Sustainability Outlook Headlines

A shining example of self-reliance

With a transparent administration and development-driven population, Thamna village is a shining example of self-reliance in the country. 

 
The village—just a short distance away from India’s cooperatives capital Anand—has clean roads, constant power supply and good schools, all brought upon by unrelenting efforts of the local people and the focused work by the administration.  People in the village say the transformation did not take place overnight.

“There has been a tremendous change and its not through any government intervention, but only through the initiatives... Read more..

Water rights trade to help quench world thirst

 Markets in water rights are likely to evolve as a rising population leads to shortages and climate change causes drought and famine.

But they will be based on regional and ethical trading practices and will differ from the bulk of commodity trade.

Detractors argue trading water is unethical or even a breach of human rights, but already water rights are bought and sold in arid areas of the globe from Oman to Australia.

"We at Blackhawk strongly believe that water is in fact turning into the new gold for this decade and beyond," said Ziad Abdelnour, president and chief... Read more..

Vodafone for 20 percent carbon footprint cut by 2015

Telecom service provider Vodafone Monday said it is planning to reduce its carbon footprint by 20 percent globally by 2015.

'Our target is to take it (carbon emission) down. Globally in the emerging markets, Vodafone has a target of reducing its CO2 emissions by 20 percent by 2015,' Samaresh Parida, director stategy, Vodafone Essar, told IANS.

'We are trying out different pilots with different sources of energy, solar energy extra,' he added.

Carbon footprint is the total set of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions caused by an organisation, event or product.

India Rejects Two Solar Projects; Solar Thermal Plants Pass

India rejected two of 37 solar projects awarded in its first national auction, which aims to generate 20,000 megawatts of sun-powered capacity by 2022.

NTPC Vidyut Vyapar Nigam Ltd., or NVVN, the state-run power trader that will buy electricity from the plants, accepted 35 projects that were able to submit evidence they had arranged funding, the government said in a news release.

All seven solar-thermal projects, which account for 470 megawatts of capacity or 75 percent of what was awarded in the December auction, made the cut, Deepak Gupta, secretary of the New and Renewable... Read more..

Photovoltaic Planning In India Benefits From New Generation Solar Resource Data And Online Tools

GeoModel Solar, a leading international consultancy company in solar resource and PV energy assessment, has announced geographic expansion of its flagship online system SolarGIS to India. SolarGIS high-resolution solar resource database, interactive maps and PV simulation software will be introduced to the Indian solar community at the 5th Renewable Energy India 2011 Expo in New Delhi. SolarGIS follows standards that make solar power planning more accurate and cost effective, and thus reduces risk in decision making.

SolarGIS pvPlanner brings a new experience to solar power plant... Read more..

Suzlon Slumps After Taking $490,000 Fine for Pollution in U.S

 Suzlon Energy Ltd. (SUEL), Asia’s third- largest wind-turbine maker, fell the most in six weeks in Mumbai trading after receiving a $490,000 fine for pollution violations at its plant in Minnesota.

Suzlon dropped 6.1 percent to 48.6 rupees at the 3:30 p.m. close in Mumbai. That’s the biggest one-day decline since June 20. The benchmark Sensitive Index of the Bombay Stock Exchange fell 2.2 percent.

The turbine company failed to get permits to carry out sandblasting or to install a fourth production line at its blade-making facility in Pipestone, the Minnesota Pollution... Read more..

Air pollution had affected monsoon in India

 The region in the border between India and China tops the list in the level of air pollution, much above the permissible levels under WHO standards, according to J Sreenivasan, chairman of Divecha Centre for Climate Change (DCCC).

He was speaking on the topic ‘Climate change: Past, Present and Future' at a workshop organised jointly by DCCC, Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore, and Eduworld Foundation, Thiruvananthapuram, here on Saturday.

He said that according to Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change study, the increase in greenhouse gases and air pollution... Read more..

Indian coal mister update on effect of environment ban

 Mr Sriprakash Jaiswal informed the Lok Sabha that ministry of environment and forests has imposed temporary restriction on environmental clearance for development of projects in 43 industrial clusters in India based on a Comprehensive Environmental Pollution Index score of more than 70.

Out of these 43 clusters, following 7 clusters cover the coal bearing areas. This information was given by the minister of state in the ministry of Coal and Statistics and program Implementations.

Industrial cluster CEPI score 

India wary of G20 energy roadmap move

Should the G20 be allowed to dictate an energy roadmap to India - what technologies to adopt and at what cost? The government has turned wary of a move by the G20's sub-group on Clean Energy and Energy Efficiency, which is slated to present a roadmap on how to turn the country's power sector green and climate friendly.

Due in September, the roadmap would force the agenda on domestic power policy and make the country invest in expensive or untested clean technologies.

The group of 20 countries is an expansion of the powerful G8 grouping of developed countries with the emerging... Read more..

National park beckons visitors with eco-tourism

Come October and the Keoladeo National Park will wear a new, enhanced look, which promises to be both tourist and environment friendly.

The tailor-made ecotourism project at the bird sanctuary is currently under implementation and would be completed before the season of the migratory birds begin.

As part the ecotourism project, the entire sanctuary is set to make use of solar energy for its power needs. Except for the air-conditioners , everything from computers, lights to water-pumps at the park would run on solar power. Even the lights and fans at the offices and the park's... Read more..

NIT to transfer Rs 180cr to NMC for sewage treatment plant

The Nagpur Improvement Trust, which is mandated to carry on development of the city, will be transferring Rs 180 crore to the Nagpur Municipal Corporation for a sewage treatment plant in north Nagpur, one of the least developed parts of the city.

According to NIT trustee Kishore Kanhere, the Rs 180-crore financial aid being extended to the NMC is the saving from the special funds for water supply scheme sanction under Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission that NIT had secured from the Central government. "We have already sent the fund transfer proposal to the state... Read more..

'India third largest greenhouse gas emitter'

India is the third largest greenhouse gas emitter with its contribution standing at 5.3% behind countries like China and the USA, the Government said in Lok Sabha on Wednesday. "As per current information available, the countries which are the largest contributor, in percentage term regarding greenhouse gas emissions are China 19.5%, USA 19.2%, India 5.3%, Russia 5.1%, Japan 3.6% and Germany 2.6%," environment minister Jayanthi Natarajan said.

In her written reply to CPI-M MP Susmita Bauri, Natarajan said the Government has taken steps to reduce the carbon emission intensity.