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Sustainability Outlook Headlines
Indian Railways’ renewable energy usage up by 6,900 per centThe Indian Railways’ dependence on renewable sources of energy for running trains has gone up by a staggering 6,900 per cent over the last five years, data from the railway ministry has revealed. While in 2014-15, the railways sourced only 0.03 per cent of energy from renewable sources, the number went up to 2.1 per cent in 2018-19. The total consumption of electricity by the railways also has gone up in five years. In 2014-15, railways used a total of 18,426 million units of electricity to propel its trains... Read more.. |
IKEA pushes ahead with its sustainability goalsIngka Group and IKEA India are taking the next step in transforming the business by integrating sustainability in its core retail business. As part of that initiative, Country Retail Managers will be accountable for implementing IKEA’s sustainability strategy, People & Planet Positive, in their respective countries. In India, IKEA will shift to electric vehicles for delivery services by 2025. Last year, the Better Air project was initiated with the goal of converting rice husk that is a major cause of... Read more.. |
Gujarat to increase green energy capacity to 30,000 MW by 2022Gujarat government, which allocated Rs 1,000 crore for a new rooftop solar power generation scheme, also announced plans to increase power generation capacity from renewable sources to 30,000 megawatts (MW) in the next three years. This number is more than three times the current renewable energy capacity. The state also plans to sell a third of this power to other states in 2022. In 2013, renewable energy capacity in Gujarat was 4,126MW, which has risen to 8,885MW today, finance minister Nitin Patel said on... Read more.. |
Government targets at adding 1,190MW of hydropower capacity in 2019India aims at adding 1,190 MW of hydropower capacity in the current year, which will take the total capacity to more than 50,000 MW. India has 45,399 MW of large hydel plants and 4,594 MW of small ones. Last year, the government had targeted hydel capacity addition of 840 MW but it managed to achieve only 140 MW. This year, central sector NEEPCO aims at adding the highest capacity of 600 MW at Kameng Hydel Power project in Arunachal Pradesh. The government of Himachal Pradesh will be adding another 211 MW in... Read more.. |
Renewable energy industry awaits huge stimulus for investmentThe World Bank's Economic Prospects Report has forecast India's economy to grow by 7.5 percent during this and the next two fiscals, retaining its top spot as the fastest-growing major economy. India's growth estimate is the brightest spot in a grim forecast for the world economy. The continuation of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, augurs well for key sectors of the economy, including the renewable energy sector, which has been its focus area. The... Read more.. |
Andhra Pradesh to renegotiate renewable pacts citing high ratesAndhra Pradesh will renegotiate some power purchase agreements for renewable projects to improve the finances of its electricity retailers. The state’s distribution companies, or discoms, owe 200 billion rupees ($2.9 billion) to generators mainly because of “abnormally priced" wind and solar power purchase agreements, according to a July 1 document posted on the state government’s website. “In order to ensure that consumers are provided with affordable power and discoms are pulled out of the financial... Read more.. |
Mission Pani: Community-led movement on water conservation is key to prevent national crisisThe water crisis in Chennai, and droughts witnessed in Maharashtra and several other states this year, are likely to heighten if India fails take efforts to conserve water and replenish the low groundwater level as soon as possible. In fact, by 2030, India will need 1,498 BCM, more than twice the 744 BCM water supply it is estimated to have around that time, creating a severe water crisis in the country. It was in order to drive people's attention to this issue (and the crisis that India faces ahead) that... Read more.. |
Renewed push for reforms in key sectorsWith India’s GDP growing at a five-year low of 6.8 per cent in 2019 and an ever-increasing younger workforce wanting more and more jobs, the new NDA Government has its task cut out for it. The following should be the key economic priorities of the Indian Government for the next five years. Priority 1: Jobs for Skill-Based Economy One of the biggest challenges facing the newly-elected Indian Government is the lack of skills-based jobs. As per the latest data released by the National Sample Survey Office (NSSO... Read more.. |
