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Owners and occupants of commercial buildings spend over $80 billion a year on heating, cooling, lighting, and other energy services. This guide provides commercial building owners and occupants with practical information on how to make the right purchasing decisions to reduce energy consumption, improve building systems performance, and increase worker comfort and productivity. Energy-efficient options are readily available for virtually all the products covered, and optimum energy performance can be achieved without compromising other attributes. The guide includes case studies to illustrate practical examples of energy and cost savings, and other performance benefits of more efficient equipment. It also lists the most efficient equipment for products such as luminaires, central air conditioners, heat pumps, chillers, furnaces, boilers, motors, and ice makers. Contact ace3pubs@ix.netcom.com or visit the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy website: http://aceee.org.
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Voluntary agreements with corporations are all the rage these days, but a new book proposes that while good voluntary environmental measures well carried out can be better than regulations, most don’t work. They cost more to implement and create more delays than well-planned performance based regulations. The book, Voluntary Initiatives, The New Politics of Corporate Greening includes articles by Canadian leaders on the subject and analyzes the Forest Stewardship Council, the Whitehorse Mining Initiative, and the DOFASCO Steel Covenant signed with the Ontario Ministry of the Environment and Environment Canada. Dr. Robert Gibson, the Editor, writes, “Government enthusiasm for the concept has coincided suspiciously with the rise of political devotion to deficit reduction.” Contact: rbgibson@watserv1.uwaterloo.ca
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Of five European Union countries reviewed in a Pew Center on Global Climate Change report, “The European Union and Global Climate Change: A Review of Five National Programmes,” only the United Kingdom is on track to meet its Kyoto Protocol commitment. reduction target. Germany is the largest EU emitter in the EU and is committed to reducing emissions 21% 1990 levels. Emissions are down by 17%, largely due to dramatic reductions in the former East Germany. The report concludes that despite likely additional programs and strong political commitment, reductions are unlikely to continue at the same pace, and it will be difficult for Germany to reach its Kyoto target. Germany has a varied program to reduce emissions ranging from green taxes to renewable energy. The United Kingdom has committed to reducing emissions by 12.5% below 1990 levels and emissions are down 14.6%, primarily from shifting from coal to natural gas. The UK program encourages renewable energy, encourages fuel-efficient vehicles through green taxes and plans to introduce an emissions trading system. The Netherlands committed to reduce emissions by 6% below 1990 levels, but CO2 emissions have increased by 17% despite strong political will. The country plans to purchase half its reductions […]
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“Environmental Tax Reform in the States: A Framework for Assessment,” argues that a broad shift in the U.S. tax base is necessary to address environmental problems. The authors examine education reform, utility restructuring and climate change as drivers of tax reform, and barriers to environmentally motivated taxes at the state level. The report introduces models of broad shifts in the tax base, targeted environmental tax models, as well as a hybrid model that emphasizes environmental priorities. The European Environment Agency draft report, Recent Developments in the Use of Environmental Taxes in the European Union,” covers recent developments in green taxes in Europe, noting that environmental taxes are increasing. Nine members currently levy waste disposal taxes, and by 2001, eight will apply carbon taxes. Overall, 95% of tax revenue comes from the energy and transport industries, but new tax bases – agricultural inputs, chemicals, aviation and tourism – are being explored. The report points to a shift among EU members from “polluter pays” to “user pays,” evidenced in such taxes as on groundwater use to encourage increased efficiency. The authors discuss the effectiveness of environmental taxes at the member state level. Another report, “Environment-Energy Taxation and Employment Creation” by the European […]
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CLASP’s (Collaborative Labeling and Appliance Standards Program) new website shares comprehensive information on energy efficiency standards and labeling in countries around the world, and provides a clearinghouse of technical resources and government-based programs to implement appliance and equipment standards and labeling. Among their useful offerings is a database where you can read concise, well thought-out descriptions on the country of your choice. You’ll be an expert before you know it. [sorry this link is no longer available]
