Octobre - Sustainable Business Associates

THE
DELTAreview
An SBAPublication
Year 4, Issue 42, October 2007
INDUSTRY • ENVIRONMENT • MEDITERRANEAN
Dear Readers,
Environmental jobs, subject of this issue's dossier, are not new: the
Romans erected impressive aqueducts providing entire cities with
drinking water. Dikes were built for flood prevention. In the 19th
century, the need to fight diseases in overpopulated industrialised
cities lead to the creation of new job sectors like water treatment engineers or dustmen. Finally, since the second half of the 20th century,
environmental protection as prevention of risks for human health and
ecosystems is written down in the legislation of numerous countries. A
range of jobs were created to answer these legal prescriptions.
CONTENTS/SOMMAIRE
(click for instant access / cliquer pour l'accès direct)
DOSSIER (ENVIRONMENTAL JOBS)
Green and growing: environmental jobs - p. 2
Importance of environmental jobs in OECD countries - p. 3
Interview of an environmental engineer - p. 5
Le " Canal de la Paix ", un projet d'envergure
et interdisciplinaire - p. 6
ECONOMY & POLITICS
Union de la Méditerranée : un projet qui inquiète l'UE - p. 8
INDUSTRY
SONASID est le " maillon fort " de l'industrie
marocaine du BTP - p. 9
CLEANER PRODUCTION
New stringent law against pollution in Tunisia - p. 10
TECHNOLOGY
Technology goes green - p. 11
ENERGY
Egypt: going nuclear - p. 12
ENVIRONMENT
Jordan: towards a better life - p. 13
OTHER NEWS AND UPCOMING EVENTS
Horizon 2020 Conference on Municipal Waste Management,
Marseille, France, 20 November 2007 - p. 15
WITH THE SUPPORT OF:
Thus, from environmental engineers to geologists and botanists,
environmental jobs are characterised by diversity regarding work
fields and required education. Furthermore, a study carried out by the
OECD shows that the environmental sector employs between 0.4 and
3% of the working population of the member countries. According to
the environmental goals announced by many countries, developed or
not, these figures should increase.
Enjoy the reading!
Chères lectrices, chers lecteurs,
Les métiers de l'environnement, sujet du dossier de ce numéro, ne
datent pas d'hier : dans l'Empire Romain, d'impressionnants aqueducs
furent érigés pour approvisionner des cités entières en eau potable.
On y construisit des digues pour se prémunir des inondations.
Au 19ème siècle, la nécessité de lutter contre les maladies des villes
surpeuplées de l'industrialisation conduisit à créer de nouveaux corps
de métiers, tels les ingénieurs du traitement de l'eau potable ou les
éboueurs. Enfin, depuis la seconde moitié du 20ème siècle, la protection de l'environnement en tant que prévention des risques pour la
santé humaine et les écosystèmes est inscrite dans la législation de
nombreux pays. Toute une palette de métiers fut créée en réponse à
ces prescriptions légales.
Ainsi, de l'ingénieur en environnement au géologue en passant par le
botaniste, les métiers de l'environnement sont caractérisés par une
diversité aussi bien au niveau des domaines traités que des formations
requises. Par ailleurs, une étude de l'OCDE montre que le secteur de
l'environnement occupe entre 0.4 et 3% de la population active de ses
membres. Au vu des ambitions environnementales affichées par un
grand nombre de pays, développés ou non, cette part est appelée à
croître.
Bonne lecture !
-1-
GREEN AND GROWING: ENVIRONMENTAL JOBS
Environmental career opportunities are thriving in numerous sectors and around the globe. Why is the
environment driving so many jobs? In a word: Mainstreaming. Once thought of as more "crunchy granola"
than "big business," green products and services are becoming a significant part of the mainstream
economy in agriculture, transportation, energy, consumer goods -- you name it. Even traditional business
careers like sales and marketing take on a green hue when the product is wind energy or organic food.
Are you looking to get in on some of the environmental action? If so, you'll want to check out the 5 growth
areas below, as recommended by Kevin Doyle, co-author of The ECO Guide to Careers that Make a Difference and national director of
program development at the Environmental Careers Organization, a non-profit started in 1972 that features a wide variety of
environmental internships and fellowships. "These opportunities are just the tip of a massive iceberg of jobs," says Doyle. "And unlike
our real icebergs, this one isn't threatened by global warming. It's fed by it."
Wind Power
This industry has been around since the '70s, but it's just now hitting the market in a bigger way, given the rise of energy costs. A 2007
report from Clean Edge finds wind power revenues expected to rise from 17.9 billion USD in 2006 to 60.8 billion USD in 2016. Wind
power jobs are not your father's environmental career. From wind resource assessor (the person who finds windy locations) to wind
turbine installation and maintenance personnel (those who keep the propellers turning), these jobs were way under the radar screen
until recently. And then there is the science behind the technology, including atmospheric physics, climatology and meteorology. A
background in these disciplines is useful, because it could lead to jobs in wind power meteorology (scientists who map out atmospheric models) and wind power forecasting (another term for wind resource assessor). Grid integration positions (people who
connect wind energy to the overall energy grid) are an option. Training in mechanical or electrical engineering will allow you to
parlay your skills into wind power with minimal additional education or simply through on-the-job training.
Financing Alternative Energy
Green energy isn't only blowing in the wind, of course. Solar power, carbon management, hydrogen, fuel cells, energy conservation
and biofuels are quickly becoming household names, and money is flowing into all of them. Well-known investment houses like
Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs have placed big green energy bets, and they are joined by independent venture capitalists and
specialty hedge funds. These jobs attract people who are concerned about the environment and have the analytical skills and industry knowledge needed to put billions of dollars on the line. One good source for tracking these investments is the Clean Tech Venture
Network.
Green Building
Green building practices are a global phenomenon; Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) building practices are
now accepted worldwide. According to the US Green Building Council, the number of accredited professionals in the US alone has
grown from 527 in 2001 to more than 36'000 today.The Council predicts that the 2007 green building market will account for at least
12 billion USD, and others feel this estimate may be conservative. Not surprisingly, the green building industry is affecting the education of architects. But the green building industry has opened doors for other professionals as well, including construction managers,
landscape architects, materials engineers and more. Since buildings are an important contributor to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions,
the likely passage of federal GHG emission reduction legislation will drive the already rapid growth in green building into hyper
mode. Those with the right backgrounds and certifications will be in serious demand.
Urban and Regional Planning
Sustainability is at the centre of the environmental movement, and urban planners are smack in the middle of our global push for a
more sustainable society and economy. Planners do it all -- they coordinate building permits, ally key stakeholders, organize resource
analysis, etc. Although many planners have technical specialties, the field ultimately requires a savvy understanding of how
economics, politics, science and design must work together.
Land Trusts and Brownfield Redevelopment
Land trusts primarily seek to protect ecologically sensitive places, like forests, beaches, wildlife habitats, wetlands and open spaces
that continue to be lost at a rapid pace. Brownfield redevelopment, meanwhile, mainly looks to reclaim contaminated and/or abandoned properties, such as old industrial sites in cities and abandoned mines in the countryside. Brownfield professionals transform
these liabilities into usable community assets that can reinvigorate sagging neighbourhood economies. Job opportunities in both
areas have exploded over the past decade, and include executive directors, preserve managers, real estate and tax experts, education
managers, fundraisers, environmental clean-up specialists and community coordinators.
Source: monster.com
-2-
IMPORTANCE OF ENVIRONMENTAL JOBS IN OECD COUNTRIES
Direct employment effects
Environment-related activities in the business, public and third sector have become a significant source of employment in a number
of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Member countries. Existing data illustrated in the 2 tables
below indicate that the direct employment effects in the Environmental Goods and Services (EGS) sector alone vary between 0.4 and
3.0% of total employment and between 1 and 1.5% in the majority of countries. Since data on environment-related employment in
the public and third sector is lacking for most countries, the estimates only represent the lower bound of environment-related
employment. However, these are not all new jobs, nor are they all attributable to (new) environmental legislation. Some of these jobs
would most likely have existed even in the absence of new environmental legislation. On the one hand, activities regarding water supply and the collection and treatment of waste and wastewater entail employment in the relevant utilities and local services, and have
done so in OECD countries for many decades. On the other hand, a significant number of environment-related new jobs results from
a change of business attitudes as well as of consumer's preferences and demand for a cleaner environment.
a) Estimates based on official statistics, b) Not specified, c) Not covered, d) Only partly covered, e) Total including cross-sectoral activities, f) The number of
people employed in the eco-industry sector in 1994 was estimated at 101 600 and about 30 000 new jobs were created in 1999 (OECD, 2002f).
