Sustainability Outlook Headlines

70,000 mobile users urge Sunil Mittal to clean up telecom sector

Within a month of the release of Greenpeace report "Enabling Clean Talking", more than 70,000 concerned mobile consumers across India have joined its public campaign to phase out diesel from telecom sector by sending SMS and faxes asking Sunil Mittal, chairman of Bharti Airtel, to go clean by making public commitment for implementation of Green Telecom directive issued by Government of India.

"Enabling Clean Talking" outlines the roadmap for complete diesel elimination from the... Read more..

Intersolar AWARDS 2012 at the Intersolar India, Mumbai – a curtain raiser

Intersolar, the world’s leading exhibition for the solar industry, will host this year’s edition of Intersolar India at the Bombay Exhibition Centre in Mumbai during November 5-8, 2012. With an expected participation from over 300 exhibitors and over 10,000 visitors, this promises to be the largest solar industry event in India.

A new prize category, "Solar Projects in India" has been added to the Intersolar AWARD for 2012, to recognize and pay tribute to outstanding solar projects in India. SunCarrier Omega is a proud nominee for the Intersolar Award 2012, and its project "... Read more..

'India can meet its energy needs without N-plants'

India's energy needs can be met entirely by solar and other renewable sources, says a new study by two professors at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) in Bangalore. Their report published in the journal Current Science may add ammunition to the anti-nuclear agitation in India.

The analysis by Hiremath Mitavachan and Jayaraman  Srinivasan of  IISc's Divecha Centre for Climate Change overturns the argument that nuclear power is essential for India because the country does not have enough land to exploit the potential of solar energy in India.

According to their... Read more..

Promote sustainable growth through green technologies: Pranab

President Pranab Mukherjee Thursday called on the Indian chemical industry to promote sustainable development by investing in green technologies.

Speaking in Mumbai, after inaugurating the India Chem 2012, the president said the industry must ensure increased adherence to safety and international health and environmental standards.

"The Indian chemical industry would need to set targets and standards and take up research and collaborations without delay," he said.

The president pointed out that with Asia's share in the global chemical industry increasing from 31... Read more..

India’s Aditya Birla Plans Solar Investments, Times Says

The Aditya Birla Group plans to invest $1 billion in the next five years to develop solar power projects in India, the Economic Times newspaper reported citing Dev Bhattacharya, head of strategy.

The group, which runs businesses from cement to telecommunications, has so far invested 2 billion rupees ($39 million) to develop 20 megawatts of solar capacity and targets having 100 megawatts in 18 months, according to the report.

Aditya Birla Group acquired a minority stake in a photovoltaic plant in Gujarat state controlled by Electrotherm India Ltd. (ELT), according to the... Read more..

India Inc’s largest companies demonstrate Sustainability Disclosure and Reporting leadership

As Indian businesses gear up to meet global requirements of Environmental and Social Reporting, many of the leaders in sustainability reporting will be gathering on October 11, 2012 at the Annual Summit of the Sustainable Business Leadership Forum to deliberate on further enhancements and uptake of ever expanding sustainability disclosure mandates.

The summit will feature a dedicated track on Sustainability Reporting and disclosure. Many of India Inc’s leaders, proactively setting the benchmark on sustainability related disclosure, will participate in the deliberations.  The thought... Read more..

India can meet its energy needs without nuclear plants: Study

India's energy needs can be met entirely by solar and other renewable sources, says a new study by two professors at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) in Bangalore. Their report published in the journal Current Science may add ammunition to the anti-nuclear agitation in
India.

The analysis by Hiremath Mitavachan and Jayaraman  Srinivasan of  IISc's Divecha Centre for Climate Change overturns the argument that nuclear power is essential for India because the country does not have enough land to exploit the potential of solar energy in India.

According to their study... Read more..

Green Tribunal tells authorities to submit action plan by Oct 30 to check pollution in Noida

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Wednesday asked all the concerned authorities to together chalk out an action plan to check the rising pollution levels in Noida.   While hearing a case on Noida’s polluting units, the NGT said the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the Noida authority, regional pollution control board, traffic police and industrial units together would prepare an action plan and submit the same to it in its next hearing on October 30.

The tribunal in April this year had asked the Union environment ministry not to give clearance to any new industrial unit in... Read more..

Indian Green IT And Sustainability Budget Will Be $70 Billion By 2015: Gartner

By 2015, India’s spending on green IT and sustainability initiatives will double from $35 billion in 2010 to $70 billion in 2015, according to Gartner, Inc. In 2012, green IT and sustainability spending in India will total $45 billion, a press statement said.

In the Gartner report “Hype Cycle for Green IT and Sustainability in India, 2012,” analysts said green IT and sustainability are emerging as key concerns for businesses, investors and technologists across industries and policymakers in India. Though many technologies are available, government policies will eventually drive... Read more..

Dell Smart Grid Data Management Solution Enables Utility Companies to Improve Efficiency

Dell yesterday announced the availability of a new bundled solution designed to help electric utility companies smartly manage their distribution networks, minimize and potentially avoid outages and improve service to their customers through an innovative application of smart grid technologies.

The Dell Smart Grid Data Management Solution, tested in collaboration with OSIsoft, combines high-performance computing, networking and storage to manage data and provide actionable results in real-time. Based on customer requirements and the age of the data, Dell’s solution provides three... Read more..

Tata Power to install biogas units in Mundra

Tata Power plans to install biogas units to provide cooking support to 40 villages surrounding its Mundra Ulta Mega Power Project (UMPP), under the initiative 'Project Annapurna' that will be implemented by Tata Power's wholly owned subsidiary Coastal Gujarat Power Limited (CGPL). CGPL, which is developing 4000 megawatt (Mw) Mundra UMPP aims to create awareness about clean energy among the locals.

It is interesting to note here that the International Finance Corporation (IFC) has decided to audit IFC's investments made in the project in the wake of claims that the Tata Mundra UMPP... Read more..

First Solar Makes Inroads Into Rural India

First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR) is collaborating with Sir Ratan Tata Trust, one of India’s oldest philanthropic organizations, for a pilot project that will provide drinking water and irrigation to rural communities in Uttarakhand, a state in northern India.

The goal of this pilot project is to develop solar power solutions for rural communities that are simple to install, operate and maintain. To begin with, First Solar will donate 100 solar modules which will be used to power water pumps that move water from spring sources into village storage tanks to provide drinking water supplies.... Read more..