Nature-based Solutions Scoping Studies for Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina are Ready for Reading

17.08.2022

nature-priroda-Moldavija — Photo-illustration: Pixabay

Within the ADAPT initiative, this summer two new knowledge products on Nature-based Solutions were produced. Two national scoping studies on Nature-based Solutions (NbS) in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia are available at the IUCN Library portal.

The publications were prepared by our NbS Field Experts, Tanja Popovicki for Serbia and Marijana Kapović Solomun for Bosnia and Herzegovina:

The scoping studies map the main climate risks and hazards and their causes, provide a stakeholder analysis of relevant existing projects using Nature-based Solutions, and set out recommendations for deploying those solutions at the national level. Both studies present an overview of ecosystem services and relevant experiences in ecosystem-based disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation.

Based on information from relevant global databases and consultation with key national stakeholders, the scoping studies succeeded in identifying priority sites for implementation of NbS, and they will be used for a further selection of pilot sites in Serbia and NbS feasibility study in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Selected pilot site in Serbia are Gledic mountains and is expected to be implemented later this year.

Enhancing Nature-Based Solutions in B&H – https://portals.iucn.org/library/node/49897;

Enhancing Nature-Based Solutions in Serbia – https://portals.iucn.org/library/node/49896

Scoping studies for other Western Balkans economies that ADAPT operates in are in their final stage of preparation, which includes final commenting by national stakeholders.

Source: IUCN

France Plans Fashion Revolution With Climate-Impact Labels

16.08.2022

odeća-ormar-garderoba-prodavnica — Foto: Unsplash (Becca McHaffie)

Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Charles Deluvio)

Is it better for the environment if you buy a brand-new cotton T-shirt or a recycled one?

Well, it depends.

Recycling has apparent benefits, but the process shortens cotton fibres and so usually has to be mixed with some oil-based material to keep it from falling apart.

Such trade-offs make it tricky to figure out the real sustainability rating of clothes — but brands in Europe will soon have no choice.

Next year, France will pass a decree that will require every item of clothing sold in the country to carry a label detailing its precise climate impact.

An exact timetable has yet to be finalised, but the labels are expected to quickly become mandatory, and the European Union is mulling a similar rule for the entire bloc.

For clothing firms, that means juggling many different and conflicting data points: Where and how were its raw materials grown? What was used to colour it? How far did it travel? Was the factory powered with solar energy or coal?

The French Agency for Ecological Transition (Ademe) is currently testing 11 proposals for how to collect and compare data — and what the resulting label might look like to consumers — using 500 real-life clothing items.

“The message of the law is clear — it will become obligatory, so brands need to prepare, to make their products traceable, to organise the automatic collection of data,” Erwan Autret, one of the coordinators at Ademe, told AFP.

“Some say the models are too simple, some say they’re too complicated, but it’s a sign of the maturity of the debate that no one questions the need for these calculations anymore.

‘Transparent and informed’

The need for change in fashion is urgent.

Statistics are notoriously hard to verify, but the UN says the industry is responsible for 10 per cent of global carbon emissions, as well as a significant portion of water consumption and waste.

Labels can be a key part of the solution, say campaigners.

“It will force brands to be more transparent and informed… to collect data and create long-term relationships with their suppliers — all things they’re not used to doing,” said Victoire Satto, of The Good Goods, a media agency focused on sustainable fashion.

“Right now it seems infinitely complex,” she added. “But we’ve seen it applied in other industries such as medical supplies.”

Seeing how the winds are blowing, the textile industry has been racing to come up with technical solutions.

A recent presentation by Premiere Vision, a Paris-based textiles conference, highlighted many new processes including non-toxic leather tanning, dyes drawn from fruits and waste — and even biodegradable underwear that can be thrown on the compost.

But the key to sustainability is using the right fabric for the right garment, said Ariane Bigot, Premiere Vision’s deputy head of fashion.

That means synthetic and oil-based fabrics will still have a place, she said: “A strong synthetic with a very long lifespan might be right for some uses, such as an over-garment that needs little washing.”

Capturing all these trade-offs in one simple label on an item of clothing is therefore tricky.

“It’s very complicated,” said Bigot. “But we need to get the machine started.”

Sustainable options

The French agency is due to collate the results of its testing phase by next spring before handing the results to lawmakers.

While many welcome the labels, activists say this should only be part of a wider crackdown on the fashion industry.

“It’s really good to put an emphasis on life-cycle analysis but we need to do something about it beyond just labels,” said Valeria Botta, of the Environmental Coalition on Standards.

“The focus should be on setting clear rules on product design to ban the worst products from the market, ban the destruction of returned and unsold goods, and set production limits,” she told AFP.

“Consumers should not have to fight to find a sustainable option — that should be the default.”

Source: EURACTIV.com

Droughts are Getting Worse Around the World, Here’s Why and What Needs to be Done

15.08.2022

sunce-klimatske-promene — Foto-ilustracija: Pixabay

The Po, Italy’s longest river, has been a vital transport hub throughout history helping the north of the country develop into an industrial powerhouse. But “the king of rivers” is now drying up because of periods of severe drought. Experts say it is almost three metres below the zero gauge height, significantly below the seasonal average.

The Italian government declared a state of emergency in five regions in early July because of a drought – described as the worst in 70 years. Around a third of Italy’s population (17 million people), live around the Po as well as more than half of the nation’s pigs and cattle.

The drought has threatened supplies of olive oil and risotto rice which could raise prices by as much as 50 percent, reports The Guardian. “There are two categories of causes for this water crisis: One is the rainfall deficit of the last three years. The general rise in temperatures is also contributing; there is no doubt that climate change is having an effect,” Italy’s Prime Minister Mario Draghi said in a statement.

