Solar Power Plant With a Little Help of Ceefor

11.11.2021

solar_power_plant_solarna_elektrana — Foto-ilustracija: Pixabay

More than 500 companies from Serbia and the region have made an unerring choice by entrusting the experts of the Center for Energy Efficiency and Sustainable Development (CEEFOR) with a task to design their solar power plants whose total capacity, at the moment, amounts to 40 MW.

If you think solar panels might be the perfect match for the roofs of your houses and facilities, now is the best moment to make those ideas true, as the procedure for installing solar panels has never been easier.

The once tedious process with a lot of paperwork today will take you only four steps. Apart from the permission of the local authority, you won’t need to get any other permit, including the building permit. It is stipulated in the new Law on renewable energy sources that from the moment of decision to build a solar power plant to agreement signature, it doesn’t take longer than two or three months.

With favorable Laws and a well-coordinated team of the CEEFOR company, anyone can become a pioneer of energy transition in Serbia and be among the first to enjoy all the benefits of renewable energy sources.

In focus:

The good calculation for lower electricity bill

An average household can satisfy their energy needs with a solar power plant with 10 kWp of projected output power. However, it will be ideal for smaller enterprises or somewhat bigger farms to have a solar power plant with 50 kWp power.

For those to whom 50 kWp sounds like a perfect number, CEEFOR suggests installing 148 solar panels with individual power of 370 Wp, distributed on a surface covering 273.8 m². This power plant would have an installed capacity of 54.76 kWp DC, and energy losses would be minimized thanks to innovative inverters under the Fronius brand name.

If you plan to put panels on a pitched roof, there is no better solution than inverters Fronius Symo with MPP trackers, and for a power plant of 50 kWp, you will need three inverters of the kind.

If you decide to install a solar power plant with a 50 kWh capacity, you will be glad to know that your contribution to the reduction of CO2 emissions is 51.54 tonnes a year.

So far, we have talked about solar panels and inverters as constituents of solar power plants. But what about batteries?

For those who want an off-grid system, the battery is an essential element, even though we need to say that it is a costly part of the equipment, which might be redundant if we consider all the benefits of an on-grid system.

You can’t make mistakes with an on-grid system

Our country is going the right way for green energy popularization, and that is what the new Law on renewable energy sources testifies. This Law introduces the possibility of net metering and the concept of prosumer too.

The newly introduced category of prosumer gives us an opportunity to become a buyer and producer of electricity so that all surplus of generated electricity we give into the grid. As for net metering, the owners of solar power plants will sell a surplus of energy according to feed-in tariffs.

Then, in the winter, and whenever it is needed, they could reduce their electricity bills. Apart from that, preparations for introducing the auction systems are underway and should enter into force by the end of 2021.

Prepared by: Milena Maglovski

Read the story in the new issue of the Energy portal Magazine WATER RESOURCES.

Energy Community Secretariat Contributes to Climate Policy Discussions at COP26

11.11.2021

coal_fired_power_plant_elektrana_na_ugalj — Foto-ilustracija: Pixabay

The Energy Community Secretariat, an Observer to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), participated at the twenty-sixth session of the Conference of the Parties (COP26) in Glasgow.

Director Kopač took part in a high-level side-event on the contribution of Energy Community Contracting Parties towards the 2050 target of a carbon-neutral European continent co-organized together with the NGO coalition Climate Action Network (CAN) Europe. The discussions focussed on the pressing need of introducing a carbon pricing scheme in the Energy Community and ensuring a just and inclusive energy transition of coal-dependent regions, including through redesigning existing financial instruments. During the Vienna Energy Club dedicated COP side-event, he also underlined the importance of research, development and innovation to boost the future of the energy sector.

The side-events were preceded by a meeting of the Energy Community’s Energy and Climate Committee, which served to exchange information on the current COP26 negotiations. The meeting was co-chaired by the Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration of Ukraine, Olha Stefanishyna, and the Director of International, Mainstreaming & Policy Coordination at DG CLIMA, Elina Bardram.

Renewables Expert Naida Taso outlined options for de-risking and scaling-up energy from renewable energy sources through market-based policies in the Energy Community, including a functional system for guarantees of origin, at a COP26 side-event organized by AURES II.

At the COP26 side-event of SDG7 presenting the Multi-Stakeholder Gender and Energy Compact, Sustainable Energy Expert Irina Lazzerini underlined the importance of addressing the inequalities embedded in the energy systems by giving a voice to women, youth and local communities. She highlighted that we should recognize, also through gender disaggregated data, that energy policy is not gender neutral. Climate change and energy poverty affect disproportionately women; we need to do better to promote women in decision-making positions to make sure that our interests are taken into account.

