Can e-commerce Help Save the Planet?

22.01.2022

ecommerce-kompjuter — Photo-illustration: Pixabay

If you have logged onto Google Flights recently, you might have noticed a small change in the page’s layout. Alongside the usual sortable categories, like price, duration, and departure time, there is a new field: CO2 emissions.

Launched in October 2021, the column gives would-be travellers an estimate of how much carbon dioxide they will be responsible for emitting.

“When you’re choosing among flights of similar cost or timing, you can also factor carbon emissions into your decision,” wrote Google’s Vice President of Travel Products, Richard Holden.

Google is part of a wave of digital companies, including Amazon, and Ant Financial, encouraging consumers to make more sustainable choices by offering eco-friendly filter options, outlining the environmental impact of products, and leveraging engagement strategies used in video games.

Experts say these digital nudges can help increase awareness about environmental threats and the uptake of solutions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

“Our consumption practices are putting tremendous pressure on the planet, driving climate change, stoking pollution and pushing species towards extinction,” says David Jensen, Digital Transformation Coordinator with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).

“We need to make better decisions about the things we buy and trips we take,” he added. “These green digital nudges help consumers make better decisions as well as collectively drive businesses to adopt sustainable practices through consumer pressure.”

Global reach

At least 1.5 billion people consume products and services through e-commerce platforms, and global e-commerce sales reached USD 26.7 trillion in 2019, according to a recent UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) report.

Meanwhile, 4.5 billion people are on social media and 2.5 billion play online games. These tallies mean digital platforms could influence green behaviors at a planetary scale, says Jensen.

One example is UNEP-led Playing for the Planet Alliance, which places green activations in games. UNEP’s Little Book of Green Nudges has also led to more than 130 universities piloting 40 different nudges to shift behaviour.

A 2020 study by Globescan involving many of the world’s largest retailers found that seven out of 10 consumers want to become more sustainable. However, only three out of 10 have been able to change their lifestyles.

E-commerce providers can help close this gap.

“The algorithms and filters that underpin e-commerce platforms must begin to nudge sustainable and net-zero products and services by default,” said Jensen. “Sustainable consumption should be a core part of the shopping experience empowering people to make choices that align with their values.”

Embedding sustainability in tech

Many groups are trying to leverage this opportunity to make the world a more sustainable place.

The Green Digital Finance Alliance (GDFA), launched by Ant Group and UNEP, aims to enhance financing for sustainable development through digital platforms and fintech applications. It launched the Every Action Counts Coalition, a global network of digital, financial, retail investment, e-commerce and consumer goods companies. The coalition aims to help 1 billion people make greener choices and take action for the planet by 2025 through online tools and platforms.

“We will bring like-minded members together to experiment with new innovative business models that empower everyone to become a green digital champion,” says Marianne Haahr, GDFA Executive Director.

In one example, GDFA member Mastercard, in collaboration with the fintech company Doconomy, provides shoppers with a personalized carbon footprint tracker to inform their spending decisions.

In the UK, Mastercard is partnering with HELPFUL to offer incentives for purchasing products from a list of over 150 sustainable brands.

Mobile apps like Ant Forest, by Ant Group, are also using a combination of incentives and digital engagement models to urge 600 million people to make sustainable choices. Users are rewarded for low-carbon decisions through green energy points they can use to plant real trees. So far, the Ant Forest app has resulted in 122 million trees being planted, reducing carbon emissions by over 6 million tons.

Three e-commerce titans are also aiming to support greener lifestyles. Amazon has adopted the Climate Pledge Friendly initiative to help at least 100 million people find climate-friendly products that carry at least one of 32 different environmental certifications.

SAP’s Ariba platform is the largest digital business-to-business network on the planet. It has also embraced the idea of “procuring with purpose,” offering a detailed look at corporate supply chains so potential partners can assess the social, economic and environmental impact of transactions.

“Digital transformation is an opportunity to rethink how our business models can contribute to sustainability and how we can achieve full environmental transparency and accountability across our entire value chain,” said SAP’s Chief Sustainability Officer Daniel Schmid.

UNEP’s Jensen says a crucial next step would be for mobile phone operating systems to adopt standards that would allow apps to share environment and carbon footprint information.

“This would enable people to seamlessly calculate their footprints across all applications to develop insights and change behaviours,” Jensen said. “Everyone needs access to an individual’ environmental dashboard’ to truly understand their impact and options for more sustainable.

Need for common standards

As platforms begin to encode sustainability into their algorithms and product recommendations, common standards are needed to ensure reliability and public trust, say experts.

Indeed, many online retailers are claiming to do more for the environment than they actually are. A January analysis by the European Commission and European national consumer authorities found that in 42 percent, sustainability claims were exaggerated or false.

To help change that, UNEP serves as the secretariat of the One Planet network, a global community of practitioners, policymakers and experts that encourages sustainable consumption and production.

In November, the One Planet network issued guidance material for e-commerce platforms that outlines how to better inform consumers and enable more sustainable consumption, based on 10 principles from UNEP and the International Trade Centre.

The European Union is also pioneering core standards for digital sustainability through digital product passports that contain relevant information on a product’s origin, composition, environmental and carbon performance.

“Digital product passports will be an essential tool to strengthen consumer protection and increase the level of trust and rigour to environmental performance claims,” says Jensen. “They are the next frontier on the pathway to planetary sustainability in the digital age.”

Source: UNEP

Hydrogen Economy Hints at New Global Power Dynamics

21.01.2022

hydrogen-hidrogen — Foto-ilustracija: Pixabay

Rapid growth of the global hydrogen economy can bring significant geoeconomic and geopolitical shifts giving rise to a wave of new interdependencies, according to new analysis by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA). Geopolitics of the Energy Transformation: The Hydrogen Factor sees hydrogen changing the geography of energy trade and regionalising energy relations, hinting at the emergence of new centres of geopolitical influence built on the production and use of hydrogen, as traditional oil and gas trade declines.

Driven by the climate urgency and countries’ commitments to net zero, IRENA estimates hydrogen to cover up to 12 per cent of global energy use by 2050. Growing trade and targeted investments in a market dominated by fossil fuels and currently valued at USD 174 billion is likely to boost economic competitiveness and influence the foreign policy landscape with bilateral deals diverging significantly from the hydrocarbon relationships of the 20th century.

