Analysing business models for successful developments in energy storage Event will be held on February 03-04, 2016 in Paris, France. This two-day conference will bring together key industry stakeholders to address the current challenges in the energy storage market and discuss the latest developments. The two day event will give you insights on business cases, regulatory environment, financial aspects and technological advancements for the energy storage industry. The Energy Storage 2016 Conference will allow you to learn and understand successful case studies, as well as explore the latest R&D projects. Join us in Paris to meet senior representatives from leading companies for excellent networking opportunities.
This event will take place from Monday, April 11, 2016 to Thursday, April 14, 2016 at the Grand Hyatt, Denver, Colorado, United States. The Utility Solar Conference (USC) provides an exclusive forum for utilities to share their experiences, exchange ideas, and talk through various strategies and business models in an intimate environment free of outside influences. USC brings together utilities interested in improving, expanding or developing a viable long-term solar strategy. This year's Utility Solar Conference will offer four educational tracks to its attendees:
Effective Grid Integration
The Utility/Customer Nexus
Innovative Utility Business Models
Managing Utility-Scale Solar
USC registration is limited to employees of regulated investor-owned, municipal and cooperative utilities and federal power authorities. Due to regulatory concerns, employees of any deregulated entities associated with these organizations are not permitted.
Take advantage of early bird rates and click here to register today. The last day to reserve a room in the conference hotel block is March 21, 2016.
This Ethical Corporation event will take place on April 12 - 13 2016, in Manhattan NYC, an Affinia Hotel, New York. Navigate the changing landscape and become a leading sustainable business. The Responsible Business Summit USA is America's premier CSR and sustainability conference. Through workshops, roundtable debates and case study sessions delving into the key issues you will learn from, and network with, senior leaders from the leading sustainable brands. 25+ Cutting-Edge Sessions150+ Senior-Level Attendees10+ Hours of dedicated Networking
What you can get from the Summit:
STRATEGIZE and achieve your sustainable business goals through successful internal engagement and external collaboration
TAKE OWNERSHIP of your extended supply chain through effective auditing, vertical integration and certification schemes
EMPOWER the workforce and reduce labor costs through development schemes, volunteerism programs, and a transparent culture
REPORT the numbers that count and drive positive change, re-enforcing the company vision and purpose DRIVE your sustainability mission forwards by integrating the SDG’s and see real benefits for the business
There will be more than 30 industry-leading speakers, including C-Suite, VP and Director level experts, who will be sharing their insight and experiences, so you can benchmark again some of the best and make more sustainable corporate decisions moving forward.
Partial Speakers List
STEWART WHITNEY, Timberland President DAVE STANGIS, Campbell's VP Public Affairs and Corporate Responsibility LINDSAY JAMES, Interface, Vice President of Restorative Enterprise JENNIFER SILBERMAN, Hilton Chief of Staff, VP Corporate Responsibility CHRIS LIBRIE HPE, Senior Director, Living Progress DOUGLAS SABO, VISA Vice President, Head of Corporate Responsibility and Philanthropy AL IANNUZZI, Johnson & Johnson Sr. Director EHS & Sustainability VALERIE SMITH, Citi Director Corporate Sustainability MICHELLE YATES Adobe Director, Corporate Responsibility LEE BALLIN, Bloomberg Head of Sustainable Business Programs BRUCE PARRY, Bombardier Head of Sustainability Product Development Engineering ROY CONN, Huntsman Global Sustainability Co-ordinator
Ethical Corps spent several months researching and speaking to the sustainability community in North America, establishing the key issues, trends and opportunities in 2016. The Responsible Business Summit USA agenda reflects these issues and opportunities.
A few of the sessions included over the course of the 2 days:
Drive a responsible culture across the business – in a one-on-one interview Timberland’s President shares all Embed and support sustainable thinking across the business – senior executives from Campbell’s and Interface discuss how they are integrating a sustainability mind-set and strategy across all business units Drive business value through your report – in a keynote session Global Compact Canada and Bloomberg will share how leading brands are using their reports to drive value Create a win-win partnership with your key stakeholders – join Timberland, Dow Chemical and the Nature Conservancy in interactive roundtable debates to understand how you can build successful partnerships Become resilient and evolve with business demands to create a strong supply chain – in an interactive peer-to-peer learning session Hilton and Edelman will lead a discussion on how companies can build secure supply chains Giving back – Embed and measure the success of volunteerism schemes – Impact 2030 and GSK will lead roundtable debates on how businesses are successfully aligning volunteerism schemes with business strategies
Testimonials
“The Responsible Business Summit is a unique opportunity for global brands and sustainability thought leaders to connect, collaborate and contribute toward a sustainable future”
“The Responsible Business Summit has been a fixture in Europe for many years. I’m looking forward to participating when it makes it return to the U.S. in April.”
- Dave Stangis, Vice President - Public Affairs and Corporate Responsibility, Campbell’s The Ethical Corporation Difference
New for 2016 C-SUITE KEYNOTES:
Be inspired by our handpicked keynotes sharing their vision on responsible business leadership CASE STUDIES – DEPTH AND INSIGHT: Get insight into the best sustainability success stories, understand just how they did it… from concept to completion! BUILD BUSINESS RELATIONSHIPS: 2016 is all about understanding what business functions care about and how can sustainability help. Ask your biggest questions to our business leaders and learn how to foster lasting relationships. NETWORKING: More valuable time to meet your peers and continue the discussion after the summit Exceptional Networking Opportunities Ethical Corporation brings together senior executives from leading multinational brands all under one roof.
10+ hours of supreme networking with leaders in the sustainability and corporate responsibility space – plenty of time to form lasting business relationships C-level executives from across the industry look to share and solve key issues faced in 2016 Pre-event Q&As and webinars plus post event reports and video recordings ensures you can get exposure on your initiatives across the an extended period.
