“Through Technology we’re Going to Leave a Better Legacy” – Lucas di Grassi on Sustainable Development

29.01.2022

For the first episode of 2022, Brazilian racing driver Lucas di Grassi joins the ABB Decoded podcast. A new ABB ambassador for Season 8, di Grassi talks about more than just his racing success – such as becoming Formula E champion in the series’ third season – to share his views on the benefits of sustainable technology in addressing the climate challenge.

Passionate about the power of sport to draw attention to causes of concern, di Grassi has a vision beyond the confines of his cockpit and a long-standing belief in working collaboratively for the good of humanity.

E-mobility progress

Having been involved in Formula E from the outset, di Grassi has seen first-hand the amazing progress which has been made both on and off the track and the huge change in the e-mobility landscape.

“In 2012, when Formula E really started, very few people talked about EVs and the amount of cars sold were negligible to the overall landscape. In 10 years, we saw complete revolution. Everybody’s talking about electric cars and now they represent roughly 10 percent of sales, with all the major manufacturers already committed to pretty much producing only EV’s in a five-to-10-year timeframe.”

Motorsport as more than the track action

“I always saw motorsport as something much more than the track. I saw it as a platform for businesses, for public entertainment and as a source of inspiration.

“When Formula E came about, I started to understand that the future was going to be electric and that it was going to have an impact on people’s quality of life because of air quality; would create more democratic mobility because it’s going to be cheaper to go from point A to B for everybody and was a revolution that was also helping fight climate change. So it really fit the purpose and passion that I have. And for me, it became my life goal to be successful in Formula E and to see Formula E succeeding as well.”

Collective responsibility

For di Grassi, his commitment to campaigning around environmental issues comes from ethics and a sense of morality.

“I believe after you’ve reached your base accomplishments in life – which means you have somewhere to live, enough food, education and health – then you need to create this base for other people that are not there, try to improve society and to move humankind forward. And for me, this is using the technology and know-how of what we do in racing, towards making the world a better place.”

Optimism for the future

It is the improvements in technology and infrastructure that have made di Grassi feel optimistic for the future, an example of which will be seen on track from Season 9 with the next generation of Formula E car.

“With the Gen 3 car, the way you can see the technology evolving is amazing, and is a way of showing people how much it has developed while creating emotion. It has more than twice the power, is 100 kilos lighter and has four-wheel-drive. This already completely changes the game – the car will be a monster.”

For di Grassi, the inspirational sustainability projects going on around the world, alongside the growing success of a racing series built on promoting e-mobility have given him hope.

“The only way these developments are achieved is through technology. So companies that are involved with Formula E understanding the infrastructure side, like ABB, the technology that is around the vehicles, the charging, the energy that comes to the vehicles, the recyclability of some components – all of this gives me a lot of hope. And definitely it is through technology that we’re going to leave a better legacy and a better world for the future generations.”

The release of this episode of ABB Decoded comes a week before the start of Season 8 of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship. The series goes green in Diriyah, Saudi Arabia on January 28th and 29th, where drivers will once again compete at night on a track lit with low-consumption LED technology, powered by fully renewable energy. The 21-turn, 2.495km Diriyah Circuit skirts around the historic town walls of the UNESCO World Heritage site, with a long, energy-draining straight at the end of the lap, making it a true test of strategy.

Source: ABB

European Solar Leaders call on EU Commission and Member States to develop solar industrial strategy in 2022

28.01.2022

solar-solarna-elektrana — Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Andreas Gucklhorn)

Eight leading European solar developers have written to the European Commission and Council to request a European strategy for the solar PV value chain in 2022.

The European solar market is experiencing exponential, unprecedented, growth, and is set to exceed European Commission projections for solar by 2030. Current market forecasts anticipate 585 GW of solar installed by 2030, 20 per cent higher than the European Commission’s prediction of 479 GW. By 2025 this growth will sustain half a million clean, green, solar jobs, and support millions of additional jobs in the renewable hydrogen and battery industries.

In that context, French, German, Irish, Italian, Spanish, and Swedish solar developers, convened by SolarPower Europe, are appealing to EU leaders to ensure the strategic resilience of the solar value chain. Europe is a global leader in future solar cell technologies, but the continent must go further and faster to produce more solar cells and panels in Europe. As the solar PV capacity grows, reinvesting in a critical solar manufacturing capacity, from polysilicon to module, is key to ensure future-proof, cost-efficient and rapid deployment of solar PV capacities.

Walburga Hemetsberger, CEO of SolarPower Europe, commented: “An industry can only develop sustainably if it has a comprehensive vision for its supply chain, and we must continue to expand the EU solar industry to meet the continent’s climate commitments. Following the work of the European Solar Initiative, European solar developers are calling on the Commission and the Competitiveness Council to support the redevelopment of critical manufacturing capacities, and endorse a strategy for the EU solar PV value chain in 2022.”

Naomi Chevillard, Senior Policy Advisor at SolarPower Europe, commented: “We need a comprehensive strategy to redevelop globally competitive and innovative solar factories in Europe. This includes unlocking industrial investments into industrial projects, and paving the way for a stable solar market in Europe while ensuring a level playing field for EU companies. With the right actions in place, a 20-GW manufacturing capacity could create 19,000 clean, green manufacturing jobs. This will be crucial to fight climate change while protecting the strategic autonomy of Europe’s energy.”

The letter, addressed to President von der Leyen, Vice-President Timmermans, and Commissioners Simson and Breton, alongside European Heads of States and Government, is signed by the CEOs and senior Directors or other Executives of Akuo Energy, Amarenco Group, BayWa r.e., EDF, Enel Green Power, ENGIE, Iberdrola, and Vattenfall Solar.

