Energy usage contributes up to 35 per cent of total greenhouse gas emissions in Viet Nam, Dr Nguyen Thi Hien Thuan from the Viet Nam Institute of Meteorology, Hydrology and Environment told an ASEAN+3 workshop in Ha Noi on Tuesday, Nov 27.

Experts and representatives from Cambodia, China, Japan, Korea, Lao, Philippines, Thailand and Viet Nam gathered in Ha Noi today to discuss ways to promote green technology and reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions.

A man parks his electric powered car at a charging station in Sofia. Bulgaria's car-packed capital has recently set a EU example in the fight against greenhouse gas emissions by installing its first state-of-the-art solar power charger for electric cars, officials said.

Viet Nam has outlined its commitment to reducing greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions with the implementation of the Green Growth strategy, approved by the Prime Minister last week.

To continue implementing activities to reduce greenhouse gas immediately after the expiry of Kyoto Protocol in 2012, Japan begins to deploy a pilot project about Bilateral Offset Credit Mechanism (BOCM). Due to BOCM, Japanese enterprises will lend some countries' enterprises (including Vietnam) to implement energy-saving activities, especially the application of advanced technologies, energy saving with low content of carbon.

Researchers at the University of Leeds are developing a roasting process that would transform raw biomass from a bulky , water-saturated material into an energy-rich powder that is perfect for burning in coal-fired power plants. Called torrefaction, it is a relatively low-temperature process similar to that used in roasting coffee beans. If the researchers can overcome a few stumbling blocks, the process could lead to a new burst of coal-to-biomass power plant conversions, and consequently to lower greenhouse gas emissions.

As the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Cancun, Mexico wraps up its final day, discussions continue over some crucial issues such as the need to simultaneously reduce global greenhouse gas emissions and provide the world with more energy. While no one expects major progress towards a comprehensive binding treaty, Mexican officials say they do see progress in some areas and that the conference is providing an opportunity for many governments and environmental organizations to share ideas and forge agreements of their own.

Reducing energy consumption through more efficient buildings, power plants and vehicles is still the most cost-effective way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but projects are often hampered by unclear policies from governments, said speakers at a business forum on the sidelines of the U.N. climate conference.

Snohomish County is pledging to cut energy use at its facilities by 10 percent as part of a Snohomish County PUD’s “Energy Challenge” campaign. The county is joining more than 150 local businesses and nearly 3,000 residential utility customers who have vowed to make comparable energy cuts. The goal is to save money and cut greenhouse gases, while reducing overall demand on the PUD’s energy supply.

The ‘Global Wind Energy Outlook 2010’ (GWEO 2010) finds that wind power could play a key role in satisfying the world’s increasing power demand, while at the same time achieving major greenhouse gas emissions reductions. The 1,000 GW of wind power capacity projected to be installed by 2020 would save as much as 1.5 billion tonnes of CO2 every year.

Mitsubishi Corp. will conduct a feasibility study to help address global warming by popularizing energy-saving Japanese home appliances in Vietnam, it has been learned. Working in cooperation with five electric appliance makers, including Panasonic Corp. and Sharp Corp., Mitsubishi will verify how much carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions can be reduced through the end of March 2011.

An Israeli firm called R-Jet Engineering has designed a new jet engine that could lower the fuel consumption by 25%. Just like current jet engines are twice as efficient compared to those built in the 1960s, this one, if applied on commercial airplanes, could offer significant savings in fuel and greenhouse gases.

The phase-out of incandescent light bulbs is part of the EU's strategy to cut greenhouse gases by 20% by 2020. Replacing the old lamps with more efficient models is expected to reduce energy consumption for lighting by 60% in the EU, equivalent to saving 30 million tons of CO2 pollution every year.

A newly developed A/C refrigerant developed by Honeywell for the European market to have 99.7% lower global warming potential (GWP) will be used by GM to cool its entire fleet of 2013 models. The new low emission coolant was developed by Honeywell initially to meet EU standards which have long been much more strict than US NHTSA standards governing greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles.

The U.S. energy secretary says global warming is proceeding more quickly than originally predicted. Stephen Chu is in China, the world's top emitter of the greenhouse gases that cause global warming, to urge greater Sino-American cooperation to combat the problem.