Britain's electric car -- fantasy or cure?

G-Wiz, the only electric car available in Britain so far

British has announced an initiative to encourage the use of electric cars, as the central part of its strategy to promote ultra low-carbon transport over the next five years.

This came as the country faces twin pressures in salvaging its car industry, a key player in the national economy, and fulfilling its goals in carbon dioxide emissions cuts.

But the initiative has already come under fire from green groups and opposition parties who say it is not viable, both economically and ecologically. Seemingly well-founded, the plan may bring many troubles before Britons could see such vehicles in car showrooms.

For the full story by Dongying Wang and Rob Welham, published by Xinhua News Agency in April 2009, please click here. Also, please return to the blog to post your comment.

Photo by Henry.Lambert

Eco-driving & new tech expected to transform transport

Traffic jams on the M25, England

Set to achieve swingeing cuts in CO2 emissions, Britain is putting the importance of consumer education on a par with technological innovations, to push forward toward a low-carbon society.

Young and new drivers are the main targets of the country’s endeavours to promote eco-driving. It is believed that it will take up to 40 years to change the way people drive in Britain, with many still very heavy on the gas.

A strong awareness to the environment, and no harsh acceleration and brake are among the advice given to people as to how to drive economically, as a key part of efforts to green country’s road transport.

On the technological front, Britain is proud of its achievements in reducing both car fuel consumption and exhaust. However, the country still faces challenges to further improve its car efficiency, to rise up to the pan-European new car emissions standard within six years.

To achieve the goal, the government has been urged to boost the car market and introduce a UK scrappage scheme to incentivise people to dump their old vehicles.

It is noteworthy to see if the low-carbon remedy could bring in a new life for Britain’s car industry, which has been pounded hard during the recession.

For the full story by Dongying Wang, published by Xinhua News Agency in April 2009, please click here. Also, please return to the blog to post your comment.

Britain heading toward low-carbon transport revolution

Britain is set to turn the recession into an opportunity to green its domestic transport, which emits 1/4 of the country’s total CO2 emissions, as part of the country’s endeavours to hit its burning ambition in emissions cuts.

Its battered motor industry has faced compound challenges resulting from falling market demand and a lack of credit, required for technological innovation for more efficient car production.

The industry has been seeking government support to stimulate the economy, relieve the credit crunch and restore consumer confidence.

However, less achievement has been seen, to rescue the key economic contributor from knock-on effects of the recession.

The European Investment Bank’s approval of funding for British car makers has brought hope for the industry, though the investment has reportedly incurred embarrassment for the British government.

To show determination to save the failing industry, the British industrial and business circles have set off a low-carbon revolution with a roadmap expected to turn the industry around with green transformation.

For the full story by Dongying Wang, published by Xinhua News Agency in April 2009, please click here. Also, please return to the blog to post your comment.

Photo by freefotouk

Obama mostly confident with G20 outcome

U.S. President Barack Obama has expressed his confidence in the capacity of the G20 London Summit to rescue the world economy. Meanwhile, he declined to reveal what compromises he had made during talks with other leaders in producing the joint statement on Thursday.

He told hundreds of journalists at the London Excel Centre that the summit was "very productive" and “historic”, given the scope and magnitude of the economic crisis which is engulfing the whole world.

Responding to a question as to what sacrifices he had made to achieve the summit results, Obama said he preferred not to reveal them.

The G20 leaders, whose countries produce 90 percent of the world’s GDP, agreed during the one-day summit to spend over 1 trillion dollars to bail out the world economy, a figure that is expected to soar to 5 trillion dollars by the end of 2010.

The stock markets have responded positively to the G20 results, though many financial experts said the positive market reaction was not due to the outcome of the summit. Even so, some said that it is hard to judge whether the upturn is a bubble or a sustained phenomenon.

The London G20 may have been up to some people’s expectations, but questions still remain as to how some of the initiatives might be implemented.

The summit has produced a blueprint for global economic recovery, but all leaders are surely aware that there is a long way to go to achieve the goals, nationally and internationally.

