New EIB-EBRD-WB Enterprise Survey: Are Companies In The Western Balkans Prepared For Another Crisis?

23.06.2022

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and its economic fallout come just as firms in the Western Balkans are recovering from the COVID-19 shock. Today’s presentation “Business resilience in the Western Balkans at times of repeated shocks”, presented by the EIB’s Chief Economist Debora Revoltella at the Western Balkans Investment Framework Strategic Board in Rome, examines how firms in the region weathered the sharp downturn caused by the pandemic and how prepared they are to face future challenges. The results are derived from the report entitled Business Resilience in the Pandemic and Beyond, recently launched and jointly published by the EIB, the EBRD and the IMF, which covers a broader region of Eastern Europe and Central Asia.

“The war in Ukraine is testing again the resilience of the Western Balkan economies as they recover from the pandemic,” said Debora Revoltella. “New risks and heightened uncertainty are putting cross-border flows and trade under pressure. This matters as our analysis shows that firms’ resilience and innovation capacity are linked to their participation in global value chains and trade. In this phase of potential deglobalisation trends, the Western Balkans should build on its competitive advantage of strong ties with the European Union and reinforce it further, as a springboard for faster development.”

Western Balkans — the impact of COVID-19

To date, firms have come through the pandemic better than initially feared. They lost 29 percent of turnover and shed 9 percent of their labour force, with the pandemic hitting contact-intensive services and smaller and medium-sized businesses especially hard. Nevertheless, massive policy support helped to prevent large-scale bankruptcies, with only 3 percent of firms in the region filing for insolvency or closing permanently.

The report shows that firms that were integrated into global value chains, those that had been more innovative in the past, those that were more digitalised and those with better quality management adapted better during the pandemic. They expanded their online presence, switched to remote work, adjusted production or took advantage of the available policy support more effectively.

Government programmes played a stabilising role by mitigating the stress of vulnerable firms, such as smaller businesses, standalone firms and those lacking overdraft facilities.

Openness to trade in the Western Balkans drives resilience, innovation and competitiveness

The report finds that the economies of the Western Balkans generally invest more in innovation than benchmark economies, although the process is led by adapting new technologies developed elsewhere. Opening up the global economy has been key to enable these countries to improve their comparative advantages and increase their competitiveness. The industrial composition of regions more integrated in global value chains is clearly focused on higher value-added products, while those that are less integrated are trading mainly manufacturing products with lower value added or raw materials.

The evidence in the report indicates that trade integration with developed economies, in particular the European Union, access to information and know-how through participation in global value chains, foreign licensed technology and modern management practices are among the most important ingredients for boosting innovation in the Western Balkans.

Financial gaps

The financial systems in the Western Balkans have held up well so far. Firms continue to rely largely on bank credit for external finance. Capital markets are underdeveloped, and the availability of venture capital, private equity and leasing is very limited. The share of credit-constrained firms in the Western Balkans is significantly higher among small firms compared to large ones (16 percent versus 7 percent). These credit constraints result from insufficient transparency of SMEs, as well as limitations in the risk assessment capacity of intermediaries. Going forward, the legacy of the COVID-19 pandemic and the impact of the Russian invasion of Ukraine are likely to further impede firm financial access. Over time, higher policy rates will translate into tighter financing conditions, with the credit demand-credit supply gap even greater for SMEs. This is a concern, as having access to finance, including overdrafts, was a source of resilience for firms during the pandemic.

Green economy

The region is slowly shifting from a dependence on coal and oil to nuclear power and renewable energy, strengthening its energy security. However, until 2018, the region relied heavily on fossil fuels to generate three-quarters of its electricity. Several countries continue to provide generous subsidies that lower the price of gas and other fossil fuels for consumers, slowing down the motivation to cut emissions.

SMEs in the Western Balkans typically lack the incentives for greening their business models. Physical climate risk is already affecting SMEs in the Western Balkans, with 10 percent of Enterprise Survey respondents reporting losses from extreme weather events in the three years preceding the interview. Nevertheless, the study documents a limited awareness among SMEs of environmental issues since only 21 percent of SMEs are investing in energy efficiency, and among those not adopting any climate measures 59 percent of firms consider that such investment is not a priority. More specifically, the report shows that climate investments depend on both managerial capacity and access to finance. Effective intervention will address both financing constraints and bottlenecks in managerial awareness and capacity.

Source: European Investment Bank

Energy And Climate Committee Advances Negotiations On 2030 Energy And Climate Targets

22.06.2022

The 9^th Energy and Climate Committee met on 20 June in Vienna to negotiate the 2030 energy and climate targets for the Energy Community Contracting Parties.