Only 11 days left to save $200 with our Early Bird discount
The fires in Indonesia were one of the biggest environmental and climate stories of 2015. These fires have been variously described as a "crime against humanity," and the "biggest environmental crime of the 21st century." Despite their devastating global impact this perennial story receives little attention. In 2015 the fires were worse than ever. They started in July and continued to burn for many months throughout Indonesia with the highest concentrations in Borneo and western Sumatra.
Massive amounts of land are being lost to slash and burn agriculture every year in Indonesia. As reported by the Washington Post, a Climate Advisers analysis of data from WRI, the European Union and other sources, indicates that between 2004 and 2014 about 1 percent of Indonesia’s tree cover or 3.7 million acres, is removed every year. Each year fires are set to clear peatlands so that they can be drained for palm oil (Indonesia is the world's largest producer of palm oil) and other plantations. Drier than normal conditions last year caused the fires to spread rapidly. When they are burned the massive amounts of carbon and other pollutants are released into the atmosphere. In some of the worst hit areas the Pollutant Standard Index (PSI) came close to a reading of 2,000, which is almost seven times the level considered hazardous. The fires and resultant toxic fumes forced many provinces in Indonesia to declare states of emergency.
Indonesia is not the only country impacted by the fire induced haze, Malaysia and Singapore and even southern Thailand have also been engulfed by the acrid ochre colored smoke. It is estimated that smoke from such fires has caused a half million respiratory infections and killed more than 100,000 people in Southeast Asia. This is an ongoing catastrophe for local ecosystems including wildlife like orangutans, clouded leopards, sun bears, gibbons, the Sumatran rhinoceros and Sumatran tiger.
Here is a video that contains some images that help to visualize what the fires actually looked like.
Greenhouse Gas Emissions
One recent study estimated that from 2000 to 2010, the clearing of Indonesian forests for palm oil, timber and other purposes led to 8.59 gigatons of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions due to loss of trees and degradation of peatlands. At one point the fires were releasing carbon at a rate that surpassed the emissions of the entire US economy. In a three week time span the fires released more CO2 than the annual emissions of Germany and as of the end of October the cumulative total eclipsed the annual emissions of Japan. The peat fires alone have contributed more than 1.6 gigatons of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere making Indonesia one of the world's largest contributors of GHGs. Carbon is not the only emission emanating from these fires there is also methane, carbon monoxide, ozone and exotic gases such as ammonium cyanide. Economic Costs
There are also catastrophic economic costs both globally and locally. It estimated that the fires of 2015 will cost the Indonesian economy billions of dollars. TDhe Indonesian government’s own estimate of the costs are as much as $47 billion or about 5 percent of Indonesia’s gross national product. This obliterates all of the countries economic growth for 2015. These figures do not include the losses to productivity.
Culprits
While big agricultural business deserves much of the blame, it is also important to realize that the bulk of the those setting fires are poor small-scale farmers looking to expand their farmland, illegal operators and small legal operations. There are an estimated 4 million so called "smallholder farmers" in Indonesia.
Indonesian Government
President Joko Widodo's promise to protect the peatlands in 2014 worked in a peat forest in Sumatra and in 2015 he called for a moratorium on licensing for peatland concessions. We have seen some arrests. However Indonesian police have arrested executives in connection with the fires including a senior executive from Bumi Mekar Hijau (BMH), and legal action has been taken against several companies including Tempirai Palm Resources, Waringin Agro Jaya, Langgam Inti Hibrindo, Hutani Sola Lestari. While hundreds of plantation and forestry companies were investigated for their role in the fires only a handful have come to justice thus far. The government's efforts can only be described as contradictory. Many blame the rampant culture of corruption and political patronage in Indonesia.
Solutions
To bring the practice of slash and burn agriculture to end, fires, especially on peat, must be banned. Currently an Indonesian ruling known as Law 32, allows communities to burn two hectares of land per family. We also need to see a major increase in firefighting resources. The digging of canals to drain peatlands must also end. Peat restoration including re-flooding and other water management measures. More sustainable employment opportunities must be also be made available. Perhaps most importantly those responsible for starting the fires must be brought to justice. We know who the perpetrators are and they must be prosecuted. Satellite images show where these fires burned (almost half were in plantation or logging concessions granted by the government). An up-to-date online, searchable land registry coupled with digital land mapping technologies would also help to identify culprits. The global community must be part of the solution. Leading the way Norway has already pledged $1 billion to help Indonesia address the problem of deforestation.
Call for Corporate Leadership
Greenpeace has called for palm oil and paper companies to join forces and enforce a total ban on forest clearance and peatland development in Indonesia. In September 2014, a number of major producers signed the Indonesian Palm Oil Pledge (IPOP) which commited the signatories to sustainable palm oil practices and zero-deforestation. The signatories to IPOP – Wilmar, Asian Agri, Cargill, GAR and Musim Mas– account for 80% of the palm oil industry in Indonesia. Firms, such as timber giant APP, have also signed zero-deforestation pledges in recent years. However others have been slower to react, this includes companies like Starbucks, PepsiCo, Kraft Heinz and Unilever. A boycott of those who fail to farm responsibly in Indonesia is another way to apply pressure. Some of the world’s most important consumer companies have pledged not to use palm oil associated with deforestation.
The Status Quo is not Working
In November illegally grown oil palm seedlings were already growing in some of Indonesia's slash and burn lands including newly burned land just outside of the Nyaru Menteng orangutan sanctuary in Central Kalimantan.
A new report reaffirms the failure of oil industry oversight under the former Conservative government led by Stephen Harper. According to a report by the federal commissioner of the environment and sustainable development, the National Energy Board (NEB) has failed to assess whether pipeline companies are in compliance with environmental, safety and other conditions. The new audit was tabled in the Canadian Parliament on Tuesday, January 26, 2015.
"Overall, we found that the National Energy Board’s tracking of company compliance with pipeline approval conditions was inadequate," the report said. The lack of follow up and failure to systematically review pipeline projects led the commission to the conclusion that the NEB has effectively failed to live up to its mandate as the national regulator for pipeline projects.
