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Sustainability Outlook Headlines
Measures To Boost Automotive Sector Announced By Finance Minister In IndiaThe Indian automobile sector has been going through a prolonged low due the considerable drop in sales, which has led to manufacturers keeping their plants shut for days, alter their sales targets and also compelling many dealerships to shut shop. In a recent announcement, the Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman mentioned different measures to boost the Indian automobiel sector, pertaining to the improved liquidity and also more clarity on the upcoming BSVI registrations. The minister has proposed... Read more.. |
Bengal gets proposal for 800 MW solar power project: MinisterWest Bengal has received a proposal for 800 megawatt (MW) solar power project with an estimated investment of ₹3,000 crore from a private investor, a state minister said on Saturday. Power purchase agreement (PPA), however, will be the key to execute the project, West Bengal’s Power Minister Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay said. “We have received an offer for 800 MW solar power project in a single location from a private investor,” he said at ‘10th Energy Conclave’ organised by CII here. Chattopadhyay, however, said... Read more.. |
NITI Aayog at the forefront of Centre's move to promote electric vehiclesThe Centre’s primary think tank NITI Aayog has been at the receiving end, mostly on issues linked to electric vehicles (EVs), over the last few days. If Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari said on Friday that it was the mandate of his ministry and not that of NITI Aayog to take a call on vehicle technology, Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal had earlier stated that the government viewpoint did not always match that of the think tank. Gadkari was addressing industry concern at a conference over Niti Aayog’s tough... Read more.. |
West Bengal planning to introduce policy for EV charging stationsWest Bengal Urban Development Ministry is planning to introduce policy for electric vehicle charging stations. West Bengal government is also planning to introduce 500 electric buses under the FAME (Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Hybrid & Electric Vehicles in India) phase II and tenders have been floated for this. The state also has received a proposal for 800 megawatt (MW) solar power project with an estimated investment of Rs 3,000 crore from a private investor, a state minister said on Saturday.... Read more.. |
Palaniswami to flag off TN’s e-buses for public transportIn his budget speech this year, Tamil Nadu finance minister O Panneerselvam said the state has signed a declaration with C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group for it’s electric journey, besides leveraging funds from the German KfW group. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi Palaniswami flag will flag off an electric bus manufactured by Ashok Leyland as a first step of the southern state to operate a fleet of electric buses. Slated for Monday, the event will also mark the first time an electric bus will be used... Read more.. |
India, Bahrain sign agreements in solar energy, space tech, culture exchangeIndia and Bahrain on Saturday agreed to collaborate in the areas of space technology, solar energy and culture exchange as Prime Minister Narendra Modi held comprehensive talks with his Bahraini counterpart Prince Khalifa Bin Salman Al Khalifa to give a major boost to the entire spectrum of bilateral relations. Modi, the first Indian prime minister to visit Bahrain, and Prince Khalifa after the delegation-level talks witnessed the exchange of MoUs in the areas of culture, space, collaboration with... Read more.. |
Solar trees to help farmers run tractor on batteryA Solar Power Tree has been developed by the Center of Excellence in Farm Machinery (CoEFM), Ludhiana, an extension centre of the Central Mechanical Engineering Research Institute (CMERI). The technology was transferred today to a Delhi-based company, SolEnergi Research Private Limited, for further production and sale of the same. The company already has five clients in hand for setting up of solar trees. It not only generates solar power but is also a perfect solution for land crisis as it takes only one... Read more.. |
DVC ramps ups solar power capacityDamodar Valley Corporation plans to increase its renewable energy capacity through floating solar and pumped storage projects. The thermal and hydroelectric power PSU plans to install floating solar projects of capacity 50MW each at all the four locations of its dams — Tilaya, Konar, and Maithon in Jharkhand, and Panchet which is partly in Bengal and partly in Jharkhand. DVC member secretary Prabir Kumar Mukhopadhyay said the corporation, which achieved its highest thermal power generation in 2018-19 (36,677... Read more.. |
