Miliband: China Tried to Hijack Copenhagen Climate Talks (Guardian)

The UK’s climate secretary, Ed Miliband, accused China, Sudan and leftwing Latin American countries of trying to hijack the UN climate summit and "hold the world to ransom" to prevent a global warming agreement from being reached.

Copenhagen’s Accomplishment: Getting Money Flowing (New York Times)

On the money question, the voluntary accord was “a big step forward” since the 2007 talks in Bali, when countries committed to control emissions but offered no financial support mechanisms, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said.

Brazil: The Decade’s King of Both Conservation, Deforestation (Mongabay)

Brazil set aside more land in protected areas than any other country during the 2000s, accounting for nearly 60 percent of total terrestrial conservation during the decade. Paradoxically, it also lost the most forest of any country during the decade.

Carbon Emission Permits Tumble After ‘Modest’ Climate Accord (Bloomberg)

European carbon prices fell the most since February after the Copenhagen climate conference ended without setting solid targets that would boost demand for permits.

Study: Global Warming Hike May Be Steeper Than Thought (AFP)

Global temperatures could rise substantially more because of increases in carbon dioxide in the atmosphere than previously thought, according to a new study by US and Chinese scientists.

US Airlines, Industry Group Sue UK Over Emissions Plan (Bloomberg)

Three U.S. airlines and the Air Transport Association sued the U.K. government to challenge the first stage of the country’s implementation of European Union emission-trading regulations.

Tata Steel to Reduce Carbon Emissions (Reuters)

Tata Steel is trying to bring down carbon dioxide emissions to 1.8 tons per ton of steel produced by 2012 from 2 tons of carbon dioxide now, a top official said today.

Coal Ash Spill: Lawsuits For Years to Come (Knoxville News Sentinel)

Like the land and water around the Kingston Fossil Plant inundated with sludge, the U.S. District Court in Knoxville likely will be swamped with lawsuits spawned by the Dec. 22, 2008, disaster for years.

Stressed Solar Looks Beyond Wall Street for Capital (Reuters)

The solar industry needs $2 billion to expand next year, but with Wall Street still nervous about backing risky and capital intensive ventures, companies are looking beyond to boutique banks and other sources of funding to avoid falling behind.

Pelamis, Vattenfall Team to Produce Wave Power Off Scotland (Business Green)

Ambitious plans to develop a 200MW wave power project off the coast of Scotland’s Shetland Islands edged forward last week when wave energy developer Pelamis signed a new joint venture agreement with European energy giant Vattenfall.

South Korean Firms to Spend Over $3.4B on Clean Tech (Reuters)

South Korean manufacturers will invest more than 4 trillion won ($3.42 billion) in clean technology sectors next year, up from 3.2 trillion won this year, government data shows.

Worst-Hit Bangladesh ‘Pleased’ with Copenhagen Outcome (AFP)

The prime minister of Bangladesh, one of the nations expected to be most effected by global warming, said she was satisfied with the Copenhagen summit’s outcome, and hoped rows over thorny issues would be ironed out soon.

Canada Spins Voluntary Climate Accord as ‘Turning Point’ (Globe & Mail)

Canada’s Environment Minister is defending the voluntary Copenhagen Accord as an historic accomplishment for bringing the world’s largest polluters – including China, India and the United States – into the global-warming battle.