In essence this amounts to ignoring input on issues raised in public hearings. In half the cases they audited the commission found that compliance was either out of date or files were missing. There are examples of compliance conditions being ignored that in some cases date back a decade or more.
The problems with the NEB extend all the way down to the level of the information systems which are outdated, disorganized and inefficient.
The new Liberal government led by Justin Trudeau, has indicated it will modernize the NEB and the regulator said his organization will comprehensively address all of the report's findings by the end of this year.
The Canadian federal government has also said that it will require a climate test on all fossil fuel pipelines. This includes the Kinder Morgan Trans-Mountain and TransCanada Energy East pipelines. Trudeau said the Liberals new rules would require that companies "take into account all greenhouse gas emissions including those upstream."
In a press conference Trudeau said that his job is to look out for Canada's best interests and not act as a "cheerleader" for various pipeline projects as the previous Conservative government did.
"My responsibility as prime minister is to make sure that on national projects, we're behaving in a way that both contributes to the economy, to a secure environment," Trudeau said in Montreal on Tuesday morning.
"For 10 years, we had a government that acted rather as a cheerleader for such projects instead of acting as a responsible referee and establish a clear, open, rigorous and transparent approval process — and that's what we intend to do," Trudeau said in French during a news conference in Montreal.
A live webinar on customer behaviour change will take place on Tuesday, February 2, 2016 at 10am GMT. It will feature directors from AkzoNobel, HP and Kellogg’s. Over 500 people are already scheduled to attend. This webinar titled Influence Customer Behaviour through Integrated Marketing and Sustainability
The webinar will specifically cover:
What a successful integrated marketing and sustainability strategy looks like
How to engage with marketing departments to see where sustainability fits in communications
When to link sustainability more to brand messaging to influence behaviour change
How to simplify messages to create consistency.
Panelists Include:
Rupert Maitland Titterton: Senior Director Corporate Communications, Public Affairs and Sustainability Kellogg's Europe
Dr. Kirstie McIntyre: Director, WW Environmental Operations, HP Inc.
David Brunt, Global Products and Services Sustainability Director, Akzonobel
Krina Amin, Head of Strategy, Ethical Corporation
For more information contact Krina.amin@ethicalcorp.com To register click here. * * If you cannot make the scheduled time for the live broadcast register anyways and Ethical Corporation will send a recording of the webinar.
Hilary Clinton, Bernie Sanders and Martin O'Malley are the three remaining candidates seeking the Democratic nomination for president. On January 25th they fielded a barrage of questions from voters in a town hall meeting at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, The moderator was CNN anchor Chris Cuomo.
O'Malley emerged from the Iowa Town Hall as the greenest of the three candidates with Sanders trailing some distance behind. O'Malley bluntly stated that "this planet is worth saving," and Sanders reaffirmed his commitment to tackle climate change. Hilary remained silent on climate and clean energy and let her rivals steal the green thunder. As in previous debates, Hilary did not mention climate change or the clean energy economy once. Perhaps she is taking her cues from Republican presidential hopefuls or perhaps she knows that this is one area where she cannot hope to compete with her Democratic rivals (see the climate positions of the Democratic presidential candidates: O'Malley, Sanders and Clinton).
Alternatively, Hilary's silence on green issues may be part of a clever strategy. According to a poll conducted towards the end of 2015, Americans do not think climate change is anywhere near as important a concern as the economy. Only 3 percent of Americans said that they thought global warming was the most important issue facing the country today.
Climate is not a priority issue for the vast majority of voters so Hilary has nothing to gain from being a climate champion. Conversely embracing climate action risks alienating voters who are worried about the economic costs.
By allowing O'Malley and Sanders to own the climate spotlight she may be trying to entrench herself as the most "moderate" Democratic candidate. Her campaign may be betting that this will appeal to independent voters or even soft conservatives. Hilary's shrewd politics may win a general election, but she must first secure the Democratic nomination. With her lead shrinking and Sanders ahead in some states, it remains to be seen whether Hilary's strategy will succeed in getting her through the primary process.
Climate Change
Both O'Malley and Sanders made it clear that there is no cause to doubt the scientific veracity of anthropogenic climate change. Early in the evening Sanders got in a good shot at Republicans when he said, "in terms of climate change, which everybody here knows - and apparently everybody in the world knows except Republican candidates for president, is one of the great environmental crises facing this nation." O'Malley followed up by reiterating that he thinks climate change is the single biggest issue we face.
Green Energy Economy
The emerging green energy economy will be worth trillions by the time it replaces fossil fuels. However of the three Democratic hopefuls, only O'Malley appears to understand the scale of the economic opportunity this transition represents. "Climate change is the greatest business opportunity to come to the United States in 100 years" O'Malley said. "And I am the first candidate in either party to put forward a plan to move us to a 100 percent clean electric energy grid by 2050, and create 5 million jobs along the way."
O'Malley, cited the fact that Iowa gets 30 percent of its electricity from wind power. He also pointed to the 5000 jobs the wind industry has created in that state. He indicated that he wants to manufacture cleantech components like wind turbines in America. He wants to train people to retrofit buildings and install distributed energy systems. He also said that he wants to put American cities at the center of the low carbon economy, or as he put it, be at the, "leading edge to this clean green environment."
O'Malley indicated that all three Democratic hopefuls aspire to do right by the planet, but he was quick to distinguish himself as the most focused on clean power. In a shot that appeared to be directed towards Hilary's moderate stance on green energy, O'Malley said:
"And we're not going to get to 100 percent clean electric grid with an "all of the above" strategy, any more than we got to the moon with an "all of the above" strategy. It was an engineering challenge. And we are up to this as Americans. But incrementalism, half steps, splitting the loaf, that's not going to get us. And that's not what your generation wants. You want the straight truth and you want us to face our challenges fearlessly and make this new reality ours."
