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[Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency (PBL), 25 June 2009] - Very high oil prices up to the summer of 2008, together with a worldwide financial crisis have caused a halving of the annual increase in global emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) from consumption of oil, coal and gas, and from cement production. Emissions increased by 1.7% in 2008, against 3.3% in 2007. Since 2002, the average annual increase was almost 4%. In addition to high oil prices and the financial crisis, the increased use of new renewable energy sources, such as biofuels for road transport and wind energy for electricity generation, had a noticeable and mitigating impact on CO2 emissions. These figures are based on preliminary estimates by the Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency (PBL), using recently published energy data from BP (British Petroleum).

CO2 emissions from developing countries overtake those from industrialised countries

Global CO2 emissions increased from 15.3 billion tonnes in 1970, to 22.5 billion tonnes in 1990 and 31.5 billion tonnes in 2008. This represents an increase of 41%, since 1990. For the first time in history, while the world is preparing for the UN climate summit in Copenhagen, the share of global CO2 emissions from developing countries is slightly higher (50.3 %) than from industrialised countries (46.6 %) and international transport (3.2%) together.

[AAP June 24, 2009, 6:33 am] - Whales are worth more alive than dead, Australian Environment Minister Peter Garrett says, backing the billion-dollar whale-watching industry being promoted on the sidelines of the International Whaling Commission (IWC) conference.

Mr Garrett on Tuesday welcomed a report by the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), which said that in 2008 whale-watching generated $US2.1 billion ($A2.67 billion) of tourism revenue worldwide.

He was speaking on the second day of the IWC conference in Portugal, where pro and anti-whaling countries are thrashing out the issue of whether to permit increased hunting of the marine mammals.

"The bottom line is clear," said Mr Garrett, who before his political career was a rock musician with Midnight Oil.

"Whales are worth much more alive than dead.

"Responsible whale watching is the most sustainable, environmentally-friendly and economically beneficial use of whales in the 21st century," he told reporters at Funchal, on the Portuguese island of Madeira.

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