News you might have missed: 27 May 2009

So what else has been happening in the cleantech sector over the past 24 hours? Here’s your daily review of headlines and developments you might have missed:

• Concentrated solar power could meet up to one-fourth of the globe’s electricity needs by mid-century, according to a report from Greenpeace International, the European Solar Thermal Electricity Association (ESTELA) and IEA SolarPACES;
• France wants oil producers and consumers to agree to price regulation in an effort to safeguard buyers from market volatility and protect energy investments, Reuters reports;
• Neste Oil this week laid the foundation stone for its renewable diesel plant in the Port of Rotterdam. Upon completion, the plant will be the largest renewable diesel plant in Europe with an annual production capacity of 800,000 metric tonnes;
• Time Magazine reports that the Belgian city of Ghent is encouraging residents to go vegetarian once a week in an effort to combat climate change;
• Despite the turmoil in the financial world, 2008 saw a doubling of the global carbon market, to an estimated value of more than $126 billion (US), according to the latest “State and Trends of the Carbon Market Report 2009,” released today by the World Bank at Carbon Expo in Barcelona;
• The health sector can play a leadership role in reducing the magnitude and consequences of global warming by reducing its climate footprint, according to a paper released by the World Health Organisation and Health Care Without Harm. These efforts, some of which are already underway, can greatly reduce the serious health threats posed by global warming and set an example for other sectors;
• Spire Corporation has received a US patent for a nanophotovoltaic device formed from silicon or gallium arsenide;
• US President Barack Obama is expected to name the nation’s first “cybersecurity czar” this week;
• EurActiv.com reports that European big business and environmental NGOs have disputed the data used by the European Commission to assess whether polluting industries are likely to suffer from foreign competition as a result of Europe’s climate change legislation.