New International Solid Waste Association President Inaugurated

21.09.2016

plastic bags, otpad, kese — Photo: Pixabay

At the ISWA Congress 2016 in Novi Sad, Serbia Antonis Mavropoulos was formally elected and inaugurated as the new President of the International Solid Waste Association.

A Chemical Engineer by profession, Antonis has worked tirelessly over many years as founder and CEO of D-Waste, as well as in his capacity as Chair of ISWA’s Scientific and Technical Committee. He also operates a second waste consultancy, EPEM.

Antonis has also completed more than 150 projects in 15 different countries and he has worked as an Associated Researcher of National Technical University of Athens (NTUA).

Travelling the world ISWA’s new President is known for sharing his knowledge and vision of a Wasteless Future. When not travelling he works from his office in the beautiful and historic city of Athens, Greece.

Readers of Waste Management World will already be well acquainted with Antonis through his articles exploring the future of waste management, the technologies of the future and the move towards a more circular economy, which are among the most popular articles on this website.

In addition to all of that, Antonis somehow finds time to encourage innovative crowd-sourcing projects that can involve thousands of experts.

“Let’s map the world’s most innovative start-ups related to recycling and waste management,” he says. “Let’s share insights on how social and technological innovation can reshape the recycling and waste management industry.”

Antonis replaces the outgoing President, David Newman.

David dedicated four years to ISWA, promoting sustainable waste management for all and bringing the issue to the forefront at organisations such as the United Nations. He used such platforms to call for better environmental and economic justice for those in low and middle income countries.

As ISWA’s official publication we’re sure our readers will offer Antonis a warm welcome to the role, and will thank David for all of the time, hard work and effort over the past four years.

Source: waste-management-world.com

Asian Firms Offer Record Low Bid for UAE Solar Plant

21.09.2016

solarni-park — Photo-illustration: Pixabay

An Asian consortium, comprising JinkoSolar Holding of China and Marubeni Corporation of Japan, made the lowest bid for a 350 megawatt solar photovoltaic (PV) independent power project in Abu Dhabi, UAE, said a report.

The record-low bid of 2.42 cents a kilowatt-hour for power was the cheapest ever for solar power generation by a commercial project, reported the state news agency Wam, citing a senior government official.

Besides their bid, the government-owned Abu Dhabi Water & Electricity Authority (Adwea) received five more bids from leading consortia to build the plant at Sweihan, some 120 km east of UAE capital Abu Dhabi.

The Asian bid marks another record for solar technology prices, reflecting declining costs for photovoltaic cells and cheaper financing for clean-energy projects, according to an official from the Middle East Solar Energy Industry Association, who asked not to be identified citing policy.

The solar technology prices which have fallen almost 70 per cent in the past five years, according to data compiled by Bloomberg New Energy Finance.

Competition among Chinese solar manufacturers including Jinko has brought down the cost of delivering panels while more investors have become comfortable with backing the technology, reducing borrowing costs, said the report.

Adwea is still studying the bids and will be signing a final agreement for construction and operation of the plant in the first quarter of 2017.

Source: voiceofrenewables.com

Climate Week NYC Kicks-off Today with the Climate Group’s Opening Ceremony

20.09.2016

The eighth edition of Climate Week NYC was officially launched yesterday at the The Climate Group’s Opening Ceremony and a series of high-profile events, once again bringing essential debate on global climate challenges to New York City.

Hosted at The TimesCenter from 9:30am to 12:45pm ET, the Opening Ceremony featured the voices of American and global climate leaders including Ernest Moniz, US Secretary of Energy, Rachel Kyte, CEO and Special Representative for the UN Secretary General for Sustainable Energy for All and Lisa Jackson, Vice President of Environment, Policy and Social Initiatives, Apple, among others.

The official Opening Ceremony of Climate Week NYC was live-streamed on the Climate Week NYC website, and exclusive live updates were available on Twitter from The Climate Group’s account, following the #CWNYC hashtag.

