Carbon Farms Make Agriculture More Sustainable

17.07.2024

Prezentacijag — Photo: courtesy of Tara Lazarević

Greenhouse gas emissions cause several negative consequences on the planet, such as air pollution, increasing ocean acidity and perhaps the most talked about problem – global warming. Research conducted in almost all corners of the world showed that agriculture was responsible for these emissions. That is why world scientists are searching for ways to make agricultural practices more sustainable by applying the principles of regenerative agriculture. Although sustainable ideas are implemented chiefly in distant countries, one idea emerged in Serbia recently. This is the story of Tara Lazarević, a grammar school student from Zaječar, who used her time and knowledge to find practical solutions to make our nature healthier.

A childhood spent in nature and playing and helping grandparents with their garden awakened Tara’s love for natural sciences in elementary school, which later spontaneously developed into a passion for ecology. About ten years later, Tara’s responsibility towards nature comes to the fore, primarily through participation in the World Environmental Protection and Sustainable Development. When contemplating what topic to present at the competition, Tara looked for solutions that would be more innovative than those that everyone knew about for the most part. Her final choice was to present the idea of designing carbon farms in Serbia.

IN FOCUS:

What are carbon farms?

Explaining the broadest meaning of the term, Tara says that carbon farms and farms as we know them are very similar at first glance, but it’s the small changes that make a big difference and make carbon farms more sustainable. As the name suggests, these are farms that have a greater capacity to retain carbon in the soil. This is achieved in various ways, such as applying composting, growing and covering certain crops, and more.

“Given that each family throws away approximately 30 per cent of food that could be composted, special containers would be placed in the surrounding areas for the disposal of such waste, and they would be transported to the farms every two to three days,” explains Tara.

Such farms would be located over much larger areas than usual and not intended for personal use. Another important prerequisite that needs to be met will make carbon farms different. Namely, the area around farms requires afforestation and planned grazing, while factories will have no place in the immediate vicinity. As Tara states, the focus of carbon farms is on reducing excess carbon, but they would also contribute to solving other problems. Given that the greenhouse effect promotes fires, droughts and floods, the widespread use of such farms would impact mitigating weather disasters. Furthermore, the enriched soil would bring higher yields, which would be donated to those who do not have enough food, thereby alleviating the problem of hunger and poverty.

Prepared by Katarina Vuinac

Read the story in the new issue of the Energy portal Magazine NATURE CONSERVATION.

Croatia Invests 200 Million Euros in Electric Vehicle Chargers

16.07.2024

električni auto , punjač — Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Michael Fousert)

Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Maxim Hopman)

To achieve the desired 15 percent share of electric vehicles in the European Union, the EU adopted the Regulation on the Deployment of Alternative Fuels Infrastructure (AFIR) on April 13 this year, which also binds Croatia.

Therefore, the Croatian Chamber of Commerce (HGK) has formed the HGK Network Operators Group for Electric Vehicle Chargers to become a partner to all institutional actors involved in building adequate infrastructure for charging electric vehicles.

EU member states are obligated to ensure chargers for private vehicles on all main roads every 60 kilometers by 2025, and the same obligation applies to heavy-duty vehicles by 2030. AFIR also aims to equip at least 50 percent of roads connected to the TEN-T corridor with chargers for light electric vehicles by the end of 2027, and all roads by the end of the decade. To meet the Regulation’s requirements, Croatia will need to add 100 to 150 MW to the current 20 MW of connections by 2030.

Additionally, Croatia will comply with AFIR’s requirements until it reaches 200,000 registered electric vehicles. The president of the HGK Group, Dino Novosel, stated that forming the Group comes at a time when Croatia is facing ambitious goals for establishing critical infrastructure for electric vehicle charging.

“This is an investment cycle of at least 200 million euros which will last until 2030 and stems from the recently adopted AFIR regulation. This investment cycle will contribute to Croatia achieving its goal of increasing the share of renewable energy sources in transport from the current level of below three percent to at least the mandatory 21 percent. The HGK Group, which brings together key industry players, will systematically work on removing regulatory, technical, and operational barriers, as well as positively shape the investment climate in cooperation with other stakeholders in the country,” said Novosel.

The share of renewable energy sources in transport at the EU level was 9.6 percent in 2022, while in Croatia it was only 2.4 percent. The European Union has set a goal of 29 percent, to be met by 2030, as stated in the EU Directive 2023/2413 on promoting the use of energy from renewable sources.

The HGK states that these measures are crucial for ensuring seamless mobility of electric vehicles across Europe, promoting the transition to a more sustainable transport system, which is also a key goal of the new HGK Network Operators Group for Electric Vehicle Chargers. The Group’s work also includes creating frameworks for efficiently directing EU financial resources intended for improving public charger infrastructure over the next decade.

Energetski portal

Islands need resilient power systems more than ever. Clean energy can deliver

16.07.2024

Mauricijus_ostrvo — Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Xavier Coiffic)

Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Benjamin Jones)

Small and remote islands are subject to an array of energy challenges. As they are often isolated from mainland power grids, many face difficulties balancing supply and demand. They tend to be heavily dependent on imported fossil fuels, which can lead to high costs and energy security risks. And, despite their limited contributions to global emissions, they are disproportionately affected by the impacts of climate change, including extreme weather events.

