News coverage of the Arctic has been steadily growing in tandem with the rising importance of the region in recent years. The focus of international politics often tends to revolve around energy security within the context of a global scramble for resources to keep individual countries’ economic growth engines humming. In view of the possibilities… Keep reading →
Majid Jafar, CEO of Crescent Petroleum, suggests in an article titled “What can the Middle East learn from the US shale boom?” three ways for regional policymakers to bring interconnectivity to the Middle East’s oil and gas market as well as accompanying infrastructure. These steps are intended – in his words – to “unleash a… Keep reading →
The need to reduce methane emissions from leaky valves, pipelines and compressor stations is giving rise to a new commercial industry made up of companies that specialize in methane emissions detection technology. “The industry has already seen an uptick in interest for its products and services, driven in part by the installation of oil and… Keep reading →
Pulitzer Prize-winning author Daniel Yergin is the first recipient of the James Schlesinger Medal for Energy Security — an award that goes to an individual whose contributions have advanced our understanding of threats, opportunities and policy changes impacting the energy security interests of the United States. The award honors James Schlesinger, the first Secretary of Energy,… Keep reading →
In This Issue:
– Doing Business in China
– U.S-China Relations
– Energy & Environmental
– Food Safety
– Health Care
– Trade
– Excerpt from Doing Business in China:
The U.S.-China Business Council has released the results of its 2014 China Business Environment Survey, identifying the following Top 10 issues: Competition with companies in China; IPR enforcement, Foreign investment restrictions; Human resources: Talent recruitment and retention; Cost increases; Uneven enforcement/implementation of Chinese laws; Licensing; Transparency; Nondiscrimination/national treatment; and Overcapacity in the Chinese market. According to the USBC, “Doing business in China can be a study in contrast for American companies. On the one hand, it remains a strong and growing market for American goods and services. On the other, it is a challenging and sometimes frustrating place to do business for multinational companies, with numerous regulatory barriers preventing the market from being as accessible — and large — as it should be.”
The FERC has authorized Dominion’s Cove Point LNG terminal to export up to 5.75 million metric tons of LNG per year from its existing import terminal at Calvert County, Maryland. On September 29, 2014, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) authorized Dominion Cove Point LNG, LP to construct and operate facilities for liquefaction and export… Keep reading →
There have been a variety of efforts in recent years to harmonize energy policy and markets across the US, Canada, and Mexico. At the North American Gas Forum meeting this past week in Washington D.C. some of these efforts were discussed. The most important change in the energy landscape has clearly been the shale boom with surprising… Keep reading →
Last week, amidst the U.N. Climate Summit and historic climate march, governments, investors, and financial institutions took the opportunity to make big announcements about their investment in clean energy. Bank of America announced a $10 billion initiative to speed up investment in clean energy, U.N. climate leaders announced a public-private partnership to mobilize more than $200 billion in clean… Keep reading →
On 22 September 2014, the International Bar’s Association task force on Climate Change Justice and Human Rights released its new report Achieving Justice and Human Rights in an Era of Climate Disruption in the wake of the UN Climate Summit 2014.
The Report can be consulted here.
The publication of the report marks the end of a research effort initiated in November 2012 and constitutes an important recognition by the global legal profession that climate change has an important human rights dimension. It presents a comprehensive survey of existing legal frameworks relevant to climate change, and identifies, using a justice-centred perspective, opportunities for legal reforms.
The US military and its regional allies conducted additional airstrikes against ISIS-controlled oil infrastructure in Syria and Iraq. “The U.S. said on Sunday that its forces along with Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates targeted four modular refineries and a command facility north of Raqqa—Islamic State’s de facto capital in northeastern Syria. The U.S.… Keep reading →
