Nature-Based Solutions Should Play Increased Role in Tackling Climate Change

16.04.2021

zgrada - arhitektura - green building — Foto-ilustracija: Pixabay

Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Grant Ritchie)

Climate change, biodiversity loss and degradation of ecosystems are linked and all have devastating consequences for our economic and social stability, health and well-being.

Working with nature is increasingly recognised as an efficient way to tackle these growing challenges, according the new EEA report “Nature-based solutions in Europe: Policy, knowledge and practice for climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction”.

The EEA report provides up-to-date information for policymakers on the how to apply nature-based solutions for climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction and at the same time making use of multiple societal benefits that these solutions can bring. Drawing on selected examples across Europe, the report shows how impacts of extreme weather and climate-related events are already tackled in this way. It also assesses global and European policies and how nature-based solutions are increasingly being integrated in the efforts to shift towards sustainable development.

The EU’s 2030 biodiversity strategy, a key pillar of the European Green Deal, includes a nature restoration plan that can boost the uptake of nature-based solutions. Nature-based solutions are also highlighted in the EU strategy on adaptation to climate change that was recently adopted by the European Commission.

How nature can protect us

Many countries are already restoring nature in river valleys and uplands to reduce downstream flooding risks. In coastal regions, natural vegetation helps to stabilise coastlines, while re-forestation is increasingly used for storing carbon. Nature is also brought back into cities by greening urban spaces or reopening old canals or rivers, which increases resilience to heatwaves and brings additional health and wellbeing benefits. Despite their increasing prominence, nature-based solutions could be mainstreamed further, the report notes.

Other key findings of the report

-An EU-wide mapping of existing and potential nature-based solutions can help to identify priority areas for enhancing ecosystem services and addressing climate change and biodiversity loss concerns.

-Agreed standards, quantitative targets, measurable indicators and evaluation tools for nature-based solutions at EU level can help to assess progress, effectiveness and multiple benefits.

-As nature-based solutions depend on healthy ecosystems, which are themselves vulnerable to climate change, their potential for climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction may decline in the future.

-Stakeholder involvement, dialogue and co-design of tools and measures are key to increase awareness, to resolve potential stakeholders’ conflicts and to create social acceptance and demand for nature-based solutions.

-Further implementation of nature-based solutions to climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction in Europe requires development of technical standards, increased knowledge of potential trade-offs, collaborative governance, capacity building and sufficient funding.

Source: EEA

This Is How CO2 Can Be Transformed Into Food for Animals

15.04.2021

krava_stočarstvo — Foto-ilustracija: Unsplash (Alex Azabache)

Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Angelina Litvin)

A British biotechnology start-up is converting industrial greenhouses gases into protein for animal fodder. The company uses a process it says can help to feed the world’s growing population while simultaneously being sustainable.

Deep Branch uses micro-organisms to synthesize carbon dioxide (CO2), the main climate-warming greenhouse gas, into a protein-rich powder.

This can be used in livestock feed, enabling farmers to reduce their reliance on traditional ingredients such as soy and fishmeal. These consume huge amounts of land and fish stocks that can instead be utilized to produce food for the growing population of humans.

“We face two big issues: how do we reduce CO2 and how do we provide more food in a sustainable manner,” says Deep Branch chief executive and co-founder Pete Rowe. “But what if you could solve two problems in one – what if you could use carbon to produce food?”

Deep Branch, which was formed in 2018, calls its protein product Proton.

It has signed a deal to use CO2 captured at the power plants of British energy giant Drax. Deep Branch estimates Proton can be produced with 90 percent less carbon than alternative protein sources. And from a single production site, its technology would sequester as much CO2 as 300,000 cars emit from their exhausts in a year.

Keeping up with a growing population

The company is among start-ups that are searching for ways to boost food production and nutrition security for a population that’s expected to grow to almost ten billion by 2050, according to the United Nations.

But the researchers don’t expect current food production technology to keep up the pace. The challenge is to increase food yields in a way that doesn’t worsen the already high emissions of the food production industry.

Agriculture contributes around a quarter of all greenhouse gases, according to ScienceMag.org.

Livestock farming is by far the least efficient form of food production in terms of its impact on the environment and the amount of nutrition it produces.

Beef farming, for instance, produces 60kg of CO2-equivalents per kilogram of meat, while pea production emits just 1kg.

Despite this, meat demand is expected to double in the next 30 years, Rowe said.

Circular economy pioneers

Deep Branch recognizes that protein diversification – the promotion of other forms of protein nutrition besides meat – will relieve pressure on natural resources. That’s one of the reasons the company has been accepted into The Circulars Accelerator initiative, which is backed by the World Economic Forum.

The accelerator is a collaboration with UpLink, the World Economic Forum’s innovation crowdsourcing platform, and is led by professional services company Accenture in partnership with Anglo American, Ecolab, and Schneider Electric.

UpLink is a crowdsourcing network that helps firms develop and commercialize innovations that contribute to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.

Among the companies working towards a circular economy are Indian tech firm Recykal, which is using cloud computing and mobile apps to coordinate recycling initiatives in India; and Hello Tractor, which is using technology to connect farmers in Africa with owners of tractors and other machinery to help them till their land more productively.

Source: World Economic Forum

Digitalization of Cities and Buildings Will Contribute to Resolving of the Climate Change Problem

14.04.2021

EcoStruxure Building lobby — Fotografija: Schneider Electric

We cannot solve the climate change problem without the transformation of cities and buildings.

