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Sustainability Outlook Headlines
Cool Roof Pilot Project to Help Reduce Energy Bills of HomesThe Clean Energy Ministerial's Global Superior Energy Performance Partnership (GSEP) Cool Roofs and Pavements Working Group is supporting the pilot project in collaboration with the local nonprofit Sustainable Urban Climate Change & Energy Efficiency Development (SUCCEED). Global demand for cooling is growing rapidly as incomes rise, air conditioning units become more affordable, and the global climate heats up. The growth trend in India is particularly striking. Air-conditioning sales in India are climbing by about 20 percent... Read more.. |
India needs $834 billion to implement low carbon growth plansIndia will need to invest US$ 834 billion to place its economy on a low carbon trajectory by 2030, a report published in April by the national Planning Commission reveals. It says the country will require “massive” changes to the energy mix to lower the carbon intensity per unit of GDP by 42%, as opposed to 22%, which is its ‘business as usual’ scenario. Coal and oil use will need to decline 20%, while gas demand will rise 10%. Solar capacity will need to be increased from 2GW to 11GW, wind from... Read more.. |
6 Cleantech Accelerators To Launch InternationallyThe Cleantech Open has announced that it will expand into six countries: Armenia, India, Malaysia, Pakistan, South Africa, and Turkey. It intends to support innovation in energy efficiency, renewable energy, waste to energy, and water efficiency in those six nations. The Global Environment Facility (GEF), and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) are partnering with them on the accelerators. Energy, environmental, and economic challenges in each of the six countries will be addressed by small and medium-... Read more.. |
AIMA 6th Business Responsibility Summit 2014All India Management Association (AIMA) as the national apex body of management profession has been organizing an annual congregation of business leaders, civil society activists and academics since 2008; the Business Responsibility Summit. The Summit has become a prominent platform to deliberate on the need, relevance and ways of creating a new consciousness for businesses to conduct themselves in a responsible manner. To take this initiative forward, the sixth in the series Business Responsibility Summit with the theme - Business as Partners in India's Development - is scheduled... Read more.. Date : May 30 Source: AIMA (circular)
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Finnish cleantech industry keeps growing despite sluggish economyAffected by the weak global market demand, the export-oriented Finnish economy remained sluggish with GDP reducing by 1.4 percent in 2013. The Finnish clean technology business achieved a growth by 5 percent last year, while paper-making, shipbuilding and some other traditional industries continued to decline. According to the latest statistics issued by Cleantech Finland, the total turnover of the Finnish cleantech industry was up to 25.8 billion euros (35.8 billion U.S. dollars) in 2013, after a... Read more.. |
New Delhi locals cry foul against incinerator's toxic exhaustThe residents of Sukhdev Vihar are on the front lines of what may be the world’s foulest war: megacities struggle against their mounting piles of refuse. The New Delhi neighbourhood of neat bungalows and lanes shaded with dense trees sits a few hundred yards from a two-year-old incinerator. The complex spews eye-watering noxious fumes and toxic exhaust. “It is difficult to live here,” said Sonia Softa, 43, a radiologist who lives in the area on the southern outskirts of the capital. “My son has... Read more.. |
Candian startup to solve multibillion-dollar industrial wastewater problem cheaply, safely and efficiently?Every year in North America, an estimated 85 cubic kilometres of waste water is generated by homes, business and industries. That’s 85 trillion litres. Water-intensive industries such as the energy sector, chemical, steel and pulp and paper plants are responsible for a large percentage of the waste water. The oil industry for example, which is often criticized for processing more water than oil, can produce four million litres of waste water a day at an average heavy oil recovery steam-assisted... Read more.. |
Now, civic body mulls Chinese model waste managementThe Vilappilsala centralized waste treatment plant, which had been shut down, is likely to have a Chinese successor. The city corporation, which is keen on establishing a centralized waste treatment facility in the city, has decided to go ahead with Chinese model of waste management, which was presented in the Partner Kerala meet held in February. A letter has been forwarded to the state government and Suchitwa Mission seeking formal consent and information regarding availability of land in the city for the implementation of the... Read more.. |