Source: SolarPower Europe

EBRD Invests EUR 0.5 billion in Serbia in 2021

27.01.2022

novac_zelenilo — Foto-ilustracija: Pixabay

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) delivered strong support to Serbia in 2021, with investments in the country last year reaching EUR 0.5 billion. Around 40 percent of these were in environmental infrastructure, green energy transition, the circular economy and energy efficiency.

Matteo Colangeli, EBRD Regional Director for the Western Balkans, Head of Serbia, said: “Last year’s results underscore our commitment to Serbia’s green economy transition. We will continue to work with public and private sector partners on sustainable infrastructure and strengthening the country’s competitiveness.”

The year was marked by a number of landmark projects. In infrastructure, the EBRD supported a major regional waste management programme, aimed at constructing sanitary landfills and increasing recycling, as well as investing in the roll-out of broadband in rural areas and upgrading irrigation facilities in Vojvodina.

At the municipal level, the Bank financed energy efficiency improvements to public buildings in Belgrade, a fleet of electric buses in Novi Sad, and the decarbonisation of Kragujevac’s district heating through the installation of new boilers.

Most of the EBRD’s financing in Serbia continued to be in the private sector and was channeled primarily through local banks by way of trade finance and other facilities supporting green investments by small and medium-sized enterprises, residential energy efficiency, and access to finance for female entrepreneurs.

Since the EBRD began investing in Serbia in 2001, total investments in Serbia have reached EUR 7.1 billion.

Source: EBRD

G20 Countries Can Help Close Climate Finance Gap by Investing in Nature-based Solutions

27.01.2022

priroda - nature - šuma - forest -green - zelenilo — Photo-illustration: Unsplash (La coccinelle)

Climate failure ranks as one of the top risks in the Global Risks Report 2022, published by the World Economic Forum. A new report, titled The State of Finance for Nature in the G20, confirms the urgency of increasing net-zero and nature-positive investments if the world is to adequately close the climate finance gap.

The report is led by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), the World Economic Forum, the Economics of Land Degradation, hosted by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit in collaboration with Vivid Economics. It further amplifies the findings from the global report State of Finance for Nature – Tripling Investments in Nature-based Solutions by 2030, released last year, which calls for closing a USD 4.1 trillion financing gap in nature-based solutions.

The new report reveals that the spending gap in non-G20 countries is larger and more difficult to bridge than in G20 countries, but only 2 percent of the G20’s USD 120 billion investment has been directed towards official development assistance (ODA). Similarly, private sector investments remain small, at 11percent or USD 14 billion a year, even though the private sector contributes 60 percent of the total national GDP in most G20 countries. Thus, the business and investment case for nature needs to be stronger.

The report also discloses that G20 investments represent 92 percent of all global investments in nature-based solutions in 2020. Furthermore, the vast majority of these G20 investments, 87 percent or USD 105 billion, were distributed to domestic government programmes.

Annual G20 investments in nature-based solutions need to increase by at least 140 percent to meet all agreed biodiversity, land restoration and climate targets by 2050, which means an additional USD 165 billion a year, especially in ODA and private sector spending. To put this into perspective, more than USD 14.6 trillion was spent by 50 leading economies in 2020 in the wake of the COVID-19 crisis, of which only USD 368 billion, or 2 percent, was considered “green” by a 2021 UNEP report.

Globally, future investment in nature-based solutions needs to increase fourfold by 2050, equating to an annual investment of over USD 536 billion a year. The future investment needs for G20 countries account for approximately 40 percent of this total global investment in 2050. G20 countries have the capacity to meet this investment need as they carry out most of the global economic and financial activity with fiscal leeway.

Justin Adams, Director for Nature-Based Solutions, World Economic Forum, said: “The climate and nature crisis are two sides of the same coin, and we can’t turn things around unless we transform our economic models and market systems to take nature’s full value into account.”

The new report also calls for G20 member states to seize opportunities to increase investment in non-G20 countries, which can often be more cost-effective and efficient than investing in similar nature-based solutions internally.

Nina Bisom, Coordinator of Economics for the Land Degradation Initiative, said: “In many instances, G20 countries can improve economic efficiency in nature-based solutions spending by targeting investments in non-G20 countries. For example, the average cost of converting land from other uses to nature-based solutions in G20 countries is USD 2,600 per hectare, while the same costs are only USD 2,100 per hectare for non-G20 regions.”

Ivo Mulder, Head of UNEP’s Climate Finance Unit, said: “To scale up private finance, governments can boost the investment case for nature, for instance, by creating stable and predictable markets for ecosystem services like agriculture, forestry or by employing concessional financing.”

He added: “Systemic changes are needed at all levels, including consumers paying the true price of food, taking into account its environmental footprint. Companies and financial institutions should fully disclose climate- and nature-related financial risks, and governments need to repurpose agricultural fiscal policies and trade-related tariffs.”

The report concludes that governments need to truly “build back better” following the pandemic. Many developed countries can borrow cheaply in international capital markets. Thus, they need to tie in “nature and climate conditions” when providing fiscal stimulus to sectors across their economies, as well as creating more favourable regulatory, fiscal and trade policies to transition economies so that international biodiversity, climate and land degradation targets are met. G20 nations have the ability and means to lead by example.

Source: World Economic Forum

Why Children and Youth Hold the Key to a Sustainable Future

26.01.2022

children-deca-glad-siromaštvo — Foto ilustracija: Pixabay

In a world where climate change-induced environmental emergencies, such as floods, extreme temperatures and fires, are increasingly becoming the norm, the future can often look uncertain. This future is particularly uncertain for children, youth and future generations, who experts recognize as the most vulnerable group to the impacts of climate change.