Note: Data relate to different years (1997, 1998, 1999), and are based on widely different national definitions, methods of data collection and coverage of
the universe. In cases where data were missing from the OECD survey, estimates were calculated based on existing national statistics and available
imputation rates.
Source: oecd.org
-3-
Direct and indirect employment effects
The results presented in the upper tables only cover the direct employment effects in the sectors included, i.e. the first-round changes
in demand, output and employment induced by expenditures for environmental and resource management. However, environmental expenditures also involve indirect (second- and third-round) effects due to the demand for intermediate goods and services
induced by environmental expenditure. Various studies for (West) Germany provide estimates of both direct and indirect employment effects for the years 1990, 1994, and 1998. On the basis of surveys, labour-market statistics and input-output-analyses the number of jobs directly or indirectly related to environmental and resource management in Germany was estimated (cf. table below).This
gives an order of magnitude of indirect employment effects for other countries. Furthermore, the environment-related employment
growth rate currently reaches 25% in certain countries and sectors.
1990
1994
1998
Jobs ('000s)
- Direct employment effects
458
764
1'122
- Indirect employment effects
137
192
165
595
956
1'287
Total
Source: oecd.org
-4-
INTERVIEW OF AN ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEER
Since the days of Henry David Thoreau, environmentalism has been a noble field, exalting the land and
water that our society too casually pollutes and disregards. Engineers who enter the environmental field
can expect a work day that brings them in close contact with the earth-taking soil samples and testing air
quality are two common assignments. If you're interested in getting your hands dirty, however, don't
expect to be romping through bogs everyday. Communication skills place high, as in any discipline.Writing
ability assures that a professional can translate what's learned in the field into concise, readable reports;
verbal skills allow effective team coordination. And the nature of environmental work dictates a team platform. The industry draws on many disciplines to clean toxic sites or to perform city planning-all within the
purview of government regulations. Because of that, numerous people, each able to focus on a specific
concern, are called upon to contribute. "Environmental engineering applies so many basic sciences-chemistry, biology, geology," says Jeanne Riley, a project engineer with Camp Dresser & McKee environmental
consultants. "We work with all kinds of sub-contractors who have specialized skills, like lead or asbestos removal. We also work with
drilling companies and labs. There's a lot of coordination of other parties who are involved in a project."
NAME: JEANNE RILEY
Title: Project Engineer
Company: Camp Dresser & McKee
Education: B.S., M.S., civil engineering, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, USA
Job Description:
·
Perform on-site sampling of potential hazardous waste areas
·
Preparation of reports and recommendations based on findings
Current Projects: Boston Central Artery Tunnel Project, which involves replacing a main highway in Boston with a tunnel. "We're
sampling soil, sediment, ground water and underground storage tanks in the area, to determine areas where there are potential
hazards and write specifications to tell contractors how to handle those materials."
What I Like About Environmental Engineering: "One day I'm in the field in a hard hat and boots, and the next day I'm in the office,
writing a report on what I did or coming up with drawings. I spend about 40% of my time in the field, and 60% in the office, and I love
it that way. It's good to see how investigations are done and how remedial installations are put in. CDM tries to put young engineers
in the field, and by doing the sampling yourself, or overseeing contractors, when it's your turn to do different reports or designs or
specifications, you have seen it and it gives you a better perspective."
Biggest Problems Encountered: "Finding a balance between meeting regulatory requirements and meeting client budgets. Clients
aren't always thrilled to be paying for environmental [needs], like complying with regulations, so the job often involves finding
innovative ways to solve their problems."
On the Importance of a Master's Degree: "Everybody in this field has their master's degree. Environmental engineering is very broad
and civil engineering is even more so. Getting my master's focused me much more on environmental and geotechnical [issues],
industrial waste and air treatment. Then I focused even more on hazardous waste treatment."
Non-technical Skills Needed to Succeed: "Verbal and written communication with many other parties is something I do everyday.
I'm always on the phone making sure that everyone knows what needs to be done, how a project will be scheduled, and how it will
be executed. There's also some client contact, especially when you're in the field. You may be the only person the client sees, so you
have to make sure you can communicate to them what you're doing."
The Best Piece of Advice Someone Ever Gave Me: "Diversify. Companies don't need a specialist at entry-level. They're looking for
somebody who can do different things. At some point, you will specialize, but you will be more marketable [early in your career] as a
generalist, able to work in different areas."
Advice to Future Environmental Engineers: "To students, I would advise taking the Engineer-in-Training test while in school. It
really helps to have it out of the way. It's tough to study for it once you're out of school because it covers so many things you don't
use in your job."
What the Future Might Hold for Me: "I see myself moving into project management. I enjoy learning about budgeting and management of resources, and dealing with clients more than being a technical expert. I don't see myself ever being in the office full
time-you learn so much in the field-but at some point, I will be more valuable in the office than in the field."
Source: graduatingengineer.com
-5-
LE " CANAL DE LA PAIX ", UN PROJET D'ENVERGURE…
De nombreux projets liés à la protection de l'environnement impliquent des professions aussi diverses que variées : ingénieurs, techniciens,
scientifiques, sociologues offrent leur services lors des phases d'étude, de planification, de réalisation, d'exploitation et enfin de mise hors
d'usage. Le " Canal de la Paix " est un exemple de tels ouvrages comme le montre cet article tiré de Libération (France).
Attention aux crevasses. Sol fragile. Marcher prudemment", prévient le panneau aux abords d'un vaste champ de tomates qui s'étale
le long de la rive orientale de la mer Morte, sur la route qui mène d'Amman au site archéologique de Kerak. Ahmad et sa cinquantaine
d'ouvriers travaillent là, sur un terrain miné d'étranges pièges : ici et là, le sol cède, soudainement. Témoin, entre les rangées de
légumes, des cratères de 70 mètres de profondeur et de 3 mètres de diamètre. "Le premier est apparu en 2003, deux personnes sont
mortes. On découvre deux nouveaux trous par semaine, raconte Ahmad, en montrant une parcelle laissée en friche depuis que le sol
s'est brutalement affaissé de vingt centimètres. On avait peur qu'en arrosant, la terre s'écroule encore plus."
Il y a trente ans, les rivages de la mer Morte léchaient ces terres. A présent, le grand lac
salé scintille à quelques mètres en contrebas. Il s'est retiré, dénudant un sol gorgé de sel,
une croûte de boue friable. Depuis les années 70, le niveau de la mer Morte baisse d'un
mètre par an du fait de l'exploitation pour l'agriculture et l'alimentation de son unique
apport d'eau douce, le Jourdain. Comme la mer d'Aral et le lac Tchad, elle a perdu un tiers
de sa surface en l'espace d'une trentaine d'années. Et les experts pronostiquent sa
disparition d'ici à 2050 si rien n'est fait. Mais Ahmad est serein : "Avec le canal qui va
amener l'eau de la mer Rouge, elle va cesser de baisser." Un canal qui aurait quatre
missions : sauver la mer Morte (site géologique chargé d'histoire), donner de l'eau
potable aux trois riverains (la Jordanie, les Territoires palestiniens, Israël), ainsi que de
l'électricité, et participer au développement économique de la région via leur entente... Le projet, dernier en date d'un siècle et demi
de rêves, est-il trop beau pour devenir vrai ?
Cinq étoiles et cures thermales
En décembre 2006, les trois parties se sont réunies sur les rives jordaniennes de la mer
Morte sous l'égide de la Banque mondiale et ont signé le lancement des études de
faisabilité et d'impact du "canal de la Paix". Long de 180 km, il devrait amener d'Aqaba
(Sud jordanien) 1,9 milliard de mètres cubes d'eau de la mer Rouge vers la mer Morte.
Celle-ci étant située 400 mètres plus bas que le niveau de la mer (et donc de la mer
Rouge), la déclivité serait mise à profit pour fabriquer de l'électricité, laquelle servirait
en premier lieu à faire tourner une station de désalinisation des eaux venues de la mer
Rouge, qui fournirait, à terme de l'eau douce aux riverains. L'usine de dessalement
produirait plus de 800 millions de mètres cubes par an, qui irait principalement au
royaume hachémite. Car, si cette production est un appoint pour Israël, elle est en
revanche vitale à la
Jordanie, en particulier à Amman, dont les problèmes d'eau vont
Responsable d'une station de traitement ou
devenir cruciaux d'ici à 2050.
d'épuration des eaux
Les études préliminaires du canal devraient coûter 15 millions de
dollars et durer deux ans, si le calendrier est tenu. L'appel d'offres
officiel, pour débloquer les financements internationaux nécessaires
aux études, prévu pour mi-janvier, n'a toujours pas été lancé par la
Banque mondiale. Un retard administratif sans importance, affirme la
banque, discrète. Mais les Jordaniens en sont convaincus :
cette fois-ci, le canal va bel et bien voir le jour.