Up to 70 per cent of the global emissions of greenhouse gases come from cities, while the share of buildings within that number is around 40 or even 50 per cent.

The issue is becoming even more complicated due to the fact that the urbanization rate till 2050 will reach 68 per cent, and that is a significant raise concerning actual 55 per cent of a total number of people living today in cities worldwide.

The digitalization will be the key transformation driver.

According to the Paris Agreement, by 2050, all buildings have to be net zero-carbon emission and to achieve that goal, a few major standards will have to be applied.

The buildings ultra-efficiency is attained by reduction of the energy sources consumption by approximately three times, their complete electrification, while the systems in the building must be ready to rely on renewable energy sources and to work with flexible energy sources located in the building and connected with up-to-date and digitalized networks, to increase the total efficiency of the system.

In focus:

Additionally, the combination of the efficient, completely electrified and digitalized distribution networks, greater usage of distributed energy production, investment in energy storage and electromobility, will be accommodating in management and control of energy demands. The grids’ complete digitalization will improve the cities’ total energy demands through automatization and notification in real time.

The digitalized networks will also foster the integration of renewable energy sources into the system and facilitate the transition to electromobility and distribution of the batteries for energy storage and EV charging.

The facility that is the symbol of this ultra-efficient electric and digital future of the cities is T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, the joint project of the companies AEG and MGM Resorts International, in cooperation with Schneider Electric.

Having the LEED Gold certificate, T-Mobile Arena uses the Schneider Electric’s EcoStruxure platform in the whole building to establish the complete digital connection and continual control. Having been open for twelve months, T-Mobile Arena has saved 18 per cent of electricity, and this building stands for the sustainability model we should be following.

You can read the article in the new issue of the Energy portal Magazine SMART CITIES, december 2020 – february 2021.

How Many Lives Will Tesla Full Self Driving Save?

13.04.2021

tesla-električni-punjač — Foto-ilustracija: Pixabay

Like some other automobiles, the Tesla Model 3 I drive will automatically fake rumble if I start to go out of the lane. It’s a nifty little safety feature. There are times when the car will also beep loudly at me — if it thinks I’m driving into a dangerous situation.

Let’s be honest, though — these kinds of subtle warnings and heart-shocking alerts can only go so far in preventing accidents.

Whole Mars Catalog recently brought my attention back to the topic of “drowsy driving,” something we wrote about back in September 2019. The numbers are mind blowing, even if you’ve seen them before.

According to a study from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, nearly 330,000 car accidents a year occur in the United States due to sleepy drivers. 109.000 accidents result in an injury and 6.400 result in a fatality.

The estimated cost, according to the study’s assumptions for the cost of injuries and premature deaths but not even touching property damage, is 109 billion dollars.

Official figures are much lower, but still shocking. However, the study authors note that, for a variety of reasons, drowsy driving is probably severely under-reported. It estimates there are 350 percent more fatalities linked to drowsy driving than reported.

The official figures from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) are: ~100.000 crashes, ~71.000 injuries, and ~1.550 fatalities per year. Even if those aren’t huge underestimates, the numbers are staggering.

Tesla Full Self Driving (FSD), after it advances a bit further in the next two–three years, won’t be perfect and will result in more than 0 crashes, but imagine how many crashes and injuries it will prevent, and how many lives it will save, simply by taking the driving out of the hands of sleepy drivers.

Even without addressing DUI, careless driving, and driving while texting, the number of lives Tesla FSD could help just by addressing the problem of sleepy drivers is very high.

According to another study, “An estimated 1 in 25 adult drivers (aged 18 or older) report having fallen asleep while driving in the previous 30 days.” According to yet another study, “You are three times more likely to be in a car crash if you are fatigued.”

Anyway, the point is clear: don’t sleep and drive. The broader point, though, is one that should probably be highlighted a bit more: don’t sleep and write. Oh, whoops, no. The point is that Tesla Full Self Driving could save a lot of tragedy and a lot of lives once it’s a bit more developed and rolled out to many more people. (I’m waiting.) If it reaches robotaxi levels, the benefits are incomprehensibly large.

Even just the current beta system rolled out to a lot more drivers would be a gigantic benefit, though, and if Tesla is indeed tracking people’s faces, Tesla could also take the extra precaution of making its cars beep loudly if it thinks the driver is falling asleep or has fallen asleep.

Until robotaxi levels, Tesla should be extra cautious with its systems to make sure drivers remain attentive. However, even at current FSD levels, Tesla vehicles can surely prevent so many accidents.

Continue reading on CleanTechnica

Autor: Zachary Shahan

How Technology Helped Serbia Save 180 Million Sheets of Paper in Less Than Four Years

13.04.2021

paper_old_paper — Foto-ilustracija: Pixabay

Digitalization and e-governance can seem like abstract concepts.

But, in a session at the World Economic Forum’s Global Technology Governance Summit, Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabić gave an example of how going virtual can have a real-world impact.

Saving paper, trees, water and electricity

Brnabić explained how digitalization has become central to everything the country’s government is trying to achieve.

This has included a shift to e-governance in order to make government ‘fully citizen-centric’, she explained. But the benefits have extended beyond efficiency and increased transparency.

Since the introduction of electronic services began on 1 June, 2017, the government has saved more than 180 million pieces of A4 paper, Brnabić told the Leading Industry Transformation session.

“That means we’ve saved 900 tonnes of paper, which is 18,000 trees, which is more than 76 million litres of water, which is more than 6,000 megawatt hours of electricity“, she explained.