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Environmental Business International Inc. released an 80-page report on e-commerce and the environmental industry. It includes results from their survey of 35 environmental consulting & engineering firms on their use of the internet; profiles of e-commerce initiatives; and a directory of websites. They conclude that C&E companies are latecomers to the Internet and few firms use the Internet to benefit their business (beyond building a website). With the exception of a few well-capitalized ventures in the water business, most environmental industry segments lack any significant strategy. Only six percent of C&E firms process on-line orders and only three percent accept on-line payments. A number of B2B start-ups in the industry offer such services as post/bidding on projects, connecting customers with service providers, auctioning and exchanging waste and recyclables, trading emission credits, managing subcontractors and specialty service providers, providing news and updating regulatory compliance information and forms, and selling excess inventory and equipment. You can download EBI Report 1810 (for a fee): “E-Commerce & the Internet in the U.S. Environmental Industry” at: http://www.ebiusa.com
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The bremen partnership award – to be conferred in April 2001- rewards partnerships between businesses and municipalities around the world that make cities more livable and better places to do business. Awards span the range of sustainability issues such as efficiency, resource protection, global responsibility, social justice, diversity, citizens’ participation, and built and natural environment of urban settings. The award ceremony takes place at the 2nd International Conference on “Business and Municipality – New Partnerships for the 21st Century” to be held in Bremen, Germany, April 4-7, 2001. Closing date for applications is January 15, 2001. You can download forms at: [sorry this link is no longer available]. Contact Jana Ludmann for more information.
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Three landmark studies released this month underline the urgency of preserving the world’s ecosystems. The World Conservation releases the 2000 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species every four years, the most authoritative and comprehensive status assessment of global biodiversity. This year, it shows that grim prospects for our planet’s animal and plant species are rapidly worsening. The number of critically endangered species has increased – mammals from 169 to 180; birds from 168 to 182. Primates are at the top of the list for mammals, lowland and mountain tropical rainforest habitats are the most threatened habitats. Indonesia, India, Brazil and China, respectively, have the most threatened species. The Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund is a new $150 million fund established by Conservation International, the World Bank, and the Global Environment Facility (GEF) that targets the word’s 25 most threatened biological hotspots for conservation. Each partner will contribute $25 million and the group will raise another $75 million from other agencies. During the first year, the fund will focus on Madagascar, West Africa and the Tropical Andes. At least five additional hotspots will be added in each subsequent year. Together, the 25 hotspots harbor over 60 percent of the worlds terrestrial plant […]
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A multimedia directory of 850 Canadian companies that provide solutions for problems related to water, air, soil, energy, and research and development is available through Industry Canada. Users can sort 2,000 environmental problems and their corresponding solutions to find appropriate Canadian companies. Another database connects companies who want to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions with Canadian technologies and services that can help them. [sorry this link is no longer available]
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Natural Resources Canada (NRC) reports the use of solar photovoltaics in Canada has grown at an average annual rate of 29 percent over the past seven years. In1999, installed capacity broke the 5 megawatt level with total revenues estimated at $40 million. The industry provided 250 jobs in 1999. Primary markets are remote installations, highway departments, and oil companies for powering remote devices that monitor oil and gas flows through Canadian pipelines. Their report covers the sale of PV modules larger than 40 watts, and notes that there is also a strong retail market for smaller modules used in solar lanterns and garden lights. Exports represent only 6 percent of PV sales in Canada. U.S. solar manufacturers report that 1999 shipments were over 50 percent higher than 1998. This is the 14th consecutive annual increase, due largely to a strong export market that accounts for three quarters of shipments. The primary U.S. market has traditionally been remote stand-alone units, but grid-connected projects doubled from 1998-1999, to 25,000 kW. The average price of PV cells declined by a third, dropping to $2.01 per peak watt. Module prices also declined. The total value of shipments increased by 21 percent last year, to […]
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