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From Farm to Street – Animal Health and Welfare at the Heart of the European Union Policies

Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Matteo Di Iorio)

We are still getting used to the absence of the purple cow from the packaging of popular chocolates and the faces of Gerda, Muccha and Marisa, wondering if their predecessor went on vacation to Hawaii, hiked the Himalayas, or is being trained for space travel. As part of a campaign to move from Milka to the real deal – Milka cows, alpine farms are presented as pretty idyllic places, so much that the negative connotation of “milking someone for something” is erased from my mind. However, the health and well-being of animals on many farms are not in a great state. All the more…

Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Anton Malanin)

The European Union is financing the project “Reinforcement of Animal Health and Welfare” in Serbia with the aim of “recasting” our legislation based on the rules and standards of the European Union. The positive impact of its implementation will not only be felt by chickens, sheep and other farm animals, but also by the economy and the environment. “Economy will benefit from the fact that the consumption of AW friendly products is generally growing all over the world, even though they cost more than the standard products. Yet again, this is just one of the confrontations of intensive versus extensive farming. Raising animals humanely can reduce the use of feed, fuel and water compared to intensive farming, therefore reducing costs and pollution. So, the benefits are both economic and environmental,” project leader Petras Maciulskis explained at the beginning of our conversation.

Animal welfare is a complex area that, in addition to the those mentioned above economic and environmental, includes a scientific, ethical, cultural, social, religious and political dimension, based on the belief that animals are sentient beings. Caring for them involves considering the conditions that they are kept in – whether on a farm, as a pet, in zoos or circuses, slaughtered and used in research, and how people’s activities affect species’ well-being and survival.

Animal welfare involves the physical and mental state of an individual animal concerning the conditions in which it lives and dies. Animal welfare in our country is legally defined as providing the conditions in which an animal can fullfil its physiological and other needs inherent in its species, such as feeding and drinking water, accommodation, physical, psychological and thermal comfort, safety, the manifestation of behaviour patterns, social contact with animals of the same species and the absence of unpleasant experiences, such as pain, suffering, fear, stress, illness and injury.

In focus:

Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Evan Clark)

In order to get scientific knowledge on whether the situation on the ground meets the prescribed ideal – but also how to bring the Serbian prescribed ideal closer to the European one – the plan is to involve all stakeholders. If there is any need for corrective action, they will be implemented if resources are sufficient, announced Maciulskis.

The European Union project will not neglect those animals that we, as a society, but also as individuals have neglected – stray dogs. Many countries have successfully solved this problem, and a particularly glaring example comes from the Netherlands, which has homed all of its street dogs. The moment you step out of the house you hear barking and that will infallibly tell you that you are far away from Amsterdam, and I asked my interlocutor if we will ever be closer to it and how. “In general, we could say that southern Europe and countries in the Balkans have more problems than northern European countries and Scandinavia. Stray, or more correctly free-roaming dogs, is then, above all, a matter of cultural habits and to change them it takes time and investments. The key elements are responsible ownership of dogs and the promotion of adoption from kennels,” he said, emphasising the importance of a comprehensive approach.

Prepared by: Jelena Kozbasic

 This article was published in the new issue of the Energy portal Magazine NATURAL RESOURCES, march – may, 2020

How Cities Are Using Nature to Keep Heatwaves at Bay

Photo: UNEP/Irene Fagotto

The more the planet warms, the more cities are finding they need new ways to keep urban temperatures down and protect their residents. Heatwaves are already by far the deadliest weather-related disasters in Europe; 140,000 deaths associated with 83 heatwaves have been recorded since the beginning of this century. Today, only 8 per cent of the 2.8 billion people living in places with average daily temperatures above 25 degrees Celsius have an air conditioner.

Photo: UNEP/Irene Fagotto

Cooling is particularly important in cities facing rising temperatures, worsened by the urban heat island effect—concrete and tarmac absorbing the sun’s power, radiating it out as heat and keeping the city warm long after the sun has gone down. Waste heat from engines and other energy-consuming equipment in transportation, industry and space cooling make cities even hotter.

Often, poorer neighborhoods are more affected as residents have less access to air conditioners and breezy green spaces, putting vulnerable people at greater risk of heat-related health complications.

The standard solution to cooling in cities is to add more air conditioning, but this brings its own set of problems. Energy-hungry cooling further drives global warming. The number of cooling appliances in use is expected to grow from 3.6 billion today to 9.5 billion by 2050. If air conditioners were provided to all those who need them, not just those who can afford them, there would 14 billion cooling appliances in use by 2050. Emissions would go through the roof.

Many cities, however, are taking bold steps to show that they can keep cool in a sustainable manner, with the Indian city of Ahmedabad chief among them. The city implemented its Heat Action Plan after an extremely hot and deadly pre-monsoon season in 2010. The plan not only set up an early-warning system for the vulnerable. It included water supplies to the public, plants and trees and a “cool roof” initiative to reflect heat. Some 7,000 low-income households have had their roofs painted white, a simple measure that dramatically reduces inside temperatures by reflecting sunlight.

The Heat Action Plan saves an estimated 1,100 lives each year. Its innovative multi-step approach won the 2020 Ashden Award for Cool Cities, which recognizes pioneers in the fight against climate change.

There is a huge body of evidence showing that city-level interventions can greatly mitigate the effects of heat stress. On a typical sunny summer afternoon, a clean white roof that reflects 80 per cent of sunlight will stay about 30 degrees Celsius (55 degrees Fahrenheit) cooler than a gray roof that reflects only 20 per cent of sunlight. The International Energy Agency estimates that well-designed cities could save 25 per cent of the energy they use for heating and cooling.

“In UNEP we look at city planning and design that makes most of passive solutions, bringing nature back into the city,” said Martina Otto, who leads UNEP’s work on cities. “Through a system of well-articulated green spaces, and by greening building facades and roofs and promoting passive building design, cities can modernize traditional construction and help reduce urban temperatures.”

Such city-level plans are increasing across the globe. Cities like Melbourne, Australia, are planning to massively increase their urban forests to increase air quality, provide more shade and reduce the need for mechanical cooling. Milan’s ForestaMi project, meanwhile, aims to plant 3 million new trees in the Italian city by 2030 to reduce urban temperatures by 2 degrees Celsius. And Sierra Leone’s capital city, Freetown, has committed to planting 1 million trees and increasing vegetation cover by 50 per cent by the end of this year, part of an effort to fight climate change and halt deforestation.

In Frankfurt, “green living rooms” have been placed around the city to provide natural cooling from plants. Cities ranging from Stockholm to Tokyo are turning to modern district cooling to save energy and money.

Hosted by UNEP, the Cool Coalition –a network of major global players with a common purpose of accelerating the transition to sustainable cooling – is supporting countries to integrate cooling in their national plans to combat climate change.

“Nature-based solutions are a key part of the Cool Coalition’s approach to minimize emissions from the cooling sector,” said  Dan Hamza-Goodacre from the Kigali Cooling Efficiency Program. “Cities are leading the way in implementing nature-based solutions to fight climate change. The solutions are reducing the costs of cooling, slowing greenhouse gas emissions, helping cities to adapt to climate impacts, addressing biodiversity loss and protecting human health –  an amazing set of benefits.”

Source: UNEP

IUCN Standard to Boost Impact of Nature-Based Solutions to Global Challenges

Photo-illustration: Pixabay

IUCN recently unveiled a Global Standard providing the first-ever set of benchmarks for nature-based solutions to global challenges. The new IUCN Global Standard will help governments, business and civil society ensure the effectiveness of nature-based solutions and maximise their potential to help address climate change, biodiversity loss and other societal challenges on a global scale.