And that’s just ‘small Serbia‘, she adds. Imagine what would happen, and the impact on the planet, if larger countries followed suit.

This focus on digitalization also helped the country navigate the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic – with education a particular success story as children were able to switch to online learning.

The energy implications of data

Of course, shifting paperwork online isn’t without its own environmental concerns.

Pre-pandemic research suggests that data centres use an estimated 200 terawatt hours of energy each year – just 1 percent of global electricity demand, but more than the energy consumption of some countries. And, this usage is only set to increase. One model suggests that electricity use by ICT could exceed 20 percent of the global total by the end of the decade.

But, organizations like Amazon Web Services and Facebook are working to improve the sustainability of their data centres, including increased use of renewable energy to power them.

So, e-governance might not only be more convenient and efficient, it could also help you save the planet, one sheet of A4 at a time.

Source: World Economic Forum

Cleaning Up After Water Pollution

11.04.2021

ptica voda zagađenje bird water pollution — Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Tim Mossholder)

It is very difficult to reverse the effects of water pollution. Natural processes that cleanse the water can take years, decades, or even centuries, and even with costly technological processes, it can take years to remove all of the harmful substances from the water.

There are two aspects of the contamination that must be removed. First, and most importantly, the source of the water pollution must be removed, so that additional water contamination does not occur.

How can the pollution source be removed?

Removing pollution sources occurs in a number of ways, depending on the source (and whether the pollution originates from a point source or a non-point source), and the type of pollution. Removing the source can be as easy as digging up a leaking oil tank or as difficult as legislating controls on a toxic substance.

Unfortunately, industrial and agricultural pollution practices are generally not minimized until government regulations are developed to set limits on air and effluent emissions. The regulations typically determine the amount of pollutants that can be emitted, as well as how and where wastes may be disposed of.

Air stripping

Air stripping is a method that uses air to remove contaminants from water. This process can effectively remove chemicals that evaporate easily, including fuels and solvents. Contaminated water is pumped through a large chamber, where it is sprayed over packing material. The packing material allows the water to slowly trickle to the bottom of the tank.

At the same time, a fan blows air upwards, which causes the chemicals to evaporate out of the water. The chemicals are collected at the top of the tank, and treated, so that they cannot cause further pollution.

Activated carbon filtration

Another process that is commonly used to remove pollutants from water is filtration through activated carbon filters. This method can remove fuel, PCBs, dioxins and radioactive wastes. The polluted water is sent through columns of activated carbon; the chemicals stick, or sorb, to the surface and within the pores of the granules, and the clean water flows through. Many people are familiar with activated carbon filters, as these comprise most tap water filters and fish tank filters.

Bioremediation

Bioremediation is a process that uses microorganisms that are naturally found in the soil, to digest contaminants in soil and water, including the chemicals that are found in gas and oil spills. As shown in the diagram below, the microorganisms digest the chemicals, and convert them to water and harmless gases, such as carbon dioxide.

Phytoremediation

Phytoremediation is a process that uses the roots of plants and trees to remove pollutants, such as metals, pesticides and oil, from soil and water. Trees can remove contaminants that are in deep aquifers, because the roots reach much further than those of small plants.

When the roots of plants take in water and nutrients, they also take in the chemicals and store them in their roots, stems and leaves.

The plants can then convert the chemicals into gases that are released into the air as the plant transpires, or breathes. Or, the chemicals can stick, or sorb, to the plant roots; in this case, the chemicals are removed from the water or soil only when the plant is removed.

A further benefit of phytoremediation is that plants and trees help to prevent further contamination by minimizing runoff and erosion. There is concern, however, about the impact that the plants could have on the ecosystem, as animals feed on plants containing concentrated amounts of toxic chemicals.

Chemical oxidation

Chemcial oxidation is a process that uses oxidants to convert harmful chemicals, such as fuels, solvents and pesticides, into less harmful chemicals, such as water and carbon dioxide. The most commonly used oxidants are hydrogen peroxide and potassium permanganate, which are liquids.

Ozone, which is a gas, can also be used, but it is more difficult to contain than liquids. To apply chemical oxidation to a groundwater source, wells are drilled and the oxidant is pumped in. Often, two wells are dug, so that the water can be circulated, as is shown in the diagram to the right. This ensures that the oxidant is able to be evenly mixed in the water, and remove the majority of the contaminants.

Source: Safe Drinking Water Foundation

Secretariat Welcomes European Parliament’s Resolutions on Enlargement Progress Reports

10.04.2021

Eu, Evropski parlament, Evropa, Evropska Unija — Foto-ilustracija: Pixabay

The European Parliament has recently adopted resolutions on the 2019-2020 Commission enlargement progress reports on Albania, Kosovo*, North Macedonia and Serbia. On the basis of the Secretariat’s expert input in the drafting phase, the Parliament stressed the need for continued reforms in line with Energy Community obligations for creating a competitive internal energy market and achieving the decarbonization commitments of the Sofia Declaration on the Green Agenda for the Western Balkans. The Contracting Parties were encouraged to actively participate in the implementation of the European Green Deal in particular by introducing a carbon price, removing non-compliant fossil fuel subsidies and phasing-out coal as well as adopting integrated National Energy and Climate Plans.

Director Kopač said: “The voice of the European Parliament – as the EU’s democratically elected institution – is particularly important in recognizing the achievements of the Contracting Parties and reminding them of the legal obligations related to European integration. The Secretariat stands ready to continue supporting the European Parliament and working together towards a carbon neutral Western Balkans and Eastern Partnership region.”

