You are here
Sustainability Outlook Headlines
Inter-ministerial consultations underway for India's Hydrogen Policy: Rajnath Ram, energy advisor, NITI Aayog.NITI Aayog’s Energy Advisor, Rajnath Ram discusses the think-tank’s green hydrogen plans, the status of India’s hydrogen policy, and the country’s renewable energy target in an exclusive interview with ETEnergyWorld. Edited excerpts:
What are the new policies NITI Aayog is currently working on in the renewable energy and green hydrogen space?
We deal with power, petroleum and natural gas, even atomic power. We have launched the India Climate and Energy Modeling Forum. It is an India-led platform where all the research agencies, think tanks... Read more.. Date : Jan 3 Source: Economic Times
|
Govt planning to blend 15 per cent green hydrogen with piped natural gasThe move is in line with India’s ambitious target of becoming carbon neutral by 2070
The government is planning to blend 15 per cent green hydrogen with piped natural gas (PNG) for domestic, commercial and industrial consumption. The move is in line with India’s ambitious targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and becoming carbon neutral by 2070. This initiative will be part of the government’s National Hydrogen Energy Mission aimed at generating hydrogen from green power sources.
Earlier this year, Power Minister R K Singh had... Read more.. Date : Jan 3 Source: Hindu Businessline
|
Prototype of first electric DTC bus reaches Delhi: Transport MinisterThe prototype of the first electric bus has reached the national capital, informed Delhi Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot on Sunday.
"Congrats Delhi! After a long wait, the prototype of DTC's first 100 per cent Electric bus has reached Delhi!," the Minister tweeted along with the pictures of the new buses.
He further said that Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will soon flag off a new fleet of electric buses. Recently in an interview with IANS, Gahlot had declared that Delhi will have its first fleet of 300 buses by January 2022. ... Read more..Date : Jan 3 Source: Economic Times
|
Delhi collected Rs 1,298 cr in green fund; spent only one-fifth in 6 yearsThe Delhi government has spent only 21 per cent of the Rs 1,298 crore collected as environment compensation charge from diesel-guzzling trucks entering the capital in the last six years, according to official data.
Implemented on the directions of the Supreme Court, the South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) collects the cess and deposits it with the Transport Department.
Since November 20, 2015, the city government has utilized only Rs 281.5 crore of the Rs 1,298 crore collected as "environment cess" on green projects, as... Read more.. Date : Jan 3 Source: Business Standard
|
Over 1 lakh 10-year-old diesel vehicles deregistered in DelhiOver one lakh 10-year-old diesel vehicles were deregistered by the Delhi government on Saturday, leaving their owners with options of either retrofitting them with electric kits or selling them in other states after getting a no objection certificate, officials said.
A senior Delhi transport department officer said that petrol vehicles older than 15 years will also be deregistered in the coming days.
The number of such old petrol vehicles is estimated to be over 43 lakh, including 32 lakh two wheelers and 11 lakh cars, he said. ... Read more..Date : Jan 3 Source: Economic Times
|
Power plants may be mandated to use stubble in fuel mixA policy that has made it mandatory for coal-fuelled power projects to use biomass pellets as 5% of their fuel mix and help farmers earn around ₹15,000 crore annually may find a mention in finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s budget speech, two government officials aware of the development said.
The plan, tentatively named SAMARTH, is part of the government’s strategy to support India’s energy transition and check pollution from crop-stubble burning by converting them into pellets and facilitating their sale.
|
EU drafts plan to label gas and nuclear investments as greenThe European Union has drawn up plans to label some natural gas and nuclear energy projects as "green" investments after a year-long battle between governments over which investments are truly climate-friendly.
The European Commission is expected to propose rules in January deciding whether gas and nuclear projects will be included in the EU "sustainable finance taxonomy".
This is a list of economic activities and the environmental criteria they must meet to be labelled as green investments.
|
NGT resolved to address key environmental disputes in 2021The National Green Tribunal in 2021 not only flagged key environmental issues of the country but also brought a new dynamic functioning style as it sensitised the government machinery to act fast and intensify its surveillance and vigilance mechanism.
The NGT cracked the whip on industrial units causing pollution and stressed on cleaning of the Ganga and the Yamuna.
With courts switching to the virtual mode in the wake of COVID-19, the NGT continued to hear the cases through video conferencing and it even advanced its summer vacation for... Read more.. Date : Jan 3 Source: Economic Times
|
NTPC plans to acquire 5% equity in Power Exchange of India LtdState-run power giant
NTPC
is mulling acquiring 5 per cent equity stake in Power Exchange of India Ltd (PXIL) that provides various electricity trading options, a senior official said. The PXIL is India's first institutionally promoted power exchange, which has been providing various electricity trading solutions and connecting buyers as well sellers since 2008.