Photo-illustration: Pixabay

“The world is looking for durable and effective options to tackle global challenges such as climate change, food and water security, and now, economic recovery from the global pandemic. To this end, the new IUCN Global Standard for Nature-based Solutions is ideally placed to harness and accelerate the sustainable use of nature,” said IUCN’s Global Director for the Nature-based Solutions Group Stewart Maginnis. “For nature-based solutions to fulfil their potential, we must ensure that the actions put in place today bring about the desired benefits for society and biodiversity. This Global Standard offers a rigorous, consistent and accountable framework that will help avoid any misuse and take nature-based solutions from the local to global scale.”

The concept of nature-based solutions (NbS) – actions addressing key societal challenges through the protection, sustainable management and restoration of ecosystems, benefiting both biodiversity and human well-being – is increasingly being applied around the world. More than 130 countries have already included NbS actions – such as reforestation, green infrastructure, sustainable agriculture and aquaculture, or coastal protection – in their national climate plans under the Paris Agreement.

However, not all actions labelled as “nature-based solutions” provide the anticipated benefits to both society and biodiversity, and the global potential of NbS is far from being fully realised.

“Until now, there has been neither consensus nor coherent guidance on how to design and implement nature-based solution interventions that are capable of consistent delivery of benefits for people and nature,” said Angela Andrade, Chair of the IUCN Commission on Ecosystem Management, which helped lead the development of the Global Standard. “The contribution of the Commission, in addition to input from over 800 experts and practitioners from 100 countries, has been to guide the IUCN Global Standard, ensuring that it is scientifically robust and applicable across a wide range of regions and scenarios.”

The IUCN Global Standard for Nature-based Solutions has eight criteria and associated indicators that allow the user to assess the aptness, scale, economic, environmental and social viability of an intervention; consider its possible trade-offs; ensure transparency and adaptive project management; and explore possible linkages to international targets and commitments. It consists of a user guide and self-assessment tool, which identifies areas for improving and learning.

The IUCN Global Standard for Nature-based Solutions can be accessed here.

In order to address the emerging environmental and societal challenges in the Western Balkans, IUCN has launched a regional initiative with the long-term goal to increase the climate-resilience of societies in the Western Balkans. The ADAPT project: Nature-based Solutions for resilient societies in the Western Balkans places Nature-based Solutions at the centre of disaster risk reduction (DRR) and climate change adaptation (CCA), and aims to apply innovative solutions to increase community resilience, reduce environmental degradation, increase social and gender equality, and thus adapt to longer-term changes over an extended period of time. The initiative is funded by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA) and led by the IUCN Regional Office for Eastern Europe and Central Asia (ECARO). This regional umbrella initiative works with the six Western Balkan countries, regional and local partners.

Source: IUCN

Polar Bears Could Be Nearly Gone by 2100, Study Finds

Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Hans Jurgen Mager)
  • A new study has found that polar bears could be gone by 2100 unless greenhouse gas emissions are reduced.
  • Rising global temperatures, due to carbon emissions, have caused large amounts of Arctic sea ice to melt, leaving polar bears with smaller habitats to sustain themselves on.
  • The study is the first to predict when and where Arctic warming will threaten the bears’ survival.

If world governments don’t act to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, most polar bear populations will not survive the century, a new study has found.

Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Hans Jurgen Mager)

Polar bears, who rely on Arctic sea ice to hunt for seals, have long been a symbol of the impacts of the climate crisis. As the ice melts, they lose the ability to sustain themselves.

“Polar bears are already sitting at the top of the world; if the ice goes, they have no place to go,” lead study author and University of Toronto Scarborough biologist Péter Molnár told BBC News.

But the study, published in Nature Climate Change on the 20th July, 2020, is the first to predict when and where Arctic warming will threaten the bears’ survival, The Guardian reported.

“It’s been clear for some time that polar bears are going to suffer under climate change,” Molnár told The Guardian. “But what was not fully clear was when we would expect major declines in the survival and reproduction of polar bears that could ultimately lead to their extirpation.”

To answer this question, scientists looked at two emissions scenarios: business as usual and a more moderate option in which emissions peak in 2040 before starting to fall, according to The New York Times. Under the business-as-usual model, all populations of polar bears would be wiped out by 2100, except for the bears living in Canada’s northernmost Queen Elizabeth Islands, The Guardian reported. But even under the moderate scenario, most populations were likely to suffer reproductive failure by 2080, the study found.

“The study shows clearly that polar bears are going to do better with less warming,” University of Alberta polar bear expert Andrew Derocher, who was not involved with the study, told The New York Times. “But no matter which scenario you look at, there are serious concerns about conservation of the species.”

Polar bears can fast for months at a time when sea ice melts in the spring and summer. The researchers made their predictions based on how long male bears could reasonably fast and survive and how long females could reasonably fast and raise their young compared with how long different parts of the Arctic are projected to be ice free through 2100.

They assessed 13 of 19 polar bear populations, or around 80 percent of the roughly 25,000 bears remaining. Bears in Canada’s Archipelago ecoregion were not assessed because it is hard to estimate future sea ice in the area’s islands and channels, according to The Guardian.

If nothing is done to reduce emissions, bears in Canada’s southern Hudson Bay and Davis Strait could fail to reproduce by 2040 while most bears in Alaska and Russia could be at risk by 2080. The polar bear population in western Hudson Bay has already shrunk around 30 percent since 1987.

“Showing how imminent the threat is for different polar bear populations is another reminder that we must act now to head off the worst of future problems faced by us all,” study coauthor and chief scientist of Polar Bears International Dr. Steven Amstrup told BBC News. “The trajectory we’re on now is not a good one, but if society gets its act together, we have time to save polar bears. And if we do, we will benefit the rest of life on Earth, including ourselves.”

Source: WEF

Which Country Dominates Offshore Wind Market?

Foto-ilustracija: Unsplash (Grahame Jenkins)

New research published by RenewableUK shows the global pipeline of offshore wind energy projects which are operational, under construction, consented or being planned has soared by 30% in the last twelve months from 122GW to 159GW.

Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Nicholas Doherty)

The statistics are revealed on the first day of RenewableUK’s Global Offshore Wind V-Fest (virtual festival), which is focussing on the major role that offshore wind is set to play in the green economic recovery worldwide.

Our latest Offshore Wind Project Intelligence report shows that the UK has retained its top spot, dominating the market with a pipeline of 38.9GW – a quarter of the global total. China has moved up from 4th to 2nd place with 19.3GW – an increase of 7.3GW, up 60%.

The USA stays in 3rd place, up from 15.7GW to 17.8GW, an increase of 13%, while Germany has dropped from 2nd to 4th place as its total of 16.5GW has remained almost the same over the last 12 months, adding just 68MW. Taiwan stays fifth with its project pipeline growing by 28% from 8.9GW to 11.4GW.

In 6th place, the Netherlands has soared from 6.5GW last year to 11.3GW, an increase of 74%. Ireland has witnessed an extraordinary growth from 3.2GW last year to 8.2GW this year, rocketing to number 7 with an increase of 156%. Poland is 8th with 6.2GW, Denmark 9th at 4.7GW and Vietnam is 10th with 3.6GW.

RenewableUK’s Deputy Chief Executive Melanie Onn said: “In the current economic crisis, these new figures show that offshore wind is one of the major growth opportunities worldwide. In the UK alone, we estimate that next year’s auction for renewable power could secure over £20bn of new investment. Our latest Offshore Wind Project Intelligence report highlights the global potential for offshore wind to drive a green economic recovery.

“It’s great to see the UK’s world-leading offshore wind industry remains in pole position – other countries are following our lead and catching up fast, but we remain by far the biggest market for offshore wind in the world.

“This is a global industry and the UK’s offshore wind supply chain has increasing opportunities to sell our goods and expertise overseas, as we take on a new role on the global stage after Brexit. We’re already exporting to Europe, Asia, North America and Australia, and the value of our offshore wind exports is set to increase fivefold to £2.6bn by 2030 for UK companies”.

The top 5 countries represent 65% of the total global pipeline, with 104GW of capacity between them. Europe has 60% of the pipeline with 96GW.

