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Monday, August 17, 2009.

From Creamer Media in Johannesburg, I'm Shannon O'Donnell.

Making headlines today:

A study by the Peterson Institute for International Economics says that a successful Doha round trade deal could boost the global economy by 300-billion to 700-billion-dollars a year.

The figures that the institute calculates are similar in size to stimulus packages deployed by the biggest countries to tackle the economic crisis, and underline how much is at stake in the long-running talks.

Delays in completing the round, now in its eighth year, prompted two leading trade economists at the institute to examine the potential benefits.

The economists estimate the boost to global exports from concluding the Doha Round could range between 180-billion and 520-billion-dollars a year, depending on how far-reaching an eventual deal turns out to be.

World leaders have called for the round to conclude next year. It was launched in the Qatari capital in 2001 to help poor countries prosper through trade.

The Copenhagen Consensus Centre has launched the ‘Climate Change Project', which was designed to promote informed debate about innovative ways to respond to global warming. This was ahead of the fast approaching global negotiations in Copenhagen, in December.

The organisation would release what it called "pioneering new research on climate engineering", with summaries of new research papers by climate scientists, on its website each week.

In previous weeks, the centre aimed at highlighting that there were many different solutions to the issue of climate change, beyond cutting carbon. The centre says that the goal is to find the solutions that will do the most good for the climate, for the least cost.

Also making headlines:

Energy Minister Dipuo Peters will keep an eye on the OR Tambo Airport's jet fuel stock, but says the crisis has been resolved.
Crime and violent protests harm business confidence in South Africa.
General Motors South Africa MD Steve Koch will retire on October first.
And, former Bafana Bafana captain Lucas Radebe is named as South Africa's 2010 ambassador to the world.

That's a round up of news making headlines today. For more on these and other stories please visit engineeringnews.co.za.

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