Second phase of FAME to focus on electrification of public transport: GovtThe second phase of Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Electric Vehicles in India (FAME India) scheme will focus on supporting the electrification of public and shared transportation over the next three years, the government said on Tuesday. It will support through subsidies 7,000 e-buses, five lakh e-three-wheelers, 55,000 e-four-wheeler passenger cars and 10 lakh e-two-wheelers to provide affordable and environment-friendly public transportation options for the masses. With budgetary support of Rs 10,000... Read more.. |
Taking resource saving to the next level with ‘Net Zero’ buildingsConserve water, recycle, save electricity, improve indoor air quality, reuse construction materials — as buildings grow and cities expand, these concepts are increasingly becoming a part of the routine. Just over a decade-and-a-half back, ‘green buildings’ were a novel feature in urban development; today, these conservation measures are widespread. They are a part of the National Building Code and authorities offer incentives for adopting these resource-efficient measures. But is this enough? Not really. What... Read more.. |
SoftBank pumps in $250 million in Ola ElectricOla's electric vehicle arm, Ola Electric Mobility has secured a funding of over ₹1,725 crore (about $250 million) from SoftBank, according to regulatory documents. With this latest infusion, Ola Electric Mobility (OEM) has joined the list of unicorns in India that includes names like Flipkart, Zomato, Paytm as well as its parent, Ola. As per regulatory documents filed with the Registrar of Companies, OEM issued "4,326 fully and compulsorily convertible series B preference shares of face value of ₹10 each... Read more.. |
Environment Ministry to Use Mahindra Electric Cars for Official Use to Combat Air PollutionThe Environment Ministry has acquired electric cars for official use, a move aimed at reducing air pollution. According to ministry sources, five electric cars have been acquired on a trial basis out of which three have been allotted to ministry officials. Tweeting a picture of the electric car, the ministry said, "@moefcc acquires Electric Cars for official duty thereby utilising in-house charging facilities and setting an example in pollution free commutes." Sources said the three vehicles have been... Read more.. |
Biodiversity parks along Ganga to battle pollution by solar energy-driven techniqueCleaning Ganga through phytoremediation is what the Yogi government has on its mind. It is a lowcost, solar energy-driven technique that uses plants to remove pollutants from water. To clean a river, the water must be channelled through boulders to filter it and then held up in retention ponds. These ponds have certain naturally growing plant species that help increase the level of dissolved oxygen in water. The government, following directives from National Green Tribunal, has preliminarily identified sites in at least 22 of the 27 districts through which the... Read more.. |
State seeks inclusion of Water Metro in Central schemeThe State government has sought inclusion of water transport projects, including the ₹750-crore Water Metro, in the Centre’s Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Hybrid and Electric Vehicles (FAME-2) scheme, so that electric boats can get incentives similar to those available for electric buses, three and four-wheelers used for commercial purposes. This comes in the wake of deliberations at Evolve, Kerala’s first electric-vehicle summit, that concluded here on Sunday. Ferries were hitherto out of the purview... Read more.. |
Government wants petrol stations to charge your electric vehiclesThe government is looking to put in place a framework for a mega battery manufacturing and charging infrastructure — including the use of petrol pumps for electric charging points — to push electric vehicles (EVs) in the country. Currently, there are around 60,000 petrol stations operated by state-run firms and there are plans to add nearly the same number. Highlights Centre is looking to put in place a framework for a mega battery manufacturing and charging infrastructure — including the use of petrol pumps... Read more.. |
India is now producing the world’s cheapest solar powerA short time ago, solar power was considered a marginal power source. But it is now one of the major drivers behind the transition to greener, more sustainable energy. Around the globe, prices are falling and India is now producing the world’s cheapest solar power, according to an International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) survey. The costs of building large-scale solar installations in India fell by 27% in 2018, year-on-year, thanks to a combination of low-priced panel imports from China, abundant land... Read more.. |
World Bank, Centre and Kerala sign $250-m loan pactThe Government of India, Government of Kerala and World Bank on Friday signed a loan agreement of $250 million (Rs 1,725 crore) for the First Resilient Kerala Programme to enhance the state’s resilience against the impact of natural disasters and climate change. The programme, which represents the first ‘State Partnership’ of the World Bank in India, is the first of two Development Policy Operations aiming to mainstream disaster and climate resilience into critical infrastructure and services. The loan aims... Read more.. |
