Page 2 - Green Infrastructure

Southeast Asia 'woefully off track' on green investment, says Bain & Co

"We believe that an acceleration of effort by countries, corporates and investors is imperative as Southeast Asia remains woefully off-track," said Kimberly Tan, GenZero's managing director

Yellen in China: Beijing worried US planning more tariffs on green tech

As US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen appeals to Chinese leaders to change their domestic manufacturing policies on the second day of an official visit, state media are receiving her message with skepticism, and anxiety about more US tariffs on green energy products. Yellen, who started her five-day visit in one of China's major industrial and export hubs, has focused thus far on what the U.S. considers to be unfair Chinese trade practices in talks with senior Chinese officials. The official Xinhua News Agency wrote Friday night that while Yellen's trip is a good sign that the world's two largest economies are maintaining communication, talking up Chinese overcapacity' in the clean energy sector also smacks of creating a pretext for rolling out more protectionist policies to shield U.S. companies. Chinese government subsidies and other policy support have encouraged solar panel and EV makers in China to invest in factories, building far more production capacity than the domestic ...

Green energy push: India's companies charge up on power policy shift

Rush to tie up green energy through open access in C&I segment after two key policy amendments last year

MCD develops 1.75 acre green cover in Wazirpur area to curb pollution

The Municipal Corporation of Delhi has developed a 1.75 acre green cover in northwest Delhi's Wazirpur locality, a heavily industrialised region and among the top pollution hotspots in the capital, to mitigate the impact of the local sources of air pollution in the area. The civic body planted a total of 16,000 saplings of indigenous varieties on a vacant land that had turned into a garbage dumping point to develop a mini forest in the region using the Miyawaki technique, an official aware of the development told PTI. "The Horticulture department of the MCD in collaboration with an NGO converted the vacant land used for garbage dumping to create a mini forest in the area that will help in improving the air quality levels in the region. We have utilised 1 acre of land for plantation and the rest of the land is used to develop pedestal crossing, install swings, and benches," he said. Wazirpur is among the 13 identified pollution hotspots in the national capital that contribute to the

SBI seeks lower reserve requirement for green deposits, says chairman

"We have put across the asks. One, of course, is a reduction in CRR for green deposits and second, if at all as a policy it can be incorporated," Khara said

Uttar Pradesh govt targets 1 million tonne capacity and 120,000 jobs

The state had received investment proposals worth Rs 2.73 trillion for green hydrogen plants from 20 companies at the UP Global Investors Summit in February 2023

India ranks 3rd in USGBC's list on green building certification for 2023

India ranked third in the US Green Building Council's (USGBC) annual list of top 10 countries and regions in the world for LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification in 2023. The United States has not been included in the list. LEED is a green building rating system and the certification is a globally recognised symbol of sustainability achievement and leadership. The rating system is available for virtually all building types, thereby providing a framework for healthy, highly efficient and cost-saving green buildings, USGBC said in a statement. India has retained its third rank, while mainland China, and Canada held the first and second positions, respectively, it said. As per the statement, "248 projects, across both buildings and spaces, were certified for LEED in the country covering 7.23 million Gross Square Metres (GSM). China topped the top 10 rankings for 2023 with over 24 million GSM certified followed by Canada with 7.9 million GSM," it said. Whi

Over 50% firms committed to achieving net-zero emission target: PwC survey

About 50 per cent of the Indian businesses surveyed expressed their commitment to achieving the net-zero target, reflecting their desire to address climate change issues and transit to a low-carbon economy, said a PwC report on Tuesday. Of these, about 48 per cent committed to achieving net-zero emission target by 2030, said PwC India's Tax transparency in ESG survey conducted between April-July 2023. The report is based on a market survey of nearly 250 tax heads, sustainability/ESG leaders, CFOs and CXOs of Indian businesses, spanning industries such as financial services, technology, media, and telecom (TMT), retail and consumer, engineering and construction, among others. In recent years, the global business landscape has witnessed a significant transformation in sustainable and responsible practices, said a PwC release, adding "as a core pillar of corporate strategy, companies are investing in sustainability and striving to communicate their intentions, commitments and ...

Govt to invest Rs 60,000 cr in river cruise tourism, green vessels

Union minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Monday said the government would invest Rs 60,000 crore by 2047 in river cruise tourism and development of green vessels. "We are going to invest Rs 45,000 crore in river cruise, which will take the passenger capacity from 2 lakh to 15 lakh by 2047," he said on the sidelines of the first Inland Waterways Development Council meeting here. Sonowal also said the government aims at investing another Rs 15,000 crore in green transport over the next 10 years to develop 1,000 vessels and ferries. "In total, there will be a Rs 60,000-crore investment by 2047, and it will be through the public-private partnership (PPP) model. The projects will help generate thousands of jobs," the Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways said. The council meeting, represented by officials of around 20 states and Union territories, also saw the unveiling of Harit Nauka' guidelines for green transition of inland vessels and the River Cruise Tourism Roadmap 2047. The ...

