Sustainability Outlook Headlines

India must not lag behind in climate change initiatives

The Copenhagen meet made “limited progress” and no one was satisfied with the outcome, the Prime Minister, Mr Manmohan Singh said on Sunday, while observing that taking the path of low greenhouse gas emissions was the only alternative and India “must not lag behind” on this.

Inaugurating the 97th Indian Science Congress, Mr Singh acknowledged that results of last month’s climate summit, that saw sharp differences over issues of emission cuts and accountability, had left no one satisfied.

However, he said, India should aspire to be among the world leaders in climate-friendly... Read more..

Haryana to set up big biogas plants

Haryana is going to set up a large-sized biogas plants with facility of bottling gas into cylinders for use in cooking.

Staing this here today, Power and Renewable Energy Minister Mahender Partap Singh said Option Energy India Private Limited would set up 1000 cu.m. biogas fertiliser plant at Shri Haryana Goshala at Hansi in Hisar district at a cost of Rs 183.43 lakh.

The plant would have a high rate bio-methanation digester fitted with special patented technology called induced Blanket Reactor (IBR) developed by the Utah State University, US.

He said this would be the... Read more..

New green revolution by the government

Call it green revolution. To achieve the twin objective of promoting education among girls belonging to poor farmer families of Vidarbha in Maharashtra and those affected by Cyclone Aila in West Bengal and spreading the green word through a single programme, the ministry of new and renewable energy (MNRE) is distributing solar lanterns to families below poverty line (BPL) which have girls studying in classes 6 to 12.

About 65,000 such lamps have been already distributed to farmers in Vidarbha and around 14,000 to people in the Sunderbans who were devastated by Aila.

“If we... Read more..

Copenhagen accord has inbuilt hazards: Ramesh

The Copenhagen accord on climate change was a partial success for India but it has certain "inbuilt hazards" of which the developing countries have to be wary, Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh said in Varanasi.

"The accord has certain inbuilt hazards and the developing world, especially India, has to be wary on those accounts.

"The foremost risk is that the developed world could demand an end to the Kyoto Protocol (based on the principle of equity)," Ramesh, who was here yesterday to review the progress of the Ganga river cleanliness programme, told reporters.

He,... Read more..

NTPC to invest Rs 3,000 cr in solar power by 2014

The state-run power major NTPC today said it will invest about Rs 3,000 crore in solar energy to add over 300 mw of generation capacity by March 2014.

"The board of directors of NTPC has approved a roadmap to enter the solar power generation business for capacity addition of 301 mw by March," the company informed the Bombay Stock Exchange.

An investment of Rs 10 crore is required to produce one mw of solar power.

"Out of the 301 mw, 190 mw will be added through solar thermal technology and the balance 111 mw through solar PV technology, the announcement said.

... Read more..

South Korea to launch emissions scheme in January

South Korea will launch a pilot carbon emissions trading scheme from January, after the environment ministry received applications from 641 public and private organisations, the ministry said on Wednesday.

A ministry official said trading mainly among local municipalities will be done online next year, and from 2011 at Korea Exchange, the country's bourse.

The ministry has not yet decided its price for emissions per tonne, she said.

A statement released from the ministry on Tuesday said the scheme will provide a base for the country's voluntary 2020 emissions reduction... Read more..

Pushing the envelope on solar energy research

Can algae be genetically engineered to produce sufficient quantities of biomass for fuel? Can “solar” nanostructures, used like paint on the exterior of buildings and cars, help to harness sunlight to give us energy and destroy pollutants in the air?

Science may have some answers that could make irrelevant the anger of environmentalists directed at politicians who failed us at Copenhagen by not agreeing on concrete and legally binding cuts in greenhouse gas emissions.

The Weizmann Institute for Science, Rehovot, Israel — in the news recently when Ada Yodanath of the Institute... Read more..

French constitutional body rules against carbon tax

France's planned carbon tax cannot be applied because it includes too many exemptions, a French government body ensuring laws are constitutional ruled on Tuesday, in an embarrassing setback for the government.

The tax on carbon-emitting products, meant to encourage consumers to save energy and use less fossil fuels, is one of President Nicolas Sarkozy's most loudly defended initiatives and was meant to come into effect on Jan. 1, 2010.

"The exemptions included in the carbon tax run counter to the aim of fighting climate change and create inequalities with respect to public... Read more..

Is clean tech the next bubble?

The past decade saw investors do a tap dance to the tune of Boom and Bust. First there was the dot-com bubble and the slew of other technological breakthroughs that came with it. Then we witnessed the supposedly invincible housing market complete a jaw-dropping boom-bust cycle. The young 21st century even delivered a notable financial bubble, as well as its inevitable bust.

Sidling along in the background were the seedlings of an industry on the verge of taking flight — alternative-energy technology.

Despite a drop in the overall volume of venture-capital deals last year,... Read more..

Bengal, Gujarat, Rajasthan to play major role in solar power

West Bengal, Gujarat and Rajasthan will be the major participants in the National Solar Mission (NSM) as these three States together will produce nearly 30 per cent of the targeted 20,000 MW solar power in the country by 2022, according to Mr SP Gon Chowdhury, Managing Director of the West Bengal Green Energy Development Corporation.

Addressing media persons on the sidelines of the 23rd Industrial India Trade Fair here on Monday, Mr Chowdhury said, “West Bengal has set the target of producing 110 MW solar power by 2013 involving investment of Rs 1,500 crore by different companies... Read more..

NTPC in pact with Bhutan Govt for Amochhu hydel plant

The state-run power major NTPC on Monday said it entered into a preliminary agreement with Bhutan to set up the Amochhu Reservoir hydel project.

The agreement for preparing a detailed project report was signed in the presence of Prime Minister, Mr Manmohan Singh and Bhutanese King, Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck last week, an NTPC statement said here on today.

The agreement was signed by the NTPC Chairman and Managing Director, Mr RS Sharma and Bhutanese Ambassador to India Major General Vetsop Namgyel, it added.

Earlier India gave assistance to Bhutan to build three... Read more..

West Bengal targets 115 mw solar power by 2013

West Bengal expects to generate 115 megawatt solar power by March 2013, an official said Monday.
“We are expecting to generate 110 mw from land-based solar power plants to be set up with the help of private sector companies.

Another 5 mw will be produced through rooftop panels by 2013,” West Bengal Green Energy Development Corporation (WBGEDC) managing director S.P. Gon Chaudhuri told reporters on the sidelines of a seminar here. Around Rs.1,500 crore will be invested to produce the 115 mw.

The government has given a proposal to the union New and Renewable Energy... Read more..