Search Results for: japan

BY PAUL COCHRANE, IN ABU DHABI

IT sounds completely bizarre, given their dominant role as global energy players, but the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) are facing a chronic energy shortage, with domestic demand growing by an estimated 8.5% and investment in power systems failing to keep pace.…

BY ALAN OSBORN

Tobacco stocks have long been regarded as a safe haven for small investors. But they are currently so stable, speculators shy away. In the long term, however, American investment advisors are warning that tobacco companies may not be such a great bet.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL

THE FUTURE of the natural gas sector is guaranteed in any viable European Union (EU) energy mix, the European Commission has said in a major policy paper. In its ‘Energy Road Map 2050’, Brussels argues that gas is the relatively clean fuel that will buy the EU time to adopt new energy technologies.…

BY JULIAN RYALL, IN TOKYO

MICROBIOLOGISTS discovered microbially-produced surface-active agents as far back as the 1960s but the cosmetics industry largely overlooked the true value of biosurfactants – as they are more handily known – until recently. Japan has been at the forefront of this move, reflecting a desire amongst Japanese consumers in recent years for products that are kind to the environment.…

BY MARK GODFREY, IN BEIJING

WEAKNESSES in China’s nuclear certification system are an obstacle for domestic equipment suppliers wanting to seize market share when the policy-setting National Development & Reform Commission (NDRC) approves a new reactor building programme. This has been held up by the Fukushima disaster, but China’s local certification regime remains more geared to screening imported equipment rather than encouraging high standards among local equipment providers.…

BY ALAN OSBORN, IN LONDON; JULIAN RYALL, IN TOKYO; AND LEAH GERMAIN, IN EDMONTON

TEXTILE recycling has come a long way since the days of the rag-and-bone man a generation or so ago, with particularly dramatic changes happening in some European countries over the past ten years.…

STORIES BY KEITH NUTHALL

A REPORT from the anti-bribery working group of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation & Development (OECD) has attacked Italy over the tardiness and weakness of its anti-bribery efforts. While, the paper did recommend that the organised-crime ridden country had made "significant enforcement efforts" through its "comprehensive framework for prosecuting the foreign bribery offence", these efforts were insufficient.…

BY ALAN OSBORN, IN LONDON; JULIAN RYALL, IN TOKYO; AND LEAH GERMAIN, IN EDMONTON

AS textile recycling continues to gain importance worldwide, and the number of companies dedicated to processing used apparel or scraps increases as well, governments and industry are working to establish textile waste legislation.…

By Paul Cochrane, in Beirut

Saudi Arabia’s failure to secure a wide-ranging atomic energy treaty with the USA, continues to push the oil-rich country into the arms of other nuclear suiters, experts on the kingdom have argued. The Saudi's plan is to invest USD112 billion over the next 20 years to build 16 nuclear power plants (NPPs) to offset rising domestic energy demand and retain its position as a leading hydrocarbons exporter.

A memorandum of understanding on nuclear energy was signed with the US in 2008, but the two countries have yet to sign Section 123 of the US Atomic Energy Act, essentially a prerequisite for nuclear cooperation between the US and other nations.…

BY JULIAN RYALL

THERE is no single secret to creating the best soy sauce in the world, according to the head of the Japanese company that first produced the seasoning as far back as the 17th century. Rather, the secret is a combination of three things, Yuzaburo Mogi, honorary CEO and chairman of the board of directors of Kikkoman Corp.,…