Commodities
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Minor activity
Although South Africa is a major commodity producer, activity by local investors in commodities is minor compared with other markets. While there are efforts to stimulate greater interest, these are being hampered by foreign exchange controls.
Carbon traders foresee lacklustre market in 2010
Optimism in the carbon market has been curbed by the disappointing results of the Copenhagen climate change meeting in December 2009 and traders now expect muted market activity in 2010.
US coal states rally against EPA’s greenhouse gases plan
US senator John Rockefeller of West Virginia introduced legislation today to suspend potential Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulation of greenhouse gases from stationary sources for two years.
Iraq: the new hope for oil supply security?
As international oil companies wade into Iraq, forecasts for Iraqi production now stand as high as 10 million b/d within the decade. However political uncertainty and poor infrastructure leads analysts to caution against relying on Iraq as the next hope…
Tres Amigas could play same role as Henry Hub
Transmission issues continue to dog US green energy revolution. Connecting the three major grids aims to allow renewable energy to be shipped between states, writes Pauline McCallion
Gazprom sates China demand at US expense?
As Gazprom forms closer ties with China for the sale of its gas, Lianna Brinded asks whether the US could soon be forced to pay higher prices for its gas imports
Tradition Re's Dutch auction hedges 2010 hurricane risk
Tradition Re, the US reinsurance division of interdealer broker Tradition, has completed a Dutch auction on behalf of a reinsurer aiming to hedge risk during the 2010 hurricane season in Florida.
UN seeks alternatives to CDM
Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) projects will not ultimately deliver, so the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) CDM Executive Board is looking at alternative mechanisms to implement beyond 2012, said Martin Hession, who is…
Piecing things together post-Copenhagen
Abyd Karmali, global head of carbon markets at Bank of America Merrill Lynch, gives Pauline McCallion a first-hand account of the December 2009 UN climate change talks, discussing the likely future impact on global carbon markets
Where to now for the carbon markets?
The Copenhagen climate talks, widely dismissed as a failure, did achieve certain things. Olga Gassan-zade and Kristian Tangen of Point Carbon analyse what the conference means for emissions trading from here
China’s CDM market: Will Shanghai say goodbye to CERs?
With China widely blamed for the failure of Copenhagen, some experts believe CDM investors could now shun the country in favour of India and Brazil, or that the EU may even take action again Chinese CDM certificates, creating a two-tier market. Lianna…
Indian CDM: does it have a future?
The CDM market in India has boomed since its 2007 inception, but its development has been dogged by both domestic and international regulatory uncertainty. Katie Holliday looks at the challenges faced by the Indian CDM market and asks whether it has a…
European power: Achieving transparency in Germany
Energy Risk’s series on European power markets focuses this month on Germany, Europe’s biggest power market and one of the best examples of market transparency. Rachel Morison looks at what can be learnt from it
Q&A: Gunvor's Paymon Aliabadi
Privately owned energy trading company Gunvor is the third largest crude oil trader in the world after Glencore and Vitol. It has recently expanded into other energy markets. Paymon Aliabadi, managing director of Gunvor’s global energy group, talks to…
Placing the UK's green energy
The UK’s ambitious renewable energy targets raise questions about how new electricity generators will be connected to the grid and how costs should be spread between system operators and generators. Neil Cornelius and Etienne Gabel look at the latest…
Turning points: John Hattenberger
John Hattenberger, managing director of Gazprom Marketing & Trading USA, speaks to Pauline McCallion about the defining moments of his career within the natural gas sector
Yvo de Boer: Cop 16 won’t produce binding agreement
Countries such as China and India will not enter a legally binding agreement at the next United Nations Climate Change conference (Cop16) in Cancun, Mexico at the end of 2010, predicts Yvo de Boer, the executive secretary of the United Nations Framework…
UNFCCC official: Exec Board to announce CDM changes
In a move designed to better streamline the development of Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) projects, the CDM Executive Board (EB) is set to announce some changes to the CDM technical framework, a United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change …
Carbon market experts: no point in investing in ERUs
There is no point in investing in emissions reduction units (ERUs) from now on, according to a panel of market experts speaking at a carbon conference on Tuesday.
Point Carbon and S&P to offer credit ratings for carbon trading
Carbon market analysis group Point Carbon and ratings agency Standard & Poors are looking at setting up a joint venture to investigate carbon offset project risk assessment products and services.