Reviving the carbon market
2010 has not been a good year for the carbon markets. The cap and trade system at the Chicago Climate Exchange has just closed, and the US Congress and the Obama administration gave up on a national cap-and-trade policy. Fortunately, European carbon …
Energy efficiency ratings for Indian cars
The Indian government is coming up with star labelling for the automobile sector in order to stipulate strict fuel efficiency norms for automobiles. The Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE), a statutory body under the power ministry mandated mandated by the Prime Minister’s …
Desalination for China’s water crisis
China faces a grave water shortage issue. The Chinese government has moved to promote water conservation in the last few years. Its 11th five-year plan for water conservation proposes detailed targets, including increasing the agricultural water conservation rate to 50 percent from …
Green incentive system for Korea
President Lee Myung-bak stressed the importance of green growth during briefing sessions with the ministries of land, transport and maritime affairs environment and agriculture on Monday. He said that Korea would become a more vibrant country when the Four Major Rivers Restoration …
India’s Finance Minister prefers voluntary CSR initiatives
Indian Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee said he prefers companies to voluntarily adopt good governance and corporate social responsibility (CSR) practices, rather than be legally compelled to do so. Such voluntary contributions should be recognised and rewarded. Highlighting the responsibility of companies to …
IBM urban analytics testbed in Singapore
World renowned for its urban planning accomplishments, Singapore is about to get even smarter with cutting edge collaborative research from IBM. IBM Singapore launched its seventh Smarter Cities Research Collaboratory with Singapore’s agencies, including the Economic Development Board (EDB) and Land Transport …
ADB commits $250 Million to alleviate Microfinance Risk
Microfinancing has recently seen an increasing debt burden, in the backdrop of scandals ranging from accusations of exploitation to suicides of delinquent lenders who are unable to cope with peer bullying when they cannot repay loans. The Asian Development Bank has $1.9 …
LG to green its suppliers
LG Electronics announced that it will start purchasing more parts and supplies from its 1,500 top vendors in terms of energy consumption, as part of a corporate campaign to reduce greenhouse gases to accelerate eco-friendly growth. This year, LG Electronics worldwide plants …
San Francisco aims for 100% Green Power by 2020
The Sidney Frank Foundation has provided a $250,000 grant to analyze how to power the San Francisco’s 950 MW peak energy use with only renewable energy by 2020. The city’s Sunset Reservoir Solar Project, a 5 MW solar photovoltaic system on top …
Smart Glass for Green Buildings
The $54bn market for green buildings is growing rapidly. According to McGraw Hill Construction, a third of all new non-residential construction is green and non-residential green building developments are expected to triple over the next 5 years. This market is expected to …