Sustainable Agriculture
O'Malley was the only candidate who spoke to the importance of sustainable agriculture:
"The ability to consume and to grow, and to do that within the footprint of this place that we call home. So, I would like to work with congress, and I plan to work with congress, to do more in the Farm Bill to reduce the barriers of entry to new farmers as they start up. Huge capital costs that go into buying the land and buying the equipment. But it's also what's best for keeping our rural economies, and it's best for America. So I've seen in my own state a whole movement to the "buy local" movement and the sort of farming that you describe. We need to do more as a nation to encourage young farmers to go into farming to reduce those barriers and those capital costs, even at the same time that we push back against the concentration monopoly power in the agricultural sector. And that's what I intend to do."
Fossil Fuels
Sanders has repeatedly come out against fossil fuel pipelines. He spoke about his opposition to the Keystone Pipeline, the Bakken Pipeline and pipelines in Vermont and New Hampshire. "I think we've got to break our dependence on fossil fuel." Sanders said. He then asked the question, "Why did it take Hillary Clinton such a long time before she came into opposition to the Keystone Pipeline?"
The invisible methane leak in California is a great opportunity to open a discussion about the future of natural gas in America. The Porter Ranch disaster is one of the biggest environmental disasters in US history and it is happening right now in southern California. The methane leak at the SoCalGas Aliso Canyon Storage Facility, located in the Porter Ranch neighborhood of northwest Los Angeles, is already the largest such leak in U.S. history and it is far from over. The leak started in October and SoCalGas has indicated that it does not expect to be able to cap the leak until March. Except for a mildly unpleasant aroma (due to an additive called mercaptan) a methane leak, which is the largest constituent of natural gas, is far more harmful to our climate than an oil spill. Unlike the pyrotechnics or black gooey mess that are often associated with an oil spill, a methane leak is invisible. The leak may not be discernible to the naked eye, but it is nonetheless highly destructive to both the earth’s climate and human health. The fact that it cannot be seen does not make it innocuous. The Porter Ranch leak is more serious than any of the 34 major oil spills that took place in North America last year.
Although it has not garnered the same attention, the leak is highly reminiscent of the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010. So far, 2,300 homes have been evacuated and 1,500 other families are being relocated. The crisis prompted California governor Gerry Brown to issue a state-of-emergency declaration.
Carbon is the best known greenhouse gas, it gets the most press because it represents the largest share of climate pollution. However carbon is a relative lightweight compared to methane when it comes to trapping heat. Over a 100-year period, methane causes 28 times as much warming as carbon dioxide and over a 20 year time span, methane is 84 times as potent as CO2. Methane is responsible for ten percent of US greenhouse gas emissions.
While methane leaks are common at drilling sites, this one is a monster. It is spewing methane at a rate of 40 to 64 tons per hour. The EDF has compared the daily emissions coming out of the Porter Ranch leak to six coal fired power plants or 4.7 million cars. So far around 90,000 metric tons of methane have seeped from the SoCalGas facility and this is expected to continue for many more weeks.
According to Robert Howarth, a professor of ecology and environmental biology at Cornell University and an expert in the impacts of greenhouse gas emissions, the Porter Ranch leak will likely add 5 percent to the total amount of methane released by the entire US oil and gas industry.
Methane is not only destructive to the climate, it is a serious health risk for people. In addition to being highly flammable, methane fumes are dangerous to inhale. Other compounds such as hydrogen sulfide and benzene, have also been detected in the air and they are also injurious to human health. An attorney working on behalf of one thousand local residents says that there are short term effects from the leak including bleeding eyes and gums to long term effects like cancer and death. A class action filing alleges that SoCalGas and its parent company “negligently failed to construct, operate, and maintain” the storage facility.
California Governor Jerry Brown has ordered SoCalGas to pay to mitigate the leak, however, the issue is far deeper than this one event or the costs that it will incur. This leak may help to divest methane of its false persona as a green alternative to coal and oil.
Although the EPA is working on reigning in methane emissions, the Porter Ranch incident points to the wider issue of natural gas extraction. Amy Townsend-Small, a University of Cincinnati professor who’s studied methane emissions from the natural gas industry, said the size of the leak is staggering. “It’s a perfect example of how we can work on decreasing emissions from individual wells, but there’s going to be catastrophic events…and that can change everything,” she said.
This is certainly not the only time that we have seen methane leaks at such facilities. There are about 400 other storage wells like the Aliso Canyon. The Porter Ranch disaster shows just how destructive natural gas extraction can be.
“This event is a watershed moment both because it drives home for the general public the fact that these kinds of problems can and do exist, and hopefully it drives home for the industry that a business-as-usual approach is no longer tenable,” Mark Brownstein, vice president of the climate and energy program at the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) said.
There is a lot of talk about the importance of using natural gas to help wean America off of oil, but the Porter Ranch disaster proves that fracking, touted by some as a more environmentally sound alternative, is anything but safe.
“I think this opens the door to a larger conversation: the fact that this gas is used to meet the peaking electricity demands,” said Timothy O’Connor, a director with EDF. Regulators need to look at “the role of natural gas for meeting peak electricity demand and how we reduce that role.”
Rather than hail natural gas as an important source of cleaner energy we need to acknowledge that it is just another fossil fuel that must be kept in the ground.
This event will take place on March 6 - 9, 2016 in Rotterdam, The Netherlands. A biobased Economy focuses on developing industrial viable, safe and ecologically friendly biobased (renewable biological sources) solutions to build a sustainable society, involving food, chemicals, energy and materials. Complementing these technological developments are insights and discussions on societal, economic and environmental relevant and interdisciplinary topics such as ‘Cradle-to-cradle’, ‘green or circular economies’, ‘climate change mitigation’, ‘energy and food security’, ‘resource efficiency’, ‘sustainability in general’ and ‘resource, food and product safety’.