These dynamics create major inequities. Electricity generation on islands can cost 10 times more than on mainland territories and countries. In 2021, island nations had the most expensive average cost of electricity in the world; in the Solomon Islands, for example, electricity cost almost seven times more than in the United States, while electricity tariffs in Caribbean countries are more than double the US average. This can negatively impact socio-economic development. In Pacific island countries, fuel imports accounted for up to 13 percent of GDP in 2019.

Islands – including those that make up the group known as Small Island Developing States (SIDS) – also need to upgrade their energy infrastructure so that it is resilient to higher temperatures, more frequent natural disasters and flooding related to rising sea levels. At the same time, aging power systems are often inadequate to accommodate growing electricity demand due to economic growth and increased air-conditioning usage. Consequently, many systems are prone to load shedding events and recurrent outages, such as in Sint Maarten, Guam and Dominica, the latter of which was left without electricity for months in 2017 after Hurricane Maria damaged its long-distance grid.

With more than 730 million people living on 11 000 permanently inhabited islands across the world, and with the number of natural disasters rising sharply in recent decades, it is crucial to find solutions to these issues and meet the energy needs of island residents in a secure, sustainable and affordable manner. Expanding the deployment of clean energy technologies, including renewables, therefore presents a major opportunity, while increasing the efficiency and digitalisation of energy systems could also deliver major benefits if harnessed.

Distributed energy resources and energy efficiency can make power systems cleaner and more secure

Small and remote islands, which often have abundant renewable energy resources, have the potential to become hubs of clean energy innovation. While a study performed on 36 small island economies showed that the majority generated less than 10 percent of their electricity from renewable sources, encouraging trends are visible. Total installed renewable energy capacity in Small Island Developing States more than doubled between 2010 and 2022, reaching 4.6 gigawatts (GW) – with plenty of room for additional growth. In Caribbean SIDS alone, the development potential for solar PV is estimated at nearly 72 GW, equivalent to the installed solar PV capacity for all of Latin America in 2023.

Distributed energy resources – or small-scale energy resources that are usually situated near sites of electricity use, such as rooftop solar – could play an important role in boosting the deployment of renewables on islands, increasing the security, resilience and affordability of power systems while accelerating decarbonisation.

However, this will also require complementary technologies, such as an expansion of battery energy storage systems (BESS). These systems can help facilitate the integration of variable renewable energy sources (which is particularly complex on islands due to limited grid infrastructure), maintain grid stability, and provide intraday flexibility – supporting not only single households, but also larger configurations of distributed energy resources and even utility-scale renewable plants.

Microgrids, or decentralised energy systems that can be isolated from the main grid because they have their own sources and loads, and Virtual Power Plants (VPPs) – networks of decentralised power generating units, storage systems and flexible demand – can also help optimise the allocation of distributed energy resources, while promoting energy efficiency and improving resilience.

Efforts are underway to deploy these technologies on some islands already. In Adjuntas, Puerto Rico, 1 000 solar panels are set to power 17 small businesses as part of a battery-supported community microgrid, bolstering the local economy and standing ready to provide electricity in the event of fresh natural disasters. Meanwhile, the VPP4ISLANDS project is integrating virtual energy storage technology, as well as digital twin and distributed ledger technology, to enable enhanced VPPs and the creation of smart energy communities on Gökçeada Island in Türkiye and Formentera in Spain.

At the same time, increasing energy efficiency measures in end-use sectors can contribute to further reductions in energy costs and carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions in Small Island Developing States, while also enhancing the resilience and reliability of energy systems and leading to local job creation. For example, implementing Minimum Energy Performance Standards and Labels (MEPSL) for appliances – which boost the efficiency of products on the market and provide greater transparency for consumers – allowed Fiji to save around 9.3 gigawatt-hour (GWh) of electricity in one year, comparable with electricity generated in the country from solar in 2021. Expanding the product coverage of the Fiji’s MEPSL programme could allow the buildings sector to save 17 percent of its electricity demand annually by 2030, according to analysis by the Copenhagen Centre on Energy Efficiency.

Read the whole article here

Source: IEA

EU Member States Must Take Urgent Action on NECPs and Overriding Public Interest

15.07.2024

vetar — Photo-illustration: Freepik (vecstock)

On 30 June all 27 Member States were due to submit the final version of their National Energy and Climate Plans (NECPs). This comes after the European Commission had reviewed their draft plans. The NECPs outline the national strategies countries will apply to meet the EU’s 42.5 per cent renewable energy target by 2030.

The Plans include initiatives in policy areas such as electrification, permitting, research and innovation and others. But only six countries — Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Italy, France and the Netherlands — have submitted their NECPs. That’s too little.

The NECPs are key for the deployment of renewables – Member States with sufficiently ambitious and credible Plans will attract more investments than others. Without visibility on future investments and clear national strategies the EU risks to miss its 2030 energy security and climate targets. It is crucial countries hand in their Plans as soon as possible.

Member States must make full use of “overriding public interest”

Permitting remains a major bottlenecks to the construction of new wind farms. Member States also had until the end of last month to implement the excellent permitting provisions under the new Renewable Energy Directive (REDIII). One of the most powerful RED III measures to improve permitting is the notion of “overriding public interest”. But only a handful of countries have implemented this in their national framework. Only Germany and Portugal have applied it in practice.

