sibi arasu

Clean energy gains a foothold in India, but coal still rules

The United Arab Emirates on Thursday named the CEO of a state-run oil company who also oversees renewable energy projects to be the president of the upcoming United Nations climate negotiations in Dubai, drawing criticism from activists and highlighting the balancing act ahead for this crude-producing nation.

Authorities in an Indian Himalayan town have stopped construction activities and started moving hundreds of people to temporary shelters after a temple collapsed and cracks appeared in over 600 houses because of sinking of land, officials said Saturday.

The government has approved $2.3 billion to support the production, use and exports of green hydrogen, aiming to make India a global hub for the nascent industry.
The funding, announced late Wednesday, is a first step toward establishing the capacity to make at least 5 million metric tons of green hydrogen by the end of this decade.

Policy, climate, war make 2022 ‘pivot year’ for clean energy

India officially takes up its role as chair of the Group of 20 leading economies for the coming year Thursday and it’s putting climate at the top of the group’s priorities.
Programs to encourage sustainable living and money for countries to transition to clean energy and deal with the effects of a warming world are some of the key areas that India will focus on during its presidency, experts say.

The world’s population is projected to hit an estimated 8 billion people on Tuesday, according to a United Nations projection, with much of the growth coming from developing nations in Africa.

Ramesh Hanumaiya digs a few inches into his field with his hand and examines the soil. There is movement in the thick, brown earth: Tiny earthworms being disturbed from their homestead.
A handful of dirt filled with earthworms might not seem like much, but it’s the result of seven years’ work. “This soil used to be as hard as a brick,” said 37-year-old Ramesh. “It’s now like a sponge.

Indonesia signed deals with international lenders and major nations on Tuesday that will bring billions of dollars in funding to help the country increase its use of renewable energy and reduce its reliance on coal.

Fish, rice, mangrove trees and the lush delta wetlands where the massive Ganges, Brahmaputra, and Meghna rivers drain into the Bay of Bengal.
It’s not luxury. But for the farmers and fishermen who live by the world’s largest mangrove forest, it’s more than enough. Now, the environment is at risk.
A power plant will start burning coal near the Sundarbans this year as part of Bangladesh’s plan to meet its energy needs and improve living standards, officials say.

At UN climate summit, India to flex its negotiating muscles

Spiraling energy costs caused by various economic factors and the Ukraine war could be a turning point toward cleaner energy, the International Energy Agency said in a report Thursday. It found the global demand for fossil fuels, including coal, oil, and natural gas, is set to peak or plateau in the next few decades.

For countries to transition away from fossil fuels and toward cleaner energies like solar power, supply chains for components need to be more geographically diverse.

India’s renewables sector is booming, with the country projected to add 35 to 40 gigawatts of renewable energy annually until 2030, enough to power up to 30 million more homes each year.

Most Asian countries are prioritizing energy security, sometimes over their climate goals. For rich countries like South Korea or Japan, this means forays into nuclear energy. For the enormous energy needs of China and India it implies relying on dirty coal power in the short term. But for developing countries with already-strained finances, the war is having a disproportionate impact, said Kanika Chawla, of the United Nations’ sustainable energy unit.