UK highlights – Ed Davey’s first weeks in office
Edward Davey, new Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, has been eager to show he has hit the ground running. Stressing there will be “no change in direction or ambition” at DECC, Davey has sought to allay concerns from green critics that the loss of Chris Huhne may signal a change in Government policy. The Secretary of State has underlined the importance of green growth, opened the world’s largest offshore wind-farm, and unveiled a new energy efficiency office in DECC. Davey has rebuffed criticism of subsidies for wind power and set out reforms for the feed-in tariff scheme.
U.S. Announces “Coalition Against Climate Change”; $2.4 Billion CCS Plant; New Nuclear Reactor Licenses; Other U.S. Government News
This week, I highlight America’s ongoing commitment toward tackling climate change and bringing international stakeholders together to achieve specific, measurable results. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton announced on February 16 the formation of the Climate and Clean Air Coalition, a new global initiative to combat climate change and reduce short-lived climate pollutants—methane, black carbon, and many hydro fluorocarbons (HFCs)—that account for approximately one-third of the current global warming. Bangladesh, Canada, Ghana, Mexico, Sweden, and the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) are other coalition partners. I describe several efforts by the Departments of Energy, Commerce, EPA, and USAID to invest millions of dollars in new clean energy projects and training programs. There is also a summary of newly released climate change research from the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.
Risk Perceptions about Nuclear Power and the UK’s Energy Infrastructure
Parliament’s Science and Technology Committee held its second inquiry into “Risk Perception and Energy Infrastructure” on January 25 to investigate public perceptions toward the risk of nuclear power in the UK. The first inquiry took place on January 18. In this second inquiry, two panels of experts testified. The science media panel — Sense about Science Managing Director Tracey Brown, Science Media Centre Director Fiona Fox, and former Science Editor for The Times Mark Henderson — testified about the responsibility journalists and government officials have in presenting accurate scientific assessments of risk to the public during crises, rather than sensationalized headlines. Read more 
Grantham Institute Special Lecture – Energy trends and climate change challenges
Dr Fatih Birol, Chief Economist of the International Energy Agency, spoke to a packed lecture theatre at Imperial College London yesterday evening about energy trends and climate challenges. Presenting the findings from the World Energy Outlook, Dr Birol said rising incomes and population will push energy needs higher, the question is how we meet those needs.
UK news highlights
What with climate change negotiations, the cross-governmental Carbon Plan, Water White Paper, Electricity Market Reform, smart meter roll out, UK’s first Carbon Capture and Storage plant, red tape challenge, and lessons from Deepwater Horizon and Fukushima, it has been a busy few weeks for ESTH issues in the UK.
Weekly highlights of UK news
This week, Energy & Climate Secretary Chris Huhne said nuclear power remains a key part of the UK energy mix and the Government is committed to UK carbon budgets. The Government won key votes in the House of Lords on the Health and Social Care Bill and Defra has moved ahead with plans in the Natural Environment White Paper to help communities create more green spaces.