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Sustainability Outlook Headlines
Kotak recycles over 1,500 Kg plastic bottles in FY19Kotak Mahindra Bank (Kotak) replaced single-use plastic water bottles with glass water dispensers and recycled, over 1500 kg of used polyethylene (PET) bottles in FY2018-19, which earned the Bank recognition from Bisleri as the highest contributor to their ‘Bottles for Change’ initiative. Kotak also distributed over 1.25 lakh cotton cloth bags to inculcate the habit of carrying own bag among citizens pan India. Plastic waste management has been one of the major focus areas of the Bank. India’s annual plastic... Read more.. |
Breather For Indian Renewable IPPs Fighting PPA RenegotiationsThe government in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh has finally come around to provide some relief to scores of solar and wind energy developers which it had recently threatened with tariff renegotiations. Talking to a leading business daily, an unnamed government official in the state of Andhra Pradesh clarified that the government would investigate only those projects that were allocated without any competitive auction. Allocation of land to some of the wind projects may have been suspicious and now only... Read more.. |
MNRE launches State Rooftop Solar Attractiveness IndexPower and renewable energy minister, R K Singh, today launched the State Rooftop Solar Attractiveness Index (SARAL) to evaluate states based on their attractiveness for rooftop development. It was launched at the review planning and monitoring meeting with states and state power utilities in New Delhi. "To achieve our rooftop solar targets, it is important to develop an ecosystem that ensures information symmetry, access to financing and clear market signals," said an MNRE release. According to the release,... Read more.. |
No deadline for transition to electric mobility, say government sourcesThe Centre has not set any deadline for transition to electric vehicles, a government official said on Wednesday. The comment assumes significance as government think-tank Niti Aayog in June had asked conventional two- and three-wheeler makers to suggest within two weeks concrete steps for transition towards electric mobility keeping in mind 2025 deadline. Replying to a question, a government official said, “There is no such deadline.” The Niti Aayog has suggested transition to full electric vehicles (EVs)... Read more.. |
India’s Greenko Energy Raises $350 Million In Fresh Green Bond IssueOne of India’s leading renewable energy companies, Greenko Energy Holdings, has successfully issued yet another green bond, making it at least the fourth green bond issue since 2014. According to media reports, Greenko Energy Holdings managed to raise US$350 million through a green bond issuance. The dollar-denominated bonds were issued by the company to refinance its corporate debt. The company received huge interest from international investors, likely due to the healthy backing it enjoys. Singapore’s... Read more.. |
Worsening Water Quality Affects Economic Growth: World BankWorsening Water Quality The world faces an invisible crisis of water quality that is eliminating one-third of potential economic growth in heavily polluted areas and threatening human and environmental well-being, according to a World Bank report released today. Quality Unknown: The Invisible Water Crisis shows, with new data and methods, how a combination of bacteria, sewage, chemicals, and plastics can suck oxygen from water supplies and transform water into poison for people and ecosystems. To shed light... Read more.. |
Karnataka ranks best in roof top solar developmentKarnataka has emerged as the best state for setting up a roof top solar project, according to a survey released by the Centre. The state rooftop solar attractiveness index–SARAL released by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy on Wednesday said that Telangana, Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh were among the top four states with a rating of A++. The states were evaluated on the basis of on their attractiveness for rooftop development. The state of Jammu and Kashmir has been ranked last. Launching the Index,... Read more.. |
Waive parking charges for electric vehicles, UT toldThe ministry of road transport and highways has asked the UT administration to give incentives for electric vehicles (EVs) like waiving of toll and parking charges and issuing green registration number plates. The ministry, in a communication, has sought to know steps initiated to promote electric vehicles in the city, seeking the reply by August 31. A senior UT official said the UT electricity department has succeeded in securing the nod of Joint Electricity Regulatory Commission (JERC) for fixing power... Read more.. |