“Hydrogen could prove to be a missing link to a climate-safe energy future”, Francesco La Camera, Director-General of IRENA said. “Hydrogen is clearly riding on the renewable energy revolution with green hydrogen emerging as a game changer for achieving climate neutrality without compromising industrial growth and social development. But hydrogen is not a new oil. And the transition is not a fuel replacement but a shift to a new system with political, technical, environmental, and economic disruptions.”

“It is green hydrogen that will bring new and diverse participants to the market, diversify routes and supplies and shift power from the few to the many. With international co-operation, the hydrogen market could be more democratic and inclusive, offering opportunities for developed and developing countries alike.”

You can read the whole article HERE.

Source: IRENA

Green Power, Clean Air

20.01.2022

solarni paneli - solar panels — Photo-illustration: Pixabay

Are the sun and water resources that could clear the path to a climate-neutral world or just another “bad master” who could bring droughts and floods? Both scenarios are equally possible. However, what kind of world we will dawn in tomorrow depends exclusively on how we use these natural potentials.

Fortunately, many individuals and companies have already embraced clean technologies, making the future we want more feasible. One of such companies is the Centre for Energy Efficiency and Sustainable Development (CEEFOR), which has a long-term “cooperation” with our closest star, using their knowledge and eleven-years long experience to design solar power plants for more than 500 foreign and domestic customers.

On the other hand, the company Minaqua, a leader in the production and sale of unique natural mineral water rich in iodine, constantly strives to protect the environment maximally during the production process. The use of new technologies and constant development are their top priorities, but never to the detriment of the environment.

These two companies, each a leader in their respective field, have recently reached out to each other to realize another important project, not only for their mutual satisfaction but also for the general benefit of society.

No two projects are the same, and experts know that best. To meet all customer needs and design an efficient and long-lasting solar power plant, the team uniquely approaches each project, using proven knowledge and skills.

In focus:

Once Minaqua decided to build a solar power plant, they started searching for a partner who would carefully listen to all their wishes and provide the best solutions.

They entrusted the project to CEEFOR and got what they bargained for. After a careful audit of the space and the conditions at their disposal, the experts decided to make specific constructions for pitched roofs. The roof of the Minaqua factory has a specific counter-slope inclination, so the angle of the solar panels to the south had to be raised by five degrees with special construction.

The professional and well-coordinated team of the CEEFOR quickly came up with the ideal solution to make the solar power plant work as efficiently as possible.

According to the design, the input power of the power plant on the DC (one-way) side is 220 kW, while the output power on the alternating side is 200 kW.

After a meticulous selection process, the producer Canadian Solar was chosen to provide precisely 597 modules of 370 W. Besides the solar panels, which will cover a roof area of 1,663 m2, the power plant will also contain 10 Symo 20 inverters manufactured by Fronius.

It all adds up. The solar power plant, which will be installed on the factory roof, will produce 275,380 KW annually.

As Minaqua pays special attention to environmental protection, the installation of solar panels is another step that will contribute to alleviating the climate crisis since the annual carbon dioxide savings will amount to a total of 220,221 kg.

Finally, when choosing between the on-grid and off-grid systems, Minaqua opted for the former. Having in mind all the benefits of the on-grid system brought by the current national energy policy (not only to gain from the possibility of excess electricity flow in both directions in the electricity distribution network to reduce electricity bills later but also to take part in the of auction systems expected to commence at the end of the year), this socially responsible company has decided to take on the promoter role, which means that they will be both producers and buyers of electricity.

After another successfully completed project, CEEFOR’s portfolio became richer for another valuable experience and knowledge, while Minaqua awaits the moment when it will start producing green kilowatts.

Prepared by: Milena Maglovski

Energy Knows No Boundaries

19.01.2022

ohrid-Severna-Makedonija — Foto-ilustracija: Pixabay

At the recently held conference of RES Serbia 2021, Viktor Andonov, Energy Advisor to the Macedonian Prime Minister Zoran Zaev, was one of the most notable guests. According to him, such an impression is the result of the hard work of the Government of the Republic of North Macedonia and all institutions related to the energy sector since they have taken serious steps forward and have a lot to say on energy and energy transition. We talked with Viktor Andonov about the reforms in the energy sector of the Republic of North Macedonia that followed the adoption of the new Energy Law, about projects in the field of renewable energy sources that are currently being implemented in this neighboring country. We also asked him how he assesses Serbia’s energy transition.

EP: How important is regional cooperation, and do you plan to implement some projects involving the countries of the former Yugoslavia?

Viktor Andonov: Regional cooperation is essential because it contributes to maintaining energy supply security in our region. Energy knows no boundaries. It is very optimistic that this cooperation has been functioning well for years, especially among the transmission system operators who communicate and cooperate on a daily basis to maintain the stability and reliability of our transmission systems. We should mention the cooperation in establishing the control block to ensure system services and functioning of the transmission system, as well as for security in supply at the lowest price among the operators of Serbia, North Macedonia, and Montenegro.

It is an example of the path to be followed regarding future cooperation, especially considering the plans for larger investments in renewable energy sources and the method of their balancing. Furthermore, we have the joint initiative within the framework of Open Balkan to build a joint large photovoltaic power plant; this could be a great project that will reinforce the cooperation. We are currently conducting an appropriate analysis in North Macedonia to define the best potential locations suitable for the realization of such an investment. If I were to sum up regional cooperation in just a few words, I would say that it is not only important but necessary because our energy markets are small, dependent on import. We must cooperate for the better life of all citizens in the region.

In focus:

EP: Reforms in North Macedonia started with the new Energy Law in 2018. What changes has the Law brought in the field of renewable energy sources?

Viktor Andonov: The new Energy Law, which included the third package of the EU Directives referring to the internalenergy market, as well as the adoption of numerous bylaws required for full implementation of the Law, were the reason for the Energy Community Secretariat to grant us with the status of champion in implementing energy reforms in one of its most recent reports on the implementation of the acquis in the national legislation. While implementing the reforms, we focused on changing the concept to support the construction of new photovoltaic power plants, which is quite normal if we take into consideration the fact that North Macedonia is a country with plenty of sunny days and that it has adequate solar radiation, much larger compared to some of the Western European countries. It is a pity that this potential was not sufficiently exploited in the past.

