Income risk of EU coal-fired power plants after Kyoto

Coal-fired power plants may enjoy a significant advantage relative to gas plants in terms of cheaper fuel cost. Still, this advantage may erode or even turn into disadvantage depending on CO2 emission allowance price. This price will presumably rise in both the Kyoto Protocol commitment period (2008-2012) and the first post-Kyoto years. Thus, in a carbon-constrained environment, coal plants face financial risks arising in their profit margins, which in turn hinge on their so-called "clean dark spread". These risks are further reinforced when the price of the output electricity is determined by natural gas-fired plants' marginal costs, which differ from coal plants' costs. We aim to assess the risks in coal plants' margins. We adopt parameter values estimated from empirical data. These in turn are derived from natural gas and electricity markets alongside the EU ETS market where emission allowances are traded. Monte Carlo simulation allows to compute the expected value and risk profile of coal-based electricity generation. We focus on the clean dark spread in both time periods under different future scenarios in the allowance market. Specifically, bottom 5% and 10% percentiles are derived. According to our results, certain future paths of the allowance price may impose significant risks on the clean dark spread obtained by coal plants.

Marine farming and enhancement: Proceedings of the Fifteenth U.S.-Japan Meeting on Aquaculture, Kyoto, Japan October 22-23, 1986

The United States and Japanese counterpart panels on aquaculture were formed in 1969 under the United States-Japan Cooperative Program in Natural Resources (UJNR). The panels currently include specialists drawn from the federal departments most concerned with aquaculture. Charged with exploring and developing bilateral cooperation, the panels have focused their efforts on exchanging information related to aquaculture which could be of benefit to both countries. The UJNR was begun during the Third Cabinet-Level Meeting of the Joint United States-Japan Committee on Trade and Economic Affairs in January 1964. In addition to aquaculture, current subjects in the program include desalination of seawater, toxic microorganisms, air pollution, energy, forage crops, national park management, mycoplasmosis, wind and seismic effects, protein resources, forestry, and several joint panels and committees in marine resources research, development, and utilization. Accomplishments include: Increased communication and cooperation among technical specialists; exchanges of information, data, and research findings; annual meetings of the panels, a policy-coordinative body; administrative staff meetings; exchanges of equipment, materials, and samples; several major technical conferences; and beneficial effects on international relations. (PDF file contains 134 pages.)

The long road of climate negotiations: From Kyoto to Paris stopping over in Doha

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O Protocolo de Kyoto e o mercado de crédito de carbono: estudo de caso das emissões de gases de efeito estufa da fábrica de combustível nuclear pertencente às Indústrias Nucleares do Brasil no ano de 2008

A presente dissertação discute as questões relacionadas à intensificação das mudanças climáticas por causas antrópicas conforme a evolução no uso dos recursos naturais, inovações nos processos produtivos, transformações econômicas, sociais, culturais, políticas e, especialmente ambientais. Aborda a comercialização dos créditos de carbono através de projetos de Mecanismo de Desenvolvimento Limpo (MDL), um dos mecanismos de flexibilização criados pelo Protocolo de Kyoto. No contexto de mudanças climáticas, uma matriz energética que utilize fontes de energia que não emitam gases causadores do efeito estufa (GEE) se mostra uma importante estratégia de desenvolvimento sustentável. Sob essa perspectiva, a energia nucleoelétrica é apresentada como uma alternativa viável aos combustíveis fósseis, considerando que esta é uma energia limpa e compatível com a perspectiva de desenvolvimento sustentável. A Fábrica de Combustível Nuclear (FCN), localizada em Resende (Rio de Janeiro), pertencente às Indústrias Nucleares do Brasil (INB), é um conjunto de sofisticadas fábricas nas quais se processam etapas importantes do ciclo do combustível nuclear. Na FCN, o Centro Zoobotânico realiza a gestão das atividades voltadas para a conservação da natureza tais como o Programa de Recuperação de Mata Ciliar, Reflorestamento e Fauna. O Relatório de inventário das emissões diretas e indiretas de GEE da FCN, elaborado pela INB para o ano de 2008, permite a auto-avaliação da empresa, retratando a preocupação corporativa com as questões relativas às mudanças climáticas. Segundo este Relatório, o total de emissões de GEE quantificado corresponde a 12,14% da capacidade total de sequestro de dióxido de carbono, no período de Janeiro a Dezembro de 2008. A proteção de florestas e a plantação de árvores são componentes essenciais de qualquer estratégia global para mitigação da mudança climática, e a participação da INB no mercado de crédito de carbono pode proporcionar externalidades positivas, tais como ganhos de imagem, adequação a padrões ambientais e melhoria do relacionamento com a sociedade.