“Children and youth are the most impacted by today’s global environmental crisis, and are the most threatened by our current trajectory,” said David Boyd, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Human Rights and the Environment.

As the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) Emissions Gap Report 2021: The Heat is On shows, if the current trajectory is to be changed – and the global temperature rise kept well below 2°C, with the target of 1.5°C, compared to pre-industrial levels, in line with the Paris Agreement – the triple threat of climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution and waste needs to be tackled.

“We must remember that children’s lives are interlocked with the environment, whatever happens to the environment effects children,” said Jonas Schubert, a human rights officer with Terra des Hommes, a UNEP implementing agency.

UNEP has just released guidelines and principles highlighting the importance of protecting the environment for future generations and ensuring that children have access to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment.

The Principles and Policy Guidance on Children’s Rights to a Healthy Environment in the ASEAN Region focuses on the ten Southeast Asian states that make up the ASEAN region but carries wider ramifications for children globally.

“Every child on Earth is exposed to some combination of the climate crisis, pollution or the decline of biodiversity. Children from poor, vulnerable and marginalized communities face the worst environmental threats,” said Boyd.

By endorsing STEP-UP, a Joint Commitment by UN entities, UNEP has committed to promoting the rights of children, youth and future generations to a healthy environment. It has also pledged to involve them in meaningful participation in decision-making at all levels on climate action and climate justice.

UNEP has long championed the rights of youth to a sustainable environment and has increasingly involved them in the process. A child-friendly version of the Principles and Guidance on Children’s Right to a Healthy Environment in the ASEAN Region was recently released in response to one of the ten Principles, which stated that children must have “access to age-appropriate, gender-sensitive, localised and contextualised information.”

In February last year, UNEP released the GEO-6 for Youth report. The first fully interactive e-publication, written by youth for youth to engage, educate, and lead youth towards environmental action.

Also in February, UNEP supported The Global Youth Environment Assembly (YEA), which was organized by the UN Major Group for Children and Youth. One of the key aims of this assembly was how youth could engage with policymakers ahead of UNEA-5.

Before COP26, the Youth4Climate event drew together 400 youth climate leaders from 186 countries to adopt a collective declaration to present to ministers before COP26.

“To successfully ensure a sustainable future for every child and future generations, we must involve them in designing and implementing solutions,” said Boyd.

Source: UNEP

EBRD Loan and EU Grants to OTP Leasing to Support SMEs in Serbia

25.01.2022

street-ulica-Beograd — Foto-ilustracija: Pixabay

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is extending a EUR 10 million loan to OTP Leasing Serbia doo Novi Beograd to support the competitiveness of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Serbia.

The European Union (EU) is also providing EUR 1.5 million in incentive grants for SMEs to make their investments more affordable.

The financing is being provided under the EBRD’s SME Competitiveness Programme, through which local companies can access well-structured finance, including incentive grants worth up to 15 percent of their loan amount. The aim of the programme is to support Serbian SMEs in upgrading their businesses to EU standards in areas such as environmental protection, worker safety and product quality.

Participating small businesses will also be offered technical assistance to help prepare and implement their investments. The grants and technical assistance are being financed by the EU through the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA) and in close coordination with the Ministry of Economy of Serbia.

With its wide regional outreach and focus on SMEs, OTP Leasing Serbia has the potential to provide much-needed financing to smaller businesses and to contribute to the development of the SME sector across the country.

The EBRD is a leading institutional investor in Serbia. The Bank has invested more than EUR 7.1 billion in 303 projects in the country to date. The Bank’s focus in Serbia is on private-sector development, improving public utilities and facilitating the country’s transition to a green economy.

Source: EBRD

Why is Greenpeace Talking About Taxing the Super Rich?

24.01.2022

money_novac — Photo-illustration: Pixabay

Why is Greenpeace, an environmental organisation, talking about taxing the super rich? International Director Jennifer Morgan weighs in on global calls for governments to fight inequality and hold the world’s wealthiest accountable.

2021 witnessed worsening heat waves, floods, droughts, sea level rise, food shortages, conflict and more, all attributed to climate change. It is hitting everyone – things developing countries have been dealing with for years are now also hitting at intensity everywhere, perhaps bringing the reality of “now” to people and governments in developed countries as never before. This is where we are right now and it is not good. That is an understatement. It is – as the UN calls it: a code red for humanity.

2022 marks 50 years since The Limits to Growth was published. The book by a team of MIT researchers explained how the earth’s interlocking resources – the global system of nature in which we all live – probably cannot support present rates of economic and population growth much beyond the year 2100.

By no significant measure can we say that human society is more sustainable today than it was 50 years ago. Today, we have less wilderness, more plastic in the oceans, and more toxins in our soils. Deforestation averaged 10 million hectares per year between 2015 and 2020. This is equal to about 1 soccer pitch every 2 seconds. Environmental awareness has soared, for sure, but effective ecological action, or relevant social change, has faltered repeatedly while we witness spiralling inequality.

Why is Greenpeace, an environmental organisation, talking about taxing the rich? All of us in the Fight Inequality Alliance work on different topics that are essential to our collective well-being — climate, debt, gender equality, racial equality, to name just a few.

But in the end our fights are similar because the source of the problem is the same. Corporate rule at the expense of our collective well-being and planetary health.

Read the whole article HERE.

Source: Greenpeace

Rare Coral Reef Discovered Near Tahiti by a UNESCO Mission

23.01.2022

koralni_greben — Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Marek Okon)

A scientific research mission supported by UNESCO has discovered one of the largest coral reefs in the world off the coast of Tahiti. The pristine condition of, and extensive area covered by, the rose-shaped corals make this a highly valuable discovery.

