Together for the Preservation of Nauter’s Diversity

14.07.2024

Nacionalni park Galičica, Severna Makedonija (c) Boris Erg — Photo: Boris Erg

The Regional Office of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) for Eastern Europe and Central Asia (ECARO) was founded twenty years ago. During that period, its goals have been adapted to suit climate change and the increased loss of biodiversity, but also finding strategies to solve them. They rely on the knowledge and resources of more than 1,400 members and 16,500 experts in seven IUCN expert commissions. Some of the criteria for membership in the Union imply that the interested party supports its goals, that it has already contributed to the preservation of nature with its activities and that it works wholeheartedly to preserve its integrity and diversity. Joining IUCN facilitates connection with a growing number of member organizations and the scientific community, advising on developing relevant policies, sharing knowledge, developing capacities, and implementing projects.

Oliver Avramoski, Regional Director of IUCN ECARO, was recently appointed to that position at the time when the Belgrade office celebrates two decades of operations, which for him is an honor and a responsibility, as he joined a motivated team of experts who have been working dedicatedly for the protection of nature and biodiversity for years in the region, together with members and partners. We talked with him about the status of nature protection in the region, how to devote ourselves more to its preservation, the implementation of the Biodiversity Protection Strategy, and the challenges in the fight against climate change and plans.

Q: Could you please comment on sustainability and biodiversity protection in the Western Balkans and Serbia? How can we be more committed to preserving nature and natural resources?

A: The region of the Western Balkans, including Serbia, is highly abundant in numerous species and habitats, including many species found only in our area, such as Pančić’s spruce, Balkan lynx and two species of ramonda. Our survival depends on diverse living habitats and functioning ecosystems because they provide us with water, air, medicine, and food and help us adapt to climate change. Nevertheless, numerous studies point to significant pressure on ecosystems while the number of species and habitats in the region is decreasing. Biodiversity and ecosystem services are rarely taken into account in decision-making. The relevant institutions face numerous challenges regarding protecting and managing resources or enforcing environmental laws. To this end, we are collaborating with members and line institutions to analyze the nature protection system in Serbia in partnership with the Together for the Environment project. The received recommendations will guide us in providing systemic support to institutions and managers of protected areas in Serbia.

IN FOCUS:

Q: The EU 2030 Biodiversity Protection Strategy is the first step towards creating a more sustainable and resilient society. How is the Strategy implemented, and what are the biggest challenges?

A: In late 2020, the European Commission adopted the 2030 Biodiversity Protection Strategy, which, along with the European Green Deal, provides guidelines for developing policies for the EU, setting the goals and ambitions regarding nature conservation and sustainable use of natural resources. The European Union has expanded the network of protected areas to protect at least 30 per cent of land and sea, with 10 per cent under strict protection. The Green Agenda for the Western Balkans seeks to align the region with the EU’s ambition to become climate-neutral by 2050 and key elements of the European Green Deal. It is an essential political framework for nature conservation in our region. The Biodiversity Task Force of Southeast Europe (BDTF SEE), whose work we coordinate, manages the Green Agenda’s pillar related to protecting nature and biodiversity. There are many challenges in accomplishing the goals outlined in the 2030 Strategy, including the unsustainable use of land and sea for urbanization, agriculture, and development purposes, the impact of climate change, pollution, and lack of financial support. However, the cessation of unsustainable practices will not lead us to accomplish our goals. It is necessary to restore degraded habitats and improve the state of nature and the environment. Our region lags significantly in terms of taking care of protected areas and the restoration of degraded ecosystems.

Q: What direction should the vision of the Convention on Biological Diversity on “living in harmony with nature” take by 2050?

A: Under the auspices of this Convention, the international obligations on the preservation and restoration of biodiversity, which were negotiated in December 2022, include the restoration of 30 per cent of degraded ecosystems and the preservation of 30 per cent of land and sea. The Convention’s vision is very ambitious but necessary. Integrating nature protection and conservation into development strategies is a safe and cost-effective way to unlock the enormous potential of sustainable development, which will have multiple benefits for our economic progress, environment and society. The IUCN plays a significant role in the protection of biodiversity and regularly updates the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species – the most comprehensive source of information on the global conservation status of plant, animal and fungal species and measures the level of achievement of the Convention’s goals. There are many such species, so coordinated work under the auspices of the Convention at the national, regional, and global levels is necessary to restore their status through successful protection measures and remove them from the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

Interview by Mirjana Vujadinović Tomevski

Read the whole interview in the new issue of the Energy portal Magazine NATURE CONSERVATION.