During their British tour, Obama and his wife Michelle displayed their great charisma. He comes across as being confident and has become arguably the world’s most popular politician, something that would make his countrymen extremely proud.

This admiration was reflected during his press conference, especially from the American journalist whom Obama gave the chance to ask the last question.

Copyright Dongying Wang

Calls for greater sustainability as G20 skepticism grows

As leaders of the G20 members states fly into London for Thursday’s summit, skepticism is growing about what it will achieve.

There is a widespread belief that the meeting will fail to find common ground in its bid to rescue the world economy. However, the G20 summit is expected to give a boost to green development.

Differing interests may lead to G20 failure

Because there are too many vested interests, the G20 will produce a fairly watered down result which won’t actually achieve very much, said British Member of Parliament Geoffrey Clifton-Brown during an interview.

“It’s a huge tragedy for the world when there are such big issues at stake. I hope I’m wrong, I hope I’m pessimistic. But we’ll have to wait and see,” said Clifton-Brown, who is Shadow Minister for Trade and International Development.

“The G20 has the capacity to fix the world economy. However, I rather fear, given the huge difference [between attending countries], that we’ll see a rather weak communiqué coming out of this,” he said after speaking at an international conference on corporate responsibility in London.

“The West has different interests from China, it has different interests from Russia,” he explains, adding that few people were considering the whole world, “they’re just considering their own interests rather than the wider world.”

The most positive outcome of the London summit would be a communiqué that obliged all the G20 countries to complete the Doha round and get an agreement on the WTO talks, Clifton-Brown said, adding that it would be beneficial for both the G20 and third world countries.

“It's through trade, through free trade, that advance countries of the G20 and those countries of the third world will benefit,” he said.

“Increased protectionism by America caused the slump in the 1930s that took decades to recover from; we must not go down that route,” he insisted.

Clifton-Brown’s opinions were echoed by Aneel Karnani, professor at the Michigan Ross School of Business, who also spoke at the London conference.

"I don't think there's going to be much achieved in the G20. They're not going to get much agreement. They have the capability but it's not going to happen. Because the interests of the countries are different," Karnani said during an interview.

"There are some things that they'll probably all agree on, such as rejecting protectionism, and that we should have free markets,” he said, “that's probably going to happen with or without the G20.”

But he said other more controversial mechanisms, needed to generate growth, may well be rejected.

Green economy

To put the world economic recovery onto a low-carbon path is high on the agenda of the G20. However, the vision has met with a mixed response.

Takejiro Sueyoshi, special adviser to UNEP FI (The United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative), said that he believed the recession was a good opportunity to develop green economies, something he insisted was within the interest of all countries.

During his speech Sueyoshi urged banks to invest at least one percent of their loan portfolios every year into green businesses.

He also called for the creation of regulatory authorities to supervise how banks deal with public money, as part of efforts to ensure the green transformation.

However, for some, the development of a green economy is regarded as being a luxury rather than a remedy for the recession.

A low carbon economy is difficult for countries, like the U.S., the UK and China, which consume increasing amounts of energy, said MP Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, adding that “what we have to find is an effective way of reducing those emissions.”

Touching upon the price of green development, Professor Aneel Karnani said, “This is not a good opportunity right now [to develop green initiatives] because it uses more resources, and during an economic downturn I think we're less willing to invest in these technologies.”

“In the long term we should have green development; but it comes at a price, it doesn't come for free," Karnani said, adding that, “especially in the current climate of an economic downturn, the investment in green is going to go down.”

Sustainability believed to be a solution

The two-day conference, organized by think tank Chatham House and index company FTSE, probed issues about how to manage the transition to a world where future resource constraints are reflected in prices and business behaviour.

Attending the meeting were governmental officials, NGO representatives, university professors, and financial experts from Europe, the U.S., Asia and Africa. They explored how to adopt sustainability into business ethics.

The Standard Chartered Bank has been less affected by the global downturn, which is partly explained by their approach to sustainable development.

