Rio+20

Global Compact Calls on Companies to Commit to the Future We Want - The UN Global Compact, in partnership with the World Business Council on Sustainable Development (WBCSD), announced today a worldwide call for commitments to actions and partnerships that advance progress along the six core themes of the Rio+20 Corporate Sustainability Forum, to be held on 15-18 June 2012 in Rio de Janeiro. (UN News Centre)

Rio Operations Center: Readiness is All - When C40 City Rio de Janeiro took stock of risks and challenges — from extreme weather, to traffic congestion, to upcoming mega-events such as Rio+20, it decided to create the Operations Center in the service of Cariocas (the citizens of Rio de Janeiro). (National Geographic)

UN’s Ban Ki-moon urges firms to go green in run-up to Rio - United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has urged companies to step up their commitment to sustainability in the run-up to the Rio+20 Earth summit in Brazil next month. (Green Business)

UN’s Action Agenda on Sustainable Energy for All will drive critical progress on energy, says WBCSD - The UN’s launch of its Global Action Agenda will implement the Sustainable Energy for All initiative and marks an important step toward putting ideas into action, the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) said last week. (Toby Price, Renewable Energy Magazine)

Energy efficiency

Balance Of Power: Clean Energy And Desert Wildlife - This guest post was written by Johanna Wald, a senior attorney at the Natural Resources Defense Council in San Francisco. (Todd Woody, Forbes)

Clean Energy Development in Egypt - Egypt was once an exporter of oil and gas, but now it is struggling to meet its own energy needs. (All Africa)

University gets Rs 25 lakh to save 30% energy annually - The Maharashtra Energy Development Agency (MEDA) recently provided financial assistance to seven government buildings in the state, including Rs 25 lakh to the University of Pune (UoP), to replace the old and inefficient equipment with energy saving equipment expected to save 25% to 30% energy annually. (Neha Madaan, The Times of India)

Energy access

EU green power needs market access to thrive-draft - Free access to emerging renewable energy markets such as Brazil, China and India will be a major factor in helping the European Union maintain its lead in green energy, according to draft documents seen by Reuters. (Barbara Lewis, Reuters)

Sustainable energy policy

Tim Yeo calls for urgent action over windfarms - Senior Conservative tells UK Energy Summit said energy policy has been 'neglected' to the detriment of consumers (Terry Macalister, The Guardian)

China seeks to expand green energy ties - China and the European Union will expand collaboration in the alternative energy sector to achieve shared objectives in terms of energy conservation and emissions reduction, officials said. (Lan Lan, China Daily)

Tanzania: EU to Review Renewable Energy Policy - A controversial European Union renewable energy directive which targets 10 per cent use of renewable energy sources in transport sector by 2020 may be reviewed after an ongoing impact assessment on the indirect land use change aspect. (Finnigan Wa Simbeye, All Africa)

Renewable energy

Nigeria: IPMAN Suggests Use of Renewable Sources for Power Generation - Mr Olumide Ogunmade, Chairman of Western Zone of Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), on Wednesday advised Federal Government to explore alternative sources of power generation. (All Africa)

Uganda: Makerere Students Showcase Innovative Projects - Final-year students of Mechanical Engineering at Makerere University's College of Engineering, Design, Art and Technology recently showcased their products at a cluster workshop. (Moses Talemwa, All Africa)

Sustainable energy policy

Working Together for Global Clean Energy - This past week the Clean Energy Ministerial met in London and had its most successful meeting to date, greatly expanding a number of its climate-friendly technology cooperation commitments, while also introducing new initiatives, including a partnership to utilize renewable energy and energy efficiency through smart grids. (Rebecca Lefton and Andrew Light, Center for American Progress)

Rivalry or friendship as EU, China hold energy talks? - Energy security, power markets and sustainable urban development top the agenda at talks on Thursday between European Commission bosses and visiting Chinese officials, led by Vice Premier Li Keqiang, as both sides scramble for supplies and market share. (Barbara Lewis, Reuters)

Energy efficiency

International conference on sustainable biomass for electricity generation opens in Austria - An international conference titled, Biomass for Electricity: Greening Electricity Generation for Energy Access, that opened in Austria today will help further bolster the United Nations Sustainable Energy for All initiative. (Mikhail Evstafyev, UNIDO press release)

Retroficiency Implements Green Button Compatibility With Virtual Energy Assessment - Company validates compatibility by identifying 34% savings potential in a building through assessment of energy interval data in green button format. (MarketWatch)