With the theme “America Means Business: US leadership in a post-Paris world”, the opening day was focused on the most pressing climate issues that the world is facing, from the challenges and opportunities of the clean energy transition, to the progress that businesses and governments are making towards the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals, as well as a series of key announcements.

Amy Davidsen, North America Executive Director, The Climate Group, delivered the opening remarks of Climate Week NYC 2016 at the Opening Ceremony and, through a series of high-level panel debates, global business and government leaders explored the role of the private sector and sub-national governments in achieving the climate targets set out in the Paris climate agreement and realizing a net zero emissions world.

The beginning of Climate Week NYC was once again marked by the Empire State Building turning its lights green, which has now become a tradition in the city to mark the annual event.

The Opening Ceremony was followed by a special event, hosted by Philips Lighting, in association with the World Green Building Council and The Climate Group, to address the challenges and opportunities for sustainable buildings and infrastructure, with discussions focusing around renovation, energy efficiency, LED lighting, and carbon neutral buildings.

Source: theclimategroup.org

Fast food Chains Largest Contributors of Carbon Emissions: Study

20.09.2016

Rapidly growing multinational fast food chains in India are the largest contributors to hydrofluorocarbons (HFC) emissions and could add the equivalent of nearly one million tonnes of carbon emissions by 2020, says a new international study.

US-based McDonald’s, Starbucks, Subway and Dunkin Donuts as well as India-based company Cafe Coffee Day and Britain-based Hindustan Unilever are among the eight fast food chains that could add the equivalent of nearly one million tonnes of carbon emissions by 2020, the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) said in its report “Transitioning HFCs in India: The opportunity for climate-friendly cooling in the fast food industry” released on Friday.

“Developing countries like India are expected to join a global HFC phase down, and it behoves multinational corporations to do their part for the climate,” an official statement quoting EIA Global Climate Campaign Director Avipsa Mahapatra said.

“With climate friendly, cost effective technologies already available, these companies have no excuse to rely on super greenhouse gases.”

“We call on these companies to recognise the enormous potential for emissions reductions in India by reducing their refrigeration footprint and publicly commit to not install HFC-based equipment in their new stores from 2019,” Mahapatra said.

The Indian fast food industry is expected to grow from $15 billion in size to more than $50 billion over the next five years.

McDonald’s, with more than 350 stores in India and growing, has not transitioned to climate friendly alternatives in India, but in its Europe facilities, has installed over 13,500 pieces of HFC-free equipment since 2010 and has piloted an entirely HFC-free store, says the EIA.

Subway, the largest fast food chain by store count in the world, uses hydrocarbons in back counter chillers in the Britain and Ireland, but has no stated intent of going HFC-free in India.

The EIA calls on the Indian government to ban the use of HFCs with a global warming potential higher than 1,000 in new food and beverage refrigeration equipment beginning January 1, 2018 in multinational food and beverage retailers.

The Parties to the Montreal Protocol will meet in October to reach an agreement on the global phase down of HFCs.

According to the EIA, a successful agreement has the potential to mitigate 100 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent by 2050.

Source: business-standard.com

Photo: mcdonalds.ca

China Embarked on Wind Power Frenzy, Says IEA

20.09.2016

China has been building two wind turbines every hour, the International Energy Agency (IEA) has told BBC News.

This is the world’s biggest programme of turbine installation, double that of its nearest rival, the US.

The nation’s entire annual increase in energy demand has been fulfilled from the wind.

But the IEA warns China has built so much coal-fired generating capacity that it is turning off wind turbines for 15% of the time.

The problem is that coal-fired power stations are given priority access to the grid.

An IEA spokesman told BBC News: “The rather rosy statement on wind energy hides the issue that 2015 and the first half of 2016 also saw record new installations of coal.

“China has now a clear over-supply. In the province of Gansu, 39% of wind energy had to be curtailed (turned off because there is not enough capacity on the grid).