The adoption of 2030 targets is needed to accelerate the clean energy transition and set the countries on the path to decarbonisation by 2050.

Discussions were led by the European Commission, represented by Mechthild Wörsdörfer, Deputy Director General (ENER) in Vienna and Clara de la Torre, Deputy Director General (CLIMA). The meeting was chaired by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Mining and Energy of Serbia, Zorana Mihajlović and overall supported by the Energy Community Secretariat Director Artur Lorkowski.

All Contracting Parties provided concrete feedback on the target values for renewables, energy efficiency and GHG reduction proposed by the European Commission. Beyond exchanges during the plenary session, the meeting also served as an opportunity to advance substantially with bilateral discussions.

Deputy Director General Wörsdörfer and Director Lorkowski summarized the overall discussions by acknowledging the commitment of all Contracting Parties to finalize the negotiations during the informal Ministerial Council 8-9 July.

Source: Energy Community

ABB E-mobility Opens Its Largest DC Fast Charger Production Facility In Italy

22.06.2022

ABB E-mobility has today strengthened its position as the world leader in EV charging solutions with the opening of the company’s largest DC fast charger production site to date – the E-mobility Centre of Excellence in Valdarno, Tuscany.

The full range of ABB DC charging solutions will be produced at the site, supporting the electrification of all transport sectors and exemplifying ABB E-mobility’s commitment to building a zero-emission future with smart, reliable charging solutions for electric vehicles.

Having already sold in excess of 680,000 EV chargers across more than 85 markets, ABB E-mobility’s $30 million investment in the new Valdarno facility means it has now more than doubled its production capacity over the last two years, with the opening of the new 16,000m²Valdarno plant enabling the creation of more than 10,000 additional DC chargers a year.

Frank Mühlon, CEO of ABB E-mobility, said: “The opening of our new Valdarno facility demonstrates ABB E-mobility’s commitment to building a zero-emission future. In addition to increased production capacity, the investment made in Valdarno helps to expand our innovative R&D activity, ensuring we can continue to cement our reputation as the world leader in electric vehicle charging solutions, delivering future proof e-mobility solutions for the vehicles of today and tomorrow.”

The new state-of-the-art manufacturing site sets a new benchmark for the sector, producing one DC fast charger every 20 minutes thanks to its seven production lines. 15 testing facilities are able to simulate over 400 charging sessions per day, while integrated automation solutions connect the shopfloor to the innovative automatic warehouse, ensuring optimized stock control, full traceability and efficient operations, supported by AGVs and handling vehicles.

In addition, the new facility will support ABB E-mobility’s continued drive to innovate. Having invested 14 percent of 2021 revenues into R&D, the Valdarno location will house a 3,200m²space for development and prototyping. Here, around 70 of the site’s 500-plus employees will be dedicated to implementing innovative solutions, new software, and product life cycle management tools to fully integrate R&D activities with manufacturing. ABB E-mobility employs more than 350 R&D experts globally and has a portfolio of over 350 granted patents.

The Valdarno facility also aims to achieve gold level LEED certification – the globally recognized independent standard for the design, construction and operation of eco-friendly buildings. Rainwater is collected for irrigation use, 100 percent of production waste is recycled, and the entirety of the energy needs are met by certified renewable sources – including a photovoltaic system delivering 720MWh of electricity and preventing 338 tons of CO₂ per year.

The site’s electrical distribution is also optimized thanks to ABB Ability Energy and Asset Manager, a platform that monitors and efficiently manages over 9,000 devices throughout the facility – including thermal regulation, lighting and air handling units – resulting in a potential energy saving of 60 percent in comparison to traditional solutions.

Through its sustainability strategy 2030, ABB has committed to enabling a low carbon society by supporting customers in reducing their CO₂ emissions, while also achieving carbon neutrality across its own operations. With transportation accounting for up to 29 percent of total greenhouse gas emissions, the development and production of smart, reliable charging solutions in Valdarno will enable a swift environmental transition towards more efficient electric vehicles of any range: from cars to buses and to heavy vehicles.

ABB (ABBN: SIX Swiss Ex) is a leading global technology company that energizes the transformation of society and industry to achieve a more productive, sustainable future. By connecting software to its electrification, robotics, automation and motion portfolio, ABB pushes the boundaries of technology to drive performance to new levels. With a history of excellence stretching back more than 130 years, ABB’s success is driven by about 105,000 talented employees in over 100 countries.

Source: ABB

Austria Doubles Speed of Solar Panel Rollout

21.06.2022

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

More than double the solar panel capacity of 2020 was installed in 2021, making the past year by far the Austrian solar industry’s best, the photovoltaic industry association said on Monday.