Drought threatens several European countries

Neighbouring France is experiencing its worst drought since records began in 1958, according to Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne. Water restrictions are in place across much of the country, and the corn harvest is expected to be almost 20 percent lower than in 2021 the Agriculture Ministry has said.

Portugal recorded its hottest July since records began and 99 percent of the country is in severe or extreme drought. Average temperatures were just over 40°C, according to the IPMA weather service, almost three degrees higher than the typical July average.

Around 75 percent of Romania is affected by drought. The country’s cereal crop is predicted to drop by 30 million tonnes.

Even further North, drought has been declared in parts of England, which is expected to result in restrictions on water usage. The National Drought Group says by 2050 some rivers could have up to 80 percent less water during summer and temperatures could be up to 7 degrees hotter as a result of climate change. July saw temperatures in parts of the UK break the 40°C barrier for the first time ever. The BBC reported that the first six months of the year were the driest in England since 1976.

Drought is affecting other continents around the world

The Horn of Africa is experiencing its worst drought in more than 40 years with more than 18 million people facing severe hunger in Ethiopia, Somalia and parts of Kenya, the FAO has warned.

The United Nations (UN) says drought affects Africa more than any other continent, accounting for 44 percent of the global total in its recent report Drowning by Numbers.

These countries have experienced lower than average rainfall for four consecutive years, which has had a devastating effect on farming and food production. The FAO has launched an emergency relief and mitigation plan and the UN’s refugee agency UNHCR is appealing for USD 42.6 million to deliver life-saving assistance to people affected by drought in the region.

More than 43 percent of the US was in drought at the end of July, the government’s National Integrated Drought Information System revealed. It says over 130 million people (at the time of posting) are currently affected by drought, as well as 229 million acres of crops. The US economy has lost an estimated GBP 249 million due to drought and related crop failures according to the UN.

Drought frequency and duration has increased by nearly a third globally since 2000, the UN says. The climate crisis is fuelling this according to Drought in Numbers, 2022. It says more than 2.3 billion people around the world are currently facing water stress. Although droughts only represent 15 percent of natural disasters, they killed 650,000 people between 1970 and 2019. More than 10 million have died due to major drought events over the past 100 years.

The report goes on to say that by 2050, drought could affect more than 75 percent of the world’s population. As many as 5.7 billion people could live in areas with water shortages for at least one month a year, and more than 215 million people could be displaced from their homes due to drought and other climate change-related factors.

Changing our relationship with land and food

“We are at a crossroads,” said Ibrahim Thiaw, Executive Secretary of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification says in the foreword to the report. “We need to steer toward the solutions rather than continuing with destructive actions, believing that marginal change can heal systemic failure.” He also said in a tweet that land restoration is one solution to the problem that needs urgent investment.

However, the report also points to several success stories. Farmers in Niger have substantially reduced drought risks by creating new agroforestry systems on five million hectares of land. Average costs have been below USD 20 per hectare. Vegetation cover has increased over seven million hectares of land in the Sahel over the past 25 years due to interventions such as changes in tree management and tenure.

And the adoption of drip irrigation has provided significant benefits in drought-prone provinces of Viet Nam, Cambodia, and Indonesia. Vegetable farmers there were able to increase water use efficiency by up to 43 percent and yield by 8 percent-15 percent.

The Drought in Numbers 2022 report concludes: “Sustainable and efficient agricultural management techniques are needed to grow more food on less land and with less water, and humans must change their relationships with food, fodder and fibre – moving toward plant-based diets and stemming the consumption of animals.” The report authors say concerted policy, partnerships and funding at all levels is urgently needed going forward to provide integrated drought action plans.

Source: World Economic Forum

New Report Shows the Importance of Discouraging Wildlife Crimes in Bosnia and Herzegovina

14.08.2022

lynx-ris-mačka-animal — Foto-ilustracija: Pixabay

Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Jeremy Cai)

Crimes against nature and the environment are the fourth most lucrative activity of organized crime in the world, after human, drugs and weapon trafficking.

The cost of crimes against nature and the environment sum up to 258 billion dollars a year, cause incalculable damage to our planet, significantly reduce biodiversity and can lead to the complete extinction of some plant and animal species.

Even though environmental crimes were the third most frequently reported criminal offense during the period of 2011–2017 in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the awareness about their seriousness is weak and sentences for committing such crimes are mild or non-existing.

WWF launched a national report which provides insights into the most common wildlife crimes in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the animal species that are most affected and recommendations for reducing and discouraging such crimes in order to raise public awareness and reduce the number of wildlife crimes through effective and successful prosecution.

“The main issue in reducing wildlife crimes in BiH is scarcity of information. There is no official data which could serve as a basis to determine the real scale of wildlife crime in that country. Most of the data and analyses are the result of the work of the non-governmental sector, and the topic of punishable acts to the detriment of birds in the country is the best researched”, said Snježana Malić- Limari from WWF Adria.

The report shows that the largest number of recorded cases of poaching, poisoning and illegal trade relate to birds. It is estimated that in Bosnia and Herzegovina up to 47 thousand birds are killed annually, and the reason is often poaching of songbirds for illegal trade. Trophy hunting often threatens black grouse, waterfowl and birds of prey, and griffon vulture is extinct on a national level for about 30 years due to poisoning. Griffon vultures are scavengers, which means they feed on dead prey and have an important role in nature as “natural cleaners”. In doing so, they often eat poisoned carcasses left by locals and intended for predators, which led to their extinction in the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Besides birds, other cases of poaching, poisoning, keeping and smuggling are related to large carnivores, especially bears, but also wolves and lynx.

