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Dubai will spend millions of dirhams on incentives to have 42,000 electric vehicles (EVs) on the emirate's streets by 2030. Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (Dewa) and the Road Transport Authority (RTA) on Sunday announced four incentives to help increase the number of plug-in cars, from free public parking and charging to toll-fee exemption and discounts on the plug-in car's registration.

Canada's two largest west coast ports are offering financial incentives to the most efficient vessels that enter the ports. Port Metro Vancouver's Eco-Action program and Prince Rupert Port Authority's (PRPA's) Green Wave program will reward ship owners based on the Carbon War Room's A to G Greenhouse Gas Emissions rating, which benchmarks the energy efficiency of shipping fleets.

A team of volunteers in the United States launched SolarCoin, a virtual currency similar to Bitcoin that will reward companies or individuals that generate solar energy. Solar producers will receive 1 SolarCoin for each renewable energy certificate they earn, thereby improving the economics of solar energy.

The Environmental Protection Agency is confident that the stayed Clean Power Plan is legal and will stand up in court, according to EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy. In the meantime, the EPA has begun holding hearings on the proposed Clean Energy Incentive Program and has heard from many states that are interested in voluntarily complying with the CPP.

Most cocoa farmers receive less than 5 cents for every dollar that consumers spend on chocolate, according to Oxfam, giving little incentive or funding to invest in more sustainable farming methods, writes Amy Carniol. By paying farmers a higher price, Fair Trade chocolate improves producers' quality of life and helps them ensure long-term viability, Carniol writes.

Hewlett-Packard will set supplier targets for greenhouse-gas emissions in a move that could reduce total emissions by 20% by 2020 from decade-prior levels. The company will offer incentives to suppliers that meet the goals and will report their success in its sustainability reports.

Chinese automakers plan to spend almost $8 billion this year on developing all-electric and hybrid automobiles, an analysis shows. The government is setting targets and offering incentives, believing that "developing new-energy vehicles is the Chinese auto industry's only road to grow from being big to being strong," said Xu Heyi, chairman of Beijing Automotive Group. 

European climate policies are creating new demand for biomass, which power plants now have an incentive to burn instead of coal. That's leading to dramatically increased logging along the eastern coast of the U.S., even as researchers question the eco-friendliness of biomass-based power generation

Local farmers are stepping up to help conserve Kenya's upland forests, which serve as critical watersheds for the rest of the country. After years of corrupt government administration, control of the forests is being handed over to community forest associations that give farmers incentive to use forest resources responsibly. "People who used to be poachers and illegal loggers are now defending the forests," said Simon Gitau, warden of Mount Kenya National Park. Yale Environment 360 (2/26)

Google, Apple, Bank of America, Best Buy, HP and Microsoft are among those giving financial incentives based on sustainability metrics a shot, according to a round up of corporate disclosure documents released this week by the environmental nonprofit CDP.

A fund-matching program spearheaded by the EPA will help bridge the financial gap to implementation of the new climate policy. 

Green roofs can save lots of money for building owners thanks to energy cost savings of up to 50%, longer life spans and financial incentives in various cities. However, a lack of awareness of green roofs' benefits may be limiting their market reach, experts say. "And I think there's been some negative information out there about the difficulty of maintaining, the cost of maintaining and the cost of installing them," said environmental adviser John-Patrick Curran.