By Investing in Sustainability, we’re Improving the Natural and Business Environment

13.07.2024

Delta Holding is successfully implementing its ESG strategy, which contributes to environmental protection and the improvement of the quality of life in the community. Tijana Koprivica, the company’s Sustainable Business Manager, spoke about its ESG goals and the projects and activities through which they are achieved.

Q. How does Delta Holding apply ESG criteria in its business operations, and which goals and strategies have you set?

A. We have formed an ESG team, made up of colleagues from all our subsidiaries, which has been tasked with creating strategic plans and analyzing and implementing innovative solutions in the fields of environmental, social, and governance. A strategy for sustainable development is part and parcel of the business strategy of all the subsidiaries of Delta Holding. Through defined environmental, social and plans for the improvement of business management, the company has set ambitious but realistic goals of having a positive effect on nature and society, as well as on the improvement of the economic environment on the markets where it conducts business.

Q. Which projects are most important and of most interest to the public, as well as the company, when it comes to environmental protection?

A. Through our environmental protection strategy, we are planning to reduce the consumption of energy from fossil fuels by 60 per cent by 2030. We have been investing in renewable energy sources since 2021 in order to achieve that goal. We currently have solar power plants at 15 locations, with a total capacity of around 5 MWh. We are planning to install solar panels at another eight locations this year. Apart from solar energy, we also use biomass in our business operations. In our factories, Seme Sombor and Dunavka, we use corn cobs, sunflower seed shells and soybean straw as energy sources. By switching to renewable energy sources, we’ll also reduce emissions of harmful gases. We are planning to reduce the amounts of generated waste and disposed waste and packaging, and to fully utilize waste as raw material for obtaining new products. One of Delta Holding’s members is also Delta-Pak, which provides services as an operator for managing packaging waste and consultancy in the fields of environmentalism, chemicals, and transportation of dangerous goods. It provides this service not only to Delta Holding members but also to external clients.

IN FOCUS:

Q. Do you apply sustainability standards in the construction of new facilities as well?

A. Our office building, Delta House, has the LEED Gold certification, and it was constructed using recycled materials such as UNIDOM plastic balls. Its façade is made of state-of-the-art materials, and it has been fitted with a cutting-edge ventilation system with optimal energy consumption and ionizers, which means the air quality is excellent. Two small solar power plants have been installed on the roof, along with a tank for rainwater, which is used as technical water. Sava Center is in the process of obtaining BREAM certification, and it’s also the first building in Serbia to be assessed in terms of compliance with EU Taxonomy criteria. The building’s energy efficiency was greatly improved during its renovation. The glass façade of Sava Center, which used to be made of single-pane glass, has been completely replaced with energy-efficient triple-pane glass, and we’ve also installed cutting-edge heating and cooling systems. 912 solar panels have been installed along the entire roof.

Q. Is investing in sustainable development a huge cost for companies, and does it have any benefits?

A. Companies that don’t adhere to sustainability principles cannot survive on the market. Hence, we don’t view investments in sustainable business as an expense; instead, we view them as investments. Companies whose business operations are not in line with sustainability principles are in danger of losing quality staff, long term business partners, buyers, and investors, and they’re also likely to encounter higher operating expenses as a result of energy inefficiency, additional fees for the pollution of the environment, emissions of harmful gases, etc. Specifically, in addition to contributing to the reduction of emissions and the consumption of energy obtained from conventional sources, investing in renewable energy sources is also going to help reduce our dependence on energy suppliers and our costs for energy sources, and it will also ensure financing from the so-called green sources.

Delta Holding

Read the whole interview in the new issue of the Energy portal Magazine NATURE CONSERVATION.

