THE US Environmental Protection Agency is in trouble again. Already under fire for failing to get tough on carbon dioxide emissions, the agency has now had its scheme for dealing with mercury pollution ruled illegal.

Stabilization of atmospheric CO2 concentrations below a pre-industrial doubling (~550 ppm) is a commonly cited target in climate policy assessment. When the rate at which future emissions can fall is assumed to be fixed, the peak atmospheric concentration –

As Austria revises its Green Electricity Act the clean power industries reject the draft on the table as inadequate. To reach its climate protection targets the country will have to massively buy in CO2 certificates.

On 31 January 2008 the staff of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce issued a 'white paper' on potential climate change legislation, with a particular focus on competitiveness concerns and ways to engage developing countries. The paper is part of a series aimed at providing guidance to lawmakers in creating a mandatory, economy-wide climate change programme for the United States. Feb 2008

The European Union is preparing to take the next step in tackling climate change after its executive arm presented a draft legislative package on 23 January 2008. The draft legislation proposes an EU-wide greenhouse gas emission trading scheme and enery related measures. Feb 2008