This conference will be a first of its kind and will highlight the emergence of the research and innovation field, where we are today and what needs to be done to develop an economically feasible, safe, sustainable, and ecologically friendly biobased future. The conference will be a platform to further the discussions on this highly societal relevant topic.
Topics include:
Industrial biotechnology
Advances in pre-treatment and bio-refinery Chemical building-block specific value chains The future of lignin Integration of Biotechnological, catalytic and thermochemical processes for conversion of biomass Pilot scale & large scale biofuels production solutions
Environment biotechnology
Soil quality, including recycling of nutrients and sustainable biomass production Nature mining for bio-active compounds & enzymes from plants and microorganisms Safety assessment & remediation of bio-based chemicals, intermediate- and consumer products
Sustainability and the biobased economy
Governance of biobased innovation: engagement; public perceptions, policy approaches Economic aspects and Chain approaches: investment in innovation Improving modelling sustainability, certification and harmonization in BBE Societal challenges: food security, water security
Fundamental research in the biobased economy
Cell factories for bio-based building blocks What is the impact of synthetic biology on developing a biobased economy? Challenges in genetic engineering (towards hijacking of cellular control systems) With fossil fuels becoming more and more limited and global change having unmistakable effects on our everyday lives, working toward a suitable future for both humans and all ecosystems of the world becomes essential.
Combining industrial needs with an approach from an academic, environmental and societal point of view is a new approach and we welcome your participation and views.
To see the programme click here. To register click here.
This event will take place on February 9 - 11, 2016, at the Rancho Bernardo Inn in San Diego, California. This event is the leading wind industry networking and deal making event of the year. Wind Power Finance & Investment Summit offers unique opportunities to connect with the entire spectrum of the wind industry, at the highest levels—developers, yieldcos and yield-oriented vehicles, tax equity investors, lenders, private equity funds and other investors, turbine suppliers, PPA offtakers, customer and more. This can’t miss event is the place to build new business connections and strengthen existing partnerships.
The Summit will focus on the PTC extension and other critical issues and opportunities for the wind industry, including:
Impacts of the EPA Clean Power Plan on Wind Long-Term Outlook for Natural Gas Prices and Pipeline Development on Wind Power’s Levelized Cost of Electricity (LCOE) Latest on Yieldcos and Yield-Oriented Vehicles Opportunities and Outlook for M&A The Latest on Merchant Hedging The Outlook for Tax Equity and Debt Looking Beyond the U.S. for Opportunities
Executive Briefings – February 9, 2016
M&A in the Age of Yieldcos and Yield-Oriented Vehicles Tap into the latest intelligence and insight into the changing market for buying and selling wind power projects in the era of yieldcos and yield-oriented vehicles. Get a penetrating analysis of the drivers shaping the M&A market including who the buyers are, how their stock and portfolio performance will impact acquisition appetite, how yieldcos conduct their due diligence when making M&A decisions, the tax implications of selling to yieldcos, yieldco alternatives and other long-term financing options.
Workshop – February 9, 2016
Wind Project Due Diligence: An In-Depth Look at Technical Risks and Issues that Affect Your Projects Join independent engineer AWS Truepower and others as they delve into the many technical risks and issues that can impact the performance and ROI of your wind projects, including: How to Assess and Mitigate Key Technical Risks Predicting Energy with Improved Methodologies and from Operational Assessments Handling Turbine Technology Issues Forecasting Long-Term OPEX Costs Moving Past the 20-Year Design Life of Your Projects
Click here for the agenda. Click here to register.
Oil spills continued to be a problem in 2015 with a number of major incidents in North America. These spills contaminated both land and waterways and prompted the evacuation of local citizens. Whether by pipe, ship, rail or truck, there are well founded concerns about the safety of transporting fossil fuels. These concerns add weight to the argument that we need to expedite the shift away from fossil fuels. Many consecutive years with substantial numbers of spills illustrate the dangers associated with transporting fossil fuels. Last year in North America alone there were 34 significant spills starting in January and continuing right through to December. A New York Times report found that in North Dakota alone there were more than 18.4 million gallons of oils and chemicals spilled, leaked, or misted into the state’s air, land, and waterways between 2006 and 2014. The amount of fossil fuels spilled in the Canadian oil producing province of Alberta is even worse.
Here is a review of 33 fossil fuel leaks that occurred in North America in 2015.
January 6 - Williston, North Dakota: A ruptured pipeline operated by Summit Midstream leaked three million gallons of brine into Blacktail Creek and Little Muddy River, tributaries of the Missouri River.
January 14 - Jackson, Mississippi: A section of the Gulf South natural gas pipeline ruptured and exploded. .
January 17 - Glendive, Montana: The Poplar Pipeline running beneath the Yellowstone River ruptured, spilling some 31,000 gallons of crude oil into the water contaminating water supplies for nearby residents.
January 23 - Tioga, North Dakota: Hess Bakken Investments reported a brine spill of more than 100,000 gallons.
January 26 - Brooke County, West Virginia: The 1,265-mile Appalachia-to-Texas Express ethane pipeline ruptured and exploded.
February 4 - Dubuque, Iowa: An 81-car Canadian Pacific freight train derailed and caught fire in a remote area north of Dubuque on the banks of the Mississippi River.
February 14 - Gogama, Ontario: A 100-car Canadian National Railway train carrying crude from Alberta’s tar-sands region to eastern Canada derailed and caught fire in a remote wooded area.
February 16 - Boomer, West Virginia: A 109-car CSX train carrying millions of pounds of crude oil derailed and exploded shutting down a local water treatment plant. Three oil train wrecks in February beg the question, how many such disasters will it take before we realize that rail transport of fossil fuels is not safe.
March 1 - Peace River, Alberta: A Murphy Oil Company pipeline leaked up to 17,000 barrels of petroleum product into a type of North American bog habitat called muskeg.