Germany was especially fast and determined in simplifying its permitting procedures and applying overriding public interest for renewable energy projects. And the results are impressive: Germany handed out 7.5 GW of new onshore wind permits in 2023, up from 4.2 GW in 2022 and 2021 and less than 2 GW in 2017-2019 respectively. And in the first quarter of 2024 Germany awarded permits for another 2.6 GW of new onshore wind projects already. Overriding public interest has helped to unblock projects that had been entangled in legal disputes. And it has made it easier for judges and permitting agents to support new wind energy projects when balancing different public interests.

The increase in new permits has had direct effects on auctions. The latest German auction around awarded 2.5 GW of wind projects. And Germany is now optimistic that they could award up to 10 GW of new onshore capacity in 2024.

“Most national Governments haven’t done their homework fast enough. Permitting is improving in some countries but EU-wide permitting volumes still fall short from what we need to reach the EU energy security and climate targets. Governments need to transpose the excellent new REDIII rules asap, especially overriding public interest. It’s one of the most powerful tools in toolbox. The German example has shown what’s possible. Other Governments need to follow suit and make full use of overriding public interest”, says Guy Willems, Advisor Environment & Community Engagement at WindEurope.

Source: Wind Europe

White Roofs Most Effective in Combating Urban Heat

15.07.2024

low-angle-shot-facade-white-modern-building-blue-clear-sky — Photo-illustration: Freepik (wirestock)

Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Sabrina Mazzeo)

Summers are getting hotter year-on-year, and this problem is particularly pronounced in urban areas where a lot of concrete and little vegetation make the heat unbearable.

An additional problem is the excessive use of air conditioners, which transfer heat from the inside of buildings to the outside. Experts claim that in dense city centers, air conditioners can increase the temperature by about one degree Celsius.

In an effort to lower temperatures by a few notches, some cities are resorting to methods such as green roofs or installing solar panels. However, researchers from University College London (UCL) claim that no solution is as effective as painting roofs white.

While there’s no doubt that green roofs are better than ordinary ones because, among other things, they absorb rainfall and improve biodiversity, UCL experts claim that their net cooling effect on the city is generally negligible. On the other hand, painting roofs white or covering them with a reflective coating would be more effective in cooling cities like London than roofs covered with vegetation, street-level green spaces, or solar panels.

In a study published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters, researchers used a three-dimensional climate model of Greater London to test the effects of various passive and active heat management systems during the two hottest days of summer 2018. They found that white roofs could reduce citywide temperatures by about 1.2°C on average, and up to two degrees Celsius in some locations if widely adopted across London. Other systems, such as extensive street-level vegetation or solar panels, would provide a smaller net cooling effect, only about 0.3°C on average, although they offer other environmental benefits.

“We comprehensively tested multiple methods that cities like London could use to adapt to and mitigate increasing temperatures, and found that cool roofs are the best way to maintain low temperatures during extremely hot summer days. Other methods had various important ancillary benefits, but none were able to reduce outside urban heat to nearly the same extent,” said Dr. Oscar Bruce, the lead author of the study.

Milena Maglovski

Together for the Preservation of Nauter’s Diversity

14.07.2024

Nacionalni park Galičica, Severna Makedonija (c) Boris Erg — Photo: Boris Erg

The Regional Office of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) for Eastern Europe and Central Asia (ECARO) was founded twenty years ago. During that period, its goals have been adapted to suit climate change and the increased loss of biodiversity, but also finding strategies to solve them. They rely on the knowledge and resources of more than 1,400 members and 16,500 experts in seven IUCN expert commissions. Some of the criteria for membership in the Union imply that the interested party supports its goals, that it has already contributed to the preservation of nature with its activities and that it works wholeheartedly to preserve its integrity and diversity. Joining IUCN facilitates connection with a growing number of member organizations and the scientific community, advising on developing relevant policies, sharing knowledge, developing capacities, and implementing projects.

Oliver Avramoski, Regional Director of IUCN ECARO, was recently appointed to that position at the time when the Belgrade office celebrates two decades of operations, which for him is an honor and a responsibility, as he joined a motivated team of experts who have been working dedicatedly for the protection of nature and biodiversity for years in the region, together with members and partners. We talked with him about the status of nature protection in the region, how to devote ourselves more to its preservation, the implementation of the Biodiversity Protection Strategy, and the challenges in the fight against climate change and plans.

Q: Could you please comment on sustainability and biodiversity protection in the Western Balkans and Serbia? How can we be more committed to preserving nature and natural resources?

A: The region of the Western Balkans, including Serbia, is highly abundant in numerous species and habitats, including many species found only in our area, such as Pančić’s spruce, Balkan lynx and two species of ramonda. Our survival depends on diverse living habitats and functioning ecosystems because they provide us with water, air, medicine, and food and help us adapt to climate change. Nevertheless, numerous studies point to significant pressure on ecosystems while the number of species and habitats in the region is decreasing. Biodiversity and ecosystem services are rarely taken into account in decision-making. The relevant institutions face numerous challenges regarding protecting and managing resources or enforcing environmental laws. To this end, we are collaborating with members and line institutions to analyze the nature protection system in Serbia in partnership with the Together for the Environment project. The received recommendations will guide us in providing systemic support to institutions and managers of protected areas in Serbia.