A senior official told PTI that NTPC has plans "to buy up to five per cent equity stake in PXIL. This decision has been taken in view of the government's intention to increase the... Read more.. Date : Jan 3 Source: Economic Times
|
NTPC arm NREL to float global tender to set up 3GW RE projectState-owned power giant NTPC arm NTPC Renewable Energy Ltd (NREL) will float a global engineering procurement and construction tender to set up a 3GW renewable energy project with a battery storage system worth around Rs 15,000 crore by February 2022, according to a senior official.
"The NREL has decided to float a global tender or RFP (request for proposal) for a 3GW renewable energy project (like solar and wind) with battery energy storage system in the next two months (by February 2022). This entails an investment of about Rs 15,000 crore," the senior official... Read more.. Date : Dec 31 Source: Economic Times
|
Power ministry wants to bring electricity under GSTThe power ministry has told the finance ministry it favours bringing electricity under the goods and services tax, two government officials aware of the development said, outlining a proposal that could help reduce electricity tariff for consumers.
The power ministry has told the finance ministry it favours bringing electricity under the goods and services tax, two government officials aware of the development said, outlining a proposal that could help reduce electricity tariff for consumers.
|
PM inaugurates, lays foundation stones of projects worth over Rs 17,500 cr in Ha ..Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday inaugurated and laid foundation stones of projects worth over Rs 17,500 crore here ahead of the assembly elections in Uttarakhand. The unveiling of projects by Modi included the inauguration of six worth Rs 3,420 crore and laying the foundation stones of 17 others worth Rs 14,127 crore.
The inaugurated projects include three different stretches of the Chardham all-weather road which have been widened, Nagina-Kashipur National Highway, Suring Gad hydel project and sewage works under the Namami Gange programme at Nainital.... Read more.. Date : Dec 31 Source: Economic Times
|
Academia and students to strengthen India’s net zero commitment through PACT2030Indian academia and students will aim to strengthen India’s net zero commitment through PACT2030, an annual conclave, beginning this year to make a first-of-its kind declaration on sustainable development and pledge to be change makers.
QS I-GAUGE, the Indian agency of, London based QS which comes out with coveted world university rankings every year, will be the core behind the conclave every year which will be co-hosted by academic institutions.
The first conclave will take place in Goa from January 17-19, 2022 and is expected to witness... Read more.. Date : Dec 31 Source: The Print
|
Master plan for carbon-neutral agriculture on the anvilFarm sector should give due importance to soil health and climate, says Minister
A master plan for achieving the aim of carbon-neutral agriculture is on the cards in the State. Minister for Agriculture P. Prasad on Thursday inaugurated a two-day workshop ‘Carbon-neutral agriculture in Kerala’ organised by the department for generating suggestions which would help in drafting the master plan.
The department also plans to organise a meeting of farming experts in the State in January, Mr. Prasad said. “Andhra Pradesh has set a model with natural farming.... Read more.. Date : Dec 31 Source: The Hindu
|
Use bamboo for bio-ethanol to reduce fossil fuel dependence: MinisterEmphasising the the bamboo sector's unexplored potential, Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh on Thursday said that it can be used for making bio-ethanol, which would reduce dependence on imported fossil fuel, thereby achieving the goal of Aatmanirbhar Bharat in the petroleum sector.
In his address at the day-long national-level workshop on bamboo development organised by the NITI Aayog, he said the bamboo sector is going to be a key driver of economic growth in the post-Covid times. He said the country has a huge resource of bamboo and it will become an important... Read more.. Date : Dec 31 Source: Economic Times
|
Green plans: NTPC looks for strategic investors for clean energy armState-run NTPC is scouting for strategic investors in its wholly-owned subsidiary NTPC Renewable Energy (NREL), a senior company official aware of the development said. To meet the government’s asset monetisation target, NTPC is planning to float initial public offerings (IPOs) of some of its subsidiaries, including NREL, and the “strategic investors are expected to be brought in before the IPO,” the person added.
The company will aim to have reputed global investors as partners in its significant green energy capacity expansion plan, which can also potentially... Read more.. Date : Dec 30 Source: Financial Express
|
SJVN to invest Rs60k cr to set up 5 hydro projects in ArunachalState-run hydro power major SJVN Ltd will invest Rs. 60,000 crores for harnessing 5097 MW of hydro power in Arunachal Pradesh.
The company has been allotted five hydro electric power projects by the state government work on which is now expected to start now with SJVN expecting to commission these over next 8-10 years.
