Sustainability Outlook Headlines

Chinese firm to produce low-carbon subway trains for India

A Chinese manufacturer has won a deal to produce five environment-friendly subway trains for India, the company's spokesman said Tuesday.

Zhuzhou Electric Locomotive Co., Ltd., of China South Locomotive and Rolling Stock Corporation Limited (CSR), China's main rail vehicles manufacturer, signed the contract with representatives of Siemens, the contractor of a subway project in New Delhi, on Monday in Zhuzhou City, Hunan Province, said Han Jun, publicity director of the Chinese company.

Under the deal, the Chinese supplier would hand over the first train in November 2011, and... Read more..

US to Retain its Hybrid Car Leadership Till 2012

With the economic recovery and aggressive new models launches, the US hybrid car industry is expected to post CAGR of around 23.4% during 2010-2012, says RNOCS.

According to our research report “Hybrid Car Market Forecast to 2012”, the US currently dominates the global hybrid car sales, followed by Japan and Europe. Government favorable policies and increasing acceptance of hybrid cars enabled the US market to post one of the world’s fastest industry developments. The fluctuation of oil prices, tax incentives, strict emission standards and increasing consumer awareness are expected... Read more..

Did Jairam Ramesh Mislead Nation on Emission Intensity Cuts?

In the run up to Copenhagen climate conference last year, government had announced that it will reduce its emission intensity by 20-25% by the year 2020 from 2005 levels. Now an advocacy group claims that the so called "cuts" do not require any new action or policy change. What's more, data made public by Ministry of Environment itself two months prior to the announcement establishes this beyond any doubt, they claim.

Manu Sharma, founder of Climate Revolution Initiative, an advocacy group working in the area of climate change, alleged in a statement released today that Jairam... Read more..

Asian Rivers Impacted by Clmate Change

It all depends on where you are. When weather patterns change rainfall will increase some places and decrease in other places. What has the most impact is those river systems that many people depend on. Two of Asia's major rivers are the the Brahmaputra and Indus river basins that descend from the Himalayas into India. According to some recent study these two are likely to be severely affected by climate change while others will be less affected and could even benefit.

Energy security: Challenges & opportunities for India

India is currently the world's fifth largest oil importer, meeting 75% of its needs from overseas. According to the international energy agency, India is poised to become the third largest importer after the US and China by 2025 and while India accounts for 5% of the world's energy consumption the known hydrocarbons in the country are only 0.5% of the global reserves. So it is clear India will always be a net importer unless someone makes a miraculous discovery.

Speaking to CNBC-TV18 on the sidelines of the hindustantimes.com meet on Energy Security Towards A Sustainable Future,... Read more..

Environment worries to lift electric car sales: report

Global sales of electric cars are expected to reach 940,000 units this year compared with 732,000 units last year, with the number jumping to 3 million in 2015, J.D. Power analysts said in a report. The uptake of battery powered cars is seen as key to fighting climate change by cutting carbon emissions, as well as a way to wean economies off imported or difficult to reach oil, as highlighted by BP's Gulf of Mexico oil spill. More than 98 percent of sales are expected to be of hybrid electric cars, which are part petrol, part battery, rather than plug-in cars, which are wholly battery... Read more..

JNNURM funds hinge on green moves, says Ramesh

The National Mission on Sustainable Habitats was approved yesterday by the Prime Minister’s Council on Climate Change, which will be implemented in cities receiving funding from Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) to make them climate resilient.

How CEOs can win in a carbon-regulated world

The recent mandate that all vehicles in 13 Indian cities comply with Euro-IV emission norms impacts all auto companies in the country — and businesses in many other sectors. As countries like the US, China and India step up efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, companies will increasingly have to prepare for a carbon-constrained future. Some companies might stand on the sidelines and wait for policy to take shape, but most CEOs would be better off getting ahead of legislation. They can see it as an opportunity to better serve their companies by asking, ‘How can I use carbon... Read more..

PSUs may sell 50% of hydel power locally

The government is considering allowing state-owned power companies such as NHPC and Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam (SJVNL) to sell up to 50% electricity generated from their hydel power plants to respective home states where the projects are located. Local allocation could go up to 100% in exceptional circumstances with the approval of the minister of power, a government official said.

The move aims at providing level playing field to government companies so that they are able to compete with private hydel project developers who bag several hydel projects from state governments offering... Read more..

Critics slam new climate change proposal in Bonn

A new round of climate talks ended Friday with rich and poor countries both sharply criticizing a new text meant to pave the way toward a deal to halt global warming. Still, the United Nations said progress was made at the two-week meeting in Bonn. "This all in all is a big step forward making much more possible in Cancun," said U.N. climate chief Yvo de Boer, referring to the next major climate summit in Mexico at the end of the year.

Major climate decisions brewing in obscure ozone treaty talks

Governments moved closer Friday to curbing the use of chemicals commonly used as coolants in refrigerators, air conditioners, hair spray and other household items in what some say would be among their biggest climate decisions ever.

The obscure round of U.N. ozone treaty talks in Geneva, which few people are following, laid the groundwork this week for a possible decision in Uganda in November to halt the promotion of hydrofluorocarbons, or HFCs, which are manmade chemicals not found naturally in the environment, and are considered greenhouse gases.

India’s ‘climate change chair’ at US design fest

A steel-and-fabric chair named ‘0.76 Celsius’ will showcase India’s concern on climate change at a prestigious US furniture and lifestyle design show and looking on will be high-end buyers from Beverly Hills and Hollywood. This is the first time India will display furniture design at the ‘Dwell on Design Fair-2010′ in Los Angeles from June 25 to 27 under the umbrella of the ‘Asia Now’ exhibition that will bring the best of furniture design solutions and iconography from 11 Asian countries.

The exhibition, curated by the Milan-based design resource centre, Designboom, is the first... Read more..