IN FOCUS:

Q: The EU 2030 Biodiversity Protection Strategy is the first step towards creating a more sustainable and resilient society. How is the Strategy implemented, and what are the biggest challenges?

A: In late 2020, the European Commission adopted the 2030 Biodiversity Protection Strategy, which, along with the European Green Deal, provides guidelines for developing policies for the EU, setting the goals and ambitions regarding nature conservation and sustainable use of natural resources. The European Union has expanded the network of protected areas to protect at least 30 per cent of land and sea, with 10 per cent under strict protection. The Green Agenda for the Western Balkans seeks to align the region with the EU’s ambition to become climate-neutral by 2050 and key elements of the European Green Deal. It is an essential political framework for nature conservation in our region. The Biodiversity Task Force of Southeast Europe (BDTF SEE), whose work we coordinate, manages the Green Agenda’s pillar related to protecting nature and biodiversity. There are many challenges in accomplishing the goals outlined in the 2030 Strategy, including the unsustainable use of land and sea for urbanization, agriculture, and development purposes, the impact of climate change, pollution, and lack of financial support. However, the cessation of unsustainable practices will not lead us to accomplish our goals. It is necessary to restore degraded habitats and improve the state of nature and the environment. Our region lags significantly in terms of taking care of protected areas and the restoration of degraded ecosystems.

Q: What direction should the vision of the Convention on Biological Diversity on “living in harmony with nature” take by 2050?

A: Under the auspices of this Convention, the international obligations on the preservation and restoration of biodiversity, which were negotiated in December 2022, include the restoration of 30 per cent of degraded ecosystems and the preservation of 30 per cent of land and sea. The Convention’s vision is very ambitious but necessary. Integrating nature protection and conservation into development strategies is a safe and cost-effective way to unlock the enormous potential of sustainable development, which will have multiple benefits for our economic progress, environment and society. The IUCN plays a significant role in the protection of biodiversity and regularly updates the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species – the most comprehensive source of information on the global conservation status of plant, animal and fungal species and measures the level of achievement of the Convention’s goals. There are many such species, so coordinated work under the auspices of the Convention at the national, regional, and global levels is necessary to restore their status through successful protection measures and remove them from the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

Interview by Mirjana Vujadinović Tomevski

Read the whole interview in the new issue of the Energy portal Magazine NATURE CONSERVATION.

By Investing in Sustainability, we’re Improving the Natural and Business Environment

13.07.2024

Delta Holding is successfully implementing its ESG strategy, which contributes to environmental protection and the improvement of the quality of life in the community. Tijana Koprivica, the company’s Sustainable Business Manager, spoke about its ESG goals and the projects and activities through which they are achieved.

Q. How does Delta Holding apply ESG criteria in its business operations, and which goals and strategies have you set?

A. We have formed an ESG team, made up of colleagues from all our subsidiaries, which has been tasked with creating strategic plans and analyzing and implementing innovative solutions in the fields of environmental, social, and governance. A strategy for sustainable development is part and parcel of the business strategy of all the subsidiaries of Delta Holding. Through defined environmental, social and plans for the improvement of business management, the company has set ambitious but realistic goals of having a positive effect on nature and society, as well as on the improvement of the economic environment on the markets where it conducts business.

Q. Which projects are most important and of most interest to the public, as well as the company, when it comes to environmental protection?

A. Through our environmental protection strategy, we are planning to reduce the consumption of energy from fossil fuels by 60 per cent by 2030. We have been investing in renewable energy sources since 2021 in order to achieve that goal. We currently have solar power plants at 15 locations, with a total capacity of around 5 MWh. We are planning to install solar panels at another eight locations this year. Apart from solar energy, we also use biomass in our business operations. In our factories, Seme Sombor and Dunavka, we use corn cobs, sunflower seed shells and soybean straw as energy sources. By switching to renewable energy sources, we’ll also reduce emissions of harmful gases. We are planning to reduce the amounts of generated waste and disposed waste and packaging, and to fully utilize waste as raw material for obtaining new products. One of Delta Holding’s members is also Delta-Pak, which provides services as an operator for managing packaging waste and consultancy in the fields of environmentalism, chemicals, and transportation of dangerous goods. It provides this service not only to Delta Holding members but also to external clients.

IN FOCUS:

Q. Do you apply sustainability standards in the construction of new facilities as well?

A. Our office building, Delta House, has the LEED Gold certification, and it was constructed using recycled materials such as UNIDOM plastic balls. Its façade is made of state-of-the-art materials, and it has been fitted with a cutting-edge ventilation system with optimal energy consumption and ionizers, which means the air quality is excellent. Two small solar power plants have been installed on the roof, along with a tank for rainwater, which is used as technical water. Sava Center is in the process of obtaining BREAM certification, and it’s also the first building in Serbia to be assessed in terms of compliance with EU Taxonomy criteria. The building’s energy efficiency was greatly improved during its renovation. The glass façade of Sava Center, which used to be made of single-pane glass, has been completely replaced with energy-efficient triple-pane glass, and we’ve also installed cutting-edge heating and cooling systems. 912 solar panels have been installed along the entire roof.