“The institutional and legislative framework for nature protection in Bosnia and Herzegovina is complex and uneven due to its fragmentation at four administrative levels – state, entity, cantonal and municipal, which makes it even more difficult to fight against wildlife crimes systematically and effectively. Such a complex state structure significantly slows down the adoption of regulations and complicates the clear division of responsibilities between levels of government and institutions. For example, wolves are a protected species in one entity in the country, and considered a game without a prescribed closure period in another. Also, date shells are protected in the EU but are not protected in Bosnia and Herzegovina, where they are regularly offered in restaurants”, said Malić-Limari.

For a greater number of reported, successfully detected and sanctioned cases of wildlife crimes, it is necessary to strengthen the public and institutional awareness about the serious consequences of such crimes on nature and people, and to increase the capacities of institutions responsible for nature protection and the judiciary. Although the transfer of international and European obligations to the national legal order has achieved some progress in the nature protection sector and the work of the judiciary in the country, that process is limited and differs in the entities. Improvement of regulations and their harmonizing with international and European laws, as well as better cooperation between competent institutions and experts can lead to reducing and discouraging wildlife crimes.

This national report is part of the LIFE SWiPE project (Successful Wildlife Crime Prosecution in Europe), that aims to discourage, and ultimately reduce the number of wildlife crimes through better enforcement of EU environmental regulations and more successfully prosecuted crimes.

Source: WWF Adria

Young People Call for Intergenerational Solidarity on the Climate Crisis

13.08.2022

klimatski_protesti — Foto-ilustracija: Unsplash (Markus Spiske)

Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Duncan Shaffer)

Young people bear a disproportionate burden of the environmental crises the world faces today, which will impact their future. Research shows that many young people feel frustrated and unheard, creating a sense of unfairness that has, in recent years, fueled a surge of climate activism led by youth.

According to a recent study, children born in 2020 will experience a two to seven-fold increase in extreme climate events, particularly heatwaves, compared to people born in 1960. The study finds there is “a severe threat to the safety of young generations” and calls for “drastic emission reductions to safeguard their future.”

United Nations Department of Economics and Social Affairs research shows that there are about 1.2 billion youth aged 15 to 24 in the world today. This is a huge percentage of the global population whose interests and voices have traditionally been overlooked.

This year’s International Youth Day on 12 August will highlight the potential of Intergenerational Solidarity in advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in line with the UN Secretary-General’s report on Our Common Agenda. The report calls on policymakers to listen to and work with youth.

The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) recognizes the important role young people play in every environmental issue facing the world today. UNEP has helped establish The Global Youth for Environment, which brings together young people from around the world and inspires them to take action locally, nationally and internationally towards environmental conservation and environmental governance based on the interest of youth.

Many young activists have highlighted that all too often, policymakers and government officials publicly support youth leaders and give them a seat at the table at prestigious international conferences, says Barratt. But away from the cameras, when important policies that affect young people are being made, their voices and interests are often not taken into account.

Youth activists say that they want more than lip service from global leaders. They want more inclusive policymaking processes and a seat at the decision-making table.

At the recent Stockholm+50 Youth Assembly, young people called for the mainstreaming of youth engagement in environmental and multilateral processes on the road to the UN Climate Change Conference in Egypt (COP 27).

“Change is coming,” said UN Youth Envoy Jayathma Wickramanayake. “We will continue to fight for our [youth] voices to be heard at the decision-making table.”

Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Callum Shaw)

Over the years, multiple international declarations and covenants have called for inclusive policymaking, including recommendations for accelerating action towards a healthy planet for the prosperity of all, as set out in Stockholm+50 Agenda for Action, Renewal and Trust – Outputs and outcomes.

Recognizing intergenerational responsibility is a cornerstone of sound policymaking and puts front and center the critical role of young people in climate action and the need to build the capacity of young people to engage with global leaders and financial institutions.

To promote intergenerational solidarity, among other activities, UNEP has been working with the World Bank’s Connect4Climate initiative to launch a series of YouTube videos that foster intergenerational dialogue.

The videos feature advocates of climate action of all ages and backgrounds to exchange ideas and experiences and build solidarity.

The last episode, to be broadcast on International Youth Day, features Aldo Manos, 89, a former senior staff member of the UN, and Emmanuela Shinta, 29, an environmental film-maker and indigenous people’s representative from Kalimantan, Indonesia. They discuss the climate crisis, sustainable lifestyles, the value of nature, environmental education, and the need for a shift in global mindset to protect and restore the web of life.

60 million jobs that will be created by the green economy in 30 years do not even exist yet.

UNEP and partners are also working with higher education and youth networks from around the world, by mainstreaming environmental education and awareness across curricula to equip young people with the tools and skills they need today, for the jobs of the future green economy we want.

“Intergenerational responsibility is ultimately about ethical and moral fairness,” said Barratt.

“Future generations who are likely to face more frequent and intense extreme weather events have come into focus due to the fierce and effective advocacy of young climate activists. It’s now time to meaningfully engage our youth – providing them with not only a seat at decision-making tables, but also the skills and capacity to effectively operate at these tables.”

Source: UNEP

France Gets Help From EU Partners as Wildfires Rage

12.08.2022

wildfire_požar — Photo-illustration: Pixabay

Firefighting teams and equipment from six EU nations started to arrive in France on Thursday (11 August) to help battle a spate of wildfires, including a fierce blaze in the parched southwest that has forced thousands to evacuate.

Most of the country is sweltering under a summer heatwave compounded by a record drought — conditions most experts say will occur more often as a result of rapid climate change.

