Rio+20

Countries begin last round of talks on outcome document ahead of Rio+20 conference - Countries today began the last round of negotiations on an outcome document before they meet in Brazil next month at the United Nations Sustainable Development Conference (Rio+20), which seeks to shape new policies to promote prosperity, reduce poverty and advance social equity and environmental protection.(UN News Centre)

Road to Rio+20 continues to heat up - Negotiations on the outcome document of Rio+20 are on their final stretch. (Ivy Mungcal, DevEx)

Rio+Social Invites the World to Make History and Help Write the Next '6-Minute Speech' - Today the organizing partners Rio+Social launched the “6-Minute Speech Project,” a platform for a worldwide dialogue around the upcoming Rio+20 Summit in support of the UN’s theme of “The Future We Want.” (PRWeb)

Can self-interest drive sustainable energy for all? - A bold plan to bring every person on Earth sustainable energy within 18 years will face its first test of international acceptance at the Rio+20 Earth Summit (the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development) next month (June 20-22). (Smriti Mallapaty, SciDevNet)

Rio+20 is Everyone's Conference - The United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, otherwise known as Rio+20, is a once-in-a-generation opportunity.(Sha Zukang, IPS)

Energy efficiency

Energy-Saving Solution Monitors Individual Appliances - Two PhD students at the University of Sydney have developed a solution to monitor the energy use of individual appliances in an effort to help consumers decide how and when to use or replace them. (Joshua S Hill, CleanTechnica)

Sustainable development flourishing in Wales's green economy - Wales is fast becoming Europe's test bed for sustainable development and what the UN would call "the green economy". (John Vidal, The Guardian)

Energy access

We won’t achieve the MDGs without tackling energy access - Ban Ki-moon recently announced that the proportion of people without sustainable access to safe drinking water had been halved, meeting target 7.C of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the international development goals that world leaders agreed back in 2000 to achieve by 2015. (Sarah Butler-Sloss, Ashden Blog)

Electricity Program Expands Access to Energy for Ethiopians with Support from the World Bank - The Board of Executive Directors of the World Bank today approved a US$200 million credit from the International Development Association (IDA*) to the Government of Ethiopia to increase rural coverage and to provide access to affordable, modern, cost-effective electricity services to its citizens. (Press Release, The World Bank Group)

Africa: Is Environmentally Sustainable Water, Energy and Land for All Possible? - How do you ensure access to safe water, energy and land in a way that benefits the poorest people on the planet but does not harm the environment? The latest European Development Report (EDR), launched in Brussels on Wednesday, sketches out a few broad ideas, but the big question is how do we translate this 200-page document into practical action? (All Africa)

Renewable energy

Renewable energy offset increase in greenhouse gas emissions - A new study released today shows that renewable energy has off set an increase in greenhouse emissions in 2010. Were it not for renewable energy, greenhouse gas would have increased towards the 1990 level. (Robert Bowen, Examiner)

Australia Renewable Energy Fund Set to Invest in Solar, Biofuels - Australia’s A$200 million ($196 million) renewable energy venture capital fund is set to unveil its first two investments in the solar and biofuels industries by the end of September.(James Paton, Bloomberg Businessweek)

On Clean Energy, Time To Follow Where Google, GE, Buffett Lead - Google is backing it. So is Warren Buffett, America’s most-watched investor. GE, one of the world’s biggest manufacturers, is too. Each of these corporate icons is placing big bets and hundreds of millions of dollars on a future powered by wind and solar power. (Manish Bapna, Forbes)

Sustainable energy policy

Wind turbines plan near Broads rejected by High Court judge - Sea & Land Power and Energy Limited's wanted to erect four 344ft (105m) turbines near Hemsby, Great Yarmouth. The borough council refused the plan in 2009, over concerns about the adverse impact on the landscape. (BBC)

Distrust could hamper Green Deal - Public mistrust of the "big six" energy firms may undermine the UK government's planned Green Deal, according to the International Energy Agency. The energy firms are supposed to deliver a mass program of home insulation under the Deal. (Roger Harabin, BBC)

