Sustainability Outlook Headlines

Availon signs 78MW of wind turbine servicing contracts

Availon, a cross-brand provider of wind turbine generator services, has entered into new contracts for the servicing of 48 wind turbine generators at the Husum Wind trade fair.

However, the company has not disclosed the name of the clients but said they come from four different European countries.

The contracts represent an additional 78MW of capacity placed under the care of Availon, the company said.

The turbines involved include Vestas V80 and V90, Gamesa G80 and G58, GE 1.5 and DeWind D6.

Three quarters of the orders are based on partial maintenance and one... Read more..

Renewable energy to power generation over 5 yrs: IEA

Renewable energy will represent the largest single source of growth in power generation over the next five years on the back of falling costs and aggressive expansion in emerging economies, the International Energy Agency said on Friday, a day on which India dramatically raised the climate bar on the back of its green energy push.

India pledged to reduce its greenhouse emission intensity by up to 35% by 2030 from 2005 levels, marking a dramatic increase of 75% over its present voluntary commitment. Rapid expansion of renewable energy capacity and replacement of old coal-fired power... Read more..

Upcoming Indian innovators in Big Data, Alternative Materials and Renewable Energy unveiled

Parivartan Sustainability Leadership Awards today announced its shortlist of finalists for the 2015 edition. 21 forward thinking sustainability innovators have shortlisted with alternative material solutions for reducing environmental footprint of the end product; Big Data/Internet of Things and analytics tools for sustainability; disruptive innovations in Distributed Renewable Energy. Some of these include emerging innovators with cutting edge sustainability solutions expected to capture the market in a big way in the near term.

Instituted by Sustainability Outlook, the Parivartan... Read more..

India is all set to submit its 'climate action plan' within UN deadline

India will on Thursday submit its post-2020 'climate action plan' to a UN body in Bonn, specifying what the country will do to fight the threat of climate change. Hours after its submission within the 'informal' deadline of October 1, the country will announce the plan on Friday (October 2) -- coinciding it with the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.

Aligning its 'Green India' pledge with 'Clean India' mission, the country will tell the world on the occasion of 'Gandhi Jayanti' as what all the 'father of the nation' had advocated for preserving the nature through sustainable... Read more..

Government bats for 1.5 lakh electric buses; eyes Rs 8 lakh crore cut in import bill

The government plans to convert about 1.5 lakh diesel buses run by state transport corporations into electric buses to cut on huge Rs 8 lakh crore crude import bill and check pollution, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari said today.

"We have 1.5 lakh buses of state road transport corporations. It is our effort to convert 1.5 lakh diesel buses into electric battery-operated buses which will reduce Rs 8 lakh crore bill on import of crude and petroleum and would also help in making India pollution free," the Road Transport and Highways Minister said.

To make India pollution free, the... Read more..

Railway stations to go green, star-rating system being developed by IGBC

Now Railway Stations in India will go green. In the next six months, the Indian Green Building Council (IGBC) will be coming up with a star-rating system for 400 railway stations that have been identified to be redeveloped by the Modi-government.

“We are working with the Ministry of Railways to develop special rating system for 400 stations. This will ensure that these stations go green,” Dr P C Jain, chairman of IGBC, said here on Monday.

“These rating systems, which we plan to develop in the next six months, will be applicable to existing railway stations in Gujarat and... Read more..

Fed up with power cuts, Greater Noida residents turn to solar power plants

Frustrated with long power cuts, residents in Greater Noida’s Rabupura, Nagla Hukam Singh and Tirthali areas, among others, are tapping solar power by installing solar plants on rooftops and vacant spaces.

“Solar power is not only eco-friendly but also cost-effective, so I opted for it. Ten to twelve-hour power cuts are normal in Rabupura and adjoining areas. As a result, we have to depend on diesel-run generator sets to operate fans, computers, refrigerators and other home appliances. I was spending nearly Rs 40,000 a month on diesel. It was also creating unbearable pollution in... Read more..

Green technology, funds crucial to India's climate change

Ahead of the climate change summit in Paris in December, India today said green technology needs of emerging economies are "crucial" to fight greenhouse gas emissions and sought financial as well as technological support from developed nations.

Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar also rued that the finance and technology mechanism under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) are neither working at its optimum level nor in tandem and urged nations to find the "cohesion" at the earliest.

"Technology needs of emerging economies such as India are... Read more..

Paris goes car-free for a day

Central Paris went car-free on Sunday as part of its fight against air pollution, at a time when the Volkswagen emissions scandal again turns the spotlight on diesel and the air pollutants it produces.

The French capital’s central arrondissements, an administrative district, and areas around landmarks such as the Eiffel Tower and Champs Elysees were free from car noise and exhaust fumes, allowing people to stroll, cycle or skate.

Exceptions are allowed for taxis, buses and emergency vehicles. Paris has occasionally closed selected roads to traffic in the past, but not as... Read more..

Modi calls for climate change agenda that helps developing countries

Prime Minister Narendra Modi met US President Barack Obama and France and Britain's leaders on Monday, and called for a climate change agenda from upcoming global talks in Paris that helps developing countries with access to finance and technology.

Modi said after meeting Obama that he and the American President shared an "uncompromising" commitment to fighting climate change without hurting development. He thanked Obama for responding positively to his call for a global public partnership to develop sources of clean energy.

"We look forward to (a) comprehensive and concrete... Read more..

India’s leadership on climate change critical, says Obama

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Barack Obama have renewed their resolve to together meet the twin challenges of terrorism and climate change, with the US saying India’s leadership on the issue was critical.

“As terrorism threats grow, we have resolved to deepen our cooperation,” Modi said at a joint briefing with Obama after an over-hour-long meeting, their fifth in a year, that began with the two leaders sharing a hug.

“The president and I share an uncompromising commitment on climate change without affecting our ability to meet the development aspirations of... Read more..

Seven temples in AP to follow green initiatives

The government of the south Indian state Andhra Pradesh has planned to adopt seven major temples that will follow green initiatives.

Earlier this month, the government issued an order that covers Annavaram, Dwaraka Tirumala, Kanaka Durga (Vijayawada), Kanipakam, Simhachalam, Srikalahasti and Srisailam temples in the state.

Ajay Jain, the energy secretary of the state, has written to executive officers of the temples seeking details of power consumption at the sites.

The energy secretary has also proposed replacement of incandescent and other energy-inefficient lights... Read more..