French President Sarkozy Drops Plan for French Carbon Tax; Seeks Similar Tax at European Union Level

French President Nicholas Sarkozy has abandoned plans for a French national carbon tax. The decision, announced last week, came in the wake of regional French elections in which President Sarkozy's party suffered enormous electoral losses.

Now, however, President Sarkozy wants the European Union -- as opposed to several individual countries -- to impose a carbon tax to protect EU firms' competitiveness in a world market where almost no other countries have taken firm stands to reduce carbon emissions.

According to Jean-Francios Cope, a spokesman for the president's party, "The [carbon] tax will be European or it won't be at all," the BNA International Environment Daily reported ("French Government Abandons its Attempt at National Carbon Tax, Will Focus on EU Tax," March 24, 2010).

There is no doubt that European firms are concerned about the competitive disadvantage that the EU Emissions Trading Scheme puts on economic sectors operating on the continent. But enacting an EU-wide carbon tax is easier said than done. First, it would need to be proposed by the European Commission, which is the only EU institution that can propose legislation. Second, it would need unanimous approval from the 27 member state governments, a task that is hardly easy even in the best of times.

Does the pronouncement by President Sarkozy make headlines? Yes. Is it very practical? No. On the other hand, it is reassuring to know that politics is much the same everywhere. High aspirational goals made by some local political actors seeking approval in their own constituency often come to nothing on a larger stage in the end. This is likely to be the case in this instance.

--Don Smith

Career Panel Spring 2010; Opportunities, Challenges, Trends Presented by Six Environmental and Energy Leaders

Pursuing a graduate degree is in effect building a foundation for the future. But what kind of future? And what does it take to effectively make the transition from student to worker?

The Environmental and Natural Resources Law & Policy Graduate Program sponsored a career panel recently at which these and other similar issues were discussed and analyzed. The panel, organized and brought together by Assistant Director Lucy Daberkow, reflected stories of success and determination related to many of the different aspects that a student must consider when preparing to move into the job market. Taken together the panelists provided insightful guidance about the job market and the future.

The panelists (in alphabetical order) were:

• Adjunct Prof. Cecilia Dalupan, Associate Director of the Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Foundation.
• Tukka Hess, 2009 LLM graduate, counsel in the Project Development and Finance Group at the law firm of Holland & Hart.
• Andy Lubner, 2009 LLM graduate and Contract Specialist for the National Park Service.
• Gene Holland, 2008 MRLS graduate; Senior Project Leader in Deployment and Industry Partnerships at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory.
• Kate Marks, 2009 MRLS graduate and Managing Director for the National Association of State Energy Officials.
• Adjunct Prof. Bob Noun; Director of Communications and External Affairs at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory.

Among the key pieces of advice for those attending the session:

• Look for ways to network with key actors in the field; volunteer to do research projects; take on writing assignments as a means of "proving your worth" to potential employers.
• Be persistent and don't rely on a resume or CV to "open the door" for you.
• Work on improving your writing; being a good writer is a benefit no matter what type of position you are seeking.
• Talk to your friends about the type of work you are looking for; see if they have contacts with whom you should follow up.
• Be committed to constantly learning about your field; learning can take many forms including reading about new developments and trends, attending conferences, meeting speakers.
• Look for publications to contribute to; leaders tend to be interested in who is writing about the newest developments.
• Be willing to look outside of the "normal" places for work; this includes outside of Colorado and outside the U.S.
• Look for contract/temporary work for federal agencies that can lead to permanent employment in the future.
• Accept that in your career you are likely to have many different positions, many of which will be dictated by the trends in your field at a particular time.

Finding a new position or "inventing" a position for yourself are not always easy and things do not always happen when we would like them to. On the other hand, there are things that a student can control such as being as prepared as possible when an opportunity does come along.

Many thanks to each of our panelists who offered much advice and context for finding a job in tomorrow's job market. And thanks again to Lucy Daberkow for bringing together such a talented, energetic, and thoughtful panel.

To watch a video of the career panel, please click here.

--Don Smith

Royal Dutch Shell and China National Petroleum Corporation to Partner on Gas Project

Earlier this month, Royal Dutch Shell, headquartered in London, and a China energy firm announced a deal involving a business relationship in Australia. Last week Royal Dutch Shell and the China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) announced plans to develop a similar project in China. The aim of the deal announced last week is to partner in the development of gas located in Sichuan province.

According to Shell:

"The companies have submitted a production sharing contract to the Chinese central government for approval. Under the 30-year contract, Shell and CNPC would appraise and potentially develop tight gas (basin-centred gas) reservoirs in an area of approximately 4,000 square kilometres in the Jinqiu block of central Sichuan Province."

Click here to see a map of the specific location in China.

Malcolm Brinded, executive director of upstream international at Shell, said, "The agreement will strengthen our partnership with CNPC in developing cleaner energy to meet China's growing needs."

