International Climate Finance & Policy

Interview with hbs' Liane Schalatek 

A new law that took effect in Poland earlier this month could kill growing competition from land-based wind farms by expanding setback requirements tenfold and increasing tax burdens.

Despite an ongoing freeze on state policies to boost clean energy in Ohio, efforts to increase energy efficiency and renewable energy are underway in Cleveland and the rest of Cuyahoga County.

As the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change contemplates enhancing its ongoing work program on gender at the next climate summit in Marrakesh in November (COP 22), a submission by hbs North America recommends key goals and principles to really advance gender mainstreaming in the climate process and in implementing climate actions.

In relation to the rest of Europe, the UK’s role as market, nuclear, and shale gas champion has brought its policies into sharp relief in contrast to countries such as Germany and Austria.

At first glance, the Austrian performance in the energy sector looks quite bright: In the year 2014, about 33% of the gross final energy consumption was provided by renewable energy sources.

In 2015, a new State Energy Policy came into effect in the Czech Republic. While government plans still rely heavily on new nuclear reactors, new government strategies on renewables raise hopes.

2015 saw Polish PV increase by 240% and wind power generation by 40%. Despite these impressive numbers, Poland still remains the kingdom of coal.  

As it is in Ohio and elsewhere in the United States, the coal industry in Poland is declining amid economic and environmental pressures. And the industry’s political and cultural importance is prompting calls for government action to save it.

In addition to the usual, global overview of status and trends in reactor building and operating, as well as the traditional comparison between deployment trend in the nuclear power and renewable energy sectors, the 2016 edition of the World Nuclear Industry Status Report (WNISR) provides an assessment of the trends of the economic health of some of the major players in the industry.