With the allotment of these projects, SJVN will have significant footprint in the North Eastern Region of the country enabling the organisation to be part of the development process of the region, SJVN Chairman and Managing Director... Read more.. Date : Dec 30 Source: Live Mint
|
Ola Electric to have 4,000 EV charging points in 2022: CEO Bhavish AggarwalAs part of its ambitious charging infrastructure goal, Ola Electric will install more than 4,000 charging points for its electric scooters across cities in next year.
In a tweet, Bhavish Aggarwal, Founder and CEO, Ola, said that Hypercharger roll out has begun across cities.
"At key BPCL pumps as well as residential complexes. 4000+ points up through next year. We're installing across India and will make them operational in 6-8 weeks. Will be free for use till end June 22 for all customers," he said in a tweet late Tuesday.
|
Uttar Pradesh: Jhansi gets its first set of battery-operated busesThe city got its first set of battery-operated buses on Tuesday with twenty more buses to follow in the coming days. The initiative for providing these buses was taken under the ongoing Smart City project.
The buses were flagged off with much fanfare from the electronic recharging point at Kochabhawar area by Jhansi MP, Anurag Sharma in presence of mayor, Ram Teerath Singhal and MLA Ravi Sharma.
The buses will run in both urban and rural areas of the district which include Babina, Mauranipur, Railway station etc.
|
RECPDCL hands over transmission SPV to IndiGridState-run REC Limited’s subsidiary REC Power Development and Consultancy Ltd (RECPDCL) handed over the special purpose vehicle (SPV) formed for the construction of transmission project for supplying electricity from 1 gigawatt (GW) renewable energy projects in Osmanabad to IndiGrid 1 Limited and IndiGrid 2 Limited on Tuesday. This comes in the backdrop of ministries of power and new and renewable energy approving 23 Inter State Transmission System Projects (ISTS) with an estimated cost of Rs15,893 crore.
|
Year End Review: Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate ChangeThe Vision of this Ministry is to provide the citizens of India a clean, green and healthy environment with peoples’ participation and to support higher and inclusive economic growth through sustainable utilization of available natural resources. This Ministry has achieved different milestones to plan, promote, co-ordinate and oversee the implementation of India’s environmental and forestry policies and programmes related to conservation of the country’s natural resources including its lakes and rivers, its biodiversity, forests and wildlife, ensuring the welfare of animals, and the... Read more.. Date : Dec 30 Source: PIB
|
Details on how India achieved non-fossil energy goals ahead of its scheduleAt COP 21, as part of its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), India had committed to achieving 40% of its installed electricity capacity from non-fossil energy sources by 2030. The country has achieved this target in November 2021 itself. The country’s installed Renewable Energy (RE) capacity stands at 150.54 GW (solar: 48.55 GW, wind: 40.03 GW, Small hydro Power: 4.83, Bio-power: 10.62, Large Hydro: 46.51 GW) as on 30.11.2021 while its nuclear energy based installed electricity capacity stands at 6.78 GW. This brings the total non-fossil based installed energy capacity to 157.32... Read more.. Date : Dec 29 Source: PIB
|
Road mapping crucial to de-carbonisation of India's cement sectorUnderscoring the need for definitive road mapping to de-carbonise India's cement sector -- one of largest emitters of greenhouse gasses, stakeholders, industry representatives, and experts on Monday called for policy, technical, as well as economic interventions to green the sector.
The sector, the building block of modern infrastructure, leaves behind a large carbon imprint. However, technological solutions which would allow for close to zero-emissions production of cement are within reach.
|
RBI backs strategy to deal with climate change impact on financial sectorClimate change, tech innovations and the COVID-19 pandemic were factored in by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) in its latest report. The central bank said on December 28 the Indian financial sector will need a carefully-crafted strategy to deal with the future challenges relating to climate change and technological innovations, in addition to the fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In its 'Report on Trend and Progress of Banking in India 2020-21,' the RBI said the assessment of the systemic impact of climate change on the economy and financial stability is still evolving and so... Read more.. Date : Dec 29 Source: CNBC
|
Centre to hire an independent agency to evaluate performance of rooftop solar projectsThe Government has decided to hire an independent agency to evaluate the ‘actual functioning’ of its solar rooftop projects at ground zero and see if it is benefiting the end-users.
The steps have been taken following inputs that solar rooftop projects are not yielding the desired results and in some cases, it was allegedly being ‘misused’ for other purposes.
“The Ministry intends to engage reputed consultants and experts to undertake an evaluation of Phase – II of Grid Connected Rooftop Solar Programme as per Terms of Reference (TORs) and... Read more.. Date : Dec 29 Source: Statesman
|