In reporting on the announcement, the Financial Times ("Shell Joins CNPC for Project," March 23, 2010) put the deal into greater context: "All of the world's largest energy companies are seeking partnerships with China's state-owned petrochemical groups, particularly in Africa, Latin America, and the Middle East where China is viewed more favourably than in some western countries."

In short, "the beat goes on"...western energy giants, particularly in Europe, are looking for ways to partner with China-based firms.

Meet Our Graduates: José Henriquez of Santiago, Chile

The latest posting in our "Meet Our Graduates" video series is now available. This posting involves José Henriquez, of Santiago, Chile, who graduted with his LLM in Environmental and Natural Resources Law & Policy in December 2009.

All of us at DU were delighted to have Jose study here, and we wish him great luck in all of his future professional endeavors. We are also happy to say that José and his family were not adversely impacted by the recent earthquakes that resulted in enormous damage and caused significant sadness in the great country of Chile.

To see José speaking in espanol about his experiences, please click here.

To see him speaking in English, please click here.

Colorado Springtime Snow: March 2010

Within about 35 minutes of the University of Denver Sturm College of Law you can be enjoying scenes just like these.

Several days ago we had a heavy snowstorm one day. The next day the sky was brilliantly blue and and the ground covered with a fresh layer of snow -- 12 inches in some places, more than two feet in others. It is difficult to capture in words how magical the mountains are after just such a snow so I'll let these pictures do the talking.

All of these were taken at Elk Meadow, a beautiful piece of mountainous land that includes city of Denver, Jefferson County, and federal lands that are all adjacent to each other.

A walk in nature on a day such as this one clears one's head and makes us remember why the Rocky Mountain West is such a great place to live, study, and build a career. I know of not one person who has lived here who has been disappointed.

Come out to Colorado and see for yourself. This is one of the nation's -- if not the world's -- most scenic spots.

Colorado Adopts 30 Percent Renewable Energy Standard for Electricity by 2020; "Cements" Colorado's Reputation as Center of "New Energy Economy"

Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter has signed into law legislation requiring that 30 percent of electricity generated by state regulated utilities be from renewable sources by 2020. It represents the largest renewable portfolio standard in the U.S. Rocky Mountain West.

According to the Governor, the law will create thousands of new jobs and result in 100,000 solar rooftops between now and 2020. Please click here to listen to Gov. Ritter's remarks about this historic legislation.

In signing the legislation, Gov. Ritter said, "Today we continue to chart a new course for Colorado's New Energy Economy and America's clean energy economy. Colorado is giving every state and the entire nation a template for tomorrow. This is a game-changer. We are transforming the future of Colorado and our country."

Over the past six years Colorado's renewable energy goals for electricity generation by 2020 have increased from zero in 2003, to 10 percent in 2004, to 20 percent in 2007, to 30 percent in 2010. The law calls for three percent of the 30 percent to be met by local solar power.

The measure, which was supported by the state's largest electricity provider Xcel Energy, was embraced by Environment Colorado (EC). "Today we've truly 'hit it out of the park,' taking Colorado's vision for new energy future to the big leagues," Pam Kiely, program director with EC, said.

As this blog has reported many times, Colorado is at the center of the nation's new energy economy. Come learn about it at the Sturm College of Law, where you will find an impressive and steadily increasing offering of energy and renewable energy offerings taught by the nation's best renewable energy policy and technology experts and practitioners.

Matthew N. Wagner Earns 2010 "Masters of Resource Law Studies Student of the Year" Award

Matt Wagner has earned the 2010 "Masters of Resource Law Studies Student of the Year" award. The award is presented annually to the student with the highest grade point average in the Master's of Resource Law Studies (MRLS) program at the Sturm College of Law.

Mr. Wagner, who also has a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Indiana, had a long and impressive career in professional communications before enrolling at the University of Denver in August 2009. His experience included serving as a principal at Public Strategies Inc., a Washington, D.C., communications consulting and strategy firm where he supervised an effort to rebuild investor confidence in the capital markets following the stock market upheaval in 2002. In 2005 he joined LeGrand Hart consulting in Denver where he was lead client counselor and strategist for several of the firm's largest accounts.

While studying at DU he has worked in an externship role at Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter's Energy Office, the key state government agency aimed at establishing Colorado as the center of "the new energy economy." Currently Mr. Wagner is serving as interim director of communications for Freedom to Roam, a Denver-based coalition of leading business, government and conservation organizations formed to improve understanding and funding for wildlife corridor conservation efforts.

Don Smith, Director of the MRLS program, said, "Matt Wagner was a successful communications professional before beginning his studies in the MRLS program. He has performed exceptionally well as a student in our program. Matt has chosen to complement his communications expertise with a growing understanding of key environmental and natural resources issues. His work should position him well to effectively address the types of environmental and natural resources issues that are and will continue to face businesses, governments, and NGOs in the future. Assistant Director Lucy Daberkow and I are confident that Matt has taken the steps that will establish him as a leader in this growing field."