Tripling Renewables by 2030 Requires a Minimum of 16.4 Per Cent Annual Growth Rate

12.07.2024

hydropower_hidroenergija — Foto-ilustracija: Unsplash (American Public Power Association)

The Renewable Energy Statistics 2024 released by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) today shows that despite renewables becoming the fastest-growing source of power, the world risks missing the tripling renewables target pledged at COP28. To stay the course, the world will now have to grow renewables capacity at a minimum 16.4 per cent rate annually through 2030.

The unprecedented 14 per cent increase of renewables capacity during 2023 established a 10 per cent compound annual growth rate (2017-2023). Combined with the constant decreasing additions of non-renewable capacity over the years, the trend sees renewable energy on its way to overtake fossil fuels in global installed power capacity.

However, if last year’s 14 per cent increase rate continues, the tripling target of 11.2 Terawatts (TW) in 2030 outlined by IRENA’s 1.5°C Scenario will fall 1.5 TW short, missing the target by 13.5 per cent. Furthermore, if the world keeps the historic annual growth rate of 10 per cent, it will only accumulate 7.5 TW of renewables capacity by 2030, missing the target by almost one-third.

“Renewable energy has been increasingly outperforming fossil fuels, but it is not the time to be complacent. Renewables must grow at higher speed and scale. Our new report sheds light on the direction of travel; if we continue with the current growth rate, we will only face failure in reaching the tripling renewables target agreed in the UAE Consensus at COP28, consequently risking the goals of the Paris Agreement and 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development”, said IRENA Director-General, Francesco La Camera.

In terms of power generation, the latest data available for 2022 confirmed yet again the regional disparity in renewables deployment. Asia holds its position as leader in the global renewable power generation with 3.749 Terawatt hours (TWh), followed for the first time by North America (1.493 TWh). The most impressive jump occurred in South America, where renewable power generation increased by nearly 12 per cent to 940 TWh, due to a hydropower recovery and a greater role of solar energy.

With a modest growth of 3.5 per cent, Africa increased its renewable power generation to 205 TWh in 2022, despite the continent’s tremendous potential and immense need for rapid, sustainable growth. Acknowledging the urgent need for support and finance, IRENA is advancing the Accelerated Partnership for Renewables in Africa (APRA) initiative and is preparing an investment forum focused on APRA’s member countries later this year.

Source: IRENA

How the Plane Turned Orange Due to Climate Change

11.07.2024

plane - avion — Photo illustration: Unsplash (Sebastian Grochowicz)

That morning, before dawn, Jennifer Kowalski and Cole Macdonald found themselves at a celebrity private jet airport. While the security was dozing off, and no one thought to “take a look” at the surveillance cameras occasionally, the young activists, armed with courage, anger, and fire extinguishers filled with orange paint, painted two luxury jets.

They proudly posed for photos with the newly adorned jets in the background, and the announcement of this unusual event was soon posted on the Just Stop Oil movement’s page.

Before I attempt to answer whether painting the jets is vandalism or justified activism (or perhaps both), I would just like to say a few things about the controversial movement that birthed this and many similar events.

As the name suggests, Just Stop Oil is a climate movement that has taken on international proportions and now gathers numerous, primarily young, activists from various countries. Their mission is to prevent new oil projects and accelerate the closure of existing ones. The methods they use to express dissatisfaction and convey important messages cannot go unnoticed.

Прикажи ову објаву у апликацији Instagram

Објава коју дели Just Stop Oil (@just.stopoil)

Foreign media often report catastrophic traffic jams caused by activists sitting on the road. To prevent the police and angry drivers from physically removing them and clearing the way, activists often use superglue and other means to glue their hands to the road.

If you ask me, this is utterly crazy! Young climate warriors risk amputation and broken bones as drivers have less and less patience for these forms of activism. At the same time, traffic blockages primarily affect the working class, who are forced to drive petrol and diesel-fuelled cars, which emit even more harmful gases in such traffic jams.

Hence, the movement was criticized and advised to: “Leave the unfortunate working class alone and target those who pollute the planet out of sheer indulgence – the super-rich!”

This is exactly what Jennifer and Cole did, and unlike news of traffic blockades, the public received the news of the plane painting much better.

Some will say that it is never right to destroy someone else’s property, regardless of how it was acquired and what it is used for. Owning a private jet is not illegal, so where do young activists get the right to deface such an expensive vehicle?

Although I share the opinion that personal property must be respected, the facts about private jets somewhat justify the activists’ actions.

