The oil bully

In 2009, a US court of appeals ordered Exxon Mobil, the largest publicly traded oil company, to pay $1 billion to the victims of 50,000 tonnes of oil spill in Alaska in 1989. But the US Supreme Court reduced the fine to $500 million following appeals by Exxon. The oil spill had damaged 2,100 km of the Alaskan coastline.

US says it will not extend commitment on climate mitigation efforts

‘Developed nations want India to leapfrog to a technology which even they have not accepted’

Give us a brief background of the simmering debate between developed and developing countries on phasing out hydrofluorocarbons Interviewee:  Sukumar Devotta

Billionth carbon credit issued

THE clean development mechanism (CDM)—the world’s largest carbon offset mechanism under the Kyoto Protocol—has issued its billionth carbon credit. It was given to a company in Alwar, Rajasthan, which switched its fuel source from coal to biomass.

Climate of irrationality

The multilateral treaty to protect the ozone layer has been a successful environmental agreement. But an impasse over restricting the use of extremely potent greenhouse gases is set to mar the 25th anniversary celebrations of the Montreal Protocol on September 16.

No balanced package for Doha

LDCs ring the alarm bell before Bonn

Durban turning futile as EU buries head in sand

Blog Intro:  With the carbon market in doldrums, emerging economies like India will have to announce bolder schemes for a low carbon future With the carbon market in doldrums, emerging economies like India will have to announce bolder schemes for a low carbon future

Time-out

At Durban, the European Union (EU) pushed hard for a legally binding agreement for all. The aim, it said, was that this legal instrument would bring the US on board, as it would include China, India and other big developing countries to commit to cut emissions.

Cancun clinches deal—for polluters

On the night of December 10, Patricia Espinosa shed a tear and received a standing ovation. The foreign secretary of Mexico and president of the 16th Conference of Parties (CoP) on Climate Change held in Cancun had just read out her speech urging all negotiating parties to accept a draft agreement anchored by her country. As she finished her speech, the plenary hall burst into a thunderous applause. Mexico had managed the impossible. It had got all countries barring one to agree on a draft very similar to the Copenhagen Accord, which the earlier CoP had refused to adopt.