Rio+20

UN’s Ban Sees Industry Advancing Climate Treaty in Rio - The United Nations will pursue partnerships with global industry leaders to help drive clean energy in Rio de Janeiro next month as governments struggle to find common ground on climate change, Secretary General Ban Ki- moon said. (Christopher Martin, Bloomberg)

How You Can Power the World - Richenda Van Leeuwen, Executive Director of the Energy & Climate Team at the United Nations Foundation, has made sustainability her life’s work. We sat down earlier this week to talk about what that really means and how it applies to critical global conversations happening in Rio this coming June at the Rio+20 Summit. (Million Moms Challenge)

An Ailing Planet’s Path to Rio+20 - Our planet’s health is ailing. That’s the message in short from the 2012 Living Planet Report. (Robynne Boyd, Scientific American)

Uganda: Government Struggles to Balance Development, Environment - Uganda is considering establishing a National Sustainable Development Council (NSDC) in a move to position itself to fast-track the resolutions of the upcoming Rio+20 conferences. (Simon Musasizi, AllAfrica)

From Webcam to World Leaders: A New Voice at Rio for the Facebook Generation - We can’t make the future with what we did in the past. I mean that is ridiculous, isn’t it? The past actions are what caused the problems in the first place. We need innovation and imagination. (Michael Davidson, NRDC Switchboard)

Energy access

Access to low-cost energy vital in fight against poverty – General Assembly President - The President of the General Assembly, Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser, today underlined the urgent need to provide sufficient and low-cost energy to people across the world who lack access, stressing that making energy readily available can boost efforts to eradicate extreme poverty.(UN News Centre)

How Small-Scale Solar is Helping One Rural Indian Community Thrive - A serene village with green paddy fields and unpaved lanes dotted with huts and shops, Laxmikantapur provides a glimpse of the stereotypical rural India. (Gautham Krishnadas, Earth Island Journal)

Energy efficiency

Lighting up lives - Husk power plants in Bihar will now guzzle less water and churn out cheaper electricity. (Sujay Mehdudia, The Hindu)

Duke Energy Teams Up With China's ENN For 'Eco-City' Projects - When Duke Energy’s chief technology officer David Mohler visits China next week, he’ll stop by the city of Langfang to check out a project that aims to show what a city of the future might look like if it incorporates coal-based and renewable energy generation, biofuel production and water recycling. (Ucilia Wang, Forbes)

Cover story: Save energy, lower costs with home audit - When Jason Schlosberg and Donna Lombardo bought their house in Arlington in 2009, they were pleased with many aspects of their new residence. The house was spacious, the location was convenient to Metro, and an ample deck was perfect for entertaining. (Kim A. O'Connell, The Washington Times)

Sustainable energy policy

Subsidizing the wrong energy - Despite the logic behind encouraging businesses to switch to renewable energy, governments still provide much larger subsidies for fossil fuels. (Roger Cowe, The Guardian)

Obama urges Congress to extend clean-energy tax credits - The president says continuing the production tax credit and an investment tax credit would save 37,000 jobs that otherwise would be at risk. (Christi Parsons and Kathleen Hennessey, Los Angeles Times)

Trade War Looming as China Rebukes U.S. Support for Solar  - China’s allegation that renewable- energy subsidies in five U.S. states violate free-trade rules ratchets up a potentially costly trade war between the world’s two largest economies. (Ehren Goossens, Justin Doom, and William McQuillen, Bloomberg Businessweek)

Renewable energy

Goldman Sachs Investing $40 Billion More in Clean Energy - Not even a couple weeks ago, Mridul wrote that Goldman Sachs–backed firm ReNew Power Limited was investing Rs 6,000 crore (over $1.1 billion) to build 1 GW (1,000 MW) of wind power projects across India. Apparently, Goldman Sachs has much bigger plans than that, though. (Zachary Shahan, CleanTechnica)