“We must continue, more than ever, our fight against climate disruption and… adapt to this climate disruption,” Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne said after arriving at a fire command post in the village of Hostens, south of Bordeaux.

The European Commission said four firefighting planes would be sent to France from Greece and Sweden, as well as teams from Austria, Germany, Poland and Romania.

“Our partners are coming to France’s aid against the fires. Thank you to them. European solidarity is at work!” President Emmanuel Macron tweeted.

“Across the country over 10,000 firefighters and security forces are mobilized against the flames… These soldiers of fire are our heroes,” he said.

In total, 361 foreign firefighters were dispatched to assist their 1,100 French colleagues deployed in the worst-hit part of the French southwest.

A first contingent of 65 German firefighters, followed by their 24 vehicles, arrived Thursday afternoon and were to go into action at dawn Friday, officials said.

Among eight major fires currently raging, the biggest is the Landiras fire in the southwest Gironde department, whose forests and beaches draw huge tourist crowds each summer.

It had already burned 14,000 hectares (35,000 acres) in July — the driest month seen in France since 1961 — before being contained, but it continued to smoulder in the region’s tinder-dry pine forests and peat-rich soil.

Since flaring up again Tuesday, which officials suspect may have been caused by arson, it has burned 7,400 hectares, destroyed or damaged 17 homes, and forced 10,000 people to quit their homes, said Lieutenant Colonel Arnaud Mendousse of the Gironde fire and rescue service.

Borne said nine firefighting planes are already dumping water on the blaze, with two more to be in service by the weekend.

Source: EURACTIV.com

Mihajlovic: The Goal is to be a Transit Route in Energy, as we are in Transport

12.08.2022

struja koridor žice wires electric — Foto-ilustracija: Unsplash (Fre Sonneveld)

Photo: The Government of the Republic of Serbia

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Mining and Energy, prof. Zorana Mihajlovic, Ph.D., stated that the state is doing and will do everything it can to ensure sufficient amounts of energy for the upcoming winter and that thanks to financial stability it is possible to ensure energy security.

Mihajlovic reiterated for TV Kurir that despite the announced price increase, the price of electricity in Serbia will still be the lowest in Europe, and that the goal is for our country to be a transit route in energy, as it is in traffic.

“What we are intensively working on, which is a priority, is the completion of the gas interconnection with Bulgaria, and when everything is completed in September of next year, we will have the opportunity to purchase gas from Alexandroupolis, that is, the LNG terminal, as well as from Azerbaijan. When we have more suppliers, it automatically increases the security of the country, because it is not good to depend on only one supplier, whatever country it is. Also, we want to connect not only in the gas sector, but also in the high-voltage network, and with Croatia, North Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Romania, because we want to be a transit route in energy, as we are in traffic, that is the vision of how Serbian energy should look like,” added Mihajlovic.

She said that, when it comes to the upcoming winter season, the state is doing everything it can to provide enough energy and energy sources.

“Thanks to financial stability, we manage to provide everything, but it costs the state a lot. We will have to import electricity in the coming months as well, because we have a serious problem in the power industry, and I believe that this would not have happened if things had been done differently. We have always been with EPS, we have facilitated the import of electricity and coal. The only way out for the Serbian energy sector is investments, especially in RHE and OIE, through strategic partnerships. It is necessary for EPS to invest in existing and new mines, but also to finally start building new capacities,” said Mihajlovic.

She said that, when it comes to raising the price of electricity, that step was necessary, given the increase in prices in the entire production chain, but that despite the announced price increase, the price of electricity in Serbia will still be the lowest in Europe.

“The Ministry of Mining and Energy has prepared a regulation on the energy vulnerable customer, which will enable those citizens who are not socially vulnerable according to the criteria of social institutions, but have low incomes, to have the right to benefits when paying for electricity, gas and thermal energy,” said the Deputy Prime Minister.

Source: Ministry of Mining and Energy

Energy Security: France Takes Emergency Measures to Boost Renewables

11.08.2022

France gets around 20 per cent of its electricity from renewable sources – 8 per cent from wind energy, but it needs more to meet its climate goals while reinforcing energy security. The war in Ukraine and disruptions in its conventional electricity generation fleet are putting France’s energy system under stress. The French Government is taking unprecedented steps to maximize renewable electricity generation as part of the solution.

Wind energy is available locally and doesn’t need to be imported from other countries. It’s competitive and doesn’t depend on the market price of fossil fuels. And it saves money to Governments and consumers. Wind energy will contribute 8bn euros to France’s State revenue in 2022-23: under Government-backed Contracts for Difference (CfDs) project developers pay Governments the difference between the State-guaranteed purchase price of electricity and the wholesale electricity market price, which is currently very high due to the war in Ukraine. As more wind energy continue to be deployed, savings will increase.

But inflation and higher commodity costs are putting certain renewable energy investments at risk. The French Government estimates that 5-6 GW of wind projects and 6-7 GW of solar projects may not go ahead because of the current economic environment. The Government has therefore announced several emergency measures to boost renewable electricity generation ahead of the winter. Among them is the possibility for new wind and solar farms to sell their electricity directly on the market for 18 months before locking in their CfDs, and the possibility for projects that have already won an auction to increase their capacity by up to 40 per cent before completion. The Government also plans to factor the evolution of raw material costs into Contracts for Difference. These immediate measures will be completed by an upcoming emergency law on further accelerating the deployment of renewables in France.