Unfortunately, we did not use one of the main natural resources at our disposal as much as we could. The previous concept of support in the form of feed-in tariffs had several shortcomings, and most notably, they were granted following the principle of first come – first served. Furthermore, all costs of purchasing electricity were borne by the end-users. The new, current concept based on the premium tariffs defines a clear and transparent procedure for awarding the premium tariffs through an electronic auction and negative bidding, which had excellent results in the first two auctions conducted in 2019. Using only these pilot projects to build photovoltaic power plants, following the premium principle, we managed to increase the photovoltaic capacity 3.5 times. Unfortunately, this resulted in only 18 MW; however, with the calls from 2019, projects for 60 MW of installed capacity are underway.

EP: Which renewable energy projects are currently being implemented in North Macedonia, and which is the most significant?

Foto- Vlada Republike Severne Makedonije

Viktor Andonov: We focus on renewable energy sources. They are necessary to complete the fair transition process, which has already started, which means the transition from conventional to renewable energy sources; we focus on getting energy from natural gas. One of the first significant projects is constructing the first photovoltaic power plant in the old coal mine at the Oslomej thermal power plant. This was done by the national company ESM for a capacity of 10 MW.

This power plant will be put in operation at the end of October. Thanks to this first project, the EBRD has provided a grant to prepare technical documentation to construct another 10 MW photovoltaic power plant Oslomej and an additional 20 MW in REK Bitola. In 2020, with the support of the EBRD, a transparent tender procedure was conducted to construct two photovoltaic power plants on the remaining site of the old coal mine in Oslomej. A photovoltaic power plant will completely replace the capacity of the 120 MW thermal power plant, i.e. two 10 MW power plants owned by ESM and two private investments of 50 MW made by the Turkish company FORTIS ENERJI and Solarpro Holding from Bulgaria. This project is the first of its kind in the Balkans and this part of Europe and shows the Government’s commitment to the goals of the Green Deal – zero emissions by 2050. Last month, the London-based EFT Group was granted investor status to build an 80 MW photovoltaic power plant.

We plan to construct one of the largest photovoltaic power plants in the Balkans, with a capacity of 350 MW, on the site of the previously planned cargo airport in Štip. It can be a very attractive investment for all interested companies. The construction terms are excellent, the solar radiation is good, and the connection to the transmission system is quite accessible and easy to perform. The most important project for the Republic of North Macedonia and in the region is the Čebren hydropower plant (installed capacity from 330 to 450 MW), which is planned to be built on the largest tributary of the Vardar, the Crna Reka. The realization of this project is essential for the successful energy transition of Northern Macedonia, bearing in mind that this project should ensure the balancing of our electricity system. A tender procedure is currently being conducted following the Law on Concessions and Public-Private Partnerships.

Interviewed by: Nevena Đukić

Energy Community Summer School: Applications for 2022 now open!

18.01.2022

people-discussion-mladi-sastanak — Foto-ilustracija: Pixabay

Foto-ilustracija: Unsplash (You X Ventures)

The Energy Community Secretariat is pleased to launch the call for applications for the 2022 Energy Community Summer School. The Summer School offers a unique opportunity for up to 48 postgraduate students and young professionals to gain an in-depth knowledge of the energy transition in its full complexity and provide them with a platform for exchange and shaping the sectors’ future.

This year’s Summer School will take place from 20 to 27 August 2022 at the Faculty of Political Science of the University of Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. The programme will be published online soon.

Participation is free of charge[1]. The Energy Community Summer School Board will select the best candidates based on the selection criteria. Due to the outstanding applications from students outside the countries eligible for participation in the past years, the Secretariat and its partners have decided to allocate up to 5 additional slots to participants who do not meet the geographical criteria.

The application deadline is 31 March 2022.

The Summer School targets highly motivated postgraduate students (masters or PhD), researchers from all energy-related disciplines, young professionals from governmental institutions, companies, think tanks, NGOs and other relevant areas.

The Energy Community Secretariat will organise the 2022 Summer School in cooperation with the Višegrad Fund, the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung – Dialogue Southeast Europe (FES SOE) and the Faculty of Political Science of the University of Sarajevo.

All applicants are invited to carefully read the selection criteria.

To apply, please follow the link provided below.

[1] Only citizens from the following countries are eligible for free participation: Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Kosovo*, North Macedonia, Norway, Serbia, Ukraine, United Kingdom, Turkey and the 27 EU Member States.

Source: Energy Community

It’s Time to Shift to Net-Zero Emissions Plastics

17.01.2022

plastika_konkurs1 — Foto: Bazelska konvencija

There are two sides to everything – and that goes for plastics, too.

Let’s start with the positive side. Plastics shape and facilitate the whole of modern life. They are found in everything from smartphones to shoe soles, in spectacle lenses and mattresses, in footballs and fridges. What is more, plastics are a key part of our efforts to create a truly sustainable world. Without them, no windmill turns, no electric car drives, and houses would consume much more energy. Water would seep away, and much of the harvest would not be available to feed the growing world population.

It’s understandable, then, that plastic is such a sought-after material. Currently, around 370 million tons are produced worldwide per year – and experts expect consumption to triple again by 2050.

Now to the less positive side. This demands clear words and open ears. Plastics are not only part of the solution, they are also part of the problem – for the moment, at least. This is because they contribute to the triple crises that our planet and humanity are facing: climate change, the depletion of natural resources and the destruction and pollution of the environment. This has to do with the way plastics are currently produced, and how consumers deal with them.

The present: plastics from crude oil

The chemical and plastics industries account for around 7 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions. By 2030, this could reach a level equivalent to around 300 new coal-fired power plants. Closely related to this is the topic of resource: we make plastics by taking crude oil out of the ground and processing it. This accounts for 4-8 percent of our annual global oil consumption. By 2050, according to experts, growing demand for plastics could push this figure as high as 20 percent.

