Tag: Energy

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-Top News UK News

‘Sanctions on Russian energy on the table’

However, PM said that Russian oil and gas deliveries cannot be shut down overnight and such a transition will require time to find appropriate substitute supplies, reports Asian Lite News

Prime Minister Boris Johnson in a joint press conference with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte on Monday said that London and other Western governments are seriously considering sanctions on Russian energy exports in response to the ongoing military operation in Ukraine.

“Something that perhaps three or four weeks ago we would never have considered, is now very much on the table. We have to all consider how we can all move away … from dependence, reliance on Russian hydrocarbons,” Johnson told a press briefing alongside his Canadian and Dutch counterparts in response to a question regarding sanctions on Russian energy exports.

On February 24, Russia launched a special operation in Ukraine in response to calls from the Donetsk and Luhansk people’s republics to defend themselves against intensifying attacks by Ukrainian troops.

The Russian Defense Ministry said the operation is targeting Ukrainian military infrastructure only and the civilian population is not in danger.

“NATO allies. Commonwealth nations. Firm friends. Working together to ensure Russia’s barbaric and illegal invasion of Ukraine ends in failure,” tweeted Johnson.

“The UK is working at pace with Netherlands & Canada and other partners to mobilise sustained support for Ukraine in the face of Putin’s invasion,” added the UK PM.

However, Johnson said that Russian oil and gas deliveries cannot be shut down overnight and such a transition will require time to find appropriate substitute supplies.

“You can’t simply close down the use of oil and gas overnight, even from Russia. That’s obviously not something that every country around the world can do,” said Johnson.

“Clearly, there is going to be a transitional period. We are going to have to look for supply, we are going have to look for substitute supplies from elsewhere,” he said.

“Today I am announcing a further 175 million pounds in humanitarian aid to Ukraine, bringing the total during the crisis to 400 million pounds. After 12 days it’s clear that Putin has made a miscalculation. He has underestimated Ukrainians and their heroic resistance,” said the British PM.

Meanwhile, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced to impose sanctions on 10 individuals linked to Russia’s ongoing military operation in Ukraine.

“Today, Canada is announcing new sanctions on 10 individuals complicit in this unjustified invasion. This includes former and current senior government officials, oligarchs and supporters of the Russian leadership,” said Trudeau.

“Names of these individuals come from a list compiled by jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny. These sanctions put increased pressure on Russia’s leadership including on Putin’s inner circle. Canada has sent about a billion dollars’ worth of financial assistance to Ukraine,” added the Canadian PM.

He said that Canada will continue to defend democracy and continue to make sure that Russian President Vladimir Putin is held accountable.

“The individuals include former and current senior Russian government officials, oligarchs and supporters of the Russian leadership,” said Trudeau.

The Canadian leader said he hoped the sanctions and “massive tariffs” imposed on Russian and Belarusian imports would punish “Putin where it hurts most in particular financial systems and sanctioning their central bank so far.”

Further, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte also agreed about the importance of moving in steps. “We have got to do this “step by step”, he said.

Rutte said that sanctions must not create “unmanageable risks” to European energy supplies.

“Over time, Europe must reduce its reliance on Russian energy,” he added.

ALSO READ-Russia to cut off Ukraine from most vital sea link

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World News

UNEP chief lauds India’s ‘bold’ pledges and actions on massive energy transition

Plastic pollution is a global scourge that we must all act on, and in so doing, we tackle climate change, we tackle biodiversity loss, and we tackled pollution and waste… Inger Andersen speaks with Vishal Gulati

xxx The world looks to India on several fronts. In recent years, it created a massive expansion in renewable energy. India’s effort at promoting LED lighting for example is a huge success story. This has brought big savings in power use, greenhouse gas emissions and household bills.

These were the views of United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Executive Director Inger Andersen in an exclusive interview with, a day ahead of the resumed fifth session of the UN Environment Assembly (UNEA-5) — the world’s parliament on the environment — that will see representatives of the 193 Member States of the United Nations, business leaders, civil society and environmentalists in Nairobi, Kenya.