"When it comes to the financial crisis, we are living through extraordinary times, we've seen the collapse of many financial institutions, we've seen the bail out in the UK and US of many banks, what it shows is that their business models are not sustainable," Standard Chartered Head of Sustainability, Debbie Whitaker said during an interview.

“So when it comes to Standard Chartered it’s about banking in a responsible way,” she said, adding that as a result of their sustainability policies, Standard Chartered has “weathered this storm better than most.”

The bank, which has been in business since the 1850s, has less exposure to the sub-prime markets which affected many other financial institutions.

Whitaker says that their experience as well as their conservative business model helped in preventing them from becoming a victim of the financial collapse seen in other banks.

Around 90 percent of Standard Chartered's revenue comes from Asia and the Middle East, regions which have been more insulated from the economic downturn, Whitaker says, adding that “although those regions are not completely insulated, their growth patterns are strong.”

Whitaker says that the global recession may distract many from solving environmental and social issues which she says “have the potential of creating greater long term instability, political instability and social instability than the current crisis if they are not addressed today.”

Coypyright Dongying Wang

For reproduciton of the article, please contact: wdy21century@gmail.com

Will London G20 make a difference?

There is arguably no immediate remedy to rescue the failing world economy. But the forthcoming London G20 summit has drawn world attention, as it aims to make a mark in putting the global economy onto the road of recovery.

So will the London event meet up to expectations?

For the full story by Dongying Wang, published by Xinhua News Agency in March 2009, please click here. Also, please return to the blog to post your comment.

London G20 expected to strike a fair deal for Africa

Prior to the G20 summit, Britain has said, in several occassions, that without involving Africa, solutions cannot be found to deal with global economic, security and climate challenges.

Africa has drawn growing attention as a key supplier for global growth with its natural resources and potentially huge markets. However, issues facing Africa in sustainable development and combating poverty have intensified as the recession sweeps around the world.

And questions have been raised as to whether the G20 will bring substantial benefits to Africa and address issues facing the continent.

For the full story by Dongying Wang, published by Xinhua News Agency in March 2009, please click here. Also, please return to the blog to post your comment.

Read other Africa-related articles:

Africa pivoted to setting its own agenda

China in Zambia: from comrades to capitalists?

British families feeling the pain of recession

A recent report by Citigroup reveals that British household wealth has dropped to its lowest level in 40 years. But while the statistics make grim reading, the reality for many ordinary families is even more uncomfortable.

From day to day ordinary Britons are struggling with increased worries and a rising cost of living as the recession deepens. One such case is the Webster family who live in Essex, southeast England.

For the full story by Dongying Wang and Rob Welham, published by Xinhua News Agency in March 2009, please click here. Also, please return to the blog to post your comment.

Unsustainable consumption causes climate change

The real cause for climate change is not cities but the high-consumption lifestyles, says a new study released earlier this week in London by the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED).

“The tendency to identify cities as major culprits in causing climate change diverts attention from the main driver of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, namely unsustainable consumption, especially in the world’s more affluent countries,” said the paper’s author Dr David Dodman with IIED’s Human Settlements and Climate Change Groups.

Unsustainable consumers are held accountable

“In many ways, it doesn’t matter whether the consumption takes place in a city or a rural area, or in a wealthy or low-income country,” says Dodman. “Wealthy consumers with unsustainable livelihoods are one of the main driving forces of climate change.”

After having examined existing reports of emissions from cities in Asia, Latin America, North America and Europe, the paper finds that GHG emissions of city dwellers are often far smaller than the national average.

London, for an example, emitted 44.3 millions tonnes of carbon dioxide in 2006, accounting for only 8 percent of Britain’s total emissions. As regards per capita emissions, Londoners have little more than half of the national average.

Brazil’s two largest cities, Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, have less than one-third of the national per capita GHG emissions average.

Many cities have surprisingly low per capita emissions, but what is clear is that most emissions come from the world’s wealthier nations, Dodman said.