And as useful as plastics are, they are normally discarded after use or simply thrown away. Between 1950 and 2015, a whopping 80 percent of plastic waste ended up in landfills or in the environment. Worldwide, only around 15 percent of the plastic produced is recycled annually. By the way, this does not apply to plastic alone. Of the approximately 100 billion tons of material in circulation globally, only 8.6 billion are recycled. In other words, the world is only 8.6 percent circular.

And now we are at the very heart of the problem. Because we have a system that isn’t in line with our times. Actually, it had a flaw from the beginning. Here too, I see three key aspects. Point one: exponential growth. The prevailing economic order has the “more” as the principle: more consumption, more production, more use of resources. Secondly, obsolescence: consumption and products are designed for short lives and replacement. They should not last long, but break, become outdated or go out of fashion. And thirdly, as already mentioned, climate intensity. Our everyday lives and industrial processes are still predominantly based on fossil fuels and fossil energy, releasing billions of tons of greenhouse gases.

The future: plastics from renewable sources

The way out of the dead end is a system change – ditching the linear economy for the circular economy. In particular, this holds true for the plastics industry. And here we are again on the positive side. Because the ideas, solutions and practical approaches needed to produce climate-neutral plastics in this way already exist. The crucial point is the central building block of plastics: carbon. We must extract it from sources other than crude oil. Rather, we must take it from renewable raw materials: waste, biomass and even CO2.

Read the whole article HERE.

Source: World Economic Forum

Surging Electricity Demand is Putting Power Systems Under Strain Around the World

15.01.2022

eletrična-energija-struja — Foto-ilustracija: Pixabay

Global electricity demand surged in 2021, creating strains in major markets, pushing prices to unprecedented levels and driving the power sector’s emissions to a record high. Electricity is central to modern life and clean electricity is pivotal to energy transitions, but in the absence of faster structural change in the sector, rising demand over the next three years could result in additional market volatility and continued high emissions, according to an IEA report released.

Driven by the rapid economic rebound, and more extreme weather conditions than in 2020, including a colder than average winter, last year’s 6 percent rise in global electricity demand was the largest in percentage terms since 2010 when the world was recovering from the global financial crisis. In absolute terms, last year’s increase of over 1 500 terawatt-hours was the largest ever, according to the January 2022 edition of the IEA’s semi-annual Electricity Market Report.

The steep increase in demand outstripped the ability of sources of electricity supply to keep pace in some major markets, with shortages of natural gas and coal leading to volatile prices, demand destruction and negative effects on power generators, retailers and end users, notably in China, Europe and India. Around half of last year’s global growth in electricity demand took place in China, where demand grew by an estimated 10 percent. China and India suffered from power cuts at certain points in the second half of the year because of coal shortages.

“Sharp spikes in electricity prices in recent times have been causing hardship for many households and businesses around the world and risk becoming a driver of social and political tensions,” said IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol. “Policy makers should be taking action now to soften the impacts on the most vulnerable and to address the underlying causes. Higher investment in low-carbon energy technologies including renewables, energy efficiency and nuclear power – alongside an expansion of robust and smart electricity grids – can help us get out of today’s difficulties.”

The IEA’s price index for major wholesale electricity markets almost doubled compared with 2020 and was up 64 percent from the 2016-2020 average. In Europe, average wholesale electricity prices in the fourth quarter of 2021 were more than four times their 2015-2020 average. Besides Europe, there were also sharp price increases in Japan and India, while they were more moderate in the United States where gas supplies were less perturbed.

Electricity produced from renewable sources grew by 6 percent in 2021, but it was not enough to keep up with galloping demand. Coal-fired generation grew by 9 percent, serving more than half of the increase in demand and reaching a new all-time peak as high natural gas prices led to gas-to-coal switching. Gas-fired generation grew by 2 percent, while nuclear increased by 3.5 percent, almost reaching its 2019 levels. In total, carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from power generation rose by 7 percent, also reaching a record high, after having declined the two previous years.

“Emissions from electricity need to decline by 55 percent by 2030 to meet our Net Zero Emissions by 2050 Scenario, but in the absence of major policy action from governments, those emissions are set to remain around the same level for the next three years,” said Dr Birol. “Not only does this highlight how far off track we currently are from a pathway to net zero emissions by 2050, but it also underscores the massive changes needed for the electricity sector to fulfil its critical role in decarbonising the broader energy system.”

For 2022-2024, the report anticipates electricity demand growing 2.7 percent a year on average, although the Covid-19 pandemic and high energy prices bring some uncertainty to this outlook. Renewables are set to grow by 8 percent per year on average, serving more than 90 percent of net demand growth during this period. We expect nuclear-based generation to grow by 1 percent annually during the same period.

As a consequence of slowing electricity demand growth and significant renewables additions, fossil fuel-based generation is expected to stagnate in the coming years, with coal-fired generation falling slightly as phase-outs and declining competitiveness in the United States and Europe are balanced by growth in markets like China and India. Gas-fired generation is seen growing by around 1 percent a year.

Source: IEA

EBRD Green Finance in 2021 Hits Record 51 Percent of 10.4 Billion Euros Total

14.01.2022

renewable-energy — Photo-illustration: Pixabay

Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Andreas Gucklhorn)

The EBRD’s green financing hit a record 5.4 billion euros, or 51 percent, of total business volume of 10.4 billion euros in 2021.

“These excellent results underscore the Bank’s strong dedication to continuing to support its clients in the wake of the pandemic as well as its commitment to decarbonise economies and enable the transition to a more sustainable future, with a focus on involving the private sector and supporting reforms to tackle climate change,” said EBRD President Odile Renaud-Basso.

The 2021 green results, a significant increase on the 29 percent share of total financing in 2020, fall under the EBRD’s Green Economy Transition (GET) approach.

They follow the Bank’s recent twin commitments to align all its investments with the goals of the Paris Agreement on limiting climate change by the end of this year, a decision taken by its Board of Governors at last July’s Annual Meeting, and to make a majority of its investments green by 2025.

At the November 2021 COP26 climate summit in Glasgow, the EBRD also set out how it plans to support the transition to a low-carbon economy in its regions by doubling the mobilisation of private-sector climate financing by 2025.