Coalition Wants to Squeeze More Energy Efficiency from Appliances - New designs for more energy-efficient household appliances are among the top goals announced April 26 at a high-level governmental forum working to speed the global transition to cleaner technologies. (SynTao News)

Energy access

Conference preview: Small island developing states to tackle universal energy access - How can small island developing countries promote universal access to sustainable energy and boost renewable energy production and energy efficiency? (Ivy Mungcal, DevEx)

BMTC will tap solar energy for its buses - Public transport will go green in a few years with BMTC  set to introduce solar-powered buses. Officials are in talks with research & development companies on manufacturing and operating these buses. (The Times of India)

Rio+20

UNDP Administrator to Visit China Ahead of Rio+20 - Ms. Helen Clark, Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Chair of the United Nations Development Group, will pay an official visit to China from 16 to 19 May. (EIN News)

Works not Waste -- Visions for a Green Economy - The Rio+20 meeting is just a few weeks away. Sitting here in India's sixth largest city, Pune, there is evidence of deep transformation since the last United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in Rio, in 1992. (Bharati Chaturvedi, The Huffington Post)

Renewable energy

Durban to Explore Sea-Current Power With Hydro Alternative - South Africa’s southeastern coastal city of Durban is considering developing plants to generate electricity from sea-currents together with Hydro Alternative Energy Inc., which says the project would be the first of its kind. (Niki Moore, Bloomberg)

Land of the rising solar industry attracts firms - Chinese solar companies are expanding into Japan, where the solar industry is receiving more government support as the country is reducing its dependence on nuclear power following a nuclear accident last year. (Liu Yiyu, China Daily)

Domestic manufacturers expand into new markets - As the European and US solar markets present more and more difficulties to Chinese photovoltaic companies, such businesses are changing their plans in an attempt at expanding into new markets. (Liu Yiyu, China Daily)

Renewable energy

Who uses renewable power, in one map - We keep hearing that renewable energy is booming in the United States, but where is it? (Brad Plumer, The Washington Post)

Gamesa Plans to Invest in India Factories - Gamesa Wind Turbines Pvt. Ltd., the Indian unit of Spain's Gamesa Corporacion Tecnologica SA, said Thursday it plans to spend 2 billion rupees ($37.8 million) between now and December on building factories in the South Asian nation as it looks to tap the country's growing demand for wind energy. (Anirban Chowdhury, The Wall Street Journal)

Japan’s renewable energy options: costs and potential - Japan’s shutdown of all its nuclear power plants leaves it with an energy gap, mostly being made up through greater use of costly imported LNG, coal and oil. Below are some details of the resource-scarce country’s “green energy” options. (Associated Press, The Washington Post)

Rio+20

Returning to Rio to build a more sustainable future -  In 1992, heads of state converged on Rio for the Earth Summit, a bright moment that seemed to herald a new era for sustainable development. Bold speeches were given, important treaties signed. (Manish Bapna and Kirsty Jenkinson, The Guardian)

Masdar maintains commitment to sustainable energy for all - The third High Level Group meeting for the United Nation’s Sustainable Energy for All initiative took place in London last week preceding the 3rd Clean Energy Ministerial. (EQ International)

Energy efficiency

Electric cars in China: Not yet - The main road at the headquarters of BYD, a Chinese car and battery firm in Shenzhen, seems to go on for ever. It winds from gleaming offices past enormous factories and dormitories to a renewable-energy plant and test track. (The Economist)

With electric pace car, NASCAR puts pedal down on green efforts - But in a world turned green, NASCAR is waking up to the reality that American attitudes about automobiles are shifting — from consumers’ demands for better gas mileage to heightened concern about global warming. (Liz Clarke, The Washington Post)

Energy access

Make No Small Plans: Turning On The Lights For 1.4 Billion People - At the recent Fortune Brainstorm Green conference which I attended in Laguna Niguel, California, there was a host of U.S.-focused presentations and conversations. (Ron Pernick, Think Progress)

Mozambique: Electricity Consumption Up By 15 Per Cent - Consumption of electricity in Mozambique increased by 15 per cent in 2011, according to Augusto Sousa, chairperson of the publicly-owned electricity company, EDM. (All Africa)

Offshore power generator proposed for Lynmouth - An energy company hopes to produce electricity for the national grid from the sea bed off north Devon from 2014. (BBC)

Sustainable energy policy

What does the NPPF really mean by sustainable development? - While the National Planning Policy Framework  has been well received for its emphasis on local decision-making and urban redevelopment, what the definitions contained in the framework actually mean presents a problem. (Mark Gaterell, The Guardian)