A 2021 European Federation for Transport and Environment report showed that private jets pollute up to 14 times more per passenger than commercial flights and even 50 times more than trains.

In 2023, 23,944 private jets were in operation worldwide, releasing significant amounts of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere while the rich lounged in them.

Jennifer and Cole decided to put a stop to this, at least temporarily until the paint was removed. What seems more important in this story is that they sent a message and held the wealthy accountable.

We must not live in a world where the working class pays additional taxes because they drive internal combustion cars, while at the same time, the rich ride freely in their planes, polluting the planet a hundred times more.

Milena Maglovski

Global Fund for Coral Reefs Approves More than 25 million USD in Additional Funding for Resilience Action

11.07.2024

more , okean , ribe , koral — Photo-illustration: Pixabay (marcelokato)

Photo-illustration: Pixabay (Navigator175)

In the face of increasing threats to coral ecosystems and the recent announcement of a fourth global coral bleaching event, the Global Fund for Coral Reefs (GFCR) Executive Board has announced over 25 million USD in additional grant funding to scale-up resilience efforts across coral nations. Announcements include a new blended finance programme for Egypt’s Red Sea, funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

“Without collective action at pace and scale, scientists estimate that 90 per cent of remaining coral reefs may be lost by 2050, with dire consequences for the communities and economies they support. To face this crisis, the GFCR Coalition has established a robust portfolio of innovative, market-based solutions spanning 23 nations to protect critical coral reef refugia – Earth’s most resilient reef ecosystems,” said Peter Bryant, Builders Initiative’s Program Director for Oceans, and GFCR Executive Board Member. “The new GFCR announcements, representing an increase of more than 25 million USD for resilience-based efforts, will aid the sustainable blue transition of local economies and unlock greater conservation funding flows for generations to come.”

A new GFCR programme, Egyptian Red Sea Initiative, aims to increase the protection of one of the longest-living and most resilient reef ecosystems in the world. Supported by a major funding commitment from USAID, this initiative, in partnership with the Government of Egypt and the UN Development Programme (UNDP), will establish a landmark Egyptian Fund for Coral Reefs to leverage up to 50 million USD in private and public funding for sustainable blue economic transition and conservation efforts. Additional market-based solutions to be supported by a coral reef business incubator, include organic waste recycling for coastal farming, aquaculture to support ecosystem restoration, and mooring systems to avoid boat-related reef damage.

“The Egyptian Red Sea Initiative is a ground-breaking collaboration in blended finance to conserve Egypt’s coral reefs. USAID, in partnership with the Government of Egypt, international and local organisations, and private and non-profit donors and investors, is committed to safeguarding the Red Sea’s vital ecosystem and the communities it supports, while promoting economic growth and sustainable development for the Egyptian people,” said Sean Jones, Mission Director, USAID Egypt.

New GFCR Executive Board announcements also include funding uplifts for the Mesoamerican Region (MAR), country programmes in Indonesia and the Philippines, as well an initiative on Pemba Island, Zanzibar.

Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Veronica Reverse)

In the Philippines, which hosts the world’s third-largest coral reef area, the GFCR-supported programme led by Blue Alliance Marine Protected Areas has already unlocked catalytic donor and impact investor funding to operationalise a Marine Protected Area (MPA) Impact Loan Facility. New GFCR support will scale implementation to cover more than 100 MPAs hosting 80,000 hectares of significant coral refugia coverage and increase the resilience of more than two million members of coastal communities. The funding uplift will expand reef-positive business solutions spanning ecotourism, community-based aquaculture, and sustainable fisheries, incorporated in the programme’s MPA finance strategy.

In Indonesia, located in the heart of the Coral Triangle, the additional support from the GFCR will help ensure sustainable long-term funding for effective MPA management and financing access for reef-positive enterprises. With an emphasis on supporting local women, the increased funding seeks to enable the growth of at least 10 additional reef-positive businesses, including community-led seaweed hatcheries and handling facilities, ecotourism ventures, and sustainable aquaculture.

