Sustainability Outlook Headlines

Wooden Computer Chips Might Lead to Biodegradable Gadgets

Are you a human? If so, you probably threw away at least one electronic device last year, piling onto 92 billion tons of e-waste in 2014. Luckily, we're a step closer to gadgets that could be more biodegradable: Computer chips made almost entirely out of wood.

Here's the problem: Most phones, tablets, and other portable gizmos are made out of stuff that isn't biodegradable and is toxic to the environment. Plus, gadgets go obsolete so quickly, prompting folks to rapidly chuck older versions. But using a wood-based material to build the bulk of a computer chip could lead to less... Read more..

Date : May 27

Source: Gizmodo

Solar PV Costs To Fall Another 25% In Three Years

The big fall in solar PV costs over the last five years is helping redefine the future of energy generation across the world, with grid parity in the retail market achieved in dozens of countries, and even beating wholesale prices in markets such as Chile and the Middle East.

And it seems that the cost falls will continue. Canadian Solar, one of the big three global solar PV manufacturers, this week delivered a detailed update of its outlook, including some interesting forecasts on the future of solar PV costs.

In short, Canadian Solar says the cost of solar PV modules will... Read more..

Date : May 27

Source: Clean Technica

EU, India to cooperate on World Cities Project

New Delhi, May 26 (IBNS): Three Indian cities-Mumbai, Navi Mumbai and Chandigarh are being paired with three European cities (Copenhagen-Denmark, Stuttgart-Germany, Lazio Region-Italy) under the new World Cities project, a European Union (EU) initiative which originated in the European Parliament, with the aim of promoting long-term working relations between cities of the EU and non-EU partner countries, including India.

The project is implemented in India in partnership with Mumbai First.

The overall aim of the project is to contribute to better urban policy for the... Read more..

Date : May 27

Source: India Blooms

Investors worth $12trn call for long term carbon target

Chief executives of 120 funds are calling for a long term emissions reduction goal as part of a global climate pact to be struck in Paris this December.

The institutional investors, representing more than US$12 trillion of assets, wrote to G7 finance ministers ahead of their meeting in Dresden on Wednesday.

They urged the seven industrialised economies, including the US, Japan and Germany, to throw their weight behind a clear international target.

“Climate change is one of the biggest systemic risks we face,” the letter stated. “With the right market signals from... Read more..

Date : May 27

Source: RTCC

Clean Ganga mission faces 'most critical' challenge in pollution hotspot Kanpur

The Modi government’s plan to clean the Ganga faces its toughest challenge yet in Kanpur, a heavily industrialised north Indian riverside town which could make or mar the mission since it is crucial to plugging pollution elsewhere, experts say.

A strategy document of the National Mission for Clean Ganga, viewed by HT, identifies the Kanpur-Varanasi leg as the “most critical stretch”, but political hurdles and engineering complexities have emerged as formidable tests.

The overall mission itself is so daunting that the government has now been forced to settle for some more “... Read more..

Date : May 27

Source: Hindustan Times

Investors Call On ExxonMobil, Chevron to Stop Resisting Transition to Clean Energy

Shareholders of ExxonMobil and Chevron and members of the Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility (ICCR) say they will focus on climate change at the companies’ annual general meetings (AGMs) this coming Wednesday.

Fossil fuel companies are facing increased scrutiny from policy-makers, investors and the public due to the growing body of scientific evidence on the industry's impacts of climate change. This scrutiny has intensified in recent months as world leaders prepare for the climate talks in Paris this fall, and faith communities around the world anticipate the imminent... Read more..

Date : May 27

Source: Sustainable Brands

AP forms body to implement solar parks

Hyderabad, May 25: A separate corporation Andhra Pradesh Solar Power Corporation Private Limited has been created for implementation of solar parks.

K Vijayanand, Managing Director, APGenco and Chairman, APSPCL, today inaugurated its website www.apscl.ap.gov.in.

The corporation has been formed as per the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy Scheme for implementation of Ultra Mega Solar Parks wherein 50 per cent equity is held by Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI), 41 per cent by APGenco and 9 per cent by NREDCAP (New and... Read more..

Date : May 27

Source: BusinessLine

New firm set up for 2.5 GW Andhra Pradesh solar projects

May 26 (SeeNews) - A new company, named Andhra Pradesh Solar Power Corp Pvt Ltd (APSPCL), has been set up by major sector players to add over 2.5 GW of fresh photovoltaic (PV) capacity in the Indian state, local media reported Monday.

APSPCL is involved in the 1.5-GW NP Kunta Solar Park in the districts of Anantapur and Kadapa, as well as the 1-GW Gani & Sakunala Solar Park in Kurnool district. The projects will be largely supported by Andhra Pradesh, which will provide land, transmission, water, roads and other infrastructure needed for them.