Now, a process to recover gold from e-wasteScientists at the National Metallurgical Laboratory, a CSIR lab in Jamshedpur, have successfully developed the process of extracting gold from electronic waste like used mobile phones, medical equipment and telecommunication devices to protect environment and conserve the natural resources and energy. Precious metals are used widely in electronic appliances such as in printed circuit boards (PCBs) of mobile phones, motherboard of computers and connectors. Scientists feel that in order to meet... Read more.. |
Government to treat temple kitchen wasteThe state government will set up a waste water treatment plant near Jagannath Temple in Puri to check water pollution caused by peja (rice waste water) during preparation of 'mahaprasad'. Everyday 50,000 kilo litres of 'peja' is discharged from kitchen to 'peja nullah'. Since the peja is rich in starch and carbohydrate, it leaves a pungent smell. The decision to have the plant was taken at a meeting here on Tuesday. It was attended by officials of housing and... Read more.. |
BEE Promotes Efficiency In SME SectorThe Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) is taking ahead the GEF-UNIDO funded project with renewed vigour with the objective to give impetus to the energy efficiency initiatives in the small and medium enterprises (SMEs) sector in India. The energy efficiency project titled, 'Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy in Selected MSME Clusters in India', was launched in September 2011 by the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) and the Global Environment Facility (GEF), in association with BEE, the Ministry of MSME... Read more.. |
Airports Authority of India set to build 30 solar power plantsThe Airports Authority of India (AAI) is to build solar power plants at about 30 of its airports in a bid to tap alternative sources of energy, according to reports in India. The Economic Times reports that AAI plans to install 50 MW capacity plants in the first phase, which would be enhanced to 150 MW over a period of time. Each of the plants would be established on surplus land available at the identified gateways, or on the large roof tops of the airport structures. ... Read more.. Date : May 30 Source: Airport World Online
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Modi's focus on Ganga makes water resources ministry importantNEW DELHI: The water resources ministry, which was largely off the radar under UPA, will be a key ministry under the new government which has tasked BJP veteran Uma Bharati to work on PM Narendra Modi's dream project to clean the Ganga. Bharati, MP from Jhansi in Uttar Pradesh, will assume charge of her ministry on Wednesday. Though the water resources ministry is mandated to clean the Ganga and other rivers, the new nomenclature of the ministry — water resources, river development and Ganga rejuvenation — signals the Modi government's priority. Other than Ganga... Read more.. Date : May 29 Source: The Times of India
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India's solar sector poised for good growth: ReportNEW DELHI: The country's solar sector is expected to see good growth in coming years, helped by rising energy demand and various other factors, says a report. |
AAI to build solar power plants at 30 airportsIn a bid to tap alternative sources of energy, Airports Authority of India (AAI) has decided to build solar power plants at about 30 of its airports across the country.
AAI plans to install 50 MW capacity plants in the first phase, which would be enhanced to 150 MW over a period of time, an AAI spokesperson said today. The plants would be established on surplus land available with it at these identified airports or on the large roof tops of the airport structures. In all about 30 airports have been identified by AAI for establishment of these solar power... Read more.. Date : May 29 Source: Business Standard
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Coal India Told to Prepare Roadmap to Enhance OutputNEW DELHI: The new government has asked India’s largest miner, Coal India Limited (CIL) to prepare an action plan detailing how it plans to enhance its output over the next five years and how it intends to fast-track the expansion and completion of existing coal mines. The company was asked to prepare the blueprint ahead of... Read more.. Date : May 29 Source: The New Indian Express
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E.V. deployment could cut India’s emissions by 4 million tons by 2020By deploying electric cars on their roads, India can avoid importing 120 million barrels of oil and avoid 4 million tons of carbon dioxide by 2020. A new report by the Clean Energy Ministerial’s Electric Vehicles Initiative looked at the impact electric vehicle deployment would have on India’s oil... Read more.. Date : May 29 Source: Eco Seed
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India to build 4 new hydropower projects in BhutanTHIMPHU: India has agreed to build four new joint venture hydropower projects in Bhutan as the two governments agreed to closely coordinate on issues relating to their national security and interests.
