November 28, 2007
· Filed under consumer choices, fuel, global warming, news, politics · Tagged carbon dioxide, CO2, pollution, spain, sustainable
The governing PSOE party led by Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero has announced radical plans to tax gasoline at a rate of 0.01€ per litre, in addition to their forthcoming tax on higher polluting cars. They further pan to create a Ministry of Sustainability and close any nuclear energy plants older than 40 years.
Un litro de gasolina emite 2,4 kilos de CO2, así que los ciudadanos pagarían unos 4 euros por cada tonelada de CO2, 57 veces más de los 0,07 euros que pagan ahora las empresas por tonelada. Sin embargo el céntimo del clima es menor de lo que las industrias pagarán a partir de 2008, cuando el nuevo plan de asignaciones eleve el precio por encima de los 20 euros. Con esta medida, el Gobierno podría recaudar unos 300 millones de euros al año.
One litre of gasoline emits 2.4kg of CO2, so Spanish citizens will end up paying €4/tonne CO2, while businesses will only pay €0.07/tonne CO2. However, a plan to be implemented in 2008 will redress this balance by raising the share paid for by industry to above €20/tonne.
November 28, 2007
· Filed under global warming, politics · Tagged carbon dioxide, politics, spain, sustainable
The International Carbon Action Partnership was launched at the end of October, 2007 with the aim of taking concrete action to stop the emission of greenhouse gases, particularly carbon dioxide. The governments of Spain, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal, Norway, New Zealand, and the UK as well as regional govenernments of various US states and Canadian provinces took part in the inaugural conference in Lisbon. They concluded:
International Carbon Action Partnership (ICAP)
The International Carbon Action Partnership (ICAP) will create an international forum of governments and public authorities that are engaged in the process of designing or implementing carbon markets. ICAP will establish an expert forum to discuss relevant questions on the design, compatibility and potential linkage of regional carbon markets. The forum will convene regularly and define a work program, including joint research and studies. It will identify barriers, including barriers posed by applicable state, federal and national laws, and it will identify solutions with the view to developing recommendations for consideration by each of the signatories hereto. ICAP aims to support the United Nations process on climate change by facilitating working relationships among governments and public authorities engaged in developing and implementing programs to combat climate change.
November 28, 2007
· Filed under consumer choices, fuel · Tagged environmental management systems, ISO 14001, spain, sustainable
Spain has 11.125 ISO14001-registered companies making it the EU country with the highest number of such companies. This voluntary reckoning of a company’s environmental management systems helps companies identify weaknesses, save money through efficiency and promote public confidence in their commitment to environment and thus – they hope – confidence in their products.
