Climate change policy

After 1989, Romania has reduced its greenhouse gas emissions to less than half, Environment Minister and Vice President of the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA), Attila Korodi told the U.N. Summit on Climate Change in New York.

A UN summit on climate change agreed to widen the use of renewable energy and raise billions of dollars in aid for developing countries in an effort to increase the prospects for a wide-ranging deal to slow global warming

Romania plays an important role in what regards the process of reducing greenhouse gas emissions, especially in southeastern Europe, said, on Thursday, Jian Xie, an expert on environment with the World Bank, during a specialist conference.

An increasing number of big corporations expect governments worldwide to put a price on carbon dioxide emissions to help tackle climate change

By Dimitra Manifava

The government is examining the possibility of reducing the value-added tax on milk to the lowest bracket of 6.5 percent, as it sees no other way of reducing the price of milk on store shelves, according to sources.

The decrease from the current rate of 13 percent could bring about a reduction of 8 to 10 cents per liter.

The prospect of a reduction on the special consumption tax on heating fuel, by between 15 and 20 percent, as is being examined by the government, would spark illicit trade, a sector authority has warned.

The absence of an international regime on climate change has enabled Turkey to enjoy a free ride on a development policy that is careless about emissions, according to an activist. ‘The collapse of the EU process is also the reason why Turkey gives less emphasis to climate change,’ says Ümit Şahin.

The United Nations seized World Environment Day Thursday to demand action on climate change to protect small island states threatened by rising seas, drought and floods.
      
"We have very, very alarming news from science," UN climate chief Christiana Figueres told reporters in Bonn at a new round of talks on global warming.
      

President Barack Obama's plan to cut the carbon emissions of US power plants by up to 30 percent will leave America far short of its current pledges at UN climate talks, a study said Wednesday.
      
The United States promised in 2010 to reduce greenhouse gases by 17 percent by 2020 from 2005 levels.
      

European Union governments are unlikely to reach a breakthrough this month on a proposal to make supply more flexible in the world’s biggest carbon market, according to Greece, which holds the EU’s rotating presidency.