Il organise le fonctionnement de la station, définit les
procédures à mettre en œuvre, par ex les prélèvements et
analyses chimiques à effectuer chaque jour pour avoir une
idée à la fois précise et complète de la bonne marche des
opérations de traitement. Il veille à la modernisation des
équipements, à l'évolution des techniques de traitement
avec notamment le développement de biotechnologies,
les possibilités de valorisation des boues résiduelles, etc.
Agent de la qualité de l'eau
Il assure le bon fonctionnement d'une installation de
traitement des eaux. Il règle les machines en fonction des
besoins de la production et des contraintes d'hygiène et de
protection de l'environnement. Il règle les produits
chimiques d'épuration, effectue et analyse les prélèvements nécessaires au contrôle de la qualité de l'eau.
-6-
…Et Interdisciplinaire
Preuve de cet optimisme : la toute récente construction d'une impressionnante
zone hôtelière de luxe le long de la mer Morte, proposant des cures thermales.
Sur commande d'un client, il conçoit les plans Dans un pays qui tire d'importantes ressources du tourisme (70% du PIB vient
d'une maison, d'un bâtiment ou d'un ensemble des services, dont 10 % du tourisme), la mer Morte est un atout. "Les trois
de bâtiments et, souvent, en supervise la réalisa- premiers grands hôtels qui ont ouvert affichent toujours complets", souligne
tion. De plus en plus, les architectes intègrent le Mousa Al-Joumani, secrétaire général de la Jordan Valley Authority, organisme
souci de l'environnement dans leur travail et, de chargé du développement de la zone où d'autres "cinq étoiles" sortent de terre.
ce fait, cherchent à insérer harmonieusement En surplomb de la mer. "Les hôtels sont construits de façon à faire face au retrait
les constructions dans les sites ainsi qu'à limiter de la mer de 3 à 4 mètres, puis à son retour au niveau des années 70, 22 mètres
les pollutions et nuisances (isolation acoustique plus haut." Certes, pour satisfaire leur besoin en eau, les établissements interet thermique des bâtiments, par exemple).
ceptent les petites sources qui alimentent aussi la mer Morte... Mais "les eaux
usagées sont rejetées dans la mer, la perte est donc minime", assure Adnan AlJoudi, le porte-parole du ministère jordanien de l'Eau et de l'Irrigation. Et le canal, en permettant de désaliniser l'eau de la mer Rouge,
devrait bénéficier aussi au développement touristique de la région... Et si le projet n'aboutissait pas ? "La Jordanie ne peut pas envisager la disparition de la mer Morte. Nous trouverons une autre solution."
Architecte
En existe-t-il d'autres ? Du côté des environnementalistes, on estime qu'il
faut "sauver la mer Morte", mais pas à n'importe quel prix : "On n'a aucune
idée des répercussions que le canal va avoir sur l'écosystème de la mer Morte
et de la vallée du Jourdain. Que va donner l'apport d'eau de mer dans la mer
Morte, dont les composantes sont uniques au monde ? Et puis, les 180 km de
pipelines du canal risquent de dénaturer le paysage", s'interroge le docteur
Smadi, géologue, responsable du nouveau musée dédié à la mer Morte,
ouvert au sein d'un nouveau complexe destiné à accueillir des congrès.
La recherche d'alternatives
"Nous ne sommes pas contre le projet. Mais nous demandons à la Banque
mondiale d'inclure dans les études de faisabilité et d'impact la recherche
d'alternatives supplémentaires", explique Munqeth Mehya, directeur de la
branche jordanienne de l'ONG Friends of the Earth in the Middle-East
(Foeme), structure qui regroupe des environnementalistes jordaniens, palestiniens et israéliens. L'organisation milite aujourd'hui pour la réhabilitation
des eaux du Jourdain, dont un maigre filet, pollué, parvient désormais à la
mer Morte. Celle-ci passerait par une coopération entre les trois parties pour
une meilleure gestion des eaux de la rivière qui favoriserait la création, au
long de son cours, de parcs naturels et touristiques avec, là encore, une
responsabilité tripartite. Il reste que, pour faire "fleurir le désert", les 9 millions de dollars qu'ont mis sur la table la France, les Pays-Bas, le Japon et les
Etats-Unis paraissent bien dérisoires à côté des 4 milliards de dollars que
nécessitera la réalisation du projet. On espère ici que la somme sera réunie
avant que la mer Morte devienne une vaste croûte de sel.
Source : liberation.fr 24/02/07 & ecometiers.com
More links and sources / Autres liens et sources
·
reseau-tee.net - Site français sur les emplois de l'environnement et du
territoire
·
ilo.org - International Labour Organisation: information on labour sectors related to the environment (water, energy, forest, etc.)
-7-
Botaniste
Ce spécialiste de biologie végétale étudie les plantes à
l'aide de toutes les techniques d'investigation classiques et modernes (analyses morphologiques,
anatomiques, phytochimiques, cytogénétique, études
de la biologie de la reproduction). Il peut réaliser l'inventaire des flores d'un milieu donné, étudier l'interaction des végétaux avec leur milieu ambiant, l'évolution
des
espèces,
etc.
Il se spécialise par exemple dans l'étude des fougères,
des champignons, des mousses, des algues, etc.
Hydrobiologiste
Il établit un bilan détaillé de l'état biologique d'un
milieu aquatique ou de l'ensemble des lacs et rivières
d'un territoire donné. Il fait un diagnostic des pollutions existantes, des dommages subis par la faune et
la flore, définit des objectifs d'amélioration de la qualité des eaux, propose aux décideurs des mesures pour
réaliser ces objectifs. Selon la mission qui lui est confiée, il peut par exemple établir un programme de
repeuplement des rivières ou assurer le suivi d'un programme de gestion piscicole. De même, il établit dans
le cadre d'un aménagement l'impact que le projet
pourrait avoir sur la milieu et les êtres vivants et propose des mesures compensatoires.
Géologue - Géotechnicien
Le géologue est un spécialiste de la composition de
l'écorce terrestre et de ses constituants, solides, liquides ou gazeux. Il travaille dans la recherche fondamentale ou exerce un métier relevant de la géologie
appliquée. On a en effet besoin de géologues pour la
prospection minière et pétrolière, l'utilisation de la
géothermie, pour les études préalables aux chantiers
de génie civil, la protection de l'environnement tel
que l'étude de risques naturels tels que tremblements
de terre ou glissements de terrain, ou de risque de
pollution des sols et des eaux (voir aussi fiche
hydrogéologue).
Economy / Politics
Union de la Méditerranée : un projet qui inquiète l'UE
" L'Union méditerranéenne ",
proposée par Nicolas Sarkozy,
paraît prendre forme malgré un
fort scepticisme au départ et une
franche hostilité, depuis, des pays
européens du Nord. Les pays
méditerranéens
paraissent
séduits mais n'osent pas s'engager franchement. Le président
français a lancé en février 2007
l'idée d'une " Union méditerranéenne " devant regrouper tous les Etats riverains. Son initiative est basée sur
un double constat. Sur le besoin de structurer la région, qui s'ajoute à celui que
les approches actuelles - le dialogue EuroMed, dit " processus de Barcelone " ou
la brumeuse " politique de voisinage " - ont failli. Il propose un " système de
sécurité collective ", un dialogue structuré sur l'immigration, l'environnement, le
développement durable et une " banque de développement ". Cette UM vise
aussi l'Afrique. Il faut, avait-il dit, " imaginer d'urgence une stratégie euroafricaine dont la Méditerranée sera fatalement le pivot. " Les instances
européennes l'avaient prise au départ pour une fantaisie électorale. Mais M.
Sarkozy persiste et signe et sa tournée, avant l'été, au Maghreb, a renforcé l'inquiétude ambiante, même si les réactions enregistrées à Tunis comme à Alger
ont été faites sur un ton mineur, de crainte, sans doute, de froisser les autorités
bruxelloises, celles-là mêmes qui tiennent les cordons de la bourse de l'aide
européenne. Michel Rocard, aujourd'hui eurodéputé, a décliné l'offre de
présider la commission à laquelle M. Sarkozy veut confier la concrétisation de
son projet. Graduellement, l'UM paraît prendre corps. L'ambassadeur français à
Tunis a récemment affirmé qu'une réunion des chefs des 23 Etats concernés
aurait lieu d'ici juin 2008.