Highly unusual discovery

The reef is located at depths of between 30 and 65 metres. It is approximately 3km in length and between 30m and 60/65m wide, which makes it one of the most extensive healthy coral reefs on record. The giant rose-shaped corals are up to 2 metres in diameter.

This is highly unusual because, up to now, the vast majority of the world’s known coral reefs sit at depths of up to 25m. So this discovery suggests that there are many more large reefs out there, at depths of more than 30 metres, in what is known as the ocean’s ‘twilight zone’, which we simply do not know about.

A step forward for science

This expedition is part of UNESCO’s global approach to mapping the ocean. Coral reefs are an important food source for other organisms so locating them can aid research around biodiversity. The organisms that live on reefs can be important for medicinal research and reefs can also provide protection from coastal erosion and even tsunamis.

Until now very few scientists have been able to locate, investigate and study coral reefs at depths of more than 30m. However, technology now means longer dives at these depths are possible. In total the team carried out dives totalling around 200 hours to study the reef and were able to witness the coral spawning. Further dives are planned in the coming months to continue investigations around the reef.

Unesco’s action for the ocean

UNESCO is the UN agency in charge of ocean research. The Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO, founded in 1960 and joined by 150 countries, coordinates global programs such as ocean mapping and tsunami alert system, as well as numerous scientific research projects. The agency is also the guardian of unique ocean places, through 232 marine biosphere reserves and 50 marine World Heritage sites of Outstanding Universal Value. UNESCO leads the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development, from 2021 to 2030, which this year is reflected in the organization of several major international summits that will amplify the collective mobilization.

“1 Ocean, the anatomy” campaign

This campaign is led by explorer photographer Alexis Rosenfeld, in partnership with UNESCO for the Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development. Each year, until 2030, expeditions will be carried out across the ocean to bear witness to its assets for humanity, the threats it faces, but also the solutions we can provide.

Source: UNESCO

Can e-commerce Help Save the Planet?

22.01.2022

ecommerce-kompjuter — Photo-illustration: Pixabay

If you have logged onto Google Flights recently, you might have noticed a small change in the page’s layout. Alongside the usual sortable categories, like price, duration, and departure time, there is a new field: CO2 emissions.

Launched in October 2021, the column gives would-be travellers an estimate of how much carbon dioxide they will be responsible for emitting.

“When you’re choosing among flights of similar cost or timing, you can also factor carbon emissions into your decision,” wrote Google’s Vice President of Travel Products, Richard Holden.

Google is part of a wave of digital companies, including Amazon, and Ant Financial, encouraging consumers to make more sustainable choices by offering eco-friendly filter options, outlining the environmental impact of products, and leveraging engagement strategies used in video games.

Experts say these digital nudges can help increase awareness about environmental threats and the uptake of solutions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

“Our consumption practices are putting tremendous pressure on the planet, driving climate change, stoking pollution and pushing species towards extinction,” says David Jensen, Digital Transformation Coordinator with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).

“We need to make better decisions about the things we buy and trips we take,” he added. “These green digital nudges help consumers make better decisions as well as collectively drive businesses to adopt sustainable practices through consumer pressure.”

Global reach

At least 1.5 billion people consume products and services through e-commerce platforms, and global e-commerce sales reached USD 26.7 trillion in 2019, according to a recent UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) report.

Meanwhile, 4.5 billion people are on social media and 2.5 billion play online games. These tallies mean digital platforms could influence green behaviors at a planetary scale, says Jensen.

One example is UNEP-led Playing for the Planet Alliance, which places green activations in games. UNEP’s Little Book of Green Nudges has also led to more than 130 universities piloting 40 different nudges to shift behaviour.

A 2020 study by Globescan involving many of the world’s largest retailers found that seven out of 10 consumers want to become more sustainable. However, only three out of 10 have been able to change their lifestyles.

E-commerce providers can help close this gap.

“The algorithms and filters that underpin e-commerce platforms must begin to nudge sustainable and net-zero products and services by default,” said Jensen. “Sustainable consumption should be a core part of the shopping experience empowering people to make choices that align with their values.”

Embedding sustainability in tech

Many groups are trying to leverage this opportunity to make the world a more sustainable place.

The Green Digital Finance Alliance (GDFA), launched by Ant Group and UNEP, aims to enhance financing for sustainable development through digital platforms and fintech applications. It launched the Every Action Counts Coalition, a global network of digital, financial, retail investment, e-commerce and consumer goods companies. The coalition aims to help 1 billion people make greener choices and take action for the planet by 2025 through online tools and platforms.

“We will bring like-minded members together to experiment with new innovative business models that empower everyone to become a green digital champion,” says Marianne Haahr, GDFA Executive Director.

In one example, GDFA member Mastercard, in collaboration with the fintech company Doconomy, provides shoppers with a personalized carbon footprint tracker to inform their spending decisions.

In the UK, Mastercard is partnering with HELPFUL to offer incentives for purchasing products from a list of over 150 sustainable brands.

Mobile apps like Ant Forest, by Ant Group, are also using a combination of incentives and digital engagement models to urge 600 million people to make sustainable choices. Users are rewarded for low-carbon decisions through green energy points they can use to plant real trees. So far, the Ant Forest app has resulted in 122 million trees being planted, reducing carbon emissions by over 6 million tons.

Three e-commerce titans are also aiming to support greener lifestyles. Amazon has adopted the Climate Pledge Friendly initiative to help at least 100 million people find climate-friendly products that carry at least one of 32 different environmental certifications.

SAP’s Ariba platform is the largest digital business-to-business network on the planet. It has also embraced the idea of “procuring with purpose,” offering a detailed look at corporate supply chains so potential partners can assess the social, economic and environmental impact of transactions.