The EBRD, a leading climate finance investor, works in some of the world’s most fossil-fuel dependent countries and aims to support them in planning and executing their transition to a low-carbon economy.

Among its many successes is EBRD Green Cities, a 5 billion urban euros environmental programme, which has grown to include 53 cities in its five years of existence and helps them identify, prioritise and connect their environmental challenges with sustainable infrastructure investments and policy measures.

The EBRD announced in November that the programme was doubling in size, allocating a further 2 billion euros to invest in green urban infrastructure over the next two years.

The 2021 green finance record was a key element in the EBRD’s second highest overall annual business volume ever. The record of 11 billion euros was set in 2020 when its investments were buoyed by emergency lending at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The total number of its projects in 2021 was 413, compared to 411 in 2020. The share of private sector investment rose four percentage points to 76 percent.

Annual Mobilised Investment – the amount made available to clients from entities other than the EBRD due to the Bank’s direct involvement – climbed sharply to 1.8 billion euros from 1.2 billion euros in 2020. Disbursements totalled 7.3 billion euros for the year.

The EBRD raised approximately 1.2 billion euros in donor funds to support its operations in 2021 and is an important partner for the European Union, the Bank’s largest multilateral donor.

Under its EU budget and NextGenerationEU funding programmes, the EU provided 291 million euros in 2021 and through the EU’s pandemic-related Recovery Resilience Facility 500 million euros in concessional finance were provided by Greece.

Bilateral donors contributed some 123 million euros to the High-Impact Partnership on Climate Action (HIPCA), the EBRD’s first green-focused multi-donor facility, launched at COP26.

Inclusion and digital, the EBRD’s two strategic priorities other than green, also made a major contribution to the Bank’s success in 2021.

Source: EBRD

2022: Emergency Mode for the Environment

13.01.2022

poplave — Foto-ilustracija: Unsplash (Milind Ruparel)

As the new year gets underway, the world continues to grapple with a number of familiar challenges – the continued COVID-19 pandemic, resurgent wildfires, enduring crises of climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution and waste. Yet, 2022 could prove to be a seminal year for the environment, with high-level events and conferences scheduled, which are hoped to re-energize international cooperation and collective action.

The coming year will also mark two golden jubilees. In 1972, the world took up the environmental mantle at the historic UN Conference on the Human Environment in Stockholm. The meeting firmly placed the environment on the priority list of governments, civil society, businesses and policymakers, recognizing the inextricable links between the planet, human well-being and economic growth. Now, fifty years later, the Stockholm+50 meeting in June 2022 will commemorate the event, reflect upon half a century of global environmental action and look forward.

The Stockholm Conference also birthed the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the UN entity mandated to monitor the state of the environment, inform policymaking with science and galvanize action. For fifty years since, UNEP has used its convening power and rigorous scientific research to coordinate a global effort to tackle environmental challenges. A series of activities will mark UNEP’s 50th anniversary this year.

UNEP is going into 2022 with a new “Medium-Term Strategy” featuring seven interlinked subprogrammes for action: Climate Action, Chemicals and Pollutions Action, Nature Action, Science Policy, Environmental Governance, Finance and Economic Transformations and Digital Transformations. The strategy was agreed at 2021’s fifth session of the UN Environment Assembly; the resumed session, known as UNEA 5.2 will take place in February 2022. Under the overarching theme of ‘Strengthening Actions for Nature to Achieve the Sustainable Development Goals’, discussions will highlight the pivotal role of nature in social, economic and environmental sustainable development.

June will be a busy month on the environmental calendar. On the 5th, the world will come together to celebrate World Environment Day. Led by UNEP and held annually since 1974, the day has grown to be the largest global platform for environmental outreach, with millions of people engaging to protect the planet. This year’s event will be hosted by Sweden, under the campaign slogan “Only One Earth”, with a focus on living sustainably in harmony with nature.

While this timeline of environmental achievements is proof of what can be achieved through multilateral action, the science remains irrefutable. Unsustainable patterns of consumption and production are fuelling the triple planetary crisis of climate change, nature and biodiversity loss, and pollution and waste. UN Secretary-General António Guterres has warned that the triple crisis is humanity’s number one existential threat.

Several global events in 2022 aim to encourage dialogue and influence policy decisions to address the triple crisis. These include a post-2020 global biodiversity framework, which will be adopted in May at COP 15, and could stave off the extinction of over one million species, and the UN Ocean Conference in July, which seeks to protect one of our most vital ecosystems. A detailed list of related events is available on the UN web site.

Last year, the UN Secretary-General reminded the world that “We are at a crossroads, with consequential choices before us. It can go either way: breakdown or breakthrough.”

Experts hope that 2022 will be a year of breakthroughs for the environment.

Source: UNEP

The Sun Still Does not Send Heating Bills

12.01.2022

sunrise-sunce-klimatske-promene — Foto-ilustracija: Pixabay

Sunny Days is a conference recently held on the Hvar island in Croatia as the first conference dedicated to solar energy usage, so we used this opportunity to talk to Maja Pokrovac, Director of Renewable Energy Sources of Croatia (OIEH) about the experience our neighbors have had in the area of solar energy, as well as in energy transition flows in the entire region

As the sunniest Croatian island, Hvar was the ideal location for Sunny Days, the first conference on solar energy usage, recently organized by the Renewable Energy Sources of Croatia association (OIEH), in cooperation with the Island Movement. By choosing the city of Hvar on the same island, the organizers wanted to additionally highlight the natural potentials the Sun in Croatia has, as well as the insufficiently used potential of islands in terms of the energy transition. The event gathered key energy transition participants from Croatia and abroad, and immediately after this two-day event, we got questions about the date of the next conference. This tells us a lot about the conference’s success, says Maja Pokrovac, OIEH Director, in her interview for the Energy Portal.

“The conclusions of the conference are very clear and important: we must change and simplify the regulatory environment, make capital availability easier, work harder on educating the broader public, strengthen the engagement of local self-government units and the citizens and enable everyone to participate in projects related to renewable energy sources. The energy transition is not going to be possible without the active participation of local and regional self-government units, nor the end-users of energy, such as the citizens, sole-proprietors, and small and medium-sized companies,” Maja Pokrovac says and points out that their biggest wish is for Sunny Days to become another traditional conference, such as Windy Days. “I hope that in the next conference we will no longer have to talk about unused potentials and obstacles, but to brag about the projects we will have launched,” she adds.

