Shaping the Future of Asia’s Climate Change Action [Press Releases]

Drawing 1,028 participants at this year’s edition, Carbon Forum Asia 2011 once again presented attendees with a comprehensive view of the prevalent trends and vital issues affecting carbon trading markets across the globe.

Cementing its position as the premier gathering for carbon market players and industry observers, Carbon Forum Asia 2011 opened last Wednesday with the launch of the International Emissions Trading Association (IETA) 2011 Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Market Report. Featuring strategic white papers describing the policy developments and current emissions abatement programs in over 29 countries, the report provides insights into the shifting focus of the world’s engagement with climate change through pricing and market mechanisms.

“This is the first time that we have launched IETA’s annual Greenhouse Gas Market Report in the Asia Pacific region, lending credence to the region’s increasing importance in the global emissions trading market,” said Henry Derwent, President and CEO of IETA. “Asia has largely driven the expansion of the Clean Development Mechanism or CDM, and consequently, the region has a huge interest in the future global policies and market mechanisms that will affect the industry. Asia is also where a number of exciting new national and regional markets are being developed, further underscoring the relevance of any future global agreements to the region.” Read more

Singapore’s Chief Negotiator for Climate Change expresses cautious optimism on global carbon market

Ambassador Burhan Gafoor, Singapore’s Chief Negotiator for Climate Change expresses cautious optimism on the global carbon market, during the opening ceremony of the annual Carbon Forum Asia 2011.

Held in Singapore again this year, Carbon Forum Asia 2011 brings together industry leaders, government agencies, policymakers, and emissions trading and CDM market experts to learn, network and discuss issues around climate change and carbon trading. This year, Carbon Forum Asia welcomes around 1,000 international participants from close to 50 countries.

In his opening speech, Ambassador Gafoor spoke about the bleak outlook for the global carbon market due to the uncertainty about the future of the Kyoto Protocol and the flexibility mechansims. However, he expressed cautious optimism about the global carbon market in the medium and longer term.

The reasons for the optimism include the start of a process of mitigation actions by both developed and developing countries under the Cancun Agreements, the majority of countries wanting the global carbon market to continue via the emissions trading and project-based mechanisms under the Kyoto Protocol, and growing interest in the carbon market with several countries developing or exploring their own voluntary carbon markets. Read more

Carbon Forum Asia 2011: Progressing Asia’s Carbon Abatement Agenda [Press Releases]

In 2011, countries in the Asia Pacific region, such as Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea and Taiwan, are upping the ante on carbon abatement programs with a slew of schemes being developed or revived.

While Australia and New Zealand are pushing ahead with their carbon trading schemes, India will be introducing their own trading platform with a focus on energy efficiency rather than just carbon emissions. Similarly, China aims to have a nationwide scheme in place by the end of 2015. The trend is encouraging and demonstrates Asia’s commitment towards the carbon agenda.

“We are witnessing new waves – the first is in local markets, in particular, China and India, where new pilot carbon projects are being launched. And the second is in Climate Finance, an area in which multilateral and bilateral banks such as JBIC and ADB have started to look into,“ said Takashi Hongo, Carbon Forum Asia 2011 Advisory Panel member and Senior Fellow of Mitsui Global Strategic Studies Institute. Read more

CARBON FORUM ASIA 2010 Presents Asia’s Views on Emissions Trading Post-2012

Singapore, 29 October 2010: The fifth CARBON FORUM ASIA ended today, recording yet another successful outing for carbon market professionals in Asia and around the world. Held on 27 and 28 October in conjunction with the Singapore International Energy Week, CARBON FORUM ASIA 2010 attracted a turnout of close to 1,100 participants from 44 countries, an increase of 10 percent from the previous year.

Continuing its role as a leading platform for Asia to showcase the carbon market opportunities in the region, CARBON FORUM ASIA 2010 brought together 120 exhibiting organizations from the public and private sectors as well as 120 global industry experts.

With just two years before the end of the Kyoto protocol, CARBON FORUM ASIA 2010 served as an opportune platform for governments, private organizations and financial institutions across the world to level out key issues and carry forward insightful viewpoints that will outline future dialogues. Read more

Carbon Forum Asia 2010 Opens in Singapore Amid Challenges in the Carbon Market

Carbon Forum Asia 2010 opens in Singapore today as part of the Singapore International Energy Week. Carbon Forum Asia has been the leading event in Asia for industry players in the carbon market to share and discuss trends and issues on carbon trading and the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM). The conference and trade fair this year will see about 1,200 participants from 50 countries.

To date, there are 2,414 CDM registered projects with 78% of the projects in Asia, representing more than 360 million carbon emissions reduction (CER) units. As Asia continues to be an influential force in the CDM market, Carbon Forum Asia updates participants on the latest developments in the region and offers opportunities for CDM projects. Read more

CARBON FORUM ASIA 2010: At the heart of the world’s most exciting new market

As of July 2010, the United Nations Framework on Climate Change Convention (UNFCCC) has registered over 2,300 CDM projects globally, an increase of more than 35 percent over a year ago. More than three-quarters of these projects are registered in Asia and the Pacific, spelling once again the abundant opportunities in the region’s carbon trading markets.

