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Sustainability Outlook Headlines

Climate-related risks pose potential losses of $1.2-4.7 trillion to Asia-Pacific: UN-ESCAP

The sixth assessment report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has highlighted that the difference between 1.5 and 2 degrees (Celsius) of global warming is substantial, with every fraction of a degree translating into potentially increased risks.
 
Potential losses from climate-related risks in Asia-Pacific are estimated at between $1.2- and $4.7 trillion. As a percentage of GDP, countries that will lose the most are the Pacific small island developing states (SIDS) along with other Least Developed Countries, according to the Bangkok-based UN-ESCAP.... Read more..
Source: Hindu BusinessLine

India and the US announce new programme supporting innovations to tackle climate & clean energy challenges

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..
Source: PIB

PM Modi meets large global investors; Solar, semi-conductors in focus

As preparation for next year's Budget gathers steam, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday met with leading private equity/venture capital players to seek suggestions on making India a more attractive investment destination.
 
Discussions during the meet revolved around seeking suggestions to make it even more easier to do business in India, attract more capital, and further the reform process, official sources said.
 
The meeting illustrates how the Prime Minister is interacting personally with industry leaders to gather inputs ahead of the... Read more..
Source: Economic Times

First meeting of National Apex Committee under National Clean Air Programme held

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..
Source: Business Standard

Gujarat govt to spell out hydrogen policy soon

As the green energy movement gains momentum, the Gujarat government is planning to roll out a special policy for promoting green hydrogen generation and products.
The proposed policy, which aims to incentivize the sunrise sectors, in all probability will be announced ahead of the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit (VGGS) to be held in Gandhinagar next month, said sources close to the development.
 
“Gujarat plans to offer financial subsidy or viability gap funding (VGF) for companies investing in green hydrogen which is being touted as the future of energy,”... Read more..
Source: Times of India

GACL, GAIL team up to establish bioethanol plant in Gujarat

 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..
Source: Economic Times

Engineers India signs MoA with with ICT for joint development of technology

Engineers India on Thursday announced that it signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) with Institute of Chemical Technology for development of technology for large scale cultivation of algae and extraction of value-added products.
 
Under the MoA, Engineer India and ICT will jointly develop algal technology for large scale cultivation and extraction of value-added products from laboratory scale studies. This MoA will not only enrich EIL's and ICT's technology portfolios, but also mark a significant step in the direction of the Government's push towards biofuel... Read more..
Source: Business Standard

UN acknowledges NTPC's commitment towards clean energy

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..
Source: Economic Times

Azure Power signs 2,333 MW PPA with SECI under 4 GW projects, receives Letter of Award for Second Hybrid Project for 200 MW

Azure Power (NYSE: AZRE) today announced that it has signed its largest ever Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) with Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) for a capacity of 2,333 MW of ISTS connected solar power projects under the 4 GW manufacturing linked projects.
This follows the 600 MW PPA signed during last month under the same tender. Projects developed under this PPA will supply power for 25 years at a fixed tariff of INR 2.42 (~US 3.3 cents) per kWh and shall be constructed in Rajasthan, the highest solar insolation state in India.
Connectivity approval for... Read more..
Source: ANI

Delhi to deregister 10-yr-old diesel vehicles from Jan 1

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..
Source: Times of India

EV sector likely to see Rs 94,000-crore investments in next 5 years: Report

The electric vehicle (EV) segment in the country is likely to witness investments of $12.6 billion, or Rs 94,000 crore, across the automotive value chain, over the next five years. Tamil Nadu is the frontrunner, accounting for about 34% share in total planned investments for EVs, followed by Andhra Pradesh and Haryana, with a share of 12% and 9%, respectively, according to a joint report by Colliers and Indospace.
 
The investments are likely to benefit the real estate sector in the form of setting up of new or augmenting manufacturing units, industrial parks and... Read more..
Source: Financial Express

PFC to finance 350 electric buses for Uttar Pradesh

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..
Source: Hindu Businessline

Mahindra Electric Mobility launches passenger electric three-wheeler Treo

Mahindra Group's electric vehicle arm Mahindra Electric Mobility on Thursday launched its passenger electric three-wheeler Treo in Maharashtra, priced at Rs 2.09 Lakh (ex-showroom, Mumbai).
 