Source: Energy Community

Nature Investment Accelerator Invites Corporates to Slash 1Gt Emissions Annually

10.11.2021

landscape-zagađenje-vazduh — Foto-ilustracija: Pixabay

– Leading companies launch a campaign to increase private sector investment in natural climate solutions (NCS) to the tune of 1 Gigatonne (Gt) of emission reductions per year by 2025

– Under current prices, the estimated investments are over USD 10 billion

– The initiative is supported by the Natural Climate Solutions Alliance convened jointly by the World Economic Forum and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development and aims to draw more investments crucial to meet the Paris Agreement climate targets

– Natural Climate Solutions include activities across forests, agricultural and coastal lands that strengthen nature’s ability to absorb carbon and reduce emissions

– Members of the Alliance believe contributing to the ‘1Gt by 2025’ investment pool will send a demand signal to carbon markets and reassure policy makers and project developers to scale investments

Five leading companies, made an announcement to join forces towards creating an investment accelerator, aggregating corporate demand for 1 Gigatonne of emissions from NCS reductions and removals per year by 2025.

At the climate summit in Glasgow, Bank of America, Bayer, Boston Consulting Group, McKinsey & Company and Unilever- invited corporate leaders to join them as they roll out a sweeping campaign to increase investments into nature.

By investing in high-quality NCS carbon credits―alongside decarbonizing their full value chain emissions in line with a 1.5°C future―businesses are sending a strong a demand signal to trigger a system change that will lead to higher trust in NCS as a credible and effective solution to reduce and remove greenhouse gases emissions.

As the investment campaign is aimed at drawing investments equivalent to slashing 1Gt of GHG emissions, the leading companies of the alliance look forward to mobilizing support from many more public and private companies, to meet the climate targets defined by the Paris Agreement.

Giulia Carbone, Director NCS Alliance, WBCSD said “This is a ground-breaking development for natural climate solutions. Creating an investment accelerator will send an important demand signal to carbon markets, governments, and project developers on the ground. This initiative will drive credible demand for high quality carbon credits from natural solutions as part of corporate net zero strategies. We are deeply grateful to our 5 founding champions for leading the way towards better carbon markets while increasing financing for nature.”

Teresa Hartmann, Lead for Climate and Nature, World Economic Forum said “Natural Climate Solutions play a critical role in addressing emissions from agriculture and forestry, as well as offering a natural carbon sink to compensate for emissions from other sectors in transition. The world needs to rapidly decarbonize today, across all sectors, but we also need to start absorbing carbon from the atmosphere if we want to limit global warming to safe levels. The NCS Investment Accelerator will take us one step closer to truly start creating a pipeline of projects that serve the climate, nature and people at the same time.”

Source: World Economic Forum

Nature-based Solutions for Climate Resilience Receive EUR 10 million boost

09.11.2021

landscape-sunce-zemlja-priroda — Photo-illustration: Pixabay

At the 2021 UN Climate Change Conference (COP26), the Federal Environment Ministry of Germany (BMU) announced it will provide an additional EUR 10m to the Global EbA Fund, a pioneering funding mechanism implemented by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and designed to support nature-based solutions for climate change adaptation. This takes the Ministry’s total commitment to the fund up to EUR 30 million.

At the same time, the Global EbA Fund has approved its first seven grants, ranging from coral reef protection in the Philippines to restoring riverbank ecosystems for erosion control in Fiji.

The Global EbA Fund was launched in March 2021 by IUCN and UNEP, supported by the International Climate Initiative (IKI) of the BMU. The Fund aims to accelerate the uptake and financing of ecosystem-based adaptation by providing seed capital to catalytic and innovative ecosystem-based adaptation initiatives.

Ecosystem-based adaptation (EbA) is a strategy that harnesses biodiversity and ecosystem services to build the resilience of human communities to the impacts of climate change. It includes the conservation, sustainable management and restoration of ecosystems – such as forests, grasslands, or wetlands – to reduce the harmful impacts of climate hazards, whether it’s shifting rainfall patterns, temperature changes, or intense storms.

Despite the cost-effectiveness of ecosystem-based adaptation as a strategy to tackle climate change, so far only 5 percent of global climate finance flows are spent on adaptation, and only 1.4 percent of this on nature-based solutions for adaptation. This, despite UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ appeal that 50 percent of total climate finance should be committed to adaptation.

In its first application cycle, which closed in April 2021, the Global EbA Fund received 276 applications with projects proposed in 75 countries and territories. In its second application cycle, which closed on 15 September 2021, 622 applications were received.

“We are impressed by the number and diversity of applications,” says Dr. Philipp Behrens, Head of BMU’s International Climate Initiative. “Providing fast access to finance for innovative EbA projects is the key aim of the Global EbA Fund. We are convinced that with an additional EUR 10m we will accelerate the uptake of EbA on multiple levels to further unleash the potential of ecosystem-based adaptation and nature-based solutions for adaptation.”

“Conserving nature and adapting to climate change are two sides of the same coin,” says Inger Andersen, Executive Director of UNEP. “Ecosystem-based adaptation is a powerful strategy that recognizes the interconnectedness of the nature and climate agendas. My thanks to the German Environment Ministry for this commitment today, and I look forward to many more Member States leaning in to support the important work of the Global EbA Fund.”

“The impacts of climate change on people’s lives are already being felt today, and they are about to worsen even under optimistic emissions forecasts. In this light, working with nature to enhance climate resilience is a top priority,” said Dr Bruno Oberle, IUCN Director General. “We thank the German Environment Ministry for its commitment to the Global EbA Fund, which will not only help communities adapt to the impacts of climate change, but also deliver benefits for biodiversity, ecosystem health and human well-being.”

