UN Climate Chief Urges Progress as Bonn Talks Enter Final Day (AFP)

Another failure in the quest for a treaty on climate change would cripple trust in the United Nations’ ability to tackle global warming, the UN’s climate pointman warned as new talks ground into their final day Sunday.

Giving Up Climate Treaty May Unblock UN Deal (Reuters)

The prospect of a global climate treaty is fading as the world’s top two carbon emitters, China and the United States, avoid legally binding action. Experts say a shift to a less ambitious goal might help.

US Denies Climate Funds for Bolivia, Ecuador (Washington Post)

You can decide to boycott the Copenhagen Accord — but that comes at a price. For Bolivia, that’s $3 million; for Ecuador, it’s $2.5 million.

Truckers Urge NHTSA, Not EPA, to Set Fuel Standards (Detroit News)

The nation’s truck drivers have urged the Transportation Department to oppose legislation that would transfer authority to set fuel efficiency regulations for medium- and heavy-duty trucks to the Environmental Protection Agency.

Energy Department Invests $100M in Smart Grid Education (VentureBeat)

In its new Open Government Plan, the DOE pledges to be more transparent about energy policy and to better educate the market about efficiency, including teaching people about the benefits and importance of the Smart Grid.

In Reversal, California Utilities Approved for Fuel Cell Test (Green Inc.)

Two utilities, Pacific Gas and Electric and Southern California Edison, propose installing fuel cells that would generate three megawatts of electricity so they could study the impact of such technology on the power grid.

Reliance to Pay Atlas $1.7B for Marcellus Stake (Reuters)

Indian energy giant Reliance Industries will pay $1.7 billion to form a joint venture at one of the most promising natural gas deposit regions in the U.S. with Atlas Energy. It’s the latest foreign company to invest in shale plays that are expected to be very lucrative.

Top Coal CEOs to Face U.S. House Climate Panel (Dow Jones)

CEOs from Peabody Energy Corp, Arch Coal and Rio Tinto are scheduled to testify Wednesday before the House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming.

After W.Va. Mine Deaths, How Much Political Trouble Is Coal Industry In? (Greenwire)

The deadly explosion inflicted further political damage on the coal industry, raising questions about whether it will face new safety rules even as it is already confronting a host of new environmental regulations and accusations about its role in climate change.

Carbon Cap Would Deny Iran Millions of Petrodollars (Wonk Room)

A strong cap on carbon would significantly cut the flow of petrodollars to Iran’s regime, a Wonk Room analysis shows.

British Campaigner Urges UN to Accept ‘Ecocide’ as International Crime (Guardian)

A campaign to declare the mass destruction of ecosystems an international crime against peace — alongside genocide and crimes against humanity — is being launched in the UK.