In parallel, the French Government doubled the size of the planned Oléron offshore wind zone (Atlantic ocean) to 2 GW, following a public consultation with more than 15,000 participants. The choice of the wind zone reflects the attention given to the local environment, and the complementarity of clean energy projects with biodiversity protection. France wants to build 40 GW of offshore wind by 2050 spread over 50 wind farms. The country’s first commercial-scale offshore wind farm, located in St Nazaire, started sending electricity to the grid this June, and offshore already employs more than 5,000 people in France. The industry aims to quadruple this to over 20,000 direct and indirect jobs.

WindEurope Chief Policy Officer Pierre Tardieu said: “The French Government is taking unprecedented steps to boost wind power generation and deal with the current energy crisis. The wind sector is ready and fully committed to playing its part in securing France’s and Europe’s energy supply. The Government’s emergency measures mean more electricity generation in the coming months, and more energy security for French businesses and citizens. At the same time, the announcement of a 2 GW wind zone off the Oléron island confirms France is serious about its big offshore wind plans. And the broad consultation process shows this can be done with the support of the community. And that wind energy projects and biodiversity protection can be mutually beneficial.”

Source: WindEurope

Why Don’t Solar Panels Work as Well in Heatwaves?

11.08.2022

Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Zbynek Burival)

Heatwaves are good for generating solar energy – right?

Well, yes and no.

Recent hot weather has generated record amounts of solar power.

Germany broke a new record for solar power generation, and, in the United Kingdom, solar power met up to a quarter of the nation’s power needs, according to the news site Energy Live News.

But too much heat can actually be bad for solar panels.

How does extreme heat affect solar panels?

Heat can “severely reduce” the ability of solar panels to produce power, according to CED Greentech, a solar equipment supplier in the United States.

Depending on where they’re installed, hot temperatures can reduce the output efficiency of solar panels by 10 percent-25 percent, the company says.

According to the American renewable energy website EnergySage, solar panels are tested at 25°C (77°F) and generally have a temperature range of between 15°C and 35°C. Solar cells – the electronic devices that convert sunlight into electricity that are connected together to build solar panels – produce solar power most efficiently within this range.

But solar panels can get as hot as 65°C (149°F), EnergySage says. This can affect the efficiency of solar cells.

Why do solar panels struggle in very hot weather?

The impact of heat on solar panels is to do with the laws of thermodynamics – the science of heat and how it affects things.

The electricity generated by solar panels comes from a flow of particles called electrons inside the electrical circuit, explains news site Euronews.

When temperatures soar, these electrons can bounce around too much – and this reduces voltage, or the amount of electricity generated.

Too much heat also reduces the efficiency of the solar panel, by 0.5 percentage points for every degree Celsius rise in temperature.

What can be done about overheating solar panels?

How hot your roof is likely to get during the year is one of the factors that solar panel installers will consider when designing a solar panel system.

Ways to reduce the impact of hot weather include mounting solar panels a few inches above the roof, explains CED Greentech. This allows airflow to cool the panels.

Using solar panels that are built with light-coloured, reflective material can also reduce the amount of heat they absorb.

Electronic components that operate the solar panels can be installed in a shaded area behind the panels to help stop them from becoming too hot.

Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Asia Chang)

Does very hot weather affect other energy sources?

Solar panels aren’t the only energy system impacted by high temperatures.

Nuclear power plants and other types of thermal plants – which convert heat into electricity – can also be affected.

According to an expert interviewed by Fortune magazine, all types of thermal power plants – whether coal-fired, gas-fired or nuclear – need huge amounts of water to keep them cool.

In France, the heatwave cut electricity output from two nuclear power plants when the hot temperatures warmed water in the nearby Rhône River used to cool nuclear reactors, Fortune notes.

What do rising temperatures mean?

The rising global temperature – caused by growing levels of greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide in the atmosphere – is increasing the frequency and intensity of heatwaves around the world.

Unprecedented heatwaves are breaking temperature records this year in countries and continents, including India, Pakistan, Australia, Europe, North Africa and the United States.

In a blog for the World Economic Forum, climate change expert Bob Ward says: “The threat of heatwaves will carry on climbing while greenhouse gas levels continue to accumulate.”

Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Mariana Proenca)

Adapting infrastructure and communities to climate change is a vital part of tackling the climate crisis – alongside reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Climate adaptation needs investment. In developing countries alone, the United Nations Environment Programme estimates the cost of climate adaptation will be between USD 140- USD 300 billion a year by 2030, and between USD 280- USD 500 billion a year by 2050.

What does this mean for the renewable energy industry?

In industry, climate adaptation includes redesigning products and systems to be more resilient to climate change impacts like more extreme weather.

The solar energy industry is already developing technology innovations to help solar panels work in even the harshest conditions. Researchers are even exploring how solar panels might work at night.

Renewable energy, including solar power, is already a big part of climate mitigation – ways to reduce or remove greenhouse gas emissions.

Last year, wind and solar generated a record 10 percent of the world’s energy.

By 2050, renewables could supply four-fifths of the world’s electricity, according to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA). This could “massively” cut carbon emissions and help to mitigate climate change, it says.

But to get there, innovation needs to be accelerated in business and technology, IRENA adds.

Source: World Economic Forum

Together for a Healthy Environment

10.08.2022

lake-gfa26c81ad_1920 — Foto ilustracija: Pixabay (jiriposival0)

Suppose you had the opportunity to visit Slovenia. In that case, you must have noticed that there is no scattered paper and waste, all green areas are arranged, and what particularly impressed me was the flowers that can be seen on almost every terrace and window. It seems that in this country, people pay special attention to the space in which they live and that they really take care of the environment and its protection. The citizens who take care of everything are the most deserving of that, but also the nongovernmental organizations that are there to help and point out mistakes and omissions.

