Sustainability Outlook Headlines

The World May Be Starved For Healthy Foods but the US is Wasting a lot of its Food

The world may be starving for healthy foods. But here in the United States, we sure do toss a lot of it away, prompting our federal government to set a goal of reducing such waste by half by 2030.

From a business perspective, it’s centers on the corporate culture — the ability to get everyone throughout the organization to buy-in. To this end, companies that are either in the food business or in the business... Read more..

MNRE ropes in Germany-based KfW Development Bank to fund two floating solar projects

After solar parks developed over vast tracts of land, the next big thing in renewable energy could be solar parks floating on water bodies

The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has initiated a study to assess the potential of floating solar parks in India. It has roped in Germany-based KfW Development Bank to build two large floating solar projects in Maharashtra and Kerala at an initial investment... Read more..

India consider umbrella legislation on climate change

India is considering the possibility of bringing an umbrella legislation on climate change to move ahead towards the ratification of the Paris climate agreement—a legacy that the US President Barack Obama wants to leave before his term draws to an end.

The Indo-US Joint statement this month after PM Modi's visit to the US also made mention of the shared goal of enabling entry into force of the Paris... Read more..

Discoms stuck in slow lane on revising power tariffs

Power distribution utilities and electricity regulatory commissions have stayed steadfast with their reputation for sloppiness and more have been late in filing tariff hike petitions and revising electricity prices even as the sector has pinned hopes of discom revival for a push in power demand that could absorb the surplus generation capacity.

The centre's latest assessment of the distribution utilities... Read more..

Karnataka state government will be fined if it is found violating green laws

Justice Jawad Rahim, judicial member, National Green Tribunal (NGT, New Delhi) on Saturday said that if the state government is found guilty of violating the provisions of Forest Act or environmental laws with regard to development projects taken up at Chamundi Hills, there is a provision under the NGT Act to impose a fine of up to Rs 10 crore on the government.

The state government has started various... Read more..

Centre asks states to set up one lakh biogas plants this fiscal

In a bid to push clean energy, the Centre has asked the states/UTs to set up one lakh biogas plants of one to six cubic meter capacity this fiscal, which will save 21.90 lakh LPG cylinders every year.

"With an objective to provide clean gaseous fuel for cooking and organic bio-manure as a by-product, Ministry of New and Renewable Energy has allocated to the states/UTs an annual target of setting up one lakh... Read more..

Narendra Modi launches smart city projects in Pune

One year after the announcement of the plan, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday launched projects under the smart cities mission in Pune, officially kick-starting the ambitious project of the National Democratic Alliance government.

Projects with a total investment of Rs.2,900 crore were also launched on Saturday in states including Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand and Odisha under the Atal... Read more..

US to fund 3 proposals under small grants competition pitch

The US Department of State (DOS) will provide seed funding for up to three proposals under the Small Grant Competition here. The total amount available is $ 10,000 and the selected projects have a timeline of about 4-6 months.

One of the primary goals of the US Department of State funded conference, “The Future is Now: India, From COP21 to Reality,” is to encourage networking and collaboration among... Read more..

1-Megawatt power plant at Chennai Metro

Su-Kam Power Systems, the Gurugram-based power back up solutions provider, will install a 1 MW Grid Tie Solar Power Plant at the Head Office of Chennai Metro Rail Ltd. The company bagged the project to set up the solar power facility from Chennai Metro, said a press release from Su-Kam power. The solar power facility will generate 5,000 units of electricity daily.

Document on website is a study, not draft forest policy: Centre

The Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change on Saturday said a document uploaded on its website as Draft National Forest Policy was, in fact, not a draft policy at all.

The document, prepared by the Indian Institute of Forest Management, titled ‘National Forest Policy, 2016,’ was uploaded on the Ministry’s website along with an office memorandum calling for comments on June 16.... Read more..

Global air pollution crisis 'must not be left to private sector'

The global air pollution crisis killing more than 6 million people a year must be tackled by governments as a matter of urgency and not just left to the private sector, a report from the world’s leading energy authority says.

An increase of investment in energy of about 7% a year could tackle the problem, and would pay for itself through health benefits and better social conditions, the International Energy... Read more..

Methane Replaces Carbon Dioxide as Primary Greenhouse Gas Regulatory Target

Carbon dioxide, by far the most ubiquitous greenhouse gas (GHG) by volume, has long been the primary target of regulatory efforts to limit GHG emissions.  The most significant climate change regulations over the past decade have focused squarely on reducing carbon dioxide emissions, with reductions in other GHGs addressed secondarily or not at all.  However, with the dramatic increase in the drilling for and use of methane for electricity generation (an increase driven, in part, by the lower carbon dioxide... Read more..