Sustainability Outlook Headlines

Better infrastructure and use of information technology key for a productive supply chain management‘Indian Logistics 2011’, organized by mjunction services limited brings together the industry leaders to discuss the future of logistics industry in India

Recording a staggering revenue of about $82.10 billion with a growth of about 9.2% in the last fiscal, the Indian logistics industry offers a hope of remarkable growth in the coming years. However, detrimental factors like inefficient infrastructure, high distribution costs, and various supply chain intermediaries are affecting an annual loss of $ 45 billion to the logistics industry in India. At this backdrop, mjunction services limited, India’s largest eCommerce company facilitated the industry in revisiting its current supply chain strategies and discuss the implementation of... Read more..

India links climate talks to poverty eradication

Environment and forests minister Jayanthi Natarajan reaffirmed India's commitment towards ensuring a second phase of Kyoto Protocol in a meeting with the US delegation led by US special envoy Todd Stern on Tuesday. 

The seven-member US climate team is accompanying secretary of state Hillary Clinton. They held a technical and negotiating-level dialogue with the Indian climate team on Monday and met the minister and her team separately. 

Sources said Natarajan explained to the US that India had already taken substantial voluntary steps such as those on... Read more..

First-ever energy efficiency targets announced for shipping industry

 Members of the International Maritime Organisation have voted for the first mandatory standard for reducing greenhouse gas emissions from the shipping industry. During the recently concluded meeting of the IMO in London, 48 members voted in favour of an energy efficiency standard for ships.

The standard requires new cargo ships built between 2015 and 2019 to increase their energy efficiency by 10% rising to 20% between 2020 and 2024 and 30% for ships delivered after 2024.

Shipping currently contributes 3.3% to the global anthropogenic greenhouse gas... Read more..

US to fund feasibility studies in India's energy sector

The US Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) Tuesday signed two deals worth over USD 1.4 million to fund feasibility studies in India's energy sector.

"Feasibility study is a bit of a foundation before some of our projects can be financed by OPEC and Accent Bank, and two such feasibility studies will be signed today," said USTDA director Leocadia I. Zak ahead before the deals were signed at a round table conference on building India's 21st century infrastructure.

The conference coincides with US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's three-day... Read more..

Mega nuke signal with 700MW reactor

  India has signalled its plans for a massive expansion of home-grown nuclear power over the next decade by starting the construction of a 700MW reactor at the Rajasthan Atomic Power Station here.

A carbon-steel pipeline the shape of an elephant trunk began squirting dark-grey concrete into a deep excavation to build the foundation of the first of twin reactors, the seventh and eighth at this 38-year-old nuclear power park near the Chambal river.

Top atomic energy officials said the twin reactors would be among a series of ten 700MW reactors that the public-... Read more..

Government to invite bids for Rs 3,000-cr solar power projects in August

The government will invite bids for 3,000-crore solar power projects with a capacity of 300 mw under the National Solar Mission in the first week of August, a top government official said. 

"There was a meeting with the solar power developers on July 8. Based on the meeting, the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy is looking to tweak some guidelines for the second round of bidding likely to take place in the first week of August," said Anil Agrawal, Chief Executive Officer, NTPC Vidyut Vyapar Nigam, the nodal agency for conducting the selection process for the first... Read more..

Clinton Arrives in India for Talks on Security, Trade

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton today holds talks on broadening India’s regional role, its reconciliation process with arch-rival Pakistan and using stronger economic ties to foster stability.

Clinton, who arrived in New Delhi last night, will attend the second round of the U.S.-India Strategic Dialogue, focusing on issues including counterterrorism, defense cooperation and climate change.

Her visit comes as the U.S. starts withdrawing troops from Afghanistan this month, with a view to ending combat operations by 2014. Peace talks between India and Pakistan,... Read more..

India, China scuttle move to review clean power projects

ndia and China successfully blocked a proposal to suspend a United Nations programme to earn carbon credits from ultra mega power projects.

India and China are the majority stakeholders in the programme. Of the 37 projects under consideration, 26 are from India and 11 from China. 

Of the three projects already registered, one is from India and two from China.

If the all projects are registered, the two emerging economies will earn more than 40 lakh carbon credits per year.

One credit is equal to a tonne of carbon... Read more..

Three hydel power plants to come up in Mizoram

 The state-owned North Eastern Electric Power Corporation Ltd. (NEEPCO) will set up three power plants in Mizoram, generating a total of 1,526 MW, officials said here Monday. 

The two sides signed a Memorandum of Agreement last month "for commissioning three hydel power projects (815 MW, 635 MW and 76 MW), with a cumulative generation capacity of 1,526 MW," a NEEPCO spokesman told IANS. 

Mizoram has many rivers, creating a huge scope for setting up hydel power projects. 

The Tlawng, considered the most important river in northern... Read more..

Prior consideration of CDM guidelines revised: EB 62 meeting highlights

 EB 62 meeting was held in Marrakesh, Morocco last week. The major highlight is that the Executive Board revised the “Guidelines on the demonstration and assessment of prior consideration of the CDM” The revision clarifies that the evidence for demonstration includes contracts with consultants for CDM/PDD/methodology services, draft versions of PDDs and underlying documents such as letters of authorization, and if available, letters of intent, emission reduction purchase agreement (ERPA) term sheets. The revised guidelines state that letters, e-mail exchanges and other documented... Read more..

Cost of desalination is higher than Narmada water in Kutch'

 Of the total water available on the planet 96 per cent is salty, 3per cent is frozen and a mere 1per cent is potable.

Desalination of salty water is an option to increase availability of drinking water but the process is expensive, which renders this method impractical. This was divulged by speakers at the seminar 'Water Seminar & 4th Gujarat Water Summit: Partnership for Sustainable Water Management' organized by Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) on Saturday.

Delivering the keynote address in the seminar, HK Dash, principal secretary of Narmada... Read more..

Tatas to build world's cheapest home for Euro 500

 After driving in the world's cheapest set of four wheels -- Nano, sporting a price tag of $2500, and the cheapest water filter at $21 with Swach, the Tata group has now set its sights on building the world's cheapest house by the end of the year priced at just Euro 500!

What's more, nicknamed the `Euro 500 home', a 20 square metre house works out to less than Rs 32,000 and can be built from scratch in just a week flat.

All one needs is a small piece of land and a kit of parts like doors, windows, roofs made out of different materials.

 ... Read more..