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Eight years on, country’s first BRTS yet to take off

Eight years after the first-ever Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS) of the country was started between Katraj and Hadapsar (via Swargate) on a pilot basis, the project looks far from satisfactory and useful. 
 
The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) spent a whopping Rs 134.74 crore in building the corridor under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM). The then urban development minister, Jaipal Reddy, had flagged off the first bus on the route on December 3, 2006. Reddy had even travelled on a semi-low floor Volvo bus during the inauguration. 
 
Two... Read more..

Date : Dec 3
Source: Times of India

Duty exemption on components used for rooftop solar power projects: Ministry of New & Renewable Energy

The Ministry of New & Renewable Energy has announced that solar power developers setting up off-grid solar photovoltaic power projects will get excise duty exemption certificates (EDECs), with immediate effect, for all roof-top solar projects with a minimum capacity of 100 kilowatt (KW). 
 
This will help make the solar panels cheaper for the end consumer, this reducing the overall project cost. 
 
Sufficient manufacturing capacity has been created in domestic market to meet the market of off-grid projects, and EDECs will be issued to encourage the domestic... Read more..

Date : Dec 3
Source: Times of India

Rs 4,000 crore push for 25 solar parks

The renewable energy ministry has proposed a gross budgetary support of Rs 4,050 crore for setting up 25 solar parks of 500 mw each and ultra-mega solar power projects to add 20,000 mw green generation capacity in the next five years.
 
The money is expected to be spent in phases, starting with Rs 500 crore in 2014-15 and rising to Rs 1,400 crore in 2018-19. Solar Energy Corporation of India under the ministry would be the nodal agency and manage the funding for a fee, equivalent to 1% of the grant disbursed.
 
The parks would be developed in collaboration with... Read more..

Date : Dec 3
Source: Times of India

Tata Housing receives top honours at the Golden Peacock Awards 2014

Tata Housing Development Company (Tata Housing), one India's fastest growing real estate companies, announced its recent win at the prestigious Golden Peacock Awards 2014, for their commitment to 'Sustainability' in the 'Real Estate' sector. The 'Golden Peacock Award for Sustainability' is the coveted recognition that organisations across India receive for excellence in sustainable practices. The award was presented at a specially organized "Golden Peacock Awards Ceremony", on Wednesday, October 29 2014 at the House of Lords – UK Parliament, Westminster in London.
 
Accepting... Read more..

Date : Dec 3
Source: Odhisha Diary

Natural gas for India energy security

The Indian government has decided that boosting the energy sector must be one of its top priorities. With good reason, for economic growth and poverty alleviation are closely linked to energy issues. Over the coming years, millions of Indians will swiftly improve their living standards.
 
India’s energy requirements are set to increase at a commensurate rate. A comprehensive approach, including policy directives to facilitate exploration and accelerated development of domestic resources, is crucial for meeting demand. This is true especially from an energy security perspective... Read more..

Date : Dec 3
Source: Power Sector

UK green fund close to finalising investment in Indian re-commerce start-up

Low Carbon Enterprise Fund, the London-based investor focussed on social enterprises with a sustainability touch, is close to finalising a $2-lakh investment Delhi-based Karma Recycling.
 
Karma procures old smartphones, tablets, and laptops in bulk from retailers such as Future Group, refurbishes them, and sells them on its online portal KarmaShop. The website now has about 86 iPads on sale, some of them offered for prices as low as Rs 9,700.
 
"There are a lot of local players in this business; it's a really fragmented market with a lot of potential," said David... Read more..

Date : Dec 3
Source: Economic Times

Welspun Energy forays into solar rooftop space, builds 3 projects

Renewable energy major Welspun has ventured into the solar rooftop segment by commissioning three projects. "From building large-scale ground mounted projects, the company has (forayed into rooftop solar segment) with the construction of three projects," Welspun Energy Private Ltd (WEPL) said in a statement. 
 
Through cumulative 795 kilowatt capacity, WEPL is reducing the carbon footprint by helping to generate an estimated 11 lakh units of clean energy annually, the statement said.  The solar projects have been financed through 100 per cent equity infusion, with inflow split... Read more..

Date : Dec 3
Source: Times of India

Modi government pushes for smart citizenry

At a recent conclave held by the Confederation of Real Estate Developers Association of India (CREDAI), a pan India representation of the real estate fraternity and the Urban Development Ministry focused on Modi’s vision of ‘Swacch Bharat’.
 
Venkaiah Naidu, Minister Urban Development and Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation put the agenda across in simple terms, “It is just like shaving. You have to do it dutifully everyday to keep yourself clean. Similarly, Swacch Bharat should be a duty you owe your country.”
 
This swacchta that we talk about in India would be... Read more..