Austria has one of the world’s largest shares of renewable electricity, bolstered by a successful early hydropower boom. With the country’s inhabitants and nature conservationists blocking further projects, renewables policy has turned towards wind and solar.

“The industry has achieved incredible things in the past year,” explained Herbert Paierl, chairman of the Austrian solar PV industry association. “The record year of 2021 must now be taken as a basis and motivation for further expansion – further expanding performance will be demanding for everyone,” he added.

He highlighted the massive grid expansion that would be necessary, the need for designated areas and faster permitting.

In total, 740 Megawatts (MW) of capacity were installed, bringing the country’s total up to 2783 MW and doubling the 2020 number of 340 MW. Solar covers around five per cent of Austria’s electricity demand.

Like the country’s wind turbine rollout, most new PV installations were concentrated in eastern Austria, with lower Austria host to about one in five of 2021’s newly built installations.

Austria aims to achieve 100 per cent renewable electricity by 2030, which will need around 10,000 MW of solar capacity, according to analyst projections.

Source: EURACTIV.de/EURACTIV.com

Global Energy Crisis Shows Urgency Of Accelerating Investment In Cheaper And Cleaner Energy In Africa

20.06.2022

Today’s crippling spikes in energy prices underscore the urgency and the benefits for African countries of accelerating the scale up of cheaper and cleaner sources of energy, the IEA says in a new special report released today.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has sent food, energy and other commodity prices soaring, increasing the strains on African economies already hard hit by the Covid-19 pandemic. The overlapping crises are affecting many parts of Africa’s energy systems, including reversing positive trends in improving access to modern energy, with 25 million more people in Africa living without electricity today compared with before the pandemic, according to the Africa Energy Outlook 2022.

At the same time, Africa is also already facing more severe effects from climate change than most other parts of the world – including massive droughts – despite bearing the least responsibility for the problem. Africa accounts for less than 3% of the world’s energy-related CO2 emissions to date and has the lowest emissions per capita of any region.

Despite these challenges, the report finds that the global clean energy transition holds new promise for Africa’s economic and social development, with solar, other renewables and emerging areas such as critical minerals and green hydrogen offering strong growth potential if managed well. Increased international ambitions for cutting emissions are helping set a new course for the global energy sector amid declining clean technology costs and shifting global investment patterns. African countries are poised to benefit from these trends and attract increasing flows of climate finance.

“Africa has had the raw end of the deal from the fossil fuel-based economy, receiving the smallest benefits and the biggest drawbacks, as underlined by the current energy crisis,” said Fatih Birol, the IEA Executive Director. “The new global energy economy that is emerging offers a more hopeful future for Africa, with huge potential for solar and other renewables to power its development – and new industrial opportunities in critical minerals and green hydrogen.”

“The immediate and absolute priority for Africa and the international community is to bring modern and affordable energy to all Africans – and our new report shows this can be achieved by the end of this decade through annual investment of $25 billion, the same amount needed to build just one new LNG terminal a year,” Dr Birol added. “It is morally unacceptable that the ongoing injustice of energy poverty in Africa isn’t being resolved when it is so clearly well within our means to do so.”

The Africa Energy Outlook 2022 explores a Sustainable Africa Scenario in which all African energy-related development goals are achieved on time and in full. This includes universal access to modern energy services by 2030 and the full implementation of all African climate pledges.

With demand for energy services in Africa set to grow rapidly, ensuring affordability is an urgent priority. Increased energy efficiency is essential for this, since it reduces fuel imports, eases strains on existing infrastructure and keeps consumer bills affordable.

Expanded and improved electricity grids provide the backbone of Africa’s new energy systems in this scenario, and are powered increasingly by renewables. Africa is home to 60% of the best solar resources worldwide, but it currently holds only 1% of solar PV capacity. Already the cheapest source of power in many parts of Africa, solar is set to outcompete all other sources continent-wide by 2030. Renewables – including solar, wind, hydropower and geothermal – account for over 80% of new power generation capacity added by 2030 in the Sustainable Africa Scenario.

While renewables are the driving force for Africa’s electricity sector this decade, the continent’s industrialisation relies in part on expanding natural gas use. More than 5 000 billion cubic metres (bcm) of natural gas resources have been discovered to date in Africa that have not yet been approved for development. These resources could provide an additional 90 bcm of gas a year by 2030, which may well be vital for Africa’s domestic fertiliser, steel, cement and water desalination industries. Cumulative CO2 emissions from the use of these gas resources over the next 30 years would be around 10 billion tonnes. If these emissions were added to Africa’s cumulative total today, they would bring its share of global emissions to a mere 3.5%.

Africa’s vast resources of minerals that are critical for multiple clean energy technologies are set to create new export markets but need to be managed well, with Africa’s revenues from critical mineral exports set to more than double by 2030.