The European Parliament is expected to adopt its resolutions on Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro at one of its upcoming Plenary sessions.

Source: Energy Community

What the Law on Energy Efficiency and Rational Use of Energy Brings

09.04.2021

Photo-illustration: Unspash (Nazrin B-va)

Recently, the Government of the Republic of Serbia has adopted four draft laws, among them the Draft Law on Energy Efficiency and Rational Use of Energy.

The aim of enacting this law is to achieve energy savings, security of energy supply, reduce the impact of the energy sector on the environment and climate change, and contribute to the sustainable use of natural and other resources.

The Draft Law, among other things, envisages the establishment of the Directorate for Financing and Encouraging Energy Efficiency within the Ministry of Mining and Energy instead of the previous Budget Fund for Improving Energy Efficiency.

The establishment of the Directorate will also enable the attraction of EU grants, and the funds of international financial institutions to increase energy efficiency, and it is especially important that the funds will be available to citizens.

As previously announced, the Directorate will be formed by June at the latest and will have a fund of 15 million euros at its disposal. These funds will be used to reduce energy waste in households.

When it comes to the Draft Law on Renewable Energy Sources, it should enable new investments in renewable energy sources and increase the share of renewable energy sources in total energy production.

The implementation of the law will ensure the protection of the environment, the fight against climate change, the reduction of costs for citizens, the energy transition, as well as the simplification and acceleration of procedures.

Among other things, the new law introduces market premiums instead of the current feed-in tariffs, which are retained only for small plants and demonstration projects, in accordance with EU state aid rules.

The new incentive system will expose producers to the impact of the market and competition, reducing costs for citizens and the economy while providing a stable and predictable legal framework for investors.

The category of the buyer-producer is introduced so the electricity buyers can now produce electricity, from solar panels on their roofs, for their needs and deliver the surplus electricity to the network and reduce the bill for consumed electricity.

The members of the Government adopted the Draft Law on Amendments to the Law on Energy, which will enable this area to be harmonized with the EU acquis.

Amendments to the existing law will ensure the security of supply and supply of energy and energy sources of the Republic of Serbia, the

protection of the interests of all market participants, and the increase of competition.

At the same time, conditions will be created for further development and functioning of the organized electricity market, for improving transparency and protection of competition and non-discriminatory behavior.

Also, the amendments to the law introduce, among other things, the concept of an energy-endangered buyer of thermal energy.

During the session, Draft Law on Amendments to the Law on Mining and Geological Research was also adopted, which creates conditions for more efficient management of mineral and other geological resources of the Republic of Serbia and the increase in investments in geological research and mining, ie. the increase in the share of the mining sector in GDP.

The law provides for the shortening of certain procedures and time for obtaining approval for research and creates a legal basis for the establishment of eMining in accordance with the regulations governing electronic business.

Energy portal

AFD Approves EUR 50 mln to Support Serbia’s Reform Agenda on Climate Change

09.04.2021

climate-change-klimatske promene — Photo-illustration: Pixabay

The French Development Agency (AFD) Foreign States Committee has approved on Wednesday the first phase of a Public Policy Loan program to support Serbia’s reform agenda on climate change. Under this program comprising in its initial 2-year phase a 50 million euros loan and a 500,000 euros grant, the Government of Serbia will benefit from the financial and technical support of AFD to support transition to low carbon development pathways and achieve green growth.

Policy actions and activities embedded in the program are based on the roadmap defined in the Law on Climate Change adopted by the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia on March 18. By establishing a reference framework for the adoption of measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and support the resilience of the different sectors of the Serbian economy to climate change, the Law provides the legal basis for the implementation of the country’s climate action commitments under the Paris Agreement.

“Through this program, which is the result of joint initiative developed with the World Bank, AFD demonstrates its commitment to support Serbia in carrying out its climate policy roadmap and establish a favorable institutional setting to enhance the development of climate-resilient and green infrastructures at the national and local levels, delivering concrete and meaningful outcomes for the population”, said Dominique Hautbergue, AFD Head of Western Balkans Regional Office.

“This program is also part of the commitment undertaken by France to support Serbia’s reforms in view of EU accession. The adoption of the Law on Climate Change is an important step forward contributing to this roadmap, which we are proud to support”.

“As part of this initiative, AFD will continue to work with the authorities to mobilize additional financial support and expertise to foster this positive dynamic of reforms, in all sectors covered under the EU’s Green Deal and the Green Agenda for the Western Balkans”.

Source: French Development Agency

The First Green Garage Opened in Kragujevac

07.04.2021

Parking garaza-Kragujevac — Foto: JKP „Šumadija Kragujevac“

Green Garage is located in Kneza Milosa Street in Kragujevac and covers more than 7,000 square meters. There are 200 parking spaces available to drivers;10 out of them are reserved for people with disabilities, and 12 for motorcycles. Electric car drivers can relax – 3 places in this garage are provided for charging electric cars.

A 74-kW solar power plant is installed on the public garage roof and consists of 260 polycrystalline photovoltaic panels with an individual power of 285 W. The electricity produced by this solar power plant will be used to power the building, while the excess energy will be stored in 100 kWh batteries. A system consisting of 48 batteries has been installed for the purpose of storing excess energy.