Source : lesafriques.com 19/09/07
Syria : NGOs need better framework
Syrian NGOs are working to improve society and help people in a variety of
ways, but outdated laws and overcomplicated bureaucracy often hamper their
efforts. Each year thousands of people receive help from Syrian NGOs, which
feed and clothe the poor, care for children with cancer and push for increased
women's rights. These groups are approved by the Syrian authorities. But NGO
staff and government officials warn that outdated, overly bureaucratic laws are
hindering aid work and obstructing modernisation efforts. "We need to change
the law, we need something that is more encouraging for development," Maysa
al-Midani, a senior official in the State Planning Commission, said. "We need to
give more freedom to NGOs so they can get on with doing their good works."
A reformed NGO law has been in the pipeline for more than 2 years. However, it
appears to have stalled. There are suggestions it may be introduced in January
2008, but there is no concrete information about what it may contain. "We don't
know about the new law," said Midani. As director of the Planning Commission's
Civil Society Unit, she is a key government coordinator on NGO issues. "There
were many meetings and workshops on the subject a couple of years ago - the
EU was involved at one point - and I know there is a committee dealing with it
in the Ministry of Social Affairs. But I don't know what is happening. I have only
seen a very old draft of the law." Senior NGO officials have also cautioned that
delays in issuing new legislation meant targets set out in the current Five-Year
Plan were likely to be missed. Two years of the plan have already passed and
they said the remaining three were unlikely to usher in the necessary reforms to
allow NGOs to function effectively. "I don't think we'll make it, unless there is a
sudden, dramatic increase in speed," one warned.
Source: syria-today.com 28/09/07
-8-
Liban : la croissance du PIB à 4.5% en cas
d'amélioration de la situation politique
Dans son dernier rapport pour le quatrième
trimestre de 2007, Business Monitor International
(BMI) a maintenu sa prévision de croissance du PIB
réel pour le Liban à 2%. L'agence est persuadée
que cette croissance est soutenue par la
dynamique de reconstruction d'après-guerre
plutôt que par l'intensité de la dynamique
économique. BMI a considéré que la confiance
prudente des consommateurs et des investisseurs
permet simplement à l'économie de " se
débrouiller ". Des réformes positives et l'exploitation par le gouvernement de toutes ses ressources
pourraient causer une révision à la hausse des
prévisions qui pourraient atteindre 4,5% en 2007.
Le rapport a relevé que la valeur des exportations
a continué à enregistrer une croissance positive
tout au long de 2007, résultat d'une demande
soutenue de la part des pays du Golfe. Près de 40%
des exportations libanaises sont destinées au
Moyen-Orient. BMI s'attend à ce que cette
demande demeure forte du fait du maintien de la
montée du prix du baril de brut.
Source : lorient-lejour.com.lb 20/09/07
UNDP to improve municipal services in
North-eastern Syria
The United Nations Development Programme
(UNDP) in Syria launched in September a project
to improve municipal services in the northeast of
the country. The project was launched in cooperation with the Ministry of Local Administration and
Environment, the
Spanish
International
Cooperation Agency and the State Planning
Commission. It will run for an initial period of 2
years, with a budget of more than 560,000 USD.
The project will work to improve the quality and
effectiveness of municipal services that have a
direct impact on the daily lives of citizens in the
municipalities of Raqqa and Deir ez-Zor. The project also aims to enhance the delivery of services
by assisting municipal councils in developing
internal service-oriented modernisation plans,
structures and information systems to facilitate
work processes and efficiency.
Source: syria-today.com 20/09/07
Egypt: generous budget to boost exports
Development Fund (EDF) allocated 6.1 million LE
of its annual budget to support several
high-export potential commodities, such as furniture, textiles, leather products, marble, vegetables
and fruit. These funds come out of a 2 billion LE
budget and are expected to continue for 6 years.
Minister of Trade and Industry Rachid Mohamed
Rachid said this financial support is part of the
government's plan to boost exports. According to
Rachid, assistance provided to 748 companies
during the current year resulted in improving the
competitiveness of their products on international
markets. The total value of financial support
allocated in 2006/2007 by EDF was LE1.059 billion.
Source: ahram.org.eg 7/09/07
Industry
SONASID est le " maillon fort " de l'industrie marocaine du BTP
En franchissant, en 2006, le cap du million de tonnes produits et en s'accaparant
83% des parts du marché sidérurgique national, la Sonasid a frappé fort à la lecture d'un bilan annuel dont les principaux indicateurs d'activité et de résultats
financiers ont oscillé à la hausse dans la logique d'une croissance à deux chiffres.
Foi du président de la Sonasid dans son message en préambule du rapport d'activité au titre de l'exercice écoulé : "Nos
ventes ont atteint un niveau record en 2006 avec le franchissement du cap du million de tonnes vendues, soit une croissance
de 13% par rapport à 2005. L'augmentation de notre capacité
de production, le renforcement de la force vente sur tout le territoire et la disponibilité des produits ont fortement contribué
à l'atteinte de cette performance". Abdelouahab Ben Sari ne
croyait pas si bien dire en précisant, dans la foulée qu'une "politique judicieuse
de prix a eu pour effet de réduire considérablement les importations, en
réduisant aussi, au bénéfice du consommateur, l'impact sur les hausses successives des prix des matières premières sur le marché international". L'expansion
de l'industrie nationale de la sidérurgie s'est renforcée avec le lancement, en
2002, du laminoir de Jorf Lasfar capable de produire annuellement près de
400'000 tonnes. Cette même région a vu la mise en place d'un ambitieux projet,
en 2003, de réalisation d'une aciérie électrique dont la production a démarré en
août 2005. Il faut aussi souligner la dimension sociale d'une entreprise
citoyenne soucieuse des normes les plus modernes requises aux standards
internationaux de la production industrielle en étant certifié aux règles de la
qualité et en remportant le Prix national dans ce même créneau. Le respect de
l'environnement figure également dans l'agenda des priorités de la société
pilotée par Ben Sari.
Source : lagazettedumaroc.com 21/09/07
Jordan: Maan residents apply for training programme
The Jordanian Company for Training and
Recruitment (JCTR) is now receiving applications
from young unemployed citizens in Maan. Under the
first phase of a project, aimed at reducing unemployment and supplying a sufficient workforce for the
booming construction sector, the JCTR will train
4'000 civilians on construction work starting in November. Participants will
receive a six-month military training course, followed by 18-20 months of
specialised training in professions which are in high demand. The JCTR, established in July with 100,000 JD in capital, will carry out its training and recruitment programme in conjunction with the Labour Ministry, the Jordan Armed
Forces (JAF) and the private sector, represented by the Jordan Contractors
Association. In May, His Majesty King Abdullah instructed the JAF to start recruiting unskilled workers to train them in professions needed by the construction
sector, which has been flourishing in recent years due to large-scale projects in
Amman, Aqaba and the Dead Sea. JTRC Director General Brigadier General Salah
Qdah said a total of 1'500 trainees will join the training programme in
November, while the remaining 2'500 will be able to enrol in January 2008.
Eventually, the JTRC hopes to train 30'000 unemployed citizens. Applicants must
be between 18 and 35 years old and have completed the 10th grade. Recruits
will receive a monthly salary of 191 JD, in addition to other benefits including
medical insurance, social security, accommodation and an accredited certificate
of professional classification.
Source: jordantimes.com 01/10/07
-9-
Syria: President al-Assad visits industrial
city of Hesyah in Homs
President Bashar al-Assad visited industrial and
housing city of Hesyah in Syrian central city of
Homs, inspecting the projects and steps accomplished since his last visit to this city. He looked into
the latest achievements and progress on the level
of investment following adopted procedures and
facilities. The number of the Syrian, Arab and foreign investors reached 375 with investments rating
to 30 billions Syrian Pounds. Later, President alAssad inspected the 'one window building' and
mechanism of its work, touring new factories in the
industrial city, including al-Sharq al-Awsat factories
for botanical oils and the Middle company for printing and packing, in addition to high-class food
company. The President listened to an explanation
of work, facilities and services given by the city's
administration for those projects and investors.
President al-Assad affirmed the role of this city in
developing the national industrial sector, attracting
investors and developing the central region. He
gave directives to remove all obstacles, depending
on decentralization, outlining priorities and exerting efforts to complete this city and its expansion in
the framework of correct planning and within a
determined timetable.