“Innovation to support the acceleration and scale-up of models in effective MPA management that links with coral-positive business is critical to support Indonesia’s Blue Economy vision. Our vision is grounded in protecting coastal and marine ecosystems that provide food security, livelihoods for communities and support the growth of the nation,” said Meizani Irmadhiany, Senior Vice President & Executive Chair of Konservasi Indonesia. “GFCR’s support provides catalytic funding to strengthen effective management and funding flows to MPAs, create innovative models to scale impact through support in sectors such as responsible tourism, seaweed and fisheries development that incentivize the long-term protection of critical coral reef habitats.”

Read the full text here.

Source: UNEP

Possibilities of Artificial Intelligence in Environmental Protection

10.07.2024

Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly being used for environmental protection, offering ever-increasing possibilities. We cannot see and translate most of the connections that determine the state of the environment into equations. This is a prerequisite for understanding cause and effect. To acquire scientifically based knowledge, the solution lies in using sophisticated algorithms that underlie different areas of AI and can detect and quantify them. We spoke about this with Professor Andreja Stojić, PhD, senior research associate at the Institute of Physics in Belgrade and lecturer at Singidunum University.

Q: In which areas can AI play a role in overcoming environmental challenges?

A: AI’s role can be multiple in all segments related to the an adequate depiction of the context from a large number of angles. In this sense, perhaps the closest segment is air quality because it means data of sufficient spatiotemporal resolution. The data include concentrations of pollutants, meteorological data, and data on people’s mobility, as well as numerous political and economic indicators that show society’s pulse that affects air quality.

IN FOCUS:

Q: What is your evaluation of air pollution monitoring? Does it need to be improved, and if so, in what direction?

A: Society does not understand the complexity of the problem nor what needs to be done to improve the current situation. Let’s imagine a situation where the treatment is taken out of the doctor’s hands. Contrary to the need, environmental quality management is left to decision-makers who set up monitoring through regulations. However, the organization, expertise, ethics and ability of decision-makers result in rules that do not follow scientific research. Decades ago, research proved the presence of thousands of times more toxic, mutagenic and carcinogenic compounds than the number of types mentioned in the relevant regulations. This research recognizes the necessity of contextualizing air quality, including a large number of variables or applying concepts of data analysis adequate for the analysis of complex systems. There are tens of thousands of different pollutants in the atmosphere of the urban environment, with hundreds belonging to the hazardous group. However, the regulations recognize single-digit prime numbers. The representation of what we measure, the information based on which we acquire knowledge, is extremely small compared to what we would have to know if we adequately dealt with air quality. Improving the monitoring would have to involve increasing the number of types of pollutants that are measured and the number of measuring stations, adjusting regulations to modern scientific knowledge and concepts, establishing different ethical principles and strict application of regulations.

Q: How can artificial intelligence contribute to reducing the concentration of air pollution?

Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Daniel Sessler)

A: Basically, the primary level of AI application involves the contextualization of phenomena, for example, the concentration of a certain pollutant in the air, using machine learning algorithms, then the explanation of the obtained models using explainable artificial intelligence, as well as different approaches to grinding and generalizing the results. In this way, we can understand the environmental conditions that lead to pollution, the scale of influence of emission sources, meteorological conditions, physical and chemical processes and many other factors that shape air quality. The intermediate level involves simulations through virtual experiments that enable scenario development and prescription. This way we can create a basis for preventive measures or planned action to reduce concentrations. The final level involves integrating data, results, and their interpretation with overtrained language models, which enables further research through communication in natural language, generalization, and simplification and lowering to the decision makers’ level. The application of AI in air quality management includes developing and implementing systems for continuous data analysis, emission source identification, pollution forecasting, automated decision-making support, and the creation of valuable data aggregations. Traditional air quality indices do not provide adequate information about the actual condition.

Interview by Mirjana Vujadinović Tomevski

Read the whole interview in the new issue of the Energy portal Magazine NATURE CONSERVATION.

New UK Government plans big push on wind

09.07.2024

windmills_vetrenjače_wind_park_vetropark — Photo-illustration: Pixabay

Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Sabrina Mazzeo)

The UK’s new Labour Government has great ambitions for accelerating the deployment of wind energy, both onshore and offshore. To deliver on their new goals they will need a massive overhaul of planning and the grid.