The Global EbA Fund has now announced its approval of a total of USD 1,656,115 worth of grants over the next three years, awarded to seven projects, making up the first cohort of the Fund.

Collectively, this first set of seven projects will work to increase the uptake, scalability, and replicability of ecosystem-based adaptation interventions across diverse ecosystems in nine countries, spanning five continents. These projects will demonstrate the economic co-benefits of ecosystem-based adaptation implementation with an emphasis on local needs, synergistic effects between ecosystem-based adaptation and other approaches, and much more.

Source: UNEP

Climate Action in Agribusiness Could Reduce Emissions by up to 7 percent

08.11.2021

Targeted action in agriculture could have a massive impact on climate change, according to a joint brief by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the Investment Centre of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), published at the COP26 climate conference in Glasgow.

The mitigation potential of crop and livestock activities, including soil carbon sequestration and better land management, is estimated at 3 to 7 percent of total anthropogenic emissions by 2030. The potential economic value of mitigating these emissions could amount between USD 60 billion and USD 360 billion, the two institutions say.

“Agriculture must become the focus of a global coalition for carbon neutrality and we need to support both mitigation and adaptation. We must enable smallholder farmers to adapt and to benefit economically through the provision of environmental services,” said Mohamed Manssouri, Director of the FAO Investment Centre. “Now is the time to grasp this vital opportunity to reduce emissions and increase carbon sequestration, while restoring biodiversity, supporting health and nutrition and generating new business opportunities through food and land-use systems.”

The brief highlights the huge potential for engaging food and land-use systems in the fight against climate change. It also shows how the agriculture sector is uniquely placed to be part of the carbon-neutral solution by reducing emissions, while maximizing its potential to act as a carbon sink by absorbing more carbon from the atmosphere than it releases. A full report will be published in early 2022.

The agriculture sector generates a high amount of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, with agri-food systems causing an estimated 21 to 37 percent of total global emissions. But agriculture is also a victim of emissions. Farmers are often among the first witnesses to climate change. Rising temperatures, changing rainfall patterns and supply-chain disruptions are already impacting food production, undermining global efforts to end hunger.

The EBRD/FAO brief shows how sustainable, targeted investments and interventions will make agriculture part of the climate solution. Reaching carbon neutrality for agri-food systems essentially means lowering GHG emissions throughout the entire value chain, improving farming practices, using agricultural lands for carbon sequestration, promoting sustainable agriculture and avoiding land clearance. The brief sets out key action areas for policymakers and investors, including the development and enhancement of sound governance mechanisms and the mainstreaming of carbon neutrality in corporate strategies.

Achieving the right policy mix and agreeing on carbon accounting methods can unlock major investments in greening across agri-food systems.

“The investment universe is evolving quickly, as banks align their lending with the net zero objective and asset managers look for opportunities to decarbonise their portfolios while managing risks associated with climate change,” said Natalya Zhukova, EBRD Director, Head of Agribusiness.

One of the main actors in addressing climate change is the private sector. Country policies, strategies and roadmaps are all important in signalling regulatory changes and creating incentives to drive the accurate valuation and pricing of carbon.

While the private sector will be needed to mobilise billions, equally, it stands to gain by reducing costs, mitigating risks, protecting brand values, ensuring long-term supply-chain viability and gaining competitive advantage.

Source: EBRD

Youth Take Centre Stage at COP26

08.11.2021

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

Young climate leaders came together with negotiators, officials and ministers from across the world at COP26 on 5 November, demanding that their voices be heard and translated into the action needed to prevent catastrophic climate change in our lifetimes.

Events across COP26 and on the streets of Glasgow focused on harnessing the expertise of young people to accelerate global action on climate change. A further mass demonstration is planned for 6 November.

YOUNGO, the Official Children’s and Youth constituency of the UNFCCC opened with a session called Unifying for Change: Global Youth voice at COP26. YOUNGO also presented the COY16 Global Youth Position statement, representing the views of over 40,000 young climate leaders from across the world.

“Young People do not want to hear talking but to see action,” said Jan Kairel Guillermo, a youth advocate at the World Meteorological Organization and part of the YOUNGO delegation which met with COP26 President Alok Sharma and UNFCCC Executive Secretary Patricia Espinosa. “We have listened enough for all these years,” said Guillermo, who supports outreach to the youth network in the WMO-spearheaded Water and Climate Coalition.

The YOUNGO delegation highlighted demands in areas including agriculture, loss and damage, energy, cities, mobility and transportation and health, and above all for more youth inclusion.

“Wherever I have been in the world, I have been struck by the passion and the commitment of young people to climate action. The voices of young people must be heard and reflected in these negotiations here at COP. The actions and scrutiny of young people are key to us keeping 1.5 alive and creating a net-zero future. I am also aware of the fear and anger many of them feel about the future of the planet, including my own children,” said COP26 President Sharma.

YOUNGO Global Focal Points, Heeta Lakhani and Marie-Claire Graf said they had worked closely with the U.K. Presidency and the UNFCCC Secretariat to co-design Youth and Public Empowerment Day. They have proposed a paragraph to be included in the negotiated outcome of COP26.

