India Green News: NITI Aayog and EU delegation to India release the Strategy on Resource Efficiency; International Solar Alliance enters into force; Mayors of Bengaluru, London come together to help Indian cities tackle toxic air pollution
India Green News is a selection of news highlights about environmental and energy issues in India.
December 1 – 6, 2017
CLIMATE CHANGE
NITI Aayog and EU delegation to India release the Strategy on Resource Efficiency
NITI Aayog in collaboration with the European Union delegation to India have released the Strategy on Resource Efficiency at a function in the capital today. The report included in action plan for promoting resource efficiency in India.
Mr. Ratan P. Watal, Principal Advisor, NITI Aayog, mentioned that sustainability is a global priority and SDGs commitment and 11th Five year plan clearly enunciate importance of Resource efficiency (RE). Resource Efficiency and Circular Economy are important goals and central principles for achieving sustainable development. Resource efficiency very simply put is making more with fewer materials. In practice, through a life-cycle approach, it leads to minimizing impact on environment & the associated societal burdens, transforming 'waste' into 'resources' fostering circular economy, and strengthening resource security….
(Business Standard – December 1, 2017)
$3.1 trillion worth of climate investment opportunities expected in India by 2030
India’s ambitious plans to meet its climate targets under the Paris Agreement represent about USD 3.1 trillion worth of investment opportunities by 2030 in sectors including renewable energy, green buildings, transport infrastructure, electric vehicles, and climate-smart agriculture, says a new report by IFC, a member of the World Bank Group.
As per the report, a USD 448 billion opportunity will be in renewable energy, created by the large-scale, strong government commitment to install 175 GW of capacity by 2022, and India’s target that aims for 40 percent of installed capacity to come from renewable sources by 2030.
The green building sector in India is expected to generate a USD 1.4-trillion opportunity arising from rapid urbanization, policy incentives for green construction, and the fact that 70 percent of buildings needed by 2030 are yet to be built….
(Money Control – December 1, 2017)
Protecting planet also a moral responsibility: Harsh Vardhan
Union Environment Minister Harsh Vardhan today asserted that protecting the planet was not just a government’s political or social obligation, but a moral responsibility as well. He announced that India would host World Environment Day, 2018. Speaking on the second day of the three-day 3rd United Nations Environment Assembly in Nairobi, Vardhan noted that a healthy environment was necessary for eradicating poverty and that India expects (climate) action from other developed and developing nations to fulfil their historical responsibilities.
His comments come at a time when Delhi and other states in the northern belt of the country are facing severe air pollution crisis….
(Financial Express – December 6, 2017)
ENERGY
International Solar Alliance enters into force
The International Solar Alliance (ISA) on Wednesday became a treaty-based international inter-governmental organization following ratification by Guinea as the 15th country to become a member of the body created in 2015 through the joint efforts of India and France.
The Gurugram headquartered ISA aims at large scale deployment of solar energy through better harmonization and aggregation of demand from solar rich countries lying fully or partially between the tropics of Cancer and Capricorn.
On the occasion, industry chamber FICCI offered to work with the ISA "to bring innovation to the forefront of the solar energy landscape"….
(Business Standard – December 6, 2017)
Indian Railways' Agency Lists Bond on London Stock Exchange
The Indian Railways' financing arm on Wednesday listed its first green bond on the London Stock Exchange with an aim to finance infrastructure for dedicated freight corridors and passenger transport in India.
Indian Railway Finance Corporation (IRFC) was set up in 1986 as the dedicated financing arm of the Indian Railways for mobilizing funds from domestic and overseas Capital Markets.
The 10-year dated green bond raised USD 500 million with an annual yield of 3.835 percent as it listed on the London Stock Exchange (LSE)'s new International Securities Market (ISM)….
(News18 – December 6, 2017)
India's largest floating solar power plant opens in Kerala
What you are seeing is the country's largest floating solar power plant and it's set up on the Banasura Sagar reservoir in Wayanad, Kerala.
The 500 kWp (kilowatt peak) solar plant of the Kerala state electricity board (KSEB) floats on 1.25 acres of water surface of the reservoir. The solar plant has 1,938 solar panels which have been installed on 18 ferro cement floaters with hollow insides.
Features of the solar plant
The plant has been set up by KSEB at a cost of Rs 9.25 crore. The project has used high- efficiency solar panels and a floating substation have been set up on the reservoir itself to convert the output into 11kV, considering economic and safety aspects….
(Economic Times – December 5, 2017)
AP to set up solar-wind hybrid project with battery back-up
Andhra Pradesh is planning to develop a 160 MW solar-wind hybrid project with battery back-up facility.
Significantly, this is the first such project to be developed in the country.
Recently, Tesla announced the commissioning of a 100 MW power pack system, the world’s largest, in Jamestown, Australia. G Adiseshu, Managing Director of AP Solar Power Corporation, told Business Line that “this will be first such large-scale hybrid project to be attempted in the country with a battery back-up facility.”…
(Hindu Business Line – December 4, 2017)
ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH AND AIR POLLUTION
Mayors of Bengaluru, London come together to help Indian cities tackle toxic air pollution
The Mayor of Bengaluru, Sampath Raj, and Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, announced that London and Bengaluru will lead a global partnership of up to 20 other world cities on tackling air pollution in urban centers.
The C40 Air Quality Network will allow city leaders, from India and around the world, to share ideas, nurture innovation and drive ambition in the global effort to improve the quality of the air in cities.
C40's new Air Quality Network will be co-chaired by the Mayor of London and the Mayor of Bengaluru, working with up to 20 other global cities to develop solutions to the international air pollution crisis. Bangalore will host a workshop for global cities to share best practice in tackling air quality in 2018….
(Business Standard – December 5, 2017)
The BCCI on Monday said scheduling of matches in pollution-mired Delhi will be "considered" in future after Sri Lanka's cricket team complained of poor air quality during the ongoing third Test against India.
Play was stopped on three occasions on Sunday and the Sri Lankan team, struggling to match up to the Virat Kohli-led Indians for most of the series, wore anti-pollution masks, complaining of breathing problems at the Feroz Shah Kotla….
(Firstpost – December 4, 2017)
Compiled by Laasya Bhagavatula
Note: The linked articles and excerpts in this post are provided for informational purposes only and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of the India Initiative or of the Natural Resources Defense Council.