With the Kyoto protocol nearing its expiration date in 2012, climate change negotiators are focusing their attention on reaching a definitive agreement for a global fight against climate change. These, and other exciting developments in the emissions trading and global carbon markets will be the centerpiece of the discussions at the fifth edition of CARBON FORUM ASIA, from 27 – 28 October 2010 in Singapore. Read more

HDB: Two Steps Ahead Towards Sustainable Public Housing In Singapore

As the public housing authority that houses over 80% of Singapore’s population, HDB has a key role to play in supporting Singapore’s commitment to sustainable development. Today, HDB made further progress with two key initiatives:

a) Procurement of 1MWp solar photovoltaic (PV) panels worth about $2.3 million from the Renewable Energy Corporation (REC). This is by far the single largest solar panel procurement in Singapore to date. The solar panels will be implemented at six HDB precincts covering about 3,000 residential units; and

b) Collaboration with Camp Dresser & McKee (CDM) to develop a modeling tool to quantify and formulate a set of key performance indicators (KPIs) on sustainability environmental targets in developing Punggol as an Eco-Town for the tropics. This will enable a more effective design for sustainability, and support HDB’s planning efforts to enhance resource efficiency and livability within Punggol Eco-Town. Read more

Carbon Forum Asia 2009

The annual Carbon Forum Asia trade fair and conference starts today at the Raffles City Convention Centre, officially opened by Mr S Iswaran, Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Trade and Industry.

This year’s trade fair offers a comprehensive showcase of regional and international carbon market players from over 27 countries, including 22 countries across Asia Pacific, such as Singapore, Australia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Laos, Pakistan, Malaysia, Mongolia, Thailand, Bhutan and Papua New Guinea.

At the trade fair’s Sellers Pavilion, sponsored by the Asian Development Bank (ADB), innovative sustainable projects in Asia were showcased by project developers and carbon credit sellers. These projects include biomass-biogas combined heat and power generation, conversion of waste coal gas to energy, methane avoidance, etc.

The conference brings together more than 130 leading regional and international speakers to discuss new trends and perspectives for the Asian and global carbon market, and on issues related to emissions trading, carbon finance and climate change.

The total value of the global carbon market reached US$125 billion in 2008, more than double the US$60 billion recorded in 2007. The Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) has also benefited developing countries such as China, India and Brazil.

Although there are critics of carbon trading and the CDM, we cannot deny the importance and potential of the CDM if done properly to reduce emissions and contribute to sustainable development together. As Mr Andrew Tan, CEO of the National Environment Agency, explained in his speech at the Clean Development Mechanism World Designated National Authorities Forum (held in conjunction with Carbon Forum Asia):

Right at the start, the CDM was a compromise solution between countries that wanted the creation of an adaptation fund for climate vulnerable countries and those that wanted a more market-driven mechanism. The CDM was therefore never a perfect system to begin with and a system that its designers had to improve as they learnt along the way. Indeed, up to recent times, the CDM has attracted criticisms that it is too bureaucratic a system, with many delays and not cost-effective. Environmental groups have similarly criticized the CDM for providing millions of dollars of financing for minimal emissions reductions or projects that would have gone on anyway. These calls have not gone unheeded and efforts have been made to address the shortfalls of the system.

…

I therefore hope that at the Singapore meeting, delegates can build upon recent discussions on the CDM and work closely together to help improve the governance framework to ensure:

a. greater transparency and accountability

b. better accreditation of DOEs and minimizing conflicts of interest

c. clearer guidelines and standards

Failure isn’t failing. Failure is failing to try.

ecoWise First in Singapore to Successfully Register CDM Project with UNFCCC

This article is a media release from ecoWise Holdings Limited.

Singapore 30 December 2008 – Mainboard-listed ecoWise Holdings Limited (“ecoWise”), a Singapore-based integrated environmental solutions provider, today announced that its wholly-owned subsidiary, Bee Joo Industries Pte Ltd (“Bee Joo Industries”), has become the first Singapore registered company to successfully register its first CDM project with UNFCCC.

Mr. Lee Thiam Seng, Chairman and CEO of ecoWise proudly remarked, “Last year, we were the first Singapore-based company to receive the Letter of Approval from the Designated National Authority for our CDM project. After a year of consistent effort, we are indeed very pleased to have our project registered with the UNFCCC.” Read more

National Environment Agency Launches Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) Documentation Grant

The National Environment Agency (NEA) launched the $500,000 Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) Documentation Grant yesterday. This is a co-funding scheme to encourage companies to develop CDM projects in Singapore and support them in engaging carbon consultancy services for the documentation needed.

The funding is capped at $100,000 for each CDM project and would be provided for up to 30% or 50% of the qualifying cost of engaging a carbon consultant to develop a Project Design Document (PDD), which depends on the need to develop a new methodology or just to use an existing approved methodology. The cost of implementing the CDM project would not be supported under the grant. Read more