Undersecretary Promotes “All of the Above” Renewable Energy Strategy - Rural America has great potential in helping the U.S. meet the future energy demand by deploying alternative energy and energy efficiency sources and practices, so says U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Under Secretary for Rural Development, Dallas Tonsager, who visited the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Richland Wash., with other members of a technical advisory committee exploring ways to further the use and development of advanced bio-fuels. (Phil Eggman, USDA blog)

South Africa Approves $8.8 Billion Clean Energy Plan - South Africa approved 19 wind, solar and hydropower proposals in a second bidding round, increasing the cost of renewable-energy projects given the go-ahead to 73 billion rand ($8.8 billion) as the nation boosts cleaner energy. (Carli Cooke, Bloomberg Businessweek)

Rio+20

Rio+20's opportunity will be squandered without courage and vision - As Elders, we have been involved in public life for quite a long time. We know that change takes time and don't get too worried when progress seems slow. (The Guardian)

Environment: Will Rio+20 Spark a Green Revolution? - Think of Rio+20 as the hothouse to grow the green ideas and values humanity needs to thrive in the 21st century. (Inter Press Service, Scottrade)

Brazil readies 15,000 security forces for Rio summit - The Brazilian military will coordinate the deployment of 15,000 security personnel during next month's UN summit on sustainable development here, Defense Minister Celso Amorim said Monday. (France24)

Energy access

Access to Low-Cost Energy Vital to Eradicate Extreme Poverty - With more than a billion people continuing to live without access to electricity, the President of the UN General Assembly Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser today said making low-cost energy readily available is vital to eradicate extreme poverty. (Mina Fabulous, News Blaze)

Continental Geothermal Energy Project Receives US$ 11.5 Million Grant - Continental Energy Corporation, an emerging unconventional energy company concentrating its efforts in Southeast Asia, today announced that the Government Of Malaysia, acting through its Public Private Partnership Unit of the Prime Minister's Department, has awarded a grant of 35 Million Malaysian Ringgit (approximately US$ 11.5 Million) to Tawau Green Energy Sdn. Bhd. ("TGE"). (MarketWatch)

Namibia: Energy Reform Crucial for Private Investment - A "largely non-existent and partially outdated regulatory framework" for Namibia's energy sector is discouraging private players from entering the industry to help boost the country's power generation capacity. (Jo-MarÉ Duddy, All Africa)

Energy efficiency

Linkin Park aim for green on tour - Linkin Park has unveiled a Honda Civic Si Coupe and CBR250R motorcycle for the car brand. (Brand-m)

Let There Be Light: Clean Energy Innovation at Home Supports Stability Abroad - Last week, President Obama traveled to Newton, Iowa to visit TPI Composites, a provider of, among other things, wind energy composites. (Erin Mazursky, The Huffington Post)

Germany in 20 billon euro grid upgrade as it quits nuclear - Germany mapped out a 20 billion euro ($25 billion) plan on Tuesday to expand its power grid and avoid a "power gap" as Europe's largest economy switches away from nuclear to renewable energy. (Reuters)

Renewable energy

Status update of solar policies and allocations across India - Last summer, Ritesh Pothan blogged about India’s Central Government Policy as well as certain key state policies for solar power in Part 2 of his Indian Solar Saga series. In this latest piece, he updates us on the state of play of these policies across India. (Ritesh Pothan, Renewable Energy Magazine)

Guernsey renewable energy projects 'on right path'- Twenty-four undergraduates were in the island for 10 days to study the potential for renewable energy. Their initial findings were of "a vast wind, wave and tide resource" and "good potential for financial returns". (BBC)

Solar Power Plants in Kashmir - Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah and Union minister for new and renewable energy Farooq Abdullah today inaugurated a 18-KW Solar Power Plant at Sub-District Hospital at Charar-i-Sharief in Budgam district. (Times of India)

Sustainable energy policy

Asia-Pacific region must adopt low carbon policies to sustain growth – UN - Asia-Pacific nations must adopt low carbon policies to reduce poverty and sustain their economic growth, according to a United Nations roadmap launched today, which puts forward a series of strategies to help developing countries in the region deal with shrinking natural resources and climate change and drive sustainable development. (UN News Centre)