Unite technology and tradition to solve water crisis in Chennai: ExpertsThere is no single or final solution to Chennai’s water crisis. This emerged on day one of the TOI water conclave where experts, officials and activists engaged in discussion and debate to find out ways that would make Chennai water-secure. The panellists concurred and contested on several issues — from metering water consumption to ensuring its regular supply, from using technology to ‘manufacture’ potable water to following traditional methods to conserve it, from the status of Cooum as recreation spot to... Read more.. |
13 UP districts to get 650 electric busesIn an attempt to improve public transport and curb air pollution caused by vehicle emission, the UP government has decided to introduce battery-driven electric buses in the urban areas of as many as 13 districts. Centre has already approved a budget of around Rs 900 crore for the purpose and the process of tendering has been initiated, according to official sources at Uttar Pradesh Urban Transport Directorate. As many as 650 electric buses — 100 each in Lucknow, Kanpur and Agra, 50 each in Varanasi, Meerut,... Read more.. |
Sun Pharma’s Initiative To Recycle PlasticSun Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd initiated setting up of treatment and recycling plants, through registered recyclers and engaged scrap vendors for materials like plastic and high-density polyethylene (HDPE). Systematic processes (SOPs) are in place at Sun Pharma to ensure effective waste management. Seventeen of Sun Pharma’s units are Zero Liquid Discharge (ZLD), while 5 are in the process of obtaining the status. Well-equipped solvent recovery systems enable the company to recycle recovered solvents and... Read more.. |
Kotak recycles over 1,500 Kg plastic bottles in FY19Kotak Mahindra Bank (Kotak) replaced single-use plastic water bottles with glass water dispensers and recycled, over 1500 kg of used polyethylene (PET) bottles in FY2018-19, which earned the Bank recognition from Bisleri as the highest contributor to their ‘Bottles for Change’ initiative. Kotak also distributed over 1.25 lakh cotton cloth bags to inculcate the habit of carrying own bag among citizens pan India. Plastic waste management has been one of the major focus areas of the Bank. India’s annual plastic... Read more.. |
Breather For Indian Renewable IPPs Fighting PPA RenegotiationsThe government in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh has finally come around to provide some relief to scores of solar and wind energy developers which it had recently threatened with tariff renegotiations. Talking to a leading business daily, an unnamed government official in the state of Andhra Pradesh clarified that the government would investigate only those projects that were allocated without any competitive auction. Allocation of land to some of the wind projects may have been suspicious and now only... Read more.. |
At solar alliance summit, Delhi to propose global power gridIndia plans to help set up a global electricity grid that may initially aim to link countries such as Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam with the sub-continent as part of an evolving energy security architecture. The proposals will be presented at the second general assembly of the International Solar Alliance (ISA) to be held in New Delhi from 30 October to 2 November, said power and new and renewable energy minister Raj Kumar Singh. “What we are talking about is a grid connection running east to... Read more.. |
Green energy ministry issues phase-2 norms for rooftop solar projectThe Union Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) on August 20, 2019, issued guidelines to implement the second phase of its ambitious grid-connected rooftop solar photovoltaic programme. Under the second phase, 22 GW of rooftop solar PV projects must be set up. Karnataka ranked the best for setting up a rooftop solar (RTS) project, according to the state rooftop solar attractiveness index (SARAL) released by the Centre on August 21. Telangana, Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh scored a rating of A++, while... Read more.. |
Climate change will cripple economies regardless of countries' wealth: ReportClimate change will damage the economies of countries whether they are rich or poor, hot or cold by the year 2100, economists said in a new report, dispelling the notion that impoverished, warm countries will suffer the most on a warming planet. Researchers who examined data from 174 countries over 50 years found that persistent temperature changes above or below a country's historical norm adversely affected economic growth, regardless of how warm a country is. The United States could see a 10 per cent loss... Read more.. |
Indian Oil Company to invest nearly $3.5 billion in green projects including 2G and 3G ethanolIn India, the Economic Times newspaper reports that Indian Oil Company plans to invest nearly $3.5 billion in green energy projects across a wide-ranging portfolio of renewables including 2G and 3G biofuels as part of its roadmap to reduce its impact on climate change. Hydrogen CNG and hydrogen fuel cells are among the other areas of renewable fuels where it is leveraging R&D in order to be a step ahead of the market. In addition to the 2G ethanol plants it has already announced and a pilot 3G ethanol... Read more.. |