In terms of operational capacity, the UK still leads the world with 9.7GW, Germany is 2nd at 7.5GW, China 3rd with 3.3GW, Belgium 4th at 1.8GW, Denmark 5th with 1.7GW.

Source: RenewableUK

Electric Dreams: Green Vehicles Cheaper Than Petrol in the UK

Photo-illustration: Pixabay
  • Research shows that over the lifetime of a car electric vehicles work out at around £107 cheaper per year than petrol or diesel equivalents;
  • On average an electric car costs £52,133 over its lifetime, compared to £53,625 for a petrol fuelled model;
  • A year-old electric vehicle sold second hand only loses 12 per cent of its value, compared to a 24 per cent loss for petrol cars.

New analysis1 from Direct Line car insurance reveals the lifetime cost of an electric powered car is cheaper than a comparable petrol model.  Purchasing a new electric car in 2020 and running it over its lifetime would cost £52,133, compared to £53,625 for an equivalent petrol fuelled model.  On average an electric vehicle would cost the owner £3,752 a year over the course of its life, compared to £3,858 for a petrol car, resulting in an annual saving of £107.

Photo-illustration: Pixabay

In spite of the higher purchase price of electric cars, which accounting for government grants is currently around £5,000 (22 per cent) higher than comparable petrol models, these vehicles are significantly cheaper to run.  Annual running costs average £1,742, or £33.50 per week for an electric car, which is 21 per cent cheaper than the running costs of a comparable petrol fuelled car at £2,205 per year or £42.40 per week.

Annual tax and maintenance costs (including MOTs and servicing) for electric vehicles are 49 per cent lower than for petrol models, while refuelling costs 58 per cent less. However, insurance costs are on average 25 per cent higher for electric vehicles, due to current production costs and complexities involved in the calibration of computers used in these cars.

With the anticipated lifetime of a vehicle currently estimated to be around 13.9 years any car bought today would likely need to be replaced by the end of 2034, just before the ban on petrol, diesel and hybrid cars comes into force.

The research also revealed that electric vehicles hold their value better than petrol equivalents, with analysis of second-hand car data revealing that a year-old electric vehicle only loses 12 per cent of its value, compared to a 24 per cent write down for petrol models.

Neil Ingram, head of motor product at Direct Line, commented: “It is an exciting time for electric vehicles, with a record number of these licenced cars on Britain’s roads last year.  Our analysis also shows that with the ban on new non-electric cars set to come into force in less than 15 years’ time, Britons could already be saving money by switching from a traditional petrol or diesel car to an equivalent electric model.

“We expect prices to come down in future, thanks partly to the Government’s commitment to making greener vehicles more accessible but also to advances in technology ensuring that purchasing, refuelling, maintaining and insuring an electric car becomes easier, cheaper and better for the environment.”

As well as benefitting from cheaper running costs, motorists are also able to take advantage of a range of grants designed to encourage people to switch to greener modes of transport. These include subsidies to have home charging ports installed, with the Electric Vehicle Homecharge Scheme (EVHS) contributing £350 to the cost of installation, while an additional saving of £300 could be made by having the installation carried out by an Energy Saving Trust-approved engineer.

There are also incentives that slash the sale price of an electric car, with motorists already able to save up to £3,000 off the cost of a new electric vehicle thanks to the Plug-in Car Grant (PICG).  In June it was also suggested that the Government could re-launch a scrappage scheme that would see motorists save as much as £6,000 on the price of a new electric car if they were to scrap their existing petrol or diesel model.

These findings come as a survey4 conducted by Direct Line revealed that almost two-thirds (61 per cent) would make the switch to an electric car if the technology and green car market continues to improve.  The biggest issues with the current selection of electric vehicles are the limited charging network (35 per cent), the high up-front cost (34 per cent) and the limited battery range (16 per cent). With significant improvements expected to be made in charging availability, cost and range over the coming years, if all of these motorists were to convert to an electric car it could result in a combined saving of 24.3 million fewer tons of carbon emissions annually.

However, the research also revealed that some people are still reluctant to make the switch, with over a quarter of motorists (27 per cent, or 11.4 million UK adults) stating that they would only ever buy a petrol or diesel vehicle if given the choice.

Anca Young, insight and intelligence manager, Thatcham Research, commented: “Electrification is growing in popularity and availability, backed by Government incentives, especially for fleet buyers who benefit from 0% electric vehicle company car tax. The driving range and charging infrastructure has also improved dramatically in the last few years and will continue to do so. As demand for EVs increases, there is a corresponding reduction in production costs per unit, which encourages further take up. Although the cost of Lithium-ion batteries used in EVs is reducing, they remain more expensive than conventional internal combustion engine (ICE) powertrains and are therefore generally more expensive to purchase.

“There’s movement towards greater collaboration between vehicle manufacturers with a view to reducing the cost of EV development and production. The general construction of EVs differs from traditional cars and typically materials, parts and repairs are, more complex and costly. This makes the overall insurable risk less competitive than many traditional, ICE options.

“Manufacturer EV platform collaborations are becoming more popular, e.g. where one manufacturer makes the platform (or ‘skateboard’) and others share it with unique bodies (or ‘top-hats’). Notable collaborations include Volkswagen and Ford, General Motors and Honda and Toyota with Subaru. The accessibility and availability of charging points is also increasing public confidence, as are the warranties that guarantee battery performance over the lifespan of the vehicle.”

Analysis of official data shows that there were 99,374 licenced battery electric cars in the UK in 2019, an increase of 53 per cent on the previous year and the equivalent of a new electric vehicle being registered every 15 minutes. Electric cars still represent a small fraction of the total number of vehicles on the road, however these vehicles are responsible for an estimated 185,500 fewer tonnes of CO2 being produced annually.

The sharp rise in their popularity, coupled with the stagnation of registrations of new petrol cars, suggests that motorists are undergoing a gradual shift towards more environmentally-friendly cars.

Source: Direct Line

 

In Tanzania, Locals and Officials Band Together to Save Mangroves

Photo-illustration: Pixabay

For many of the 30,000 people who live in the remote Rufiji Delta of northern Tanzania, life revolves around one thing: mangroves.

Photo-illustration: Pixabay

These trees and bushes, which thrive in the delta’s brackish water, are sources of building materials, firewood and income, providing valuable timber that residents often sell to make ends meet.

But the mangroves, which are also home to many species, like ray fish, king snappers, hongwe, prawns, migratory birds, and sea turtles, are sometimes seen as obstacles to be cut down, occupying land that can be used to grow rice and graze livestock. Such over-dependence on mangroves in the Rufiji Delta, home to 50 per cent of Tanzania’s mangroves, has led to a depletion of these forests, threatening residents’way of life.

A new project is aiming to reverse that trend and encourage the sustainable management of the delta’s mangroves. The initiative is being led by the Institute of Marine Sciences (IMS) of Tanzania in partnership with the Tanzania Forest Service, Wetlands International, the Kibiti District Council, and the Pakaya Culture and Environment Group. 

It will see officials and local communities work together to develop a plan to manage the mangrove forests, setting rules on where and when trees can be harvested. The models will also test approaches for restoring areas that have already been impacted by development, which will help delta residents enjoy the benefits of mangroves into the future. Their restoration efforts will be complemented by the Guidelines on Mangrove Ecosystem Restoration in the Western Indian Ocean Region, a new publication from the Nairobi Convention and partners that provides a step-by-step guide on how to build successful restoration projects and avoid common replanting pitfalls.

“We have seen rapid negative changes [in mangrove cover] over time in the Rufiji catchment,”  said Hassan Bakari Kisoma, Director of Planning at Pakaya Culture and Environment Group. 

Mangroves, trees that thrive in salt water and are found on coastlines in warmer regions throughout the world, underpin some of the most productive ecosystems on earth. Not only do they provide nursery areas for fish, crustaceans and many endangered species, but they also protect shorelines from eroding, shielding humans from flooding, hurricanes and other storms. Globally, some experts estimate that up to 55 per cent of mangroves have been lost since the 1990s.