“Digital transformation is an opportunity to rethink how our business models can contribute to sustainability and how we can achieve full environmental transparency and accountability across our entire value chain,” said SAP’s Chief Sustainability Officer Daniel Schmid.

UNEP’s Jensen says a crucial next step would be for mobile phone operating systems to adopt standards that would allow apps to share environment and carbon footprint information.

“This would enable people to seamlessly calculate their footprints across all applications to develop insights and change behaviours,” Jensen said. “Everyone needs access to an individual’ environmental dashboard’ to truly understand their impact and options for more sustainable.

Need for common standards

As platforms begin to encode sustainability into their algorithms and product recommendations, common standards are needed to ensure reliability and public trust, say experts.

Indeed, many online retailers are claiming to do more for the environment than they actually are. A January analysis by the European Commission and European national consumer authorities found that in 42 percent, sustainability claims were exaggerated or false.

To help change that, UNEP serves as the secretariat of the One Planet network, a global community of practitioners, policymakers and experts that encourages sustainable consumption and production.

In November, the One Planet network issued guidance material for e-commerce platforms that outlines how to better inform consumers and enable more sustainable consumption, based on 10 principles from UNEP and the International Trade Centre.

The European Union is also pioneering core standards for digital sustainability through digital product passports that contain relevant information on a product’s origin, composition, environmental and carbon performance.

“Digital product passports will be an essential tool to strengthen consumer protection and increase the level of trust and rigour to environmental performance claims,” says Jensen. “They are the next frontier on the pathway to planetary sustainability in the digital age.”

Source: UNEP

Hydrogen Economy Hints at New Global Power Dynamics

21.01.2022

hydrogen-hidrogen — Foto-ilustracija: Pixabay

Rapid growth of the global hydrogen economy can bring significant geoeconomic and geopolitical shifts giving rise to a wave of new interdependencies, according to new analysis by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA). Geopolitics of the Energy Transformation: The Hydrogen Factor sees hydrogen changing the geography of energy trade and regionalising energy relations, hinting at the emergence of new centres of geopolitical influence built on the production and use of hydrogen, as traditional oil and gas trade declines.

Driven by the climate urgency and countries’ commitments to net zero, IRENA estimates hydrogen to cover up to 12 per cent of global energy use by 2050. Growing trade and targeted investments in a market dominated by fossil fuels and currently valued at USD 174 billion is likely to boost economic competitiveness and influence the foreign policy landscape with bilateral deals diverging significantly from the hydrocarbon relationships of the 20th century.

“Hydrogen could prove to be a missing link to a climate-safe energy future”, Francesco La Camera, Director-General of IRENA said. “Hydrogen is clearly riding on the renewable energy revolution with green hydrogen emerging as a game changer for achieving climate neutrality without compromising industrial growth and social development. But hydrogen is not a new oil. And the transition is not a fuel replacement but a shift to a new system with political, technical, environmental, and economic disruptions.”

“It is green hydrogen that will bring new and diverse participants to the market, diversify routes and supplies and shift power from the few to the many. With international co-operation, the hydrogen market could be more democratic and inclusive, offering opportunities for developed and developing countries alike.”

You can read the whole article HERE.

Source: IRENA

Green Power, Clean Air

20.01.2022

solarni paneli - solar panels — Photo-illustration: Pixabay

Are the sun and water resources that could clear the path to a climate-neutral world or just another “bad master” who could bring droughts and floods? Both scenarios are equally possible. However, what kind of world we will dawn in tomorrow depends exclusively on how we use these natural potentials.

Fortunately, many individuals and companies have already embraced clean technologies, making the future we want more feasible. One of such companies is the Centre for Energy Efficiency and Sustainable Development (CEEFOR), which has a long-term “cooperation” with our closest star, using their knowledge and eleven-years long experience to design solar power plants for more than 500 foreign and domestic customers.

On the other hand, the company Minaqua, a leader in the production and sale of unique natural mineral water rich in iodine, constantly strives to protect the environment maximally during the production process. The use of new technologies and constant development are their top priorities, but never to the detriment of the environment.

These two companies, each a leader in their respective field, have recently reached out to each other to realize another important project, not only for their mutual satisfaction but also for the general benefit of society.

No two projects are the same, and experts know that best. To meet all customer needs and design an efficient and long-lasting solar power plant, the team uniquely approaches each project, using proven knowledge and skills.

In focus:

Once Minaqua decided to build a solar power plant, they started searching for a partner who would carefully listen to all their wishes and provide the best solutions.

They entrusted the project to CEEFOR and got what they bargained for. After a careful audit of the space and the conditions at their disposal, the experts decided to make specific constructions for pitched roofs. The roof of the Minaqua factory has a specific counter-slope inclination, so the angle of the solar panels to the south had to be raised by five degrees with special construction.

The professional and well-coordinated team of the CEEFOR quickly came up with the ideal solution to make the solar power plant work as efficiently as possible.

According to the design, the input power of the power plant on the DC (one-way) side is 220 kW, while the output power on the alternating side is 200 kW.

After a meticulous selection process, the producer Canadian Solar was chosen to provide precisely 597 modules of 370 W. Besides the solar panels, which will cover a roof area of 1,663 m2, the power plant will also contain 10 Symo 20 inverters manufactured by Fronius.

It all adds up. The solar power plant, which will be installed on the factory roof, will produce 275,380 KW annually.

As Minaqua pays special attention to environmental protection, the installation of solar panels is another step that will contribute to alleviating the climate crisis since the annual carbon dioxide savings will amount to a total of 220,221 kg.