Date : Dec 3
Source: Magic Bricks

Cities for the People

ALREADY 54 per cent of the world’s population lives in urban regions and projections suggest this will keep increasing until at least 2050. The shift from a rural- to an urban-dominant globe signals more strongly than ever the need to transform how cities develop.
 
Architects, engineers, urban planners, civil society and policy makers face the challenges of creating sustainable, healthy, “smart”, “green”, adaptive, inclusive, productive, safe, flexible and resilient cities. These are just a few of the characteristics that will help urban centres thrive in the face of rising... Read more..

Date : Dec 3
Source: The Statesman

A beautiful, equitable water management system

Khonoma village, which fought the British four times, is today also known for how it protects its ecological heritage. Watch how its indigenous water management system works. Khonoma village resisted British rule in the region from 1830s to 1880 and is therefore considered as the last bastion of Naga warriors against the British. But today, the village is also known for upholding its rich indigenous erudition.
 
In the last decade, the village has stood out for its environmentally conscious people and prominent efforts to maintain its green. As a result, not only does Khonoma... Read more..

Date : Dec 3
Source: India Water Portal

In its 25th year, Tata Power Solar looks for break-even

Tata Power Solar, India’s oldest solar company, has completed 25 years of existence, the company announced today. The company, formerly known as Tata BP Solar, is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Tata Power Ltd, a part of the Tata group.
 
In a statement, the company has said that in its quarter century of existence it has “touched the lives of over 30 million people and reduced carbon footprint by more than 6.2 million tonnes.”
 
Tata Power Solar manufactures solar cells and modules (modules are made with cells), as well as a huge range of solar-power based products... Read more..

Date : Dec 2
Source: Business Line- The Hindu

Switzerland's Meyer Burger bets on Indian solar energy sector

Buoyed by Narendra Modi-led government's thrust on renewable energy, Swiss technology major Meyer Burger expects to tap opportunities worth billions of dollars in the Indian solar market. Meyer Burger is a photovoltaic technology supplier and offers manufacturing processes for wafers, solar cells and solar modules, among others.
 
"We are very bullish and are really committed to the Indian market.. (We want to) enable the Indian market to produce own PV modules," Meyer Burger Technology AG CEO Peter Pauli said. In India, the group focuses on solar technology and product... Read more..

Date : Dec 2
Source: Economic Times

MSME ministry urged to promote use of renewable energy

Noting that the government's 'Make in India' initiative will lead to growth in energy consumption, a network of Parliamentarians today urged the MSME ministry to promote the use of renewable energy and sought the creation of 'Green Cell' for the purpose. 
 
In a letter to Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) Minister Kalraj Mishra, Climate Parliament, a network of legislators working to promote renewable energy, said the Cell should coordinate directly with the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) for any potential integration of plans and policies. 
 
... Read more..

Date : Dec 2
Source: Business Standard

India plans grouping of nations with high solar power potential

India is working on a plan to form an association of countries with high solar power potential, aimed at lowering the cost of solar energy and improving the country’s standing at the global climate change and environment protection discussions. The proposal aims to bring together 56 countries with more than 300 days of good solar radiation. The move follows India substantially revising an earlier target of achieving 20,000 megawatts (MW) solar power capacity by 2022 to 100,000MW, requiring an investment of around Rs.6.5 trillion over five years.
 
In May, the World Trade... Read more..

Date : Dec 2
Source: Live Mint

Time for Solar Resource-Rich India to Capitalize on Financing Solutions

These are exciting times for India’s solar market. The solar resource-rich country just crossed the 3 gigawatt mark for total installed solar capacity. The Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency (IREDA) and the United States Export-Import Bank (US EX-IM) just signed an MOU for cooperation on clean energy investments, solidifying the US EX-IM’s $1 Billion line of credit to IREDA. In parallel with these announced developments, India’s Ministry of New & Renewable Energy (MNRE) together with the US Department of Energy (DOE), and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL),... Read more..

Date : Dec 2
Source: Switchboard

OPEC Leaves Production Target Unchanged

OPEC members rejected calls for drastic action to cut their oil output, keeping their production ceiling unchanged and suggesting the cartel is bracing for lower prices longer term. The decision on Thursday sent crude prices into a tailspin and spilled into currency and European stock markets. If Thursday’s market rout proves lasting, it will provide more relief to consumers in gasoline-guzzling countries like the U.S. But it is hammering the finances of big oil producers, from Russia to Venezuela, and biting into profit at oil companies big and small.
 
The 12-member... Read more..

Date : Dec 2
Source: Wall Street Journal

Karnataka's Smart, New Solar Pump Policy for Irrigation

The runaway growth in states of subsidised solar pumps, which provide quality energy at near-zero marginal cost, can pose a bigger threat of groundwater over-exploitation than free power has done so far. The best way to meet this threat is by paying farmers to "grow" solar power as a remunerative cash crop. Doing so can reduce pressure on aquifers, cut the subsidy burden on electricity companies, reduce the carbon footprint of agriculture and improve farm incomes. Karnataka's new Surya Raitha policy has ken a small step in this direction.
 