Africa: Presidents Commit to Nurturing Africa's 'Natural Capital' - Until Africa's forests are valued for the oxygen they produce for the world's ecosystems, they will be worth more when they are dead than alive, said Liberian president Ellen Johnson Sirleaf at a summit for "Sustainability in Africa" held in Botswana from May 24-25. (Sue Valentine, AllAfrica)

Rio+20

Janez Potočnik European Commissioner for Environment Rio +20: Oceans, land, water, fisheries Sessions on Rio +20 during the Informal Ministerial Roundtable on Climate Change Brussels, 7-8 May 2012 – This press release details the sessions on Rio +20 during the Informal Ministerial Roundtable on Climate Change. (European Commission) 

Rio+20 leadership event will solidify business recommendations - The BASD Business Day will bring together governments, businesses, and other stakeholders for a day of discussion ahead of Rio+20. (The Guardian)

Mashable Is Heading to Brazil for Rio+Social - Mashable is thrilled to announce that we'll be co-hosting Rio+Social on June 19, during the historic UN's Conference on Sustainable Development, Rio+20. (Zoe Fox, Yahoo News)

Energy efficiency

London hospital gets a sustainable diagnosis - St Bartholomew's (Barts) and the Royal London Hospitals in London are being redeveloped into state-of-the-art facilities with sustainability integrated into all stages of the project. (The Guardian)

Adam Werbach: lifelong sustainability champion - Adam Werbach enjoyed a meteoric rise to sustainability stardom as the youngest president of the Sierra Club, America's oldest environmental campaign group. (Felicity Carus, The Guardian)

Energy access

Small Island States Combining Forces In Preparation for Rio+20 - By the time small island developing states (SIDS) arrive at the Rio+20 conference in Brazil in June, they will have worked hard to co-ordinate their message to the rest of the world about the importance of sustainable development for their countries. (Peter Richards, IPS)

Barbados and the region moving towards a Green Economy - As the island seeks to become more focused on sustainable development, Prime Minister Freundel Stuart announced the completion of a Green Economy Scoping Study. (The Barbados Advocate)

Reducing Dependence on Fossil Fuels Essential for Sustainable Progress in Small Island Developing States, Says UN Secretary-General - Small Island Developing States (SIDS) need to free themselves from dependence on fossil fuel imports and transform their energy sectors to encompass modern, efficient, clean and renewable sources of energy, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said in a message to an audience of prime ministers, ministers, international experts, civil society leaders and business executives at the Barbados Conference today. (PR Web)

Ethiopia: Electric Power Expansion Projects Underway in Gambella – According to the Ethiopian Electric Power Corporation, electric power supply expansion projects are currently underway in Gambella State to enable the public get access to a 24 hour service. (All Africa)

Renewable energy

The Indian biomass sector (part 1) - The story thus far - In the first of a two-part blog piece, Ritesh Pothan's colleague, Jai Rathod, takes a look at the milestones reached by India's biomass sector. Jai reports that India's biomass industry faces a number of challenges, but concludes that "in adversity lies opportunity". (Ritesh Pothan, Renewable Energy Magazine)

Three days of wind farm delivery trials start in Swansea - Wind farm developers have started delivery trial runs in south west and mid Wales, using an empty trailer mimicking an abnormal load. (BBC)

Southampton biomass power station designs - The developer of a proposed £300m biomass power station in Southampton has released revised designs for the plant. (BBC)

Vattenfall Cleared to Build 299 MW Wind Farm in Wales - Swedish utility, Vattenfall, has been cleared to build a 299 megawatt wind farm at an active coal mine in south Wales, the British government said on Tuesday. (Reuters, New York Times)

Sustainable energy policy

Few Seize on a U.S. Bond Program Backing Green Energy - With the country reeling in 2008 from the financial crisis, Congress created a special program to help struggling local governments finance clean energy projects. (Diane Cardwell, New York Times)

Renewable energy: Clean power needs serious investment - Since the start of Europe’s financial crisis, Greek-German relations have been marked by growing acrimony. (Joshua Chaffin, Financial Times)