Sustainability Outlook Headlines

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UN climate talks shun carbon budget shareout as too radical

Governments are shying away from their own warnings that the world has only a fast-shrinking budget of carbon emissions left to use to avoid damaging global warming, frightened off at U.N. climate talks by the radical cuts it would require.

To keep warming to a level that most have defined as manageable, developed nations would have roughly to halve their greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 from 2010 levels, far beyond most governments' plans, said Niklas Hoehne of research group Ecofys.

The global action required, by both rich and poor nations, "is very, very ambitious"... Read more..

BEST supplies solar power to island city

With the supply of 20 MW solar power to the island city, the BEST has taken a big step towards providing green energy to its consumers. Sources said the power was being given at a price cheaper than market rates. 

"We have started feeding our grid with 1.85 million units of solar power, generated in October, which is being procured through renewable energy sources. We expect to generate solar energy up to 2.58 million units every month," said BEST general manager Om Prakash Gupta. 

According to MERC regulations for renewable energy purchase obligations, every utility in the... Read more..

VGF doesn’t ease capital woes for developers in Solar Mission Phase II

Solar developer reaction to Phase II JNNSM requirements remains lukewarm following pre-bid meeting to clarify JNNSM Phase II PPA and VGF securitization agreements yesterday. 

The proposed capital subsidy will be disbursed in tranches, with 50% of the VGF disbursed in year one after commissioning, and 10% disbursed each year for the next five years. For solar power developers, this leaves a critical financing gap as there is no financial support provided to developers during build and construction phases.

Phase II Batch 1 will auction 750MW of grid connected solar PV projects... Read more..

Swiss green-building label eyes India

Experts, activists exchange views on reviving dying river

Preliminary efforts to breathe life into the dying Kirudhumal river have commenced with environmentalists, engineers and government officials holding discussions on reviving the polluted water body in Madurai. Public also took part in the brainstorming session held here on Tuesday.

The participants discussed various issues and remedies to revive the river. Five groups have been set up to discuss the way forward. They will take into account creation of sustainable water corridors, improvement of... Read more..

Underwhelming proposed decisions for future disappoints developing countries - The Hindu

An underwhelming draft negotiating text on how countries would enhance climate change actions in near and longer-term future, including under the 2015 agreement, left the developing countries disappointed on Monday morning.

An Indian negotiator said, “We are looking for implementation of previous decisions and enhancement of actions on finance, adaptation and mitigation but the draft text does not provide that. It is disappointing. We shall have to raise this issue.”

The text referred to as the draft agreement on the Ad-hoc Working Group on Durban Platform (ADP) was supposed... Read more..

Developed countries could commit to $20 to $30 billion in interim climate finance

There is continued lack of clarity on the key issue of industrialised providing finance for developing countries. There has been till now no commitment for providing funding for the period up to 2020. 

Rich industrialised countries had pledged to provide $30 billion as fast start funding for three year period from 2010 up to 2012. These countries have also pledged to provide $100 billion a year from 2020. But there is no pledge for money that is to provided to developing countries in the period ..

Even for the $100 billion a year that has been pledged from 2020, there is no... Read more..

Despite slowdown, India's CO2 emissions rose in 2012

Despite recording its lowest GDP growth — 4 per cent — in a decade in 2012, India belched 2 billion tonnes of carbon di-oxide into the atmosphere during the year, 6.8 per cent more than in 2011. That level of greenhouse-gas emissions made India the fourth largest emitter last year, after China, the US and the European Union (EU).

But don’t feel bad yet. India simply has more people than the US and the EU, so the emission per person is neither too high nor unpardonable. In fact, India’s per capita emissions were lower than even China’s, despite the latter having more people, notes a... Read more..

Private equity firms turn away from renewable energy investments- report

CII charts out draft guidelines for solid waste disposal

Climate-smart farming could help reduce 'emissions gap'

Scientists at the U.N. climate talks in Poland have said that expanding the use of climate-smart farming techniques could help reduce the “emissions gap” – the difference between the amount of greenhouse gases the world can emit by 2020 if it wants to avoid dangerous climate change and the larger quantity likely to be produced without tougher steps.

Researchers have estimated that global food systems pump between 9.5 and 14.7 billion tonnes of carbon into the atmosphere per year, or between 19 and 29 percent of total emissions.

According to the 2013 Emissions Gap Report... Read more..