Solar Energy Corp of India... Read more..

Date : May 27

Source: See news. Renewables

JBM to invest Rs 1,600 crore on solar power vertical

CHENNAI: JBM group's ambitious 1,600 crore foray into solar power will be funded by a mixture of equity and debt.

The solar diversification, to be called JBM Solar, will conduct ground-mounted and roof top power projects. This is the second big diversification by the auto component manufacturer after its bus making facility.

"Our 1,600 crore investment in the solar business will comprise 25% equity and 75% debt," said Nishant Arya, executive director, JBM Group. "The equity element will, initially at least, come from internal accruals." The 1,600 crore investment is intended... Read more..

Date : May 27

Source: The Times of India

Axa To Divest €500 Million In Coal Assets By End Of 2015

French insurance megalith Axa has announced that it intends to divest from €500 million worth of coal assets by the end of 2015.

Axa-2Speaking at the Paris 2015 Climate Finance Day on May 22, Axa CEO Henri de Castries made the announcement as he spoke about the danger of climate change, and the responsibility of companies such as Axa to do something in response.

“The debate is no longer about whether, it’s about when,” said de Castries, the Chairman and CEO of Axa. “The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is unequivocal: the climate system is warming, and many of... Read more..

Date : May 27

Source: Clean Technica

Learn from China: NGT to Centre on curbing vehicular pollution

The National Green Tribunal today asked Centre to learn from China in curbing vehicular pollution in the Delhi-NCR, as it extended till July 13 the stay on its order banning plying of over 10-year-old diesel motor vehicles.

"Why can't you learn from China? Have you gone through the reports how vehicular pollution is controlled in Shanghai city of China," a bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar said.

The observation came when Additional Solicitor General Pinky Anand cited a report prepared by IIT-Delhi saying that up to 67 percent of total Particulate Matter... Read more..

Date : May 26

Source: Business Standard

Green bonds: ANZ joins the global rush

ANZ announced on Friday it would in the next two weeks issue its first green bond, joining NAB, Westpac and Stockland with a product that continues to storm global investment markets.

Chief executive of the Climate Bond Initiative Sean Kidney told The Fifth Estate in an interview earlier this year that the market was likely to top $100 billion by year’s end.

ANZ said its decision was specifically in response to demand from investors during its February roadshow, led by its group treasurer Rick Moscati.

It was also part of ANZ’s strategy to drive investments towards a... Read more..

Date : May 26

Source: Eco Business

Sustainable Energy for All (SE4All) Initiative Gathers Steam

The Sustainable Energy for All initiative held its second annual Forum in the UN General Assembly Hall last week. SE4All is a multi-stakeholder partnership of governments, businesses, civil society, banks, and other international institutions aiming to meet three interlinked goals by 2030:

Ensuring universal access to modern energy services;
Doubling the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix; and
Doubling the rate of improvement in energy efficiency worldwide.

Since extensive energy use, especially in high-income countries, creates... Read more..

Date : May 26

Source: Clean Technica

Tata Power launches India’s 1st Self-Healing Grid technology for continuous power supply

Tata Power has announced the adoption of Self-Healing Grid technology at its 11 kV Distribution Network in Kandivali, the first of its kind in India to be implemented by the Company as a Distribution utility.

The purpose of the Self-Healing Grid technology is to help automate the process of restoration of power supply to keep interruptions (if any) to a bare minimum. Unlike the conventional centralised control approach, Self-Healing Grid (SHG) is a totally decentralised approach where, in case of power fault, every substation communicates with each other and executes the best... Read more..

Date : May 26

Source: Energetica-India

Heat waves in India are more deadly than you think ‒ and they are likely to get deadlier

News reports have put the number of deaths last week in the heat wave sweeping parts of India at more than 500.

The number sounds alarming but is most likely an underestimate. Research shows that India is underreporting heat mortality, which in turn is inhibiting adaptive policies like early warning systems and better public health preparedness.

For one, the government counts only death by heat stroke and heat exhaustion as heat wave deaths. The narrow definition does not account for the way “heat exposure stresses underlying physiological systems”, a study on heat mortality... Read more..

Date : May 26

Source: Scroll.in

DLF's 3 more office buildings get LEED Gold certificates

Realty major DLF's three office buildings in Kolkata and Hyderabad, covering 5.2 million sq ft, have got 'LEED Gold' certifications from the US Green Building Council and the company plans to make all commercial properties environment-friendly that commands premium rents.

LEED is a green building certification programme that recognises best-in-class building strategies and practises.

India's largest realty firm has received LEED Gold certification by the US Green Building Council (USGBC) for three buildings -- two IT park towers in Kolkata and one in Hyderabad.

With... Read more..