Q. Is investing in sustainable development a huge cost for companies, and does it have any benefits?

A. Companies that don’t adhere to sustainability principles cannot survive on the market. Hence, we don’t view investments in sustainable business as an expense; instead, we view them as investments. Companies whose business operations are not in line with sustainability principles are in danger of losing quality staff, long term business partners, buyers, and investors, and they’re also likely to encounter higher operating expenses as a result of energy inefficiency, additional fees for the pollution of the environment, emissions of harmful gases, etc. Specifically, in addition to contributing to the reduction of emissions and the consumption of energy obtained from conventional sources, investing in renewable energy sources is also going to help reduce our dependence on energy suppliers and our costs for energy sources, and it will also ensure financing from the so-called green sources.

Delta Holding

Read the whole interview in the new issue of the Energy portal Magazine NATURE CONSERVATION.

Tripling Renewables by 2030 Requires a Minimum of 16.4 Per Cent Annual Growth Rate

12.07.2024

hydropower_hidroenergija — Foto-ilustracija: Unsplash (American Public Power Association)

The Renewable Energy Statistics 2024 released by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) today shows that despite renewables becoming the fastest-growing source of power, the world risks missing the tripling renewables target pledged at COP28. To stay the course, the world will now have to grow renewables capacity at a minimum 16.4 per cent rate annually through 2030.

The unprecedented 14 per cent increase of renewables capacity during 2023 established a 10 per cent compound annual growth rate (2017-2023). Combined with the constant decreasing additions of non-renewable capacity over the years, the trend sees renewable energy on its way to overtake fossil fuels in global installed power capacity.

However, if last year’s 14 per cent increase rate continues, the tripling target of 11.2 Terawatts (TW) in 2030 outlined by IRENA’s 1.5°C Scenario will fall 1.5 TW short, missing the target by 13.5 per cent. Furthermore, if the world keeps the historic annual growth rate of 10 per cent, it will only accumulate 7.5 TW of renewables capacity by 2030, missing the target by almost one-third.

“Renewable energy has been increasingly outperforming fossil fuels, but it is not the time to be complacent. Renewables must grow at higher speed and scale. Our new report sheds light on the direction of travel; if we continue with the current growth rate, we will only face failure in reaching the tripling renewables target agreed in the UAE Consensus at COP28, consequently risking the goals of the Paris Agreement and 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development”, said IRENA Director-General, Francesco La Camera.

In terms of power generation, the latest data available for 2022 confirmed yet again the regional disparity in renewables deployment. Asia holds its position as leader in the global renewable power generation with 3.749 Terawatt hours (TWh), followed for the first time by North America (1.493 TWh). The most impressive jump occurred in South America, where renewable power generation increased by nearly 12 per cent to 940 TWh, due to a hydropower recovery and a greater role of solar energy.

With a modest growth of 3.5 per cent, Africa increased its renewable power generation to 205 TWh in 2022, despite the continent’s tremendous potential and immense need for rapid, sustainable growth. Acknowledging the urgent need for support and finance, IRENA is advancing the Accelerated Partnership for Renewables in Africa (APRA) initiative and is preparing an investment forum focused on APRA’s member countries later this year.

Source: IRENA

How the Plane Turned Orange Due to Climate Change

11.07.2024

plane - avion — Photo illustration: Unsplash (Sebastian Grochowicz)

That morning, before dawn, Jennifer Kowalski and Cole Macdonald found themselves at a celebrity private jet airport. While the security was dozing off, and no one thought to “take a look” at the surveillance cameras occasionally, the young activists, armed with courage, anger, and fire extinguishers filled with orange paint, painted two luxury jets.

They proudly posed for photos with the newly adorned jets in the background, and the announcement of this unusual event was soon posted on the Just Stop Oil movement’s page.

Before I attempt to answer whether painting the jets is vandalism or justified activism (or perhaps both), I would just like to say a few things about the controversial movement that birthed this and many similar events.

As the name suggests, Just Stop Oil is a climate movement that has taken on international proportions and now gathers numerous, primarily young, activists from various countries. Their mission is to prevent new oil projects and accelerate the closure of existing ones. The methods they use to express dissatisfaction and convey important messages cannot go unnoticed.

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Објава коју дели Just Stop Oil (@just.stopoil)

Foreign media often report catastrophic traffic jams caused by activists sitting on the road. To prevent the police and angry drivers from physically removing them and clearing the way, activists often use superglue and other means to glue their hands to the road.

If you ask me, this is utterly crazy! Young climate warriors risk amputation and broken bones as drivers have less and less patience for these forms of activism. At the same time, traffic blockages primarily affect the working class, who are forced to drive petrol and diesel-fuelled cars, which emit even more harmful gases in such traffic jams.

Hence, the movement was criticized and advised to: “Leave the unfortunate working class alone and target those who pollute the planet out of sheer indulgence – the super-rich!”

This is exactly what Jennifer and Cole did, and unlike news of traffic blockades, the public received the news of the plane painting much better.

Some will say that it is never right to destroy someone else’s property, regardless of how it was acquired and what it is used for. Owning a private jet is not illegal, so where do young activists get the right to deface such an expensive vehicle?

Although I share the opinion that personal property must be respected, the facts about private jets somewhat justify the activists’ actions.

A 2021 European Federation for Transport and Environment report showed that private jets pollute up to 14 times more per passenger than commercial flights and even 50 times more than trains.

In 2023, 23,944 private jets were in operation worldwide, releasing significant amounts of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere while the rich lounged in them.