Andhra govt softens stand on power purchase agreements signed TDP: R K SinghThe YS Jagan Mohan Reddy-led Andhra Pradesh government has softened its stand on the controversial plan to reopen the power purchase agreements (PPAs) inked under the previous TDP government. In response to a Mint’s question on Wednesday at a conference in New Delhi, union power and new and renewable energy minister Raj Kumar Singh said that he has seen a communication wherein the Andhra Pradesh state government has clarified that they will not open all power purchase agreements (PPAs), but only in those... Read more.. |
No approval for KSPCB’s plan to tackle air pollutionFailing to get approval for the action plan to control air pollution in Bengaluru, the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) has submitted a revised plan. The KSPCB had earlier submitted a 44-point action plan involving nine government departments and divided into ‘short-term, mid-term and long-term’ plans. This was following a National Green Tribunal (NGT) order to make action plans for four ‘non-attainment cities’ — urban areas with air quality worse than prescribed standards — Bengaluru, Hubballi... Read more.. |
Climate, green technologies, skill, cyber, digital and science tech - thrust areas of PM Modi's France visitIndia and France are not looking at the number of agreements but to build a strong strategic partnership during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the European country. Informed sources told ANI on Tuesday that significant talks on climate change, financing, and collaboration for green technologies, specific roadmap and open partnership in new areas like digital and cyberspace, and skill development will be the key thrust of the visit and agreements in this regard will be inked. Agreements on... Read more.. |
Rajasthan govt to bring new renewable energy policy: MinisterRajasthan Energy Minister B D Kalla on Tuesday said the government would bring a new renewable energy policy in the state. Speaking at a seminar on 'exploring renewable energy potential in the state of Rajasthan' on the 75th birth anniversary of former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi, Kalla asked the department officials to conduct more research in the domain. He also called upon the industrialists to invest in generating renewable energy. "The government is bringing a new policy to harness solar, wind and... Read more.. |
Tamil Nadu’s EV Policy Draft Has A Host Of Incentives For Manufacturers And BuyersTamil Nadu plans to offer a raft of incentives and special sops for 3-5 years to attract electric vehicle (EV) manufacturers and allied industries to complement the central government push to 100% EV mobility in the future. The state will give investors in the electric vehicle industry the option to choose from GST refunds, capital subsidies, and payroll-based incentives in a first such offer for any sector, provided its draft electric vehicle policy gets implemented. On offer are special benefits for... Read more.. |
L&T Technology Services launches unique incentive-based waste management programL&T Technology Services Ltd., a leading global pure-play engineering services company, today announced the launch of a unique incentive-based waste management program in Dumad Village near Vadodara in partnership with SOCLEEN and project managed by Concept Biotech. The initiative aims to ensure segregation of the wet and dry waste, which is further to be recycled instead of dumping which negatively impacts the environment & health. This new initiative from LTTS will cover Houses/Flats etc. on Sama... Read more.. |
This is world's largest electric vehicle that needs no chargingSwitzerland based construction equipment manufacturing company Kuhn Schweiz has designed the world's largest electric vehicle - a 45-ton dump truck that lets you load up to 65 tons of cargo. Interestingly, the manufacturer claims that this e-dumper does not consume energy. Media reports suggest that the vehicle produces more energy than it consumes during its daily work, which consists of transporting rocks to a cement factory, from the top of a hill to its base. Known as Elektro Dumper, the gigantic EV is 9.... Read more.. |
Mahindra recycles over 209 ton of e-waste for plastic waste managementTech Mahindra Ltd sent over 209 ton of E-waste for recycling in FY 2018-19 through an authorised vendor and encourages associates to prevent single-use of plastic and use eco-friendly products. The company Implements the process of reduce, reuse, recycle and recover across the value chain to decrease plastic waste. The company has a robust waste management system of segregation at source, collection and management of both hazardous and nonhazardous waste. Scrap waste comprising of plastic, office waste,... Read more.. |
How about a consortium of companies to collect plastic waste! Dabur shows the wayDabur India Ltd has formed a consortium with other business groups to put together the system for collecting post-consumer plastic waste, particularly non-recyclable multi-layer plastics (MLP), it said in its annual report. The fast moving consumer good company collected and recycled/processed near 4,000 MT of post-consumer plastic waste during 2018-19 (Apr-Mar), which is around 20% of our plastic waste generation, the report said. This will be increased to 60% in 2019-20 and 100% by 2020-21, the report said... Read more.. |