 
Tushaar Shah (... Read more..

Date : Dec 2
Source: EPW

Mumbai, Kolkata most vulnerable to climate change: Govt

India’s populous coastal cities Mumbai and Kolkata are most vulnerable to loss of life and properties due to coastal flooding in the second half of the century, the government has said quoting a UN report ahead of a key global climate conference in Peruvian capital Lima.
 
The UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has warned against extreme weather events like occurrence of heatwave, heavy precipitation, droughts, floods, cyclones and wildfire that cause damage to ecosystems and human systems in various regions, Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar said.... Read more..

Date : Dec 2
Source: Financial Express

Climate Parliament asks govt to create green energy fund

Climate Parliament, a global network of legislators working to promote renewable energy, has urged the Urban development ministry to create a green energy fund to focus on utilisation of renewable energy in urban areas. MP Vandana Chavan in a recent letter to Urban development minister Venkaiah Naidu said that the cell should coordinate directly with the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) for any potential integration of plans and policies. 
 
"Chavan in a recent letter to Venkaiah Naidu has asked for a Green or Renewable Energy Cell in the Ministry to focus on the... Read more..

Date : Dec 2
Source: Economic Times

Amazon rainforest is getting drier, confirms another study

To fresh warnings and appeals to seize the political momentum, UN talks opened in Lima Monday tasked with drawing the outlines of a 2015 deal to roll back climate change. Gathering 195 states, the 12-day meeting also has to agree on the pact`s heart -- a format for nations to make pledges to reduce Earth-warming carbon pollution.
 
These national commitments would form the cornerstone of an unprecedented accord to be sealed in Paris in December 2015 and take effect by 2020. "2014 is threatening to be the hottest year in history and emissions continue to rise. We need to act... Read more..

Date : Dec 2
Source: Zee News

Profit, product launch next year: Suzlon’s Tanti

Suzlon Group Chairman and Managing Director Tulsi Tanti is “100 per cent sure” that Suzlon Energy will make a net profit in 2015-16.
 
“We have a clear plan of reducing our debt and interest costs,” Tanti said in a chat with BusinessLine recently, without getting into details. For the six months ended September 30, Suzlon reported consolidated net loss of ₹1,385 crore on revenues of ₹10,051 crore, after incurring interest costs of ₹1,065 crore.
 
Tanti did not want to give any details of the possible fund raising and listing of Suzlon’s European arm, Senvion. The €1... Read more..

Date : Dec 1
Source: Business Line- The Hindu

Cities could lead emissions reductions

Cities could make a significant contribution to cutting greenhouse gas emissions at zero net cost, according to a report published today by the ESRC Centre for Climate Change Economics and Policy at the University of Leeds and London School of Economics and Political Science.
 
The study of the cities of Leeds (UK), Kolkata (India), Lima (Peru), Johor Bahru (Malaysia) and Palembang (Indonesia) found that a number of cost-effective, low-carbon developments could cut global energy-related emissions by more than a third.
 
The authors of the report find that these... Read more..

Date : Dec 1
Source: The Australian

India's Climate Change Opportunity

India lags far behind rival China in wealth and development -- and also in the amount of carbon dioxide it spews into the atmosphere. Indian leaders say this explains why they shouldn't be expected to limit their greenhouse-gas output as China has just done. At global climate talks in Lima this week, they'll probably also point out that 1 in 4 Indians still lacks electricity, so the country can't afford any limits on economic growth.
 
In fact, India's relatively low level of development is exactly why it stands to benefit from setting aggressive emissions targets. It means,... Read more..

Date : Dec 1
Source: Bloomberg

World’s Most Polluted City Urged To Close Schools On Bad Air Days

While the smog-shrouded skyline of Beijing has received considerable attention in recent years, the rapidly worsening air quality in the Indian capital of Delhi has officials calling for drastic measures to address the growing public health emergency. In a new report submitted to the Supreme Court on Friday, the country’s Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority urged the court to order all schools in Delhi closed on days when air pollution levels pose a threat to public health. The report also called for new restrictions on vehicles, such as increasing the tax on diesel... Read more..

Date : Dec 1
Source: Think Progress

India hints at new focus on consumption based emissions

India’s environment minister has hinted he would like a major shift in the way countries account for their emissions at the UN climate talks. Prakash Javadekar wants nations to take responsibility not only for the pollution that they produce on home soil, but also that which they create in other nations.
 
“It will not be rhetoric as usual at Lima. We are going to talk about not only per-capita emission, but also per-capita consumption,” said Javadekar in quotes reported by India Climate Dialogue. His comments came days after the US and China agreed an historic deal to limit... Read more..

Date : Dec 1
Source: RTCC
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