Sustainability Outlook Headlines

India to be hit by collapse of carbon trading market

The carbon trading market may be headed for a crash if negotiations at the climate change conference are any indication, according to experts. This is likely to impact China and India the most, as the two make up almost three-fourths of the trade on carbon exchanges.

"India is likely to be most affected if the second round of Kyoto Protocol is not signed. China is already taking steps to tackle the issue; India is not," said Axel Michaelowa, who advises corporates on carbon trading.

"The carbon markets will crash if Durban fails to send a strong signal that the next round of... Read more..

Women bear the brunt of climate change

Women, particularly those living in the mountainous regions in developing countries, face disproportionately high risks to their livelihoods and health from global warming, says a U.N. report on Climate Change.

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) report titled ‘Women at the Frontline of Climate Change: Gender Risks and Hopes' says investing in low-carbon and efficient green technologies, water harvesting and fuel wood alternatives can strengthen climate change adaptation and improve women's livelihoods.

The report was released at the U.N. Climate Change Conference... Read more..

Confirmed in Durban: Text on CCS in Clean Development Mechanism ready

Talks that have been ongoing for over a decade finally reached a consensus on previously conflicting issues related to the technical aspects of CCS technology. The agreement is now to be submitted to the official delegations to the UN Conference on Climate change, for final adoption on Friday.

"Parties are very close to an agreement and this is an encouraging development" says Frederic Hauge, the Bellona Foundation’s President.

In the final stages of last year's climate negotiations in Cancun, participating countries agreed on allowing CCS projects to earn offsets under the... Read more..

COP-17: End the US-China ping-pong game, say negotiators

THE "ping-pong" game between the US and China over what they were prepared to concede in the United Nations climate change talks (COP-17) in Durban must come to an end, European climate change commissioner Connie Hedegaard said on Wednesday.

The almost 200 countries that are meeting in South Africa’s major port city to broker a deal on how to reduce greenhouse gas emissions have until Friday to reach agreement, yet there are only small signs of convergence between them.

Countries that were unwilling even to make commitments at Durban for the years to come were taking on "an... Read more..

India's Enzen aims to install floating solar plants

Indian energy and environment consultancy Enzen Global Solutions plans to deploy floating solar energy installations on polluted lakes and irrigation ponds in the Indian state of Karnataka, The Hindu Business Line reported today.

Uma Rajarathnam, in charge of the company's clean energy and environment practice, told the newspaper that Enzen had identified several suitable sites and was holding talks with relevant parties to have the projects finalised. She also said that the first of the projects, whose capacity could range from 250 kW to 5 MW, was expected to be installed by April... Read more..

Australia, New Zealand Say No Kyoto Without Larger Climate Deal

Australia and New Zealand, which sponsor the most developed carbon markets outside Europe, say they won’t agree to remain part of the Kyoto treaty unless other countries bolster efforts to curb emissions.

Australia will only sign up for further cuts under Kyoto through 2020 if all big emitting countries agree to legally binding actions, Climate Change Minister Greg Combet said in an interview in Durban, South Africa. New Zealand says it won’t join unless it has stronger assurance that voluntary pledges will be met by large polluters such as China.

“We need to be able to go... Read more..

Betting the environmental farm

Canadian diplomats and politicians enter the annual round of climate talks with one goal: protect the oilsands.

In order to do that, our government is essentially betting the planet that we will not, in the meantime, reach a tipping point that will push the world into catastrophic climate change. It’s a bet this Conservative government has no right to make. And it’s a bet the world scientific community says we cannot win.

We are mired in traditional geopolitics where national interests – as dictated by the party in power – are always paramount.

Canada is not the only... Read more..

U.N. chief: Major climate deal unlikely

An all-encompassing climate deal "may be beyond our reach for now," the U.N. chief said Tuesday as China and India delivered a setback to European plans to negotiate a new treaty that would bind all parties to their pledges on greenhouse gas emissions.

The European "road map" toward a new accord that would take effect after 2020 is a centerpiece of negotiations among 194 countries at a U.N. climate conference in the South African coastal city of Durban.

It has been presented as a condition for Europe to renew and expand its emissions reduction targets under the 1997 Kyoto... Read more..

$1 Trillion Speaks Louder Than UN Talks

In the Facebook-inspired movie "The Social Network," Justin Timberlake-as- Sean Parker memorably defines a meaningful amount of money: “A million dollars isn’t cool. You know what’s cool? A billion dollars.”

In the energy world, you’d better multiply all seemingly huge numbers by 1,000. A billion dollars isn't cool. You know what's cool? A trillion dollars. Here's why.

Sometime in the two weeks before the UN climate conference in Durban, the world passed $1 trillion mark in clean energy investment since 2004. That’s a trillion dollars in solar and wind power plants, in... Read more..

Going green: City new hub of eco-friendly buildings

‘Green is the new black’ appears to be the new-age mantra. It advocates the use of renewable sources like wind, awater, solar heat and other renewable sources as against fossil fuels like coal and crude oil. With this, going green is catching up fast.

The mantra can be put to use by building green buildings. There are 62 odd green buildings in Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR) and many of them have applied for the practice.

The Indian Green Building Council (IGBC), one of the only two organisations that certify buildings on... Read more..

India, Russia to focus on n-energy, defence during summit (Lead)

India and Russia will focus on expanding nuclear energy cooperation and building on their long-standing military ties during the three-day visit of Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to Moscow beginning Dec 15 for a bilateral summit, when over half-a-dozen pacts are expected to be signed.

Even as the two sides work towards clinching crucial deals, Russia is preparing to hand over the first of two Akula-II nuclear-powered submarines to the Indian Navy on a 10-year lease that will cost this country close to $1 billion.

Among the agreements likely during the visit are those in... Read more..

STOCKS NEWS EUROPE-Essar Energy easier after in-line update - Reuters UK

Shares in Essar Energy shed 3.5 percent, underperforming a 1.6 percent lower FTSE 100 index, as the Indian-focused energy firm issues an in-line interim management statement, and says it is still awaiting Indian government clearance for two coal ...