Photo-illustration: Pixabay

Along with protecting a vibrant ecosystem, the Rufiji Delta project will help Tanzania “in meeting its commitments under various Sustainable Development Goals, particularly Goal 14 on ‘Life Below Water’ and Goal 13 on climate action,” said Jared Bosire, Project Manager with the United Nations Environment Programme’s Regional Seas Programme. “After all, mangroves store more than five times more carbon than terrestrial forests.”

Of critical importance, say, experts, is the active role local communities will play in the project, particularly in choosing rehabilitation sites and developing harvesting plans.“I have been involved with many projects over the years that have attempted to reverse the degradation of the mangroves of Rufiji,” said Jumani Yusuf Kikumbe, Outgoing Chairperson of the Nyamisati Village Committee. “These efforts need to include communities from the beginning in an equitable way if they are to be successful.”

IMS and the other project partners hope that lessons from the Rufiji Delta initiative can be applied elsewhere in Tanzania, and even across the entire Western Indian Ocean region where mangroves are under similar pressures.

The initiative is being funded by the Global Environment Facility through the Implementation of the Strategic Action Programme for the Protection of the Western Indian Ocean from Land-Based Sources and Activities, executed by the Nairobi Convention.

This project aims to reduce land-based stresses on this environment by protecting critical habitats, improving water quality and managing river flows.

The convention, part of the United Nations Environment Programme’s Regional Seas programme, serves as a platform for governments, civil society and the private sector to work together for the sustainable management and use of the Western Indian Ocean’s marine and coastal environment.

Source: UNEP

There’s No Place Like… Container

Photo: Avala Container Homes

Containers have long stopped being used as temporary accommodation and started a new life – ecological, smart, functional and affordable. Goran Ergic from Avala Container Homes managed to create a modern, sustainable and simple solution for a house, holiday home, and office space. He managed to achieve that by reconstructing abandoned and empty containers and by implementing smart systems and usage of ecological materials.

EP: Smart buildings and houses are becoming more popular when we talk about sustainability; therefore, the architecture has a new ‘task’. How did you come up with the idea to start upa business that involves reconstructing shipping containers to achieve smart construction goals?

Photo: Private archive of Goran Ergic

Goran Ergic: I have always been interested in different types of architecture and construction. It all started one day on my property by the sea. I realised that it would be great to use the potential that we possess most efficiently. I knew that the construction of brand new objects is quite expensive and that the carbon footprint of those objects is high. Because I spend a lot of time in nature riding a bicycle, I wanted to build an object that is easy to transport and won’t harm environment. That is how I came up with the idea to recycle shipping containers, and that way give them a new purpose. Not long after that, I decided to buy a container and to start with reconstruction. It lasted longer than I thought mainly because this is still not my principal occupation.

The most important thing is to choose appropriate materials to save the resources, and that is the reason why I have decided to implement Smart Home Systems. Bearing in mind the fact that most container houses are being used during winter or summer seasons, this type of technology enables the security and easier control of the houses.

EP: The fact that there are millions of containers worldwide that are being rarely used and that take up too much space is quite interesting. What are some of the advantages in comparison to other ways of construction?

Goran Ergic: Instead to end up in one of the smelters and that way produce more carbon dioxide emissions, containers that have served their purpose can now get a new one. Depending on the way they are reconstructed, they can now be in harmony with nature. Not only can you move them numerous times, but you can also change their purpose. Worldwide, they are used as holiday homes, residential and office space. Nowadays, they are very popular in the catering industry because of their fast and affordable construction and attractive appearance. A standard 40 ft container can be fully functional in about 15 days. Containers are made according to certain standards so that they can be easily attached together.

Photo: Avala Container Homes

Containers are very resilient and can withstand all weather conditions, and they are very safe during earthquakes. There are more and more people in the USA that choose these types of buildings because of security and their ability to resist hurricanes and storms. Even though I mentioned this a few times, I would like to stress a significant fact that they are very affordable. If they are used in developed countries, why wouldn’t we start using them here?

EP: Considering the fact that you live abroad, why did you decide to start your business in Serbia? Are you thinking about applying for one of the grants for the development of entrepreneurship, innovation and the concept of sustainability in our country?

Goran Ergic: I moved with my family to Serbia during the 1990s, and I spent my childhood here. I spent the last seven years abroad, but I always longed to come back to Serbia and start my business here. Besides being nostalgic, I believe that Serbia is the best country for developing a business like this. When it comes to grants, I might apply for them at one point. At the moment, it is not possible because I still spend a lot of time abroad.

EP: Can you tell us more about the smart home concept and why it is important? What exactly does it entail?

Goran Ergic: I believe that this concept is relatively new and my aim is to develop this innovation and bring it to this part of Europe. Besides being mobile, we implement smart systems into these objects. Smart systems enable the control of the entire object even when you are not physically there. For instance, you can turn on/off heating; open/close shutters; turn on/off lights, etc. So far, smart systems have been considered a luxury, but I would like to make it available for everybody.

Photo: Avala Container Homes

EP: Do you think that there is a future for this concept in Serbia? How would you describe a typical customer of the modular home or office space?

Goran Ergic: Even though I had a different opinion at first, I think people in Serbia are ready for innovations. We are behind when it comes to requests since most of them are from the western countries, but recently there have been many inquires from Serbia asking about the advantages of these buildings. Interested people are usually people who are environmentally conscious and follow modern trends in construction and architecture. These people understand the contemporary style of life and changes that are happening. Climate change has a huge impact on nature, and it was especially felt during the last year. We need to take care of nature, and to save the resources and this concept perfectly fits into this idea.

In focus:

EP: When we talk about container houses, are your clients using them as temporary accommodation, office space, holiday home or home?

Goran Ergic: As this business is being still developed, so far the main demand is for holiday homes and residential houses made out of multiple containers. As the business keeps expanding and customers coming up with new ideas, the purpose will change as well.

EP: When it comes to real estate, what do people consider as the most important thing? Why are more and more people interested in fast construction, modular houses, and residential container homes? Is it because of the affordable price?

Goran Ergic: There are a few reasons why people choose container homes. Besides modern design, price is one of the key factors. The pace of construction cannot be compared to conventional construction. Also, the quality is much better compared to other types of prefabricated houses. When it comes to the environmental aspect, there are two main reasons. First of all, forests are not being destroyed as they are for other prefabricated houses. Secondly, something that is abandoned and not being used anymore gets a new purpose and contributes to the protection of the environment.

Photo: Avala Container Homes

EP: What kind of materials do you use when reconstructing containers and how much time is needed?

Goran Ergic: I always use the best quality materials to achieve the best possible durability and quality. All the materials that I use need to have eco-labels. Protecting the environment is one of the main motives why I decided to invest in this business. Besides that, eco-labels are a norm and standard that needs to be respected in the European Union. Energy efficiency is accomplished by triple glazed windows and polyurethane foam, which enables sound and
heat isolation and which is at the moment the best on the market.

EP: Is it possible to rent your container buildings?

Goran Ergic: At the moment, we don’t offer that service, but I hope that we will have that option in the near future.

EP: What is one of the greatest challenges in this job?

Goran Ergic: Even though that there are always going to be new challenges in this job, so far the biggest one was the research that I had to do before even starting this adventure to get an ecological building of high quality. I believe that other challenges will appear, for example, delivering the object on time.

EP: Why did you decide to name your company – Avala Container Homes? Is it because of the association with Belgrade?

Goran Ergic: Belgrade is my city, and I go back to it very often, and that is why I wanted the name to be associated with it. Avala is one of the most beautiful natural parks in Belgrade and a mountain where I would love to place a few containers and create an ecological oasis. Personally,mountains are the best place for vacation and finding your inner peace.