The average European wind farm is forced to stop generating between 1-2% of the year.

‘Unsustainable’ position

He said: “China’s position is clearly unsustainable. It will need strong policy decisions, including the construction of many more grid lines and a phase-out policy for older, more inefficient coal power plants.”

State media has reported China’s plans to impose a moratorium on all new coal-fired plants until 2018.

The IEA says China installed more than 30,000 MW of new wind energy in 2015 – partly thanks to a rush driven by the Chinese government making its existing subsidies less attractive.

Construction has slackened in 2016, but only to a level of more than one turbine per hour.

Steve Sawyer from the Global Wind Energy Council told BBC News: “China’s build up of its capacity in wind – and now solar – is truly without parallel.

“It is no surprise that the Chinese grid’s capability to integrate this variable renewable energy has not progressed at the same rate, but to change this situation China needs to rapidly progress with electricity market reform.”

China has a recent history of setting targets on energy and climate change that it is sure it can achieve.

The government apparently over-estimated the likely increase of electricity demand, which grew just 0.5% – as China’s growth slowed, and dirty industries either closed down or improved energy efficiency.

It’s this decrease in demand and increase in renewables that gave China the confidence to ratify the Paris climate change agreement last week.

Lu Kang, China’s Foreign Ministry spokesman, told BBC News: “China has made great efforts in areas including reducing emission, environmental protection and developing renewable sustainable energy.

“The International Community recognises our leading example role on climate change. I can assure you that China is determined to stick to this green sustainable path of development. This also serves China’s own need for development.”

Complicated transition

Lauri Myllyvirta of Greenpeace China told BBC News: “China has a coal bubble: it already has more coal-fired generation than it needs yet it is still building one power station a week.

“This complicates the transition to clean energy because companies are unhappy because they can’t run their power stations as much as they expected – they are sitting idle for much of the time.

“It is also a massive waste of resources that could be spent on clean energy instead.”

The IEA says the boom in coal-plant building has been spurred by readily-available finance and help from local authorities. Mining and transport companies are diversifying into power plant construction.

In its first global review of energy investment, the IEA says the energy system is broadly turning towards low-carbon energy and energy efficiency – but investment in key clean energy technologies needs to triple to meet the climate targets agreed at the Paris climate summit.

Source: bbc.com

Leonardo DiCaprio Given Rival Invitations to Visit Great Barrier Reef

20.09.2016

Leonardo_DiCaprio_2014 — Photo: sr.wikipedia.org

Scientists and tour operators on the Great Barrier Reef have extended a “non-political” offer to show Leonardo DiCaprio the impacts of coral bleaching, after the Queensland government responded to the actor’s comments on bleaching by inviting him to visit the reef.

Dean Miller, a marine biologist and science director of the non-profit group Great Barrier Reef Legacy, said he wanted to say to DiCaprio: “We would like to take you to the Great Barrier Reef and show you firsthand what we see, no political or media spin, just the facts from the scientists themselves to show you what is really happening here.”

At the US State Department’s Our Ocean conference in Washington, Leonardo DiCaprio made an impassioned plea for policymakers to save coral reefs by addressing climate change.

He highlighted recent bleaching on the Great Barrier Reef.

“This year, Australia’s Great Barrier Reef suffered what is thought to be the largest bleaching event ever recorded,” he told the meeting, after being introduced by the secretary of state, John Kerry.

“Over 600 miles of reef previously teeming with life is devastated. We are seeing this level of impact to coral reefs around the world from Hawaii to the Florida Keys, from Madagascar to Indonesia.”

He said what he saw in other reefs around the world took his breath away: “Not a fish in site, colourless, ghost-like coral, a complete graveyard.”

In response, Queensland’s deputy premier, Jackie Trad, invited DiCaprio to come and see the reef for himself.

“He can come any time he likes, he’s absolutely welcome to come to Australia, to come to Queensland and to come to the Great Barrier Reef,” she said in Brisbane.