Source: sana.org 26/07/07
Egypt: more gas, more investment
Egyptians will soon be able to use an environmentfriendly source of energy since the third phase of
the Upper Egypt gas pipeline is underway. The
150km-line will extend between the governorates
of Beni Sweif and Minya at an estimated cost of
LE545 million. Construction is currently approaching Minya with a pipeline measuring 1650m in
length, which is considered the largest portage
across the River Nile in the history of the project.
While this portion of the pipeline is expected to be
completed by the end of the year, the fifth and final
phase of the project -- extending from Assiut to
Aswan -- will be finished by 2009. The Upper Egypt
gas pipeline is believed to be one of the main
assets to attract more investment to the povertystricken south. Natural gas will be provided to
industrial and tourist areas in the region, as an
incentive for starting new projects and creating
more jobs.
Source: ahram.org.eg 27/09/07
Le tourisme tunisien se porte bien
Les chiffres du tourisme sont en hausse par
rapport à l'année dernière : les entrées ont
augmenté de 3,7% avec 4,41 millions de vacanciers,
les recettes touristiques de 9,1% (1,8 milliards de
dinars), les nuitées de 1% et le taux d'occupation
hôtelière de 2,6%. Les recettes devraient
augmenter de 8,6% pour l'année 2007 selon Office
tunisien du tourisme ONTT. Le tourisme qui
contribue pour 7% du PIB, est la principale source
de revenus en devises et emploie quelque 400,000
tunisiens.
Source : lesafriques.com 19/09/07
Cleaner Production
New stringent law against pollution in Tunisia
Tunisia has issued a new environmental protection law that cracks heavily on air
pollution from factories and vehicles, specifying financial fines and imposing
the polluters to join a pollution monitoring network at their expense. The
Tunisian Parliament and Council of Advisors recently passed a law instituting
mandatory measures for monitoring air quality and delineating a series of hard
penalties to be imposed on all violators. Section 13 of the law states that the
owner of a firm not using technological equipment "for preventing and limiting
air pollution at the source" shall be fined 1'000 to 50'000 dinars. The new law
requires firms operating in one of a list of air polluting activities to "[join] the
National Network for Monitoring Air Quality at their own expense. The new law
punishes transgressions with fines ranging from 100 to 10'000 dinars for each
person whose firm exceeds the maximum limits for pollution emissions.
According to a report distributed to Parliament last spring, the transportation
sector is considered one of the biggest air polluters in Tunisia. It alone accounts
for 31% of national energy consumption. A World Bank study on the costs of
environmental degradation in Tunisia revealed that these costs amount to 2.1%
of GDP, close to the results for developed nations; according to the World Bank
report, the costs of environmental degradation in the Organisation for
Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries ranges between
1% and 1.9%, whereas the percentage in the Arab and southern Mediterranean
countries ranges between 3% and 6%. Since October 2005, the government has
installed ten lighted signs displaying data from the National Network for
Monitoring Air Quality. In 2004 the Ministry of Environment decided to purchase
four mobile labs and to dedicate 25 fixed stations to monitoring air quality in all
wilayas of the republic, particularly industrial centres and high-traffic areas.
Source: arabenvironment.net 27/09/07
L'UNFCCC et le PNUE lancent un nouveau site Internet pour
doper les MDP
La Convention-Cadre des Nations Unies sur les
changements climatiques (CCNUCC) et le
Programme des Nations Unies pour l'environnement
(PNUE) viennent de lancer un nouveau site Internet
sur le Mécanisme de développement propre (MDP). L'objectif : faciliter
l'échange d'information entre les vendeurs, les acheteurs et les fournisseurs
participant au MDP du Protocole de Kyoto. Baptisé CDM Bazaar, le site permet
aux participants au MDP de poster des informations, comme des projets de
réduction potentielle des émissions à la recherche de financement, des crédits
de réduction d'émission disponibles à l'achat ou des événements relatifs au
marché du carbone. "Le MDP joue un rôle important pour relever le défi du
réchauffement climatique ; mais si les bénéfices doivent être plus largement
partagés, comme en Afrique sub-saharienne par exemple, il faut plus d'efforts
encore pour développer la capacité des pays en développement", a estimé
Achim Steiner, le Directeur exécutif du PNUE. "C'est une initiative nouvelle
extrêmement bienvenue qui peut compléter et peut-être élargir l'impact des
''foires au carbone'' qui font leur apparition dans diverses régions du monde,"
a-t-il ajouté. Quant à Yvo de Boer, le Secrétaire exécutif de la CCNUCC, il considère que le site aidera "les acheteurs et les vendeurs, et tous ceux qui participent
à ce marché, à faire des affaires". Rappelons qu'en juillet dernier, le secrétariat de
la Convention sur les changements climatiques avait élargi le champ d'action de
ce mécanisme. Il peut, en effet désormais concerner un programme d'activités
sur une ville ou une nation tout entière.
Source: actu-environnement.com 07/09/07
- 10 -
Most manufacturers worry about reducing
waste: study
A majority of manufacturers in the US, Italy, Brazil
and Germany believe reducing waste is the most
significant environmental issue they face, a new
study revealed. It was conducted by Harris
Interactive on behalf of Dow Corning Corp. "While
there are differences in emphasis around the world,
the priority for companies both big and small, is to
reduce their own environmental footprint through
reducing waste," Peter Cartwright, Dow Corning's
executive director for environment, health and
safety, said in a statement. "While the focus today
may be on dealing with waste, in the future I anticipate we'll see more emphasis on areas such as CO2
emissions and use of renewable energy sources as
the whole issue of climate change gets more
attention." The study found that customers and the
government hold the largest influence over a
company's environmental decisions overall.
Source: greenbiz.com 12/09/07
Environmentally friendlier solvents
Researchers from Queen's University and the
Georgia Institute of Technology have discovered a
new environmentally-friendly way to make chemicals for pharmaceutical and other industries. The
team has developed new solvents that are both
cleaner and cheaper when used in the production
of many chemicals. Because each step in a chemical
process often requires a different solvent, there can
be a great deal of waste which is both costly and
damaging to the environment. In the ratio of wasteto-product, pharmaceutical and other chemical
industries are far dirtier than the oil industry, he
notes. These new solvents change their properties
when alternately exposed to CO2 and nitrogen,
making it possible to re-use the same solvent for
multiple steps in a chemical process, rather than
discarding and replacing the solvent after each
stage.
Source: queensu.ca 24/08/07
Green industrial hub in Jordan
Al Mushatta industrial hub is emerging as a promising and attractive location for new industries in
Jordan. The hub is established in a strategic location adjacent to the Queen Alia Airport in Jordan
and spans an area of 4.4 million square meters of
state-of-the-art infrastructure for attracting new
industries. The environmental added value of this
hub is its special eco-friendly infrastructure.
According to Arabian Business Magazine the
Energy Management Services (EMS) Company is
proposing to transform an industrial hub in Jordan,
to a new environmental friendly 'Green Industrial
City'. "The green concept focuses on three major
aspects, energy efficiency, water efficiency, waste
and environmental efficiency. "All of these aspects
amount to a huge economic benefit," said Omar Al
Shobaki, marketing manager, EMS, Jordon.
Source: arabenvironment.net 21/09/07
Technology
Technology goes green
Technology giants are splashing their sales spiels
with green and charging into alliances that promote power reduction technology for data centres and computer equipment.Vendors see green
marketing as a way of speeding up their customers' technology refresh plans and ramping
sales. All in a good cause, of course. Many of the
industry's biggest names have joined both the Green Grid Consortium and the
Climate Savers Computing Initiative. Intel spokesman Bill Calder says Green Grid is
focused on increasing energy efficiency in data centres, everything from servers to
the data centre itself, design and racks, "Climate Savers is focused primarily on PC's
and also servers," he says. Intel has a seat on the boards at both consortiums and,
according to Calder,the company outlined the "original goals,targets,and objectives
with Google".That effort grew out of discussions between Intel and Google,and was
expanded to include many other companies and the WWF. "Essentially, the two
efforts are complimentary," Calder says. Green Grid is backed by more than 80 IT
companies.The group recently outlined its technology roadmap that will document
standards and metrics for energy efficiency and performance.The Green Grid aims to
help define protocols and standards for evaluating data centre efficiency. Over at
Climate Savers,the aim is to aggressively set new targets for energy-efficient computers and components. The initiative is setting a new 90% efficiency target for power
supplies,which they expect will reduce GHG emissions by 54 million tonnes per year,
saving more than 5.5 billion USD in energy costs, or equivalent to the annual output
of 11 million cars. The initiative's energy efficiency benchmarks will follow the EPA's
Energy Star guidelines but with increasing requirements during the next years. The
EPA reported the energy consumption of servers and data centres has doubled in the
past 5 years and is expected to almost double again in the next 5 years.