Interview by: Jelena Cvetic

This article was published in the new issue of the Energy portal Magazine NATURAL RESOURCES, march – may, 2020

10 Things You Should Know About Industrial Farming

Photo-illustration: Pixabay

There was a time when industrial agriculture seemed to be a panacea for a fast-growing world.  Synthetic fertilizers, chemical pesticides and high-yield cereal hybrids promised to reduce hunger, accommodate growing populations and stimulate economic prosperity. Between 1960 and 2015, agricultural production more than tripled, resulting in an abundance of low-cost fare and averting global food shortages. 

Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Ricardo Gomez Angel)

But not everything went as anticipated. Decades of industrial farming have taken a heavy toll on the environment and raised some serious concerns about the future of food production. “Efficient farming is not just a matter of production,” says James Lomax, a United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Programme Manager. “It is also about environmental sustainability, public health and economic inclusivity.”

The low retail cost of industrialized food can obscure its very high environmental price tag.

Here are 10 things to know about industrial farming.

1. It is not quite the bargain it seems.

According to some estimates, industrialized farming–which produces greenhouse gas emission, pollutes air and water, and destroys wildlife–costs the environment the equivalent of about US$3 trillion every year.

Externalized costs, such as the funds required to purify contaminated drinking water or to treat diseases related to poor nutrition, are also unaccounted for by the industry, meaning that communities and taxpayers may be picking up the tab without even realizing it.

2. It can facilitate the spread of viruses from animals to humans.

While their genetic diversity provides animals with natural disease resistance, intensive livestock farming can produce genetic similarities within flocks and herds. This makes them more susceptible to pathogens and, when they are kept in close proximity, viruses can then spread easily among them. Intensive livestock farming can effectively serve as a bridge for pathogens, allowing them to be passed from wild animals to farm animals and then to humans.

Photo-illustration: Pixabay

3. It has been linked to zoonotic diseases.

Clearing forests and killing wildlife to make space for agriculture and moving farms nearer to urban centres can also destroy the natural buffers that protect humans from viruses circulating among wildlife. According to a recent UNEP assessment, increasing demand for animal protein, unsustainable agricultural intensification and climate change are among the human factors affecting the emergence of zoonotic diseases.

4. It fosters antimicrobial resistance.

In addition to preventing and treating disease, antimicrobials are commonly used to accelerate livestock growth. Over time, microorganisms develop resistance, making antimicrobials less effective as medicine. In fact, about 700,000 people die of resistant infections every year. By 2050, those diseases may cause more deaths than cancer. According to the World Health Organization, antimicrobial resistance “threatens the achievements of modern medicine” and may precipitate “a post-antibiotic era, in which common infections and minor injuries can kill.”

Photo-illustration: Pixabay

5. Its use of pesticides may have adverse health effects.

Large volumes of chemical fertilizers and pesticides are used to increase agricultural yields and humans may be exposed to these potentially-toxic pesticides through the food they consume, resulting in adverse health effects. Some pesticides have been proven to act as endocrine disruptors, potentially affecting reproductive functions, increasing the incidence of breast cancer, causing abnormal growth patterns and developmental delays in children, and altering immune function.

6. It contaminates water and soil and affects human health.

Agriculture plays a major role in pollution, releasing large volumes of manure, chemicals, antibiotics, and growth hormones into water sources. This poses risks to both aquatic ecosystems and human health. In fact, agriculture’s most common chemical contaminant, nitrate, can cause “blue baby syndrome”, which can lead to death in infants.

7. It has caused epidemics of obesity and chronic disease. 

Industrial agriculture produces mainly commodity crops, which are then used in a wide variety of inexpensive, calorie-dense and widely available foods. Consequently, 60 per cent of all dietary energy is derived from just three cereal crops–rice, maize and wheat.

Although it has effectively lowered the proportion of people suffering from hunger, this calorie-based approach fails to meet nutritional recommendations, such as those for the consumption of fruits, vegetables and pulses. The popularity of processed, packaged and prepared foods has increased in almost all communities. Obesity is also on the rise globally and many suffer from preventable diseases often related to diets, like heart disease, stroke, diabetes and some cancers.

Photo-illustration: Pixabay

8. It is an inefficient use of land.

In spite of an insufficient global supply of pulses, fruits and vegetables, livestock farming is ever more ubiquitous, perpetuating a self-sustaining cycle of supply and demand. Between 1970 and 2011, livestock increased from 7.3 billion to 24.2 billion units, worldwide, with about 60 per cent of all agricultural land used for grazing. Agriculture has become less about producing food and more about generating animal feed, biofuels and industrial ingredients for processed food products. Meanwhile, while there may be fewer people in the world who are undernourished, there are many more people who are now malnourished.

9. It entrenches inequality.

Although small farms make up 72 per cent of all farms, they occupy just 8 per cent of all agricultural land. In contrast, large farms–which account for only 1 per cent of the world’s farms–occupy 65 per cent of agricultural land.  This gives large farms disproportionate control, and there is little incentive to develop technologies that could benefit resource-poor small–hold farmers, including those in developing countries.

At the other end of the food supply chain, food that is affordable to the poor may be energy-dense but is invariably nutrient-poor. Micronutrient deficiencies may impair cognitive development, lower resistance to disease, increase risks during childbirth and, ultimately, affect economic productivity. The poor are effectively disadvantaged both as producers and consumers.

Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Jasmin Sessler)

10. It is fundamentally at odds with environmental health.

In the early 20th century, the Haber-Bosch process–which would transform modern agriculture–used very high temperatures and pressure to extract nitrogen from the air, combine it with hydrogen, and produce ammonia, which is now the basis of the chemical fertilizer industry. That effectively rendered nature’s own fertilization process (sun, healthy micro-biotic soils, crop rotation) obsolete. Today, ammonia production consumes 1-2 per cent of the world’s total energy supply accounts for about 1.5 per cent of total global carbon dioxide emissions.

Source: UNEP

Climate-Friendly Cooling Could Cut Years of Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Save US$ Trillions

Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Krysztof Kotkowicz)
Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Krysztof Kotkowicz)

Coordinated international action on energy-efficient, climate-friendly cooling could avoid as much as 460 billion tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions – roughly equal to eight years of global emissions at 2018 levels – over the next four decades, according to the Cooling Emissions and Policy Synthesis Report from the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the International Energy Agency (IEA).

Reductions of between 210 and 460 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide-(CO2) equivalent emissions can be delivered over the next four decades through actions to improve the cooling industry’s energy efficiency together with the transition to climate-friendly refrigerants, according to the report.

The report says countries can institutionalize many of these actions by integrating them into their implementation of the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol. Signatories to the Kigali Amendment have agreed to reduce the production and use of climate-warming refrigerant gases known as hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), which has the potential to avoid as much as 0.4°C of global warming by 2100 through this step alone.

Nations must deliver massive cuts in their greenhouse gas emissions to get on track to limit global temperature rise this century to 1.5°C. This is critical to minimizing the disastrous impacts of climate change. As nations invest in COVID-19 recovery, they have an opportunity to use their resources wisely to reduce climate change, protect nature and reduce risks of further pandemics. Efficient, climate-friendly cooling can help to achieve all of these goals,” said Inger Andersen, UNEP Executive Director.

The report highlights the importance of cooling to maintaining healthy communities; fresh vaccines and food; a stable energy supply, and productive economies. The essential nature of cooling services is underlined by the COVID-19 pandemic, as temperature-sensitive vaccines will require quick deployment around the globe; lockdowns forcing people to stay at home for long periods of time are a health concern in many hot countries.

Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Andryck Lopez)

However, increasing demand for cooling is contributing significantly to climate change. This is the result of the emissions of HFCs, CO2, and black carbon from the mostly fossil fuel-based energy that powers air conditioners and other cooling equipment.

