India Green News: India raises $400 mn green bond & more
Published by the Natural Resources Defense Fund
India Green News: Winter to be less severe this season, says weather department; India raises $400m green bond to fund renewables drive; Govt to standardize parameters used for measuring air quality
India Green News is a selection of news highlights about environmental and energy issues in India.
November 22 – 30, 2017
CLIMATE CHANGE
AFP
Winter to be less severe this season, says weather department
The rest of winter from December to February next year is likely to be less severe in most states of India this season as maximum temperatures are set to rise by almost one degree Celsius above normal, according to the weather department.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) recorded a significant jump in October temperatures 0.7 degrees Celsius above the 1971-2000 year mean.
It noted that maximum temperatures are likely to go up by more than 1 degree Celsius above normal in western Rajasthan, Haryana, Chandīgarh & Delhi, and Jammu & Kashmir….
(Hindustan Times – November 30, 2017)
Ex-environment min among 2 Indians honored with Ozone award
Two Indians — ex-environment minister Anil Madhav Dave and deputy director of Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) Chandra Bhushan — have been honored with ozone awards by the UN Environment Program.
Dave, who died in May this year, was posthumously given the Political Leadership Award in recognition of his leadership role in getting the Kigali Amendment signed in October 2016.
Bhushan was given the ‘Partnership Award’ for providing the policy and research support to the negotiations for the Kigali Amendment….
(Outlook – November 24, 2017)
ENERGY
Flickr/Brahmakumaris
India raises $400m green bond to fund renewables drive
In its first international bond for two decades, Power Finance Corporation (PFC) raised money for projects covering solar and wind power, energy efficiency and electric vehicles.
The projects will be independently verified and certified by the Climate Bonds Initiative (CBI), to ensure they are sustainable, according to the framework document.
PFC chair Rajeev Sharma said: “The funds raised will help promote renewable energy projects across the country and aid in achieving the government’s target of 175GW of installed renewable energy capacity by 2022….”
(Climate Home – November 29, 2017)
India’s 3-year solar, wind energy roadmap to surpass 2022 renewable energy target
A few hiccups notwithstanding, India’s renewable energy sector seems poised for massive growth in the next four years. India is confident it will exceed its renewable energy target of 175 GW by 2022 as it plans to award 100 GW of solar and wind contracts by 2020 and surpass 200 GW by 2022 according to the power ministry. The government also aims to promote domestic solar manufacturing and help increase wind turbine export.
Consider the roadmap: 16GW of solar tenders by March 31 (2018), 30GW each in 2019, 2020 and nearly 10GW of floating solar capacity to be built on reservoirs. Solar equipment manufacturers to establish local units to supply domestic market. 4GW wind energy targets this year, 10GW each in 2019 and 2020, 5GW in off-shore projects and EXIM bank to help manufacturers boost wind turbine export. The government also plans to encourage farmers to generate 20GW of solar power….
(DNA India – November 30, 2017)
A Third Of Power Capacity Added In India This Year Is Solar
2017 has been a good year for Indian solar power market, if one compares it with the developments in the coal-based power market. Record solar power capacity has been added in India during the first nine months of the year.
India has reported a solar power capacity addition of 5,759 megawatts in 2017, by 30 September 2017. This is the highest-ever solar power capacity added in a calendar year in India. In fact, the solar power capacity added in the first nine months is more than the capacity added during the entire last year — 4,666 megawatts….
(Clean Technica – November 24, 2017)
Rooftop solar clocks impressive growth
Installations of solar rooftop panels in India have been doubling every year for the past few years and have increased more than three times in the financial year ended March 2017, Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF) has said in a report.
Solar photovoltaic installations are now the fastest growing segment in the renewable energy sector in India, BNEF said in its Climatescope 2017 findings released at the on-going Future of Energy Summit in Shanghai.
In the next five years, India will need to invest USD 23 billion to meet its target of 40GW of rooftop photovoltaic installations by 2022, according a BNEF study titled Accelerating India’s Clean Energy Transition. Some of the most interesting activity will be in small-scale solar, it said….
(India Climate Dialogue – November 29, 2017)
ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH AND AIR POLLUTION
AP
Govt to standardize parameters used for measuring air quality
The Centre will soon initiate the process for standardization of equipment, data and all other parameters required to measure purity of air, Environment Minister Harsh Vardhan said on Wednesday.
The minister was speaking at an event here to announce the synchronization of Indian Space Research Organization’s (ISRO) regional positioning system ‘NAVIC’ with Indian atomic clocks….
(Times of India – November 29, 2017)
30% premature deaths in India due to air pollution: CSE Report
Highlighting major links between environment and health, a study released here on Monday held lifestyle diseases like obesity, mental health, cancer and heart diseases to count a few, as the major killers in India.
Revealing the links of air pollution with mental diseases, a report by Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) stated that air pollution is responsible for 30 per cent of premature deaths in India while every third child in Delhi has impaired lungs….
(Economic Times – November 27, 2017)
Compiled by Laasya Bhagavatula
Note: The linked articles and excerpts in this post are provided for informational purposes only and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of the India Initiative or of the Natural Resources Defense Council.
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