“High-income countries need to take the lead in showing how a high quality of life for all individuals can be achieved without placing an unsustainable load on environmental systems,” says Dodman.

Sound urban planning is the solution

To offer a remedy, the paper has strongly urged city authorities to make it possible for urban residents to live in a more climate-friendly manner.

“Effective urban governance, urban planning, and urban management can facilitate people to live a lower-carbon lifestyle, particularly through more energy efficient housing, and more widely-used public transportation,” says Dodman.

Wealth need not imply pollution, and rather than blaming cities for climate change, policymakers should see well-planned and effectively governed cities as potential solutions, he continued.

"Tokyo has considerably lower emissions per person than either Beijing or Shanghai and this shows clearly that prosperity does not lead inevitably to greater emissions," Dodman says. "Well designed and well governed cities can combine high living standards with much lower greenhouse gas emissions."

Supply chains need greening

The study also points out that emissions from manufacturing are currently allocated to the countries in which these greenhouse gases are produced, rather than to the locations in which the finished products are purchased and used.

This issue was also highlighted in a report on rich countries’ invisible emissions, which was published recently by the Center for International Climate and Environmental Research in Oslo (CICERO).

Almost half of the increase in emissions in China is due to production of exports, most of which are for western countries, says the CICERO report, entitled “Journey to world top emitter”. Rich countries are contributing to the emission increases in developing nations, but this is not accounted for in international negotiations, the report says.

“Even without taking imports into account, consumers in high-income nations generate greater carbon footprints than those elsewhere in the world,” says Dodman, adding that “when ‘embedded carbon’ is taken into account, this is likely to be accentuated even further.”

In his opinion, solving the problem is likely to require a combination of voluntary actions and policy decisions that influence the pricing of products according to their impact on GHG emissions.

To deal with emissions produced during the globalisation, low-carbon researchers have been working on schemes on how to identify, calculate and cut CO2 emissions during every stage of global supply chains, in a bid to speed up the flow of goods across boundaries in a sustainable way.

Ethical climate crisis solution advocated

Many potential solutions to cut emissions and tackle the global climate crisis are under research, based on an ethical vision that each individual on this planet has an equal carbon-emitting right.

One of these systems is the Cap and Share, which is being developed by the Foundation for the Economics of Sustainability (Feasta) in Ireland.

The Cap and Share scheme seeks to provide a simple, workable and ethical economic framework to deal with climate change, on the belief that every human being has a right to an equal share of the fees that fossil fuel users would be prepared to pay for the right to discharge greenhouse gases into the global atmosphere.

Commenting on similar schemes, Dodman said that from an ethical perspective, this is clearly an appealing prospect.

“However, the existing international frameworks for measuring and reducing carbon emissions are already highly complicated, and to replicate these for individual ‘carbon-emitting rights’ is likely to be logistically impossible,” says Dodman.

But the concepts behind these suggestions ought to be taken more seriously in influencing individuals and governments to reduce GHG emissions, he added.

Copyright Dongying Wang

For reproduction of this article, please contact wdy21century@gmail.com

Reality TV star death pushes G20 out of news

Flowers being left at Jade Goody's house in Upshire, SE England
Pictured: Jade Goody [inset] has been dubbed the "Essex Princess"

Despite the publicity for the upcoming G20 summit, there is little excitement amongst ordinary Britons. Even the gloom of the recession is not the top of people’s minds. Instead, the talk on many people’s lips is the passing of reality TV celebrity Jade Goody.

The 27-year-old woman, who was born in Bermondsey in South London, died last Sunday after a battle with cervical cancer. Although many people die of cancer daily, her plight has captured the hearts of many British people.

Rise to fame

Born to a broken family, she started her career as a dental nurse. But it was her appearance on the British reality TV programme Big Brother that changed her life. She courted controversy last year after making racist remarks directed towards another competitor, Indian actress Shilpa Shetty.