The resumed session which will run till March 2 with countries attempting to find solutions to some of the biggest challenges facing the earth.

Praising India’s ‘bold’ pledges and actions, Danish economist and environmentalist Andersen, who took up her new role as Executive Director of the UN Environment Programme on June 15, 2019, told IANS India has also taken steps to control plastic pollution, including bans on single-use plastic and strengthening extended producer responsibility.

“India has also committed to restoring 26 million hectares of degraded land by 2030.”

Prior to joining UNEP, Andersen was the Director General of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and held various leadership roles at the World Bank.

She believes India, like every nation, must do more.

“And doing more is in the best interests of the entire nation. IEA (International Energy Agency) studies show that a transition to net-zero carbon can catalyze new industries, create millions of jobs, and drive trillions of dollars of economic value.”

Quoting a recent World Economic Forum estimate, she says India’s decarbonization journey represents a $15 trillion economic opportunity by 2070. “This journey could create as many as 50 million net new jobs. With an estimated 10 million Indians having lost their jobs from the second wave of the pandemic, investing in ecosystem restoration becomes even more important for sustaining household incomes.

“As India assumes the leadership of the G20, here too we see a big role for the country to make a massive push for sustainability. After all, the G20 accounts for 78 per cent of global emissions. When the G20 moves, so too will the world.”

On India’s announcement to eliminate 20 identified single-use plastics in the country from July 1, the UNEP chief said, “Plastic pollution is a global scourge that we must all act on, and in so doing, we tackle climate change, we tackle biodiversity loss, and we tackled pollution and waste.”

This month India notified extended producer responsibility (EPR) rules for plastic packaging, with an aim to collect, and recycle plastics, and to ensure use of recycled plastics in packaging. It also provided clear targets for businesses to move towards sustainable plastic packaging.

“This is promising,” she said, “But we all know that plastic pollution is not a problem we can recycle our way out of.”

“We need a system change that addresses the full life cycle of plastics, from the extraction of raw materials to alternatives to improved waste management. We need to be innovative and eliminate products that are unnecessary, avoidable or problematic. Design products for reuse and recycling and ensure this happens. Remove hazardous additives.”

“Yes, absolutely India’s electrical vehicle (EV) policy has renewable energy targets,” she remarked.

“Poor air quality is the reality of life in more than 75 per cent of Indian cities. This despite significant progress on clean cooking fuels and a programme to control ambient air pollution. Based on global estimates, more than 1 million deaths were attributable to air pollution in India in 2019.

“By affecting children’s health and development, air pollution threatens India’s future growth and development. Electric vehicles are a critical part of the solution to climate change and air pollution. However, it is important that we look at how to power these vehicles from renewable sources.

“India’s National Electric Mobility Mission Plan aims to enable the rapid adoption of electric vehicles. Many states in India have now launched their electric vehicle policies. At COP26, India announced the country’s intention to meet 50 per cent of its energy requirements through renewable energy by 2030.

“And such commitments need to be accompanied by ramping up EV infrastructure and providing incentives to charging providers, promoting inter-state transmission of renewable energy, incentivising renewable energy for running EVs, and so on,” Andersen said.

One of the most significant aspects of this Assembly (UNEA-5) will be the deliberations on the possible establishment of an international negotiating committee to kick-start work towards a global, legally-binding agreement to address plastic pollution.

Given the scale of the global plastic pollution crisis, the discussions between Member States and the private sector, civil society, and other participants could represent the most important development on the global environmental agenda since the 2015 Paris Agreement on climate change.

The Assembly will consider other critical issues, including chemical waste and nitrogen management, nature-based solutions and biodiversity and the circular economy.

ALSO READ-UNEP Chief Lauds India’s Green Economy

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-Top News India News

Sitharaman budget commits to fight climate change with clean energy

Four pilot projects for coal gasification and conversion of coal into chemicals required for the industry will be set-up to evolve technical and financial viability, she said…reports Asian Lite News

Highlighting that the risks of climate change are the strongest negative externalities that affect India and other countries, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday proposed several near-term and long-term actions in the Budget 2022-23.