WTO reforms should be wholistic, comprehensive, says Piyush GoyalCommerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal on August 22 made a case for wholistic and comprehensive reforms of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) without ignoring the ground realities, especially the stark inequality among developed and developing nations. He said instead of going for a piecemeal reform, the members should take on board issues of all countries of the WTO. "It is the time when all members of the WTO start looking at some of those reforms that have been pending for long. When we look at... Read more.. |
MNRE launches State Rooftop Solar Attractiveness IndexPower and renewable energy minister, R K Singh, today launched the State Rooftop Solar Attractiveness Index (SARAL) to evaluate states based on their attractiveness for rooftop development. It was launched at the review planning and monitoring meeting with states and state power utilities in New Delhi. "To achieve our rooftop solar targets, it is important to develop an ecosystem that ensures information symmetry, access to financing and clear market signals," said an MNRE release. According to the release,... Read more.. |
No deadline for transition to electric mobility, say government sourcesThe Centre has not set any deadline for transition to electric vehicles, a government official said on Wednesday. The comment assumes significance as government think-tank Niti Aayog in June had asked conventional two- and three-wheeler makers to suggest within two weeks concrete steps for transition towards electric mobility keeping in mind 2025 deadline. Replying to a question, a government official said, “There is no such deadline.” The Niti Aayog has suggested transition to full electric vehicles (EVs)... Read more.. |
India’s Greenko Energy Raises $350 Million In Fresh Green Bond IssueOne of India’s leading renewable energy companies, Greenko Energy Holdings, has successfully issued yet another green bond, making it at least the fourth green bond issue since 2014. According to media reports, Greenko Energy Holdings managed to raise US$350 million through a green bond issuance. The dollar-denominated bonds were issued by the company to refinance its corporate debt. The company received huge interest from international investors, likely due to the healthy backing it enjoys. Singapore’s... Read more.. |
Worsening Water Quality Affects Economic Growth: World BankWorsening Water Quality The world faces an invisible crisis of water quality that is eliminating one-third of potential economic growth in heavily polluted areas and threatening human and environmental well-being, according to a World Bank report released today. Quality Unknown: The Invisible Water Crisis shows, with new data and methods, how a combination of bacteria, sewage, chemicals, and plastics can suck oxygen from water supplies and transform water into poison for people and ecosystems. To shed light... Read more.. |
Karnataka ranks best in roof top solar developmentKarnataka has emerged as the best state for setting up a roof top solar project, according to a survey released by the Centre. The state rooftop solar attractiveness index–SARAL released by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy on Wednesday said that Telangana, Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh were among the top four states with a rating of A++. The states were evaluated on the basis of on their attractiveness for rooftop development. The state of Jammu and Kashmir has been ranked last. Launching the Index,... Read more.. |
Waive parking charges for electric vehicles, UT toldThe ministry of road transport and highways has asked the UT administration to give incentives for electric vehicles (EVs) like waiving of toll and parking charges and issuing green registration number plates. The ministry, in a communication, has sought to know steps initiated to promote electric vehicles in the city, seeking the reply by August 31. A senior UT official said the UT electricity department has succeeded in securing the nod of Joint Electricity Regulatory Commission (JERC) for fixing power... Read more.. |
Andhra govt softens stand on power purchase agreements signed TDP: R K SinghThe YS Jagan Mohan Reddy-led Andhra Pradesh government has softened its stand on the controversial plan to reopen the power purchase agreements (PPAs) inked under the previous TDP government. In response to a Mint’s question on Wednesday at a conference in New Delhi, union power and new and renewable energy minister Raj Kumar Singh said that he has seen a communication wherein the Andhra Pradesh state government has clarified that they will not open all power purchase agreements (PPAs), but only in those... Read more.. |