The only global treaty that legally binds rich countries to cut greenhouse gas (GHGs) emissions may not get a new lease of life, after all. That’s what the latest climate negotiations at Bonn point at. Delegates from 194 countries met in June in the German city for climate change talks, …
In December 2009, just before the disastrous climate conference at Copenhagen, environment minister Jairam Ramesh announced a voluntary and unilateral emissions reduction target for the country. He committed a 20-25 per cent reduction in the emissions intensity of the country’s GDP by 2020 below the 2005 levels. A month later, …
What is the mandate of the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (bee) set up under the Energy Conservation Act? The law provides three regulatory functions. One is standards and labelling of electrical equipment, second is energy conservation code for buildings, and the third is energy conservation norms for industry. These are …
Energy efficiency is often called the low hanging fruit of climate change. Each unit of electricity saved is considered a unit less generated, which means less greenhouse gases released into the atmosphere. Under the 11th Five Year Plan, programmes promoting energy efficiency aim to save five per cent of energy …
“This magazine is not a product of a desire to capture share of the information market. It is a product of a need and desire to fill a critical information gap.” Anil Agarwal, founding editor of Down To Earth, wrote this in his introduction to the launch of the fortnightly …
This IEA roadmap provides a consensus view on the current status of smart grid technologies and maps out a global path for expanded use of smart grids, together with milestones and recommendations for action, for technology and policy development. The development of smart grids – which the IEA defines as …
India has set itself an ambitious target by committing to reduce the energy intensity of its GDP by 20 to 25 per cent by 2020. The promise is entwined with outcome of the recent Cancun climate meet that marked a major shift in burden-sharing in climate mitigation, with developing nations …
The new UNEP report demonstrates that a transition to a green economy is possible by investing 2% of global GDP per year (currently about US 1.3 trillion) between now and 2050 in a green transformation of key sectors, including agriculture, buildings, energy, fisheries, forests, manufacturing, tourism, transport, water & waste …
Rashmi Khatri is an astrologer. She recently renovated her office in Delhi, dividing it into two compartments— one for showcasing gemstones and other for attending clients. For the showroom space, she wanted adequate lighting without increasing the electricity bill. She chose imported light emitting diodes, or LEDs. LEDs have been …
The UNDP as the implementing agency for the project entitled: India: IND Energy Efficiency Improvements in Commercial Buildings - under the Programmatic Framework for Energy Efficiency in India. The project aims at promoting the construction of new energy efficient buildings or use of EE technologies and equipment in existing buildings. …
It is increasingly becoming evident that the world may not be ready for a binding international climate treaty at the ongoing climate summit in Cancun, Mexico. Global attention is now shifting towards domestic policies in the major economies. Japan and South Korea plan to launch their own versions of national …
IT IS the star attraction on the campus of SRM University in Chennai. Though in a nascent stage, it has the potential to give solar car manufacturers like Reva and Venturi a run for their money. Its innovators, a team of 10 electrical engineering students in their final year and …
To reduce electricity losses due to outdated technology and theft, the power ministry has sanctioned more than Rs 10,000 crore to modernise grids. Power utilities in 1,400 towns will use the funds to install sophisticated electric meters that constantly monitor an individual’s power consumption; the utilities will also undertake energy …
The draft of Green India Mission submitted to PM's Council on Climate Change aims at addressing climate change by enhancing carbon sinks in sustainably managed forests, adaptation of vulnerable ecosystems and adaptation of forest-dependant communities. This Mission document envisages an approach that is innovative in several ways: First, it proposes …
On World Environment Day this year I was at a five-star hotel. It was among the older ones in Bengaluru. The hotel had organized a week-long initiative to green Bengaluru. The idea was hackneyed. Of course, we need as many trees as we can get to absorb the carbon we …
HARD Rock Cafe in DLF Place mall in south Delhi is air-conditioned but does not use electricity from the grid to run the system. The mall has its own captive source—generators that run on compressed natural gas (CNG). The air conditioning runs on exhaust from these generators. The exhaust gases …
The articles in this publication have been contributed by experts and scientists from across the climate research sector to inform and empower Parliamentarians to make interventions on climate change issues. Each article seeks to outline the extensive and catastrophic impact that the changing climate will have on India unless we …
A study by non-profit Prayas Energy Group, which estimated the total standby energy-saving potential in India, found: TV sets, set-top boxes and personal computers consume 2,700 million units of power annually in standby mode Rural poor had very small standby consumption, followed by urban slums. Urban middle class had the …
Strategy 2020 sets the long-term strategic framework of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) for 2008-2020. During this period, ADB lending and technical assistance operations in Asia and the Pacific will emphasize inclusive economic growth, environmentally sustainable growth, and regional integration. The Sustainable Transport Initiative Operational Plan provides details of how …
The national mission on sustainable habitat approved by Prime minister. It is one of the eight missions under national climate change action plan and aims to make cities sustainable through improvements in energy efficiency in buildings, management of solid waste & shift to public transport. The National Mission for Sustainable …