“We successfully profiled global youth voices through the COY16 Global Youth Statement, and brought together four generations to share best practice examples of achieving climate justice collectively.”

Source: WMO

The 165 Million Euro European Investment in the Danube Region

07.11.2021

the-iron-gate-dunav-srbija — Foto-ilustracija: Pixabay

In the next six years, it will be invested 165 million euro into The Danube region through the Danube transnational program (known as Interreg).

The aim is to integrate this region better socially, economically, and territorially. On the occasion of the final conference of the Danube Energy+ project called Innovation eco-system in the Danube macro-region, this investment was presented by Amir Kalajdzini, the representative of the Danube Transnational Program for Germany.

As he explained, the program’s priority is to make this region smarter by enhancing research, increasing innovation capacities, and embracing technologies that will impact industry transformation and entrepreneurship. The second priority is reducing carbon dioxide discharges by promoting renewable energy sources, nature conservation, and green infrastructure in cities. Also, it is vital to have ecological water and wastewater management.

Finally, as a third and fourth goal, he named better social inclusion and access to education, development of lifelong learning concept, and improvement of cooperation between the governments and other state authorities in the region.

“The participation will be allowed to universities, institutes, chamber of commerce, regional developmental agencies, clusters, non-profit organizations, small and medium enterprises. The programs should last from 30 to 36 months, with 8 to 15 partners from at least eight and the most 15 countries, and the budget for each project will range from 1.5 to 2.5 million euros. Of course, this will vary according to the project size so that some projects might get even 3 million, but this is an average”, explained Kalajdzini.

In focus:

The funds will be donated to projects for the following purposes: to help the development of institutional capacities, promote further investments, support the development of the standard framework for implementation of politics in different fields as well as their harmonization, and finding innovative solutions for common issues.

Therefore, projects must include partners from various sectors, aside from regional networking. The European Commission is expected to adopt this project by the end of this year, whereas the launching is planned for spring 2022. The Danube region comprises Germany, Czechia, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Ukraine, Moldova, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosna and Herzegovina, Serbia, Romania, and Bulgaria.

Through the earlier project Danube Energy+, which has been running for three years, Serbian Startit was working on transforming the regional eco-system with their partners from 9 countries. They have organized 3,732 visits and have given birth to 25 young innovators. Apart from that, they founded hubs in Serbia and other countries for young leaders in these fields.

Within Startit, the hub was established to enable support to the development of young innovators. The Danube transnational program DTP is a financial instrument of a specific frame and with an independent decision-making body. It supports the consolidation of policies in the Danube region in selected sectors under the standard EU provisions and regulations of the European Bank for reconstruction and development (EBRD) concerning the EU Strategy for the Danube Region (EUSDR). Transnational projects should make an impact on national, regional, and local policy. To achieve a higher level of territorial integration in the heterogeneous Danube region, DTP acts as a policy engine room, tackling common challenges and needs in specific policy areas.

Read the story in the new issue of the Energy portal Magazine WATER RESOURCES.

With the Power of Nature to a Better Life

05.11.2021

the world in your hands (Earth map furnished by NASA) — a world map in man hands forming a globe (Earth map furnished by NASA)

16 th International Energy Fair, which is being held at the Belgrade Fair from the 23 rd to the 25 th of November, comes at a time of deep and global energy crisis, which takes its toll on both the regional and local level. In the circumstances of the world brought upon by the pandemic of COVID-19, Energy 2021 represents a regional link which connects all our obligations, needs and possibilities in terms of supplying the highest quality and cleanest energy possible, with the least possible damage to the environment and ourselves.

The Energy Fair, which is considered the largest and most respectable annual regional get together of companies, corporations, enterprises, institutions and professionals in sectors of electricity, coal, oil and gas, renewable energy, energy efficiency and mining, for over 15 years, gathers the most notable domestic firms, institutions and organizations, but also eminent foreign companies, around the visions, plans and projects primarily regarding the energy sector of the Republic of Serbia.

In the sense of current capital projects in the sector of gas, revitalizations and restructurings of capacity in the sectors of fossil fuels, this representative specialized exhibition, this year especially emphasizes renewable energy sources and the improvement of energy efficiency.

In both its segments, exhibition and conference, the Energy Fair 2021 systematically includes all thematic sublevels – from scientific research, through manufacturing and exploitation, to enrichment, distribution, transport, storage or direct usage of natural resources.

Energy Fair – Power of Nature and How to Control it

Its market character is also unavoidable, that is, the opportunity for investors, producers of equipment, resources administration, financial institution, local government and other important agents to present themselves and connect, which add to the stability and affirmation of this economic sector which is of life importance.

Under the common umbrella slogan “Power of Nature”, at the same time and place, from the 23 rd to the 25 th of November, the 17 th International Fair of Environmental and Natural Resources Protection – EcoFair will be held, dedicated to the system and mechanism of protection of the environment, with a special emphasis on green economy, industry, recycling, renewable energy and waste management.

