to become a leader in addressing greenhouse gas emissions.
View the full article here.
7. Climate Change Meeting: Tenth Session of the Conference of Parties (COP 10)
The tenth session of the Conference of Parties (COP 10) was held in Buenos Aires, Argentina on December 6 – 17, 2004. The sessions of the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice (SBSTA 21) and the Subsidiary Body for Implementation (SBI 21) was held in conjunction with COP 10 (6 – 14 December). COP 10 marked the 10th anniversary of the entry into force of the Framework Convention on Climate Change, which served as a central theme for the meeting. In addition to the accomplishments of the past ten years and future challenges, discussions at COP 10 highlighted a range of climate-related issues including, the impacts of climate change and adaptation measures, mitigation policies and their impacts, and technology. Participants had also taken stock of the entry into force of the Kyoto Protocol. The high-level segment took place from 15-17 December and included four panel discussions among ministers and other heads of delegations.
View the full article here.
The Pew Center for Climate Change (Kevin Baumert, Jonathan Pershing, Timothy Herzog, Matthew Markoff, “CLIMATE DATA: INSIGHTS AND OBSERVATIONS,” December, 2004) released this report for the COP10 in Buenos Aires. The report, written by World Resources Institute (WRI) staff, draws policy relevant observations from a comprehensive database of emissions, energy, economic and other data assembled by WRI and called the Climate Analysis Indicators Tool.
8. Fuel Cell Technology
Clean Edge News (‘NEW WAY OF MAKING FUEL CELLS LOWERS COSTS,’ February 1, 2005) reported that University of Michigan researchers are developing ways that could produce fuel cells at a fraction of the current cost by using microfabrication rather than traditional manufacturing processes. “We arrived at a system that works and uses steps that are very similar to those used to make microelectronic devices,” said Levi Thompson, U-M chemical engineering professor and leader of the research team working on the technology. Microfabrication is the creation of physical structures, devices or composite materials whose component parts are sized around 1 micrometer. Microelectronics power a huge range of consumer goods, from greeting cards to hand-held computers.
View the full article here.
Produced by the Nautilus Institute.