Finally, when choosing between the on-grid and off-grid systems, Minaqua opted for the former. Having in mind all the benefits of the on-grid system brought by the current national energy policy (not only to gain from the possibility of excess electricity flow in both directions in the electricity distribution network to reduce electricity bills later but also to take part in the of auction systems expected to commence at the end of the year), this socially responsible company has decided to take on the promoter role, which means that they will be both producers and buyers of electricity.

After another successfully completed project, CEEFOR’s portfolio became richer for another valuable experience and knowledge, while Minaqua awaits the moment when it will start producing green kilowatts.

Prepared by: Milena Maglovski

Energy Knows No Boundaries

19.01.2022

ohrid-Severna-Makedonija — Foto-ilustracija: Pixabay

At the recently held conference of RES Serbia 2021, Viktor Andonov, Energy Advisor to the Macedonian Prime Minister Zoran Zaev, was one of the most notable guests. According to him, such an impression is the result of the hard work of the Government of the Republic of North Macedonia and all institutions related to the energy sector since they have taken serious steps forward and have a lot to say on energy and energy transition. We talked with Viktor Andonov about the reforms in the energy sector of the Republic of North Macedonia that followed the adoption of the new Energy Law, about projects in the field of renewable energy sources that are currently being implemented in this neighboring country. We also asked him how he assesses Serbia’s energy transition.

EP: How important is regional cooperation, and do you plan to implement some projects involving the countries of the former Yugoslavia?

Viktor Andonov: Regional cooperation is essential because it contributes to maintaining energy supply security in our region. Energy knows no boundaries. It is very optimistic that this cooperation has been functioning well for years, especially among the transmission system operators who communicate and cooperate on a daily basis to maintain the stability and reliability of our transmission systems. We should mention the cooperation in establishing the control block to ensure system services and functioning of the transmission system, as well as for security in supply at the lowest price among the operators of Serbia, North Macedonia, and Montenegro.

It is an example of the path to be followed regarding future cooperation, especially considering the plans for larger investments in renewable energy sources and the method of their balancing. Furthermore, we have the joint initiative within the framework of Open Balkan to build a joint large photovoltaic power plant; this could be a great project that will reinforce the cooperation. We are currently conducting an appropriate analysis in North Macedonia to define the best potential locations suitable for the realization of such an investment. If I were to sum up regional cooperation in just a few words, I would say that it is not only important but necessary because our energy markets are small, dependent on import. We must cooperate for the better life of all citizens in the region.

In focus:

EP: Reforms in North Macedonia started with the new Energy Law in 2018. What changes has the Law brought in the field of renewable energy sources?

Viktor Andonov: The new Energy Law, which included the third package of the EU Directives referring to the internalenergy market, as well as the adoption of numerous bylaws required for full implementation of the Law, were the reason for the Energy Community Secretariat to grant us with the status of champion in implementing energy reforms in one of its most recent reports on the implementation of the acquis in the national legislation. While implementing the reforms, we focused on changing the concept to support the construction of new photovoltaic power plants, which is quite normal if we take into consideration the fact that North Macedonia is a country with plenty of sunny days and that it has adequate solar radiation, much larger compared to some of the Western European countries. It is a pity that this potential was not sufficiently exploited in the past.

Unfortunately, we did not use one of the main natural resources at our disposal as much as we could. The previous concept of support in the form of feed-in tariffs had several shortcomings, and most notably, they were granted following the principle of first come – first served. Furthermore, all costs of purchasing electricity were borne by the end-users. The new, current concept based on the premium tariffs defines a clear and transparent procedure for awarding the premium tariffs through an electronic auction and negative bidding, which had excellent results in the first two auctions conducted in 2019. Using only these pilot projects to build photovoltaic power plants, following the premium principle, we managed to increase the photovoltaic capacity 3.5 times. Unfortunately, this resulted in only 18 MW; however, with the calls from 2019, projects for 60 MW of installed capacity are underway.

EP: Which renewable energy projects are currently being implemented in North Macedonia, and which is the most significant?

Foto- Vlada Republike Severne Makedonije

Viktor Andonov: We focus on renewable energy sources. They are necessary to complete the fair transition process, which has already started, which means the transition from conventional to renewable energy sources; we focus on getting energy from natural gas. One of the first significant projects is constructing the first photovoltaic power plant in the old coal mine at the Oslomej thermal power plant. This was done by the national company ESM for a capacity of 10 MW.

This power plant will be put in operation at the end of October. Thanks to this first project, the EBRD has provided a grant to prepare technical documentation to construct another 10 MW photovoltaic power plant Oslomej and an additional 20 MW in REK Bitola. In 2020, with the support of the EBRD, a transparent tender procedure was conducted to construct two photovoltaic power plants on the remaining site of the old coal mine in Oslomej. A photovoltaic power plant will completely replace the capacity of the 120 MW thermal power plant, i.e. two 10 MW power plants owned by ESM and two private investments of 50 MW made by the Turkish company FORTIS ENERJI and Solarpro Holding from Bulgaria. This project is the first of its kind in the Balkans and this part of Europe and shows the Government’s commitment to the goals of the Green Deal – zero emissions by 2050. Last month, the London-based EFT Group was granted investor status to build an 80 MW photovoltaic power plant.

We plan to construct one of the largest photovoltaic power plants in the Balkans, with a capacity of 350 MW, on the site of the previously planned cargo airport in Štip. It can be a very attractive investment for all interested companies. The construction terms are excellent, the solar radiation is good, and the connection to the transmission system is quite accessible and easy to perform. The most important project for the Republic of North Macedonia and in the region is the Čebren hydropower plant (installed capacity from 330 to 450 MW), which is planned to be built on the largest tributary of the Vardar, the Crna Reka. The realization of this project is essential for the successful energy transition of Northern Macedonia, bearing in mind that this project should ensure the balancing of our electricity system. A tender procedure is currently being conducted following the Law on Concessions and Public-Private Partnerships.

