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March 20, 2014
A pan European supergrid could play a major role in helping the European Union achieve an ambitious 45 percent share of renewable energy by 2030, according to a new report from Greenpeace.
The report, based on analysis by Energynautics, sets out a case for a supergrid that could save European member states from wasting billions of pounds a year accrued by switching off wind and solar farms when demand is too high.
Using data from the International Energy Agency, the report models three potential scenarios out to 2030 that examine how much countries could integrate their national energy markets. It found that renewable energy could be installed extensively and cheaply across the bloc if it could be traded easily across member states.
Read more at Business Green.
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March 17, 2014
TripAdvisor is extending its GreenLeaders program, which highlights hotels and B&Bs engaging in environmentally friendly practices into 19 new markets. GreenLeaders has grown quickly in the US and it now plans to take the program into Canada and Europe, including the UK, Ireland, Germany, France, Italy and Spain.
The hotel ratings site launched GreenLeaders in April 2013, following consultation with the United Nations Environment Programme, the US Green Building Council, Energy Star, and the International Center for Responsible Tourism Canada. The company has since awarded the status to over 3,700 hotels and B&Bs, ranging from small, independent establishments to multinational brands including Marriott International, Hilton Worldwide, Select Regency and Coast Hotels.
TripAdvisor says GreenLeaders is the largest national green hotel program that directly assesses eco-friendly practices. It assesses each application it receives against environmental criteria including recycling and composting, renewable energy use, electric car charging and green roofing.
Read more at Environmental Leader.
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March 7, 2014
Countries that have begun to embrace a green economy approach say that they realize a fundamental change in national planning and investment is required to reach their sustainable development and poverty eradication ambitions.
More than 450 participants from 66 countries ? including 27 ministers ? presented their national perspectives at the first global conference on the Partnership for Action on Green Economy (PAGE), an initiative led by the United Nations to support countries making the transition to an inclusive, low-carbon and resource-efficient economy.
The Minister of Environment and Water of the United Arab Emirates, Rashid Ahmed Bin Fahad, who hosted the two-day event said: “Fundamental change in terms of attitudes, behaviors and partnerships are required. Business as usual is not an option. While each country must forge its own green economy pathway, based on its own national priorities and natural assets, sharing these different approaches will help to distill the lessons and good practices, and encourage other countries to embark on this journey.”
The PAGE initiative was launched last year after the Rio+20 global summit on sustainable development called on the United Nations to support countries in their transition to greener and inclusive economies. The initiative is supported by Friends of PAGE, a group of countries committed to supporting nations seeking assistance to transform their economies.
Read more at UNEP News Centre.
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March 4, 2014
The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) unveiled the long-awaited vehicle emissions standards, confirming plans to slash the sulfur content of fuel and reduce smog across the country.
The agency released its so-called Tier 3 emissions standards, which are due to come into effect for cars and light trucks from 2017 in line with greenhouse gas emissions standards and are designed to cover air pollution-causing tailpipe emissions. The EPA said the rules would cut sulfur emissions by more than 60 percent, down from 30 to 10 parts per million (ppm) by 2017, resulting in huge economic and health benefits.
The rules are the latest phase in the Obama administration’s push to slash greenhouse gas emissions and improve air quality across the US. The EPA reiterated that the vehicle greenhouse gas emission standards that are due to come into effect from 2017 will result in average fuel savings of more than $8,000 by 2025 over a vehicles lifetime.
Read more at Business Green.
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March 4, 2014
Countries such as Burkina Faso, Peru, Mauritius, Mongolia, and Sengal are set to boost their economies through a shift of investment and policies towards a new generation of assets that include clean technologies and resource efficient infrastructure, green skilled labor, well-functioning ecosystems, and good governance. Such a transformation, supported by the UN-led Partnership for Action on a Green Economy (PAGE), will pay significant dividends in social, environmental and economic terms. PAGE aims to extend its support to a total of 30 countries by 2020.
Achim Steiner, UN Under-Secretary-General and Executive Directore of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), said: “The Partnership for Action on Green Economy has the potential to help countries improve human well-being and social equity, while significantly reducing environmental risks and ecological scarcities in line with their own national development priorities. Growth in income and employment would be driven by public and private investment that reduces carbon emissions and pollution, enhances energy and resource efficiency, and prevent the loss of biodiversity and ecosystem services”
Read more at UNEP News Centre.
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March 3, 2014
The World Green Building Council (WorldGBC) is launching a global project to help define the health and productivity benefits of green office buildings. The group says the business benefits of greener, healthier buildings are being recognized by the real estate sector. The WorldGBC’s project aims to define a common method to capturing these benefits, and to provide best practice guidance on the type of green building features ? such as daylighting, ventilation and indoor office environments ? that enhance them.
Read more at Environmental Leader.
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