Page 4 - Carbon Emissions

India, France intend to jointly develop advanced nuclear reactors

India and France on Wednesday expressed an intent to jointly develop modern nuclear reactors, emphasising that nuclear power was crucial for energy security and transition to a low-carbon economy. The two countries signed a letter of intent on Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) and Advanced Modular Reactors (AMRs), according to a joint statement issued after Prime Minister Narendra Modi met French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris. "Prime Minister Modi and President Macron stressed that nuclear energy is an essential part of the energy mix for strengthening energy security and transitioning towards a low-carbon economy," according to the statement. SMRs are compact nuclear fission reactors that can be manufactured in factories and then installed elsewhere. They typically have a smaller capacity than conventional nuclear reactors. The two leaders also acknowledged the strong civil nuclear ties between India and France and efforts in cooperation on the peaceful uses of nuclear energy, ..

Environment, carbon emission neglected in sustainable development: Study

Environment, carbon emission, biodiversity and malnutrition are among the issues that remain neglected by certain groups of countries, according to a recent study that analysed the trajectories of 166 nations towards attaining sustainable development. In 2015, member states of the United Nations adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Aimed at achieving human progress, economic prosperity, and planetary health, the framework outlines 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), including no poverty, zero hunger, quality education and gender equality. Questions, however, remain as to how different nations navigate their own paths toward these goals, said an international team of researchers from different countries, including Australia, China and Israel. Their study, published in the journal Nature Communications, found a "polarised global landscape" with systematically neglected SDG targets, potentially leaving behind millions of people. "Our results reveal a polarised glob

5 new Indian industrial clusters join WEF; commit to growth, jobs creation

As many as 33 industrial clusters from 16 countries, including five from India, on Wednesday committed to economic growth, jobs creation, and emission cuts as part of the World Economic Forum's Transitioning Industrial Clusters Initiative. The initiative, first launched at COP26 climate summit in 2021, and developed in collaboration with Accenture and EPRI, now comprises 33 clusters in 16 countries and five continents, the largest coalition of co-located companies and public institutions pledging to reduce their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions while boosting economic growth and job creation. The 33 signatories together represent potential carbon dioxide-equivalent emissions reductions of 832 million tonnes -- approximately the annual emissions of Saudi Arabia, the World Economic Forum announced here during its Annual Meeting 2025. They also make a direct contribution of USD 492 billion to gross domestic product (GDP) and support 4.3 million jobs. In addition, a new report, published

Carbon markets investor kicks off $1.5 bn Amazon protection plan in Davos

The initiative is the first major campaign by Silvania, a $500 million nature and biodiversity investment vehicle, working with Conservation International and The Nature Conservancy

Blending dilemma: Conflicting priorities on flex-fuel need clear policy

Ethanol in India is derived primarily from sugarcane, a crop that is not only water-intensive but is also being increasingly diverted to ethanol production

Delhi records 'poor' AQI again as Grap rule changes spark confusion

Amid the confusion over Grap curbs, Delhi woke up to 'poor' air quality on Tuesday, a slight improvement from the 'very poor' category recorded the previous morning

Google signs deal to buy carbon removal credits from Indian farms

While some developers are looking at expensive new technologies that extract CO2 directly from the air, solutions like biochar could prove a cheaper near-term option

EET Hydrogen, ENKA partner for UK's low carbon hydrogen production plant

Essar Energy Transition (EET) Hydrogen on Wednesday signed an engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract with ENKA for its flagship low carbon hydrogen production plant (HPP1) at the Stanlow Manufacturing Complex in Ellesmere Port, Cheshire, UK. In October 2024, the UK government announced funding had been agreed upon to support HPP1 as the UK's first large-scale low carbon hydrogen project at the heart of the HyNet Cluster. HPP1 will have a production capacity of 350 MW and will capture around 600,000 tonnes of CO2 a year equivalent to taking around 250,000 cars off the road. The EPC contract "represents a major milestone for the HPP1 project, for the UK hydrogen industry, the HyNet Cluster and for EET Hydrogen's progress towards its goal of developing 4 GW of low carbon hydrogen production for industrial businesses across the North West of England to decarbonise their operations, protecting jobs and driving economic growth," the company said in a statement. ENKA is

