Unemployment
Eurozone recession fears raised by jobs and industry data
The human cost of the eurozone’s prolonged debt crisis was laid bare as data showed unemployment had soared and manufacturing slumped, indicating the region has sunk back into recession. The figures showed that more than 17 million people in the eurozone were out of work in February, the highest level since 1997 – two years before the single currency was created in January 1999. Eurozone manufacturing figures for March were also poor, as problems in troubled states, such as Greece and Spain, infected the likes of France and Germany.
The Guardian http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2012/apr/02/manufacturing-data-uk-europe?INTCMP=SRCH
Environment
Firms urge Davey to back EU 20% energy saving goal
Ed Davey might have adopted energy efficiency as his cause célèbre when he took office at the UK Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC), but now a coalition of green businesses have warned the DECC Secretary that he risks undermining his ambitions by failing to support a binding EU energy saving target. Nineteen organisations, including Knauf Insulation, Schneider Electric, Friends of the Earth and Greenpeace, yesterday published a letter requesting a meeting with Davey to discuss the UK’s position on the EU’s Energy Efficiency Directive (EED).
Business Green http://www.businessgreen.com/bg/news/2165462/firms-urge-davey-eu-cent-energy-saving-goal
New UK attempt to capture carbon
A renewed attempt to develop ways of making power stations greener has been unveiled by the UK government. For the second time in five years, £1 billion will be offered for schemes to trap and bury carbon dioxide. An earlier competition collapsed after all nine entrants pulled out, most citing cost as the main problem. The last to withdraw was a project run by Scottish Power at its Longannet station in Fife, and the prize money was not awarded. Known as “carbon capture and storage” (CCS), the idea is to prevent CO2 escaping into the atmosphere.
BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-17586596
African Union and EU sign €37 million financing agreement on environmental security
A financing agreement between the African Union Commission (AUC) and the European Commission of the EU has been signed to facilitate sustainable access to Africa-wide environmental information derived from Earth Observation technologies. Through the agreement, the EU will fund a new €37 million programme called the ‘Monitoring of Environment and Security in Africa’ (MESA). The programme will run until 2018 with the objective to address the need for “improved management of natural resources and environmental security towards sustainable development in Africa, at continental, regional and national levels, including all sub-Saharan African countries”.
Ghana Business News http://www.ghanabusinessnews.com/2012/03/31/au-eu-sign-e37m-financing-agreement-on-environmental-security/
China’s youth reveal ‘startling’ demand for low carbon goods
Businesses have been urged to accelerate their environmental footprinting strategies to include emerging economies, after new research by the Carbon Trust revealed young people in China could hold the key to unlocking mass demand for greener products. The survey of 2,800 young people across six countries carried out by the global market research company TNS found 83% of 18-25 year-olds in China would be more loyal to a brand if they could see it was reducing its carbon footprint. In contrast, just 57% of respondents in the United States and 55% of young people in the UK made the same claim.
Business Green http://www.businessgreen.com/bg/news/2165263/chinas-youth-reveal-startling-demand-low-carbon
COMMENTS