March 5 - Galena, Illinois: A 105-car BNSF Railway train carrying Bakken crude from North Dakota derailed and caught fire near the Mississippi River. Twenty-one cars came off the tracks, and five caught fire.
March 7 - Gogama, Ontario: A 94-car Canadian National Railway train carrying Alberta crude oil derailed and burst into flames two miles northwest of the town of Gogama contaminating part of the Makami River, in the Mattagami River System.
March 9 - Houston, Texas: An unknown quantity of toxic chemicals spilled into the Houston Ship Channel after a bulk carrier collided with a Danish tanker carrying 216,000 barrels of the gasoline additive methyl tertiary-butyl ether, or MTBE.
March 9 - Williston, North Dakota: A truck overflow spilled 1,680 gallons of brine, affecting a nearby creek.
April 11 - Arlington, Texas: Vantage Energy spilled thousands of gallons of fracking fluid that poured out of storm drains and into the streets.
April 17 - Fresno, California: A Pacific Gas & Electric natural gas pipeline exploded at the Fresno County Sheriff's Office gun range, sending a fireball 100 feet into the air and injuring 14 people, two critically.
May 5 - Drumheller, Alberta: TransCanada’s Sieu Creek natural gas transmission line spilled an undetermined volume of sweet natural gas and hydrocarbon liquid onto agricultural land during planned maintenance.
May 6 - Heimdal, North Dakota: At least six tanker cars caught fire after a BNSF oil train derailed.
May 19 - Goleta, California: An underground pipeline owned by Houston-based Plains All American Pipeline ruptured, leaking up to as much as 330 tonnes. Other estimates suggest that a total of 101,000 gallons of crude oil was spilled with an estimated 21,000 gallons leaking into the Pacific Ocean. Nine miles worth of oil slicks eventually washed up on the shores including Refugio and El Capitan state beaches. This spill is in many respects a repeat of a 1969 spill.
June 3 - Little Rock, Arkansas: A Spectra Energy Corp. natural gas pipeline running beneath the Arkansas River ruptured and exploded, releasing four million cubic feet of gas.
June 9 - Unityville, Pennsylvania: A Williams Gas natural gas pipeline ruptured and leaked, resulting in an explosion and fire.
July 10 - Highland, Illinois: A spill at the Plains All American Pipeline Pocahontas pump station sent 4,200 gallons of crude oil into Silver Creek, which empties into Silver Lake, the water reservoir for the city of Highland.
July 10 - Barwick, Ontario: Fourteen cars of a CN train derailed leaking an estimated 12,000 gallons of petroleum distillates.
July 17 - Fort McMurray, Alberta: A high-pressure pipeline at Nexen Energy's Long Lake oil sands facility spilled five million liters of emulsion (a mixture of bitumen, sand, and water) damaging 16,000 square meters of musket habitat.
August 14 - Chateh, Alberta: A NuVista Energy pipeline leaked an estimated 100,000 liters of bitumen emulsion onto the Hay Lake Indian Reserve.
September 19 - Scotland, South Dakota: A 98-car BNSF tanker train carrying ethanol derailed in a rural area, leaking the volatile liquid into pastureland, where it caught fire.
October 23 - Porter Ranch, California: A natural gas well at a Southern California Gas storage facility continues to leak methane at a rate of more than 66,500 pounds per hour or the equivalent of seven million cars per day.
October 27 - Brownsville, Pennsylvania:A coal train derailed and spilled its load along the Monongahela River near the Alicia Transshipment Facility.
November 7 - Alma, Wisconsin: Twenty-five cars of a BNSF train went off the tracks near the Mississippi River, and leaked 20,000 gallons of ethanol into the water.
November 8 - Watertown, Wisconsin: A 100-car Canadian Pacific train carrying Bakken crude oil derailed in southeastern Wisconsin leaking about 1,000 gallons of product.
November 9 - Des Moines County, Iowa: Two engines and 19 loaded coal cars derailed and overturned when a freight train struck a road grader on the tracks.
December 1 - Watford City, North Dakota: A pump leak at a disposal well owned by Wyoming-based True Oil LLC spilled 17,640 gallons of brine.
Here is a review of the five biggest oil spills of all time:
Last year was a big year for sustainability focused companies, in fact many have suggested that 2015 was a turning point for sustainable business. Here are some of the best corporate brands in the world as determined by two leading organizations, the CDP and RobecoSAM. The CDP Global Climate Change Report 2015 includes an "A List" and RobecoSAM’s Sustainability Yearbook 2016 includes a list of Industry Leaders. The CDP Global Climate Change Report 2015 offers analysis of the current state of the corporate response to the causes of global warming. The report includes an "A List" of 113 brands in ten different sector categories. To compile the A List CDP analyzed information submitted by almost 2,000 companies. Brands were assessed on a their climate actions including emissions reduction.
Here is the list of all 113 A List companies in each of the following categories: Consumer Discretionary, Consumer Staples, Financials, Health Care, Industrials, Energy, Information Technology, Materials,Telecommunication Services and Utilities.
RobecoSAM’s Sustainability Yearbook 2016 ranks the sustainability performance of companies in 59 industries. Company with the highest score in each industry earn the distinction of being named RobecoSAM Industry Leader. A total of 2,126 companies from 42 different countries were analyzed based on their performance in financially material ESG criteria.
Europe holds the greatest number of companies (203) included in the Yearbook as well as the most gold class medal winners (36). The US has 75 companies included in this year’s Yearbook and 10 gold class medal winners: Abbott Laboratories, Agilent Technologies, Alcoa, Ball Corp, Biogen, Humana, Newmont Mining, Owens Corning, Reynolds American and Wyndham Worldwide. Last year nine US-based companies won gold class medals in the 2015 RobecoSAM Sustainability Yearbook.
Iinvestors can no longer avoid the realization that their fossil fuel holdings are fraught with risks. While there are many factors at play, the 18 month slide and low price forecasts combine to make the point that investing in oil makes no economic sense.
