You are here

Sustainability Outlook Headlines

Indiska, KappAhl, Lindex, SIWI and Sida expand cooperation on sustainable water management in production processes in India

Swedish fashion retail companies Indiska, KappAhl and Lindex announced today that they are expanding their cooperation with the Stockholm International Water institute (SIWI) during 2014 to improve sustainable water management practices at their supplying production houses in India. 

The project partners will be looking at intensifying work with current Indian partners during 2014, and welcoming new suppliers to this partnership, to expand... Read more..

Source: Sustainability Outlook

India to unveil steps to cut fuel consumption on Sept 16

 The oil minister will come up with some plans for lowering fuel consumption on September 16, Foreign Minister Salman Khurshid said on Friday, in a bid cut the country's import bill amid a sharp fall in the rupee.

Asia's third-largest economy could announce a steep hike in diesel prices later this month as it looks at measures to cut oil costs by nearly $20 billion after the rupee's slide has left India facing an oil bill potentially 50 percent higher than on May 1.

"No matter what happens, we will have to cut down on fuel consumption," Khurshid told business channel CNBC... Read more..

Source: Reuters

India seeks to extend ‘Look East’ policy to the Pacific region

 Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) – the regional organisation of the island states in the South Pacific — is seeking to revive the stalled international efforts to tackle global warming. PIF members are a group of picturesque, small island states in the South Pacific Ocean; they include three of the four countries most vulnerable to the effects of climate change and natural disasters. While the rest of the world quibbles over whether climate change is a reality or not, for many of these islanders, the effects of climate change are already quite visible. Rising tides are eating away the land,... Read more..

Source: Financial Chronicle

Russia powering India’s ambitious nuclear energy plans

 Russia is powering India’s use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes by being the foreign pioneer in the industry. Talks on Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant’s (KNPP) third and fourth unit are believed to be in an advanced stage. In total, India plans to build 19 nuclear power reactors with an aggregate capacity of 17,400 megawatts (MW) by 2017.  Eight of these units will be built with the participation of foreign countries including Russia, a source close to the Nuclear Power Corporation of India told Itar-Tass on Tuesday.

Along with the third and fourth units (with a capacity of... Read more..

Source: Russia & India Report

Soon, going green may get you cheaper loans

 If your business goes green, you may soon get bank loans at concessional rates. Banks, on their part, should set up green funds and have a chief green officer, according to guidelines on green banking framed by RBI’s arm, the Institute for Development and Research in Banking Technology (IDRBT). The IDRBT has asked banks to extend concessional loans to companies/individuals who undertake environment-friendly projects. Enquiries with some banks revealed they are in the process of examining the guidelines and might come up with specific policies soon.

According to K Ramakrishnan,... Read more..

Source: Business Line

WHO for cleaner cooking fuels

The World Health Organisation (WHO) Thursday called for replacing solid fuels like coal and wood with cleaner ones like cooking gas and electricity in households in order to check respiratory diseases.

Household air pollution is a major contributor to death due to lower respiratory tract infections in children and chronic respiratory disorders in adults, the WHO said.

In India, more than half of chronic respiratory disease cases (34 percent in men and 95 percent in women) occur among non-smokers, Dheeraj Gupta of Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research,... Read more..

Source: Business Standard

Government extends generation based incentive scheme for wind power

 The government has just allowed ministry of new and renewable energy's move to extended the scheme for continuation of generation based incentive for grid interactive wind power project for the 12th Plan period. 

The objective is to broaden the investor base, to incentivize actual generation with the help of generation based incentive, and to facilitate entry of large independent power producers and foreign direct investors to the wind power sector. 

Under the scheme a generation based incentive will be provided to wind electricity producers at the rate of 50 paise per unit... Read more..

Source: Economic Times

Tata gets ready to launch waste-to-power

 Giant Indian company Tata is developing an engine that will convert waste to electricity in predominantly rural areas, providing a cheaper substitute to diesel and kerosene used in homes and farms.

The firm is working on the so-called gasifier engine to convert farm and food waste into gas-based power and supply it to off-grid applications with the help of local grid networks, said executives from Tata Power Co. Ltd and Tata Motors Ltd — both Tata group companies.

“We are in early stages of this study, as joint teams have identified various work streams and milestones for... Read more..

Source: Off Grid

Ujaas Energy bags solar panel installation order worth Rs 13.35 crore

 Ujaas Energy has bagged a Rs 13.35 crore order from the ministry of new and renewable energy for setting up a 1.75 mw roof top solar panel installation at four cities. 