A major portion of her budget focused on multiple measures towards achieving what she said was Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s wish list: clean and sustainable mobility, battery swapping policy, energy transition and climate action, solar power, circular economy, green bonds, tariff measure to encourage blending of fuel, and transition to carbon neutral economy.

Air pollution has been an increasing problem not just in Delhi-NCR but across India. Among other issues, agri-waste burning by farmers has been a regular contributor to the problem. “Five to seven per cent biomass pellets will be co-fired in thermal power plants resulting in CO2 savings of 38 MMT annually. This will also provide extra income to farmers and job opportunities to locals and help avoid stubble burning in agriculture fields,” Sitharaman said in her Budget speech.

Four pilot projects for coal gasification and conversion of coal into chemicals required for the industry will be set-up to evolve technical and financial viability, she said.

The Finance Minister toed Prime Minister Modi’s ‘Panchamrit’ line as she said that the strategy opens up huge employment opportunities and will take the country on a sustainable development path. Modi had said at the annual climate change conference last November at Glasgow, “What is needed today is mindful and deliberate utilisation, instead of mindless and destructive consumption.”

Stating that saving energy is an important aspect of energy management and hence, energy efficiency and savings measures will be promoted, Sitharaman said: “This will be done in large commercial buildings through the Energy Service Company (ESCO) business model. It will facilitate capacity building and awareness for energy audits, performance contracts, and common measurement & verification protocol.”

She also said that as a part of the government’s overall market borrowings in 2022-23, sovereign Green Bonds will be issued for mobilising resources for green infrastructure. The proceeds will be deployed in public sector projects which help in reducing the carbon intensity of the economy.

In promoting tariff measures to encourage blending of fuel, she said: “Blending of fuel is a priority of this government. To encourage the efforts for blending of fuel, unblended fuel shall attract an additional differential excise duty of Rs 2/litre from the first day of October 2022.”

Think tanks and other stakeholders welcomed the announcements and also suggested measures to improve.

“When the energy transition and climate action becomes one of the four pillars of the Budget speech, it sends a strong signal of the government’s intent to drive economic growth and employment through sunrise sectors focused on sustainability,” said Dr Arunabha Ghosh, CEO, Council on Environment, Energy and Water (CEEW).

He also lauded e-mobility and other efforts but warned that notwithstanding the announcements, the budget falls short of expectations on certain counts.

“The government could have reintroduced subsidies on LPG cylinders for the poor and vulnerable sections, introduced measures to promote energy-efficient appliances, and created a fund to insure against climate risks. In addition to green bonds, clean energy developers will also need government-backed credit enhancement schemes,” Ghosh said.

Country Manager, India, Tabreed, Sudheer Perla, said: “Given the need for decisive climate action, the emphasis on sustainable urban development through the establishment of new centres of excellence for urban planning, capacity building to support more holistic and integrated approaches, and revamping building by-laws and rules is commendable, all of which will act as catalysts for the growth of the country’s sustainable cooling utility market.”

Tabreed India, which is a cooling company, lauded the overall forward-looking policies and said cooling is one of the largest drivers for energy demand growth. “With cooling utilities and cooling as a service, business models are still at an embryonic stage in India. The initiatives announced by the FM will contribute to the country’s net zero goal and accelerate India’s transition to a sustainable and energy-efficient economy,” Perla said.

ALSO READ-Finance Minister opts for growth in Union Budget

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-Top News EU News

EU ministers discuss surge in inflation, energy prices

Dombrovskis said there were several developments that risked hampering the recovery…reports Asian Lite News.

Inflation in the Eurozone will continue to increase in the coming months owing mainly to rising commodity and energy prices, but is expected to ease gradually in 2022, European Commission Vice President Valdis Dombrovskis said here on Tuesday.

He said the elements that are driving inflation “appear to be of a temporary nature” and its causes are global: the rising price of energy, particularly of natural gas, supply bottlenecks and the “release of pent-up demand as economies reopen”, Xinhua news agency reported.

“We will keep watching inflation developments closely, also for possible second-round effects, and we stand ready to adjust our policies if necessary,” he said, adding that all member states of the European Union (EU) are expected to return to their 2019 gross domestic product (GDP) levels this year or next.

