The APEC Leaders' Summit communiqué, issued on November 14th in Honolulu, Hawaii, announced that member economies agreed to develop a list of APEC environmental goods that positively contribute to green growth and sustainable development by 2012, taking into account the economic conditions of each member economy and without affecting the organization's position. Tariffs on all green goods will be reduced to below 5% (inclusive) by the end of 2015. Furthermore, the goal is to reduce the overall energy intensity within the APEC region to 45% by 2035. The statement also indicated a reduction in non-tariff trade barriers related to trade in green goods. (Source: APEC, November 13, 2011)

The European Environment Agency (EEA) said today that a few automakers that have failed to meet European carbon emission targets could face fines of up to €10 billion ($13 billion) in 2012. The EEA stated, "If automakers do not further improve the carbon efficiency of their new vehicles between 2010 and 2012, non-compliant manufacturers could face fines totaling €10 billion." Major automakers that fail to meet the mandate to reduce CO2 emissions may be penalized. The overall emissions target for the automotive industry is 130 grams of CO2 per kilometer per new passenger vehicle. Under this common target, manufacturers set their own targets based on the average emissions of their various vehicle models. From 2012, automakers must ensure that 65% of new vehicles registered with the European Union (EU) meet this target. The threshold will rise to 75% in 2013, then 80% in 2014, and 100% in 2015. The EEA report stated that in 2010, 32 automakers achieved 80% of their new vehicle registrations meeting the 2012 target. Source: AFP, Yahoo News (2011-12-22)

The German National Solar Energy Association (BSW) announced yesterday that Germany's solar power generation surged 60% in 2011, reaching 18 billion kilowatt-hours (kWh), accounting for more than 3% of the country's total electricity generation. Reuters reported that this solar power generation is enough to meet the electricity needs of approximately 5.1 million households, about one-eighth of the total household electricity consumption in Thuringia. Despite pressure from an oversupply of low-priced solar panels from China and pressure from a reduction in the German feed-in tariff (FiT) (which will decrease by 15% from January 1st and by another 9% in mid-2012), German solar photovoltaic (PV) manufacturers still achieved encouraging results. This has triggered some industry turmoil. A second German solar photovoltaic manufacturer, Solar Millennium, recently followed Solon into bankruptcy proceedings. Nevertheless, the fundamentals of the German solar industry appear robust, as Germany, the EU's largest economy, is in the early stages of shutting down nuclear power plants. The nuclear power plant closure plan, scheduled for completion in 2022, will support investment in solar and other renewable energy sources, bringing the share of renewable energy in the country's electricity production to 40%. Although Germany is not known for its sunny climate, solar photovoltaic and thermal energy have proven their potential in the country. Active government support and collaboration with the private sector have made Germany a world-leading solar market and industry. This has made the sector a pillar of employment and economic growth.

On August 25, 2011, the Certification and Accreditation Administration of the People's Republic of China (CNCA) and the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) jointly issued an announcement entitled "Announcement on the Publication of the First Batch of the Nationally Unified Voluntary Certification Catalogue for Pollution Control of Electronic Information Products and Exceptions to the Application of Restricted Substances." The following electronic information products, peripheral equipment, components, and electronic materials are eligible for voluntary certification: On August 25, 2011, the CNCA also published the "Implementation Rules for the Nationally Unified Voluntary Certification for Pollution Control of Electronic Information Products" (CNCA-RoHS-0101: 2011), which will be implemented on November 1, 2011. According to these voluntary certification implementation rules, there are four different certification modes based on product category and attributes: Mode 1: Type testing + post-certification surveillance. Applicable to components and parts, and materials. Mode 2: Sampling testing + post-certification surveillance. Applicable to components and parts. Mode 3: Optimization testing + post-certification surveillance. Applicable to complete products and component products. Mode 4: Sampling test + initial factory inspection + post-certification surveillance. Applicable to all products within the scope of the regulations. Source: SGS, CNCA Annoucement, CNCA-RoHS-0101: 2011