As the biggest and most representable gathering of its kind in this part of Europe, EcoFair tends to present ecology as a lifestyle and to address from that point of view all factors which have a crucial influence in this area – economy, educational and media sphere and the civil sector.

That is why its exhibition and conference program encompasses all segments of environmental protection: land, air, water, natural resources, recycling, ecological service market, local government, utility equipment, non-government sector which deals with environmental protection…

The Patrons of the Energy Fair and Ecology Fair are the Ministry of Mining and Energy and the Ministry of Environmental Protection of the Republic of Serbia, in partnership with the Chamber of Commerce of the Republic of Serbia.

Finally, at the same place and time, the 42 nd International Fair of Prevention and Response in Emergencies and Occupational Safety and Health – 112 Expo will be held, which deals with protection from fires, floods, earthquakes, chemical accidents, injuries at work, emergency response, safety and health at work.

The interest of foreign firms for the Energy Fair is interesting enough, specifically firms from the region for the 112 Expo, greater than it was in 2019. Here’s a reason to check why.

Source: Belgrade Fair

End of Coal in Sight at COP26

05.11.2021

coal_mining_ugalj_rudarstvo — Foto-ilustracija: Unsplash (Bart van Dijk)

Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Gerold Hinzen)

Coal is being consigned to history today at COP26, as countries, banks and organisations move away from the single biggest contributor to climate change.

A just transition to clean energy and the rapid phase-out of coal has been at the heart of the COP26 Presidency as part of its efforts to minimise temperature rises in line with the Paris Agreement. The breadth of commitments in Glasgow today at Energy Day signal the world is moving towards a renewable future.

At least 23 nations made new commitments to phase out coal power, including Indonesia, Vietnam, Poland, South Korea, Egypt, Spain, Nepal, Singapore, Chile and Ukraine. In a new ‘Global Coal to Clean Power Transition Statement’, countries also committed to scaling up clean power and ensuring a just transition away from coal.

Today’s announcements follow a collapse in the financing of coal, as developed nations have pledged new support to help developing countries make the transition to clean energy.

Banks and financial institutions also made landmark commitments at COP26 today to end the funding of unabated coal, including major international lenders like HSBC, Fidelity International and Ethos.

This follows recent announcements from China, Japan and South Korea to end overseas coal financing which now means all significant public international financing for coal power has effectively ended.

In addition, a group of 25 countries including COP26 partners Italy, Canada, the United States and Denmark together with public finance institutions have signed a UK-led joint statement committing to ending international public support for the unabated fossil fuel energy sector by the end of 2022 and instead prioritising support for the clean energy transition.

Collectively, this could shift an estimated 17.8 billion dollars a year in public support out of fossil fuels and into the clean energy transition. Developing countries including Ethiopia, Fiji and the Marshall Islands offered their support, signalling growing unity. This is an inclusive agenda that must recognise the development and energy needs of all economies.

This is a historic step. It is the first time a COP presidency has prioritised this issue and put a bold end date on international fossil fuel finance. COP26 has set a new gold standard on the Paris Alignment of international public finance and sends a clear signal for private investors to follow.

Today, 28 new members also signed up to the world’s largest alliance on phasing out coal. The Powering Past Coal Alliance, launched and co-chaired by the UK and Canada. New members include Chile and Singapore, joining more than 160 countries, sub-nationals and businesses.

And 20 new countries, including Vietnam, Morocco and Poland committed to building no new coal plants, matching similar announcements over the past year by Pakistan, Malaysia and the Philippines, and building on the No New Coal Power Compact launched in September by Sri Lanka, Chile, Montenegro and European partners.

There has been a 76 percent drop in the number of new coal plants planned globally over the last six years since the Paris Agreement was adopted. This equates to the cancellation of more than 1000GW of new coal plants.

In separate announcements, major emerging economies today took significant steps to move from coal to clean power. India, Indonesia, the Philippines and South Africa announced partnerships with the Climate Investment Funds to accelerate their transitions away from coal power, backed by a dedicated 2 billion dollars facility. Indonesia and the Philippines announced pioneering partnerships with the Asian Development Bank to support the early retirement of coal plants.

These followed the ground-breaking 8.5 billion dollars deal to support South Africa’s just transition to clean energy announced at the World Leaders Summit on Tuesday.

Source: UKCOP26

Climate Science Information for Climate Action

04.11.2021

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

The Green Climate Fund (GCF) and World Meteorological Organization (WMO) have joined together to provide the international community with new climate information and tools on the latest climate science data. This can be used to inform decisions on climate change investments, particularly for adaptation.

The initiative was announced at the United Nations Climate Change conference, COP26 (Glasgow) on 3 November. It is one of a number of WMO activities to translate science into policy support to help tackle climate change drivers and impacts and to build resilience to increasingly extreme weather.

“Through this collaboration, WMO is supporting countries to make informed climate investment decisions based on the best available science. These resources will be valuable across a range of climate-sensitive sectors, including agriculture, coastal management, disaster risk reduction, energy, fisheries, forestry, health and water,” said WMO Secretary-General Prof. Petteri Taalas.

The Climate Science Information for Climate Action resource pack includes detailed technical guidance, case studies and two-online platforms:

1. A Climate Information Platform that provides access to projections of over a dozen climate change indices for the globe, for example coupled atmospheric and ocean monitoring and regional climate modelling (Home – Climate Information).

