Sustainability Outlook Headlines

Green bonds the new black in the market as environmental financing surges

The environmentally sensitive shoots developing in the global bonds market appear to be heading for a serious growth spurt with another record quarter of "green bonds" issuance.

In a research note on the sector, the credit ratings agency Moody's found environmentally focused green bond issuance in the June quarter hit a record $US20.3 billion ($27 billion), well above the $US16.9 billion ($22.5 billion)... Read more..

Power Ministry sets green energy target for state discoms

State discoms will have to mandatorily draw at least 2.75% of their total power consumption from solar plants in the current fiscal, according to the renewable purchase obligation (RPO) norms laid down by the power ministry.

States will have to increase the share of solar power to 4.75% in 2017-18 and 6.75% in 2018-19, the guidelines said.

... Read more..

Solar Impulse completes historic round-the-world trip

The first round-the-world solar powered flight has been completed, after the Solar Impulse aircraft touched down in Abu Dhabi.

Bertrand Piccard piloted the plane for a final time, steering it safely from the Egyptian capital Cairo to the UAE.

He has been taking turns at the controls with Swiss compatriot... Read more..

Increase in concentration of pollutants during odd-even scheme

A recent assessment by Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) indicates that there was increase in concentration of pollutants at most of the monitoring locations during the second phase of vehicle rationing scheme period in Delhi, government said on Tuesday.

"The assessment of CPCB indicated that there was increase in concentration of pollutants at most of the monitoring locations during the odd-even period... Read more..

Marine carbon sinking rates confirm importance of polar oceans

About the same amount of atmospheric carbon that goes into creating plants on land goes into the bodies of tiny marine plants known as plankton. When these plants die and sink, bacteria feed on their sinking corpses and return their carbon to the seawater. When plankton sink deep enough before being eaten, this carbon is taken out of circulation as a greenhouse gas to remain trapped in the deep ocean for centuries.

... Read more..

NGT slaps Rs 10 lakh fine on NBCC

The National Green Tribunal today cracked the whip on state-run National Buildings Construction Corporation (NBCC) for causing air pollution and environmental degradation while carrying out redevelopment of East Kidwai Nagar in southwest Delhi.

The green panel slammed NBCC and its officers for release of pollutants into ambient air while carrying out construction work and causing "nuisance" on the roads in... Read more..

DDUGJY reaches out to a further 174 villages

141 villages have been electrified across the country during last week (from 18th to 24th July 2016) under Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojna (DDUGJY).

Out of these electrified villages, 12 villages belong to Arunachal Pradesh , 82 in Meghalaya, 15 in Assam, 12 in Uttar Pradesh, 3 in Mizoram, 18 in Jharkhand, 3 in Rajasthan , 11 in Odisha and 15 in Bihar, 1 each in Madhya Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh and... Read more..

India’s SECI adding storage to 300MW of solar tenders in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka

Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) will soon tender for utility-scale solar-plus-storage projects in the states of Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka.

India’s first ever large-scale solar-plus-storage tender plans for Andhra Pradesh were revealed back in February, marking a major step into new territory for the country’s utility-scale solar sector, but details were lacking until now.

Consultancy firm Bridge to India revealed that the procurements will now be for 100MW in Andhra Pradesh and 200MW in Karnataka, with each 50MW project connected to 2.5MWh  of storage capacity.... Read more..

Solar power tariffs expected to fall to as low as Rs3.50 a unit in 3 years

Solar power tariffs in India, which have fallen below Rs.5 per unit since November, are expected to fall further as the industry doubles volumes every year and the cost of producing power continues to decline.

At least three industry experts Mint spoke to said that tariffs will fall to as low as Rs.3.5 per unit in three years owing to better use of technology, higher volumes, increased competition and a... Read more..

India, Mexico to cooperate on solar energy, water and more

India’s Department of Science and Technology (DST) and Mexico’s National Council of Science and Technology (CONACyT) have approved 14 joint projects in four focus areas of cooperation – water, seismology, solar energy and biotechnology.

This was decided at a meeting between the two sides in Mexico City on July 18-19 for the 6th meeting of the Indo-Mexican Committee on Science and Technology.... Read more..

NHPC plans to raise up to Rs 4,500 crore via corporate bonds

Hydro-power player NHPC is looking at raising Rs 4,500 crore through corporate bonds on private placement basis and its board will meet on Friday to "consider and approve" the proposal.

"A meeting of the board of directors of the company will be held on Friday, July 22, 2016, to consider and approve raising of corporate bonds up to Rs 4,500 crore till September 2017, on private placement basis," the state-... Read more..

Scientists discover new way to make energy from garden grass