Dombrovskis spoke at a press conference at the end of a meeting of the EU member states’ economic affairs and finance ministers, also known as the Ecofin Council, which took place a day after a meeting of the finance ministers of the Eurozone member countries.

Dombrovskis said there were several developments that risked hampering the recovery. One of these was inflation, which stood at 4.1 per cent in October in the Eurozone, “a level never exceeded since the start of the data series in 1997”.

He said that the finance ministers had discussed the package presented by the European Commission last month with measures to offset the immediate impact of energy price increases and to strengthen resilience against future shocks with immediate measures to support the most vulnerable segments of society.

He said the ministers also discussed the completion of the major overhaul of banks’ regulatory and supervisory framework by implementing international standards to make the wider EU banking system more resilient to economic shocks.

ALSO READ-China, US & EU to occupy more than 90% carbon space by 2050: Study

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-Top News India News UK News

India, UK launch biggest-ever coalition for clean energy

Speakers in the Climate Parliament event also included two leaders of the international youth climate strike, Alexandria Villasenor of the US and Ayisha Siddiqa from Pakistan…reports Asian Lite News.

A new high-level coalition for clean energy was announced on Tuesday by India and the UK at the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow, involving major governments, international organisations, legislators, business leaders, researchers, and citizen groups.

It includes a group of governments called the Green Grids Initiative — One Sun One World One Grid.

The group was announced at COP26 by summit host Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Indian Prime Minister at the COP26 summit. Picture by Simon Dawson / No 10 Downing Street

In the presence of other heads of government, including US President Joe Biden, the two Prime Ministers presented a One Sun Declaration, endorsed by more than 80 countries, setting out the group’s aims.

A Ministerial Steering Group will lead a process to accelerate the construction of large solar power stations and wind farms in the best locations, linked together by continental-scale grids crossing national borders.

The Steering Group includes France, India, the UK and the US, and will also have representatives from Africa, the Gulf, Latin America, and Southeast Asia.

Germany attended the first meeting as an observer while post-election negotiations on a new government continue, as did Australia.

In a simultaneous online event convened by an international network of legislators called the Climate Parliament, members of a broader Green Grids Initiative partnership were introduced.

Working alongside the governments are members of parliament and Congress, renewable energy companies, university researchers and international development agencies.

Speakers in the Climate Parliament event also included two leaders of the international youth climate strike, Alexandria Villasenor of the US and Ayisha Siddiqa from Pakistan.

Among the business leaders were Anand Mahindra, Chairman of one of India’s largest industrial groups, the Mahindra Group, and Paddy Padmanathan, CEO of ACWA Power, which holds the record for the world’s cheapest solar power.

The online event was opened by African superstar Angelique Kidjo of Lion King fame, followed by William Ury, author of world bestseller on negotiation “Getting to Yes”.

Research support for the Green Grids Initiative is being provided by the Climate Compatible Growth consortium of universities, which includes Cambridge, Imperial College, Oxford, and the University College London.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson welcomes Joe Biden, the President of the United States of America to the COP26 summit. Picture by Simon Dawson / No 10 Downing Street

Green Grids Initiative Working Groups made up of national and international agencies have already been established for Africa and for the Asia-Pacific region. Their membership includes most major multilateral development banks such as the African Development Bank (AfDB), the Asian Development Bank and the World Bank.

The Green Climate Fund, established to channel part of the $100 billion a year pledged by rich countries in the climate negotiations, is leading a Finance Working Group.

The Africa Working Group is co-convened by the AfDB and the African Union, and the Asia-Pacific group is coordinated by the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific.

The International Energy Agency and the International Renewable Energy Agency are actively involved, as are the ASEAN Energy Centre in Southeast Asia and the SAARC Energy Centre in South Asia.

“One Sun One World One Grid” is a favourite phrase of Modi.

In their One Sun Declaration the national leaders say, “all the energy humanity uses in a year is equal to the energy that reaches the earth from the sun in a single hour. The sun never sets — every hour, half the planet is bathed in sunshine. By trading energy from sun, wind and water across borders, we can deliver more than enough clean energy to meet the needs of everyone on earth”.