EET Fuels secures $350 million funding for decarbonisation plans

EET Fuel, the trading name of Essar Oil (UK) Ltd, on Tuesday announced securing USD 350 million finance as investors reposed confidence in its decarbonisation strategy and market positioning. The firm secured USD 350 million through a combination of new financing by African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) and upsizing extension of existing crude facility, it said in a statement. EET Fuels, which owns and operates the UK's Stanlow refinery, is investing USD 1.2 billion over the next five years to decarbonise its operations and targeting a 95 per cent cut in emissions by 2030 through energy efficiency, carbon capture and fuel switching. The new facilities secured are USD 150 million from Afreximbank - the Pan-African multilateral financial institution mandated to finance and promote intra-and extra-African trade - and upsizing of the previously reported USD 300 million trade credit financing facility with an international oil company to USD 500 million. "The company has agreed USD 3

Growth of cheap and dirtiest steelmaking tests govt's carbon mission

A lot of new output is emerging from small-scale plants that are relatively easy to build, but highly polluting

BluSmart expands its all-electric ride-hailing services to Mumbai

The service initially covers key areas such as Goregaon, Bandra, and the Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC), with plans for further citywide expansion

Hot button issue: How the scale of climate challenge is increasing

The World Meteorological Organization has said that 2024 was globally the warmest on record, exceeding the Paris Agreement threshold

Govt reviews $30 billion sulphur-cutting programme for coal plants

Instead of FGDs, government officials have proposed deploying locally made electrostatic precipitators that remove fine particles such as dust and smoke from emissions

Year in review: 5 important regulatory changes by Indian govt in 2024

Addressing diverse areas ranging from patent processes to frameworks for AI regulation, the Centre introduced several significant regulatory changes in 2024

Scrubbing carbon from atmosphere could be the next climate gold rush

The group assembled by Gates, known as Breakthrough Energy Ventures, is among the biggest backers of over 800 carbon removal firms that have been started in recent years

India, Sweden can strengthen ties in climate solutions: Swedish officials

India and Sweden can deepen their collaboration in innovation and green technology with a focus on addressing global climate challenges through sustainable industrial practices and renewable energy solutions, Swedish officials said. Officials of the Embassy of Sweden and Business Sweden, during an interaction with PTI, emphasised the shared potential for innovation and large-scale implementation of sustainable practices. "Sweden is a leader in green technologies while India has unparalleled capacity for large-scale implementation of the same. Together we can explore technologies like green hydrogen, carbon capture and circular economy practices," said Christian Kamill, Deputy Head of Mission, Embassy of Sweden. He highlighted areas like green hydrogen, carbon capture and circular economy practices as promising avenues for collaboration. Kamill also pointed to Sweden's strides in renewable energy and transport electrification, noting that over 50 per cent of Sweden's energy already

Man-made products could be storing 8.4 bn tonnes of carbon: Study

About 8.4 billion tonnes of carbon is estimated to have been accumulated and stored in long-lasting products from around the world made by humans, such as plastics and buildings, between 1995 and 2019, according to a study. Researchers at the University of Groningen in the Netherlands said this 'fossil carbon' added to the 'technosphere' -- the sum of all human-made objects, both in use and discarded -- equals around 93 per cent of carbon dioxide emissions from around the world in 2019. They added that the carbon locked up in the 'technosphere' has a huge potential to add to greenhouse gas emissions. Increasing the lifetime of products and recycling rates are two ways to reduce the amount of fossil carbon entering waste streams, the researchers suggested. "Over these 25 years (1995-2019), 8.4 billion tons of fossil carbon have accumulated, with approximately 0.4 billion tons added each year, with a huge potential for further contribution to anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions,"

India must use tech to decouple carbon emissions amid economic growth: EDF

As India experiences rapid economic growth, the need to decouple carbon emissions from economic expansion by leveraging technology has become increasingly urgent, according to Hisham Mundol, the Chief Advisor for the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) in India. In an interview with PTI, Mundol stressed the transformative role technological innovation can play in achieving sustainable development while addressing the challenges posed by climate change. India, the world's fifth-largest economy, is currently undergoing a period of swift industrialisation and economic expansion. Its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) has consistently grown at rates that position it as one of the fastest-growing major economies. However, this rapid progress comes with a surge in energy demand, predominantly fuelled by coal and other fossil fuels. Although India's historical contribution to global carbon emissions remains modest -- at just 4 per cent -- its future emissions trajectory is under global ...

India lays stress on 'transition period' for European Union green norms

India-EU FTA was launched in June 2022. Nine rounds of negotiations have already taken place

Will use multiple technologies to reduce carbon emissions: Maruti Suzuki MD

MSIL plans to launch its first electric car in India in January 2025. Not just MSIL, Hyundai and Kia will also launch their first mass-market electric cars in India next year