The new UK Government is committed to double onshore wind and quadruple offshore wind by 2030, as a cornerstone of its goal to fully decarbonise electricity by 2030. That means increasing onshore wind from 15 to 30 GW and offshore wind, where they’re already no 1 in Europe, from 15 to 60 GW. These are hugely ambitious targets.

Planning and consenting

To fully deliver, the new Government will need a massive overhaul of the UK’s approach to planning and deployment, both of wind farms and the relevant grid infrastructure. They’ve made a great start by lifting the de facto ban on onshore wind in England on their first full working day in power. However, consenting is still a major bottleneck and the UK Energy Act has committed to reducing consenting timelines. Labour has announced a consultation on whether to include larger onshore wind projects in the Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project (NSIP) regime, which would enable consenting decisions for those projects to be made at a national level through a fast-tracked process.

Electricity grid

The new Government is saying the right things on the need to rapidly expand the electricity grid. Five times more electricity infrastructure needs to be constructed by 2030 than in the past three decades to deliver a net zero grid.

Planning departments need more resources to make timely permitting decisions. Community engagement and community benefits should be further incentivised. Improving digitalisation and data management will also help to integrate increasing amounts of variable renewable energy.

Actions cannot come soon enough. Lacking grid infrastructure is clogging the consenting process. According to a new WindEurope report more than 100 GW of wind energy projects in the UK are waiting for their grid connection assessment.

GB Energy

The new Government will also need to mobilise massive amounts of investment. A lot will ride here on the new state-owned company the Government is setting up called ‘Great British Energy’. GB Energy will make its own investments and leverage private investments in energy infrastructure. It will have 3 main focuses: deploying existing technologies, incentivising emerging technologies and increasing community ownership, with £3bn to be invested in local community projects as part of its initial £8.3bn endowment. This is great – though private investment will do the heavy lifting when it comes to delivering on new targets.

Offshore wind auctions

Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Omkar Jadhav)

Delivering the huge expansion in offshore wind will require changes to the UK’s auction system. The auction design is good – 2-sided CfDs. But the Governments needs to increase the budget for the current AR6 auction and then future auction rounds to unlock the volumes needed to meet its targets. In 2023 the Contracts for Difference (CfD) auction round for offshore wind (AR5) failed to attract a single bidder. This meant valuable time was lost and future auctions now need to procure a greater amount of new renewable energy to ensure government targets remain on track to be met.

The current offshore wind auction has an £800m budget, which is only enough for about 4 GW of new capacity. The Government must increase that budget if they want to get anywhere near the ramp-up needed for the 60 GW target. Not least when Germany is auctioning 8GW of offshore wind this year, Denmark at least 6 GW, the Netherlands 4 GW, and Belgium over 3 GW.

UK-EU energy relationship

The UK and the EU can help each other significantly in their respective energy transitions, especially on offshore wind. Every country around the North Sea is building offshore wind. It’s in all their interests to collaborate and coordinate, especially on the build-out of the offshore grid connections. There are real gains to be had from different countries connecting their offshore wind farms to optimise grid investments and maximise power flows. It’s a no-brainer that the EU and UK reinforce their collaboration in the North Seas Energy Cooperation (NSEC). The EU and UK also need to find a solution as soon as possible on the post-Brexit electricity trading framework to deliver the best value for both UK and EU consumers.

WindEurope CEO Giles Dickson said: “Few Governments have ever come into office in Europe with so much ambition for wind energy and so much clarity and common sense on how to deliver those ambitions. And they’ve got off to a great start by removing on day 1 the rules blocking onshore wind in England. It’s crucial they now raise the budget for the current offshore wind auction to get more new projects through. And that the EU and UK quickly work out how they can collaborate to develop their huge collective resource that is North Sea offshore wind.”

Source: WindEurope

Immediate Actions Needed to Unblock Grid Capacity for More Wind Energy

08.07.2024

vetar — Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Jason Blackeye)

Foto-ilustracija: Unsplash (Priscilla Du Preez)

The EU wants to increase its wind energy capacity from 220 GW today to 425 GW by 2030 and 1,300 GW by 2050. Wind is key to energy security, affordable electricity and industrial competitiveness.

In its recent revision of the Renewable Energy Directive the EU agreed important reforms to speed up the expansion of wind, notably by improving and streamlining the permitting procedures for new wind farms. These are already having an impact – in the (small number of) Member States that have implemented the new rules on time.