In response, Great Barrier Reef Legacy – a non-profit organisation of scientists, tourism operators, filmmakers, educators and conservationists – made its own offer.

“All of us at the GBR Legacy live and breath the Great Barrier Reef every single day and are seeing firsthand the damage that climate change is doing here,” said Miller, who is also a documentary filmmaker.

John Rumney, a veteran tourism operator on the reef and the managing director of GBR Legacy, said he wanted to take DiCaprio out to see the reef’s largest single coral colony – a 1,000 to 2,000-year-old boulder coral he said was called “the monolith”.

“If Leonardo can see the current health of the Great Barrier Reef for himself, especially the largest and possibly the oldest coral colony here on the reef, he will be as shocked as we all are,” Rumney said.

“Rather than being ushered and controlled by a government agency that has demonstrated it will do anything to put a spin in their favour, the reef needs to be first.”

It wasn’t clear how serious the government’s offer to DiCaprio was but GBR Legacy’s offer is backed by Aroona Luxury Charters, which said it would put up $54,000 to fund DiCaprio’s trip. He could dive the reef from its luxury ecotourism boat, said Ross Miller, Aroona’s captain and manager.

“If Leonardo can assist in any way, then we would be honoured to take him to the reef on a week-long expedition into the northern and more remote sections to show him why the reef is so special to us all, and why we need act now,” Ross Miller said.

He said the boat could offer a more remote and adventurous tour than others that were available.

The Great Barrier Reef was hit hard by the global coral bleaching event this year. With a strong El Niño adding to global warming, reefs around the world turned white and died.

On the Great Barrier Reef, 93% of reefs were affected by bleaching and almost a quarter of the coral is thought to have died.

GBR Legacy is hoping to soon launch the first “independent” privately funded research vessel on the reef, which would offer free space to scientists, students and media, Dean Miller said.

“We are opening our arms and our doors to anyone on the planet that can help us overcome the great barriers to save our reefs and Leonardo DiCaprio is most certainly someone who can help us make significant and positive changes for the future health of the Great barrier Reef.”

Source: theguardian.com

Photo: ustoday.com

Pump CO2 Into Rocks Under The North Sea, Ministers Told

19.09.2016

The huge undertaking would require planning not seen since the 2012 Olympics.

Parliamentary advisors have urged the government to invest in a vast network of pipes designed to store CO2 in rocks under the North Sea.

The scheme would require a huge upfront investment, but experts say it could cut the cost of meeting emissions targets by billions a year, the BBC reported.

The technology, which captures CO2 from power stations, is said to be key to curbing greenhouse gases before electricity storage for renewables improves.

However, critics caution that the scheme would make the UK dependent on gas for baseload power for decades as the government repays the bill.

The BBC’s environment analyst Roger Harrabin wrote:

“Some academics point out that the key use of gas into the 2030s will be to back up intermittent renewables: CCS [carbon capture storage] will not fit that purpose as the network will need to be used continuously.”

Last year, the government cancelled an industry competition to promote carbon capture storage due to concerns over cost.

But the advisors told ministers the network will save money if it’s delivered by an agency modelled on the team that organised the Olympics.

The Parliamentary Advisory Group on CCS’s chairman Lord Oxburgh, the former Shell chairman, told the BBC: “There are some things that are best left to the private sector – but CCS on industry isn’t one of them.

“The network of pipes taking CO2 from industrial plant into the North Sea would be far beyond the commercial reach of individual companies. This needs government action.”

The report claims CCS would reduce emissions by 40%, while saving as much as £5bn a year in comparison with other strategies.

At £85/MWh, it would be better value than nuclear power and be comparable to renewable options.

But it’s still more polluting than renewables as the chemical process cannot capture all CO2 and other greenhouse gas emissions.

Nick Hurd, the new climate change minister, told the BBC he was looking forward to reading the report, which was written by experts from industry and finance as well as representatives for the Conservative, Labour, SNP and Lib Dems.