In the short term China's slowing growth and the glut of oil are driving down the price. The situation will be exacerbated by the lifting of sanctions allowing Iran to sell its oil. High production and lower than expected demand mean that oil prices will continue to fall well into 2016. Oil has fallen a long way, it has lost 80 percent of its value compared to its high in January 2014 when it was more than $110 a barrel (bbl). When oil slipped below $60/bbl a number of intensive drilling operations from the Arctic to the Canadian tar sands and American shale oil ceased to be profitable. These price declines reduced production but not enough to stop oil's plummeting trajectory.
At the end of 2015 the price oil plunged below $40/bbl. As the new year dawned oil prices continued to slide, they even briefly slipped below $30/bbl. US oil prices fell to $26.55/bbl on January 20th. We have not seen oil prices this low in 14 years and we have not seen an 18th month long slide in more than 60 years.
According to the Financial Forecast Center the outlook for the next six months suggest that oil will continue to decline, falling to around $25/bbl by the start of the summer.
Although the market will eventually balance out supply and demand, the longer term outlook is still challenging for oil prices. The eia predicts that oil prices could fall to as low as $20/bbl in 2017. The Telegraph reports that some are predicting that oil could go as low as $10/bbl.
Looking even further out the situation for oil may become even more difficult. The COP21 deal sent a powerful message to the markets. The era of oil is coming to an end and as we gear up for the implementation date of the deal in 2020 there will be unprecedented downward pressure on oil prices.
The World Economic Forum (WEF)in Davos is once again bringing its considerable resources to bear on the problem of climate change. This annual meeting has become a grand event that attracts some of the most powerful people and organizations in the world. This is a far cry from it origins in 1971 when it was billed as a management conference by its creator academic Klaus Schwab. The small Swiss ski resort community has a population of only 11,000, but receives 30,000 guests during this period. More than 1,000 of these guests are CEOs or Chairmen and more than 40 world leaders are also in attendance. No matter how you slice it the meetings in Davos are a high profile, high powered affair. In addition to networking and secret parties, Davos is the place where some serious issues are discussed and some important solutions are advanced. The 300 plus open discussions (one third of which will be webcast) will address issues ranging from technological and economic issues to global problems.
No issue is more important to those assembled in Davos than climate change, this includes both threats and opportunities. This year the topic is particularly prescient in the wake of the COP21 deal signed in Paris. One of the things that can be expected at the conference is a discussion of what the agreement means for the transition to a low carbon economy and more specifically what are the implications for fossil fuel production.
As review in Climate News WEF survey of 750 economists last week picked a climate-induced catastrophe as the greatest threat to the world economy in 2016.
UN climate head Christiana Figueres, is in Davos, said: "There is no sector that is not interested in the impacts of climate – no sector that has not woken up to the fact we have a transformational moment...I will be speaking to every sector – oil gas, mining, insurance… you name it – and I am sure all will be asking: what can we do?"
Business leaders will come to Davos eager to talk through the low-carbon transition,1 said a senior source at the WEF. The forum was set up in 1971 by Klaus Schwab as a management conference. Today it describes itself an international institute for public-private cooperation.
Some of the issues that are sure to come up in Davos are carbon pricing, standards and expediting the low carbon transition. One thing is clear, trillions of dollars of investment capital will be required to make the transition. Davos is the place where multi-stakeholder deals are conceived.
While some malign the meeting as a festival for the rich and powerful, others see the Davos forum as a new model of global problem solving. This is the view of Don Tapscott. In a piece written for the Toronto Star Tapscott said, "I find Davos productive for a number of reasons. It’s intellectually stimulating and I can’t wait to engage in discussion and debate around this year’s theme of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Yes, there is great networking, too. But what drives me and, I’m guessing, most people, is that the forum helps me make a difference in the world. If you are a defender of the status quo, you’re not going to have a very good time at Davos, because the discussion is a lot about change."
Tapscott should know, not only is he a best selling author, most recently of The Digital Economy, he is Adjunct Professor at the Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto and the chancellor of Trent University. He has been to the WEF more than a dozen times. He explains
"To me, the forum is an example of a new model of global problem solving, co-operation and governance that not only holds vast potential, but is already making a global difference."
Things get done in Davos through what Tapscott has called the Global Solutions Network (GSN). These are international collaboration networks with the resources to see things through. Perhaps most importantly the mechanism by which Davos works transcends the traditional approach involving nation states and the politics that goes with it.
Any time you bring together the top minds in business, policy, media and more, it is an opportunity to address issues and reality test meaningful solutions.
Three candidates met for the fourth Democratic debate hosted by NBC News and YouTube and moderated by anchor Lester Holt. The debate took place in Charleston, South Carolina, on Sunday January 17th. Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley were present for the debate. However, except for a passing reference to renewables ("I would work quickly to present to the congress my plans for creating more...clean and renewable energy...") Clinton did not address climate change or energy issues. Hilary's silence on these importance issues in the fourth debate mirrors her strategy in the preceding debate.
Here are the climate and energy remarks made by Sanders and O'Malley during the fourth debate: Climate Change
Sanders: The debate is over. Climate change is real. It is already causing major problems. And if we do not act boldly and decisively, a bad situation will become worse. It is amazing to me, and I think we’ll have agreement on this up here, that we have a major party called the Republican Party that is so owned by the fossil fuel industry, and their campaign contributions, that they don’t even have the courage, the decency to listen to the scientists. It is beyond my comprehension (APPLAUSE) how we can elect the president of the United States, somebody like Trump, who believes that climate change is a hoax, invented by the Chinese. (LAUGHTER)
Energy
O'Malley: I believe the greatest business opportunity to come to the United States of America in 100 years is climate change. And I put forward a plan to move us to a 100% clean electric energy grid by 2050 and create five million jobs along the way. (CHEERING) Thank you.