“As governments roll out massive economic stimulus packages to deal with the economic and social impacts of the COVID-19 crisis, they have a unique opportunity to accelerate progress in efficient, climate-friendly cooling. Higher efficiency standards are one of the most effective tools governments have to meet energy and environmental objectives. By improving cooling efficiency, they can reduce the need for new power plants, cut emissions and save consumers money. This new report gives policy makers valuable insights to help them address the global cooling challenge” said Dr Fatih Birol, IEA Executive Director.

Worldwide, an estimated 3.6 billion cooling appliances are in use. The report says that if cooling is provided to everybody who needs it – and not just those who can afford it – this would require as many as 14 billion cooling appliances by 2050.

The IEA estimates that doubling the energy efficiency of air conditioning by 2050 would reduce the need for 1,300 gigawatts of additional electricity generation capacity to meet peak demand – the equivalent of all the coal-fired power generation capacity in China and India in 2018. Worldwide, doubling the energy efficiency of air conditioners could save up to USD 2.9 trillion by 2050 in reduced electricity generation, transmission and distribution costs alone.

Action on energy efficiency would bring many other benefits, such as increased access to life-saving cooling, improved air quality and reduced food loss and waste, the report says.

The report lays out the available policy options available that can make cooling part of climate and sustainable development solutions, including:

  • International cooperation through universal ratification and implementation of the Kigali Amendment and initiatives such as the Cool Coalition and the Biarritz Pledge for Fast Action on Efficient Cooling
  • National Cooling Action Plans that accelerate the transition to climate friendly cooling, and identify opportunities to incorporate efficient cooling into stronger Nationally Determined Contributions under the Paris Agreement;
  • Development and implementation of Minimum Energy Performance Standards and energy efficiency labelling to improve equipment efficiency.
  • Promotion of building codes and other considerations to reduce demand for refrigerant and mechanical cooling, including integration of district and community cooling into urban planning, improved building design, green roofs, and tree shading;
  • Campaigns to stop environmentally harmful product dumping to transform markets and avoid the burden of obsolete and inefficient cooling technologies;
  • Sustainable cold-chains to both reduce food loss – a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions – and reduce emissions from cold chains.

The 48-page peer-reviewed report was authored by a range of experts under the guidance of a 15-member steering committee co-chaired by Nobel laureate Mario Molina, President, Centro Mario Molina, Mexico, and Durwood Zaelke, President, Institute for Governance & Sustainable Development, USA. The report is supported by the Kigali Cooling Efficiency Programme (K-CEP).

Source: UNEP

The Next Wave – How to Beat Future Pandemics

Photo: ILRI

Ebola, SARS, Zika, HIV/AIDS, West Nile fever and now COVID-19. These are some of the highest-profile diseases to emerge in the last several decades. And while they emerged in different parts of the world, they have one thing in common. They are what scientists call “zoonotic diseases,” infections that jump between animals and humans, some of which leave illness and death in their wake.

Photo: ILRI/Apollo Habtamu

Now, a scientific assessment from the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) finds that unless countries take dramatic steps to curb zoonotic contagions, global outbreaks like COVID-19 will become more common.

“People look back to the influenza pandemic of 1918–1919 and think that such disease outbreaks only happen once in a century,” says Maarten Kappelle, the head of scientific assessments at UNEP. “But that’s no longer true. If we don’t restore the balance between the natural world and the human one, these outbreaks will become increasingly prevalent.”

The assessment, Preventing the next pandemic: Zoonotic diseases and how to break the chain of transmission, published on 6 July, describes how 60 per cent of the 1,400 microbes known to infect humans originated in animals.

While emerging contagions like COVID-19 dominate headlines, neglected zoonotic diseases kill at least 2 million people every year, mostly in developing countries. That is more than four times the current reported death toll of COVID-19.

Zoonotic diseases have plagued societies since Neolithic times and were responsible for some of history’s deadliest pandemics, including the bubonic plague of the late Middle Ages and the influenza pandemic of the early twentieth century.

But as the world’s population edges towards 8 billion, rampant development is putting humans and animals in increasingly close quarters, making it easier for diseases to vault between species.

“As we exploit more marginal areas, we are creating opportunities for transmission,” says Eric Fèvre, a professor of veterinary infectious diseases at the University of Liverpool and a jointly appointed ILRI researcher. “There is an increasing risk of seeing bigger epidemics and, eventually, a pandemic of the COVID-19 type as our footprint on the world expands.”

The cost of zoonotic epidemics is steep. The International Monetary Fund has predicted that COVID-19 alone will cause the global economy to contract by 3 per cent this year, wiping out $9 trillion in productivity through 2021. But even in the two decades before the pandemic, the World Bank estimated that zoonotic diseases had direct costs of more than $100 billion.

Photo: ILRI/David White

To prevent future outbreaks, countries need a coordinated, science-backed response to emerging zoonotic diseases, says Delia Grace, lead author of the report as well as a veterinary epidemiologist at ILRI and professor of food safety at the UK’s Natural Resources Institute. “Viruses don’t need a passport. You cannot tackle these issues on a nation-by-nation basis. We must integrate our responses for human health, animal health, and ecosystem health to be effective.”

UNEP and ILRI are urging governments to embrace an inter-sectoral and interdisciplinary approach called One Health. It calls on states not only to buttress their animal as well as human healthcare systems, but also to address factors – like environmental degradation and increased demand for meat –that make it easier for diseases to jump species. Specifically, it encourages states to promote sustainable agriculture, strengthen food safety standards, monitor and help improve traditional food markets, invest in technology to track outbreaks, and provide new job opportunities for people who trade in wildlife.

Doreen Robinson, UNEP’s Chief of Wildlife says it’s also important for governments to better understand how zoonotic diseases work. That could help the world avoid another pandemic on the scale of COVID-19.

“Getting ahead of the game and preventing the type of global shutdown we’ve seen—that’s what investing in zoonotic research will get you,” she says. “Outbreaks will happen. Pathogenic organisms will jump from animals to humans, and back to animals again. The question is: How far will they jump and what impact will they have?”

FAST FACTS ON ZOONOTIC DISEASES

  • Zoonotic diseases (also known as zoonoses) are illnesses caused by pathogens that spread from animals to people and from people to animals.
  • Examples of zoonoses include HIV-AIDS, Ebola, Lyme disease, malaria, rabies and West Nile fever, in addition to the disease cause by the novel coronavirus 2019, COVID-19.
  • Certain wild animals (including rodents, bats, carnivores and non-human primates) are most likely to harbour zoonotic pathogens, with livestock often serving as a bridge for transmission of the pathogens from their wildlife reservoir to their new human host.
  • In the world’s poorer countries, neglected endemic zoonoses associated with livestock production cause more than 2 million human deaths a year.

To learn more, read FAQ.

Source: UNEP

30 Innovative Solutions Show Path to Renewable-Powered Future

Photo-illustration: Pixabay

Recently, IRENA has published the full series of 30 Innovation Briefs under its Innovation Landscape report. It is the most comprehensive analysis available on innovation priorities that policymakers must address to successfully decarbonise the electricity systems with renewables and push for innovative renewables solutions in a COVID-19 recovery stimulus. With the new briefs on innovations in system operation and business models published, the full series of briefs analyzing innovations in the four dimensions of the power system (enabling technologies, business models, market design and system operation) is now completed.

Innovation is a key driver for the energy transformation. Innovative solutions can make the energy production, transmission and consumption more flexible, allowing for a higher, cost-effective use of renewables and empowering a new generation of energy consumers. Electrification, decentralisation and digitalization are leading innovation trends that are changing paradigms, unlocking system flexibility for more renewables, changing roles and responsibilities and opening doors to new entrants in the sector.

The power sector has led the way with rapid cost reductions in key renewable energy technologies. Today, renewables accounts for one third of total global power generation, with a substantial growth in variable renewable energy (VRE) like wind and solar PV. However, achieving Paris Agreement climate objectives would require two thirds of global power demand based on renewables by 2050. Globally, the share of electricity consumed in end-use sectors such as industry, transport and buildings would need to double from around a quarter today to almost 50% by mid-century. Wind and solar generation would need to increase from 10% today to 60% over the same period.