Source: australianit.news.com.au 11/09/07
Le prix "f-cell" récompense la meilleure pile à combustible
Le constructeur de piles à combustible NuCelSys GmbH a
remporté en septembre le prix "f-cell award 2007" doté
d'une récompense de 12'000 euros pour l'adaptation du système de démarrage à froid. Développé initialement par
DaimlerChrysler, ce système permet de démarrer une
voiture équipée de la pile à combustible (PAC) même à des températures allant
jusqu'à -15° C. Il s'agit d'une étape importante vers la mise sur le marché de ces
véhicules.La 2ème position et 7'000 euros vont à la Truma Gerätetechnik GmbH pour
son système VeGa d'approvisionnement électrique embarqué pour les voitures de
tourisme. La Ulmer Brenntoffzellen-Manufaktur GmbH, une antenne du Centre de
recherche en énergie solaire et hydrogène d'Ulm (SZW), en 3ème position, reçoit
3'000 euros pour son "Ulmer Stromschachtel", un générateur électrique à grande
flexibilité spatiale. On peut ainsi l'utiliser de manière optimale dans un espace
restreint. Le jury a également remis 2 prix de 1'500 euros chacun pour des projets
d'étudiants :en un semestre,des élèves des filières génie mécanique et technique des
procédés de l'Ecole supérieure d'Offenburg ont développé leur propre PAC et en ont
équipé un véhicule. Le second prix va à l'Université de Stuttgart et l'Ecole supérieure
d'Esslingen,qui ont développé une méthode permettant de mesurer la conductivité
électrique de piles à combustible de manière plus précise.19 entreprises ont concouru pour ce prix organisé par le Land de Baden-Württemberg, représenté par son
Ministère de l'environnement et la "Wirtschaftsförderung" de la région de Stuttgart
(WRS), en coopération avec DaimlerChrysler AG.
Source : enerzine.com 03/10/07
- 11 -
Une nouvelle génération de cellules photovoltaïques !
Le constructeur photovoltaïque (PV) Ersol souhaite
se lancer dans la production de modules PV micromorphes. Son directeur Claus Beneking a déclaré :
"Etant donnée la maturité du marché, nous avons
décidé de différer la production des modules
photovoltaïques au silicium amorphe et de déjà
préparer intensivement le lancement de la technologie micromorphe pour 2008." Ersol serait ainsi
l'une des premières entreprises en Europe à proposer cette variante technologique de cellules PV à
couches minces. La technique consiste à combiner
cellules amorphes et cellules microcristallines pour
former un ensemble micromorphe, permettant de
diminuer fortement la dépendance au silicium, de
capter un spectre de lumière plus large et
d'améliorer le rendement. Grâce aux nouvelles
cellules, dites "tandem", l'entreprise espère une
augmentation du rendement de 50% par rapport à
la technologie classique.
Source : enerzine.com 13/09/07
E.ON plans battery to store wind power
The prototype will be the size of 4 large shipping
containers and will contain the power of 10 million
standard AA batteries, capable of producing 1 MW
of electricity for 4 hours, said E.ON UK. "This is the
holy grail of the wind industry," said a spokesman.
"The electrochemical technology is proven but
we're using a new mix of chemicals to overcome
the difficulties that stopped previous attempts." he
added. The battery should be operational by late
2009 and will help solve one of the main problems
of wind power. "Green power is only generated
from wind farms when the wind blows, and that
might not be when the power's needed by customers," said Bob Taylor, MD of Energy Wholesale
and Technology. E.ON also announced an 81 million
USD research fund for energy storage and other
promising energy technologies. The group plans to
spend 1 billion pounds on sources of renewable
energy over the next 5 years.
Source: planetark.com 14/09/07
'$100 laptops' for poor students
Inexpensive laptop computers designed for
students in developing countries will be sold to the
public in a buy-one, give-one scheme, One Laptop
Per Child (OLPC). the nonprofit organization behind
the project said.The "$100 laptops" - which currently cost nearly twice that amount - will go on sale for
2 weeks starting November 12.The nonprofit group
was organized by Nicholas Negroponte, a
co-founder of the Massachusetts Institute of
Technology (MIT) Media Laboratory, who came up
with the idea of providing low-cost computers for
students in underdeveloped countries as key step
to promote education. The laptop - dubbed the XO
- consumes about one tenth of the energy that a
regular laptop uses.
Source: metimes.com 25/09/07
Energy
Egypt: going nuclear
Gasification of waste coal
A year has already elapsed since the National Democratic Party (NDP) raised the
call for Egypt to enter the nuclear era. The ruling party's proposal was unveiled
during its fourth conference in September 2006, and is similar to other initiatives made over the past 50 years. Naturally, Egypt's proposed next "national
project" was in the headlines for several months, but eventually enthusiasm
dampened and the idea slipped into oblivion once again. Nevertheless, the
NDP's initiative seems to have opened an endless debate among concerned
bodies about the immense political, economic and environmental challenges
which face a developing country trying to catch up with its nuclear superiors.
For their part, energy experts are convinced that sooner is better if Egypt is ever
to meet its growing developmental needs. "Egypt has no choice but to generate
energy using nuclear power and encourage renewable energy such as solar and
wind," asserted Hussein Abdallah, former senior under-secretary at the Ministry
of Petroleum and an expert in energy economics, during a recent seminar
organised by the Higher Council of Culture. "It should start immediately."
Abdallah believes that Egypt's oil and gas resources are rapidly depleting, therefore the nuclear option is vital. Mohamed Mogahed, a nuclear energy expert,
noted that uranium -- the basic ingredient needed to operate a nuclear reactor
-- is abundant in Egypt. Also, building a nuclear reactor is perhaps one of the
best ways to create new job opportunities. "It takes at least 4'000 construction
workers and some 400 highly qualified technicians to work continuously for 4 to
7 years to build a reactor," explained Mogahed, adding that it is hard to ignore
the human development element included in the scheme. "In a country where
the unemployment rate is hovering around 10%, and where there is urgency to
bridge the technological gap with the rest of the developed world, the issue
takes broader dimensions than simply trying to satisfy a growing demand for
energy," he asserted.
Source: ahram.org.eg 13/09/07
Consol Energy Inc., one of the USA's largest bituminous coal production companies, and Synthesis
Energy Systems, Inc. have entered into an agreement to investigate the development of coal-based
gasification facilities to produce feedstock for
various industrial chemical manufacturers. The
collaboration will also investigate the feasibility of
producing substitute natural gas (SNG) to meet the
demand for clean, affordable energy. The project
initially will focus on the Consol Energy's Northern
Appalachian mine sites in Pennsylvania, West
Virginia and Ohio. Consol Energy mining complexes produce an estimated 17 million tonnes per year
of coal preparation plants tailings: such material
could be used to make valuable liquid and gas
products rather than be landfilled as waste.
Source: waste-management-world.com 10/09/07
Liban : coup d'envoi de la restructuration de l'EDL
Cinq ans après son adoption, la loi 462 qui
réglemente la privatisation du secteur de l'énergie
commence enfin à être appliquée, du moins en
partie. Le principe même de la privatisation est
acquis, étant donné que le Trésor est incapable de
faire face aux déficits mirobolants de l'Électricité du
Liban (EDL) et surtout aux besoins d'investissements dans le secteur, qui se
chiffrent en centaines de millions de dollars. Mais c'est sur les modalités de la
privatisation qu'ont souvent buté les gouvernements successifs, car, avant de
céder les actifs du secteur, il faut d'abord les évaluer, chose impossible vu l'état
actuel de l'EDL dont les comptes n'ont pas été publiés depuis 2001 et dont on
ignore toujours les contours exacts. À cette fin, la loi prévoit une restructuration
de la compagnie publique. Pour s'atteler à cette lourde tâche, le Conseil
supérieur pour la privatisation (CSP) a décidé de recourir à l'aide d'un consortium composé de quatre cabinets de conseil. Celui-ci sera d'abord chargé d'évaluer la situation actuelle de l'EDL avant d'élaborer un plan de restructuration, ce
qui devrait prendre environ 4 mois, selon le président du CSP, Ziad Hayek.
Commencera ensuite la phase d'exécution qui comprend le recensement et
l'évaluation des actifs de l'EDL et la séparation des différents métiers de la compagnie (production, distribution et transport) à travers la création de nouvelles
entités. La séparation des différents pôles d'activités est une mesure cruciale, le
transport devant rester entre les mains de l'État. La production et la distribution
en revanche seront privatisées.
