What is the way to counter effects of climate change that are thought to be the greatest threat to humankind and the earth in the coming decades? While the Nobel Prize winning Inter-Governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) thinks a drastic cut in carbon emissions, which supposedly causes global warming, is the only way out, a competing report offered a completely different take.

EU Industry Carbon Emissions Flat In 2007 UK: April 3, 2008 LONDON - European Union industry emissions were roughly flat in 2007, preliminary EU executive Commission data showed on Wednesday, with low gas prices and a mild winter slowing growth. As expected, emissions were less than industry's quotas of permits to emit the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide (CO2) under an EU climate change scheme meant to drive emissions cuts through permit shortages.

German cars not ready for new biofuel - sources GERMANY: April 3, 2008 BERLIN - More than 2 million cars in Germany cannot run on a new biofuel the government wants to introduce, well over a limit the administration has set as a pre-condition for its use, industry sources said on Wednesday. Around 330,000 cars made by German manufacturers, plus more than 2 million imported cars, are unable to run on the new fuel, industry sources familiar with the data said. The environment ministry declined to comment on the figures.

Climate Solutions Often Harm Indigenous Peoples - UN NORWAY: April 3, 2008 OSLO - Large-scale solutions to help slow global warming often threaten the very indigenous peoples who are among those hardest hit by a changing climate, the UN University said on Wednesday. Biofuel plantations, construction of hydropower dams and measures to protect forests, where trees soak up heat-trapping carbon dioxide gas as they grow, can create conflicts with the ancestral lands of indigenous peoples.

Installing a green roof can dramatically reduce energy use and costs - as well as supporting biodiversity, reducing flooding and combating climate change. Roofs offer an opportunity for more green spaces in the heart of the city That was the message for delegates at an afternoon seminar organised by CIRIA, the Construction Industry Research and Information Association. Firms that have installed green roofs have reported a 25% reduction in energy use in the floor directly under the roofs, and reduced usage at a lower percentage in other floors.

Europe has announced plans to back investment in renewable energy in Africa and other parts of the developing world in an effort to provide reliable electricity in an environmentally sustainable way. The European Commission has launched the Global Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy Fund with Euro 80 million to part-fund private projects over the next four years. The fund will target small-scale projects, predominantly in African states. According to EC statistics, around 1.6 billion people have no regular access to reliable energy sources.

Climate change experts from around the world gather in Bangkok this week to discuss the successor to the Kyoto agreement, which comes to an end in 2012. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is hosting the summit, which will try to forge an agreement that is palatable to most nations whilst having a real impact on global carbon levels.

After earning an Oscar and Nobel Prize, Al Gore knows that when he speaks, people listen. Now his voice is even louder. The Gore-led Alliance for Climate Protection, an all-out marketing blitz, launched on Monday with plans to "ignite' Americans into taking action on global climate change. "When people unite and call for action, change is inevitable,'

Installing a green roof can dramatically reduce energy use and costs - as well as supporting biodiversity, reducing flooding and combating climate change. Roofs offer an opportunity for more green spaces in the heart of the city That was the message for delegates at an afternoon seminar organised by CIRIA, the Construction Industry Research and Information Association. Firms that have installed green roofs have reported a 25% reduction in energy use in the floor directly under the roofs, and reduced usage at a lower percentage in other floors.

Soil experts are being asked for their views on a new strategy to protect England's soils for the future. Defra has published a consultation on the Soil Strategy, which includes an aim to halt the loss of carbon from soil. Soils contain huge amounts of carbon and there is some evidence to suggest that carbon levels are declining in some soils, resulting in the release of CO2 into the atmosphere and contributing to climate change.