While IRENA’s Innovation Landscape provides a first-of-its-kind toolbox of solutions for policy makers and guidance on how to apply them system-wide in a coherent and mutually-reinforcing way, “Innovation Briefs” give insights how individual innovations increase flexibility in the system based on the latest experiences in piloting those from front runner countries around the globe.

Innovations are emerging across four key dimensions of the world’s power systems:

Enabling Technologies: Technologies that play a key role in facilitating the integration of renewable energy for example batteries, EV charging, blockchain, Internet of Things and AI and big data.

Business models: Innovative models that create the business case for new services, enhancing the system’s flexibility and incentivising further integration of renewable energy technologies for example energy-as-a-service, peer-to-peer trading and pay-as-you-go models.

Market design: New market structures and changes in the regulatory framework to encourage flexibility and value services needed in a renewable-based power energy system, stimulating new business opportunities for example time-of-use tariffs and net billing.

System operation: Innovative ways of operating the electricity system, allowing the integration of higher shares of variable renewable power generation for example advanced weather forecast, dynamic line rating and virtual power lines.

See also a digital story on Innovation: A Game Changer for Power System Flexibility

Source: IRENA

More Conservation Efforts Critical to Save the Vaquita – World’s Smallest Marine Mammal

Photo: UNEP

While optimism can be in short supply when it comes to wildlife conservation, the spotting of three vaquita calves in October 2019 in the Upper Gulf of California in Mexico was a particularly exciting moment.

Photo: UNEP

A glimmer of hope in the struggle to save the world’s smallest marine mammal, that is careening towards extinction. The calves survival will be the make or break for the species, whose number stands no more than 22, according to the International Committee for the Recovery of the Vaquita (CIRVA).

Vaquita, named after the Spanish for ‘little cow’, lives in the shallow waters in the Sea of Cortez off Mexico’s northwest coast. Grayish in colour, with delicate features and dark marks around their eyes and mouth, they are the smallest of the cetaceans family that includes whales, dolphins, and porpoises. They feed on small fish, shrimp, squid and octopuses.

Although the vaquita has only been known to science since 1958, it’s numbers have declined by more than 90 per cent in the last two decades, largely due to illegal fishing for another endangered species that shares its habitat –  the totoaba, prized for its swim bladders. Vaquita drown when they get trapped in gillnets (large vertical nets) used to catch the totoaba and die from asphyxiation, unable to surface for air.

A report by the 2020 International Whaling Commission indicates that vaquita conservation is possible if “there is a rigorous, concerted enforcement effort to prevent illegal fishing and the use of gillnets throughout the vaquita’s range.”

UNEP Mexico’s Representative Officer, Dolores Barrientos said: “We have been tracking the progress which is dependent upon the enforcement against illegal fishing practices in the one area in Mexico that it inhabits.”

Several conservation efforts are under way to rescue the vaquita. These include: the adoption of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) Decisions 18.292 to 18.295 on Totoaba, which include considerations on the illegal trade in Totoaba and its implications for the vaquita.

The Mexican government, in addition to creating the International Committee for the Recovery of the Vaquita (CIRVA), outlawed use of gillnets in 2017, banned nighttime fishing and required vessels that operate in the protected zone to pass through monitored entry and exit points.

To learn more about vaquitas please see here.

Source: UNEP

Indian Railways Accelerates Toward a Solar Future With New Tenders

Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Jehu Christian)

Indian Railways has taken some significant measures over the last few weeks that will cement its place as one of the single largest clean energy users in India. These steps include the issuance of tenders for large-scale solar power projects and the commissioning of a first-of-its-kind project to use solar power for trains’ traction systems.  

Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Jehu Christian)

These measures are part of Indian Railways’ long-term sustainability goals. According to a 2017 study, Indian Railways has a potential to set up 5 gigawatts of solar power capacity, which will be sufficient to meet all its power demand in the coming years.

World’s First Solar Project to Power Traction System

India’s minister for railways recently announced that Indian Railways has commissioned a 1.7-megawatt solar power project. Power generated from this project will be supplied to trains’ traction system. This project is the first of its kind in the world, Indian Railways has claimed. The project is located in Madhya Pradesh and was commissioned by a public sector company, BHEL.

According to Indian Railways, the project is expected to generate 2.5 million kilowatt hours of electricity every year, resulting in annual savings of around $180,000.

Gigawatt-Scale Plans to Power Trains

The 1.7-megawatt project has been implemented on an experimental basis and will form the foundation for gigawatt-scale solar-powered train operations. Railways Energy Management Company Limited (REMCL) has been assigned the responsibility to set up 3 gigawatts of solar power projects across the country to ensure solar power supply to Indian Railways’ vast network.

These large-scale solar power projects will be commissioned over the unused land that Indian Railways owns across the country.

Solar/Wind Hybrid Tenders

Last year, REMCL issued two tenders to procure 140 megawatts and 109 megawatts of solar and wind power. These projects will be spread across multiple states. The Railways has put more emphasis on wind power capacity in these tenders, possibly to ensure the round-the-clock supply power necessary to operate trains.

Solar Power Tenders

In June, REMCL issued a 400-megawatt solar power tender. This capacity will be distributed across six states. Three of these six states do not have any significant solar power capacity operational. Project developers are mandated to use Indian-made solar cells and modules for these projects.

Photo-illustration: Pixabay

Earlier this month, another tender was issued by REMCL with a capacity of 1,000 megawatts. Again, developers will be required to use only Indian-made solar cells and modules. Developers will supply power at a fixed rate for 25 years.

Rooftop Solar Power

Indian Railways has an ambitious target with respect to rooftop solar power as well. In February 2017, the government announced plans to install rooftop solar power systems at 7,000 railway stations.

Apart from using renewable energy to power traction systems, Indian Railways also utilizes solar power for non-traction systems, such as lighting and cooling systems in coaches. In 2017, Railways announced plans to install solar panels atop 250 trains. It issued a tender for the installation of flexible solar panels and battery systems on the roofs of coaches of six trains on a pilot basis.

The utilization of renewable power for traction systems seems to have gained popularity among Indian Railways after it was successfully demonstrated by the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC). DMRC operates India’s largest network of subway systems. A large portion of its power demand is met from a solar power park located around 700 kilometers away. Railways reportedly considered setting up a similar large-scale solar power park in central India. However, from the tenders issued by REMCL, it is apparent that Railways plans to utilize unused land it owns spread across multiple states.

Electrification Plans

In 2018, Railways reported that its traction power demand is around 2 gigawatts and another 400 megawatts demand from railways stations and workshops. This is expected to increase to over 4 gigawatts by 2022 with the planned electrification of a broad gauge network. Railways has signed an agreement with ABB to convert diesel-fired locomotive into electric locomotives by 2022.

Despite the declining profit, Indian Railways is unlikely to face any problems funding this green energy transition. Its operational and financial efficiency have been on the decline. However, Railways raised $500 million through a green bond issue in 2017 at a very attractive interest rate.

According to the United National Development Programme, Indian Railways can meet at least 25% of its power demand from renewable energy sources. A 2017 UNDP-funded study claimed that Indian Railways can set up 3.9 gigawatts of land-based and 1.1 gigawatts of rooftop solar power projects.

Author: Smiti

Source: Clean Technica

About Creators and Other Customers

Photo: Dunja Dopsaj

From Vermont to Belgrade, from wedding bands to over a thousand products, from piling up identical items on shop shelves to unique pieces made with love and care, from goods no one buys to care for the environment, customers and to artists – this is how Zanateria was created, the first online department store with products handmade in Serbia.