Low-quality Chinese batteries could slow down India’s EV driveChinese manufacturers are dumping low-quality battery packs for electric vehicles (EVs) in India, two officials aware of the matter said, similar to the way rejected solar modules were sold here at a discount. While the Chinese government has nudged battery makers to move up the value chain by calibrating subsidies, manufacturers of older models are finding few takers there. “Battery technology is changing today. This has resulted in the Chinese second-tier battery manufacturers dumping their batteries here,... Read more.. |
Indian Oil Corporation to invest Rs 25,000 cr in green energyIndian Oil Corporation (IOC), the nation’s largest refiner and fossil fuel retailer, plans to invest Rs 25,000 crore in green energy projects, including solar and wind power plants, bio-fuels plants, and solar panels at filling stations. “Indian Oil has developed a road map and action plan to usher in clean and green energy alternatives to mitigate the risk of global warming,” the company said in its annual report. Rising environmental concerns are increasingly swaying government energy policies across the... Read more.. |
Eco-friendly fashion: India's sustainable apparel market is finding more takersThe eco-friendly clothes market in India is growing at a steady pace even as the industry is at a nascent stage. Manufacturers are adopting better practices to produce clothes that leave little impact on the environment. The consumer pattern is encouraging globally, as two-thirds of buyers are willing to spend more on eco-friendly clothes, according to a McKinsey survey. With the Indian government banning the use plastic bags across numerous states, the increasing chatter around global warming and campaigns... Read more.. |
BASIC nations urge developed countries to fulfill their climate finance commitmentsWith issue of finance being considered a major sticking point in negotiations ahead of future climate summit, the BASIC nations - Brazil, South Africa, India and China - on Saturday jointly urged developed countries to fulfill their climate finance commitments of mobilizing $100 billion annually by 2020 for developing countries on a grant basis and in a transparent manner. “This support should be new and additional, and over and above their 0.7% of Gross National Product (GNP) commitment with respect to... Read more.. |
Delhi NCR To Get 300 New Charging Stations By EESL But There Are Challenges To Be FacedEnergy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL) is constantly working towards expanding the electric vehicle charging network in the Delhi-NCR region. In a recent development, the joint venture of PSUs has now confirmed that it will be installing up to 300 new charging stations across Delhi-NCR in the coming 5 to 6 months. The update comes just a couple of weeks after the firm announced its plans to install 100 new charging stations in Noida. In addition to the charging stations, Noida authority had also mentioned... Read more.. |
M&M To Enter Indian Electric Two Wheeler Market SoonDespite being one of the earliest to launch electric vehicles in India, the Mumbai-based SUV-specialist Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M) has kept away from entering the electric two-wheeler segment so far. However now M&M is considering launching electric two-wheelers in India that may be developed specifically for this market. Mahindra has an electric scooter on sale in the US called GenZe 2.0 having a range of 56 kms priced at $3,699 (Rs 2.62 lakh). This two-wheeler was developed by Mahindra in the US... Read more.. |
The world’s leading airport user of solar panels is removing them for fear of floodingIndia’s Cochin International Airport Ltd (CIAL) has started dismantling and removing a significant number of solar panels at the airport site, due to concerns from local residents regarding the potential for the panels to inhibit storm water discharge. CIAL estimates the measure will result in the loss of approximately 4MWp (megawatt peak) for the airport. It is understood the panels are in a three-kilometre stretch on the diversion canal from the Chengal canal near the airport and removal began after local... Read more.. |
India emits the most sulphur dioxide in the worldIndia is the largest emitter of sulphur dioxide (SO2) in the world, contributing more than 15 per cent of global anthropogenic emissions, according to a new report by Greenpeace released on August 19, 2019. The primary reason for India’s high emission output is the expansion of coal-based electricity generation over the past decade, the report added. Five of the top 10 SO2 emission hotspots from coal/power generation industry across the world are in India, read the Greenpeace report. The analysis is based on... Read more.. |
