Sustainability Outlook Headlines

CII and Carbon Disclosure Projects Launch new "Disclosure to Action" initiative

Confederation of Indian Industry [CII] and the Carbon Disclosure Project [CDP] have commenced a new initiative titled CII-CDP Disclosure to Action. The CDP-related activity in India, now in its sixth year, has clearly revealed that climate change represents significant risks and opportunities to Indian businesses. As the world and India move towards even more ambitious but stringent GHG mitigation regimes, it is clear that the early movers will enjoy significant competitive advantage.

In order to assist Indian businesses to better respond to such challenges CII and CDP have... Read more..

India opposes UN panel’s ‘back door’ for green caps - Times of India

A high-profile panel of the United Nation Secretary General (UNSG) on Global Sustainability has recommended that the world adopt sustainable development targets. The move has been opposed by India and several other developing countries as creating a backdoor for caps on emissions and green targets, while breaching the firewall between developing and rich countries that is enshrined in the Rio declaration and the UN convention on climate change. 

The report, released on Monday, is seen as a key input to the world leaders' summit Rio+20 to be held in Brazil later this year,... Read more..

India’s Gujarat State Refuses to Extend Solar Project Deadline

India’s largest solar program cut the preferential rate it pays utilities for sun power as much as 33 percent as global prices of panels declined by more than half.

Photovoltaic plants commissioned after the Jan. 28 deadline will be paid a rate of 9.98 rupees (20 cents) per kilowatt-hour for the first 12 years, compared with 15 rupees for those finished on time, the Gujarat Electricity Regulatory Commission said in a tariff order on its website. The rate will be reduced to 7 rupees per kilowatt-hour for the next 13 years.

India joins governments in Europe that are... Read more..

Universal Solar Completes 2MW Project in India’s Gujarat State

Universal Solar System, a developer of clean-energy projects in India, completed its first 2- megawatt plant in Gujarat state.

The project, located at a solar park in Patan, used panels supplied by Miasole Inc. and inverters from SMA Solar Technology AG (S92), Universal said in an e-mailed statement. The Ahmedabad-based company plans to develop power plants in the U.S. through its offices in Texas and California, it said.

Gujarat, home to India’s biggest solar program, has awarded licenses to build solar plants with a combined 959 megawatts. The projects were awarded a... Read more..

Chandigarh set to be a model solar city

As part of the plan to develop Chandigarh into a solar city, UT administration has decided to set up a solar cell, which would provide consultancy to departments for adding features of tapping solar energy in upcoming buildings. The cell will work for the development for renewable energy projects and energy conservation programmes. 

The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) has prepared master action plan for transforming Chandigarh into a solar city. The draft report submitted by TERI has recommended energy efficiency measures of 20% for both residential and commercial... Read more..

First Solar reaches 14.4% efficiency with CdTe solar PV module

The US Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL) has confirmed the result, which eclipsed First Solar's prior record of 13.4%.

The solar module was constructed using commercial-scale manufacturing equipment and materials at First Solar's Perrysburg, Ohio factory.

"This considerable achievement supports our module efficiency roadmap and demonstrates our ability to convert our record-cell technology into ongoing module-level improvements," says Dave Eaglesham, First Solar's Chief Technology Officer.

"These records also underscore the tremendous ongoing... Read more..

Climate service centre for world Met office to be set up in city

The India Meteorological Department's office in the city will get four major projects, totally worth Rs 350 crore, in the next five years, said A K Tyagi, director general of meteorology, here on Wednesday.

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the IMD's 137th Foundation Day function, Tyagi said the projects include a Climate Service Centre (CSC), which will serve as nodal agency for the World Meteorological Office's south Asia region for providing medium- and long-range forecasts on climate behaviour and variabilities.

A Centre of Excellence (CoE) in agriculture... Read more..

Mumbai campuses turn over a green leaf

In a bid to drive home the point and set up an example for their own students, more and more educational institutes across the city are rediscovering their love for environment, with the St Xavier’s College at Dhobi Talao becoming the latest to adopt green measures.

Since the beginning of this year, the cyber lab in the south Mumbai autonomous college has completely been working on solar energy, while last week its hostels and canteens were also equipped with solar geysers. To add to its green endeavours, the college also started vermipost to utilise wet garbage generated in its... Read more..

12th Plan may target capacity addition of 1,00,000 MW - Hindu Business Line

For the 12th Plan Period (2012-17), the Government may fix power capacity addition target at around 1,00,000 megawatt. This is the Power Ministry's proposal to the Planning Commission.
 
“The final call would be taken by the National Development Council. It may be between 90,000 MW and 1,00,000 MW,” Member Planning Commission, Mr B.K. Chaturvedi, told newspersons at the India Energy Congress 2012 here on Tuesday.
 
In his address, the Power Minister, Mr Sushilkumar Shinde, called for strengthening research and development in power generation, transmission and... Read more..

Solid waste management project launched

Chief minister J Jayalalithaa inaugurated the Rs 96.51 crore Integrated Solid Waste Management project for the Coimbatore city municipal corporation on Tuesday. The project would be carried out in three phases under the Jawaharlal Nehru Nation Urban Renewal Mission scheme.
 
Under the first phase of the project, the corporation would deal with procurement of push carts, household bins, tippers, skip lifters, dumper placers with road sweeping machines and refuse collector lorries' for primary collection of solid waste, said a press release from the corporation. Rs 27.58 crore... Read more..

Drive to manage waste from automobile service stations in Bangalore

Besides tackling air and noise pollution caused by motor vehicles, Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) is planning to control hazardous waste disposed from automobile service stations.This was revealed at a workshop on ‘Hazardous waste management generated by automobile service stations’, in Parisara Bhavan on Monday.

Addressing the participants, board chairman AS Sadashivaiah said that to assess the situation and to formulate storm water, effluent and solid waste management and noise and emission standards at bus depots, workshops and service stations, a project is... Read more..

Indian cities swimming in their waste, rivers becoming dumping ground for it

 Center for Science and Environment's second volume of the seventh State of India's Environment report - Excreta Matters (71 cities: a survey), claims that India's cities are wallowing in their waste and the rivers becoming a dumping ground for it. In this report CSE profiles 71 cities on their waste water management capability and maps the state of groundwater and its sources. Each city is mapped to know more about its past, current and future water footprints, the amount of waste it generates and its disposal system. 

Sunita Narain, Director General of CSE India in the report says... Read more..