Married couple Milica Stankovic Scepanovic and Aleksandar Scepanovic, aided by knowledge of their friend Ivan Gacesa, an IT entrepreneur, they designed something completely new in Serbian market – a virtual department store where small producers have the opportunity to show the result of their skill and customers have the privilege of getting a product that is unique, carefully designed and completely meeting their wish. As they are users of handmade pieces themselves, and while waiting for the opportunity to the numerous independent manufacturers to also show up in Serbia, they decided to take the charge and set up a craft store Zanateria.

Photo: Dunja Dopsaj

Milica, Aleksandar and Ivan were previously drawn by hand-made products. Realising how difficult it is for people of modern times to get to craftsmen, as well as it is for the latter to get to the market, they decided that they themselves would be the bearers of change. The idea came up during Aleksandar and Milica’s trip to the United States and visit to the craft department store that left a strong impression. Even wedding bands were ordered online. “When the wedding bands arrived with personal dedication from the masters who made them, it clicked. We decided to make a virtual craft department store online upon our return to Serbia,” Aleksandar explains. Ivan joined them and so this story began, a story of a trade where everyone gains profit – both creators, buyers and nature.

In addition to being a resource-saving virtual store, while being deprived of all the infrastructure needed for mass production and consumption, Zanateria provides even one more convenience for both customers and the planet. Namely, the products can be tested and ordered, so there is no risk of accumulation and destruction of unsold goods, which is often the case with large companies due to the lack of discounts for fear of “damaging” the brand. “That manner that makes the brands more important than the common good and natural resources, is very dangerous, but we get the impression that more and more people are ‘waking up’ and realise that rapid and big changes are necessary in production, but also in the way of spending, if we want to save ourselves. And just the example of small manufacturers shows us that brands can also be built by caring for the environment”, says Aleksandar.

Considering the rhythm of life, which is becoming faster globally, and being aware that most people are familiar with the problems of mass production but without enough time or will to look for alternative options, from the beginning, they have designated this as one of the most important missions of their business – to offer shortcuts in that pursuit.

Zanateria is focused on healthy products made of natural and eco-friendly materials, which retail shopping allows. Environmental care and ecological approach in the process of making and packaging products is very important for the community that Zanateria brings together. Plus, complete bypassing consumerism, offering products that are not consumed quickly, but are cherished and loved, often whole life, and encouraging manufacturers to make market changes, Zanateria upholds the principles of circular economy. The development of the industry has hindered the former popularity of small local craftsmen and vendors. Now, it is a big challenge for small manufacturers to compete with huge companies. Mass production and global economy, on the other hand, do not allow much care about harmful effects on the environment. In doing so, the question of labor exploitation and workers’ rights imposes itself. “Zanaterians” are very shaky when it comes to this sensitive topic. As Aleksandar says, every responsible man must know that by buying cheap ‘garbage’ he becomes an accomplice to the big exploitative corporations and bears a part of the responsibility for the exploitation of children and the workforce in general, for inhumane working conditions, poverty in third-world countries and for the dire environmental consequences which product surpluses, their composition, shorter life span and mode of production they cause.

In focus:

The so-called small producers do not enter distribution chains due to the small volume of production and the high cost of entry, as well as the necessity of compromise quality that they nurture and low prices in the market. This is why Zanateria offers them the opportunity to make their goods accessible and representative for a large number of people. “An economy with a human face”, by which the Zanateria platform is trying to enhance the Serbian market, offers an opportunity to buy the product from the man who made it by himself and therefore he personally guarantees for its quality, as well as making sure that the money goes directly to the creator.

Foto: Zanateria

Guided by Dusko Radovic’s message that “the one who wants change the world should start from his dripping/leaking TAP”, they decided to start a change in their microcosmos. So they have come up with a platform that empowers a healthy approach to economy and consumption, saves resources, opposes domination of “harsh transitional capitalism” and at the same time allows that everything is just a click away from buyers. The first phase of this work involves bringing together relevant vendors as well as third-party publishers, with a tendency to continually expand and then stabilise the platform offering, evaluate, as well as provide educational series. The plan is “coming-out” to a foreign market.

Customers are given an insight into the current offer in the craft products market, as products from workshops, studios and shelves are on the platform that they might not have met on another occasion. That’s especially important for interested buyers from smaller towns, who do not have the opportunity to visit night markets and bazaars of handcrafts.

“At the moment, Zanateria offers more than 1,000 products and that number is growing daily. Before we developed this idea, we “scanned” the market and it seemed to us that we were able to map most of the manufacturers. When we made the public invitation to cooperate, we were completely surprised by the response. Not only were there manufacturers we had never heard of or products we never knew are made in Serbia, but we came to know products that we didn’t know they existed at all.”

You can find more about the offer in Zanateria at the link: www.zanateria.com.

Prepared by: Jelena Cvetic

This article was published in the new issue of the Energy portal Magazine NATURAL RESOURCES, march – may, 2020

Kigali Amendment Hits Milestone 100th Ratification, Boosting Climate Action

Photo-illustration: Pixabay

The Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol, an international agreement to cut the use of climate-warming hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), has reached a major milestone, with Liberia becoming the 100th nation to ratify the Amendment, providing a welcome boost to global climate action.

Photo-illustration: Pixabay

The Amendment targets a massive reduction in the use of HFCs, which became widely-used refrigerant substitutes for ozone-depleting substances that have been phased out under the Montreal Protocol. HFCs are climate-warming gases with significant global warming potential.

Liberia became the latest country to ratify the amendment, part of an accelerating trend of nations approving the treaty and beginning work on phasing down the gases; Mali was the first to ratify the Amendment in 2017, followed by Federated States of Micronesia, Marshall Islands and Rwanda. The European Union – along with most of its member states – was a single block of parties to the Montreal Protocol; along with others, this made it possible for the Amendment to enter into force on 1 January 2019. Other recent parties to ratify the Amendment include Bangladesh, Sierra Leone, the Holy See and Romania.

“As we deal with the impacts of the global pandemic, it is crucial not to forget climate action,” said Inger Andersen, Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme. “Climate change could cause even more misery and disruption than COVID-19; we must be resolute in our efforts to limit it.

“The Kigali Amendment reaching 100 ratifications is therefore great news. The Amendment is a powerful tool for keeping our planet cool. I thank those states which have ratified it and encourage the 98 others to follow suit and help to ensure a safer future for all of humanity.”

The 2016 Kigali Amendment requires a phasedown of high global warming potential HFCs by more than 80 per cent (in CO2-equivalent) over the next 30 years. Estimates suggest that emissions avoided by 2100 could reach 5.6 to 8.7 gigatonnes of CO2-equivalent per year. In total, it would be over ten years’ worth of current annual emissions of CO2 due to human activities. This will avoid up to 0.4°C of global warming by the end of the century.

Replacing HFCs also creates an opportunity to increase the energy efficiency of cooling equipment by 10–50 per cent, significantly reducing energy costs to consumers and businesses.

The Amendment builds on the success of the Montreal Protocol, which was set up in 1987 to protect human health and the environment caused by the depletion of the ozone layer. With the universal support of 198 parties, the Montreal Protocol has led to the phase-out of almost 99 per cent of ozone-depleting substances.

The ozone layer is now well on the way to recovery. The Protocol’s benefits include up to two million cases of skin cancer prevented each year by 2030, an estimated US$ 1.8 trillion in global health benefits and almost US$ 460 billion in avoided damages to agriculture and fisheries up to 2060.

Ozone protection efforts also avoided an estimated 135 billion tonnes of CO2-equivalent emissions from 1990 to 2010. In the absence of the Montreal Protocol, global mean temperatures could have risen over 2°C by 2070, due to warming from ozone-depleting substances alone.

“Each ratification of the Kigali Amendment brings us closer to replicating the success of the Montreal Protocol in dealing with ozone-depleting substances,” said Tina Birmpili, Executive Secretary of the Ozone Secretariat. “This success is built on nations working together. I am delighted to see 100 ratifications and look forward to many more in the coming months and years.”

Source: UNEP

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