Thanks to the expert team of the company MT-KOMEX, the public garage in Kragujevac will be fully supplied with its energy, which means that it will use completely free and unlimited solar energy, with zero carbon dioxide emissions. Air pollution and climate change have become part of our daily lives, so every turn towards clean and renewable energy sources is very important. If you are striving for a socially responsible business in achieving your goal, the skillful team of MT-KOMEX can help you. To keep up with world trends MT-KOMEX engineers and installers have undergone various specialization training for assembly, construction and installation work.

In focus:

Numerous projects for the construction of small hydropower, gas and solar power plants speak on their behalf. So far, they have built and delivered more than 30 solar power plants, with more than 8 MW of installed capacity. MT-KOMEX can be said to be a pioneer when it comes to installing chargers for electric cars. MT-KOMEX engineers are trained to install chargers, both in smaller residential and business units and in larger facilities with more demanding infrastructure.

Strategic partnerships with Schneider Electric and ABB, two global leaders in electric car chargers, show that good and quality work is highly valued. But, the expert team of the company MT-KOMEX did not stop only at the installation of the charger, but they also worked on the design of solar canopies with a charger for electric cars. Solar canopies are the ideal solution if you want a fully renewable energy source to power your vehicle. So far, they have been installed in Belgrade, in front of the administrative building of ProCredit Bank, in business parking lots in Pancevo, Kladovo and Stari Banovci.

The leading men of MT-KOMEX realized that electric car chargers must be connected in one integral set for drivers to find a place to recharge their vehicle quickly and easily. As the crown of all their efforts, the charge&GO system was launched this summer, which will be a real synonym for traffic electrification in Serbia in the future. It is already a major help to electric car drivers today. For all those who may not have heard of this platform, the charge&GO system for charging for the use of electric car charging points with its charger network that allows easy access to chargers not only via platform or QR code on the charger but also using the charge&GO mobile app available on Google Play and the Apple Store.

This article was published in the new issue of the Energy portal Magazine SMART CITIES, december 2020 – february 2021.

US Targets 30,000 Megawatts Of Offshore Wind, and How We Get There

06.04.2021

Foto-ilustracija: Unsplash (Shaun Dakin)

The Biden administration has just set a goal of 30.000 megawatts of US offshore wind by 2030. and that’s got me thinking about the pieces that need to come together to make that possible. And there sure are a lot of them. The good news is that there’s positive movement with a whole lot of those pieces.

In terms of what it’ll take to get to 30.000 megawatts (MW) as fast as possible, here’s what I’m thinking about: Robust demand for those clean electrons. A solid leasing and permitting process to allow good project proposals to proceed. Solid infrastructure to get parts, people, and power where they need to be. Continued technological innovation for even greater affordability and efficiency. And an approach that does right by people from start to finish.

The Biden administration’s effort is a multi-pronged push to “jumpstart” offshore wind in the US, with the push at the federal level involving the Departments of Interior, Energy, Commerce, and Transportation, plus members of the administration’s climate team. That’s important.

But there’s also a whole lot that needs to happen at local and regional levels, and a lot that already is. Here’s how things look in a few key areas.

Demand for offshore wind: States in the lead

Surprising to say, but demand is increasingly seeming like the easy part of all this, thanks to incredible state leadership. Starting with commitments like Massachusetts’s in 2016. (1.600 MW of offshore wind by 2030.), states have been outdoing each other over and over to attract offshore wind. They’re doing that for not just the megawatt-hours of clean electricity that offshore wind offers, but all the job creation, economic development, and increasingly attractive prices that come with it. (And there’s this breaking news: a new Massachusetts climate law ups that state’s offshore wind target yet again.)

The 30.000 MW in the new Biden plan are approximately what state commitments — statutory requirements, actual contracts, or both — add up to. But getting all that offshore wind installed by 2030. will require even faster progress than envisioned in some of those states.

The where and how: Offshore wind leasing and permitting

Part of getting there quickly and sensibly is making sure we have well thought-out places to put the turbines. The administration’s announcement includes a commitment to move toward identifying a new offshore wind leasing area in the waters off Long Island and New Jersey, to help in meeting the Tri-State area’s clean power needs.

Another piece is making sure that proposed projects are well designed, and avoid, minimize, and compensate for (in that order) harms. The federal government’s role in that includes conducting timely and thorough environmental reviews, and we were encouraged by the release earlier this month of the final environmental impact statement for the first large-scale US offshore wind farm, and progress in reviewing a second.

This week’s announcement includes the next steps in the environmental review of the next big offshore wind project in the queue, an expectation of starting the reviews of up to 10 more this year, and 16 completed reviews by 2025. It also mentions protecting biodiversity and “partnering with industry on data-sharing … to fill gaps in ocean science areas.”

Offshore wind infrastructure: If we build it, they will come

Part of creating a welcoming environment for offshore wind is getting the infrastructure in place, and there are lots of dimensions to that.

Offshore wind is big. Port infrastructure investment is an important piece, since offshore wind turbines involve a lot of very large components (nacelles, blades, tower sections, foundation) that need staging room onshore. States have been preparing through investments and upgrades, as in Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Virginia.
Big turbines need big ships.Or at least special/“purpose-built” ones, to do the hauling and installing. And a federal law, the century-old Jones Act, means we need US-built ships for that. Fortunately, progress on that is underway.
Power needs transmission.Getting the offshore wind power where it’s going involves collecting the electricity in a central location within a wind farm and getting it to shore—no mean feat. But it also involves making sure that the land-based components of the state or regional electricity grid can handle the power across the existing grid.