ROK approves carbon trading scheme - The Republic of Korea's lawmakers approved a national emissions trading scheme on Wednesday to tackle its growing greenhouse gas emissions, overcoming strong industry opposition and joining a growing number of nations to put a price on carbon. (China Daily)

Could a Sarkozy Loss Could be a Green Energy Gain? - Considering the year Southern Europe’s green energy sector has had, it seems that any diversion from dwindling investment and state support comes as a relief. (Christopher Coats, Forbes)

Energy efficiency

IFC Promotes Green Building Certification System -

The International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, launched a Green Buildings Certification System (EDGE), which aims to help small companies reduce their carbon footprint and save energy costs through an inexpensive methodology. (Sustainable Energy Policy & Practice, IISD Reporting Services)

Energy Storage: Costly but Key to Power Production - Ever wish you could just bottle up those beautiful sun shinny days? Well, some companies are trying to do just that — in the context of “energy storage.” (Ken Silverstein, Forbes)

Q&A: Greening the City’s Zoning Rules - On Monday, the New York City Council unanimously approved a package of zoning changes  that will make it easier for property owners to undertake energy efficiency upgrades and even produce their own solar and wind power. (Mireya Navarro, The New York Times)

Rio+20

IBON: Rio+20 must address global economic governance - As many of you know, during the previous round of informal informals here in the United Nations (UN), civil society was quite alarmed at the proposals of certain states to delete or weaken or bracket references to rights, equity and important Rio principles which are also grounded on human rights, from the negotiating text for Rio+20. (Ibon International, Rio+20: UN Conference on Sustainable Development)

Rio+20 talk point: your message to the summit on the future you want - As the world prepares to meet at June's Rio+20 summit, we want your questions, messages and pictures. (Jaz Cummins, The Guardian)

Renewable energy

Wind’s $168B North Sea Boom Lures Oil Industry - Oil service companies led by Technip SA (TEC) and Subsea 7 SA (SUBC) for the first time are working with wind energy developers in the North Sea’s 14 billion-euro ($19 billion) a year market. (Kari Lundgren, Bloomberg)

No, wind farms are not causing global warming - Scientific studies are misrepresented all the time. But now and again the distortions get particularly bad. That was the case Monday, when Fox News ran the headline, “New Research Shows Wind Farms Cause Global Warming.” A number of other media outlets did the same thing. And it’s... not true at all. (Brad Plumer, The Washington Post)

SolarCity Takes Step Toward Public Offering - SolarCity, a leading installer of rooftop solar energy systems, said on Monday that it had filed a draft registration statement for an initial public offering of stock with the Securities and Exchange Commission last week. (Diane Cardwell, The New York Times)

Wind energy gets rain boost in Tamil Nadu - Early onset of southwest monsoon in southern Tamil Nadu has brought some cheers to power managers and consumers in the state with generation from wind going from zero to 1,000MW in the last four days. (The Times of India)

Sustainable energy policy

Study Highlights Renewable Energy Potential and Policy Options for Islands and Remote Areas -

The study highlights that remote areas around the world are at the forefront of the transition toward a more sustainable energy future, with case studies used to highlight lessons learned at the community, provincial and national levels. The report summarizes the implication of these lessons learned and discusses ways in which governments can help overcome renewable energy deployment challenges. (Sustainable Energy Policy & Practice, IISD Reporting

Services) Policy must live up to energy crop potential - Up to half of the government's 2020 renewable energy target could be met by energy crops, wood and other forms of biomass such as wastes from agriculture, according to a government report. (Paul Spackman, Farmers Weekly)

Montek’s message on clean energy - The Planning Commission Deputy Chairman was in London last week for the Clean Energy Ministerial meeting – leading the Indian delegation in the absence of Dr Farooq Abdullah, the Minister for New and Renewable Energy. (Hindustan Times)

Energy access

Wind a Winner in Developing Nations - Researchers at a Swiss science and technology university testing out which is the most cost-effective renewable energy source in developing countries have made a surprising discovery. (AOL Energy)

Renewable Energy Generation is Big Business in Kenya - Take an exponentially rising need for clean, reliable energy; add a new renewable energy feed-in tariff (REFITT); and then consider erratic weather conditions that have affected over-relied upon hydropower generation in Kenya and you get an influx of interest in renewable energy by Independent Power Producers (IPPs). (Peter Kahare, Renewable Energy World)

Uganda: Govt to Focus On 600MW Karuma Power Project in Next Budget - Tinto Onywegeredde is in the agroprocessing business and boasts of five maize mills. He shelved plans to start a milk processing plant five years ago when there was acute power supply shortage. (Ibrahim Kasita, All Africa)