In focus:

When it comes to projects in the solar energy domain that have been launched so far, Croatia is certainly in a period of growth, above all in terms of a growing number of solar roofs in recent years. The number of citizens and companies recognizing the benefits of solar energy is on the rise as well but, as our guest noticed, it is still small with regard to the potential Croatia has. According to HEP-ODS data, in 2020 there have been 27 MW of solar capacity installed in Croatia, whereas cumulatively the number is 108 MW in total. The goal is to reach 134 MW in 2021 and to grow each year up to 6,570 MW of yearly new installations by 2030, out of which 768 MW is to come from the installed solar power in total.

“If we are to ease access to commercialization of the potentials, not only will we achieve our ambitions, but also exceed them, because the potential is higher than the goals set for the following decade. This could be seen in Walburga Hemetsberger’s presentation at the Sunny Days conference. She is the Director of Solar Power Europe, an association from the EU. We have not reached the giga-watt market but, speaking of the Croatian market, she specified that the growth of solar power is expected to rise by 226 percent this year so that the installed power is to increase by 871 MW by 2025, which is an 850 percent growth in comparison to today’s total capacity,” Maja Pokrovac says.

There are a lot of developing solar power plants currently in Serbia, both small and big, and those developed by private individuals, companies, and state institutions. For example, Podravka company is building solar power plants on the roofs of its buildings, the Croatian Electric Power company also started to intensify the development of solar power plants in Croatian islands, among other things. “Domestic and foreign investors are really interested in RES development projects, so we currently have more than 10 GW of projects that are candidates for connecting to the transmission network, mostly by solar FN power plants, wind farms, and hybrid power plants. The RES sector is developing rapidly,” our interlocutor notices.

Due to its geographic position, Croatia has a great solar energy usage potential, which is among the biggest in Europe. However, if we compare the Dalmatia region with the neighboring Slovenia, the former’s solar potential is 40 percent greater than the Slovene, but its installed solar power is 10 times smaller than the latter one’s.

“With the new legal framework for the green transition, that is to enable a stronger solar energy breakthrough, this should start changing. In regard to the novelties, the Law on Electricity Market brings, which is adopted only a few days ago – from putting solar panels on multistory buildings, all the way to the possibility for the citizens to unite into energy communities and share energy through them – I am sure the solarization of Croatia is going to speed up,” Maja Pokrovac says.

Prepared by: Nevena Đukić

Read the story in the new issue of the Energy portal Magazine RECYCLING.

Translator Vesna Savić

The Potential of Digital Business Models in the New Energy Eonomy

11.01.2022

Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Bill-Mead)

The pace of digitalisation in the energy sector has accelerated rapidly in recent years, leading to a transformation of many traditional business models. Thanks to innovative technologies and access to new types of data, new revenue streams and services have emerged, costs have been reduced and barriers to new market entrants have been lowered. Energy companies continue to find novel ways of doing business and engaging with their customers.

This article highlights the potential of digital business models to facilitate clean energy transitions, with a particular focus on how they can enhance energy efficiency and demand-side flexibility. It also identifies a set of general recommendations for governments to support the scaling up of innovative business models.

The energy system is undergoing deep structural change as electrification becomes more prevalent across industries and energy-demand patterns shift. According to the IEA’s Net Zero Emissions by 2050 Scenario (NZE), 240 million rooftop photo-voltaic solar systems and 1.6 billion electric cars are integrated into the power system by the middle of this century, while more than 85 percent of the world’s existing building stock is retrofitted to meet standards that are zero-carbon ready. The average annual rate of economy-wide energy efficiency improvement doubles through to 2030, compared with the average over the last ten years to 2020, in NZE. To achieve this, the flexibility of future low-carbon electricity systems (based on hour-to-hour ramping needs) quadruples to accommodate variable sources of renewable power. Batteries and greater demand-side response deliver about half of NZE flexibility improvements. Thus, accelerating action in the current decade is crucial for meeting these climate objectives.

Under the NZE, annual investments in clean energy increase to around USD 4 trillion by 2030. Close to 70 percent of that is borne by the private sector – consumers and investors, who will be reacting to price signals and government policies. The required measures – including building retrofits, installations of electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure and other initiatives – all involve high up-front capital investments. Reaching this level of financial commitment is a huge challenge, particularly – but not exclusively – in emerging markets and developing economies.

Given the magnitude of the investments needed, and the rapid pace of change required, many legacy business models in the energy-service sector may not be up to the challenge. Rapidly adapting their physical equipment and infrastructure to customers’ changing needs is difficult, for example, and their analog methods of data collection are labour-intensive and yield limited insights.

In contrast, digital business models are software-driven. Having access to more granular data, combined with advanced analytics capability, allows digitally enabled companies to more accurately quantify the benefits their solutions bring to customers. This can also help speed the development of new products and services. Digital tools and platforms can ease and accelerate the energy transition by facilitating efficiency and demand-side flexibility. At the same time, digitalisation creates new business opportunities and revenue streams for energy service providers, while helping consumers to better understand their energy use and lower their bills.

Source: IEA

EBRD and EU Promote Energy Efficiency in Bosnia and Herzegovina

10.01.2022

solar-panels-solarna-energija-krov-kuća-zgrada — Foto-ilustracija: Pixabay

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the European Union (EU) are stepping up support for Bosnia and Herzegovina by providing a EUR 6 million financial package to help it improve the energy efficiency of its public buildings.

The package includes a EUR 4.5 million EBRD loan and a EUR 1 million investment grant from the EU, and will finance energy efficiency measures in 20 public buildings in Republika Srpska, including 16 schools and 3 hospitals. In addition, the EU is providing a EUR 500,000 technical assistance grant for project implementation.

The energy measures will include thermal insulation, new windows, upgraded heating, ventilation and cooling systems, and energy efficient lighting. Once these improvements have been made, managers will be appointed to monitor the energy consumption and performance of each building.