2. Online access to Climpact – for calculation of over 70 indices associated with climate impacts, from historical daily temperature and precipitation data (Climpact (climpact-sci.org)).

An accompanying guidance document explains how these tools can be used to recognize climatic and non-climatic factors contributing to socio-economic and environmental impacts, to guide the identification of effective climate actions.

These knowledge products are particularly useful for adaptation planning and in the development of proposals for climate finance. They were developed by WMO experts working with national and international partners in Cabo Verde, Cambodia, Democratic Republic of Congo and St. Lucia.

Through continuing collaboration, WMO and the GCF will use our mutual networks to support and engage with the stakeholder community to demonstrate their applicability and gather user feedback for further enhancement of these tools.

The side event in the COP26 Science Pavilion launched and showcased the knowledge products that have been jointly developed, and initiates an ongoing process of providing support, particularly to developing countries, with the aim of ensuring that all Parties can access the best available scientific information in support of national priorities for climate action.

Source: WMO

Homemade Biodegradable Cigarette Filter as a Solution to the Global Problem

03.11.2021

IMG-d804ea029c616f1fb8a8b7161681fe0f-V — Foto: BioFilter

There is an expression “the children of today are the adults of tomorrow,” and the tricky students of the High School Dušan Trivunac Dragoš from Svrljig, happen to prove it is not just another platitude. These young people decided to tackle waste which we often leave behind in nature and public areas. In fact, they gave a good try to solve the problem of one specific kind of waste. We talk about the most minor and most widespread garbage, which is also the hardest to remove.

If you guess was cigarette butts, you were right. No matter where you go, you will find at least one cigarette butt. More than 75 percent of smokers worldwide throw out cigarette butts in rivers, parks, streets, and beaches, but a few only know that these miniature enemies of nature will remain there for another 25 years.

In most cases, it is the question of true negligence, although some smokers are deluded by the idea that all cigarette filters are biodegradable. It might seem they are made of cotton, but actually, they are made of plastic fibers that make them fall within the biggest source of pollution.

Since little attention is paid to this world’s problem, students from Svrljig found the solution and presented the invention which can literally save the planet.

Evan cigarette butt can turn green

It is about the biodegradable cigarette butt, which contains a plant seed. The patent called BioFilter is made of unbleached cellulose, and four plant types can sprout from these stubs: clover, grass, chia, and basil. However, in six months, what once was a stub is nowhere to be found, while it serves to seed as a water reservoir until the plant gets rooted in soil.

In focus:

Even if not every seed sprouts, one thing is sure – every cigarette filter will soon be disintegrated. At the BioFilter company, students have distributed the tasks to develop the idea further and create a final product. Thanks to their revolutionary invention, they appeared at the regional competition for student innovations. They managed to show how much BioFilter is crucial for our environment, so they entered the national finals.

The students confirm that people are amazed, finding it hard to believe that high school students are capable of coming up with this kind of invention. They are all astounded. This way, the students describe the positive response, which was inevitable. It suffices to say how damaging cigarette smoke is to health. Almost 70 percent of chemicals in cigarettes are carcinogenic, and some estimations confirm that smoking is a cause of 15 percent of death cases a year. Unfortunately, the student team can’t address this problem.

“If this is the way things are, with people throwing out stubs with great frequency, then we want to reduce the pollution to a minimum”, that is the message coming from the team. The stubs are toxic, chiefly for animals that happen to swallow them by accident.

Moreover, since stubs contain arsenic and other harmful chemicals, their accumulation in large amounts can put biodiversity at risk and pollute water and soil to a large extent.

Those who roll cigarettes by hand soon could get a chance to use BioFilter. As it has become something to talk about, there is a hope that world companies will recognize the significance of this innovation and include it in their assortment. Since the innovators are still high school students, the possibility of getting the product patented isn’t available. But, who could tell? Maybe in the upcoming years, they might get it done. The good spirit is something they have, as much as the consciousness of numerous benefits of their invention.

Prepared by: Milena Maglovski

Read the story in the new issue of the Energy portal Magazine WATER RESOURCES.

Water Stress is a Major and Growing Concern in Europe

03.11.2021

Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Albert Flamingo)

About 30 percent of Europe’s population is affected by water stress during an average year. The situation is expected to worsen as climate change is increasing the frequency, magnitude, and impact of droughts. A European Environment Agency (EEA) assessment, presents the current state of water stress in Europe with the aim to put focus on managing water availability risks under the impacts of changing climate.

The EEA report “Water resources across Europe — confronting water stress: an updated assessment” presents the latest knowledge about water availability in Europe arguing for a shift from crisis management to risk management, including focusing more measures that address water consumption.

Water stress — a situation where there is not enough water of sufficient quality to meet the demands of people and the environment — is already a reality in many parts of Europe. Droughts and water scarcity are no longer rare or extreme events in Europe, and about 20 percent of the European territory and 30 percent of Europeans are affected by water stress during an average year, the EEA report says.