The New York Times reports that global air passenger traffic is expected to reach 2.8 billion this year, carrying 46 million tons of cargo; the estimated fuel consumption will reach 210 million to 220 million tons, producing 650 million tons of carbon dioxide. Due to continued rising fuel prices and stricter emission standards, airlines are investing heavily in biofuel research. Six airlines are already using biofuels for passenger flights. Since the first trial of biofuels five years ago, the use of biofuels in aircraft has developed rapidly, and at least six airlines are currently using biofuels for passenger flights, including KLM, Lufthansa, and Finnair. At a conference held in Hong Kong in September, many airline executives expressed surprise at the development of biofuels. Aviation Industry: Carbon Neutrality by 2020. Former Cathay Pacific CEO Taylor, who took over as president of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) in July, stated, "Just a few years ago, using biofuels for passenger flights was a pipe dream; now it's a reality." Many executives predict that the aviation industry can achieve carbon neutrality by 2020, growing its business without increasing CO2 emissions; some even boldly predict halving carbon emissions by 2050. However, biofuels are currently 3 to 5 times more expensive than traditional jet fuel, making them uncompetitive in both price and supply. The aviation industry accounts for 2% of total man-made CO2 emissions, making it crucial for carbon reduction. In recent years, the aviation industry has focused on improving aircraft design; current aircraft are more fuel-efficient than those designed 40 years ago.

Founded by former US President Bill Clinton, the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) forum, recognizing the environmental problems caused by plastic waste in the ocean, officially launched the Plastic Disclosure Project (PDP) in September 2010. The aim is to establish a global prevention mechanism to encourage companies to reduce plastic packaging at the source. Once companies begin to re-examine the plastics they use, they can reduce the amount of plastic waste generated and limit plastic entering the ocean. At the CGI annual meeting held in New York this September 20th, illustrative questions for the Plastic Disclosure Project (PDP) were announced, categorized into four main areas: Management, Risk and Opportunity, Strategy and Operations, and Communication. The Plastic Disclosure Project aims to establish benchmarks and, through reporting, make companies transparent about their plastic usage, enabling them to reduce waste and focus on design, plastic types, and recycling. I. Governance ◆ Where and who is responsible for plastic issues within your company? ◆ Are there any incentives for reducing plastic use within your company? II. Risks and Opportunities ◆ What regulations and laws concerning plastics are you aware of and comply with? ◆ Will reducing plastic use affect your business operations, and if so, what are the impacts? ◆ Reducing or replacing...

Beijing, September 20, 2011: H&M, the world's second-largest apparel retailer, publicly pledged to eliminate the use of all toxic chemicals in its supply chain and products by 2020. This makes H&M the fourth brand to respond to Greenpeace's "Toxic Future" call since the organization released its report, "Toxic Fashion – A Global Survey of Water Pollution in China by Apparel Brands," in July. Greenpeace also urged other brands, such as Li-Ning, to make similar commitments as soon as possible to detoxify China's rivers. Greenpeace Pollution Prevention Project Director Zhang Kai said, "Greenpeace welcomes H&M's positive commitment, which marks another significant step forward in our 'Detoxifying China's Rivers' campaign. H&M also recognizes the importance of disclosing pollution information, which will help the public and suppliers effectively monitor the company's progress in eliminating toxic and hazardous substances." Last Wednesday, Greenpeace members launched a simultaneous campaign in 12 countries worldwide, including Hong Kong, France, Germany, Sweden, Finland, and Turkey, displaying slogans such as "Toxic-Free Future" and "Detoxifying China's Rivers" in H&M retail store windows and launching an online campaign to convey public demands to H&M management. H&M pledged to release a concrete action plan within eight weeks, aiming to achieve zero emissions of toxic chemicals by 2020 based on a "precautionary" approach. H&M also proposed to release information annually on its suppliers' use and emissions of toxic chemicals. The first set of data will be released no later than the end of 2012.