Rio+20

Rio+20: "We Are Made Wise by the Responsibility of Our Future"- In less than a month, world leaders will gather in Rio de Janeiro for the United Nation's 2012 Earth Summit. (Aiko Stevenson, The Huffington Post)

Environmentalists urge Obama to attend Rio Earth summit - The leaders of nearly two dozen environmental groups called on President Obama to attend next month’s Rio+20 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, underscoring the uncertainty that continues to cloud the historic meeting. (Juliet Eilperin, The Washington Post)

U.N. Readies Largest Ever 'Save the Planet' Summit - Next month, the United Nations will hold what is expected to be the largest ever gathering of leaders to discuss sustainable development at a time when inequality is on the rise from the U.S. to China. (Kenneth Rapoza, Forbes)

Energy access

South Africa picks next 19 projects in green energy drive - South Africa has chosen 19 renewable energy projects in the second stage of its drive to cut its reliance on coal-fired plants, and bidders have until December to prove the projects are financially viable, the energy minister said on Monday. (Agnieszka Flak, Reuters Africa)
Report examines how land, water and energy must be managed as a whole - Politicians globally must confront growing scarcity of natural resources in order to enable a transformation towards inclusive and sustainable growth over the coming decades concludes the team leader of a major new European Commission report, led by the Overseas Development Institute, in co-ordination with the German Development Institute (DIE) and the European Centre for Development Policy Management. (Toby Price, Renewable Energy Magazine)
Energy efficiency

Eco-friendly buildings in Ranchi - Like Delhi, Mumbai, Pune and other big cities, Ranchi will also get green buildings now. (Alok K N Mishra, Times of India)

Green investment must not suffer in dash for growth, MPs warn - Environmental protections must not be slashed in an "irresponsible" and "desperate dash for growth", an all-party group of MPs has warned. Green investment should play a key role in the UK's economic recovery, the group reports, but accuses Prime Minister David Cameron of a lack of leadership and George Osborne's Treasury as regarding environmental measures as hampering economic development despite the green economy growing at 4% a year. (Damian Carrington, The Guardian)

U.S. Energy Department Offers Hackers $100k to Crowdsource 'Apps for Energy' - Launched a little over a month ago, the crowdsourcing initiative offers $100,000 in prizes to software developers for the best new apps that help utility customers make the most out of a new open standard for sharing electricity usage data called Green Button. (Reuven Cohen, Forbes)

Renewable energy

South Africa Approves $3.4 Billion Renewable Power Plan - South Africa approved 19 wind, solar and hydropower-plant proposals costing 28 billion rand ($3.4 billion) in a second bidding round as it expands generation capacity and boosts cleaner energy. (Carlie Cooke, Bloomberg Businessweek)

Official report recommends step up in PV manufacturing in India - The National Resources Defense Council (NRDC) concluded in a report that increased investment and support for the manufacturing industry is necessary for the National Solar Mission to truly "unleash its potential". (Matt Carr, Altenergymag.com)

Asian Power Sector Review: Growth Potential Matched by Challenges - Asia is the world's largest infrastructure market, with $4.1 trillion in power market spending expected over the coming decade, experts told industry participants and journalists at a recent quarterly power sector briefing held by infrastructure firm, Black & Veatch. (Jared Anderson, AOL Energy)

Sustainable energy policy

The necessary allies: Jobs and environment - Two of the world’s most urgent tasks — protecting the environment and creating jobs — both have enormously broad public support. (Bill Drayton, DevEx)

G8 summit urges action on global energy and climate change issues - As the latest G-8 summit closed at Camp David, Maryland this weekend, the eight countries involved agreed that a key component to greater global economic prosperity involves finding long-term solutions for affordable access to energy resources globally while at the same time finding ways to identify and manage global climate change. (Raymond Gellner, Examiner)

Greens' concern for draft energy bill - Environmentalists now fear that the UK government's draft energy bill to be published on Tuesday will end in a new "dash for gas". They want the bill to be guided by the government's stated wish to almost completely de-carbonize the electricity industry by the 2030s. (Roger Harrabin, BBC)

Western Cape wants to be SA green hub: Zille - Opening the first Southern African Solar Energy Conference in Stellenbosch, she told delegates that the province aimed to draw at least a tenth of its power from renewable sources within two years. (TimesLIVE)

Q+A-Where next for EU renewable energy policy? - An energy policy vacuum is looming in the European Union after a firm set of policy goals for renewable energy, carbon cutting and energy saving expires in 2020. (Barbara Lewis, Reuters)