Sustainability Outlook Headlines

Carbon Credit Capital plans $100-m fund for renewable projects

The US-based Carbon Credit Capital proposes to launch a $100-million India-specific fund this year to invest in renewable energy projects.

“We would start with $100 million this year and will eventually increase it to $500 million,” said Ms Olivia Fussell, President, Carbon Credit Capital.

The carbon financing firm will invest in a range of projects across all renewable technologies such as solar and biomass among others.

Ms Fussell said the company is in talks with the US-based private individual investors for raising the fund, which will be launched this year... Read more..

India’s NABARD launches climate change plan

Change Adaptation Plan (CCAP), an agri-pilot project adopted by India’s NABARD will be beneficial to 25,000 farmers in Maharashtra’s Ahmednagar district. 

National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) in a statement said the project, Initiated as a pilot project in the country will develop knowledge, strategies, approaches, measures and processes that will enable vulnerable communities to cope with climate change and adapt to impending impacts. 

The project area consists of 18,513 hectares of land in 25 villages in both the taluks. Having witnessed... Read more..

Both India & China Enacting Carbon Trading Programs

While US Representatives vote to handcuff the EPA when it comes to regulating carbon emissions and even formally deny the existence of climate change altogether, India and China both more forward with plans to price carbon.

By January, three Indian states will have cap and trade programs in place, will a national program pushed by environment minister Jairam Ramesh. In China a pilot national cap and trade scheme will be set up in at least six provinces over the next two years, with a nationwide program in place by 2015.

Economic Times reports the Chinese program will... Read more..

Maharashtra may allow higher floor index for green buildings

Builders in Mumbai have sensed an opportunity to obtain permission for more construction area. The state government is now considering allowing higher floor space index for environment-friendly green buildings and is also considering other incentives to prompt more developers to undertake construction of such green buildings, said Valsa R Nair Singh, Secretary (Environment), Government of Maharashtra.

"I am Looking forward to a day when we will only have green buildings in the state. And we have taken a few steps already. Right now I would not want to step into the subject of... Read more..

Electric cars face hazy future due to nuclear crisis

Nations worldwide, especially developed economies, have been trying to reduce their dependence on energy made by burning oil, gas and coal.

Greener and cleaner has become the catchphrase for governments as they encourage greater use of renewable energy sources such as solar power or wind farms, or nuclear power, none of which emit carbon dioxide the way fossil fuel power stations do.

The motor industry is playing a big role in green technology, with petrol-electric hybrid and electric cars being touted as the future drivers of growth.

But the crisis at the... Read more..

Electric cars face hazy future due to nuclear crisis

Nations worldwide, especially developed economies, have been trying to reduce their dependence on energy made by burning oil, gas and coal.

Greener and cleaner has become the catchphrase for governments as they encourage greater use of renewable energy sources such as solar power or wind farms, or nuclear power, none of which emit carbon dioxide the way fossil fuel power stations do.

The motor industry is playing a big role in green technology, with petrol-electric hybrid and electric cars being touted as the future drivers of growth.

But the crisis at the... Read more..

Asian firms sensitive to climate change risk

COMPANIES IN ASIA show the greatest concern over climate change impact, as they face the highest risk from natural disasters triggered by this phenomenon, a UK Trade & Investment report that was published last month showed.

The study, conducted by the Economist Intelligence Unit last January-February, covered 705 companies of various sizes worldwide, grouped into Asia-Pacific, Latin America, North America, Middle East and Africa, and Western Europe.

It aimed to determine perceived risks and potential business opportunities -- particularly in terms of new emerging... Read more..

India, a key market for wind energy

Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC) Chairman Klaus Rave on Thursday urged Indian IT firms to combine their engineering capability of renewable energy to create a smart grid so that they could be leaders in the field.

Participating at the inaugural function of ‘Wind Power India 2011', a three-day exhibition-cum-conference here, he said India rose to the third position in terms of global installed capacity of wind turbines last year, while it occupied the fifth spot in terms of cumulative installed capacity.

The country had lot of catching to do as wind energy could fill... Read more..

Green technology to power air-conditioners on trains

The Research Designs and Standards Organisation (RDSO) of Indian Railways has come up with a new technology to cater to the power requirements of the fully air-conditioned super fast trains, as well as other passenger trains, which will not only save fuel but also cut down on the cost of running the trains.

The green technology, called Head On Generation (HOG), is already being used in the New Delhi-Kalka Shatabdi Express for over a month now.

“In 2007, the railway board approved of RDSO’s proposal for this technology and after several successful trials, the Railway board... Read more..

Google, Buffett May Be Wind Turbine Buyers, Say Suzlon, Vestas

Google Inc. and Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway Inc. have shown interest in buying wind turbines to supply power along railroad lines and at computer server farms, two of the world’s largest manufacturers said.

“Railroads could be huge potential customers of wind turbines, and companies like Google have already shown some interest,” Andris Cukurs, head of North American operations at Suzlon Energy Ltd., said in an interview. “We expect to see more large energy consumers get involved directly in wind.”

Suzlon, India’s largest turbine manufacturer, and Vestas Wind systems A... Read more..

India to host International Centre on Energy Access

India today offered to set an International Centre on Energy Access to boost the provision of energy to remote and inaccessible areas.

The offer was made by Dr Farooq Abdullah, Minister for New and Renewable Energy. Dr Abdullah, according to an official statement, was speaking at the inaugural session of the assembly of the International Renewable Energy agency-IRENA currently being held at Abu Dhabi, UAE. IRENA, the world’s first intergovernmental agency on renewable agency was established in 2009 with the main objective of fostering international cooperation and promoting... Read more..

IFC to Make More Equity Investments in India

International Finance Corp., the private investment arm of the World Bank, plans to make more equity investments in India in a bid to increase its footprint in the country.

 
Thomas Davenport, IFC's director of South Asia, expects to launch a global infrastructure fund with more than $1 billion corpus.
.This marks a change in strategy for the company, which has generally preferred debt or loans since making its first investment in India in 1958, said Thomas Davenport, director, South Asia of IFC, in an interview.

In fiscal 2010, IFC invested $1.8 billion in India... Read more..