Climate change is expected to make the problem worse, as droughts are increasing in frequency, magnitude and impact. The trends are especially worrying for southern and south-western Europe where river discharge during summer could decline by up to 40 percent, under a 3°C temperature rise scenario. In those areas, agriculture, public water supply and tourism put the main pressures on water availability with a significant seasonal peak in summer.

Overall, Europe needs to strengthen the resilience of its ecosystems and use water more efficiently to minimise the impacts of water stress on people and the environment. According to the EEA assessment, policies and regulations at European level are in place to address both these issues but their implementation and effectiveness need to be improved.

Source: EEA

Postcard from 2050: Cities and Climate change in a Dystopian Future

02.11.2021

When the climate crisis requires immediate action, cities become key players in the transition towards better ecological scenarios. Are mayors and governments ready to bet on ways forward that put the health of people and our planet before empty political statements? Are we as citizens ready to push the reinvention of our cities and be influencers of political change through resilient actions?

In a present that continues to alert us to a dystopian future, the health of people and the planet must be prioritized. Cities will be key players in this transition towards better ecological scenarios.

As we continue to experience the effects of a climate emergency around the planet – fires, heat waves, floods, increased hurricanes, the increase in climate refugees – the problems that make our cities less safe are evident: polluted air, inequality, lack of green areas and pedestrian spaces, not enough public transport and bike lanes, and poor access to local food and products.

Cities are where spending on climate action will have the biggest impact – making cities more connected and coordinated around green policies could yield economic savings of up to 17 trillion USD dollars by 2050 as 55 percent of the world’s population lives in cities and this number is expected to increase to 68 percent by 2050, and 70 percent of global climate emissions originate in urban centers.

The impacts of COVID-19 are also reshaping dramatically changing urban life around the world and how we think about cities: not only as economic and political centres but as places where urbanization and sustainability challenges must be addressed and various social sectors will play a fundamental role.

According to UNEP, “Climate change is a global phenomenon that largely impacts urban life. Rising global temperatures causes sea levels to rise, increases the number of extreme weather events such as floods, droughts and storms, and increases the spread of tropical diseases. All these have costly impacts on cities’ basic services, infrastructure, housing, human livelihoods and health”. The actual risks depend on the location of the city or town and its specific characteristics.

And although global warming makes cities warmer, urbanization intensifies this process via urban heat island generation and aerosol radiative forcing. The consequences of interactions among climate change, the urban heat island effect, and air pollution are expected to increase the risk of poor human health in cities globally by the middle of the twenty-first century”.

A study of future climate impacts on 571 European cities found that 72 percent of these cities are projected to experience increases of at least 10°C in the maximum temperature during heat waves under the high scenario. For example, Madrid is projected to experience an increase of 10.2°C and Rome 9.7°C in the maximum temperature during heatwaves. In addition, the duration of heatwaves, for example in Iberia and the Mediterranean region, is projected to increase from some 2 days per summer (from 1961-1990) to some 13 days (for 2021-2050) and 40 days (for 2071-2100).

With these figures in mind, it’s time to take action and demand our governments and mayors step up to make our cities greener and more resilient. Because this is the last decade the world has to avoid the worst impacts of global warming: unimaginable natural disasters, sea-level rise, and mass extinction of wildlife. But it’s also a unique opportunity to build a stronger and fairer global economy. The longer governments wait to take action, the harder it will be to succeed.

And it’s not just about imagining a better future, it’s about knowing that a more liveable and sustainable city is possible, and necessary to make us safer and more resilient today – better public transport, more bike lanes, access to locally produced food, and public green spaces.

On this World Cities Day, let’s reflect on what kind of future we want for our cities; the moment to demand real change is now.

Source: Greenpeace

EBRD EUR 4 Million Loan to Partner Microfinance Institution in Bosnia and Herzegovina

02.11.2021

Neretva_Mostar — Foto: Wikipedia/Megaman7de

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is supporting green investments in Bosnia and Herzegovina with a EUR 4 million loan to Partner Mikrokreditna Fondacija Tuzla (Partner) through the Bank’s Western Balkans Green Economy Financing Facility (WB GEFF II).

This is the second GEFF line provided to Partner, following the successful implementation of the first. Partner will lend the funds to borrowers in the residential sector – individuals, housing collectives, producers, vendors and service providers – to invest in the installation of high-performance green technologies, materials and solutions in privately-owned residential dwellings and buildings. The full loan amount will be dedicated to green projects.

The renovation of buildings is essential to decarbonise the economy. It was singled out in the European Green Deal as a key means of driving energy efficiency in the sector and delivering on climate objectives. Studies show energy consumption in the building sector in Bosnia and Herzegovina to account for 57 percent of the country’s total energy consumption, well above the 40 percent average of the European Union (EU).

The EUR 135 million Western Balkans GEFF supports energy-efficient solutions to build a greener and more sustainable economy. The programme is supported by the EU, the Western Balkans Investment Framework (WBIF) and the Austrian Federal Ministry of Finance. It is also part of the Regional Energy Efficiency Programme (REEP) for the Western Balkans.