Solar Energy Corporation of India ( SECI), a division of MNRE invited bids for setting up roof top installation in Hyderabad (250 KW), Bhubaneswar (500 KW), Jaipur (500 KW) and Noida/Greater Noida (500 KW). 

The company intends to set up these power generation equipment on educational institutions, IT Parks and big industrial roofs the company and it will be executed within 6 months. 

The performance... Read more..

Source: Economic Times

Leitwind Shriram bags Rs 346 crore order from Neyveli Lignite Corporation

 Leitwind Shriram Manufacturing, an India-European joint venture between Shriram Group and Windfin BV (formerly Leitwind BV) which makes wind electric generators; has received a Rs 346 crore for the supply and installation of machines from Neyveli Lignite Corporation for a a 51 MW wind farm at Kaluneerkulam near Tirunelveli in Tamil Nadu. 

This order follows Leitwind's recent completion of the supply, erection and commissioning of a wind farm of a capacity of 43.2 MW in Tadipatri in Andhra Pradesh for Orient Green Power Company Limited. 

Leitwind will be in charge of... Read more..

Source: Times of India

EDF Trading Backs Away from Adani's Carbon Offsetting Coal

NGOs welcome that EDF Trading, one of the top buyers of carbon credits from carbon offsetting projects, distanced itself from the controversial Adani Mundra CDM coal power project. Following a report commissioned by the Indian Ministry of Environment and Forests that found violations and non-compliance with environmental conditions by Adani Group's Mundra Port, NGOs are now calling on the Indian government to withdraw the CDM approval for the project.

With coal-fired power continuing to lose broad support within the U.N.’s Clean... Read more..

Source: Scoop

Report reveals missed opportunities to save water and energy

Comprehensive survey shows connections between water and energy in academic, government and nonprofit publications between 1990 and 2013. Water and wastewater managers are missing substantial opportunities to save energy and money, according to a report published Wednesday (Sept. 4) by Water in the West, a research center at Stanford University. The report, "Water and Energy Nexus: A Literature Review," also identifies the amount of water used to extract resources such as natural gas, oil and coal, and to generate electricity.

... Read more..
Source: EurekAlert

India uses Arctic-Antarctic expedition to reach out to Latin America

A 35,000 km overland expedition from Arctic to Antarctic is the latest enterprise by India to build ties with the resource-rich Latin America. Led by explorer Akhil Bakshi, the 4-month expedition will start this week at Dead Horse Creek on Arctic Ocean in Alaska and pass through the US west coast before entering Latin and South America and ending at Cape Horn, the southernmost tip of the continent.

Foreign minister Salman Khurshid said the initiative is supported by MEA and that Indian missions across the continent have been asked... Read more..

Source: Times of India

Netravali blooming into a model village -

The 'Atal Gram Netravali Yojana' scheme, under which Netravali in Sanguem taluka is being developed into a model village, is beginning to show 'promising results' in the field of animal husbandry and agriculture.

Addressing media persons on Tuesday, Vijay Saxena, joint director, department of planning, statistics and evaluation said,"Milk production in the village has already increased from 1,600 to 3,700 litres per day. Our target is to achieve milk production of 4,500 litres per day." Sanguem MLA, Subhash Phaldessai was also present at the press briefing.

Stating that they... Read more..

Source: Times of India

Cell towers under pollution watch

India being one of the fastest growing telecom markets in the world has witnessed unprecedented increase in tele-density on a large scale increase in the number of telecom towers in the country. 
 
“There are more than 6,50,000 telecom towers in the country, out of which 3,00,000 telecom towers have gensets also as a backup power supply source as per information received from the Central Pollution Control Board”, said Member Secretary, Nagaland Pollution Control Board, Rusovil John in a press release.
 
In this regard, he said, the central... Read more..
Source: Nagaland Post

India's Budget Deficit Threatens National Solar Mission

India's financial woes are likely to derail the country's ambitious National Solar Mission, widely seen as a model solar development policy program.

The current Indian government's current account deficit (CAD) of $98 billion is steadily rising, as the much-touted gross domestic product (GDP) growth rate has come crashing down from highs in the double-digits to under 4%. Consequently, the CAD-to-GDP ratio of 4.9% is also experiencing new highs as the central government falters in bringing back confidence in the marketplace.... Read more..

Source: Solar Industry

Pick your favourite emission

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC) new Summary for Policymakers on the science of climate change is set to feed in to a key concern at the climate negotiations which will take place this November: should the global community prioritise the fight against the short-lived climate change gases or straight-up tackle the biggest contributor to climate change — carbon dioxide emissions? The decision on this could end up determining which set of countries should take early action to reduce emissions and which can breathe easy for a while.