Interviewed by: Nevena Đukić

Energy Community Summer School: Applications for 2022 now open!

18.01.2022

people-discussion-mladi-sastanak — Foto-ilustracija: Pixabay

Foto-ilustracija: Unsplash (You X Ventures)

The Energy Community Secretariat is pleased to launch the call for applications for the 2022 Energy Community Summer School. The Summer School offers a unique opportunity for up to 48 postgraduate students and young professionals to gain an in-depth knowledge of the energy transition in its full complexity and provide them with a platform for exchange and shaping the sectors’ future.

This year’s Summer School will take place from 20 to 27 August 2022 at the Faculty of Political Science of the University of Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. The programme will be published online soon.

Participation is free of charge[1]. The Energy Community Summer School Board will select the best candidates based on the selection criteria. Due to the outstanding applications from students outside the countries eligible for participation in the past years, the Secretariat and its partners have decided to allocate up to 5 additional slots to participants who do not meet the geographical criteria.

The application deadline is 31 March 2022.

The Summer School targets highly motivated postgraduate students (masters or PhD), researchers from all energy-related disciplines, young professionals from governmental institutions, companies, think tanks, NGOs and other relevant areas.

The Energy Community Secretariat will organise the 2022 Summer School in cooperation with the Višegrad Fund, the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung – Dialogue Southeast Europe (FES SOE) and the Faculty of Political Science of the University of Sarajevo.

All applicants are invited to carefully read the selection criteria.

To apply, please follow the link provided below.

[1] Only citizens from the following countries are eligible for free participation: Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Kosovo*, North Macedonia, Norway, Serbia, Ukraine, United Kingdom, Turkey and the 27 EU Member States.

Source: Energy Community

It’s Time to Shift to Net-Zero Emissions Plastics

17.01.2022

plastika_konkurs1 — Foto: Bazelska konvencija

There are two sides to everything – and that goes for plastics, too.

Let’s start with the positive side. Plastics shape and facilitate the whole of modern life. They are found in everything from smartphones to shoe soles, in spectacle lenses and mattresses, in footballs and fridges. What is more, plastics are a key part of our efforts to create a truly sustainable world. Without them, no windmill turns, no electric car drives, and houses would consume much more energy. Water would seep away, and much of the harvest would not be available to feed the growing world population.

It’s understandable, then, that plastic is such a sought-after material. Currently, around 370 million tons are produced worldwide per year – and experts expect consumption to triple again by 2050.

Now to the less positive side. This demands clear words and open ears. Plastics are not only part of the solution, they are also part of the problem – for the moment, at least. This is because they contribute to the triple crises that our planet and humanity are facing: climate change, the depletion of natural resources and the destruction and pollution of the environment. This has to do with the way plastics are currently produced, and how consumers deal with them.

The present: plastics from crude oil

The chemical and plastics industries account for around 7 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions. By 2030, this could reach a level equivalent to around 300 new coal-fired power plants. Closely related to this is the topic of resource: we make plastics by taking crude oil out of the ground and processing it. This accounts for 4-8 percent of our annual global oil consumption. By 2050, according to experts, growing demand for plastics could push this figure as high as 20 percent.

And as useful as plastics are, they are normally discarded after use or simply thrown away. Between 1950 and 2015, a whopping 80 percent of plastic waste ended up in landfills or in the environment. Worldwide, only around 15 percent of the plastic produced is recycled annually. By the way, this does not apply to plastic alone. Of the approximately 100 billion tons of material in circulation globally, only 8.6 billion are recycled. In other words, the world is only 8.6 percent circular.

And now we are at the very heart of the problem. Because we have a system that isn’t in line with our times. Actually, it had a flaw from the beginning. Here too, I see three key aspects. Point one: exponential growth. The prevailing economic order has the “more” as the principle: more consumption, more production, more use of resources. Secondly, obsolescence: consumption and products are designed for short lives and replacement. They should not last long, but break, become outdated or go out of fashion. And thirdly, as already mentioned, climate intensity. Our everyday lives and industrial processes are still predominantly based on fossil fuels and fossil energy, releasing billions of tons of greenhouse gases.

The future: plastics from renewable sources

The way out of the dead end is a system change – ditching the linear economy for the circular economy. In particular, this holds true for the plastics industry. And here we are again on the positive side. Because the ideas, solutions and practical approaches needed to produce climate-neutral plastics in this way already exist. The crucial point is the central building block of plastics: carbon. We must extract it from sources other than crude oil. Rather, we must take it from renewable raw materials: waste, biomass and even CO2.

Read the whole article HERE.

Source: World Economic Forum

Surging Electricity Demand is Putting Power Systems Under Strain Around the World

15.01.2022

eletrična-energija-struja — Foto-ilustracija: Pixabay

Global electricity demand surged in 2021, creating strains in major markets, pushing prices to unprecedented levels and driving the power sector’s emissions to a record high. Electricity is central to modern life and clean electricity is pivotal to energy transitions, but in the absence of faster structural change in the sector, rising demand over the next three years could result in additional market volatility and continued high emissions, according to an IEA report released.

Driven by the rapid economic rebound, and more extreme weather conditions than in 2020, including a colder than average winter, last year’s 6 percent rise in global electricity demand was the largest in percentage terms since 2010 when the world was recovering from the global financial crisis. In absolute terms, last year’s increase of over 1 500 terawatt-hours was the largest ever, according to the January 2022 edition of the IEA’s semi-annual Electricity Market Report.

