Low carbon energy

Briefings in English - 2010

A key topic at the summit of the automotive industry being held at the Federal Chancellery on 3 May 2010 will be the reduction of CO2 greenhouse gas emissions from cars. The questions uppermost in everyone’s mind are: which technologies can meet the EU regulations on CO2 reduction, and at what cost? However, the debate has lost sight of the possibility that the same level of climate protection provided by the current regulations may be achieved – at a much lower cost to the economy – by including the automotive industry in the EU’s Emissions Trading System. (April 2010)

It is estimated that approximately 75 per cent of the world’s trade is carried by ships and that shipping emissions will rise by up to 250 per cent by 2050. We summarise the issues, possible solutions and likely next steps. (March 2010)

Policy makers and power investors are increasingly focusing on the possibilities of renewable energy in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, drawn by an abundance of solar energy, growing demand for electricity, declining fossil fuel reserves in many states and the desire of other states to diversify their energy mix on a sustainable basis. A number of high-profile projects have been launched. However, beneath the publicity, the reality is more nuanced. For renewable energy really to take off in the region, a number of technological and commercial challenges must be overcome and significant policy changes made. This guide briefly reviews the demand for renewable energy and the resources available, before examining some of the challenges that have to be faced to meet that demand. It then suggests what governments in the region could do to encourage greater private sector investment in renewable energy projects. The attached country briefings provide an analysis of relevant legal developments and recent projects in key parts of the region. (February 2010)

The outcome of the recent United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen has been regarded by many as a huge disappointment. In terms of achieving a binding and unambiguous global solution, Copenhagen seems to have been something of a missed opportunity. However, this should not overshadow the fact that industry all over the world is going to have to brace itself against a storm of regional and sectoral regulatory activity directed at combating climate change. This review explores what precisely is looming on the horizon. (January 2010)

Briefings in German - 2010

Presseartikel von Wolf Friedrich Spieth (Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer) und Andreas E. Zielke (McKinsey & Company), Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, 29. April 2010, S. 14

Presseartikel von Wolf Spieth in der Frankfurter Allgemeinen Zeitung vom 7. April 2010, S. 19

Extending the EU ETS

Implications for the EU chemicals industry.