The new number one bottleneck to the expansion of wind and other renewables is now grids. Currently more than 500 GW of potential wind energy capacity in France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Poland, Romania, Ireland, Croatia and the UK are waiting for an assessment of their application for a grid connection. Italy and the UK each have more than 100 GW of projects waiting.**

The EU gets it – and understand how grid expansion is essential to the build-out of renewables and the electrification of the energy system. The new EU Grid Action Plan identifies key measures that need to be taken to accelerate the expansion and optimisation of Europe’s electricity grids.

“Grid access is the new permitting – the number one bottleneck to the build-out of wind. The system is clogged up – and holding back hundreds of gigawatts of wind farms. This means less energy security and higher power prices. Some reforms will take time, such as more anticipatory planning. But some things can be improved immediately, notably better management of grid connection queues”, says WindEurope CEO Giles Dickson.

Grid saturation: Europe needs more grid capacity

The new WindEurope report analyses the factors for grid connection delays and shows which countries are particularly impacted. It finds that grid saturation and inefficient grid planning are the major reasons but not the only ones. National grid expansion targets are often not aligned with the 2030 renewables expansion targets set out in the Member States’ National Energy and Climate Plans (NECPs).

To speed up the expansion of electricity grids countries should apply the principle of overriding public interest to the permitting of grid infrastructure – regardless of whether it’s to connect renewables directly or for the broader grid reinforcement of the grid.

“Overriding public interest (OPI) for new wind farms is a success story. Germany and others that use OPI have significantly ramped up their permitting volumes – and done so very quickly. But electricity is useless if there’s no grid to transport it. National countries can apply OPI to grids – what are they waiting for?”, says Giles Dickson.

Immediate actions to unclog the grid access queues

Currently grid permitting authorities in most European countries apply the “first come, first served” principle to awarding grid access. So also immature and sometimes purely speculative renewables projects need to be assessed when their request comes in. This creates excessive queues and backlogs. It holds up the more mature and promising projects. And increases the administrative burdens on the permitting authorities.

Result: today it can take up to 9 years to get a grid connection permit for new or repowered wind farms.

Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Levan Badzgaradze)

Grid permitting authorities need to move away from “first come, first served / treat everybody equally”. They should apply filtering and prioritisation criteria to better handle the requests for grid connection. The goal must be to reduce the number of projects in the queue, to sift out immature, speculative bids and to ensure a balanced allocation of grid capacity to all strategic net-zero technologies. “First come, first served” can lead to an unthoughtful allocation of grid capacity and an imbalanced mix of technologically and/or geographically. This can severely intensify grid congestion and renewables curtailment which increases costs.

Many countries are using filtering criteria already. They include stricter entry criteria to the waiting lists for grid connection assessment, adequate financial commitments to reserve the allocated grid capacity and regular checks that projects are progressing towards key milestones. France, Norway, Spain and the UK have started implementing this “milestone achievement” principle to manage their waiting lists more dynamically and drop the slow-moving or stalled projects.

Prioritisation criteria. Spain, Ireland and Greece are experimenting with this. System integration would be a good thing to prioritise. E.g. once you’ve sifted out the immature projects, give priority to projects co-locating different generation technologies and/or storage. And/or projects with advanced grid support capabilities. This would make for a more efficient use of the grid connection. It would also incentivise developers to tap into the complementary nature of different energy sources, such as a mix of wind and solar, to maximise the use of available grid capacity.

The new WindEurope report “Grid access challenges for wind farms in Europe” has a series of other recommendations on grid charges, grid expansion costs, curtailment and hybridisation.

Source: WindEurope

Walk, Recycle, Earn Tokens

07.07.2024

Imagine walking through the city or riding a bike in nature while at the same time contributing to the city by getting one more tree, feeding an animal or simply winning a theatre ticket.

In November 2023, the City&Me application was launched – an innovative platform designed to spread awareness about the importance of a sustainable future while motivating people to change their habits and the environment within the local community. The platform is the result of cooperation between Aleksandar Stamenković and Branko Krsmanović, who worked with a team of experts from the non-governmental, business and public sectors.

