Sustainability Outlook Headlines

India’s first green hospital comes up in Ahmedabad

Get ready for an intensive care unit (ICU) that is sunlit, has a garden within and allows patients to view stars at night. Care Institute of Medical Sciences (CIMS), a hospital venture brought forth by a group of doctors in Ahmedabad , has come up with India’s first ‘green hospital’.

Right from the bricks, air conditioning, lighting & heating systems to harvesting rain water, the hospital has spent around Rs 50 crore extra on the Rs 150-crore project. “We not only save... Read more..

Tata Power Plans to Invest $1 Billion in Wind Energy

Tata Power Ltd. plans to invest about 50 billion rupees ($1.1 billion) in wind energy, the Press Trust of India reported, citing Banmali Agrawala, executive director of strategy and business development.

The power producer aims to have at least 25 percent of its generation capacity, or about 8,000 megawatts, fueled by clean sources including wind, solar, hydro, geothermal and gas by 2017, according to the report.

Tatas, Reliance, Infosys and ITC top BT Sustainable Development Index

The Tatas followed by Reliance Industries, Infosys and ITC have emerged as the best performers on sustainable development indicators, according to just released 'BT Sustainable Development (SD) Index – an assessment of business performance in India – 2009-10'.

When it comes to sustainable development issues, companies rate water resource management as the most important issue requiring urgent attention. Education, healthcare, natural resource management and climate change are the other pressing issues.

Though the public awareness on sustainable development is on the... Read more..

Verdantix Maps the State of the Carbon Management Software Art in New Report

CA Technologies, Enviance, Hara, SAP and Tririga are among 10 companies poised to reap the largest rewards from the drive toward sustainable business software, according to U.K.-based Verdantix.

The analyst firm sorted through 28 software applications to create a shortlist of the top 10 providers, based on software demonstrations and 99 assessment criteria. Verdantix also interviewed 15 executives to gain insight into their needs and decision-making, which is included in its latest report, "... Read more..

Suzlon Says India Renewable-Energy Trading to Boost Financing

Suzlon Energy Ltd., India’s largest wind-turbine maker, said the start of renewable-energy trading may boost domestic financing of projects that have faced hurdles in getting loans.

India’s new trading mechanism will encourage banks to lend to renewable-energy projects, Chintan Shah, vice president of strategic business development at Ahmedabad-based Suzlon, said today by phone. “This will provide some de-risking on the credit side,” he said.

Investment in the wind industry... Read more..

Efforts to boost renewable energy to be stepped up

Union Power Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde launched the Renewable Energy Certificate (REC) mechanism here on Thursday.

"Renewable Energy Certificate is a market based instrument which enables the obligated entities to meet their Renewable Purchase Obligation (RPO). Pertinently, the renewable purchase obligation is the obligation mandated by the State Electricity Regulatory Commission (SERC) under the Electricity Act, to purchase a minimum level of renewable energy out of the total consumption in the area of a distribution licensee," said Shinde.

"The REC mechanism also aims at... Read more..

Brazil Olympics spurring green construction

The rise of green construction comes as Brazil has launched a plan for infrastructure investments worth nearly $1 trillion meant to bring roads, railways and ports into line with emerging-market competitors such as China, Russia and India -- which together with Brazil form the so-called BRIC nations.

The push for green Olympic venues comes amid criticism that global sporting events require countries to tear down existing venues and replace them, consuming massive amounts of fossil fuels and construction materials.

Primarily designed for Europe and the United States, Casado... Read more..

Impact of carbon aerosols on rainfall to be assessed

With carbon aerosols including black carbon caused by incomplete combustion being linked to global warming, the Environment Ministry will release a report next year in November assessing its impact on rainfall pattern, glaciers and public health. 

"The Ministry proposes to bring out a third report to be prepared by Indian Network on Climate Change Assessment (INCCA) in November 2011 which will look at the impact assessment on India's carbon aerosol (black carbon) programme," Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh said here. 

Residues of combusted wood and dung, coal in... Read more..

IBM teams up with IIT Madras, Kharagpur to make power grids smarter

IBM today announced that it has signed a research collaboration agreement with IIT Madras and IIT Kharagpur to develop systems that will help power grids become more efficient and resilient.

''The collaboration among IBM Research-India, IIT Madras and IIT Kharagpur aims at reducing inherent inefficiencies of power grid technologies and make them optimally productive,'' said Dr Manish Gupta, Director, IBM Research-India, and Chief Technologist, IBM India/South Asia. 

By helping power grids become more efficient, he said, the project will also contribute to the efforts... Read more..

India a lab for global sustainability?

India has become a laboratory for converting rapid headline economic growth into a broader form of more sustainable development that can reverse the kind of income disparities that threaten to squander globalization's gains and give rise to protectionism and isolationism, said a top official here on Tuesday.

"India is arguably one of the most innovative places for testing and rolling out these new models," said Robert Greenhill, Managing Director and Chief Business Officer of the World Economic Forum, at the close of the three-day India Economic Summit here. 

The Forum... Read more..

No iffy waste management this Iffi

Unlike previous editions, waste management issues for the upcoming International film festival of India (Iffi) have already been settled this year.

The state government, last week, signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Corporation of the City of Panaji (CCP). Under the MoU, the state will pay the CCP ` 10 lakh for undertaking the responsibility, city officials said.

"The CCP will take care of the cleanliness and solid waste management at Iffi precincts," city commissioner Elvis Gomes said. The precincts include Inox multiplex, Entertainment Society of Goa (ESG)... Read more..

Eco-friendly trade fair opens

It is that time of the year again when you gear up for a comprehensive shopping experience. To choose from would be a range of consumer goods, leather products, a variety of textiles — both handmade and machine made, jewellery, furniture, electronic goods and even automobiles.

And, after indulging in shop-till-you-drop exercise, you can pamper your taste buds with food from all over the world and Indian dishes.

All this would be available at the 30th edition of the annual India International Trade Fair (IITF), which kickstarted on Sunday at Pragati Maidan. Although there is... Read more..