DENVER, Colo. -- Xcel Energy, Colorado's largest utility company, has mapped out an ambitious energy efficiency plan for 2009 that the firm says would save an amount of power equivalent to that generated by a new unit at a coal-fired plant.

Munich, -- One of the world's largest reinsurers is calling for an international treaty to address climate change or face growing insurance losses from weather-related natural catastrophes.

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM -- European Climate Exchange reports growing number of U.S. firms crossing the Atlantic to dip their toes in the European Union Emissions Trading Scheme

SEATTLE, Wash. -- Faced with the economic slowdown and multi-billion dollar budget shortfall, the state has released a pared-down climate change action plan and is leaning toward giving away most of the carbon permits in the regional greenhouse gas cap-and-trade program in which it will participate.

LOS ANGELES, Calif. -- Companies and coalitions big and not-so-big have made the ranks of most notorious "green" campaigns in the year-end list from National Public Radio's Greenwash Brigade.

ST. PAUL, Minn. -- A new Minnesota law that goes into effect Jan. 1 requires automobile manufacturers to publicly report how much of a greenhouse gas their vehicle air conditioners leak.

OAKLAND, Calif. -- Several environmental groups are suing the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Interior Department over a recent rule that eases the dumping of coal mining waste into nearby streams.

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM -- The United Nations boasts its Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) is having a global impact on cutting emissions.

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The memorandum issued by U.S. EPA Administrator Stephen Johnson has prompted concern by some environmentalists that the declaration will lead to approval of several coal-fired plants in the waning days of the Bush presidency.

NEW YORK, N.Y. -- More than 31.5 million carbon permits were sold in the second auction of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) Wednesday for $3.38 per ton of carbon dioxide, 31 cents higher than the clearing price of $3.07 per allowance in the first auction.

TOLEDO, Ohio -- The Alliance is creating an Integrated Energy Master Plan that can be applied to several far-ranging initiatives, including a Ohio college campus and Chinese residential community.

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM -- The program would put a price on maritime greenhouse gas emissions and incentivize companies to adopt low-carbon technologies.

BOSTON, Mass. -- Greenhouse gas emissions in the Northeast this year could ring in about 16 percent lower than the emissions cap set in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, according to nonprofit Environment Northeast. Strong demand for allowances are expected in the second auction Wednesday.

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM -- The United Kingdom aviation industry could see its passenger counts increase threefold through 2050, but carbon dioxide emissions are expected to sink to 2000 levels, according to an industry group.

OAKLAND, Calif. -- California's Air Resources Board approved on Thursday an ambitious playbook that will guide efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions blamed for climate change. Meanwhile, the European Union approved a climate change package that will aim for a 20 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions below 1990 levels by 2020.

MANCHESTER, N.H. -- New Climate Counts scores show most major shippers are striding toward better measurement, reduction and communication of their climate impacts.

BOSTON, Mass. -- IBM, Tesco and Dell are among a select group of major consumer and technology companies taking active steps toward addressing the risks and capitalizing on the opportunities posed by climate change, according to a new report from the nonprofit Ceres.

-- Executives’ compensations are already beholden to shareholders and their companies’ financial performances. Now more executives are also seeing incentives tied to how well their companies meet environmental goals and carbon budgets.