NHAI, National Remote Sensing Centre to develop green cover index

The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has signed an agreement with the National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC) to develop a "Green Cover Index" for the extensive network of National Highways in India, an official statement said on Wednesday. According to the statement, since the initiation of the Green Highways Policy in 2015, the prioritization of greening Highway Corridors has been a focal point for the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) and NHAI and presently, the monitoring of plantations relies on site visits by field personnel. "Using the capabilities of emerging technologies to enhance in-situ data collection and supplement plantation management and monitoring, including performance audits conducted by NHAI, the NRSC will undertake a comprehensive pan-India estimation of green cover, referred to as the "Green Cover Index" for National Highways using high-resolution satellite imagery," the statement said. It will also facilitate targeted interventions in .

Valuations capture upsides in Thermax stock; double-digit growth likely

The company's careful selection of projects and areas to enter has helped it to maintain a strong balance sheet with no net debt

COP28 climate summit: PM Narendra Modi pushes for 'green credit' plans

Proposes to host UN climate summit in 2028 in India, condemns historic polluters

LIVE: EC revises date of counting for Mizoram assembly elections to 4 Dec

Catch the latest news updates from across the globe

Defence shipyard GRSE to develop electric tugs 'E-VOLT 50' with partners

Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) Ltd, a leading defence shipyard, has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Shift Clean Energy (Shift), Seatech Solutions International (Seatech), and the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) to develop electric tugs named E-VOLT 50. This project seeks to mitigate carbon emissions, enhance operational efficiency, and establish new benchmarks for performance and environmental sustainability within the tugboat industry in a step towards India's aspiration to become the 'global hub for green shipbuilding' by 2030. GRSE will construct the tugboat based on the design by Seatech, while Shift will provide energy storage solutions. ABS will oversee the construction and design process, ensuring adherence to all applicable regulatory standards, thereby certifying safety, reliability, and compliance, the company informed the bourses. "The 'E-VOLT 50' represents a bold step towards a cleaner and greener future for maritime sector. By harnessi

Real estate sector bats for green spaces, investors willing to pay premium

DECARBONISING REALTY: The sector creates spaces that breathe life; corporates and investors willing to pay a premium to comply with global sustainability norms

Green buildings can reduce emissions by 35%, maintenance costs by 20%

KPMG in India and Colliers' 'Sustainable real estate: An opportunity to leverage' report finds developers moving towards sustainable real estate despite costs increasing by 5-15%

Kejriwal residence construction: NGT gives panel 4 weeks to file report

The National Green Tribunal has expressed disappointment over a panel not submitting its report on alleged violation of environmental norms in constructing some structures at Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's official residence. Noting that the panel which was constituted in May this year to ascertain the factual position had failed to comply with the NGT's direction, the tribunal granted it four more weeks for filing the report, and warned that the failure to do so will lead to issuance of summons to the state's chief secretary to appear before it. A joint committee comprising the chief secretary, principal secretary (Environment & Forest) of the Delhi government, a nominee of the Delhi Urban Art Commission (DUAC), and the district magistrate of north Delhi was constituted to go into the matter pursuant to the tribunal's order dated May 9, The NGT was dealing with a petition which has alleged that permanent and semi-permanent constructions were raised and more than 20 trees

Emerging markets need $1.5 trn to boost greener construction, says IFC

IFC typically provides commercial financing priced at market rates

Carbon emission reducing practices under GCP will earn carbon credits: Govt

Any activity generating green credits under the government's Green Credit Programme (GCP) will also receive carbon credits under the Carbon Credit Trading Scheme if it leads to the reduction or removal of carbon emissions, according to a notification. The government on Thursday notified rules for the GCP, which aims to incentivise environmentally conscious practices and promote a sustainable lifestyle through a market-based mechanism. Green credits generated through such actions can be traded on a domestic market platform. According to rules, environment-friendly actions include tree plantation, water management, sustainable agriculture, waste management, air pollution reduction, mangrove conservation and restoration, ecomark label development, and sustainable building and infrastructure. The rules also specify that green credits generated or procured by industries, companies and other entities to fulfil any legal obligation cannot be traded. "The Green Credit programme is independ

NAP for Green Shipping promotes eco-friendly practices, says Jagannathan

The National Action Plan for Green Shipping promotes eco-friendly practices and incentives for low-emission ships, positioning India's maritime sector for a prosperous and environmentally responsible future, Director General of Shipping Shyam Jagannathan said on Wednesday. Speaking at the 13th edition of the South Asia's largest maritime exhibition and conference -- INMEX SMM India 2023 -- here, Jagannathan also said that the sector's vision encompasses quadrupling port capacity, clean energy fuel hubs, and cruise tourism growth, among others. The three-day conference, which is being hosted in the city in collaboration with German exhibition organiser Hamburg Messe und Congress, will cover several issues concerning the industry, including green shipping and digitalisation, among others. "The National Action Plan for Green Shipping promotes eco-friendly practices and incentives for low emission ships, positioning India's maritime sector for a prosperous and environmentally responsibl