There’s also the tantalizing prospect of manufacturing. US-made components may start with pieces like the foundations and cabling, but there’s a lot of value in fabricating the big components close to project sites once the scale of activity is large enough.

Source: CleanTechnica

White Paper on the Future of Weather and Climate Forecasting

06.04.2021

thunder-nevreme-munja-grom — Photo-illustration: Pixabay

The advancement of our ability to predict the weather and climate has been the core aspiration of a global community of scientists and practitioners, in the almost 150 years of international cooperation in meteorology and related Earth system sciences.

The demand for weather and climate forecast information in support of critical decision-making has grown rapidly during the last decade and will increase even faster in the coming years. The generation and provision of these services has been revolutionized by supercomputers, satellite and remote sensing technology, smart mobile devices. A growing share in these innovations has come from the private sector. At the same time progress has been hampered by persisting holes in the basic observing system.

In a new White Paper on the Future of Weather and Climate Forecasting, 30 leading experts from the research, operations and education fields therefore analyse the challenges and opportunities and set directions and recommendations for the future.

“Undoubtedly, the 2020s will bring significant changes to the weather, climate and water community: on the one hand through rapid advancement of science and technology, and on the other hand through a swiftly changing landscape of stakeholders with evolving capabilities and roles,” writes WMO Secretary-General Prof. Petteri Taalas.

“Such changes will affect the way weather and climate forecasts are produced and used,” he says.

While National Meteorological and Hydrological Services in all 193 WMO Members are still the public entities designated by governments to provide meteorological and related services, many other providers have entered the weather forecasting business in recent decades, including intergovernmental organizations like ECMWF, private sector companies and academic institutions.

This profound change into multi-stakeholder delivery of weather and climate services is driven by several factors such as: rapidly growing demand for such services from public and private sectors; the open data policy of many public agencies and the technological advancement and affordable solutions for service delivery; and the improved skill of the forecasts, which raises demand and user confidence. As a result, there is now a new era of weather and climate services with many new challenges and opportunities.

In June 2019, WMO launched the Open Consultative Platform (OCP), Partnership and Innovation for the Next Generation of Weather and Climate Intelligence, embracing a community-wide approach with participation of stakeholders from the public and private sectors, as well as academia and civil society. The new White Paper is an output of this consultative platform.

“The White Paper is based on the concept of a weather and climate innovation cycle which is determined to advance prediction services with the aim to improve public safety, quality of life, protect the environment, safeguard economic productivity. This applies across all domains, weather, climate, oceans, hydrology and the land surface, and time span of decisions from minutes and hours, through to weeks, months and even years ahead.” Says Dr Gilbert Brunet, Chair of the WMO Scientific Advisory Panel and lead author and coordinator of the group of prominent scientists and experts worldwide who contributed to the White Paper.

“With appropriate investment in science and technology, and through better PPE, the weather and climate enterprise will meet the increasing stakeholder and customer demands for tailored and seamless weather and climate forecasts. Such improvements will provide significant value to all nations. This paper makes the case that in many ways the PPE will accelerate the desired bridging of the capacity gap in weather and climate service needed for developing countries,” said Dr Brunet.

The White Paper traces the development of the weather enterprise and examines challenges and opportunities in the coming decade. It examines three overarching components of the innovation cycle: infrastructure, research and development, and operation.

Chapters include:

1. Infrastructure for forecasting (observational and high-performance ecosystems; advances through public-private engagement)

2. Science and technology driving advancement of numerical prediction (numerical Earth-system and weather-to-climate prediction; high-resolution global ensembles; quality and diversity of models; innovation through artificial intelligence and machine learning; leveraging through public–private engagement.

3. Operational forecasting: from global to local and urban prediction (computational challenges and cloud technology; verification and quality assurance; further automation of post-processing systems and the evolving role of human forecasters; leveraging through public–private engagement).

4. Acquiring value through weather and climate services (user perspective; forecasts for decision support; bridging between high-impact weather and climate services; education and training).

“The decade 2021–2030 will be the decisive period for realization of the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Most of these goals have links with the changing environment – climate change, water resources and extreme events,” he said.

“The desired outcomes in all areas require enhanced resilience, which is also the main call of the WMO Vision 2030. The advances expected in weather forecasting and climate prediction during this decade will support those ambitious goals by enabling a next generation of weather and climate services that help people, businesses and governments to better mitigate risks, reduce losses, and materialize opportunities from the new intelligence of highly accurate and reliable forecasts and predictions,” says the concluding chapter of the White Paper.

Source: WMO

What Does the World Gain When We Protect Tigers?

05.04.2021

tiger-3264048_1920 tigar — Foto-ilustracija: Pixabay

Tigers are one of the world’s most recognized animals. Throughout history they can be seen in cultural traditions across Asia, as well as in brand images and logos the world over. But while they might be omnipresent across our cultural landscape, their actual existence in the wild has been dramatically reduced to only a few pockets of their historical range. Wild tigers are now found in just 10 countries, their historical range shrunk by over 95 percent.

If tigers completely disappeared, we’d be losing so much more than an iconic species…

Protecting water sources for millions of people

Tiger habitats overlap nine of Asia’s most important watersheds which supply water to more than 800 million people. Protecting these tiger forests is the most cost-effective way to prevent droughts, reduce flooding, and limit the impacts of climate change.

Protected Areas are proven to reduce deforestation and across Asia tigers are the driving force behind creating and effectively managing protected areas. For example, India recently declared its 51^st Tiger Reserve, Srivilliputhur Megamalai, in southern India and this new protected area will safeguard more than 1.000 square kilometers of key river habitat.