Source : lorient-lejour.com.lb 27/09/07
- 12 -
OECD blasts EU biofuels rush
Even in the 'best-case
scenario', biofuels will only
be able to achieve a 3%
reduction in energy-related
CO2 emissions by 2050, thus
failing to reduce petroleum fuel consumption,
states a new report by the OECD.The report deals a
blow to the EU's recently-agreed goal of ensuring
that biofuels represent 10% of all transport fuels by
2020, arguing: "Current biofuel support policies
place a significant bet on a single technology
despite the existence of a wide variety of different
fuels and power trains that have been posited as
options for the future. National governments
should cease to create new mandates for biofuels
and investigate ways to phase them out, preferably
by replacing them with technology-neutral policies
such as a carbon tax. Such policies will more effectively stimulate regulatory and market incentives
for efficient technologies," concludes the report.
Source: euractiv.com 11/09/07
Lebanon: UNDP helps encourage lower
power usage
The United Nations Development Program (UNDP)
has conducted in September a media campaign to
encourage both households and firms to reduce
electricity usage. The campaign, held in cooperation with the Ministry of Energy and Water, urges
consumers to use solar energy and/or reduce the
unnecessary use of electricity and water.
"We thought it was time to approach big firms and
industries to participate in the energy audit process
for their own saving," a UNDP statement said. The
UNDP has set up an audit body to assess the
efficiency of systems and make recommendations.
These lead to "savings on energy bills, increased
comfort, lower maintenance costs and extended
equipment lifetime," the UNDP said.
Source: dailystar.com.lb 20/09/07
Environment
Jordan: towards a better life
Arava Institute sends message of peace
Jordan has taken two important decisions that make for environment-friendly
policies and practices. One is to phase out leaded fuel by the end of this year; the
other, just announced by the Ministry of Agriculture, adopts a strategy for regulating and promoting organic agriculture and food items.The decision to shift to
unleaded fuel was taken over a year ago; naturally it took time to be put into
effect due to technical reasons. But as long as it is done, it is a good move that will
help us live a healthier life and contribute, on a larger-scale, even if only a little, to
a better globe which we all inhabit. Promoting the production of organic food
items is not less important; after all, the quality of the food we eat is critical to the
quality of life we live.The amount and "proficiency" of pesticides and insecticides
creeping in our food chain is alarming. So is their effect on our health. With the
help of the Japan International Cooperation Agency and Japan's Nippon
International Corporation for Community Development, the pilot project for producing organic olives in the north of the country has been a big success and
seems to have served as an impetus for an expanded change to organic agricultural production across-the-board. One can now expect the country to grow sufficient organic produce to cover the needs of the population.What Jordan stands
to gain from shifting to organic agriculture goes beyond saving lives and preventing diseases. Exports of agricultural produce can expect to increase sharply
as more and more countries are becoming aware of the advantages of healthy
products and of the need to make serious efforts to grow environment-friendly
crops. With these two steps towards a cleaner, safer environment, it can only be
hoped that Jordan will adopt more of the same, to cover other fields, for the sake
of the people and for the fringe benefits that are sure to accompany such judicious decisions.
Source: jordantimes.com 26/09/07
Jordanian, Palestinian, and Israeli alumni of the
Arava Institute for Environmental Studies
(www.arava.org) collaborated on a workshop at the
UN in New York at the 60th Annual DPI/NGO
Conference on Climate Change. Invited by the
Hadassah organisation, the 3 young Middle Eastern
environmental leaders focused on water and security, one of the pressing environmental challenges
facing their region. The Arava Institute, an environmental teaching and research programme in the
Middle East, prepares future Arab and Jewish leaders to cooperatively solve the region's environmental challenges. The panellists spoke about the
Jordan River watershed as a transboundary system
that is being overexploited, and that the effects of
climate change will exacerbate this situation and
could lead to security-related concerns, the statement said.
Source: jordantimes.com 12/09/07
Horizon 2020: de-polluting the Mediterranean Sea by 2020
In November 2005, at the summit to
celebrate the 10th Anniversary of the
Euro-Mediterranean process, the partners
committed to "endorse a feasible timetable
to de-pollute the Mediterranean Sea by
2020, while providing appropriate financial
resources and technical support to implement it, using the Mediterranean Strategy for Sustainable Development and
exploring possible areas for co-operation in this regard with UNEP" Following-up
on this commitment from all of the Euro-Mediterranean Partners the European
Commission launched the Horizon 2020 initiative that aims to tackle the top
sources of Mediterranean pollution by the year 2020.The Commission is building
a coalition of partners to implement it. The recent Commission Communication
establishing an environment strategy for the Mediterranean sketches out the
detail of Horizon 2020, grouping planned activities under four headings: 1)
Projects to reduce the most significant sources of pollution. 2) Capacity-building
measures to help neighbouring countries create national environmental administrations. 3) Using the Commission's research budget to develop greater knowledge of environmental issues relevant to the Mediterranean and ensure this is
shared. 4) Developing indicators to monitor the success of Horizon 2020.The 3rd
Euro-Mediterranean Ministerial Conference on environment in Cairo on 20
November 2006 was the first Euro-Med environment ministerial held outside the
EU. At the meeting agreement was reached on the timetable of actions called for
in Barcelona.This timetable will be used to measure progress with Horizon 2020.
Source: europa.eu 28/09/07
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Top execs are embracing corporate responsibility
Having environmental policies in place is more
than just good public relations, a majority of executives responded in a survey conducted for global
accounting firm Grant Thornton.The belief that corporate responsibility can increase a company's bottom-line will lead to a swell in spending for corporate responsibility issues in the immediate future,
the executives predicted. This increase in spending
is especially noteworthy, as it is occurring during an
all time low in business confidence Grant Thornton
reported, "Corporate responsibility has begun to
move from a defensive to an offensive position,"
said Jack Katz, managing partner of Grant
Thornton's Financial Services industry practice. "It is
not simply about complying with government regulations. It's about reducing costs, marketing products and services, raising capital, and winning talent."
Source: greenbiz.com 26/09/07
Nouvelle méthode de capture du CO2
Le Research Institute for Innovative Technology for
the Earth (RITE) a mis au point une nouvelle méthode de capture du CO2 en 2 temps. Les effluents
gazeux traversent une solution à base d'aluminium
qui piège le CO2. Le liquide est ensuite envoyé vers
une membrane tubulaire percée d'orifices d'un dixième de micromètre. En abaissant la pression
autour de cette membrane, le liquide s'éjecte par
les petits trous en libérant le CO2. Des méthodes
similaires employant un liquide d'absorption existent déjà mais sont menées à des hautes températures (110-140°C), nécessitant de ce fait de grandes
quantités d'énergie (20% de l'énergie produite
dans le cas d'une centrale thermique). La méthode
du RITE ne demandant qu'un environnement
basse-pression permet de réduire de moitié le coût
de séparation et de capture du CO2.
Source : planetenergie.org 1409/07
Environment
Algérie : vignette automobile majorée de 100% pour les
véhicules de tourisme diesel
L'avant-projet portant loi de finances pour le prochain exercice prévoit de nouvelles mesures fiscales parmi lesquelles celles concernant les véhicules carburant
au diesel. Le gouvernement propose ainsi de revoir l'article 300 du code du
timbre déterminant les tarifs de la vignette automobile. Les véhicules de
tourisme à motorisation diesel s'acquitteront du double du montant de la
vignette. Dans son exposé des motifs, l'Exécutif inscrit ladite mesure dans le
cadre de la politique de lutte contre la pollution. Pour le gouvernement, " il
s'avère utile de renforcer le dispositif législatif et réglementaire permettant de
consacrer cette politique avec des mesures incitatives ". L'objectif ainsi poursuivi
est d'amener les consommateurs à utiliser les carburants propres. Ces carburants
bénéficieront d'une suppression des taxes, ajoute le document de l'avant-projet.
La loi de finances actuellement en vigueur avait vu des dispositions à vocation
écologique adoptées. Il s'agit, entre autres, de la réduction du taux de la TVA de
17% à 7% pour les équipements et accessoires destinés au GPL/C et du GNC/C et
pour le gaz de pétrole liquéfié sous forme de GPL/C. En même temps, une réduction de 1 à 0,10 DA de la taxe sur les essences sans plomb (normale et super) a
été décidée. Considéré comme carburant ultra-polluant, le gasoil sera taxé plus
cher. D'après l'avant-projet, il est proposé une majoration de la taxe sur le gasoil
qui passe de 0,30 à 0,60 DA par litre. Les recettes que générerait la taxe additionnelle sur le gasoil alimenteraient à parts égales le Fonds national pour l'environnement et la dépollution et le Fonds national pour la maîtrise de l'énergie. Avant,
les revenus de la taxe étaient entièrement versés au Fonds de dépollution. En y
ajoutant celui de la maîtrise de l'énergie, les concepteurs de la loi veulent " une
meilleure prise en charge des actions de promotion et de développement des
énergies renouvelables ".