Date : May 29 Source: The Economic Times
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India Harvests Sun and Wind to Save Water and Power a Slowing EconomyJAIPUR, Rajasthan, India — Hawa Mahal, the Palace of Winds, was constructed in 1799, here in the largest city in India’s largest state. Made of red and pink sandstone, and facing the street with an ornate honeycomb of open windows, the five-story building could have been named the Hawa Suraja Mahal, the Palace of Sun and Wind. Though the palace’s distinctive grill work ensured the privacy of royal women, its architect also sized the openings, and determined the building’s precise axis to the sun, to provide moderate winter heating, and produce the air flow and... Read more.. Date : May 29 Source: Circle of Blue
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India needs to strengthen energy security to meet supply bottlenecksThere is a strong case for an integrated energy ministry. We need proactive policies and vastly improved efficiencies across the energy chain, and the way ahead is to have a single Cabinet-rank appointee to oversee policy coordination and rationalisation and effective follow-through action in power, coal, petroleum and national gas, renewable and non-conventional sources, et al. It does make sense to consolidate power and coal under a minister of state (MoS), as Modi has done: policy must ensure adequate supply of consistent quality coal for power plants. But we also... Read more.. Date : May 28 Source: The Economic Times
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India Brings Three Energy-Related Ministries Under One MinisterNEW DELHI--India's new Prime Minister Narendra Modi has brought three often-quarreling, energy-related ministries under one minister, hoping to crank up the supply of power the country needs to generate more economic growth. The new Bharatiya Janata Party government said Tuesday that Piyush Goyal will head the power, coal and renewable energy ministries.
"The idea is clear. We need more electricity, more power," Mr. Goyal, told reporters as he became the first person to simultaneously head all three ministries. "The intention is to... Read more.. Date : May 28 Source: The Washington Journal
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Biofuel production from oilseed is the futureLONDON: Straw from crops such as wheat, barley, and oats is seen as a potential source of biomass for second generation biofuel production. With new findings, scientists have now come closer to making the production more efficient. Researchers at the Institute of Food Research in Britain looked at the steps needed to unlock the sugars tied up in the tough straw structure.
They discovered the key factors that determine the efficiency of saccharification — the process that converts enzymes into glucose.
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Will Bangalore ever be garbage-free?It was not very long ago that Bangalore’s sobriquet i.e., ‘Garden City’ nearly came to be replaced with ‘Garbage City’ in the wake of villagers’ refusal to allow garbage trucks to dump the city’s refuse into the nearby landfills. Mounting garbage piles attracted international media’s attention and business honchos began to apprehend serious damage to the city’s reputation as the capital of modern Indian economy. With the city’s population nearing 10 million, solid waste management (SWM) remains an intractable problem. The city’s per capita solid waste generation is... Read more.. Date : May 28 Source: The Hindu
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From open defecation to toilets that produce biogas and fertiliserThe Hindu temples of Pashupatinath and Guheshwori in Kathmandu attract hundreds of thousands of visitors every year. Many come to the sacred sites in search of spiritual succour. Others are simply on the tourist trail. Whatever brings them, all have one thing in common: at some stage, they will probably want to use the toilet.
Current options are basic at best. A new initiative by Sulabh International is set to change that. In partnership with a local charity, the India-based social enterprise plans to construct extensive toilet facilities at both sites. ... Read more..Date : May 28 Source: The Guardian
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Tackling Indian agriculture’s water woesAfter witnessing bountiful rains last summer, India appears to be on the verge of a water crisis once again this year, with most forecasts predicting a below-normal monsoon. The estimated gross domestic product (GDP) growth in fiscal year 2013-14 at 4.9% was 40 basis points higher than the previous fiscal year, partly because of robust agricultural growth, which added 80 basis points to the overall growth figure, according to Central Statistical Organization (CSO) estimates. One basis point is one-hundredth of a percentage point. |