Lose tigers, and lose entire forests

Here in Cambodia, where I photographed the country’s last wild tiger in November 2007. tiger spirits were used by indigenous communities to help regulate the management of forests and wildlife. Harvesting of valuable plants was only permitted in certain times of the year and only after the tiger spirits had been appeased. Failure to adhere would result in wild tigers stalking you in the forest. However, with the extinction of the tiger the spirits have vanished, and the forests become an open free-for-all.

Protecting tigers also protects a multitude of other species

Tiger-protected areas save much of Asia’s amazing wildlife. Take, for example, India’s Manas Tiger Reserve in Assam where tiger populations are increasing. In addition to tigers the grasslands and forests of Manas Tiger Reserve support the only viable global population of the world’s smallest, and rarest pig –pygmy hog – and, my personal favorite, the Bengal florican.

This critically endangered gamebird, which I studied for my doctorate, finds a mate with an elaborate display involving males shooting themselves into the sky before plummeting down kicking their legs as if riding a bicycle. Without tigers, these and many more species would not be as well protected.

A cultural and spiritual icon for millions

There are plenty of examples of mythical animals, such as the unicorn, and extinct creatures, like the dodo and dinosaurs, which remain part of international consciousness. Tigers are a global phenomenon, but unless conservation is successful, they will only be known in zoos or in cultural media. A world without tigers would be economically and spiritually a much poorer place. Let us continue focusing our efforts towards doubling wild tigers and ensuring that this species does not become a vanished cultural icon.

Source: WWF

Author: Tom Gray

What’s So Important About Mini-Grids?

04.04.2021

solar_panels_india_solarni_paneli_indija — Photo-illustration: Pixabay

Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Science in HD)

To power a drill, run a lathe, turn a mill or work a pump, a thriving business needs electricity. Without it, the work must be done by hand.

Six hundred million people living on the continent of Africa lack access to energy. These 600 million people need electricity to light their homes and to run their businesses.

In places where the national transmission grid does not reach or only provides an intermittent or irregular supply of electricity, manufacturers must rely on manual labour or use a diesel-powered generator to provide electricity.

The former limits productivity, while the latter pollutes the air, overheats the climate and is subject to fluctuating global oil prices.

And this is where mini-grids are coming to the rescue.

A mini-grid is a set of small-scale electricity generators interconnected to a distribution network that supplies electricity to a small, localized group of customers. It usually operates independently from the national transmission grid.

Renewable energy mini-grids, powered by solar, wind or hydro, are emerging as the superstars of energy access, particularly in rural areas, where they have become a viable option for providing reliable and high-quality electricity to rural populations and businesses.

In total, 47 million people worldwide are already connected to 19,000 mini-grids, of which more than 2,500 are operational clean-energy mini-grids (ESMAP, 2019).

But around 180.000 additional mini-grids need to be built to supply electricity to 440 million people across the world if the overarching objective of universal access to electricity by 2030. (ESMAP, 2019.) is to be achieved. The World Bank estimates that there is a need for over 140.000 mini-grids in Africa.

What are the obstacles that prevent mini-grids from reaching scale and how can policymakers help to smooth the way for greater uptake?

To propel mini-grids to even greater heights, and realize their potential, the United Nation’s Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), along with its partners the Alliance for Rural Electrification (ARE); the African Development Bank (AfDB); the Green MiniGrid Help Desk; and the Africa Minigrid Developers Association (AMDA); and INENSUS, recently launched a new mini-grid policy guide, to help policymakers achieve the most cost-effective way to achieve rural and last mile electrification.

The Clean Energy Mini-Grid Policy Development Guide helps policymakers – particularly those in sub-Saharan Africa- to navigate the renewable mini-grid market, providing them with tools and recommendations on how to approach policies and regulations in this space.

Helping to bridge the mini-grid policy shortfall

Speaking on the challenges associated with the large-scale deployment of mini-grids in rural areas, Aaron Leopold CEO of AMDA, explained that although mini-grids are a mature technology that provide high quality energy, they are often located in remote areas, which “presents some challenges from a policy, business and logistical perspective.”

David Lecoque, CEO of ARE noted that “their business models are quite different to many independent power producers.” Correspondingly, he argued “there is an enormous gap between what is needed in terms of delivery and what is currently possible in terms of governance, which shows the extremely urgent need for new thinking and approaches to policy and regulation across the continent.”

Explaining the objectives of the Clean Energy Mini-Grid Policy Development Guide, Rana Ghoneim, who coordinated UNIDO’s contribution to the publication, explained that “the policy guide takes a decision-makers’ perspective on the options, trade-offs and benefits of different approaches a country might take to designing the policies. The guide also provides a number of templates for contracts and agreements, which can be used as references by policymakers when seeking to tailor such documents for their respective markets.”

Ghoneim further explained that the guide presents policymakers with a set of key recommendations on how to approach policies and regulations for a decentralized infrastructure market such as mini-grids– this- she emphasized would “require important and sometimes significant changes to how governments approach their energy policies and electrification planning.”

Getting progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) back on track

Speaking on the lost ground towards the SDGs caused by the global pandemic, Ghoneim conceded that it was likely that momentum towards attaining the Goals had been shifted to focus on addressing the immediate impacts of the pandemic, but now with less than a decade to go, tools such as the Clean Energy Mini-Grid Policy Development Guide were now more important than ever as “around a dozen of the SDGs require universal energy access as a prerequisite for their success”.

