Sustainability Outlook Headlines

Allianz is the latest insurer to bank on carbon neutrality

Allianz is to stop selling insurance policies to coal-fired power plants and coal mines, in the latest sign the dirtiest fossil fuel could become a pariah for forward-thinking investors.

Announcing its "climate protection package" last week, the German insurance giant said the new policy would become effective immediately, acting as the first step towards the firm's complete withdrawal from the coal business... Read more..

ZDHC releases electronic version of ZDHC Manufacturing Restricted Substances List

To drive implementation and ease usability, the ZDHC Roadmap to Zero Programme has released the electronic version of the ZDHC Manufacturing Restricted Substances List (ZDHC MRSL) – the ZDHC e-MRSL. The ZDHC MRSL lists chemical substances that should be banned from intentional use by the industry in the production of textile, apparel, leather and footwear.
 
The ZDHC MRSL applies to chemicals used in facilities that process materials and trim parts for use in the industry. Chemicals in the ZDHC... Read more..

China develops lead carbon battery to store renewable energy

Chinese scientists have developed a lead carbon battery for storing power generated from solar panels and windmills and claimed that with such devices, the electricity supply is stable for use.

An energy storage system with the batteries was piloted in Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics in northeast China's Liaoning Province, Xinhua news agency reported.

... Read more..

Delhi govt to rope in private players to run e-buses

To carry out its ambitious plan of creating a fleet of 1,000 electric buses, Delhi government is trying to rope in private players who would procure and operate these buses in lieu of the operating cost paid by the government.

Delhi’s transport minister Kailash Gahlot told TOI that the government doesn’t want to outright buy electric buses primarily due to two reasons — the prohibitive cost of these buses... Read more..

UPPCL Installing 1 Crore Pre-Paid Meters under Saubhagya Scheme

In the biggest ever move to curb line loss and power pilferage to bring down the cost revenue collection, UP Power Corporation Limited (UPPCL) has undertaken the task of installing  a whopping 1 crore pre-paid meters under Saubhagya Scheme. 

In April, 2017, the UP government signed an MOU with Union Power ministry’s `Power for All’ which aims to provide power connection to more than 4 crore rural households... Read more..

The Sun Exchange Uses Blockchain for Solar Project Insurance

The blockchain is set to take on a new role with off-grid solar developer The Sun Exchange, which aims to use the technology for insurance.

The South Africa-based startup said its Ethereum ERC20-based rewards currency, SUNEX, would be used to create a solar project insurance fund, or SPIF, to cover the cost of relocating PV plants to new sites if the original electricity offtakers defaulted on payments.... Read more..

New technology purifies water using sunlight

Scientists have developed a new technology that uses the sunlight to purify water with near-perfect efficiency.

The idea of using energy from the sun to evaporate and purify water was reportedly described by Greek philosopher Aristotle over 2,000 years ago.

By draping black, carbon-dipped paper in a... Read more..

Haryana to introduce solar based tubewell scheme for farmers

Haryana finance minister, Captain Abhimanyu said on Friday that the state government is mulling to implement a solar based tubewell scheme in the state. The scheme aims to benefit the farmers as they would be able to generate electricity and earn income.

Capt Abhimanyu was addressing a press conference after the meeting with 15th Finance Commission.

... Read more..

Rooftop solar panels to be mandatory in Haryana government buildings

The Haryana government is going to make it mandatory for all public buildings, like schools, health centres, offices etc., to have rooftop solar panels as part of a state-wide project that will be first implemented in Gurugram and Faridabad.

PK Mahapatra, additional chief secretary, new and renewable energy department, Haryana, made the announcement on Saturday, days after a WHO report listed Gurugram as the... Read more..

WHO pollution report praises PM Modi’s signature Ujjwala scheme

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s signature Ujjwala Scheme came in for rich praise in a new WHO pollution report. The report nevertheless estimated that 9 out of 10 people around the world breathe air containing high levels of pollutants. An estimated 7 million people every year die of diseases caused by ambient (outdoor) and household air pollution.

“While the latest data show ambient air pollution levels are... Read more..

Goa government proposes giving solar lamps for forest-dwellings

The electricity department together with the Goa Energy Development Agency is considering providing solar lamps to families living in remote forest areas who still don’t have access to power.

Despite the government stating that the country has achieved 100% electrification, over 80 families, spread out across forest areas in north and south Goa, are yet to receive electricity connections. These houses are... Read more..

New water-based battery to store solar, wind energy

Stanford scientists have developed a water-based battery that could provide a cheap way to store wind or solar energy, which can be fed back into the electric grid and redistributed on high demand. 

The prototype manganese-hydrogen battery, described in the journal Nature Energy, stands just three inches tall and generates a mere 20 milliwatt hours of electricity, which is on par with the energy levels of... Read more..