Jennifer and Cole decided to put a stop to this, at least temporarily until the paint was removed. What seems more important in this story is that they sent a message and held the wealthy accountable.

We must not live in a world where the working class pays additional taxes because they drive internal combustion cars, while at the same time, the rich ride freely in their planes, polluting the planet a hundred times more.

Milena Maglovski

Global Fund for Coral Reefs Approves More than 25 million USD in Additional Funding for Resilience Action

11.07.2024

more , okean , ribe , koral — Photo-illustration: Pixabay (marcelokato)

Photo-illustration: Pixabay (Navigator175)

In the face of increasing threats to coral ecosystems and the recent announcement of a fourth global coral bleaching event, the Global Fund for Coral Reefs (GFCR) Executive Board has announced over 25 million USD in additional grant funding to scale-up resilience efforts across coral nations. Announcements include a new blended finance programme for Egypt’s Red Sea, funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

“Without collective action at pace and scale, scientists estimate that 90 per cent of remaining coral reefs may be lost by 2050, with dire consequences for the communities and economies they support. To face this crisis, the GFCR Coalition has established a robust portfolio of innovative, market-based solutions spanning 23 nations to protect critical coral reef refugia – Earth’s most resilient reef ecosystems,” said Peter Bryant, Builders Initiative’s Program Director for Oceans, and GFCR Executive Board Member. “The new GFCR announcements, representing an increase of more than 25 million USD for resilience-based efforts, will aid the sustainable blue transition of local economies and unlock greater conservation funding flows for generations to come.”

A new GFCR programme, Egyptian Red Sea Initiative, aims to increase the protection of one of the longest-living and most resilient reef ecosystems in the world. Supported by a major funding commitment from USAID, this initiative, in partnership with the Government of Egypt and the UN Development Programme (UNDP), will establish a landmark Egyptian Fund for Coral Reefs to leverage up to 50 million USD in private and public funding for sustainable blue economic transition and conservation efforts. Additional market-based solutions to be supported by a coral reef business incubator, include organic waste recycling for coastal farming, aquaculture to support ecosystem restoration, and mooring systems to avoid boat-related reef damage.

“The Egyptian Red Sea Initiative is a ground-breaking collaboration in blended finance to conserve Egypt’s coral reefs. USAID, in partnership with the Government of Egypt, international and local organisations, and private and non-profit donors and investors, is committed to safeguarding the Red Sea’s vital ecosystem and the communities it supports, while promoting economic growth and sustainable development for the Egyptian people,” said Sean Jones, Mission Director, USAID Egypt.

New GFCR Executive Board announcements also include funding uplifts for the Mesoamerican Region (MAR), country programmes in Indonesia and the Philippines, as well an initiative on Pemba Island, Zanzibar.

Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Veronica Reverse)

In the Philippines, which hosts the world’s third-largest coral reef area, the GFCR-supported programme led by Blue Alliance Marine Protected Areas has already unlocked catalytic donor and impact investor funding to operationalise a Marine Protected Area (MPA) Impact Loan Facility. New GFCR support will scale implementation to cover more than 100 MPAs hosting 80,000 hectares of significant coral refugia coverage and increase the resilience of more than two million members of coastal communities. The funding uplift will expand reef-positive business solutions spanning ecotourism, community-based aquaculture, and sustainable fisheries, incorporated in the programme’s MPA finance strategy.

In Indonesia, located in the heart of the Coral Triangle, the additional support from the GFCR will help ensure sustainable long-term funding for effective MPA management and financing access for reef-positive enterprises. With an emphasis on supporting local women, the increased funding seeks to enable the growth of at least 10 additional reef-positive businesses, including community-led seaweed hatcheries and handling facilities, ecotourism ventures, and sustainable aquaculture.

“Innovation to support the acceleration and scale-up of models in effective MPA management that links with coral-positive business is critical to support Indonesia’s Blue Economy vision. Our vision is grounded in protecting coastal and marine ecosystems that provide food security, livelihoods for communities and support the growth of the nation,” said Meizani Irmadhiany, Senior Vice President & Executive Chair of Konservasi Indonesia. “GFCR’s support provides catalytic funding to strengthen effective management and funding flows to MPAs, create innovative models to scale impact through support in sectors such as responsible tourism, seaweed and fisheries development that incentivize the long-term protection of critical coral reef habitats.”

Read the full text here.

Source: UNEP

Possibilities of Artificial Intelligence in Environmental Protection

10.07.2024

Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly being used for environmental protection, offering ever-increasing possibilities. We cannot see and translate most of the connections that determine the state of the environment into equations. This is a prerequisite for understanding cause and effect. To acquire scientifically based knowledge, the solution lies in using sophisticated algorithms that underlie different areas of AI and can detect and quantify them. We spoke about this with Professor Andreja Stojić, PhD, senior research associate at the Institute of Physics in Belgrade and lecturer at Singidunum University.

Q: In which areas can AI play a role in overcoming environmental challenges?

A: AI’s role can be multiple in all segments related to the an adequate depiction of the context from a large number of angles. In this sense, perhaps the closest segment is air quality because it means data of sufficient spatiotemporal resolution. The data include concentrations of pollutants, meteorological data, and data on people’s mobility, as well as numerous political and economic indicators that show society’s pulse that affects air quality.