In addition to large-scale solar and wind power connected through international grids, the One Sun Declaration highlights the need for investment in solar minigrids for remote villages, smart charging for electric vehicles to help balance green grids, and new financial instruments to attract low-cost capital into clean energy.

Mahindra, whose company is a major car manufacturer and solar developer, said: “Nothing could be more urgent than to accelerate the shift to clean energy and electric transport around the world. Companies like ours need to partner with legislators, governments and international organisations to step up the pace. We will be an active participant in the Green Grids Initiative.”

Former British environment minister Barry Gardiner, whose long-standing personal friendship with Prime Minister Modi played an important role in convening the initiative, said: “In an interconnected world it makes no sense that governments continue to fixate on energy independence. A global green grid will make it possible for power generated anywhere to be utilised everywhere.

“It is cooperation on a global scale to utilise the renewable resources of water, wind and sun and to trade each country’s surplus to where it is required. This is an international political vision equal to the climate challenge we face.”

ALSO READ-One Sun One World One Grid: Biggest-Ever Coalition For Green Energy

READ MORE-‘World Has Ability to Build Clean Energy Future’

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-Top News Environment

Energy crisis hits 1.5 million UK customers

The regulator’s price cap also limits how much firms can charge. But providers have complained that they are unable to pass on rising costs to customers because of the cap on energy bills…reports Asian Lite News.

Around 1.5 million UK customers have been affected by energy firms collapsing under soaring gas prices, media reported.

Avro Energy and Green ceased trading on Wednesday and their 830,000 combined customers face being switched to a new, potentially more expensive, provider, the BBC reported.

All affected customers will still receive energy while a new supplier is appointed by watchdog Ofgem.

Neil Lawrence, director of retail at Ofgem, said its “number one priority is to protect customers.”

The regulator’s price cap also limits how much firms can charge. But providers have complained that they are unable to pass on rising costs to customers because of the cap on energy bills.

Since wholesale gas prices have started to spike, a number of firms have collapsed.

People’s Energy, Utility Point, PfP Energy and MoneyPlus Energy ceased trading in September. These smaller companies, including Avro Energy and Green Supplier Limited, account for more than five per cent of the UK energy market – about 1.5 million customers, according to the report.

Earlier, Business and Energy Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng and Ofgem chief executive Jonathan Brearley  We have said that this is not an issue of supply – “the United Kingdom benefits from having a diverse range of gas supply sources with capacity that can more than meet demand.”

“In the event an energy supplier fails, we are committed that consumers face the least amount of disruption possible – and there are clear and well-established processes in place to ensuring this is the case,” a joint statement from government and Ofgal read.

“In the coming days, we will also meet with smaller and challenger energy suppliers and set out the next steps for protecting consumers, businesses and energy suppliers from these global prices rises. Central to any next steps is our clear and agreed position that the Energy Price Cap will remain in place,” it added.

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Arab News Sharjah Technology

An Innovation for Energy Storage Solutions

Sharjah Sustainable City is the first community to demonstrate energy storage solutions in the region

Sharjah Sustainable City (SSC) has taken an initiative for a global movement towards sustainable living, promoting a lifestyle that is compatible with the future…reports Asian Lite News

Sharjah Sustainable City, a fully sustainable community by the Sharjah Investment and Development Authority (Shurooq) and Diamond Developers, will be the first community in the region to give residents access to a renewable energy storage solution. The move comes after SEE Institute, the research and development arm in The Sustainable City entered into a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Hager Group, an international company specialised in renewable energy storage. The agreement, of which Sharjah Sustainable City is the first beneficiary, formalizes an ongoing relationship with the German-based company to test and deploy the latest technologies and innovations in demand management and smart energy solutions.

Sharjah Sustainable City is the first community to demonstrate energy storage solutions in the region

The partnership with Hager Group is aligned with the wider brand -The Sustainable City, which supports innovation through pilot programmes, prototype testing as well as helping to present complex solutions in a real-life context. Sharjah Sustainable City retains an agile and ever evolving outlook towards a low carbon future and is committed to promoting the transfer of sustainability know-how. Hager Group offers varied energy solutions such as battery storage, EV charging stations (EEBUS) as well as energy management systems that allow users to control and balance different energy sources and loads.

