Sustainability Outlook Headlines

UN World Water Day goes beyond March 22 for these 10 startups

The UN has declared March 22nd as World Water Day to spread awareness about the multiple forms that water takes, the variety of uses it is employed for, the channels it is made available for households and industries, and the risks that we face today for not using it properly and polluting its sources extensively. Several events have been organised around the globe to draw a picture of area-specific policies that have been followed so far, and delineate what is yet to be done. At Social Story, we decided to bring the focus on how small companies and organisations in India are committing to... Read more..

Date : Mar 23

Source: Your Story

MNRE requests all states to come out with a solar policy

The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has asked all states to come out with a solar policy, a move that will help the Centre meet its clean energy target. "The Ministry has requested all states to come out with solar policy. A draft model solar energy policy has been sent to all states. So far, 14 number of states have issued solar policies," Minister for Power, Coal and Renewable Energy Piyush Goyal said in a written statement in the Lok Sabha.

He also said the ministry has sanctioned 348 MW grid connected rooftop projects to various states in the country. While... Read more..

Date : Mar 20

Source: Business Standard

KPMG launches guide for issuing green bonds

With growing interest and market for ‘green bonds’, KPMG has launched a guide on the process of issuing a green bond. Green bonds are becoming an attractive mechanism for both public and private sector companies to raise capital to fund projects with an environmental benefit such as renewable energy, low carbon transport and forestry projects.

The global green bond market is growing rapidly, with $100 billion of bond issues predicted for 2015. Several KPMG member firms, including India, France, Australia and the UK, have recently won green bond-related engagements, said a... Read more..

Date : Mar 20

Source: Business Standard

India: Transport, domestic sectors ahead in greenhouse gas emissions

Transport and domestic sectors were found to be the biggest emitters of greenhouse gases in a study done in seven of India's major cities.

The study, done for the period 2009-2010, shows that while high rise buildings with glass façades, inefficient heating systems and waste mismanagement pushed up emissions from the domestic sector in Kolkata, poor public transport systems in Bangalore and Hyderabad sent vehicular emissions soaring in those cities.

Published in the journal Renewable And Sustainable Energy Reviews, the study puts Delhi on top as the biggest... Read more..

Date : Mar 20

Source: IB Times

Air pollution levels in Delhi exceed WHO limit, says govt

The level of air pollution in Delhi exceeds the limits prescribed by the World Health Organisation (WHO), government said in Rajya Sabha on Thursday. The air quality monitoring data for Delhi provided by Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) indicates that the levels of particulate matter (PM 2.5) exceed the WHO guidelines by a “factor of 7 to 12”, environment minister Prakash Javadekar said.

WHO published Air Quality Guidelines for Europe in 1987 and 2000. A global update was brought out in 2005 by WHO. India took into account the norms while revisiting and notifying the... Read more..

Date : Mar 20

Source: Live Mint

Indus Towers to convert Delhi’s 3,000 street light poles into telecom towers

Indus Towers and its partner telecom operators plan to invest about Rs 220 crore over three years to equip 3,000 street light poles in the entire New Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC) area with 2G/3G/4G technologies, with a target of 1,000 poles each year.

The world's largest telecom tower company, which has more than 115,000 towers across India, has won a tender to set up a digital network by way of street lamps across the NDMC area.

Indus Towers is a three-way joint venture between Bharti AirtelBSE -0.13 %, Vodafone India and Idea CellularBSE -0.20 % in... Read more..

Date : Mar 20

Source: Economic Times

The world's most polluting coal plants are identified

New research from the Stranded Assets Programme at the University of Oxford's Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment has identified the least efficient coal-fired power stations in the world.

The study which analyses the world's 100 largest 'subcritical company portfolios', those containing with least efficient and most polluting form of coal-fired power stations, has found that 39% of them are in in China, 21% in the US, 10% in the EU, and 9% in India. Over half (59%) are owned by governments globally.

In addition to the average subcritical coal-fired... Read more..

Date : Mar 20

Source: Phys.org

The growing debate over electric mobility

Some of the world’s earliest automobiles were electric vehicles (EVs), but by the early 20th century, internal combustion had comprehensively outcompeted them. The success of internal combustion was built largely on two pillars: first, the widespread availability of cheap petrol, and second, the range and convenience afforded by it. Today, both those pillars are crumbling.

Fossil fuels are suddenly not as widespread and inexhaustible as they once seemed, and their financial and environmental costs have mushroomed to frankly ridiculous levels. Simultaneously, different EV... Read more..

Date : Mar 20

Source: Auto Car Pro

REConnect Energy launches online renewable energy marketplace

REConnect Energy Solutions, a renewable energy consultancy and sourcing firm, has launched an online marketplace for power consumers and generators to buy and sell green electricity.

The marketplace, clickpower.in, will enable open access customers to explore options to buy green electricity from various energy generators by monitoring real-time deals.

