Sustainability Outlook Headlines

Rs 8 cr solar energy project inaugurated

 To expand electrification programme, the government would provide 6859 solar home lights to the families of various un-electrified villages in district Ramban.

 The lights shall be distributed under the Remote Village Electrification (RVE) programme of government of India.

 In this connection the scheme was today launched in District Ramban by DDC Ramban Shabir Ahmad Bhat, where distributed the lights among the bon fide beneficiaries.

 The lights costing over Rs 8 crore have been procured by J&K Energy Development Agency, Science & Technology of J&K... Read more..

Clinics to treat biomedical garbage on their own

All clinics, hospitals and medical establishments generating biomedical waste will have to treat it on their own or make arrangements at a common facility, as per the draft biomedical waste (management and handling) rules, 2011.

Draft rules notified by the Union ministry of environment and forests (MoEF), under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, seek to replace the earlier 1998 rules and subsequent amendments.

While biomedical waste management is in its infancy in Goa due to various reasons, the administrators of all healthcare establishments (HCE) will have to set up... Read more..

Green buildings seen as $30 bn-market

 A host of companies are showing keen interest for environment-friendly construction in India, pushing analysts to project the market size for "green buildings" to grow three-fold from $10 billion to $30 billion in the next four years.

"Two-three years ago, the market for green buildings in India was just $4-5 billion. Now it is around $10 billion. And studies show it will increase further to $30 billion over the coming four-five years," said French trade commissioner here, Sebastien Andrieux.

"What you invest in a green building you own it for ages. You will also save energy... Read more..

Climate funding measures should not hurt emerging markets

India has called for putting in place necessary mechanism to safeguard the interest of developing nations when considering measures for raising additional resources to meet global climate financing needs.

In this regard, India wants a global levy on shipping and aviation-related carbon emissions to be considered as a climate-funding measure only after ensuring an eventual refund of revenues collected from the developing nations.

"International levies on shipping and aviation emissions should be included in the list of possible options for revenue raising only if a mechanism... Read more..

General Electric bullish on India; plans low cost, clean energy solutions

Bullish on the Indian power sector, US conglomerate General Electric will look at offering low cost and clean energy solutions in the country.

"We will continue to pursue low-cost energy production in the cleanest form for all our customers in the Indian market," GE Energy India President and CEO Kishore Jayaraman told PTI.

The company would be focusing on higher efficiency products such as FlexEfficiency 50 gas turbine and super-critical steam turbines for thermal power generation.

GE Energy is very excited on the growth of the Indian power sector and would leverage... Read more..

India Prepares for “Moving Planet” Clean-Energy Demonstrations

Thousands Expected to Join Demonstrations Calling for an End to Fossil-Fuels
India -- Thousands of people across India are preparing to take part in a global day of events dedicated to moving the planet away from a dependence on fossil-fuels and towards a clean energy future.
This September 24, over 167 countries are expected to take part in “Moving Planet,” a global demonstration calling for solutions to the climate crisis. Creative events are planned from small villages in Ongole in Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra to metropolitan cities of Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore.
In... Read more..

Kashmir saffron harvest in decline as weather changes

 For seven generations, Abdul Khalik’s family has cultivated saffron in the foothills of the Himalayas. The 65-year-old is one of several hundred farmers in his village south of Srinagar, the summer capital of the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir, who grow the delicate crocuses that produce the world’s most expensive spice.

Jammu and Kashmir’s climate has made it well suited to the complex growing and blooming cycle of the saffron crocus, and the state is the only one in India that produces saffron. The crop, growth since the 16th century in the area, is sold domestically and... Read more..

Build it green

 Encouraged by the government, sustainable architecture has become the latest fad in Singapore.

For a country that sits on a mere 710 square kilometres of land, Singapore has the unenviable challenge of balancing economic growth with increasing demands on its environment. But in making its urban areas more sustainable, the city-state is doing what it is very good at: setting ambitious targets, involving a wide section of stakeholders and putting in place government incentives.

By 2030, Singapore’s government wants 80 per cent of all buildings to be “Green Mark” certified, a... Read more..

Co2 Emissions Soared 45 Percent From 1990 to 2010 Report Says

 Global carbon dioxide emissions increased by 45 percent between 1990 and 2010, reaching a record high 33 billion tons last year, according to a report by the European Commission's Joint Research Center. The report said that increased energy efficiency, renewable energy, and nuclear power are not compensating for a surge in emissions from developing countries, most notably China - with a 257 percent increase in CO2 emissions from 1990 to 210 - and India, whose emissions increased by 180 percent. By contrast, the European Union's emissions declined by 7 percent from 1990 to 2010, and Russia... Read more..

Minister unhappy with Centre''s refusal on JNNURM

Gujarat Urban Development Minister Nitin Patel has expressed displeasure over Centre s decision of not covering Gandhinagar and Karamsad cities under government of India-sponsored Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) scheme.

Mr Patel said the Union Minister of State for Urban Development in a letter to Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi on September 15, refused to include Gandhinagar and Karamsad under JNNURM scheme.

Gujarat government and the Chief Minister have written about 11 letters to the Centre requesting to include these cities under JNNURM but... Read more..

India talks tough on climate issues

 After showing flexibility for over two years India has toughened its stand on climate issues, refusing any verification regime for voluntary climate actions and seeking a re-look at Cancun agreements to include equity as an “essential” parameter for further talks and extension of Kyoto 

Protocol. 

Former environment minister Jairam Ramesh had shown flexibility but the new minister Jayanthi Natarajan abandoned the soft approach after her first meeting on climate change issues with 150 environment ministers in South Africa.

“Talks are a continuous process,” Natarajan... Read more..

Major Economies Forum on Energy and Climate meet in Washington

 India, along with 16 other developed and developing nations will be participating in the 12th meeting of Major Economies Forum on Energy and Climate.

Major Economies Forum, launched by President Obama in 2009, facilitates a candid dialogue among major developed and developing economies to make progress in meeting the climate change and clean energy challenge, the State Department said.

The two-day meeting will be held here in which Special US Envoy for Climate Change Todd Stern will lead his country, while Deputy National Security Advisor for International Economic Affairs... Read more..