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DRIVING CHINA GREEN
An investor and industry portal focused on the China-Asia sector, spotlights China as it plays a key role in the future success of electric and hybrid vehicles. As the number of cars is expected to grow significantly in China, eco-friendly choices are a must as it battles massive environmental and air quality concerns. Capitalising on the nation’s need for cleaner alterntive transportation are several car manufacturers that are turning China’s challenges into lucrative business opportunities. Among the companies with
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INDIA’S BIOTECH BOOM
The biotechnology industry in India is rapidly progressing. The revenues generated by the industry reached US$2bn in 2006-2007, an increase of US$1bn over 2004-2005 and US$1.5bn over 2005-2006. India’s significance in the biotechnology field is diverse. Besides generating skilled manpower plus a knowledge base, the country is proving to be a perfect location for manufacturing as well as high-level biotech research programmes. With the help of government initiatives, the Indian biotechnology industry is now perched for
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KYOTO HARMS OZONE
The biggest emissions-cutting projects under the Kyoto Protocol on global warming have directly contributed to an increase in the production of gases that destroy the ozone layer, a senior U.N. official has said. In addition, evidence suggests that the same projects, in developing countries, have deliberately raised their emissions of greenhouse gases only to destroy these and therefore claim more carbon credits, according to Stanford University’s Michael Wara.
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EUROPE-WIDE PROPOSALS TO
CUT DOWN CO2 EMISSIONS
MEPs and the EU’s industry committee have backed a proposal to reduce CO2 emissions from cars by 20 percent by 2012.
The European Commission’s plan is to reduce average emissions to 120 grams of CO2 per kilometre from 162 grams per kilometre across Europe.
Suggestions to give industry until 2015 to meet the targets were rejected.
The commission said the goals would be achieved by encouraging people to buy more energy-efficient cars, promoting fuel-efficient driving and the use of lower-polluting fuels.
Pr
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EU AIMS TO LINK MOROCCO TO EUROPE’S ENERGY SECTOR
The European Union will grant Morocco 654 million euros over four years and begin moves to link Morocco’s energy sector with those of its northern neighbours.
Officials have proposed the eventual integration of Morocco’s power sector into the EU’s energy market, without giving any deadline.
The money will be used to support social and economic development, human rights and governance, the environment and support for institutions under the EU’s neighbourhood policy over the 2007-2010 period, it said. This policy aims
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UK IT INDUSTRY MAKES TOP FOUR
The UK is the fourth-best environment in which to find a thriving IT market, a new report has claimed.
According to the Economist Intelligence Unit’s IT industry competitiveness index, the UK is in fourth place with regard to its IT market, behind the US, Japan and Korea.
The index takes into account factors such as government policy, research and development trends, legality, infrastructure and education and skills.
In most areas, the UK was found to score reasonably, but not as well as Japan and Korea in terms
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UK PORTS POLICY - DEVELOPMENT ESSENTIAL
The Freight Transport Association says that the Department of Transport needs to use its forthcoming Ports Policy Paper to accept responsibility for funding inland transport links from ports, as happens in all other developed nations.
The FTA says that the Government should use the Comprehensive Spending Review and accompanying documents to set out its policy on the funding of key rail and road infrastructure upgrades required to improve links with the ports and to reduce congestion and the costs that go with it. The p
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NEW DAY WORKING GUIDELINES
Contractors and Quantity Surveyors are to use revised day work definitions for dealing with the prime cost of day work carried out under building contracts, from 1 September 2007.
Day works arise frequently in building contracts since it is almost impossible to anticipate all eventualities in the construction process. Contractors and Quantity Surveyors will benefit from clarification of the way that contract variations, where the work cannot be properly valued by measurement, are handled.
The new document, Defin
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BROWN MAKES BUSINESS CHANGES
Prime Minister Gordon Brown has unveiled new structural business changes, wasting no time in his new role.
Commenting on the impact of those changes relating to business, CBI Director-General, Richard Lambert, said:
“This is an imaginative re-shaping of the structure of government. The new brief of the Department of Business and Enterprise will ensure that it is able to champion the competitiveness agenda in critical areas of policy including energy, employment and regulation.
“At the same time, the appointment of
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FLYING MATTERS
A lobbying group of travel companies, including Virgin Atlantic, British Airways and easyJet is being set up to show that the industry is taking climate change seriously.
Calling themselves ‘Flying Matters’, the group, including Richard Branson, will try to influence the media and politicians to form part of a balanced and informed debate about our contribution to climate change and future improvements that must be made.
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| Brains and beauty |
Furness and West Cumbria’s West Coast is about to experience a major investment that will strengthen the tourism and industry s ...
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| National Stadium, Beijing |
At the pinnacle of its construction, the National Stadium in Beijing had 7,000 workers toiling over the infrastructure. ...
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No smoke without fire
It seems that commentators, industry heads, central bankers and, dare I say it, Industrial Focus’s own journalists have made so ...
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Innovation for the nations
Hope for the future has arisen from the turmoil of the last few months, as industrial technologies have spun out some marvels o ...
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Supposedly the construction
materials of the future, composites are increasingly seen in
applications where optimum efficiency is paramount including
aircraft construction and renewable energy. As two research
examples show in this video, composites really are the future
for efficiency.
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