Source : elwatan.com 01/10/07
Campaign for recycling of used mobiles in the UAE
Arab racing driver Basil Shaaban believes a nationwide environmental drive to
gather old and damaged mobile phones for recycling can accelerate the growth
of all-round environmental awareness in the UAE. Shaaban, who is bidding to
become the first Arab to compete in Formula One, added his support to the
EnviroFone campaign today when he dropped off an unwanted handset in
Dubai. "I'd like to see many more people, particularly young Arabs, supporting
this campaign and doing more to protect the environment they live and work
in," said Shaaban, who is back in action in the F3 Euro Series in Barcelona at the
weekend. "We've lagged behind in environmental responsibility for too long in
this part of the world.This campaign can do a lot to raise awareness and accelerate the process by which people generally take better care of the environment."
Shaaban, who was born in Beirut and raised in Abu Dhabi, added: "Changing
attitudes to the environment, and building a greater sense of responsibility, is a
long-term challenge for the UAE and the rest of the region. The EnviroFone
campaign is a good start, and by preventing thousands of mobile phones from
being dumped, with the risk of harmful chemicals polluting water supplies and
damaging the environment, it can only help towards achieving the long-term
environmental goals." More than 75'000 unused mobiles have been collected
since mid-June. Earning instant prizes and a chance to win more rewards, the
public also help charity when handing in unwanted mobiles at drop box locations across the UAE or every phone collected 5 DH is donated to Gulf for Good,
the UAE-based charity that organises adventure challenges to raise funds for
carefully selected needy causes.
Source: arabenvironment.net 27/09/07
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Ozone cuts could beat Kyoto in aiding climate - UNEP
About 191 governments met in
September to seek ways to speed
up freezing on production and
phasing out ozone-depleting
HCFC gases, widely used in
fridges and air conditioners that
also trap heat in the atmosphere. "If governments
accept accelerated action on HCFCs, we can look
forward to not only a faster recovery of the ozone
layer, but a further important contribution to the
climate change challenge," Achim Steiner, head of
UNEP, said in a statement. A new study indicates a
cumulative 38 billion tonnes of CO2, also the main
heat-trapping gas released by burning fossil fuels,
could be avoided in the coming decades if tight
new curbs were imposed on HCFCs, UNEP said.That
is far more than the some 2 billion tonnes a year the
Kyoto Protocol is intended to eliminate in a first
2008-12 phase.
Source: planetark.com 14/09/07
Maroc :Tétouan s'apprête à sauver ses eaux
de baignade
La grande partie des rejets liquides non traités se
retrouvent dans les oueds par lesquels ils transitent
pour finir leur course en mer, menaçant la qualité
des eaux de baignade. Compte tenu des énormes
perspectives touristiques de la région Tanger/
Tétouan, la qualité des eaux de baignade devient
donc une priorité absolue. Un projet de dépollution
d'un montant d'investissement global de 500 million de DH et dont la finalisation est prévue en 2008
a été mis en place. Ce programme prévoit 35 km de
collecteurs principaux pour intercepter l'ensemble
des eaux usées évacuées par les agglomérations de
la ville de Tétouan. Ce qui permettra de les drainer
au moyen de 11 stations de pompage qui
alimenteront la future station de traitement.
Source : allafrica.com 14/08/07
EU to help poor nations fight global
warming
The European Commission is to set up a 50 million
euros fund to help developing nations fight global
warming, the EU executive announced in
September. The funding is designed to help such
countries cope with the effects of man-made
climate change. EU Development and
Humanitarian Aid Commissioner Louis Michel said
that "climate change is a threat to all of us, but the
poorest and least-developed countries are in the
worst situation," emphasising that such nations and particularly small island states - would be the
"top priority" of the new funding. The money is
expected to be used to create a new international
system in partnership with developing nations the Global Climate Change Alliance (GCCA) - to
help them deal with more frequent storms, floods
and droughts linked to climate change.
Source: euractiv.com 19/09/07
Other news & upcoming events
Horizon 2020 Conference on Municipal Waste
Management, Marseille, France, 20 November
2007
POLLUTEC HORIZONS : 3ème Rencontres
ECOETAPE Europe / Afrique, Paris, France, 27-30
novembre 2007
Euro-Mediterranean governments aim to tackle the top sources
of Mediterranean pollution by the year 2020 through the
Horizon 2020 initiative that is built around 4 elements:
·
Projects to reduce the most significant pollution sources
focussing on industrial emissions, municipal waste and
urban waste water, responsible for up to 80% of pollution in
the Mediterranean Sea
·
Capacity-building measures to help neighbouring countries
create national environmental administrations that are able
to develop and police environmental laws
·
Using the Commission's Research budget to develop and
share knowledge of environmental issues relevant to the
Mediterranean
·
Developing indicators to monitor the success of Horizon
2020
Organised by the European Commission and taking the key sector of municipal waste and targeting local authorities from the
Southern Mediterranean this seminar aims to give practical
examples of solutions to tackling this common problem
For further information: europa.eu
ECOETAPE 2007 est un forum d'affaires qui
réunira pour sa 3ème édition, des institutions
et entrepreneurs d'Afrique et d'Amérique
Latine à la recherché de partenaires potentiels européens. Ce forum permettra aux
sociétés africaines et latino américaines de
lancer la promotion de leur projet industriel (une sélection
rigoureuse des projets sera opérée par l'ONUDI) et de rencontrer
des partenaires potentiels sur la base d'un intérêt commun.
ECOETAPE 2007 revêt cette année une dimension particulière à
destination des entreprises et institutions africaines. Des ateliers
de dialogue public/privé, des conférences spécifiques sur la mise
en œuvre des MDP en Afrique et des rencontres institutionnelles
seront organisés dans l'objectif de placer l'Afrique, ses industries,
au cœur des préoccupations environnementales mondiales.
ECOETAPE 2007 mobilisera à cet effet plus de 60 opérateurs
d'Afrique (Maroc, Nigeria, Kenya…) et d'Amérique Latine qui rencontreront leurs homologues européens (Allemagne, France,
Italie, UK…).
Pour plus d'informations : pollutec.com
Les Premières Rencontres sur l'Economie de l'Environnement,
Annaba, 18-19 novembre 2007 - " Industries et environnement "
Cette importante manifestation scientifique organisée par le Département des sciences économiques, Faculté des sciences
économiques et de gestion, Université Badji Mokhtar Annaba - Algérie- en partenariat avec Ecosys et Sba - Suisse -, est parrainée par
Monsieur le Ministre de l'enseignement supérieur. Elles regrouperont des enseignants, chercheurs et praticiens de haut niveau et de
diverses nationalités, qui débattront durant deux jours, les problèmes liés aux préoccupations environnementales particulièrement
dans le domaine de l'industrie dans le cadre des stratégies de développement.
COOL IT: The Skeptical Environmentalist's Guide to Global Warming,
by Bjorn Lomborg, 2007
Bjorn Lomborg is a Danish statistician and darling of those who believe that markets should not be regulated and
that concerns about the environment are overblown. He is articulate, certain in his opinions and well informed on
the statistical minutiae of the topics he investigates. Indeed, so compelling and entertaining are the grains of truth
that adorn his latest book, Cool It, that you are certain to hear them soon in dinner table conversation. But is this
book, as its subtitle proclaims, really an acceptable "guide to global warming"?
More information on: washingtonpost.com
The DELTA Review, SBA's monthly e-newsletter,
compiles and reports recent news and events in the
fields of economy, politics, new technologies, cleaner
production. The information contained in this
newsletter is for information purposes only.SBA does
not represent or endorse the accuracy or reliability of
any advice, opinion, statement or other information
contained in this review.
Sustainable Business Associates (SBA) is an international NGO based in Switzerland. It cooperates with
enterprises within the context of sustainable
development, to encourage their participation in
environmental action, in order to simultaneously
improve their economic efficiency and reduce their
ecological impacts.
- 15 -
Compiled by:
Sustainable Business Associates
56, Ch. du Châtelard
CH-1018 Lausanne, Switzerland
Email: [email protected]
Web: http://www.sba-int.ch