Sustainability Outlook Headlines

TERI and ADARSH launch GRIHA rating for Schools

ADaRSH in association with The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) and Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) today launched its fifth edition of its flagship event the “GRIHA Summit” 2014. 

On the occasion, TERI and ADaRSH launched the GRIHA PRAKRITI (ratings for schools).  It aims to help in creating a more sustainable education system by imparting environmentally ethical values among the students and the faculty. The intent is to extend learning beyond classrooms and develop responsible attitudes that result in reduction of wasteful consumption, sharing and caring for the... Read more..

Businesses wise up to supply-chain water risks

The Elk River in West Virginia made headlines around the world when a small and preventable chemical spill there left more than a quarter-million people without clean water for more than a week. Most water risk, however, is much less dramatic. Colombian beer-maker Bavaria Brewery, for example, realized the extent of the risk it faced when its water bills began increasing a few years back.

The cause, it turned out, was a gradual shift to cattle-ranching and farming [PDF] on the high-altitude grasslands above Bogotá, known in Spanish... Read more..

Clean Energy Investment Sags Amid Mounting Climate Risks

Despite Wall Street’s nascent rediscovery of green stocks, global investment in alternative energy declined by 12 percent last year.

According to a Bloomberg New Energy Finance report, investment was scaled back in both the U.S. and China – for China it was the first year without growth in the sector in a decade – and plunged by nearly half amidst austerity in Europe.

“Why is Goldman Sachs investing? Why is Warren Buffet investing? The answer is these aren’t dumb players." -- Michael Liebrich

The solar sector led the decline, as plummeting prices for photovoltaic... Read more..

BEE plans to revise energy rating norms only at longer intervals for electronics

Little did Chennai-based engineer Priyanka Sachdev realise that after spending a shade below 25,000 for a five-star rated refrigerator - the most energy efficient - last Diwali, it would turn out to be a not-so-energy efficient model this year. She was not told by the salesman that energy efficiency rating norms would be revised from 2014, turning a five-star refrigerator into a three-star one from January. 

Sachdev is among millions of consumers who suffer a notional loss after paying a premium to buy an energy-efficient appliance... Read more..

Massive investments, emission cuts needed: UN climate science panel

The U.N. climate science panel’s yet to be released report will come up with a dire warning that the world would have to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 40-70% below 2010 levels by 2050 in order to have a fair chance to keep the rise in the global temperature below 2 degree Celsius.

This warning is one of the key summations in the Fifth Assessment report of Working Group III of the Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). The Hindu accessed the final draft of the report’s summary for policymakers, which works like a... Read more..

Sun to occupy centre stage in India's energy mix

Electricity-hungry India is flipping the switch on huge new solar energy projects to fuel its growing economy, using cheap — mainly Chinese — foreign technology to reduce once sky-high generation costs to competitive levels.

Since 2010, India has hiked installed solar power capacity from a meagre 17.8 megawatts to more than 2,000MW, official figures show, as part of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's aim to make "the sun occupy centre-stage" in the country's energy mix.

Key to the progress has been a... Read more..

Chinese solar companies lead clean-tech investment success

Chinese solar companies were among the leading performers within the clean-tech sector in securing venture investment during 2013, a report reveals.

The i3 deal tracker published by market intelligence group Cleantech Investment named JA Solar and solar developer Hefei Golden Sun Energy Technology among 2013’s top players in closing investment deals.

Overall Chinese clean-tech companies secured some RMB5.6 billion (US$920 million) of venture investment during 2013 across 48 separate deals in 2013... Read more..

Govt looking at ways to reduce smart grid tech costs

Various options are being studied to reduce the cost of smart grid technologies, which will help in bringing down overall transmission and distribution losses in the power sector, a Planning Commission member said today. 

Smart grid technologies would help in ensuring efficient power system and pilot projects in this regard have already been identified by the government. 

Planning Commission Member B K Chaturvedi said that an exercise is underway to reduce the cost of smart grid technologies. ... Read more..

India Is Building The World's Largest Solar Plant For $4.4 Billion

Electricity-hungry India is flipping the switch on huge new solar energy projects to fuel its growing economy, using cheap -- mainly Chinese -- foreign technology to reduce once sky-high generation costs to competitive levels.

Since 2010, India has hiked installed solar power capacity from a meagre 17.8 megawatts to more than 2,000MW, official figures show, as part of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's aim to make "the sun occupy centre-stage" in the country's energy mix.

Key to the progress has been a rapid fall in the cost per unit of solar electricity to close to what is... Read more..

YES Bank, TERI inks MoU on sustainable growth in India

 India's fourth giant private sector Bank, YES BANK and TERI BCSD, an independent CEO-led industry body mainstreaming sustainability in business, inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for pacing up force for sustainable development, environmental management, social responsibility and sustained economic performance, among Indian corporate, MoU also incorporates program towards Natural Capital which India would be talking at the 40th G8 summit in June 2014.

For YES BANK, this MoU is an enabler with the BFSI sector on responsible finance, financial inclusion especially focusing on... Read more..

Kozhikode corporation moots advanced waste plant

 Kozhikode corporation authorities are planning to set up an advanced waste treatment plant at the Njeliyanparamba trenching ground using sophisticated technology. 

The civic body has already submitted detailed project report on two proposals to the state government to present it at the investors meet to be held in Kochi in February. The proposals include advanced slaughter house at Kothi and waste treatment plant at the trenching ground. 

Kozhikode corporation mayor A K Premajam said that the civic body is planning to set up the advanced treatment plant using most... Read more..

Chemical pollution linked to infection, bladder cancer

 The unchecked discharge of chemical waste into Yamuna from industries in Haryana is threatening to wash away the gains made by Delhi over a decade after industrial units in the city were closed or relocated. Experts say the pollutants are causing water toxicity and illnesses associated with it.

Gastrointestinal infections, typhoid, anemia, kidney and liver damage are some of the common health problems associated with chemical pollutants. Doctors say high levels of amine, a derivative of ammonia, is known to cause urinary bladder cancer.

"There is no anecdotal evidence or... Read more..