Our interlocutor, Aleksandar, explained to us the spectrum of possibilities offered by their invention and how it can be helpful in the formation of smart and sustainable cities. Since its launch, City&Me has managed to gather more than 15,000 people and provide support through local and national companies, cities, international organizations, numerous experts, and partners.

IN FOCUS:

Although it was created in Niš, the success led the founders to think about other cities, with the next one possibly being Kragujevac, where there is exceptional cooperation through the City&Me chatbot. The City&Me chatbot is designed to facilitate access to local news, such as information on public transport and details on cultural events or polls. The chatbot is integrated into the Viber application and can be used independently of the application services. Thanks to its integration into Viber, the City&Me chatbot reached a large number of users, namely over 100,000 people in Niš and Kragujevac. There are also plans to expand the application in the region.

“We can confirm with certainty that at least one of the regional cities will start using City&Me services by the end of July 2024”, said Aleksandar, without revealing which city he was talking about.

In terms of tokenization, City&Me uses a reward system to measure users’ green activities. Suppose you take 100,000 steps or cycle 100 kilometers in one month. In that case, the application automatically awards you a golden token that you can exchange for a seedling in the city park, which is marked in the digital green oasis and bears the user’s name. Furthermore, in cooperation with one of the companies, users win tokens by recycling electrical or electronic waste.

“Using tokens as an in-app currency creates a wide range of possibilities for users. Tokens can be exchanged for various rewards, services or discounts through the store available within the application. The prizes vary from theatre tickets, free meals and transportation discounts to seedlings planted in local parks or forests,” explains Aleksandar.

Prepared my: Milica Vučković

Read the story in the new issue of the Energy portal Magazine NATURE CONSERVATION.

Tropical Cyclone Freddy is the Longest Tropical Cyclone on Record at 36 days: WMO

05.07.2024

oluja , nevreme , more — Photo-illustration: Freepik (wirestock)

A WMO international committee of experts working under the auspices of the Weather and Climate Extremes Archive conducted a detailed analysis and verification of the distance and duration. The evaluation committee recognized Tropical Cyclone (TC) Freddy’s duration of 36.0 days at tropical storm status or higher as the new world record for the longest tropical cyclone duration.

A reanalysis of the duration of the previous record holder TC John in the North Pacific Ocean in 1994 indicated that it existed at tropical storm status or higher for a combined duration of 714 hours, or 29.75 days.

In terms of distance, the WMO analysis indicated that TC Freddy travelled 12 785 km ± 10 km (7 945 miles, 6 905 nautical miles) at tropical storm status or above. This is a close second to TC John, which covered 13 159 km ± 10 km (8 177 miles, 7 105 nautical miles) at tropical storm status or above. To put that number in perspective, that distance is nearly 33 per cent of the Earth’s circumference.

“Freddy was a remarkable tropical cyclone, not only for its longevity but also for its ability to survive multiple land interactions, which unfortunately had significant consequences for southeast African populations,” says Chris Velden, committee member and tropical cyclone/satellite expert from the University of Wisconsin, USA.

“This investigation highlights the meticulous care that the WMO undertakes in certifying all weather observations. Such painstaking evaluation provides the critical confidence that our global records of all weather phenomena are properly measured,” said Randall Cerveny, Rapporteur of Climate and Weather Extremes for WMO.

WMO will update its Archive of Weather and Climate Extremes to reflect the new record. The archive includes the world’s highest and lowest temperatures, rainfall, heaviest hailstone, longest dry period, maximum gust of wind, longest lightning flash and weather-related mortalities. It is used by weather historians and, increasingly, by policy makers.

“The extremes presented for adjudication for the WMO Weather and Climate Extremes Archive are ‘snapshots’ of our current climate. It is possible, and indeed likely, that greater extremes will occur in the future. When such observations are made, new WMO evaluation committees will be formed to adjudicate these observations,” said Randall Cerveny.

The WMO evaluation committee consisted of experts from the Tropical Cyclone Warning Center Melbourne (Bureau of Meteorology, Australia), the Regional Specialized Meteorological Centre (RSMC) La Réunion (Météo-France, France) that forecasted TC Freddy, as well as scientists from Spain, Canada, Hong Kong China, and the United States.

Source: WMO

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