"In the renewable energy sector especially, buying power through open access has been happening through brokers and other intermediaries. This platform is an attempt to orga nise the sector, while keeping... Read more..

Date : Mar 20

Source: Economic Times

Himachal to light up villages with solar energy

Himachal Pradesh will try to light up three non-electrified villages located in the deep forests of the Great Himalayan National Park Conservation Area, India's richest biodiversity spot in the western Himalayas, through solar energy, Power Minister Sujan Singh Pathania said here on Thursday.

"We are planning to install a solar energy plant of 50KV near the villages at an outlay of Rs.80 lakh," he informed the assembly during question hour.

Himachal Lokhit Party Member Maheshwar Singh said the work to bring electricity to the villages, which have 39 households,... Read more..

Date : Mar 20

Source: Business Standard

Norway Sovereign Fund drops Indian coal mining firms

The world largest sovereign wealth fund, the Government Pension Fund Global (GPFG) of Norway, has dropped a number of Indian companies from its portfolio as part of its focus on climate change.

"In 2014, we continued our review of coal mining, looking especially at mining that is causing particular environmental damage in India and the US," the world richest pension fund said in a report titled 2014 Responsible Investment. "We divested from seven companies involved in such mining," it said.

GPFG also cited concerns over coal mining in Indonesia's Kalimantan... Read more..

Date : Mar 20

Source: Economic Times

Government discontinues subsidy scheme for green energy

The Narendra Modi government may be quite vocal when it comes to its commitment towards clean energy, but when reality bites, it is seen as taking a back seat. The tight finances have forced the government to silently discontinue one of its key subsidy schemes promoting renewable energy.

The share of solar power within the renewable energy space was 8% in FY14 and experts feel that the withdrawal of the subsidy may hamper the desired growth in capacity addition in FY16. The scheme was discontinued with effect from March 1.

The Ministry of New and Renewable... Read more..

Date : Mar 19

Source: Economic Times

Earth Day campaigns this year to focus on waste management

Earth Day on April 22 this year will be marked with innovative campaigns and contests promoting recycling, upcycling, renewables and waste management, and as many as 45 cities in India are gearing up for it, an organiser said on Wednesday.

"Earth Day commemorations are now held all across India. This year marks the 45th anniversary of Earth Day, and our programmes will focus on the global Earth Day slogan `It`s Our Turn to Lead`. Our endeavour will be for a green India," said Earth Day Network Country Director India Karuna Singh.

She said the `GREEN - It`s Our... Read more..

Date : Mar 19

Source: Zee News

UK opens talks on world's first tidal lagoon power scheme

The British government Wednesday said it was opening talks on plans to build the world's first man-made tidal lagoon in Wales to generate green energy. The proposed 1-billion pound (1.38-billion-euro, USD 1.47-billion) project would harness the huge tides from the Severn Estuary which separates England from Wales, with the goal of powering 155,000 homes for 120 years.

The company behind the project, Tidal Lagoon Power, says it will require subsidies of about 168 pound per megawatt hour (MWh).

This would make it significantly more expensive than other low carbon... Read more..

Date : Mar 19

Source: Zee News

ACME installed first Li-ion based energy storage solution

ACME, a leader in energy management and innovative solutions for alternate energy sector with presence in solar power generation, today announced that it has installed its first Li-ion based Energy Storage Solution for a leading telecom tower company post successful trials of the solution at various sites across India for more than an year.

This installation has been done by ACME under its exclusive and strategic agreement with Korean energy storage system giant to manufacture and marketing of lithium ion based energy storage solutions in telecom, buildings, solar power,... Read more..

Date : Mar 19

Source: PV Magazine

GSFC launches Sardar Scheme to promote use of solar energy in irrigation

Gujarat State Fertilisers Company Ltd (GSFC) has launched its Sardar Package Scheme in 41 talukas (sub-divisions) spread across 19 districts in the State to promote use of renewable energy in irrigation, a top official said today. “The scheme has been launched in Vyara village of Waghodiya taluka in Vadodara. The main purpose of this scheme is to spread awareness for solar pumps among farmers and encourage their use in drip irrigation,” company Chairman and Managing Director S K Nanda told PTI.

Under the scheme, two lakh hectares of land will be added to drip irrigation every... Read more..

Date : Mar 19

Source: Business Line- The Hindu

Vijayawada Draws Rs 250 Crore Plan to Turn it Into 'Solar City'

The Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC) has drawn up a Rs 250 cr plan to turn the city into a ‘Solar City’ as directed by the state government, according to top VMC sources.

Apprising Express of this here on Monday, they added that as a first step in the implementation of the plan, the VMC would install roof-top solar panels at its main office and council hall and its buildings at the Ajitsingh Nagar Sewage Treatment Plant, Ramalingeswara Nagar and Dr KL Rao Head Water Works and generate 100 KW of power at each them to meet its power requirements. Each of these units would... Read more..