The prices include post-FAME-II, state and early-bird subsidies, according to the company. Mahindra Treo commanding a 67 per cent market share in the electric three-wheeler space, the company said.
 
According to Mahindra, it has sold more than the 13,000 electric three-wheelers sold since the launch.
 
"With the launch of Mahindra... Read more..
Source: Economic Times

Goldman Triples Asia ESG Investments as Bets Start Paying Off

Source: Bloomberg Quint

RCF Kapurthala rolls out 1st 3-phase ethernet-based electric train

State-run engineering firm BHEL on Thursday said the first 3-phase Ethernet-based AC electric train equipped with the company's manufactured electrics has rolled out from Rail Coach Factory, Kapurthala.
 
The 12-coach Mainline Electric Multiple Unit (MEMU) train is equipped with a 3-phase IGBT-based converter and inverter designed and developed by BHEL, a company statement said.
 
The Ethernet-based Train Control Management System which provides advanced control features, has been developed in-house in collaboration with a global OEM (original... Read more..
Source: Economic Times

Indian Railways directs zonal railways to identify unused vacant land for solar plants

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..
Source: Economic Times

Indian lenders reduce funding for coal projects, clean energy gets more loans for 3rd straight year

Indian lenders channeled more funds to clean energy projects compared to coal-based ones for a third straight year in 2020 with more expected to flow into the renewables sector in the coming years after Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled ambitious goals last month for cutting emissions.
 
Indian lenders channeled more funds to clean energy projects compared to coal-based ones for a third straight year in 2020 with more expected to flow into the renewables sector in the coming years after Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled ambitious goals last month for cutting... Read more..
Source: LiveMint

India’s first; and one of world’s largest Green Hydrogen Microgrid Projects to be set up at Simhadri

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..
Source: PIB

Sentient Labs announces hydrogen fuel cell bus

The Hydrogen Fuel Cell Technology has been developed in collaboration with the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, National Chemical Laboratory and Central Electrochemical Research Institute.
 
“Sentient Labs’ vision is to build technology solutions for sustainable mobility with an emphasis on hydrogen-powered technologies. It has identified bottlenecks in battery technology, fuel cell technologies and technologies for hydrogen generation,” the press statement issued by the Sentient stated.
 
Recently, Sentient had announced the... Read more..
Source: Hindu BusinessLine

Rajasthan state top choice for investors in the field of solar energy: Min

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..
Source: Economic Times

Power available for 22 hours/day in villages, 23.5 hours in cities, says Minister R K Singh

Union Power Minister R K Singh on Tuesday said electricity is available for about 22 hours per day in villages and 23.5 hours in cities across the country.
 
The availability of power in rural and urban areas has increased tremendously in comparison to 2014, he said while addressing a function here to mark the National Energy Conservation Day.
 
"Power is available for a duration of close to 22 hours and close to 23.5 hours in rural and urban areas respectively," Singh said.
 
"As you all are aware, one of the priorities... Read more..
Source: Economic Times

Cochin airport to augment agri-voltaic practice in its solar

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.
... Read more..
Source: The Hindu: BusinessLine

Chennai to get carbon credit framework

The Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) and Chennai Smart City Ltd. will set up a carbon credit framework, facilitating the reduction in emission by civic infrastructure projects.
 
Once a carbon credit framework is in place, the Corporation will be able to improve civic infrastructure projects with better facilities for reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emission, get money for infrastructure projects that are environment friendly and trade carbon credits, which are permits that allow organisations to emit a certain amount of greenhouse gases.
 
... Read more..
Source: The Hindu

HSBC announces thermal coal phase-out policy

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..
Source: HSBC

2030 renewable energy target: Panel to be set up soon for ‘Mission 500GW’

A 'Mission 500GW' action plan will be drawn up soon by the government to take forward the announcement made by Prime Minister Modi at the COP26 climate conference at Glasgow last month.
 
ET gathers that a joint committee of the ministry of power and ministry of new and renewable energy will soon be set up to draw a detailed action plan to take up India's renewable energy (RE) capacity to 500GW by 2030.
 
Officials said that issues of transmission, the various types of technology to be used, the energy mix for the 500GW target and storage... Read more..
Source: Economic Times
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