Sustainability Outlook Headlines

World Bank sells 500,000 U.N. carbon offsets

The World Bank has sold 500,000 United Nations-backed carbon offsets for the U.N.'s adaptation fund, Credit Suisse, which acted as a dealer for the sale, said in a statement.

The transaction took place during the period Aug. 27 to Sept. 10, and the end-buyers varied across sectors and regions, Credit Suisse said.

The value of the transaction was not disclosed.

The offsets, called certified emissions reductions (CERs), closed at 13.69 euros ($17.75) a tonne on the European Climate Exchange on Sept. 10.

The World Bank sells CERs on behalf of the adaptation fund... Read more..

World's largest solar plant wins key approval

The world's largest solar power plant cleared an important hurdle on Wednesday, laying the groundwork for a dramatic expansion in solar energy generation in the United States and around the world.

The proposed $6 billion-plus Blythe, California plant, originally proposed by Chevron Corp. and Solar Millennium AG , won clearance to build from the California Energy Commission.

The plant has a capacity of 1,000 megawatts. By comparison, for all of last year, the U.S. installed about 481 megawatts of solar energy, according to the Solar Energy Industry Association. The largest... Read more..

Intel Capital invests $30m in 4 cos.

Intel Capital, Intel Corporation's global investment organisation, has announced investments in four companies. The investment, which is a part of $200 million Intel Capital Invest in America Technology Fund, has been made in cleantech, cloud computing and semiconductor manufacturing sectors. 

Totaling over $30 million, the investments have been made in Utah-based IT startup Adaptive Computing; analog IC physical design software developer Ciranova; cloud computing infrastructure and services provider Joyent; and energy software and services provider Nexant. 

Announced in... Read more..

India gets first LEED datacenter

Netmagic's Chennai Datacenter has been recognized as India's first Gold rated datacenter under the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Commercial Interior (CI) programme of United States Green Building Council ( USGBC). 

LEED certification is an internationally recognized programme and is considered one of the highest standards for energy efficient constructions. The datacenter uses several green features such as site ecology, water conservation, smart energy meters and equipments, reduction of CO2 emissions, high recycle content, effective waste management, eco-... Read more..

India, Argentina sign MoU on agriculture cooperation

India and Argentina have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on cooperation in agriculture and allied sectors.

The MoU was signed by Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar and his Argentine counterpart Julian Andres Dominguez at Buenos Aires during Pawar's recent visit to Argentina.

The MOU provides a framework for exchange of information on best practices and technologies, cooperation in research and development and promotion of trade, investment and joint ventures.

Pawar visited Argentina last week, in response to the invitation extended by Dominguez.

Pawar... Read more..

China says rich-poor divide still dogs climate pact talks

The prospects of a new global climate change pact still hinge on resolving the divisions between rich nations and the developing world, a top Chinese climate negotiator said in remarks published on Monday.

"Right now there are still huge differences between developed and developing countries in the negotiations on climate change problems," said Su Wei, the head of the climate change office at the National Development and Reform Commission.

Negotiators from nearly 200 nations continue to haggle over the smallprint of a sprawling 34-page draft agreement to combat global warming... Read more..

Barack Obama: 'no' to solar panels on the White House roof

A quest to get Barack Obama to shout his commitment to solar power from the roof tops - by re-installing vintage solar panels at the White House - ended in disappointment for environmental campaigners today.

Bill McKibben, the founder of 350.org, had led a group of environmental activists to Washington in a bio-diesel van hoping to persuade Obama to re-install a set of solar panels originally put up by Jimmy Carter.

The actual Carter-era solar panels - which weigh in at 55 kilograms and are nearly 2 metres long - are out-dated now. But campaigners had hoped that the White... Read more..

Company growth to depend on water, energy consumption: Eric Fyrwald

This is a good time to be the CEO of NLC NALCO. After all, the whole world is talking about sustainable growth and the $3.7 billion company is among the global leaders in providing water treatment solutions to industry.

Erik Fyrwald, chairman, president and CEO, NLC Nalco who is in Pune to launch the company's new R&D centre is relaxed as he talks about how Nalco — not to be confused with the state owned aluminium company — is betting big on India. "We've grown rapidly in India over the last few years, and going ahead, are aiming for a minimum growth rate of 25% here," he says... Read more..

India mulls 11-billion-dollar fund for power generation

Energy-hungry India is considering setting up an 11-billion-dollar fund to help finance the expansion of power companies' generation capacities, the country's power secretary said Thursday.

India has set ambitious goals for expanding its installed generation capacity, which currently stands at about 164 gigawatts, to combat frequent power cuts in cities and provide millions of rural households with electricity.

However, funding for power generation expansion remains a challenge.

"There are thoughts of setting up a debt fund. It's at a planning stage," India's power... Read more..

Yunus wins SolarWorld Einstein award

Bangladesh's Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus has been honoured with the SolarWorld Einstein Award for 2010 for initiating generation and distribution of solar energy in his country.

Yunus received the award in Valencia, Spain, in recognition of the work done by "Grameen Shakti", a company he founded in 1996.

Grameen Shakti has brought electricity to more than 400,000 rural homes by installing small solar home systems (SHS).

Thousands of women have been trained in the installation and maintenance of these SHS, giving them an opportunity to earn money.

Grameen... Read more..

More clarity and flexibilty needed for carbon trade

India Inc and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Wednesday said there should be more clarity and flexibility in the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) for carbon trading.

'The global carbon market is dogged by uncertainties arising out of the lack of clarity on how CDM would evolve,' said Christiana Figueres, executive secretary, UNFCCC, on the sidelines of India Carbon market conclave 2010, organized by Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI).

Industry stalwarts on other hand demanded a... Read more..

Rich countries may pay $10 bn this year: UN climate chief

Rich countries are likely to live up to their commitment to pay $10 billion this year to combat climate change, the UN's new climate panel chief said here Wednesday.

Christiana Figueres, from Costa Rica who took over as head of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) this July, said she expected rich countries to also indicate the 'sourcing of $30 billion' that they committed during the last climate summit in Copenhagen.

'The funding will be available, but the expectation of 100 percent additionality may not be met,' Figueres cautioned, referring to the worry... Read more..