The improvements are expected to reduce annual CO2 emissions by 90 percent, heat consumption by around 80 percent and electricity consumption by 63 percent.

Manuela Naessl, EBRD Head of Bosnia and Herzegovina, said: “We are extremely happy to see this project signed, not only because it is aimed at improving energy efficiency in schools and hospitals, but also because this is a novel business model that will see public buildings contributing to loan repayment from achieved energy savings.”

The investment will be implemented with support from the Environmental Protection and Energy Efficiency Fund of Republika Srpska. Public buildings are expected to share at least 50 percent of energy savings with the Fund during the loan tenor to help with the repayment. This type of energy efficiency fund transactions is the first of its kind, not only in Republika Srpska, but also in the wider Western Balkans region.

The EU funds are secured from the Regional Energy Efficiency Programme, which is supported by the EBRD, the European Union, bilateral donors and beneficiary countries cooperating under the Western Balkans Investment Framework.

The EBRD and EU are also supporting energy efficiency improvements in public buildings of Sarajevo. The project, which includes renovating 40 public buildings, is already under way.

Since it began operations in Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1996, the EBRD has invested EUR 2.7 billion in 193 projects in the country.

Source: EBRD

Loyal Partners In Serbia’s Green Transition

08.01.2022

Some would say that after 70 years of existence, a company would not have any challenges to face. Tetra Pak company’s employees are still full of life and energy, but also responsible towards future generations, in terms of food safety and environmental protection. It arrived in Serbia as a pioneer of foreign investments and kept growing together with the country’s economic prosperity.

Globally speaking, Tetra Pak is a leader in multilayered food and beverage cardboard packaging and process equipment for this industry. Their products reach more than 160 markets around the world, whereas more than 25,000 employees work daily to ensure food safety everywhere and anytime. The current global covid-19-related crisis has proven how much what they do matters for the food industry and the functioning of the economy as a whole. Their entire business model relies on two assumptions: (1) food safety and (2) sustainable development – and these intertwine in everything they do.

Dragan Rajković, Regional Director of Sustainable Development at Tetra Pak Central and Eastern Europe, says the sector he manages covers the development of the circular economy through investments in recycling and cooperation with state authorities in the most efficient packaging waste management systems. Besides that, it is worth mentioning biodiversity protection through responsible resource management and complete certification of all naturally processed materials, as well as fighting climate changes by using low-carbon materials and reduction of emissions throughout the production and value chain.

In focus:

“Since our very beginning here, Serbia has been our reliable business partner and an ever-full source of talents for domestic and global operations. One of our priorities is to establish and develop an efficient packaging waste management system. It would reduce the amount of waste, develop the necessary gathering and sorting infrastructure, as well the competitiveness of all kinds of packaging waste among recyclers. We make a lot of effort as Tetra Pak, but also with the Serbian industry associations to point out to the Serbian government about the best European and global examples and create packaging waste depositing system to serve as an example for this part of the world. Recently, we proved in Kragujevac and Belgrade that this is possible and that the citizens respond to this very positively and ask for more gathering and packaging depositing devices, so there are no obstacles whatsoever for any packaging materials to enter the depositing system. A recent study by a well-known research company showed the same results,” Rajković says.

The goal is a comprehensive packaging deposit

At the moment, Serbia and the region need to get a solution that is to form a full circle of circular economy, that would not confuse the consumers nor discriminate climate-friendly packaging solutions, such as cardboard packaging. Only a comprehensive depositing system is a good and efficient system. All other options mean waste piling and increasing costs per waste unit.

“Our goal is very simple, and it subsumes that not a single Tetra Pak pack becomes waste. Our ambition is to collect and recycle 90 percent of our packaging by 2030. Serbia is definitely on that track. Currently, there are two Tetra Pak packaging recyclers in Serbia. These are Feplo factory from Čačak and Brzan Plast from Batočina. We have partnered in the latter almost a decade ago on the installation of the first complete recycling plant for used Tetra Pak packaging.

Most municipalities enable the citizens to correctly dispose of used Tetra Pak packaging, which is then recycled in the aforementioned plants.

Read the story in the new issue of the Energy portal Magazine RECYCLING.

Translator Vesna Savić

A Green-Oriented Business

06.01.2022

Pellets produced in the Eko Step Pellet factory have lower CO2 gas emissions, contain minimal moisture, and when burnt, the ash is below 1.2 percent, which is within the European A2 standards, with a tendency of reducing to A1. Besides that, pellet fuels are produced from raw materials that are of 100 percent domestic origin, namely from bogue trees coming from highly controlled sources. Due to high quality, they also bear the Serbian Čuvarkuća (Homekeeper) trademark, which is one of the bi recommendations for the buyers.

Nevertheless, considering the extent of the shadow economy and imports of uncertified pellets at lower prices, domestic pellets producers are facing a real problem. How can the authorities help solve this problem and how to encourage the citizens to switch from coal, oil, or wood to non-woody biomass boilers – we asked these and many other questions to Jadranka Stepanović, the owner of Eko Step Pellet, a company that abides by business eco-standards even in her Ramonda Hotel on the Rtanj mountain in East Serbia.

EP: How important are pellet fuels for environmental protection and energy efficiency?

Jadranka Stepanović: Our orientation towards environmental protection is unquestionable. Eko Step Pellet is a superb example of biomass use as an energy product and the production of pellets by applying the highest environmental standards. We produce pellets from bogue trees cut down for heating purposes, without mixing other kinds of trees and extraneous matters, which makes them high-calorie energy products and of high quality in terms of ecology. Pellets produced in this factory have low CO2 gas emissions, contain minimal moisture, and when burnt, the ash ratio is below 1.2 percent. Pellets are produced from 100 percent domestic raw materials. What is important for environmental protection, and above all forest capacities, is the fact that Eko Step Pellet company has signed a 10-year long contract with “Srbijašume”, a public company from Serbia, therefore allowing the procurement of bogue for the production of our pellets from highly controlled sources. Bogue coming to our factories is a tree meant to be cut down, in order to restore the forests in Serbia through afforestation, i. e. through constantly planting new trees.