Sanders: Bottom line is, we need to be bold and decisive, we can create millions of jobs. We must, for the sake of our kids and grandchildren, transform our energy system away from fossil fuel to energy efficiency and sustainable energy.
O'Malley: ...we need a new agenda for America’s cities. We have not had a new agenda for America’s cities since Jimmy Carter. (APPLAUSE) We need a new agenda for America’s cities that will invest in the talents and the skills of our people, that will invest in CBBG, transportation, infrastructure and transit options and make our cities the leading edge in this move to a redesigned built, clean, green energy future that will employ our people.
O'Malley: Lester, on this stage tonight, this Democratic stage, where we actually believe in science, (LAUGHTER) I would like to challenge and invite my colleagues here on this stage to join me in putting forward a plan to move us to a 100% clean, electric energy grid by 2050. It can be done with solar, with wind, (APPLAUSE) with new technologies, with green buildings.
Republican candidates for president seem to think that if you ignore the climate crisis American voters won't notice. During the sixth Republican debate there was no mention of climate change or global warming, the COP21 deal, renewable energy, cleantech, or the low carbon economy, and of course nary a word was uttered on emissions or greenhouse gases.
Despite polls which show that American climate deniers are an increasingly rare breed, Republicans keep ignoring or undermining climate action.
Republicans are at odds with Americans on the subject of climate change and the Clean Power Plan. Even Pope Francis has condemned Republican climate denial in his address to Congress. To understand the Republican's seemingly irrational stance you need to follow the money to the fossil fuel industry.
In the sixth Republican debate closest anyone got to a discussion of anything green was when the it was used as a prefix to the word card in a xenophobic exchange on the horrors of immigration. Rubio even suggested that "radical jihadist" are somehow behind the issuance of green cards.
The only one of the candidates who mentioned energy and oil is Kasich. It came up when he was asked the following question:
"while everyone has been focusing on Iran’s provocations, I’m wondering what you make of what Saudi Arabia has been doing and its recent moves in the region, including its execution of a well-known Shi’ite cleric and its move to dramatically increase oil production, some say in an effort to drive down oil prices and force a lot of U.S. oil producers out of business. Sure enough, oil prices have tumbled. One brokerage house is predicting a third or more of American oil producers and those heavily invested in fracking will go bankrupt, and soon Saudi Arabia and OPEC will be back in the driver’s seat."
Kaisich replied saying:
"With Saudi Arabia and oil production, first of all, it’s so critical for us to be energy independent, and we’re getting there because of fracking and we ought to explore because, see, energy independence gives us leverage and flexibility, and secondly, if you want to bring jobs back to the United States of America in industry, low prices make the difference. We’re seeing it in my state and we’ll see it in this country. And that’s why we must make sure we continue to frack."
It is ironic that in Kasich's closing remarks he explained that his grandfather was a coal miner, who went blind and died of black lung.
This years summit features two events over three days. Solar Power Executive Briefing will take place on March 22, 2016 and the Summit will take place on March 23 and 24, 2016 in San Diego, California. These are the leading networking and deal-making hub for the solar industry. The Briefing will offer insights into the solar market outlooke and focus on the business development landscape with the ITC extension. Participants will find out where the new solar opportunities will ege and hot the ITC extension will reshape the business develpment landscape. The Summit is the central connection poinot where the solar deveolpment and financial communities meet, exchange information, share their perspectives, disculss the financing landscape and make deals.
Meet and Network with Key Dealmakers in the Solar Development and Financial Communities Get Valuable Insight into the Business Development Landscape and the Next Wave of Business Opportunities Hear about the Latest Developments and Innovations in Solar Financing
The Solar Power Finance & Investment Summit is recognized as the leading gathering place for the industry’s deal makers. Each year, senior-level solar and financial executives mingle in an intimate setting that provides for an efficient, in-depth, and focused networking experience. From beginning to end, the Summit offers up constant opportunities to meet key dealmakers, learn about their plans for the upcoming year, and capitalize on new prospects that will lead to successful deals. Networking extends into the night with hosted dinners and other activities. The Summit’s unique environment has led previous attendees to rate it as the best value solar event in the industry—“worth every minute of my time” says one attendee.
The Summit also provides valuable insights into the ongoing development of the industry, about its strategic opportunities and about the industry’s efforts to overcome its challenges. Moreover, it is the primary industry event where industry players come to stay abreast of the solar financing landscape. All this is delivered in 3 days through the following outstanding events.
This event will take place on January 27, 2016. World leaders recently reached a historic climate change agreement at the UN Conference on Climate Change (COP21) in Paris. It’s the low-carbon policy signal we’ve all been waiting for – but what does it mean for investor funds and portfolios in the months and years ahead? The 2016 Investor Summit on Climate Risk at the United Nations in NYC is the first major event on climate change for investors and businesses to discuss the far-reaching implications of COP21. Ceres, the United Nations Foundation, and the United Nations Office for Partnerships are co-hosting the Summit.
The Summit will explore the significant investment opportunities provided by the global climate deal involving 196 countries, with a focus on the types of capital flows necessary – involving many trillions of dollars – to achieve its ambitious global carbon-reducing goals; fast-growing opportunities to expand clean energy investment in developed and developing countries; and solutions to mitigating carbon asset risks, including portfolio de-carbonization and support for economic development that is less reliant on fossil fuels.
Speakers include: UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, Former Vice President Al Gore, Michael Bloomberg, UN Climate Chief Christiana Figueres, Bank of America Chairman and CEO Brian Moynihan and leading investors, including ABP, AXA, BlackRock, CalSTRS, New York City Comptroller, New York State Common Retirement Fund, among many others.
Learn more by viewing the Agenda and the list of confirmed Speakers.
The Summit is designed to sustain the momentum from Paris and catalyze further actions that investors, businesses and governments can take to shift our economy to a low-carbon future.
Space is limited and participation is by invitation only. If you have any questions contact Brittany Cipriano or call +1 (617) 247-0700 x154.
