Sustainability Outlook Headlines

A programme to support India-US S&T-based entrepreneurial initiatives that address the development and implementation of next-generation clean and renewable energy, energy storage, and carbon sequestration has been announced to tackle climate and clean energy challenges.

 

The programme titled ‘Technology-based Energy Solutions: Innovations for Net Zero’ constitutes a call for Ignition Grants by the United States-India Science & Technology Endowment Fund (USISTEF), in partnership with Social Alpha, a non-profit organisation promoting S&T entrepreneurship... Read more..

The number of Indian cities showing better air quality increased to 96 in 2020 from 86 in 2019, the first National Apex Committee meeting of the National Clean Air Programme was told on Friday.

 

Expressing satisfaction at the number of cities showing better air quality, Environment, Forests and Climate Change Minister Bhupender Yadav said: "The air quality improvement efforts taken in recent years have shown positive trends in achievement of better air quality. However, a lot needs to be done and the need of the hour is to address the issue of air pollution in a... Read more..

 Gujarat Alkalies and Chemicals Limited (GACL) and GAIL (India) Limited on Friday signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for setting up a bioethanol plant with a production capacity of 500 kilo litre per day (KLD) in Gujarat.

 

Apart from the plant, both the companies also agreed to cooperate in other areas of mutual interest. The MoU was signed in the presence of chief minister Bhupendra Patel.

 

The cost of the project is estimated to the tune of Rs 1,000 crore and it is expected to generate annual revenues of approximately Rs 1,500... Read more..

State-owned power giant NTPC has received a letter of appreciation from the United Nations for its efforts and commitment towards clean energy. "NTPC Ltd, India's largest integrated energy company received a letter of appreciation from Ms Damilola Ogunbiyi, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Sustainable Energy for All and UN-Energy Co-Chair, for its efforts and commitments towards the process of Energy Compact," the power giant said in a statement.

 

According to the statement, UN-Energy has acknowledged the commitment of NTPC towards clean energy... Read more..

In a crackdown on old polluting vehicles, the Delhi government will deregister all diesel vehicles which have completed or will be completing 10 years on January 1, 2022. The move is in compliance with a National Green Tribunal order.

In an order issued earlier this week, the transport department said a no-objection certificate (NOC) will be issued to the owners of these vehicles so that these can be re-registered at other places. However, the department will not issue an NOC for vehicles that have completed 15 years or more on the date of applying for an NOC.

On... Read more..

Government-owned NBFC, Power Finance Corporation (PFC) has inked an agreement to finance the deployment of 250 buses across nine cities in Uttar Pradesh. The initiative is part of the FAME-II scheme.

 

PFC on Wednesday signed an agreement to lend ₹275 crore for deployment of 350 electric buses across nine cities of Uttar Pradesh. The agreement was signed with GreenCell Mobility, which is an e-mobility platform supported by the governments of India and the UK to boost adoption of electric vehicles in the country. The buses will be deployed in key cities of UP... Read more..

Indian Railways has issued directions to zonal railways for identification of unutilised vacant railway land parcels along the tracks and vacant railway plots available for setting up of solar panels, according to the latest report of the Standing Committee on Railways on Demand for Grants.

 

“There is about 51,000 hectare of vacant railway land,” said the report.

 

It added that Indian Railways has already taken up three pilot projects: A 50-megawatt (MW) solar power plant on vacant unused land at Bhilai in Chhattisgarh, a 2-MW solar plant at... Read more..

NTPC has awarded a project of “Standalone Fuel-Cell based Micro-grid with hydrogen production using electrolyser in NTPC Guest House at Simhadri (near Visakhapatnam)”. It is India’s first Green Hydrogen based Energy Storage Project. It would be a precursor to large scale hydrogen energy storage projects and would be useful for studying and deploying multiple microgrids in various off grid and strategic locations of the country. 

The hydrogen would be produced using the advanced 240 kW Solid Oxide Electrolyser by taking input power from the nearby Floating Solar project. The... Read more..

Energy Minister Bhanwar Singh Bhati said due to investment-oriented energy policies of the state government, Rajasthan has become the first choice of investors in the field of solar energy. He said that Rajasthan has emerged as a solar energy hub in the country.

 

Bhati was addressing the award distribution function organised on National Energy Conservation Day at Vidyut Bhawan on Tuesday.

 

The minister said there are favourable conditions for renewable energy due to the availability of sunlight for 325 days out of 365 days of the year.... Read more..

It has been scaled up to 20 acres, the largest of its kind in the country

Cochin International Airport Ltd (CIAL) has achieved another milestone in sustainable development as its agri-voltaic farming has been scaled up to 20 acres, the largest of its kind in the country.

 

Agricultural photovoltaic (Agri-PV) also known as Agri-Voltaics or Agri-photovoltaic, is an evolving practice in sustainable development that combines the production of food and energy. The land is used for both agriculture and solar power generation at the same time.

HSBC Holdings plc (“HSBC”) is today setting out a detailed policy to phase out the financing1 of coal-fired power and thermal coal mining by 2030 in EU and OECD markets, and worldwide by 2040. In recognition of the rapid decline in coal emissions required for any viable pathway to 1.5°C2, the policy will mean HSBC phasing out finance to clients whose transition plans are not compatible with HSBC’s net zero by 2050 target. It builds on current HSBC policy that prohibits finance for new coal-fired power plants and new thermal coal mines; broadening the approach to drive the phase-out of... Read more..