Argentina Sets Minimum Efficiency Levels for Refrigerators
Sunday, May 24th, 2009Argentina is one of the few Latin American nations (along with Brazil and Mexico) which has long (since 1999) had a mandatory energy efficiency labeling program for lighting and certain household appliances (refrigerators, freezers, air conditioners, clothes washers, clothes dryers, dishwashers, water heaters). Even so, to date the mandatory labels have only been issued for refrigerators, […]
The Status of Global Renewables
Saturday, May 16th, 2009The Vienna, Austria-based Renewable Energy Policy Network for the 21st Century (REN21) has just released its latest review of the global state of adoption of renewable energy sources — solar (both photovoltaics and passive systems, such as solar water heaters), wind, geothermal, wave, biofuels and small hydro (REN21 excludes large hydropower projects from its review). […]
Chile Ratifies the Basel Ban
Thursday, May 14th, 2009Chile’s Congress today approved ratification of the 1995 and 1998 amendments to the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal. Ratifying the 1995 amendment makes Chile a party to the so-called “Basel Ban,” bringing the Ban one step closer to taking effect for all Parties to the Convention. The 1998 amendment […]
An E-Waste/RoHS Bill For Uruguay
Monday, September 29th, 2008Earlier this month a bill was introduced in the Uruguayan legislature to “create a management system for waste from electrical and electronic apparatuses.” Uruguay, it seems, is joining Argentina, Brazil, Colombia and Costa Rica among the Latin American nations finally moving to tackle the WEEE issue. The bill is relatively short (2 pages) and simple, […]
Colombian Palm Oil Industry Opts for Path to Certified Sustainable
Thursday, July 17th, 2008Last week the group representing Colombia’s palm oil business, the National Federation of Palm Oil Growers (Federación Nacional de Cultivadores de Palma de Aceite – Fedepalma), announced their adherence to the Principles and Criteria of the Zurich-based Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO). The RSPO arose from a concept first proposed by WWF in 2001. […]
Why is LAC Slow to Tap Carbon Funds?
Tuesday, July 1st, 2008The Dominican Republic’s Environment Secretariat (SEMARENA) and the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) recently co-hosted an event in Santo Domingo designed to prompt Dominicans into tapping the many international funding opportunities for projects related, directly or directly, to climate change (“carbon markets”). And well they should! For some reason […]
World No-Tobacco Day: Chile’s “Smoke-Free Classroom” Initiative
Thursday, June 12th, 2008Synopsis in English: Chile is a good example of a LAC nation that “followed the script” for World No-Tobacco Day 2008. The idea behind the event held every year on 31 May is to focus on the tobacco control theme for the given year chosen by the World Health Organization (WHO); this year that theme […]
EU Grants Caribbean US$2.5 Mn. to Support Renewable Energy
Monday, June 9th, 2008From the Caribbean Community (CARICOM): CARIBBEAN RECEIVES US$2.5M GRANT FROM EUROPEAN COMMISSION TO SUPPORT RENEWABLE ENERGY The Caribbean Forum of African Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) States (CARIFORUM) and the European Commission, recently signed a Financing Agreement totalling US$ 2.45 million to support the Caribbean Region in the Sustainable Management of its Energy Resources. As part […]
EIB & IDB to Team Up on Climate Change Mitigation in LAC
Thursday, June 5th, 2008From the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB): EIB & IDB to increase co-financing in Latin America, with special emphasis on climate change mitigation The European Investment Bank (EIB) and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) have agreed to strengthen their cooperation and cofinancing to support strategic development projects in Latin America and the Caribbean. In their meeting […]
Regional Economic Integration and Consumer Protection
Thursday, October 11th, 2007Next week the Research Group on International and Comparative Consumer Law (Groupe de recherche en droit international et comparé de la consommation – Gredicc) of the University of Quebec at Montreal (Université du Québec à Montréal – UQÀM) will be hosting an interesting international conference on "Regional Economic Integration and Consumer Protection in the Americas […]
« Previous Entries