Stage set for credit sale THE UN appointed last month German consultancy firm tuv sud to verify the authenticity of clean energy projects in developed countries. The firm will certify if the project did indeed reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Once a project is certified by an accredited agency, every tonne of greenhouse gas not emitted becomes an emission reduction unit (eru).
The collapse of the Soviet Union had diverse consequences, not least the abandonment of crop cultivation in many areas. One result has been the vast accumulation of soil organic carbon in the areas affected.
Crossing through ten countries and draining the territory of 19 countries, the Danube is the most international river in the world. In addition to the 83 million people living in the river basin, the Danube is home to globally important species of flora and fauna.
The Ukrainian prime minister cast a shadow over a strategically important hydrocarbon exploration project yesterday, openly accusing a US energy company leading the venture of holding backroom talks with Russia's Gazprom. Announcing her government had repealed an exploration licence off Ukraine's Black Sea coast for Houston-based Vanco Energy, Yulia Tymoshenko also raised the stakes in a long-standing rivalry with Viktor Yushchenko, the president.
Soaring concentrations of hazardous fine particles in Central Europe have been traced back to parched farmland left to gather dust to the east in the Ukraine. In spring 2007 levels of particulate matter (known as PM10) reached almost 30 times the European average in parts of Slovakia, Poland, the Czech Republic and Germany. Air quality specialists looking into the event now believe the dust originated from fallow land on Ukrainian farms and was carried west by unfavourable winds.
There was, last week, a glimmer of hope in the world food crisis. Expecting a bumper harvest, Ukraine relaxed restrictions on exports. Overnight, global wheat prices fell by 10 percent. By contrast, traders in Bangkok quote rice prices around $1,000 a ton, up from $460 two months ago.
By Roman Olearchyk in Kiev, Neil Buckley in Moscow and,Frances Williams in Geneva Ukraine is likely to be in a position to block Russia's bid to join the World Trade Organisation later this year, giving it significant leverage that it could use in natural gas supply talks or in retaliation over Moscow's opposition to plans by Ukraine and Georgia to join Nato.
Grains gone wild What's behind the world food crisis? These days you hear a lot about the world financial crisis. But there's another world crisis under way - and it's hurting a lot more people. I'm talking about the food crisis. Over the past few years the prices of wheat, corn, rice and other basic foodstuffs have doubled or tripled, with much of the increase taking place just in the last few months. High food prices dismay even relatively well-off Americans, but they're truly devastating in poor countries, where food often accounts for more than half a family's spending.
This paper presents three case studies of Ukrainian Joint Implementation (JI) projects. The analysis is based on interviews with project stakeholders and public presentations of the case projects. The main questions in focus are: what are the typical JI projects in Ukraine?; what similarities and differences are there between the case projects?; how has the financing of the projects been arranged?; have they been implemented, and how long did it take to launch a project?; and have the same problems or barriers been experienced in all cases?
The Ukrainian government has for the first time allowed a us energy player to explore and develop its potential oil deposits buried beneath the Black Sea. The government believes the reservoir