To date, the GEFF in Bosnia and Herzegovina has reached more than 3,000 households and provided loans of more than EUR 10 million for individual projects through partner financial institutions. These have contributed to more than 7,800 MWh of energy savings and a reduction of more than 2,700 tonnes of CO2 emissions per year. The most frequently financed technologies are windows and doors, insulation, biomass boilers and heat pumps.

Partner is the largest microcredit institution in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It has been a partner of the EBRD for more than 10 years and is active across the country as an essential provider of finance.

Manuela Naessl, EBRD Head of Bosnia and Herzegovina, said: “In the week that COP26 is taking place, it is even more important to contribute to green and sustainable investment. I am very happy that we have signed this important credit line with Partner today, which will further increase green lending in Bosnia and Herzegovina and contribute to energy savings and carbon emission reductions.”

Senad Sinanović, CEO of Partner, said: “Our main motivation for launching and promoting the energy efficiency credit lines was air pollution: the fact that the main cities in our country are often top of the list of the most polluted cities in Europe and the world. With the first EBRD GEFF credit line, we reduced CO2 emissions by 15,539 tonnes and enabled energy savings of 48,069 MWh. The new credit line is a step towards strengthening our position as leader in the field of energy-efficiency lending and, in particular, raising awareness of the importance of a clean environment and quality service to our customers.”

Since it began operating in Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1996, the EBRD has invested more than EUR 2.7 billion in 190 projects across the country.

Source: EBRD

What you need to know about the COP26 UN Climate Change Conference

01.11.2021

događaj_konferencija_samit_sala_sastanak_okupljanje — Foto ilustracija: Pixabay

Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Markus Spiske)

The report shows that the NDCs are insufficient or fall short. Current commitments put the world on track for a global temperature rise of 2.7°C by the end of the century. The report also finds that the new and updated NDCs introduced by 120 countries on 30 September 2021 will only take 7.5 per cent off predicted 2030 emissions, while a 55 per cent reduction is needed to meet the 1.5°C targets. Net-zero commitments could help and could take a further 0.5°C off the 2.7°C.

5. Is it too late? Can anything be done?

It is not too late. But as Inger Andersen, Executive Director of UNEP, says: “It is no longer a future problem. It is a now problem…The clock is ticking loudly.”

To stand a chance of limiting global warming to 1.5°C, the next eight years will be crucial. Greenhouses gases need to be halved. In practice, this means, on top of the new NDCs, a further 28 gigatonnes of CO2equivalent (GTCO₂e) of annual emissions must be reduced. An annual drop in emissions of 13 GtCO₂e is needed to limit the temperature rise to 2°C.

6. What would a temperature rise of over 2.7°C mean for the planet?

Any temperature increase approaching 2.7°C would be a disaster for humanity and many of the planet’s species. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), even an increase of 2°C would have a major impact on food, security and human health.

Insects, vital for pollination of crops and plants, are likely to lose half their habitat at 1.5°C. This becomes twice as likely at 2°C. The frequency and intensity of droughts, storms and extreme weather events will rise with every increment in temperature – as we are already seeing with a global temperature increase over pre-industrial levels of around 1.2°C.

7. Did COVID-19 help reduce emissions?

Yes, the COVID-19 pandemic did lead to a 5.4 per cent global drop in CO₂in 2020, but it was a temporary reduction. In 2021 levels are predicted to be only slightly lower than the record high of 2019, pushing the CO₂concentration in the atmosphere to the highest it has been in the last two million years.

Worryingly, only 17-19 per cent of pandemic economic recovery, $438 billion out of $2.28 trillion, is being used for green recovery and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Of the green recovery, 90 per cent comes from seven countries, which needs to be expanded.

8. How can net-zero pledges help plug the emissions gap?

The Emissions Gap Report 2021 shows that the updated NDCs and other mitigation pledges for 2030 give a 66 per cent chance of hitting a global temperature rise of 2.7°C by the end of the century. If implemented effectively and reflected in NDCs, net-zero pledges can take 0.5°C off the 2.7°C, coming closer to the 2°C goal of the Paris Agreement.

Source: UNEP

Secretariat Holds Roundtable on the Future of Hydrogen in Ukraine

31.10.2021

hydrogen-hidrogen — Foto-ilustracija: Pixabay

This week, the Energy Community Secretariat, in cooperation with the Ministry of Energy of Ukraine, organised a strategic stakeholder meeting on the future of hydrogen in Ukraine.

The event brought together representatives of all national institutions and stakeholders involved in the hydrogen related activities, namely the Ministry of Energy, the State Agency on Energy Efficiency of Ukraine, the Ukrainian gas transmission system operator, Naftogaz, the European Investment Bank, the World Bank, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, along with the German-Ukrainian Energy Partnership, United Nations Economic Commission for Europe, the USAID Energy Security Project and the Delegation of the European Union to Ukraine.

In a roundtable moderated by the Secretariat, participants discussed the ongoing preparation of the Ukrainian Hydrogen Strategy and took stock of their activities to support the country in its development.

The Secretariat will continue to actively support the development of the Hydrogen Strategy in Ukraine and contribute with its expertise when required. It will also further the discussion among stakeholders, including by organising an open event on hydrogen in Ukraine in the near future.

Source: Energy Community

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