Bloomberg Lawmakers in the European Parliament’s environment committee agreed a set of draft compromise changes to a sweeping overhaul of the European Union’s carbon market in a push to further strengthen the cap-and-trade program. Representatives of the biggest political groups in the ENVI committee signed off on joint proposals to toughen carbon permit supply controls and improve existing shields against ...
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South Africa’s dependence on fuel imports to multiply
Bloomberg South Africa’s monthly petroleum product imports are expected to as much as triple by next year from pre-pandemic levels as domestic refineries close, according to energy consultant Citac. Africa’s biggest industrialised nation already relies on imports to meet up to 60% of its fuel demand, and any increase in shipments will require improvements to existing storage facilities, ports and ...
Read More »PetroChina says it’s not seeking discounted Russian oil and gas
Bloomberg PetroChina Co isn’t seeking any discounted Russian oil and gas and is only purchasing fuel from the country through its existing contracts, company executives said. Deals with Russian counter-parties are operating normally, Chief Financial Officer Chai Shouping said on the company’s first-quarter earnings call. Transactions have continued to be settled in US dollars or euros despite international sanctions ...
Read More »India asks its coal plants to run flat out to address rising energy crisis
Bloomberg India’s government ordered coal-fired power plants that run on imported fuel to operate at full capacity to address an escalating energy crisis that’s threatening economic growth. The government took the unusual step of invoking a little-used provision in electricity laws to bridge a supply deficit that’s causing widespread blackouts. The order is valid until October 31, the power ...
Read More »Petrobras profits slammed by Bolsonaro
Bloomberg Petrobras posted strong first quarter results thanks to growing oil production during this year’s rally, prompting a rebuke from President Jair Bolsonaro who wants it to contain fuel prices ahead of an October election. Bolsonaro called on Petrobras to freeze gasoline and diesel prices, adding that its profits are unacceptable during a crisis. Recently elected Chief Executive Officer ...
Read More »Spain’s Seaya Ventures sets up ESG fund with Iberdrola, government
Bloomberg Spain’s Seaya Ventures, which has invested in more unicorns than any other venture capital fund in the country, is raising a new fund focused on the sustainable economy and the energy transition. The Madrid-based investment firm aims to raise EU300 million ($315.5 million) for its “sustainable tech†fund, with the Spanish government committing as much as a third and ...
Read More »The next front in Ukraine war will be on Black Sea
On the surface, the tiny Ukrainian navy, just 5,000 active-duty sailors and a handful of small coastal boats, appears to be significantly overmatched by Russian maritime forces. The Kremlin’s Black Sea fleet consists of over 40 frontline warships. The Russians seem poised to cut off the Ukrainian economy from access to the sea — essentially re-creating the Anaconda strategy US ...
Read More »India can’t afford its coal addiction
Nothing makes you appreciate air-conditioning like high summer in India. In Delhi, temperatures are running over 100 degrees for much of the day, with two full months still to go before the cooling monsoon rains arrive. Unfortunately, just as everyone decided to crank up their ACs or at least their ceiling fans, electricity supply collapsed under the strain in large ...
Read More »Philippines economy is great — by the numbers
The Philippines is having the kind of recovery that would make any emerging-market star envious. After a tough pandemic and deep recession, the economy will outpace many of its neighbors this year and leave China — once the gold standard for rapid expansion — in the dust. Whoever wins the presidential election in a few days will inherit a ...
Read More »Don’t expect the Fed to work miracles for you!
Much as expected, the Federal Reserve has raised its policy interest rate by half a percentage point and announced an accelerated schedule for reducing its holdings of financial assets. This is a faster pace of tightening than the central bank intended after its previous meeting in March. With inflation at 5.2% on the Fed’s preferred measure and little sign ...
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