Source: huffingtonpost.co.uk

France Bans the Use of Plastic Crockery and Cutlery to Aid Battle against Climate Change

19.09.2016

Plastic crockery and cutlery is to be banned in France unless it is made from biologically sourced materials.

The law comes into force in 2020. It is part of a French environmental initiative called the Energy Transition for Green Growth, part of a package aimed at tackling climate change.

But, the Independent reported, the move faces a challenge from Pack2Go Europe, a Brussels-based organisation representing European packaging manufacturers.

“We are urging the European Commission to do the right thing and to take legal action against France for infringing European law,” said Eamonn Bates, secretary general of Pack2go Europe.

He said there was no proof that biologically sourced material was any more environmentally beneficial.

Mr Bates said the ban could make the litter problem worse because consumers would believe that packaging left in the countryside would be biodegradable.

The move against disposable cutlery and crockery is part of a growing trend to outlaw the use of plastic in several parts of the world.

Karnataka in India has banned the use of plastic across the entire state. San Francisco banned plastic shopping bags in 2007 and plastic water bottles on public properties in 2014. In Britain customers must pay 5p for each plastic bag.

Source: telegraph.co.uk

Up to 340 Million Tons of CO2-equivalent per year Avoided Thanks to UNIDO Activities

19.09.2016

Between 1990 and 2015, the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) helped avoid the use and potential emission of 340 million tons of CO2-equivalent per year. This is equivalent of 71 million passenger vehicles driven for a year.

These figures were announced by UNIDO, an implementing agency of the Montreal Protocol, in connection with the International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer being marked today.

The Day commemorates the signing of the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer, which was entered into force in 1989 to reduce the consumption and production of chemicals that deplete the ozone layer.

UNIDO’s work under the Montreal Protocol not only helps to preserve the ozone layer, but also to prevent climate change, as ozone depleting substances are also greenhouse gases. Since becoming an implementing agency of the Multilateral Fund for the Implementation of the Montreal Protocol in 1992, UNIDO has assisted developing countries to phase out ozone depleting substances and switch to ozone- and climate-friendly alternatives, through a range of programmes that promote inclusive and sustainable industrial development. “We are very proud of the accomplishments achieved by UNIDO today,” said Stephan Sicars, Director of UNIDO’s Environment Department.

“However, a new challenge awaits. It relates to the potential inclusion of a phase-down of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) under the Montreal Protocol. HFCs, while not ozone depleting substances, are potent greenhouse gases. In October, the phase-down of these substances will be discussed at a meeting of national delegates that will take place in Rwanda.”

Source: unido.org

Europe’s Largest Gas Field Could Face Larger Production Cap

16.09.2016

The Dutch Parliament adopted a motion to review production at the Groningen gas field annually, Reuters reported on Thursday.

In June, the legislature passed a 5-year output bill that sought to limit the risk of earthquakes linked to production activity by limiting production from Europe’s largest gas field to 24 billion cubic feet a year.

On Thursday, the government took it a step further, allowing for even more possible reductions to the 24 billion cubic meter cap – a figure that Economics Minister Henk Kamp cited in June would guarantee customers, both in Holland and abroad, the gas they need to heat their homes in the winter.

Now Kamp says the limits could be made more stringent as German customers seek new energy sources.

“This annual review is a new development but a prudent and understandable one in the context of the seismic concerns,” Craig Lowrey, a consultant at UX Energy Services in the United Kingdom told World Oil in an email. “Seeking stability for five years is likely to be welcome news to the markets given the extent of the declines in output seen over the last two years.”

The government first limited production in 2014, when small tremors around the field first began. Experts warned that if output increased further, the earthquakes would continue. Residents of the area are currently pushing to shut down the field entirely.