Date : May 26

Source: Business Standard

Nissan, BMW launching national grid of charging stations

Nissan and BMW are to jointly build a national grid of electric vehicle (EV) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) charging stations in South Africa. The grid is to be utilized by Nissan and BMW vehicles.

According to news reports, the companies have signed a memorandum of understanding for the purpose as part of a drive to increase electric vehicle adoption in the country.

The charging stations will accommodate direct current fast-charging devices for Combined Charging System 2 used by BMW’s electric and plug-in hybrid models and the Charge de Move system plug standards... Read more..

Date : May 26

Source: Greentech Lead

32 companies responsible for 31% of global emissions

Just 32 companies are responsible for 31% of the world's greenhouse gas emissions, with their emissions rising 1.3% from 2010-2013, Reuters reports.

According to the news service, at 1.26bn tonnes a year Russia's Gazprom is the biggest emitter with Coal India second, at 820mT, ahead of miner and energy trader Glencore, PetroChina, Russian oil firm Rosneft, Royal Dutch Shell and Exxon Mobil.

The figures compiled by Thomson Reuters and BSD Consulting take into account the burning of all coal, oil and gas the companies produce, a change to usual carbon reporting guidelines which... Read more..

Date : May 26

Source: The Courier Mail

BPCL to provide viability gap fund for garbage plant

The Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) will provide viability gap fund for the proposed new waste treatment plant to be set up by the Corporation of Cochin.

Executive Director of BPCL’s Kochi refinery Prasad Panicker said on Tuesday that the corporation would find the land for setting up the plant. He said that the details of the project were being worked out and that the quantum of funding would depend on the project size.

The waste treatment plant will be set up under Prime Minister’s Swachh Bharat programme. BPCL has been chosen to financially back the project... Read more..

Date : May 26

Source: The Hindu

Biogas plants at affordable rates

The Calicut Service Cooperative Bank, in association with the Agency for Non Conventional Energy and Rural technology (Anert), will launch a biogas project for houses here on May 22.

Mayor A.K. Premajam will inaugurate the project, which will offer biogas plants at subsidised rates to nearly 6,000 users in the city. Office-bearers of the bank and the Anert said the selected households would be provided 50 per cent subsidy to set up the facility.

Beneficiaries

The project would be offered for Santhi Nagar Colony residents also. Over 200 houses in this... Read more..

Date : May 26

Source: BusinessLine

The emerging world of printed electronics

As the consumer electronics and technology market blooms, printed electronics space has remained relatively docile. With encouraging projections, early movers like Keetronics are in prime position to capitalise on the vast potential. Words: Rushikesh Aravkar

The city of Pune, conceals in its crevices little secrets that the naked eyes of a passerby will not recognise. Who would have thought that a small industrial estate of Kothrud in the outskirts of Pune, houses a highly specialised ultramodern screen printing operation?

We (Rushikesh Aravkar and Anand Srinivasan) are at... Read more..

Date : May 26

Source: PrintWeek

The emerging world of printed electronics

We (Rushikesh Aravkar and Anand Srinivasan) are at... Read more..

Date : May 26

Source: PrintWeek

Vikram Solar to more than treble capacity in West Bengal

NEW DELHI: Kolkata-based solar photovoltaic modules maker Vikram Solar plans to more than treble its manufacturing capacity in West Bengal by the end of this fiscal, its MD and CEO Gyanesh Chaudhary said.

The first phase of 250 MW expansion at its facility at Falta, West Bengal, will be commissioned by August while the second phase of a similar quantum would come on track in the next six to eight months, Chaudhary told ET. The plant currently has installed production capacity of 150 MW.

The company further plans to expand the capacity to 1.2 GW by 2018 through a project... Read more..

Date : May 26

Source: The Economic Times

Nainital to launch solid waste management system for rural areas

Nainital: Nainital will soon become the first district in Uttarakhand to launch an effective system of solid waste management in rural areas.

The third State Finance Commission has allocated a sum of Rs 25 lakh for taking up solid waste management in rural areas of the district, District Board Chairperson Sumitra Prasad said here on Saturday.

Under the rural solid waste management programme to be formally inaugurated in the district by Cabinet Minister Indira Hridayesh on May 26, the district board will do door-to-door waste collection in rural areas for which each household... Read more..

Date : May 26

Source: Z News

Adani plans 1,000-Mw solar park in Tamil Nadu

After announcing solar parks in Gujarat and Rajasthan, Adani Power has firmed up plans to set up a 1,000-megawatt (Mw) one in Tamil Nadu. The proposed energy park is likely to attract around Rs 7,000-crore investment.

Although an Adani spokesperson declined to comment, a state government official and sources in the company confirmed the development.

The sources said a deal had been signed with the state government and the project is at an “exploratory” level.

Sources at the state government said the project would be developed in four phases.

The company is... Read more..

Date : May 26

Source: Business Standard