Date : Mar 19

Source: The New Indian Express

Swedish firm keen to produce power from garbage, organic waste

Sweden-based firm Business & Green Technology Promotion has evinced interest in setting up plants in Telangana to produce electricity from garbage and organic waste. It has put forward a proposal in this regard to Telangana Government, which has agreed to look into it.

The company's Managing Director, Raman Nagarajan, along with consultant Daina Millers Dalsio and waste management expert Towe Ireblad called on Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao at Secretariat here and discussed the proposal, an official statement said here today. "They informed that an estimated 4,500... Read more..

Date : Mar 19

Source: Business Standard

Solar Express: Can India’s rail network hit its clean energy target?

India’s rail network is a significant growth engine for the economy. But it’s not very green. An estimated 60% of its 65,000 kilometres of railway tracks are still powered by diesel. This makes it India’s largest consumer of diesel at 2.6 billion litres last year.

It is also the largest consumer of electricity at 13.8 billion kWh and its energy consumption is rising by 5% every year. Electric power in India is largely generated in thermal [coal, gas, nuclear] plants. When the cost of electricity rose by over 45% in the new decade, the government made a decision to source 5%... Read more..

Date : Mar 19

Source: RTCC

US Assistance for Renewable Energy Technologies

US has agreed to help India for renewable energy technologies. Broad understanding has been reached during visit of U.S. President to India in the month of January, 2015 to emphasize on the critical importance of expanding clean energy research, development, manufacturing and deployment, which increases energy access and reduces greenhouse gas emissions. This was stated by Sh. Piyush Goyal, Minister of state for Power, Coal & New and Renewable Energy (IC) in a written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha today.

The Minister further stated that both the countries intend... Read more..

Date : Mar 19

Source: Business Standard

Start cleaning from tomorrow morning: Delhi HC to civic bodies

The Delhi High Court Wednesday directed civic bodies to start cleaning the entire Lajpat Nagar here from Thursday morning and to maintain it that way as a "test" of their "efficiency and ability" to keep the national capital clean.

A bench of justices B D Ahmed and Sanjeev Sachdeva said it wants to see if the civic bodies, including the municipal corporations, Delhi Jal Board, Public Works Department and DDA were "capable" of maintaining cleanliness in a model area "or else we will disband the corporations".

"We want to see your capacity... Start cleaning from... Read more..

Date : Mar 19

Source: Zee News

PSBs commit Rs.1.71-lakh cr for green lending

Public sector banks have made ‘green lending’ commitments totalling Rs.1,70,740 crore to help stakeholders put up renewable energy projects over the next five years. At an average project cost of Rs. 5 crore per megawatt (MW), green energy generation in the country is expected to increase by 34,148 MW during this period.

The green lending commitments were recently made by the banks to the Ministry of New & Renewable Energy (MNRE). The sources of green (clean) energy include wind, small hydro, biomass, and solar. They supplement fossil fuel-based electricity generation.... Read more..

Date : Mar 18

Source: Business Line- The Hindu

Discoms fail to meet renewable energy target

Gujarat power distribution companies have got relief for shortfall in compliance to renewable purchase obligations (RPOs) from the Gujarat Electricity Regulatory Commission (GERC). The state electricity regulator has adjusted shortfall in RPOs for 2013-14.

Every power distribution company has to purchase electricity from renewable energy sources, at a defined minimum percentage of the total consumption of its consumers. This minimum percentage was decided by GERC from 2010-11 to 2016-17. For 2013-14, minimum quantum of purchase from renewable energy sources was 7% (1% from... Read more..

Date : Mar 18

Source: Times of India

3 sustainable energy enterprises from India shortlisted for green awards

Three sustainable energy enterprises from India have been shortlisted for this year's Ashden Awards, the world's most prestigious green awards.

Tamil Nadu-based SunBest, Mahindra Lifespaces and Greenlight Planet, a firm focused on providing solar energy solutions to off-grid consumers in India, are among the 10 organisations to be shortlisted for the awards, which will be announced June 11.

Mahindra Lifespaces is transforming urban landscape by creating sustainable communities by developing attractive low-carbon homes in Mumbai and other urban areas in India... Read more..

Date : Mar 18

Source: Economic Times

CII inks pacts with Hitachi, Siemens for smart city initiative

In the first step towards implementation of the Narendra Modi government's plan to build 100 smart cities, the Confederation of Indian Industry on Tuesday inked pacts with global technology firms Siemens and HitachiBSE 1.30 %. Under the agreement, the industry led consortia will spearhead the conceptualisation and implementation of pilot projects in smart cities.

CII has set up a 'National Mission on Smart Cities', a consortium comprising industry leaders and experts to provide policy advocacy and thought leadership to government and other stakeholders. The memorandums of... Read more..

Date : Mar 18

Source: Economic Times