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Q: What is your evaluation of air pollution monitoring? Does it need to be improved, and if so, in what direction?

A: Society does not understand the complexity of the problem nor what needs to be done to improve the current situation. Let’s imagine a situation where the treatment is taken out of the doctor’s hands. Contrary to the need, environmental quality management is left to decision-makers who set up monitoring through regulations. However, the organization, expertise, ethics and ability of decision-makers result in rules that do not follow scientific research. Decades ago, research proved the presence of thousands of times more toxic, mutagenic and carcinogenic compounds than the number of types mentioned in the relevant regulations. This research recognizes the necessity of contextualizing air quality, including a large number of variables or applying concepts of data analysis adequate for the analysis of complex systems. There are tens of thousands of different pollutants in the atmosphere of the urban environment, with hundreds belonging to the hazardous group. However, the regulations recognize single-digit prime numbers. The representation of what we measure, the information based on which we acquire knowledge, is extremely small compared to what we would have to know if we adequately dealt with air quality. Improving the monitoring would have to involve increasing the number of types of pollutants that are measured and the number of measuring stations, adjusting regulations to modern scientific knowledge and concepts, establishing different ethical principles and strict application of regulations.

Q: How can artificial intelligence contribute to reducing the concentration of air pollution?

Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Daniel Sessler)

A: Basically, the primary level of AI application involves the contextualization of phenomena, for example, the concentration of a certain pollutant in the air, using machine learning algorithms, then the explanation of the obtained models using explainable artificial intelligence, as well as different approaches to grinding and generalizing the results. In this way, we can understand the environmental conditions that lead to pollution, the scale of influence of emission sources, meteorological conditions, physical and chemical processes and many other factors that shape air quality. The intermediate level involves simulations through virtual experiments that enable scenario development and prescription. This way we can create a basis for preventive measures or planned action to reduce concentrations. The final level involves integrating data, results, and their interpretation with overtrained language models, which enables further research through communication in natural language, generalization, and simplification and lowering to the decision makers’ level. The application of AI in air quality management includes developing and implementing systems for continuous data analysis, emission source identification, pollution forecasting, automated decision-making support, and the creation of valuable data aggregations. Traditional air quality indices do not provide adequate information about the actual condition.

Interview by Mirjana Vujadinović Tomevski

Read the whole interview in the new issue of the Energy portal Magazine NATURE CONSERVATION.

New UK Government plans big push on wind

09.07.2024

windmills_vetrenjače_wind_park_vetropark — Photo-illustration: Pixabay

The UK’s new Labour Government has great ambitions for accelerating the deployment of wind energy, both onshore and offshore. To deliver on their new goals they will need a massive overhaul of planning and the grid.

The new UK Government is committed to double onshore wind and quadruple offshore wind by 2030, as a cornerstone of its goal to fully decarbonise electricity by 2030. That means increasing onshore wind from 15 to 30 GW and offshore wind, where they’re already no 1 in Europe, from 15 to 60 GW. These are hugely ambitious targets.

Planning and consenting

To fully deliver, the new Government will need a massive overhaul of the UK’s approach to planning and deployment, both of wind farms and the relevant grid infrastructure. They’ve made a great start by lifting the de facto ban on onshore wind in England on their first full working day in power. However, consenting is still a major bottleneck and the UK Energy Act has committed to reducing consenting timelines. Labour has announced a consultation on whether to include larger onshore wind projects in the Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project (NSIP) regime, which would enable consenting decisions for those projects to be made at a national level through a fast-tracked process.

Electricity grid

The new Government is saying the right things on the need to rapidly expand the electricity grid. Five times more electricity infrastructure needs to be constructed by 2030 than in the past three decades to deliver a net zero grid.

Planning departments need more resources to make timely permitting decisions. Community engagement and community benefits should be further incentivised. Improving digitalisation and data management will also help to integrate increasing amounts of variable renewable energy.

Actions cannot come soon enough. Lacking grid infrastructure is clogging the consenting process. According to a new WindEurope report more than 100 GW of wind energy projects in the UK are waiting for their grid connection assessment.

GB Energy

The new Government will also need to mobilise massive amounts of investment. A lot will ride here on the new state-owned company the Government is setting up called ‘Great British Energy’. GB Energy will make its own investments and leverage private investments in energy infrastructure. It will have 3 main focuses: deploying existing technologies, incentivising emerging technologies and increasing community ownership, with £3bn to be invested in local community projects as part of its initial £8.3bn endowment. This is great – though private investment will do the heavy lifting when it comes to delivering on new targets.

Offshore wind auctions

Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Omkar Jadhav)

Delivering the huge expansion in offshore wind will require changes to the UK’s auction system. The auction design is good – 2-sided CfDs. But the Governments needs to increase the budget for the current AR6 auction and then future auction rounds to unlock the volumes needed to meet its targets. In 2023 the Contracts for Difference (CfD) auction round for offshore wind (AR5) failed to attract a single bidder. This meant valuable time was lost and future auctions now need to procure a greater amount of new renewable energy to ensure government targets remain on track to be met.

The current offshore wind auction has an £800m budget, which is only enough for about 4 GW of new capacity. The Government must increase that budget if they want to get anywhere near the ramp-up needed for the 60 GW target. Not least when Germany is auctioning 8GW of offshore wind this year, Denmark at least 6 GW, the Netherlands 4 GW, and Belgium over 3 GW.

