Canada

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Ecosystem Restoration Associates helps Langley City, BC to offset greenhouse gas emissions through tree planting.  (Go to article in Langley Advance, 18.09.09)

The City of Nelson, BC is considering ways to keep its rate of greenhouse gas emissions at 2007 levels to avoid buying carbon offsets in 2012.  The City voluntarily pledged to become carbon neutral by 2012.  (Go to article in Nelson Star, 17.09.09)

The U.S. president and Canadian prime minister pledged to cooperate on addressing climate change.  (Go to Joint statement by President Barack Obama of the United States of America and Prime Minister Stephen Harper of Canada on accelerating economic recovery and job creation in Wall Street Journal, 16.09.09)

Federal Environment Minister Jim Prentice assures Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty and Quebec Premier Jean Charest that the upcoming federal scheme to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions would be fair to their provinces and that any cap-and-trade plan adopted by the federal government will be compatible with the U.S.  (Go to article in The Star, 11.09.09)

The B.C’s public sector may have additional two years to meet their greenhouse gas emission (GHG) reductions targets, according to latest statements by B.C.'s Minister for Climate Action, John Yap.   Initially, legislation passed in 2007 set targets for the public sector for 2010.  However, yesterday Mr. Yap departed from this date saying that “Core government will be carbon neutral by 2010. And then the overall public sector by 2012.”  (Go to article in The Globe and Mail, 11.09.09)

Industry, environmental groups are eagerly waiting on details of Ottawa's greenhouse gas reduction policy that will include a cap and trade strategy.  (Go to article in the Calgary Herald, 10.09.09)

According to Gary Doer, a former NDP Manitoba Premier and ambassador-designate to the U.S., Canada and the U.S. will continue to advocate that China and India take on binding greenhouse gas emission cuts. (Go to article in The Star, 31.08.09)

Tinhorn Creek Vineyards, a winery in B.C, to offset its greenhouse gas emissions with the help of Vancouver-based Offsetters.  (Go to News Release, CNW, 04.09.09)

In the light of election speculation for this fall by the federal Liberal party, Federal Environment Minister Jim Prentice is concerned over the impact this may have on a Canadian climate plan he wanted to be in place before the Copenhagen meeting in December.  (Go to article in Times Colonist, 03.09.09) 

Yesterday, Alberta Premier Ed Stelmach said the federal election campaign could disrupt work being done between Ottawa and the provinces to iron out climate change targets and measures that Canada will trumpet at a UN conference in Copenhagen in early December.  (Go to article in The Edmonton Journal, 02.09.09)

About 100 high-profile guests including PM Stephen Harper are meeting at the UN Summit in New York today. China and India are expected to announce a series of new measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions which could represent a breakthrough in bringing them into a global climate change deal at a UN summit in Copenhagen in December.  (Go to article in CBC, 22.09.09)

Australia proposes a global climate deal that allows nations to take on varied commitments.  (Go to article in Reuters, 20.09.09)

A delegation from the China Beijing Environmental Exchange, a Chinese government-backed platform for trading environmental equity, will outline the details of its emissions trading scheme in New York this week at a UN conference on climate change.  (Go to article in Times online, 20.09.09)

164 sectors and sub-sectors considered to be exposed to “carbon leakage” will receive a higher share of greenhouse gas emission allowances free of charge, according to a new draft Decision agreed on by EU Member States.  (Go to News Release, Europa, 18.09.09)

• DIRECTIVE 2009/29/EC amending Directive 2003/87/EC

A German advisory council proposal suggests that climate negotiators should focus on per-capita emissions rather than each country's emissions total. This approach would require countries that exceed their population-based "carbon budgets" to purchase excess allowances from the world's least-developed countries through the carbon bank.  (Go to article, Worldwatch Institute, 11.09.09)

A new survey by The Climate Group, The Effects of EU Climate Legislation on Business Competitiveness: a Survey and Analysis, found the European Union's emissions trading scheme (EU ETS) has had minimal impact so far on business costs or competitiveness.  (Go to Press Release, The Climate Group, 17.09.09)

San Francisco International Airport launches the Climate Passport program allowing travelers to offset the impact of their air travel through an airport kiosk.  (Go to article in Reuters, 18.09.09)

Democratic leaders in the U.S. Senate may wait until next year to cover climate change legislation.  (Go to article in Guardian, 16.09.09)

In Washington, the Congressional Budget Office has released a study concluding that the market in carbon offsets could grow to $60 billion in 2012. A report from delta Farm Press says that the Chicago Climate Exchange says that demand for carbon certificates is strong – with up to 5000 contracts being traded per day involving 11 percent of the Fortune 500.  (Go to article in Delta Farm Press, 03.09.09)

Indian government has unveiled plans to launch an energy efficiency trading scheme aimed at reducing consumption by around 5 per cent annually by 2015.  The National Mission on Enhanced Energy Efficiency will introduce a ‘Perform, Achieve and Trade’ (PAT) mechanism that would assign energy efficiency targets to the country’s most energy intensive industries.  Any organisations that achieve energy efficiency improvements above and beyond their targets would be allocated Energy Saving Certificates (ESCerts), which can be saved or traded.  (Go to article in Pollution and Warming, 28.08.09)

New Zealand government’s Emissions Trading Scheme review panel releases Review of the Emissions Trading Scheme and Related Matters and backs emissions trading as its primary tool to fight climate change.  (Go to article in Reuters, 01.09.09)