Morphological description of two bucephalid trematodes collected from freshwater fishes in the Uji River, Kyoto, Japan

The morphology of two species of bucephalids (Bucephalidae; Digenea; Trematoda), which since 1999 has caused a fish disease at the Uji River, Kyoto Prefecture, Japan, is described. Parabucephalopsis parasiluri Wang, 1985 was first recorded in the Uji River in 2000, and Prosorhynchoides ozakii (Nagaty, 1937) in 2005. The definitive host of both species is the Lake Biwa catfish (Silurus biwaensis), and the second intermediate hosts include many fish species from several families. P. parasiluri is an introduced parasite that invaded with its first intermediate host, golden mussels (Limnoperna fortunei), from the Asian continent. P ozakii may also be an introduced species, although its first intermediate host has not been identified. (C) 2007 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Veil of Kyoto and the politics of greenhouse gas mitigation in Australia

This paper investigates how the Kyoto Protocol has framed political discourse and policy development of greenhouse gas mitigation in Australia. We argue that ‘Kyoto’ has created a veil over the climate issue in Australia in a number of ways. Firstly, its symbolic power has distracted attention from actual environmental outcomes while its accounting rules obscure the real level of carbon emissions and structural trends at the nation-state level. Secondly, a public policy tendency to commit to far off emission targets as a compromise to implementing legislation in the short term has also emerged on the back of Kyoto-style targets. Thirdly, Kyoto’s international flexibility mechanisms can lead to the diversion of mitigation investment away from the nation-state implementing carbon legislation. A final concern of the Kyoto approach is how it has shifted focus away from Australia as the world’s largest coal exporter towards China, its primary customer. While we recognise the crucial role aspirational targets and timetables play in capturing the imagination and coordinating action across nations, our central theme is that ‘Kyoto’ has overshadowed the implementation of other policies in Australia. Understanding how ‘Kyoto’ has framed debate and policy is thus crucial to promoting environmentally effective mitigation measures as nation-states move forward from COP15 in Copenhagen to forge a post-Kyoto international agreement. Recent elections in 2009 in Japan and America and developments at COP15 suggest positive scope for international action on climate change. However, the lesson from the 2007 election and subsequent events in Australia is a caution against elevating the symbolism of ‘Kyoto-style’ targets and timetables above the need for implementation of mitigation policies at the nation-state level

La participación del Estado colombiano en la implementación del Protocolo de Kyoto. Iniciativas propuestas frente al Mecanismo de Desarollo Limpio (MDL)

A partir de la firma del Protocolo de Kyoto el Estado colombiano ha elaborando herramientas político-jurídicas a nivel local, para implementar y sacar provecho de las oportunidades que genera el Mecanismo de Desarrollo Limpio en el país. El resultado son 161 proyectos a la fecha.

Potenciales implicaciones ambientales del cambio climático, para países como Colombia y estados Unidos, respecto al protocolo de Kyoto, 1997-2005

En primera instancia se expondrá en el primer capítulo el progreso paulatino del cambio climático o calentamiento global en el mundo, enfatizando en los factores que lo han proporcionado, y los avances que se han presentado a nivel internacional para mitigación del mismo. En el segundo capítulo se presentarán detalladamente los dos ejemplos a los que se quiere hacer referencia, las problemáticas contextuales de cada uno de ellos, y la medida en que afectan y se afectan, tanto interna como externamente por el cambio climático, dadas las actividades interdependientes implícitas en su respectivo desarrollo. Por último se mostrará la discusión permanente sobre la problemática ambiental, en relación con el cuestionamiento de la viabilidad de las soluciones precisas y la adaptación de las mismas a los diferentes entornos sociales, económicos y culturales.

Una mirada realista al mecanismo de observancia y cumplimiento del Protocolo de Kyoto

Esta monografía busca determinar la capacidad que tiene el Mecanismo para imponer su mandato sobre los Estados y lograr la ejecución de los compromisos pactados, a través de un estudio de caso: Japón. Partiendo de que se considerará el Protocolo de Kyoto como un Régimen Internacional, visto desde la teoría del Realismo Liberal.