Following her diagnosis of terminal cancer, she announced her intention to marry boyfriend Jack Tweed. She sold the wedding picture rights to the celebrity Magazine OK! for a reported 700,000 pounds (around 1 million U.S. dollars), which she said was to help give her two boys a good future.

Her story has dominated the news in many British newspapers. Even the more serious news media have covered the story extensively. She has often been cited as a person who became famous just for being famous.

Tributes pour in

Flowers were soon laid outside the star’s house in Essex, southeast England, after her death was announced, with fans and admirers turning up to show their respects.

Within 24 hours the dozens of bouquets had grown to several hundred. Amongst the tributes were teddy bears, balloons and cards. One card, adorning a small bear, referred to Jade Goody as “our Essex princess”. It was a sentiment expressed by many who called radio chat shows on Monday.

British actor and broadcaster Stephen Fry also elevated Goody’s celebrity status. Commenting on the micro-blogging service Twitter, Fry said, “I suppose she was a kind of Princess Diana from the wrong side of the tracks...”.

Tributes came from far and wide with many other celebrities paying their respects to the reality star. Prince Azim, the son of the Sultan of Brunei, described Jade as a “warm and lovely lady”. Even the British Prime Minister made a statement following the announcement of her death, and said he was “deeply saddened” to hear about her passing.

“She will be remembered fondly by all who knew her and her family can be extremely proud of the work she has done to raise awareness of cervical cancer which will benefit thousands of women across the UK,” the Prime Minister said.

The publicity and media circus that has followed Goody to her grave has indeed increased people’s awareness of the risks of cervical cancer. In fact health clinics have even reported an increase in women demanding smear tests, an important precursor to early diagnosis.

Controversy

However, not everyone has been so adoring of Jade Goody. Her courting of the media while dying of cancer has been described as sick by some. And others have commented on her coarse and apparent racist behaviour that was seen in the television show Big Brother.

But both the criticism and the praise for Goody has only helped make her front page news for the last few weeks in many of Britain’s newspapers. “You can’t get away from it,” said one caller to BBC Essex, who ran a long phone-in programme on Monday. But many expressed the opinion that it was “tragic” whatever one thought of Jade Goody personally.

Some papers have printed supplements stretching to 16 pages, something not seen since the death of Princess Diana. As one radio commentator, Sadie Nine, said, “I don’t think even the Queen Mother had this much coverage”.

Many callers described Jade as a “lovable character” and a “nobody who made good”. One young caller told the radio station, “Jade was normal. We could all relate to her in some way or another.”

But some were cynical as to how much publicity had been given to the story. “If it hadn’t been for publicist Max Clifford we wouldn’t have seen so much coverage,” one caller said.

One pensioner thought the whole affair was not in a good taste. “The media have made too much out of it and I think she milked the media for all it was worth,” says she.

Celebrity culture

Despite calls for privacy by Jade’s family, the media were still in presence outside the Goody house and that of her newly wed husband Jack Tweed.

One photographer commented that he found it difficult to explain to his seven- year-old daughter why he was covering the story about a woman who had died. “I was lost for words,” he said, adding, “I guess it sells papers.”

It’s not just British media that have followed the story with such interest. Outside Jack Tweed’s home a German television crew was amongst the group of photographers. And at the Goody home, satellite trucks and photographer’s cars lined the narrow road while police directed traffic.

There was a constant stream of well wishers laying flowers some of which were greeted by Jade’s mother, Jackiey Budden, who came out and thanked them. As she embraced a few friends there was the rapid firing of camera shutters as fans looked on silently.

The story is likely to continue as her widowed husband Jack faces jail for assault, and a funeral scheduled for April 4th approaches. There will also be continued focus on her two young sons and their natural father Jeff Brazier. All this depicts the nature of British celebrity culture.

The G20 summit may feature highly in the serious press, but for the tabloids and in the minds of many Britons, the topic of conversation will be Jade Goody’s untimely exit after her fight with cancer.

Copyright Dongying Wang

For reproduction of this article, please contact wdy21century@gmail.com