Oilprice.com’s Dave Forest reported yesterday that the cuts will likely put a sustained upward pressure on gas prices — which would help support development in other established European production hubs such as the North Sea. A stronger natural gas market might also push Europe’s governments to speed up shale gas development, which has a hit a lull in places like Germany due to stringent environmental regulations.

By Zainab Calcuttawala for Oilprice.com

Source: oilprice.com

Winners of 2016 UNESCO Prize for Sustainability Education Come from Cameroon, Japan and the United Kingdom

16.09.2016

The Director-General of UNESCO, Irina Bokova, has named the three laureates of the 2016 UNESCO-Japan Prize on Education for Sustainable Development (ESD): the Centre for Community Regeneration and Development (CCREAD-Cameroon) from Cameroon; the Okayama ESD Promotion Commission from Japan; and the National Union of Students UK (NUS-UK) from the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

This is the second edition of the Prize, which was established in 2014 to honour and showcase outstanding ESD projects and programmes of individuals, institutions and organizations within the framework of the Global Action Programme on ESD (GAP). The Prize is funded by the Government of Japan and endowed with USD 50,000 for each laureate.

CCREAD-Cameroon was selected for its inspirational project “Integrated ESD schemes in schools and communities in Cameroon” which targets children, youth, women and indigenous groups in marginalized, hard-to-reach communities. The youth-led programme, which operates both in schools and through ESD community learning centres, helps enhance their social, economic and cultural empowerment to reduce poverty and health threats, improve governance, and preserve the environment.

The Okayama ESD Promotion Commission was selected for its “Okayama ESD Project” which shows a highly unusual systemic and city-wide approach to ESD: It addresses and involves various sectors and actors of the local community through both formal and informal education. More than 240 organizations are involved in the project, including NGOs, businesses and educational institutions. Citizens are trained through “ESD Coordinator Trainings”, “ESD internships” with a local NGO or “ESD Café” sessions which motivate mutual learning and discussion on sustainability.

NUS-UK, a confederation of 600 students’ unions across the United Kingdom, was selected for its “Green Impact” programme, which accredits and awards university departments for sustainability efforts. Training students as mentors, the programme encourages university staff to make their workplace “greener” while generating economic savings. The Green Impact framework ranges from simple actions such as advice on double sided printing to setting up an ethical credit union. Through peer to peer engagement, the programme creates collaboration across departments and institutions.

This year’s laureates were chosen by an international jury from a total of 120 nominations, submitted by 64 UNESCO Member States and 10 NGOs in official partnership with UNESCO.

The Director-General will award the Prize to the three laureates in a ceremony at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris on 11 October, during the 200th session of UNESCO’s Executive Board.

Source: unesco.org

Boosting Global Renewables, One Island at a Time

16.09.2016

Islands from the Caribbean to the South China Sea are perhaps best known for their beautiful beaches, azure waters and rich sea life, but they are rich in something else as well: renewable energy. In most small island developing states (SIDS), a combination of renewable energy sources can meet the majority of domestic energy needs while decreasing electricity costs, increasing energy access, creating jobs and mitigating climate change.

What’s more, dramatically falling costs for renewable energy technology have made the switch to renewables more possible than ever before, resulting in many early success stories. In Cabo Verde for example, a wind project connected 50,000 citizens to the national electricity grid for the first time. In the Dominican Republic, 23 micro-hydropower plants are providing sustainable energy to more than 3,000 families across the country. St. Vincent and the Grenadines has also embarked on a large geothermal project, which could supply 75% of the islands electricity needs.

While it’s clear that strong renewable energy potential exists on islands, the pace of development is too slow.

Enabling the transition

Today, the US Department of Energy and the US State Department announced a new initiative to help boost renewables on islands. The Energy Transition Initiative Pacific Program will help Pacific islands move away from costly imported fuels and towards domestically produced renewables. Building on US assistance to Caribbean nations under the Caribbean Energy Security Initiative, and on the successful Energy Transition Initiative focused on Hawaii and the U.S. Virgin Islands, this new effort will bring renewable energy expertise and technical assistance to the Pacific islands.