The final draft report, accessed... Read more..

Source: The Hindu

Welspun Energy commissions 20 mw wind project in Rajasthan

 Welspun Energy Ltd commissioned a 20 mw wind power project in Jaisalmer district, Rajasthan. Developed within three months, the project uses ten wind turbines for generating an average annual net production of 43.1 gw-hour. 

Welspun Energy Solar Rajasthan Pvt. Ltd., a fully owned subsidiary of the company had signed a power purchase agreement (PPA) with the Rajasthan Renewable Energy Corporation Ltd. 

The project has been funded in a 75:25 debt-equity ratio and will mitigate 39946 tones of CO 2emissions annually. The company tied-up with leading Wind turbine player &... Read more..

Source: Economic Times

Plantation sector unable to harvest the right talent

 Despite doing reasonably well, the plantation industry is unable to attract or recruit the right talent, a senior industry official said.

Talking to Business Line on the sidelines of the 120th annual conference of the United Planters’ Association of Southern India, the official said manpower shortage is quite acute in this industry.

Emphasising the need to get something done soon, he said despite the functioning of the Indian Institute of Plantation Management, the industry has been unable to get the right candidates for managing the estates. Youngsters prefer to join the... Read more..

Source: Business Line

Greenpeace announces revolutionary electricity model in Bihar

Greenpeace announced a one of its kind rural electrification model based on a smart micro grid in Dharnai village in Jehanabad district of Bihar. This ambitious solar powered micro-grid is being installed to showcase that the real solution for rural electrification lies in decentralised renewable energy.

Co-implemented with BASIX and Centre for Environment and Energy Development, the micro grid will involve about 100 kilowatts of solar panels that will supply affordable, sustainable and round the clock electricity to 350 households... Read more..

Source: CIOL

Hero Group Plans 1 Gigawatt of Indian Renewable-Energy Capacity

Hero Group, the parent of India’s biggest motorcycle maker, plans to build 1,000 megawatts of renewable energy capacity by 2017.

Its new unit, Hero Future Energies, completed its first 37.5-megawatt wind farm in Rajasthan state and has won a license to build a 10-megawatt solar photovoltaic plant in Karnataka, Hero Future Managing Director Rahul Munjal said in an e-mailed statement today.

The company expects to develop 100 megawatts of wind and solar projects this year, according to the statement.

Source: Bloomberg

Renewable energy could stimulate India's smart grid

 Smart grid technology has been given high national priority by the Indian government with 14 pilot projects having been initiated and the market receiving substantial investments from local and international players. The boom in the sector has also attracted several IT players who have formed partnerships to develop smart grid solutions in India.

The smart grid industry is seeing a global push driven by the U.S.-based sector's target of 80 percent renewable energy generation and 100 percent consumer participation in smart grid technology by 2035, according to the research. China... Read more..

Source: Fierce Smart Grid

Greenpeace announces global innovation challenge for sustainable irrigation solution for rural India

 Calling on people across the world to develop a sustainable solution for irrigation in rural India, Greenpeace announced its innovation challenge "A Watershed Moment in India".

The challenge goes live from September 3rd, 2013. It is an open platform to design an innovative renewable energy pump kit which will meet the needs of millions of small farmers, cutting down irrigation costs and also encouraging the uptake of micro-irrigation methods.

In the absence of grid connected electricity millions of small farmers depend on diesel powered irrigation pumps to water their crops... Read more..

Source: CIOL

Russia and India fail to establish cooperation on building hydro power plants

 Russia and India have failed to establish cooperation on building hydro power plants. Russian company RusHydro, a global leader in hydro power plant construction and operation, said at the end of August that it was withdrawing from the joint venture with Sun Group.

RusHydro’s Board of Directors decided in late August 2013 to divest itself of RusSUNHydro Limited, a Cyprus company established in 2007 jointly with India’s Sun Group to build and operate future hydro power plants in India, Nepal, and Bhutan. The reason: “Economic unfeasibility” of the JV’s projects. RusHydro told RIR... Read more..

Source: Russia & India Report

Agriculture business conclave held at IIM-Lucknow

Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Lucknow organised the second edition of Sankalp, the annual agribusiness conclave. The message 're-imagine agribusiness and rediscover India' was sent out in the conclave.

Experts who participated in the event said with area under cultivation being increased by 9.1%, stagnating urban demand and good monsoons indicating a rise in rural India income, it's the time major FMCG and telecom companies geared up their rural marketing strategies through innovation in production, processes and promotion... Read more..

Source: Times of India
CSV