“Every tool in policymakers’ arsenal should be dedicated to addressing the clean energy deficit.” Ghoneim said. Thus, the Clean Energy Mini-Grid Policy Development Guide will be “an essential, ‘gold standard’ instrument for policymakers seeking to integrate mini-grids in their country’s grid, and once the worst of the pandemic is over, to kick-start their economies and even surpass where they were prior to this point in time.”

Source: UNIDO

New WHO-IUCN Expert Working Group on Biodiversity, Climate, One Health and Nature-based Solutions

03.04.2021

salt-harvesting-poljoprivreda — Foto-ilustracija: Pixabay

Leading experts engaged in the science-policy interface of public health, biodiversity, and climate change will collaborate in an innovative initiative led by the WHO and IUCN to help guide decision makers toward a healthier, greener and more sustainable future as they navigate the challenges of the post-COVID-19 era.

Based on the strong premise that many of the solutions to the common environmental and public health threats that we face can only be found through iterative, cross-sectoral and interdisciplinary knowledge exchange, the working group will catalyse the development of coherent and inclusive, evidence-based policies that promote a healthy recovery, help prevent future health risks associated with ecosystem degradation, biodiversity loss and climate change, and chart a common path toward the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The World Health Organization (WHO), through its Department of Environment, Climate Change and Health (ECH), the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), and the Friends of Ecosystem-based Adaptation (FEBA) network are establishing a new expert working group (EWG) on Biodiversity, Climate, One Health and Nature-based Solutions. This initiative builds upon and expands the scope of work carried out by the Inter-agency Liaison Group on biodiversity and health, co-chaired by WHO and the Convention on Biological Diversity between 2015 and 2020.

The EWG will develop guidance and tools to support the operationalization of One Health approaches and Nature-based Solutions by: (1) identifying co-benefits and trade-offs for human and ecosystem health, (2) strengthening social and ecological resilience and (3) supporting a healthy, green and just recovery from COVID-19.

The EWG will aim to catalyze health sector leadership, while ensuring cross-sectoral policy alignment, coordination and coherence across international policy processes. It will focus on embedding ecosystem health, biodiversity and climate change in One Health policies, plans and projects, and driving knowledge exchange on the environmental and social determinants of health. The group will also seek to systematically integrate health co-benefits in the development, design and implementation of Nature-based Solutions to climate change.

The work of the EWG will:

1. Examine the relationships between biodiversity, ecosystem degradation, climate and (infectious and noncommunicable) disease emergence, with a view to maximizing health co-benefits of sustainable ecosystem management and restoration.

2. Assess the role of environmental, social and economic determinants of health and develop tools to strengthen cross-sectoral collaboration, policy coherence and the operationalization of the One Health Approach;

3. Mainstream health and biodiversity to support a transition toward sustainable and healthy food systems in ways that also support: dietary diversity; the sustainable management and use of biodiversity in agriculture, fisheries and forestry ecosystems; regenerative agriculture practices; crop diversity and sustainable harvesting practices; sustainable fisheries; sustainable management of livestock, wildlife, terrestrial, coastal and marine ecosystems; climate change adaptation and mitigation; and the interactions between these drivers, responses, and outcomes;

4. Examine the contribution of biodiversity and green and blue infrastructure to support the creation of health-promoting environments and improve mental and physical health outcomes in both rural and urban areas, including the development and implementation of Nature-based climate Solutions focused on health co-benefits;

5. Evaluate climate change as a cross-cutting driver and amplifier of ecosystem degradation, biodiversity loss and ill health, and developing policy guidance to maximize the health co-benefits of ecosystem-based adaptation and mitigation efforts.

The first meeting of the EWG will be convened in April 2021. Meetings of the EWG will be complemented by consultation and briefing sessions with WHO and IUCN partners and constituencies to review the findings, further drive cross-sectoral leadership, engage across communities of practice, and mutually support capacity-building and advocacy efforts.

Source: WHO

North Macedonia’s Electricity Producer ESM Commits to Internal Carbon Pricing

02.04.2021

electricity-struja — Foto-ilustracija: Pixabay

North Macedonia’s state-owned electricity producer Elektrani na Severna Makedonija (ESM) has expressed its intent to design and implement an internal mechanism to price carbon emissions of its plants and operators by the end of 2021 with the support of the Energy Community Secretariat. The carbon price will be incorporated in all investment decisions and its level based on the market price set under the EU Emission Trading Scheme.

Director Kopač said: “I sincerely commend ESM for being the first electricity company in the Energy Community Contracting Parties to commit itself to introduce internal carbon pricing. Voluntary bottom-up initiatives such as this one will allow us to actively accelerate the transition to a climate sustainable energy sector. By putting a price on carbon, ESM will be able to identify low carbon, low risk investment opportunities without having to wait for mandatory legislation to kick in.”

Chairman of the Board of Directors and CEO of ESM Vasko Kovačevski said: “De-risking our business against imminent carbon pricing legislation and gradually reducing our carbon footprint is an obligation that we have to our shareholders, customers and employees. I am proud that ESM will spearhead the introduction of internal carbon pricing in the Energy Community.”

Following the recommendations of the Secretariat’s Study on Carbon Pricing Design, which emphasized the gradual introduction of carbon pricing as the most optimal approach for the power sector, the Secretariat has invited all electricity generators in the Energy Community Contracting Parties to design and implement internal carbon pricing with its support.

Source: Energy Community

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