Sustainability Outlook Headlines

EU's green fuel ranking would cost little-report

India Environment Minister Links EU Aviation Emissions Rule to UN Climate Talks

The EU’s controversial decision to include aviation under the bloc’s emissions trading system (ETS) has been dubbed a “deal breaker” for global climate talks by India’s environment minister, Jayanthi Natarajan. While the minister is India’s lead negotiator at the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) talks, it is not clear if her comments reflect official government policy.

Several countries - including EU member state France - have expressed concern over the new aviation rule in the EU’s ETS, with India and China leading international resistance by forbidding... Read more..

Leaders agree on water meters

Metered water supply for household consumers appears to have got the nod from leaders of the city's political parties.

At an all-party meeting in Mumbai on Monday to discuss the city's infrastructure projects, deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar said that installing such meters was the only way to curb excessive use of water and wastage. He added that, based on the condition that the cost of service and its recovery should also be equal under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission, the Union government had set the 24-hour water supply norm and installation of meters... Read more..

Investment in green technologies will benefit India,US: Sushilkumar Shinde

 US companies investing in India's green energy market will have good prospects and it will be a "win-win" situation for both the countries, Power Minister Sushilkumar Shinde said. 

In his address to a meeting of US private sector organised by US India Business Council yesterday, Shinde said, "There are excellent opportunities in India to examine the feasibility of clean energy technologies, which will be a win-win situation for India and the United States." 

The Minister said that energy security is of vital economic and strategic significance for the country. 

Solar equipment for 9 government offices in district

The district administration is promoting use of solar equipment in a big way in government establishments. In last financial year, 4.90 crore was sanctioned to nine different departments for installing solar powered equipment. However, since the money was released to almost all of them at the end of the financial year, the equipment is yet to be installed.

District collector Saurabh Rao told TOI that the provision for the solar equipment was made as per a government GR dated August 9, 2010, that mandated 4.5% of the total outlay of every district planning committee (DPC) be... Read more..

Solar firms to bank on rising module demand-McKinsey

olar power companies, struggling to digest plunging module prices and shrinking state subsidies, should bank on rising demand from households and businesses in sunny regions looking for cheaper energy bills, consultancy McKinsey said on Wednesday.

Domestic and commercial properties will drive global solar growth this decade as households and businesses can benefit from on-site generation at times when electricity demand soars, such as when users switch on air conditioning.

"Prices paid for solar are likely to continue to fall, but sales should rise as solar power... Read more..

India, US JV to develop new clean energy technologies

India and United States of America (USA) will use their expertise and resources together to unlock the huge potential of clean energy technologies that can reduce energy use and dependence on fossil fuel, and accelerate the deployment of renewable energy sources.

A Indo-US Joint Clean Energy Research and Development Center (JCERDC) has being established under an agreement signed between the Governments of India and the USA which commits an amount of Rs 125 crore (US$ 25 million) in funding over five years to institutions in India by the Government of India with equal amount... Read more..

Asia's Largest Concentrated Solar Energy Plant Announced

In more positive news for India’s sun-drenched state of Rajasthan, AREVA Solar recently announced construction of Asia’s largest concentrated solar power (CSP) installation.

Building has already commenced on the first phase of the 250 megawatt (MW) Rajasthan project, which will use Compact Linear Fresnel Reflector (CLFR) technology. CLFR systems use modular, flat mirrors to magnify the sun's heat onto long, elevated boiler tubes filled with water. This water becomes super-heated steam that drives a turbine to produce electricity.

The plant will be built in stages, with... Read more..

Tackling climate change: Adapt to changes at local levels but mitigate release of greenhouse gases

Much has been written and discussed recently on the subject of climate change in response to growing scientific evidence that has been assessed and disseminated in recent years by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). The Fourth Assessment Report of the IPCC, which was completed in 2007, stated categorically that "warming of the climate system is unequivocal" and that most of the warming that had taken place since the middle of the last century was very likely the result of increase in the concentration of anthropogenic greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. The term '... Read more..

US, India setting up USD 125 mn clean energy centre

In a significant development in the quest for clean energy, three top research institutions each in India and the United States have joined hands to form three consortia that will make up the USD 125 million US-India Joint Clean Energy Research and Development Centre (JCERDC).

These consortia, led in the US by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), the University of Florida, and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) will bring together experts from national laboratories, universities, and industry in the US and India, the US Department of Energy announced Friday.... Read more..

CII meet on sustainable agriculture focusses on farmer-led inclusive growth

The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) organised a summit on Agri-Vision 2020, Sustainable Agriculture: Farmer-led inclusive growth on April 13, 2012. The meet focussed on farmer-focussed challenges and solutions for sustainable agriculture, leading to raising production and productivity per unit of inputs, upscaling of agricultural extension, effective labland linkages arresting degradation of natural resources and how farming could be made more remunerative and productive-in short, sustainable.

One of the speakers at the opening sessions of the conference was Dr Sudhir Kumar... Read more..

Climate change 'throwing nature's timing out of sync'

Some of the relationships among blooming of flowers, emerging of insects, migration of birds, and planting and hunting seasons are falling out of sync as climate change alters important cues, such as the arrival of spring warmth, a new study has revealed.

All these relationships are carefully coordinated times in order to take advantage of what other organisms, or the weather, is up to.

"There are going to be winners and losers," David Inouye, a biology professor at the University of Maryland, who has followed seasonal events at the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory in... Read more..