To kick things off, the US Department of State, the US Department of Energy, IRENA and the Pacific Community will host a workshop to provide regional governments with concrete strategies to implement an Energy Transition Initiative model in their countries. The workshop will help identify specific areas for technical assistance and/or advisory support, while also facilitating access to the Green Climate Fund and other sources of finance for clean energy projects.

IRENA’s island work

This workshop will directly support IRENA’s ongoing island work, conducted under the SIDS Lighthouses Initiative‎. The initiative supports SIDS partners in achieving their renewable energy targets by providing access to a suite of planning, policy and finance tools and services, as well as an information sharing network. So far, 34 SIDS partners from the Caribbean, Pacific, Africa, Indian Ocean, Mediterranean and South China Sea and 19 development partners have joined the initiative.

Together, they pledge to achieve more than 120MW of new renewable energy deployment by 2020. Furthermore, all participating SIDS are committed to develop renewable energy roadmaps and the Initiative will facilitate engagement with stakeholders to mobilize USD 500 million in financing to support the implementation of these roadmaps.

Significant progress has been made to date under the initiative in the Pacific. IRENA recently completed grid studies for Samoa and the Cook Islands, including step-by-step guidance on planning, expansion and operation measures needed to host the target shares of variable renewable energy. According to the Samoa grid integration study, the island can meet up to 93% of its electricity demand through a combination of hydro, solar and wind power.

IRENA has also completed more than 25 Renewable Readiness Assessments (RRAs), which are a country-initiated, country-led process identifying actions needed to enable the rapid deployment of renewables. RRAs bring together key actors in the renewable energy space to discuss common challenges and to jointly devise actions to tackle them with resources from the international community. To date, Fiji, Kiribati, the Marshall Islands and Vanuatu have all completed the RRA process with IRENA.

In addition, IRENA island energy transition plans, known as roadmaps, to assist governments to create actionable plans to reach their renewable energy targets, are also in progress. To date, Nauru, Palau, Kiribati and Micronesia, have either completed or are in the process of completing these roadmaps.

The path forward

For SIDS, implementing renewables is not just about saving the environment, it is about saving their communities, families, and homes for future generations. Many island nations have taken the first, second, or even third step towards the large-scale use of domestic renewable energy. With renewable energy sources now cost-competitive with oil-generated electricity, islands have an unprecedented opportunity to rethink their energy strategy, develop policies and strengthen the institutions that would promote the deployment of renewable energy, and by doing so create jobs, bring power to those currently without and deliver more reliable electricity services, all while combating climate change and preserving their way of life.

The SIDS Lighthouses and the Energy Transition Initiatives, are the next steps to help islands realize their full renewable potential.

Source: irenanewsroom.org

Shell Starts Production at Stones in the Gulf of Mexico

15.09.2016

Shell announces recently that production has started from the Stones development in the Gulf of Mexico. Stones is expected to produce around 50,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day when fully ramped up at the end of 2017.

The host facility for the world’s deepest offshore oil and gas project is a floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) vessel. It is the thirteenth FPSO in Shell’s global deep-water portfolio and produces through subsea infrastructure beneath 9,500 feet (2,900 meters) of water. Stones underscores Shell’s long-standing leadership in using FPSOs to safely and responsibly unlock energy resources from deep-water assets around the world.

“Stones is the latest example of our leadership, capability, and knowledge which are key to profitably developing our global deep-water resources,” said Andy Brown, Upstream Director, Royal Dutch Shell. “Our growing expertise in using such technologies in innovative ways will help us unlock more deep-water resources around the world.”

Stones, which is 100% owned and operated by Shell, is the company’s second producing field from the Lower Tertiary geologic frontier in the Gulf of Mexico, following the start-up of Perdido in 2010.

The project demonstrates Shell’s commitment to realizing significant cost savings through innovation. It features a more cost-effective well design, which requires fewer materials and lowers installation costs; this is expected to deliver up to $1 billion reduction in well costs once all the producers are completed.