The Slovenian Association of the Ecological Movement – ZEG is an association of ecological movements whose common goal is the development and protection of the environment. It was founded in 2002 and currently unites 11 environmental movements and five non-profit institutions.

“In 1992, an association called the Slovenian Ecological Movement – SEG was founded, which gained 2,600 members in a few years. The Association of Ecological Movements – ZEG, founded in 1997, became the holder of the associations in Slovenia, and from 1997 to 2002, it helped in the establishment and registration of 15 associations. Our goal is to protect the environment. We have a large number of engineers, doctors, masters, and experts in many fields who are always available to us. They help us prepare expert opinions, remarks and everything we need when we give proposals for some laws and the like,” Karel Lipič, President of the Slovenian Association of the Ecological Movement, explains.

ZEG focuses on four activities: waste management, air quality protection, water protection and harmful radiation.

“Of course, we pay attention to other important areas and are all particularly interested in the energy issue. In addition, we pay special attention to education, especially the youngest, and we actively participate in the implementation of the Eco-School project. We cooperate with the Government and ministries, the Chamber of Commerce, and competent institutions. We have been given a special status, and every year we submit reports to the authorities because we actively participate in solving major problems in Slovenia. We supervise the construction of a landfill for highly active waste from the nuclear power plant. We are also participating in drafting the law for a better life for people who live near industrial facilities that can affect pollution,” our interlocutor says.

In focus:

There was a lot of talk about the Environmental Protection Act of Slovenia, and ZEG actively participated in its drafting. ZEG members were speakers at the Public Debate last year while they submitted another remark regarding the area of waste management and water protection. From the beginning, they followed the drafting of the law, and they also participated in the drafting and gave expert suggestions and remarks.

Waste problem

Although there is no waste in Slovenia, at least not the visible one, this country has big problems with it. They are intensively monitoring what and how it is being done in Croatia, as well as in the countries of the region when it comes to this. They pay special attention to the problem of plastic packaging, i.e. plastic waste.

“The bail system has been developed to some extent in Croatia, but their solutions have not brought great results. That is why i plan to hear from their representatives how the system works at the conference that will be organized in October this year so that we can see how we can apply it in our country,” Karel points out.

There is a developed system in Slovenia for collecting municipal waste. A good part of it is recycled, but the problem of its disposal needs to be solved permanently. In this association, they see the solution in constructing incinerators which would solve this problem but also provide a safe source of thermal energy. The incinerators would be modeled on those in Vienna, Germany, Italy, and Switzerland.

“We are fighting for industrial waste processing, and five locations for the construction of incinerators have been determined in Slovenia. Of course, some are against their construction, but I think that brings great damage to both the economy and industry. One will be built in Ljubljana, one in Maribor and three more in other places. All documents have been prepared for the incinerator in Ljubljana. The construction should begin early next year and it should be completed by 2024. When it comes to Maribor, the documentation is ready, and I expect that it will be built by 2024. Their construction will solve 60 to 70 percent of waste in Slovenia. Of course, during the construction of incinerators, the most modern technology must be used, they must not pollute the air and the environment, and they must provide electricity and heat”, Karel Lipič points out.

In their work, they are always guided by good examples from other countries, and professional counseling gives them answers to questions that bother them. Our interlocutor points out that the basis of everything is good laws, but also their good application. He pays special attention to the fact that municipalities are the most important in the whole system and the way in which they apply the laws.

Prepared by: Milica Radičević

Read the story in the new issue of the Energy portal Magazine RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES.

EU plan to cut gas use by 15 per cent set to come into effect

10.08.2022

heating-grejanje-gas — Foto-ilustracija: Pixabay

An EU plan to cut gas consumption across the bloc by 15 per cent to cope with an energy price crisis spurred by Russia’s war in Ukraine comes into effect on Tuesday (9 August).

The EU regulation enshrining the plan agreed two weeks ago by the 27-nation bloc was published Monday in the European Union’s official administrative gazette, stipulating it would take force from Tuesday.

“Considering the imminent danger to the security of gas supply brought about by the Russian military aggression against Ukraine, this regulation should enter into force as a matter of urgency,” it said.

The aim is for the EU to be able to bolster its reserves of gas in time for what is likely to be a very tough winter. European households and businesses are being squeezed by skyrocketing energy prices and reduced Russian gas that several member states depend on.

The regulation said that EU countries “shall use their best efforts” to cut gas consumption by “at least 15 per cent” between August this year and March next year, based on how much they used on average over the previous five years.

Some EU countries, though, had carve-outs from strictly following the rule, which was, in any case, termed a “voluntary demand reduction”.

These were countries not fully connected to the European electricity grid or with gas pipelines to other parts of the EU or unable to free up enough pipeline gas to help other member states.

Hungary, which relies on gas piped directly from Russia, had demanded the exception.

Germany, the EU’s economic powerhouse, took a major share of the 40 per cent of EU gas imports from Russia last year.

Should the European Commission see a “severe gas supply shortage” or exceptionally high gas demand emerging, it can ask EU countries to declare an alert for the bloc. That would make gas cuts binding and limit exceptions.

While the EU has not included Russian gas in its sanctions on Moscow for the war in Ukraine, the Kremlin has drastically cut supplies anyway in what Brussels seems as an attempt to strongarm Europe.

Source: EURACTIV.com

EBRD and EU boost Serbian Family Business

09.08.2022

couch-nameštaj — Photo-illustration: Pixabay

Bimbo is a family-run business that specialises in designing and refurbishing retail outlets, offices, hotels and public buildings. And just like many other family firms in the region that were set up in the 1990s, it is now at a stage when the next generation are looking to take over the business.

