Category:

Climate, Environment, Renewable Energy

Regulators turn spotlight on company sustainability ratings

The International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO), which groups market regulators from the United States, Europe and Asia, recommended in a consultation paper on Monday that its members consider formally regulating an industry that has so far largely been left to its own devices. 

This lack of regulation has prompted concerns among some investors, who say methods of calculating ESG ratings are opaque, and environmentalists, who fear “greenwashing” – or that companies might sometimes get an ESG rating they don’t deserve.

read more

India urges G20 countries to fulfill emission targets

The Indian delegation in the G 20 meeting said that India has already achieved an emission reduction of 28 per cent over 2005 levels and is all set to exceed its NDC(Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC)) commitments before 2030, the press release further stated

India has achieved 38.5 per cent installed capacity from renewables, said the Indian delegation.

read more

Decommissioning coal power plants older than 25 yrs can save Rs 37K cr: Study

The CEEW study also recommends considering 30 GW of India’s coal-based (power generation) capacity for accelerated decommissioning.In fact, it stated that relegating these inefficient plants would additionally result in a one-time saving of Rs 10,000 crore (USD 1.37 billion) on account of avoided pollution control retrofits.

read more

Scientists update forecasts on extreme weather and climate change 

“It’s not so much that climate change itself is proceeding faster than expected — the warming is right in line with model predictions from decades ago,” said climate scientist Michael Mann of Pennsylvania State University. “Rather, it’s the fact that some of the impacts are greater than scientists predicted.”

That suggests that climate modeling may have been underestimating the “the potential for the dramatic rise in persistent weather extremes,” Mann said.

read more

IFC lends USD 250 mn to HDFC to promote affordable green housing finance

Green and energy-efficient housing can help cut emissions, as residential housing accounts for about 24 percent of the nation’s electricity consumption, IFC said.

”Green housing is largely regarded as a luxury market in the country, but given its climate benefits, IFC intends to challenge that perception and help boost green affordable housing by partnering with HDFC, with its deep penetration in the Indian housing market and significant commitment to promoting green,” IFC said.

read more

About 90% consumers in India willing to pay a premium for buying EV: Survey

According to the survey, the top reason for buying an EV is environmental concern, with 97 per cent also stating that the COVID-19 pandemic has heightened awareness and concerns about environmental issues. About 67per cent of those looking to buy an EV feel it is their responsibility to reduce their personal environmental impact, and 69 per cent feel buying an EV is one way to achieve this goal.

read more

Kerala vet doc gets patent for biodiesel from chicken waste

He said 100 kg of chicken waste, procured from slaughterhouses for which he gets paid up to Rs 7 a kg, can produce 1 liter of biodiesel, which offers over 38 km and can be sold at 40 percent of the diesel price now.

After seven-and-a-half years, the Indian Patent Office finally granted us the patent on July 7, 2021, for inventing ‘biodiesel produced from rendered chicken oil’, John Abraham, a veterinary-doctor-turned-inventor, an associate professor at the veterinary college here under the Kerala Veterinary & Animal Sciences University, told PTI from Wayanad.The higher mileage and lower pollution are because chicken waste contains 62 percent fat, offering the key energy content of Cetane at 72, while in normal diesel it is only 64. It also increases engine efficiency by 11 percent due to the presence of more oxygen, and reduces smoke levels by over 47 percent, Abraham said.

read more