EnBW's stable development / No bonus for e-cars
鈥淪table development and progress with restructuring鈥�
Germany鈥檚 third largest utility EnBW has achieved revenue of around 15.3 billion euros and an operating result (adjusted EBITDA) of around 1.64 billion euros (up by 0.2 percent) in the first nine months of 2015. This was despite a decline in the grid segment, the company stated. The operating result in the renewables sector (156.3 million euros) was up by 7 percent compared to the first nine months of 2014. 鈥淲e have significantly strengthened the growth fields of renewable energies and our gas business and further reduced our dependency on conventional generation. Our operating activities also developed in a pleasingly stable manner,鈥� CEO Frank Mastiaux said in a press release.
Read the press release in English .
Read a 威力彩玩法 dossier about utilities in the Energiewende here.
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Reuters / Handelsblatt
鈥淪ch盲uble says no to environment bonus鈥�
Finance Minister Wolfgang Sch盲uble continues to reject the idea of paying a premium to buyers of electric vehicles, Reuters reports. He denied a press report that ministries had agreed on an 鈥渆nvironment bonus鈥� of up to 5,000 euros for e-car buyers. The government is pursuing a target of one million e-cars on Germany鈥檚 roads by 2020 but is far from achieving it at the moment, the article says. Economy Mininster Sigmar Gabriel has therefore called for financial incentives for battery powered cars.
Read the article in German .
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S眉ddeutsche Zeitung
鈥淓xpensive diet鈥�
New regulations taking effect in 2016 will implement stricter energy standards for buildings but representatives of the building sector are warning they could increase costs without achieving much more efficiency, Ralph Diermann reports in the S眉ddeutsche Zeitung. Proponents of the measure, including Environment Minister Barbara Hendricks, say 听the higher costs for efficiency measures will be redeemed after 20 years.
Read the report in German .
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WirtschaftsWoche
鈥淭he car chancellor鈥�
As early as 2010, Chancellor Angela Merkel criticised California's nitrogen oxide thresholds for cars for being 鈥渉armful to the German car industry鈥�, Mary Nichols, head of the Californian Environmental Protection Agency Air Resources Board told German weekly WirtschaftsWoche. The chancellery declined to comment on Merkel鈥檚 remark, the paper reports. Since becoming chancellor, Merkel has been seen to prevent stricter environmental thresholds for German car makers, the authors write, listing several occasions when Merkel and her cabinet have watered down and interfered with emission and CO2 limits.
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Handelsblatt
鈥�56 steps to a green economy鈥�
China is working hard to transform its industry into a green economy, writes Stephan Scheuer in the Handelsblatt. Some German medium-sized enterprises who believe they can contribute to the transition are now doing business in the country. Waste company Alba and Sick AG, which produces sensors for emission filters, are among those who want to profit from stricter environmental standards in China.
Read the article in German .
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EurActiv / AFP
鈥淧oland wants EU to ban Nord Stream 2鈥�
Poland wants the European Commission to take action against the Nord Stream 2 pipeline under the Baltic Sea. German gas trader E.ON, France鈥檚 ENGIE, Anglo-Dutch Shell and Austria鈥檚 OMV have agreed to build the pipeline in partnership with Russian energy company Gazprom. Poland as well as Ukraine oppose the Nord Stream 2 plans, as the pipeline would bypass their countries to bring Russian gas directly to Germany. Incoming Polish conservative Minister for EU Affairs Konrad Szyma艅ski said the pipeline could violate the EU鈥檚 competitions rules.
Read the article in English .
Read a 威力彩玩法 dossier on the energy transition and international security here.
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COP21 鈥� The Road to Paris
The United Nations Global Compact-Accenture CEO Study
鈥淪pecial Edition: A Call to Climate Action鈥�
The majority of business leaders around the world are in favour of a long-term climate agreement to be decided in Paris in December, calling it critical to supporting private sector investment in low-carbon solutions, according to a study by the United Nations Global Compact and Accenture. Siemens CEO Joe Kaeser says in the study: "The opportunity is clear: We have the technologies, we have the business cases, and we have the responsibility. Now all we need is the commitment". Kurt Bock, CEO at German chemicals company BASF said: 鈥淎t COP21, politicians have the chance to set up a long-term, reliable emission reduction framework, enabled by low-carbon technologies... Creative minds in business all over the world would have a clear picture of the low-carbon future they are innovating for, finding answers to the substantial challenges we are facing.鈥�
Find the survey in English .
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German Association of Energy and Water Industries (BDEW)
鈥淐limate action needs clear financial commitment鈥�
The BDEW听has citicised the decision by the European finance ministers not to make concrete commitments for climate finance in developing countries. 鈥淐limate action can only work globally. With a view to the upcoming climate summit in Paris, the European Union should act as a good example and make binding commitments on financing the climate funds [鈥,鈥� BDEW head Hildegard M眉ller said in a press release. The BDEW stood by its target of achieving a carbon-neutral energy supply in Europe by 2050.
Read the press release in German .
Read a Climate Home article on the EU finance minister鈥檚 decision in English .