This calls for a reassessment of the current business model and a plan for the future. An EBRD advisory project, supported by European Union (EU) funding, has helped Bimbo to improve its sales operations and undertake a wider company transformation.

A shift from entrepreneurial to corporate thinking

“When I worked in the corporate sector, it was interesting for me to learn that almost all of today’s big international companies started as small family firms,” explains Marko Ilic, the son of the company founder, who spent over 10 years working in Serbia and abroad. “We are now going through a phase of business succession. We have taken it very seriously and see it as a make-or-break situation. I fear that many companies that have no or little interest and ambition to deal with this phase properly will not survive.”

To navigate this phase successfully, the firm reached out to the EBRD’s Advice for Small Businesses team, which connects companies with experts and consultants to help them improve various business areas. Between 50 and 70 percent of the project costs are financed by the EU, which makes these investments more affordable for small businesses.

“Improving sales was our first goal,” Marko continued. “The company has an entrepreneurial background and most things were decided on a personal level and ‘feeling’. At one point, we realised that we needed more structured sales processes and, together with the consultants, we developed a unique process with defined job descriptions and established reporting lines. We also introduced additional sales training, as well as appropriate sales measurements and benefits.”

The company hired five more sales professionals to respond to the expected increase in business volume. And the more efficient processes have not only resulted in more sales and better productivity, but they have also allowed management to redirect its energy to areas with greater market potential and to acquiring new clients. Since then, the company has landed a few big clients and extended services for some existing clients.

“With the boost in sales we have realised that we need a wider transformation and we have now started another project which is a deep dive into our internal processes, with the aim of further improving the way we work. We have seen what a difference it makes when you improve one area, such as sales, and we are keen to replicate this in other business areas. It will help us to completely shift from an entrepreneurial way of working to a more corporate organisation, which i hope will bring much more efficiency and success to our work.”

Looking back at where they started, Marko believes that they are somewhere in the middle of their corporate transformation and that there is still lots of room for improvement.

“What’s important is that we are going in the right direction and i hope that in five years’ time we will get to where we want to be.”

Source: EBRD

Wildfires in Europe Burn Second-Biggest Area on Record

08.08.2022

fire-požar-njiva-paljenje — Photo-illustration: Pixabay

Wildfires raging through Europe this summer have burned the second-largest area on record, even though the region is only halfway through its typical fire season, according to data from the European Union’s Joint Research Centre.

A dozen European countries have suffered major blazes this year, forcing thousands to evacuate and destroying homes and businesses. Countries including Italy, Spain and France still face extreme fire risks.

Wildfires have burned 600,731 hectares in EU countries this year so far, the data showed. That ranks as the second-highest total for any year since 2006 when records began. In 2017, 987,844 hectares were burned.

This year’s burned area is more than double the size of Luxembourg. No other year in the dataset had seen such a high amount of burned land in Europe by August.

The Mediterranean region’s typical fire season runs from June to September.

Climate change is exacerbating fires by increasing the hot and dry conditions that help them spread faster, burn longer and rage more intensely. Hotter weather saps moisture from vegetation, turning it into dry fuel – a problem exacerbated by shrinking workforces in some areas to clear this vegetation.

Victor Resco de Dios, professor of forest engineering at Spain’s Lleida University, said the large fires France and Portugal suffered in early July were “extremely unusual” and demonstrated how climate change is causing the fire season to start earlier last longer.

“Today’s fires in the Mediterranean can no longer be extinguished… Large fires are getting bigger and bigger,” he said.

The JRC data covers wildfires bigger than 30 hectares, so if smaller fires were included, the total burned would be even higher.

Southern European countries such as Portugal and Greece experience fires most summers. Still, hotter temperatures are pushing extreme wildfire risk north, with Germany, Slovenia and the Czech Republic among those hit this season.

Some actions can help to limit blazes, such as setting controlled fires that mimic the low-intensity fires in natural ecosystem cycles.

But without steep cuts to the greenhouse gas emissions causing climate change, scientists concur that heatwaves, wildfires and other climate impacts will worsen significantly.

Source: EURACTIV.com

The Future of Panthera Tigris in Thailand and Globally

07.08.2022

tigar — Foto-ilustracija: Unsplash (Edewaa Foster)

The tiger (Panthera tigris) is the largest wild cat species in the world, and is listed as Endangered under the IUCN Red List in 2011. The tiger is also protected under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). However, the tiger populations in Thailand and globally are exposed to growing threats, which have raised concerns among conservationists, leading to increased international dialogue and action to conserve and protect the endangered species.

Since the turn of the 20th century, the global tiger population has dropped by 95 per cent, from approximately 100,000 individuals to as low as 3200 in 2010 year. Now there are only 13 recognised tiger range countries (Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Russia, Thailand, and Vietnam), of which only 10 still have wild functional tiger populations. Today the global population of tigers stands at about 4500.

Thailand is an important habitat for the Indochinese sub-species of Panthera tigris (Panthera tigris. corbetti) and one of the last strongholds for tigers in the Greater Mekong region, however many challenges still remain in protecting and conserving the species.

In 2010, Thailand held an Asian Ministerial Meeting on Tiger Conservation, which was attended by the 13 tiger range countries and ultimately led to the Hua Hin Declaration on Tiger Conservation. A Tiger Summit was also held at St. Petersburg, Russia in the same year, where the tiger range countries adopted the St. Petersburg Declaration on Tiger Conservation, and established a common target to conserve and double the tiger population “TX2” target by the year 2022.