UK-EU energy relationship

The UK and the EU can help each other significantly in their respective energy transitions, especially on offshore wind. Every country around the North Sea is building offshore wind. It’s in all their interests to collaborate and coordinate, especially on the build-out of the offshore grid connections. There are real gains to be had from different countries connecting their offshore wind farms to optimise grid investments and maximise power flows. It’s a no-brainer that the EU and UK reinforce their collaboration in the North Seas Energy Cooperation (NSEC). The EU and UK also need to find a solution as soon as possible on the post-Brexit electricity trading framework to deliver the best value for both UK and EU consumers.

WindEurope CEO Giles Dickson said: “Few Governments have ever come into office in Europe with so much ambition for wind energy and so much clarity and common sense on how to deliver those ambitions. And they’ve got off to a great start by removing on day 1 the rules blocking onshore wind in England. It’s crucial they now raise the budget for the current offshore wind auction to get more new projects through. And that the EU and UK quickly work out how they can collaborate to develop their huge collective resource that is North Sea offshore wind.”

Source: WindEurope

Immediate Actions Needed to Unblock Grid Capacity for More Wind Energy

08.07.2024

Foto-ilustracija: Unsplash (Priscilla Du Preez)

The EU wants to increase its wind energy capacity from 220 GW today to 425 GW by 2030 and 1,300 GW by 2050. Wind is key to energy security, affordable electricity and industrial competitiveness.

In its recent revision of the Renewable Energy Directive the EU agreed important reforms to speed up the expansion of wind, notably by improving and streamlining the permitting procedures for new wind farms. These are already having an impact – in the (small number of) Member States that have implemented the new rules on time.

The new number one bottleneck to the expansion of wind and other renewables is now grids. Currently more than 500 GW of potential wind energy capacity in France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Poland, Romania, Ireland, Croatia and the UK are waiting for an assessment of their application for a grid connection. Italy and the UK each have more than 100 GW of projects waiting.**

The EU gets it – and understand how grid expansion is essential to the build-out of renewables and the electrification of the energy system. The new EU Grid Action Plan identifies key measures that need to be taken to accelerate the expansion and optimisation of Europe’s electricity grids.

“Grid access is the new permitting – the number one bottleneck to the build-out of wind. The system is clogged up – and holding back hundreds of gigawatts of wind farms. This means less energy security and higher power prices. Some reforms will take time, such as more anticipatory planning. But some things can be improved immediately, notably better management of grid connection queues”, says WindEurope CEO Giles Dickson.

Grid saturation: Europe needs more grid capacity

The new WindEurope report analyses the factors for grid connection delays and shows which countries are particularly impacted. It finds that grid saturation and inefficient grid planning are the major reasons but not the only ones. National grid expansion targets are often not aligned with the 2030 renewables expansion targets set out in the Member States’ National Energy and Climate Plans (NECPs).

To speed up the expansion of electricity grids countries should apply the principle of overriding public interest to the permitting of grid infrastructure – regardless of whether it’s to connect renewables directly or for the broader grid reinforcement of the grid.

“Overriding public interest (OPI) for new wind farms is a success story. Germany and others that use OPI have significantly ramped up their permitting volumes – and done so very quickly. But electricity is useless if there’s no grid to transport it. National countries can apply OPI to grids – what are they waiting for?”, says Giles Dickson.

Immediate actions to unclog the grid access queues

Currently grid permitting authorities in most European countries apply the “first come, first served” principle to awarding grid access. So also immature and sometimes purely speculative renewables projects need to be assessed when their request comes in. This creates excessive queues and backlogs. It holds up the more mature and promising projects. And increases the administrative burdens on the permitting authorities.

Result: today it can take up to 9 years to get a grid connection permit for new or repowered wind farms.

Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Levan Badzgaradze)

Grid permitting authorities need to move away from “first come, first served / treat everybody equally”. They should apply filtering and prioritisation criteria to better handle the requests for grid connection. The goal must be to reduce the number of projects in the queue, to sift out immature, speculative bids and to ensure a balanced allocation of grid capacity to all strategic net-zero technologies. “First come, first served” can lead to an unthoughtful allocation of grid capacity and an imbalanced mix of technologically and/or geographically. This can severely intensify grid congestion and renewables curtailment which increases costs.

Many countries are using filtering criteria already. They include stricter entry criteria to the waiting lists for grid connection assessment, adequate financial commitments to reserve the allocated grid capacity and regular checks that projects are progressing towards key milestones. France, Norway, Spain and the UK have started implementing this “milestone achievement” principle to manage their waiting lists more dynamically and drop the slow-moving or stalled projects.

Prioritisation criteria. Spain, Ireland and Greece are experimenting with this. System integration would be a good thing to prioritise. E.g. once you’ve sifted out the immature projects, give priority to projects co-locating different generation technologies and/or storage. And/or projects with advanced grid support capabilities. This would make for a more efficient use of the grid connection. It would also incentivise developers to tap into the complementary nature of different energy sources, such as a mix of wind and solar, to maximise the use of available grid capacity.

The new WindEurope report “Grid access challenges for wind farms in Europe” has a series of other recommendations on grid charges, grid expansion costs, curtailment and hybridisation.

Source: WindEurope

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