NEWS I ROUNDUP
Environmental goods talks kick off in Geneva OFFICIALS FROM 14 governments
meeting in Geneva today announced the launch of international negotiations that will aim to eliminate tariffs on “environmental goods”.
Products like wind turbines, solar water heaters, filters for wastewater treatment, and photovoltaic panels.
The governments involved in the talks represent Australia, Canada, China, Costa Rica, the EU, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, New Zealand, Norway, Singapore, Switzerland, Taiwan, and the US.
In a joint statement, the governments noted that “urgent action” is needed to address challenges such as environmental protection and climate change.
“We will now engage in intensive negotiations, meeting regularly in Geneva, to discuss the substance of the
agreement, including product coverage,” the joint statement said. “We are committed to work towards the timely and successful conclusion of the agreement.”
The statement added that an environmental goods deal could be extended to all members of the WTO if a “critical mass” of the organization’s members agrees to participate.
The first stage of the talks, which officials say they aim to conclude by the end of 2015, will focus on eliminating tariffs on environmental goods.
To that end, the negotiations will build on a list of 54 environmental goods that was agreed by the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum in 2012.
Subsequent negotiating rounds may tackle more complicated topics like environmental services, non-tariff barriers, and government procurement.
“By eliminating tariffs on the technologies we all need to protect our environment, we can make environmental goods cheaper and more accessible for everyone, making essential progress toward our environmental protection and trade policy goals,” said Peter Froman, the US Trade Representative.
Peter C. Brun, Managing Director of the SETI Alliance, also welcomed the announcement., “A breakthrough in trade negotiations on environmental goods would be an important signal to the world to remove unnecessary barriers to trade in technologies that are meant to deliver affordable climate change solutions.”
Scatec strikes Norweigan deal to finance expansion
SCATEC SOLAR has signed a partnership agreement with Norfund, the Norwegian Investment Fund for Developing Countries, to jointly invest in solar power projects to be developed in all countries within Norfund’s mandate.
Scatec Solar and Norfund have been partners in the realization of four solar PV projects in Africa totaling 200 MW (three in South Africa and one in Rwanda) and the agreement signed is a formal confirmation of an existing, fruitful partnership. The partnership will provide a framework for project development and joint investment and under the agreement Norfund and Scatec Solar will jointly realize projects in all countries within Norfund’s mandate.
“We enter the partnership with Norfund with great expectations,” Raymond Carlsen, CEO of Scatec Solar, said. “Our common objective is to contribute to the increased implementation of
renewable energy in Sub-Saharan Africa, and the project- to-project cooperation we have had so far has proved very successful. Long term financing is the key enabler to any solar project and will reduce the risk in all phases of the project execution. When Norfund invests in our projects, their backing from the Norwegian Government combined with the company’s excellent standing in the market will attract other investors as well. With the combined efforts of our two companies, we expect to realize more projects and a faster execution of each.”
Norfund has extensive experience from successful investments in developing countries and will provide long term capital, an extensive network in the Sub- Sahara regions as well as experience and competence from investing in this region, while Scatec Solar with its proven track record in the execution and management of solar PV projects, will provide world
class solar PV competence, project development and executions skills. “ We are very pleased with the cooperation we have had with Scatec Solar in the realization of four solar power plants, and this new agreement provides a solid foundation for more such projects in the future,” Kjell Roland, CEO of Norfund said. “Norfund needs strong industrial partners like Scatec Solar in order to contribute to a sustainable development in poor countries. Our objective is to increase our investments and this type of long-term cooperation is a prerequisite for us to do so in a good and effective way.”
Scatec Solar will hold 70 % of the joint investment company and Norfund the remaining 30 %. Investments will be made on a consensus basis in projects the partners develop together and which meets the required return on capital employed.
Issue IV 2014 I
www.solar-international.net 13
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96