Kerala targets one million EVs by 2022Kerala’s electric vehicle (EV) policy envisages an ambitious target of introducing one million EVs in the State by 2022, the Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said. The State has planned a pilot fleet of 3,000 buses, 100 ferries, two lakh two-wheelers, 50,000 three-wheelers and 1,000 goods carriers. Apart from the investment, it also called for the adoption of technology best suited for the State, the Chief Minister said after inaugurating ‘Evolve: Kerala mobility conference and expo’. The State-run KAL plans... Read more.. |
Include battery swapping for incentive under FAME-II scheme: FICCIIndustry chamber FICCI Friday called for inclusion of battery swapping model of charging for incentives under FAME-II scheme to help acceleration of electric mobility in India. The Rs 10,000-crore Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Electric Vehicles (FAME - II) envisages incentives mainly to 10 lakh registered electric two-wheelers, 5 lakh erickshaws and 7,090 e-buses. The FAME-II policy announced in March 2019 was much needed but there are some elements in the policy which could be altered for better... Read more.. |
India To Order Taxi Aggregators Like Uber, Ola To Go Electric By 2026India plans to order taxi aggregators like Uber and Ola to convert 40% of their fleet of cars to electric by April 2026, according to a source and records of government meetings to discuss new rules for clean mobility. Uber and Ola, both backed by Softbank Group, would need to start converting their fleet as early as next year to achieve 2.5% electrification by 2021, 5% by 2022, 10% by 2023 before hiking it to 40%, according to the person and the records that have been reviewed by Reuters. Some taxi players,... Read more.. |
More room for autos in Delhi, but only electric onesThe Supreme Court appointed environment watchdog, EPCA, and the Centre are likely to back allowing more autorickshaws on Delhi roads when the apex court takes up the case. Both are likely to submit to the court that only electric autorickshaws should be allowed over and above the cap that has been fixed for conventional three-wheelers, sources said. Both the Centre and the Environment Pollution (Prevention & Control) Authority have held several rounds of talks on this issue since this March when the SC-... Read more.. |
India's Flipkart to replace 40 per cent of its delivery vans with EVsWalmart Inc’s Indian unit Flipkart said late Thursday it plans to replace nearly 40 per cent of its current fleet of delivery vans with electric vehicles (EVs) by March 2020, as part of its efforts to cut down on its carbon footprint. The Bengaluru-based e-commerce company said it will start with deploying 160 vans by 2019-end. Some of these EVs are already plying in the country’s capital of New Delhi. Flipkart has amped up its focus on sustainability since its USD 16 billion acquisition by Walmart last year... Read more.. |
India considers mass rollout of smart meters to revive utilitiesIndia is considering a plan to install smart meters in every home and business as part of its ongoing effort to turn around the country’s ailing power sector, according to officials with knowledge of the situation. The plan under consideration would require 300 million smart meters over three years, said the people, who asked not to be identified as the information isn’t public. The federal power ministry has begun discussions with manufacturers on supplying the meters, which improve efficiency by monitoring... Read more.. |
EU, India step up cooperation in solar energyThe European Union delegation in India and the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy have jointly launched standard operation procedures and monitoring tool for Indian solar parks. Solar parks are key for India to achieve its target of 100 GW from solar energy by 2022, contributing to this target with 40 GW. The EU has been collaborating closely with India in deployment of climate friendly energy sources including solar energy. Developed as part of the EU-India cooperation in Clean Energy and Climate... Read more.. |
Xi urges BRICS to strengthen strategic partnership, improve global governanceChinese President Xi Jinping on Friday called on BRICS countries to enhance their strategic partnership and promote the improvement of global governance. Xi made the remarks at a meeting with other BRICS leaders on the sidelines of a summit of the Group of 20 (G20) major economies in the Japanese city of Osaka. Xi said that the international situation is now in a complicated and severe period, with the world economy maintaining growth on the whole but uncertainty and instability increasing significantly. He... Read more.. |