The FPSO is also specially designed to operate safely during storms. In the event of a severe storm or hurricane, it can disconnect and sail away from the field. Once the weather event has passed, the vessel would return and safely resume production.

Shell’s global deep water business is a growth priority for the company and currently produces 600,000 boe/d. Deep-water production is expected to increase to more than 900,000 boe/d by the early 2020s from already discovered, established reservoirs. Three other Shell-operated projects are currently under construction or undergoing pre-production commissioning: Coulomb Phase 2 and Appomattox in the Gulf of Mexico and Malikai in Malaysia.

Source: shell.com

UNIDO Holds Regional Event in Moscow on Mitigation of Global Environmental Issues

15.09.2016

MOSCOW – Over 60 national and international experts from ministries, academia, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), the private sector and international organizations attended a two-day workshop last Friday and Saturday organized by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) on mitigating global environmental problems.

The workshop, which concluded today, was the final in a series of eleven workshops; all held within the framework of UNIDO’s project titled “Regional (CIS) capacity building for developing programmes for mitigation of global environmental problems”.

The project began in 2014, and has been implemented in a number of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), including in Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, the Russian Federation, and Ukraine.

Funded by the Russian Federation, the project aims at enhancing national technical capacities of CIS countries to help them address the effects of climate change and other emerging environmental challenges in the region.

To date, the project has helped train more than 100 experts on effectively developing project proposals that contribute to mitigating environmental challenges in their respective countries and in the region as a whole. This resulted in the development of 21 national and 6 regional concept proposals.

Source: unido.org

OSCE Promotes Green Technologies Transfer in Kazakhstan

15.09.2016

ASTANA, 14 September 2016 – Promoting the Green Bridge Partnership Initiative (GBPI) with a focus on exchange of green technologies and improved co-operation is the topic of a two-day OSCE-supported international conference that started today in Astana.

The conference brought together some 150 representatives from state institutions, non-governmental and international organizations, the business sector and academia from Armenia, Austria, Belarus, Latvia, Russia, Kyrgyzstan and the United States of America.

The participants reviewed best practices and lessons learned in the transition to a green economy as part of international efforts to mitigate the impact of climate change. Discussions also focused on the GBPI perspectives for Kazakhstan and the Eurasian region in light of the planned establishment of the Green Technologies Transfer Centre in Astana as a follow up of EXPO-2017. The new Centre will showcase opportunities for innovation and facilitate better know-how exchange in the domain of energy efficiency, energy saving, organic farming and green construction.

Energy Minister Kanat Bozumbayev said: “We are confident that Astana will become an effective platform for showcasing the best of world developments and trends in the use of solar, wind, biogas, marine and geothermal energy. I believe that the dialogue platform in the framework of the forum will be a catalyst for constructive proposals for global-priority innovations in the field of the green economy and technology.”

“During the past decade Kazakhstan has consistently promoted green growth reforms and innovations, making a valuable contribution to sustainable development and co-operation,” said György Szabó, Head of the OSCE Programme Office in Astana. “The Office highly welcomes the GBPI initiative and is prepared to provide its expert assistance in the development of the Green Technologies Centre”.

The second day of the conference will take place at Arnasai village, where the participants will familiarize themselves with the application of energy and water-saving methods, drip irrigation, solar greenhouses and fertilizing with worms.

The event was co-organized by the OSCE Programme Office in Astana and the Energy Ministry, the United Nations Development Programme in Kazakhstan, the Coalition for Green Economy and G-Global, with expert support from the Japan External Trade Organization, the Asian Development Bank Institute, the Austrian Institute of Technology, the Korea Trade Investment Promotion Agency and the Eurasian National University.

It is part of the OSCE Programme Office’s long-term efforts to promote solid renewable energy and green growth policies as part of the environment security approach in the host country.

Source: osce.org

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