Supply Chain

Output of greenhouse gases at 467 companies which will probably be in South Korea’s proposed carbon market starting in 2015 rose 9.1 percent in 2010 according to Bloomberg New Energy Finance.

The governments of China’s Guangdong Province, and its Hong Kong and Macao Special Administrative Regions – collectively covering the Pearl River Delta (PRD) region – have jointly released a plan for long-term co-operation in the areas of environment and ecology, low-carbon development, culture and social living, spatial planning and green transportation systems. Among the raft of proposals in the Regional Co-operation Plan on Building a Quality Living Area, there is a series of recommendations aimed at strengthening regional co-operation on reducing air pollution in the PRD.

Toyota Motor Corp and BMW AG will further co-operate in the area of eco-friendly cars, with the Japanese automaker providing its hybrid and fuel cell technologies to the German partner while receiving technologies to reduce vehicle body weight, according to Japanese media reports today.

A new international initiative to fast track a global transition to a green economy by harnessing the market-shifting power of government and local authority spending was announced by UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and partners at the Rio+20 Earth Summit yesterday. Supported by more than 30 governments and institutions, the International Sustainable Public Procurement Initiative (SPPI) aims to scale-up the level of public spending flowing into goods and services that maximize environmental and social benefits. Studies indicate that public procurement, which represents between 15 and 25 per cent of GDP, represents a tremendous opportunity to stimulate green innovation and sustainability.

China on Wednesday issued a white paper on its rare earth industry, the first of its kind in the country, as the world's largest rare earth producer strives to better protect the valuable resources.

China and the United States are strengthening ties in reducing carbon emissions through new agreements involving energy efficiency cooperation, despite recent trade disputes over renewable energy products.

China will accelerate the industrialization of its renewable resources to foster a new industry with strategic significance, said Xie Zhenhua, vice minister of the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) on Friday.

Against the backdrop of the dispute between China and the US over solar panels top trade officials from members of the Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation (APEC) said yesterday that, by the end of September, they hope to agree on a list of environmentally friendly products that would be targeted for tariff cuts over the next three years.

According to the findings of new survey published by WWF, China overtook Europe in terms of the value of its clean tech manufacturing supply chain last year. The third annual Clean Economy, Living Planet report, produced in conjunction with consultancy Roland Berger, says in 2011 the global sales value of the clean technology sector increased by 10 percent to almost €200 billion (USD251 billion). It forecasts the market will reach between €240 and €290 billion (USD301 to USD363 billion) in 2015, rivaling the oil and gas equipment market.