Yousef Ahmed Al-Mutawa, Chief Executive Officer of Sharjah Sustainable City said: “We prioritise innovation and leverage the smartest technologies to drive efficiencies across all our sustainability targets. Renewable energy is one of the biggest contributors towards achieving net zero carbon and this partnership with Hager Group will allow us to reach the highest possible energy efficiencies and the lowest energy intensities in our development. Sharjah Sustainable City is proud to be the first beneficiaries of this MoU signed by SEE Institute, our invaluable knowledge hub.”

ALSO READ: ADFD hailed for playing key role in sustainable development

Torsten Hager, Future Energy Solutions International Corporate Strategy Director Hager Group said: “To reach the global targets of carbon neutrality and to realise a sustainable renewable energy supply, we need to integrate energy storage systems and management to control devices.

Our partnership with Sharjah Sustainable City will allow us to demonstrate together new innovative solutions, which will shape the future of sustainable buildings.”

Sharjah Sustainable City aims to be a leader in shaping the way towards a cleaner and greener world. Partnerships and knowledge sharing are key components towards this goal as well as piloting prototypes and testing new ideas. The MoU with Hager Group is only one example of the many ways The Sustainable City projects are building ties all over the world, therefore creating a ripple effect of climate actions, leading the way towards sustainable living.

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-Top News UAE News

World Future Energy Summit back in Abu Dhabi next year

The summit will host exhibitions and forums across clean energy and sustainability: Energy, Water, Solar, EcoWASTE, Smart Cities and Climate & Environment….reports Asian Lite News

World Future Energy Summit, part of Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week, has signed key stakeholder agreements with the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure, Bee’ah and EDF Renewables.

The event, which provides a platform to showcase clean energy and sustainable projects, initiatives and developments for the Middle East – will be held in Abu Dhabi’s National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC) as part of Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week, hosted by Masdar, from 17th-19th January 2022.

The summit will host exhibitions and forums across clean energy and sustainability: Energy, Water, Solar, EcoWASTE, Smart Cities and Climate & Environment.

It will also host Climate Innovations Exchange which connects global start-ups to investors, and a dedicated Sustainability Business Connect programme to help connect exhibitors to qualified buyers from the Middle East and North Africa looking for technology and services for their projects.

  • @WFES

“The UAE has set itself some seriously ambitious medium- and long-term environmental targets and put in motion a strategic plan which will facilitate clean power generation and increased energy efficiency while catering for our fast economic growth,” said Suhail bin Mohammed Al Mazrouei, Minister of Energy and Infrastructure.

“Despite the challenges, we are already making significant progress as we work to achieve the goals outlined in the UAE National Energy Strategy 2050. The enormous investments we are now witnessing in clean energy, energy efficiency, carbon reduction and sustainable, secure water supplies provide a clear path for the UAE’s future development as a global force for driving sustainability.”

  • @WFES

According to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), by the year 2050, sustainably produced electricity will have become the world’s most important energy carrier.

Electricity’s share of final energy use is forecast to increase from 21 percent today to 60 percent in 2050, a three-fold rise achievable through significant efforts to electrify our economies.

Current government plans call for $98 trillion of energy system investment in the coming three decades, yet IRENA’s ‘1.5oC scenario’ requires an additional $33 trillion related to energy transition over the planned investments and a significant redirection of money from fossil fuels into green assets.

Khaled Al Huraimel, Group CEO of Bee’ah, said that exhibiting at the World Future Energy Summit will provide a timely platform to highlight initiatives that drive progress towards a circular economy.

“We have been developing clean energy projects In the Middle East for over 25 years, actively strengthening our leading ambition,” commented Laurent Clement, CEO and Managing Director of EDF Middle East.

“Building a net-zero energy future with electricity and innovative solutions and services is EDF’s purpose, its “raison d’être”. It is a privilege for us to bring our vast experience and technologies to this world-leading event in the UAE’s capital.

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