The steep increase in demand outstripped the ability of sources of electricity supply to keep pace in some major markets, with shortages of natural gas and coal leading to volatile prices, demand destruction and negative effects on power generators, retailers and end users, notably in China, Europe and India. Around half of last year’s global growth in electricity demand took place in China, where demand grew by an estimated 10 percent. China and India suffered from power cuts at certain points in the second half of the year because of coal shortages.

“Sharp spikes in electricity prices in recent times have been causing hardship for many households and businesses around the world and risk becoming a driver of social and political tensions,” said IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol. “Policy makers should be taking action now to soften the impacts on the most vulnerable and to address the underlying causes. Higher investment in low-carbon energy technologies including renewables, energy efficiency and nuclear power – alongside an expansion of robust and smart electricity grids – can help us get out of today’s difficulties.”

The IEA’s price index for major wholesale electricity markets almost doubled compared with 2020 and was up 64 percent from the 2016-2020 average. In Europe, average wholesale electricity prices in the fourth quarter of 2021 were more than four times their 2015-2020 average. Besides Europe, there were also sharp price increases in Japan and India, while they were more moderate in the United States where gas supplies were less perturbed.

Electricity produced from renewable sources grew by 6 percent in 2021, but it was not enough to keep up with galloping demand. Coal-fired generation grew by 9 percent, serving more than half of the increase in demand and reaching a new all-time peak as high natural gas prices led to gas-to-coal switching. Gas-fired generation grew by 2 percent, while nuclear increased by 3.5 percent, almost reaching its 2019 levels. In total, carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from power generation rose by 7 percent, also reaching a record high, after having declined the two previous years.

“Emissions from electricity need to decline by 55 percent by 2030 to meet our Net Zero Emissions by 2050 Scenario, but in the absence of major policy action from governments, those emissions are set to remain around the same level for the next three years,” said Dr Birol. “Not only does this highlight how far off track we currently are from a pathway to net zero emissions by 2050, but it also underscores the massive changes needed for the electricity sector to fulfil its critical role in decarbonising the broader energy system.”

For 2022-2024, the report anticipates electricity demand growing 2.7 percent a year on average, although the Covid-19 pandemic and high energy prices bring some uncertainty to this outlook. Renewables are set to grow by 8 percent per year on average, serving more than 90 percent of net demand growth during this period. We expect nuclear-based generation to grow by 1 percent annually during the same period.

As a consequence of slowing electricity demand growth and significant renewables additions, fossil fuel-based generation is expected to stagnate in the coming years, with coal-fired generation falling slightly as phase-outs and declining competitiveness in the United States and Europe are balanced by growth in markets like China and India. Gas-fired generation is seen growing by around 1 percent a year.

Source: IEA

EBRD Green Finance in 2021 Hits Record 51 Percent of 10.4 Billion Euros Total

14.01.2022

renewable-energy — Photo-illustration: Pixabay

The EBRD’s green financing hit a record 5.4 billion euros, or 51 percent, of total business volume of 10.4 billion euros in 2021.

“These excellent results underscore the Bank’s strong dedication to continuing to support its clients in the wake of the pandemic as well as its commitment to decarbonise economies and enable the transition to a more sustainable future, with a focus on involving the private sector and supporting reforms to tackle climate change,” said EBRD President Odile Renaud-Basso.

The 2021 green results, a significant increase on the 29 percent share of total financing in 2020, fall under the EBRD’s Green Economy Transition (GET) approach.

They follow the Bank’s recent twin commitments to align all its investments with the goals of the Paris Agreement on limiting climate change by the end of this year, a decision taken by its Board of Governors at last July’s Annual Meeting, and to make a majority of its investments green by 2025.

At the November 2021 COP26 climate summit in Glasgow, the EBRD also set out how it plans to support the transition to a low-carbon economy in its regions by doubling the mobilisation of private-sector climate financing by 2025.

The EBRD, a leading climate finance investor, works in some of the world’s most fossil-fuel dependent countries and aims to support them in planning and executing their transition to a low-carbon economy.

Among its many successes is EBRD Green Cities, a 5 billion urban euros environmental programme, which has grown to include 53 cities in its five years of existence and helps them identify, prioritise and connect their environmental challenges with sustainable infrastructure investments and policy measures.

The EBRD announced in November that the programme was doubling in size, allocating a further 2 billion euros to invest in green urban infrastructure over the next two years.

The 2021 green finance record was a key element in the EBRD’s second highest overall annual business volume ever. The record of 11 billion euros was set in 2020 when its investments were buoyed by emergency lending at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The total number of its projects in 2021 was 413, compared to 411 in 2020. The share of private sector investment rose four percentage points to 76 percent.

Annual Mobilised Investment – the amount made available to clients from entities other than the EBRD due to the Bank’s direct involvement – climbed sharply to 1.8 billion euros from 1.2 billion euros in 2020. Disbursements totalled 7.3 billion euros for the year.

The EBRD raised approximately 1.2 billion euros in donor funds to support its operations in 2021 and is an important partner for the European Union, the Bank’s largest multilateral donor.

Under its EU budget and NextGenerationEU funding programmes, the EU provided 291 million euros in 2021 and through the EU’s pandemic-related Recovery Resilience Facility 500 million euros in concessional finance were provided by Greece.

Bilateral donors contributed some 123 million euros to the High-Impact Partnership on Climate Action (HIPCA), the EBRD’s first green-focused multi-donor facility, launched at COP26.

Inclusion and digital, the EBRD’s two strategic priorities other than green, also made a major contribution to the Bank’s success in 2021.

Source: EBRD

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