Panthera tigris habitats in Thailand

Currently, there are 17 protected areas situated in the Western Forest Complex of Thailand, of which the Thungyai Naresuan Wildlife Sanctuary and Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuary are specified as core areas for tiger habitats. The tigers in both protected areas have spread to the upper part of the western forest area, which is located nearby Mae Wong National Park, Khlong Lan National Park, Khlong Wang Chao National Park, and Umphang Wildlife Sanctuary.

It is estimated that approximately 17-20 tigers are currently living in the upper part of the western forest complex, while the lower part of the western forest complex is home to around 11 tigers. Additionally, there are approximately 25 tigers living in Thap Lan National Park in the Khao Yai-Dong Phaya Yen forest complex, and a few in the Ta Phraya National Park. However, the restoration of tiger populations continues to be a great challenge, since no sighting reports of tigers have been made in the past 10 years in areas where reports were previously made. This includes areas such as Phu Kieo-Nam Nao Forest Complex, Mae Ping-Om Koi Forest Complex, and Srilanna-Khun Tan Forest Complex.

Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Fezbot2000)

Forest and ecosystem restoration are essential for conserving Panthera tigris

The establishment of the Si Sawat Non-Hunting Area in the southwestern forest area is currently in the process of becoming an ecological corridor between the Salakpra Wildlife Sanctuary and the Srinakarin Dam National Park. This will be useful in facilitating the movement of tigers between the forest areas.

Another great hope for tiger conservation is to restore tiger populations at the Khao Yai National Park, after the last sighting was reported in 2001, where 20-28 tigers were found in Thap Lan National Park. However, during 2015-2019, the Thai government had invested in the construction of a tunnel connecting the forest or the wildlife corridor, which showed traces of tigers in the camera traps and SMART patrols.

Source: IUCN

The World Needs More Diverse Solar Panel Supply Chains to Ensure a Secure Transition to Net Zero Emissions

06.08.2022

solar-modules — Photo-illustration: Pixabay

Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Sungrow Emea)

Ensuring a secure transition to net zero emissions will require increased efforts to expand and diversify global production of solar panels whose global supply chains are currently heavily concentrated in China, the IEA said in a new special report released today.

Chinese industrial and innovation policies focused on expanding solar panel production and markets have helped solar PV become the most affordable electricity generation technology in many parts of the world. However, this has also led to imbalances in solar PV supply chains, according to the IEA Special Report on Solar PV Global Supply Chains, the first study of its kind by the Agency.

Global manufacturing capacity for solar panels has increasingly moved out of Europe, Japan and the United States over the last decade and into China, which has taken the lead on investment and innovation. China’s share in all the key manufacturing stages of solar panels exceeds 80 percent today, according to the report, and for key elements including polysilicon and wafers, this is set to rise to more than 95 percent in the coming years, based on current manufacturing capacity under construction.

“China has been instrumental in bringing down costs worldwide for solar PV, with multiple benefits for clean energy transitions,” said IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol. “At the same time, the level of geographical concentration in global supply chains also poses potential challenges that governments need to address. Accelerating clean energy transitions around the world will put further strain on these supply chains to meet growing demand, but this also offers opportunities for other countries and regions to help diversify production and make it more resilient.”

Meeting international energy and climate goals requires the global deployment of solar PV to grow on an unprecedented scale. This in turn demands a major additional expansion in manufacturing capacity, raising concerns about the world’s ability to rapidly develop resilient supply chains. For example, annual additions of solar PV capacity to electricity systems around the world need to more than quadruple by 2030 to be on track with the IEA’s pathway to reaching net zero emissions by 2050. Global production capacity for the key building blocks of solar panels – polysilicon, ingots, wafers, cells and modules – would need to more than double by 2030 from today’s levels and existing production facilities would need to be modernised.

“As countries accelerate their efforts to reduce emissions, they need to ensure that their transition towards a sustainable energy system is built on secure foundations,” Dr Birol said. “Solar PV’s global supply chains will need to be scaled up in a way that ensures they are resilient, affordable and sustainable.”

Governments and other stakeholders around the world have begun to pay increasing attention to solar PV’s manufacturing supply chains as high commodity prices and supply chain bottlenecks have led to an increase of around 20 percent in solar panel prices over the last year. These challenges – particularly apparent in the market for polysilicon, a key material for making solar panels – have resulted in delays in solar PV deliveries across the globe and higher prices. The IEA special report argues that these challenges call for even greater attention and efforts by policymakers going forward.

The report examines solar PV supply chains from raw materials all the way to the finished product, covering areas such as energy consumption, emissions, employment, production costs, investment, trade and financial performance. It finds, for example, that the electricity-intensive manufacturing of solar PV is mostly powered by fossil fuels today because of the prominent role of coal in the parts of China where production is concentrated – but that solar panels still only need to operate for four to eight months to offset their manufacturing emissions. This brief payback period compares with the average solar panel lifetime of around 25 to 30 years. Increasing decarbonisation of electricity supplies and greater diversification of solar PV supply chains should both help reduce this footprint in the future, the report notes.

Because diversification is one of the key strategies for reducing supply chain risks worldwide, the special report assesses the opportunities and challenges of developing solar PV supply chains in terms of job creation, investment requirements, manufacturing costs, emissions and recycling. It finds that new solar PV manufacturing facilities along the global supply chain could attract USD 120 billion of investment by 2030. And the solar PV sector has the potential to double the number of PV manufacturing jobs to 1 million by 2030, with the most job-intensive areas in the manufacturing of modules and cells.

The special report summarises policy approaches that governments have taken to support domestic solar PV manufacturing and highlights priority areas for action to improve security of supply and to address key challenges such as environmental and social sustainability, investment risks and cost competitiveness.

Source: IEA

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