In focus:

EP: What is the capacity of your Petrovac on the Mlava river factory? How many employees do you have?

Jadranka Stepanović: The installed capacity of our production line is 5 tones of pellets per hour, and factory potential can reach up to 35,000 tones per year. There are 43 hardworking and highly motivated employees in our factory, that are the heart and soul of the Eko Step Pellet company. We are especially proud of our five female colleagues who would, along with other colleagues, do anything to challenge gender equality stereotypes. We are all but a humble team ready to meet new challenges and succeed.

EP: What challenges and problems have the producers of pellets been facing this year?

Jadranka Stepanović: The biggest problem in pellets production is the gigantic disturbance in the electricity market in Serbia, but also in Europe. Namely, the price of electricity per kilowatt-hour increased rapidly in the past couple of months, therefore causing the rise of production prices of raw materials we use in the production of pellet fuels. The increase in prices also includes the price of wood assortments (in our case, of bogue), bag foils, and stretch wrap film. I would like to also add that we support the suggestion of Mr. Marko Čadež, the president of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Serbia, that the contracts we have with the Electric Power Industry of Serbia (EPS) continue to be valid under the prices previously set for another 120 days until we see what the European and global market situation will be! That would save the industry, as well as the end-consumers of pellet fuels! Another problem we have is the fact that, even though the construction of solar power plants and wind farms is expanding, their electricity production still cannot respond to high market demands. In the long term, the strengthening of EU capacities of renewable energy is probably going to help the sector to satiate the demand for clean and inexpensive energy sources. However, due to the marginal market system, and until big batteries for renewable energy storage in cases of bad weather are developed, the EU member states will keep facing similar situations. Another problem for pellets manufacturers is the black market as well as the import of non-certified pellets. Low prices of unverified manufacturers cause distrust in the domestic pellets manufacturers. Low prices of pellets guarantee neither quality nor their fuel power. Moreover, buying uncertified pellets causes problems for consumers’ pellets boilers. Eko Step Pellet, as a laureate of the Best of Serbia 2019 award and holder of the Čuvarkuća trademark, guarantees the quality of pellets it manufactures, so consumers can fully trust its price and quality ratio.

Interviewed by: Danijela Isailović

Read the story in the new issue of the Energy portal Magazine RECYCLING.

Translator Vesna Savić

For Bosnia Without Trash

05.01.2022

safet kubat — Fotografija: ljubaznošću Safeta Kubata

An informal Facebook group, whose goal is to make the citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina become ecologically aware, has reached almost 53,000 members after nearly two years of existence, thus becoming a real eco-movement, that organized numerous wild landfill cleaning activities, afforestation as well as fish stocking activities. Safet Kubat, an activist and group leader, explains what the biggest ecology-related problems in BiH are and why the group “Be the change” is so special.

Over the course of more than 12 years, Safet Kubat from Zenica was an activist for many causes, but also he focused on serious scientific methods for resolving different social and ecological problems. For a long time, he felt a flame of trying to solve environmental problems and apply his knowledge in practice so as to mobilize his community. He firmly believes that it does not make sense to talk about the EU and NATO integrations without having first dealt with waste, i. e. waste in its widest form. This is how in early 2020 he created a Facebook group titled “The rivers of Bosnia and Herzegovina – Be the change“, which now has 53,000 members and has become a distinguished phenomenon and factor.

EP: How did the idea to create this Facebook group occur to you?

Safet Kubat: For a long time there was a spark in me wanting to solve waste problems, wild landfills, and at the end of the day to have Bosnia without waste, because that really pains me. The experience from western countries teaches us that waste is treated as a resource. For example, Sweden uses waste for heating, and it even purchases waste from Norway. Secondly, there is also the love for certain parts of BiH, the love I feel for rivers, for the Una River in particular. However, there was this one event that changed all for me. While we were mapping wild landfills in the municipality of Zavidovići, trying to make the authorities do their job, a man was passing by with a cart full of waste, just passing by a waste container and uphill for about 100 meters, over a goat track, to throw the waste out into the nature. He then went back happy, as if he had felt some kind of relief. I asked him: Wow, man, was that good? He responded: I cannot describe how happy I am having done that. I was left standing in awe and have been thinking about that event for a long time. When I asked him if he realized what he has done to nature, how he polluted the forest and the water he drinks, he gazed at me confused. Of course, I had to report him, but even today I have no idea whether he was punished or not, but that is a completely different problem. And then I created the group, without even thinking about the number of its members, but to become visible and have a tool for solving environmental problems.

In focus:

EP: Who are your supporters and what is the feedback you get?

Safet Kubat: In terms of support, our group is specific in that domain as well. We do not receive any donations, nor do we have commercial programs or accept sponsorship. The goal of all this is that the group remains autonomous, as well as the movement, that we are rapidly forming. Our biggest strengths are our activists, as a new form of activism, that does not originate from a typical civil sector. Here I must highlight media support, which mainly support us and our eco-activities. The feedback we get is amazing and originates mainly from the citizens, which gives us further strength but also raises our responsibility. This is all because the citizens want real social changes and problem-solving, not only pipe dreams. The activists roll up their sleeves and work, without much ado. This resulted in more than 2500 different cleaning activities.

EP: The group gains more and more followers who virtually support your work and the ideas you aspire to. What is the real situation when you are in the field?

Safet Kubat: In order to prove that our group is not merely a place to comment and publish articles, I am going to list some numbers that might answer your question best. Among other things, I would like to highlight 2,560 cleaning activities in various locations, more than 60,000 trees planted, as well as more than 55,000 fish in rivers and tributaries in our restocking activities. We have reported more than 100 polluters to the inspection, be it citizens or companies, and there are also numerous petitions, protests, amendments of laws, and active participation in public disputes. We have recorded more than 10,000 videos and published 22,000 posts in the group, that have more than 450 million views. I wish to mention a big eco-activity in the town of Zenica where we took more than 850 eco-activists to the streets, in only a few hours, and gathered 30 tons of waste, and set up 12 big eco-billboards.

Interviewed by: Milena Maglovski

Read the story in the new issue of the Energy portal Magazine RECYCLING.

Translator Vesna Savić

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