A number of low-carbon hydrogen projects are underway, focused primarily on producing ammonia for fertilisers, which would strengthen Africa’s food security. Africa has huge potential to produce hydrogen using its rich renewable resources. As much as today’s energy demand could be produced at internationally competitive price points by 2030.

Achieving Africa’s energy and climate goals means more than doubling energy investment this decade. This would take it over USD 190 billion each year from 2026 to 2030, with two-thirds going to clean energy.

“Multilateral development banks must take urgent action to increase financial flows to Africa for both developing its energy sector and adapting to climate change,” said Dr Birol. “The continent’s energy future requires stronger efforts on the ground that are backed by global support. The COP27 Climate Change Conference in Egypt in late 2022 provides a crucial platform for African leaders to set the agenda for the coming years. This decade is critical not only for global climate action but also for the foundational investments that will allow Africa – home to the world’s youngest population – to flourish in the decades to come.”

Source: IEA

Why the World is Missing its Chance for Clean Energy

20.06.2022

Dubai_solarna1 — Foto: Facebook (screenshot)

A green recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic would have helped countries to build back better while driving economic growth and job creation. But the latest Renewables 2022 Global Status Report paints a different picture. According to the report, the global energy transition the world had hoped for is simply not happening.

The rebound in economic activity we experienced led to a four per cent increase in global energy demand, which was met mainly by fossil fuels and was further compounded by the spike in energy prices following the war in Ukraine.

The greatest success for renewables in 2021 was indeed in the power sector but the report finds that we do not use enough renewables to heat and cool our homes. Meanwhile, the industry sector is the largest energy user, accounting for more than a third of global final energy demand, whilst progress in the transport sector remains slow.

We sat down with Niklas Hagelberg, Coordinator on Climate Change at the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), to find out more about the global energy crisis and what can be done to transition to an energy-efficient economy.

This year’s report sends a clear warning that the global energy transition is not happening. What can countries, companies and other stakeholders do to speed up the transition?

Niklas Hagelberg (NH): Indeed, it is alarming that even in the energy sector, which has cost-effective solutions, we haven’t yet seen a drop in emissions. To speed up the transition, every household and company needs to shift to renewable energy, thermal heating and cooling districts, and low carbon transport modes. But this cannot happen at the required speed if governments are not making it easier to rapidly install renewable energy production, secure connection to the grid and promote its use. Permitting processes must be reduced drastically. We also need direct support for the shift in heating and cooling and the energy that supports the transport sector. Lowering public transportation tariffs, as Deutsche Bahn has done for the summer months, is an example where we can avert emissions in mobility almost completely.

What are the risks of delaying the energy transition?

NH: Energy connects in one way or another to some 70 per cent of global emissions, and a shift to low carbon energy forms is critical. We cannot keep the Paris Agreement temperature goals alive without a rapid energy transition. Political commitments, national strategies and legislation are all crucial to the transition. But in the end, it boils down to the real emissions, which need to peak immediately. And the longer we delay the transition, the higher the cost of loss and damage will be to society, companies, individuals, and governments.

The report found that renewable power and fuel investment rose for the fourth consecutive year, reaching 366 billion US dollars. And a record increase in global electricity generation led to solar and wind power providing more than 10 per cent of the world’s electricity for the first time ever. These sound like impressive achievements. Yet, why is the renewable energy transition still not on track?

NH: It does sound great. And renewable power installations continued to attract far more investment than fossil fuel or nuclear generating plants, with renewables accounting for 69 per cent of the total amount committed to new power generating capacity in 2021. So we should take a moment to savour this progress.

However, this progress is insufficient and has not matched the growth in overall global energy demand. To get back on track, we need to increase the energy transition pace three-fold. A key reason why the transition is not occurring as needed is the ongoing subsidizing of fossil fuels. Between 2018 and 2020, governments spent 18 trillion US dollars– 7 per cent of global GDP in 2020 – on fossil fuel subsidies, in some cases while reducing support for renewables. We don’t need to remove these subsidies from the energy sector but we do need to move towards renewable energy and support the transition.

Which industries do you think could have the greatest impact by transitioning to more renewable energy sources?

NH: All of them! By 2030 we need to halve our emissions, which means all industries that use energy to heat, cool and light their facilities and manufacture and transport their products need to take action. To give one example of the scale of the transition is needed, we are on track to add more than 1 billion cars by 2050 almost all of which will be in low- and middle-income countries.

To ensure that these do not add emissions, biking, walking, public transport, and switching to electric vehicles must be supported.

Source: UNEP

WWF to Croatian Members of EP: Vote Down the “Fake Green” Taxonomy

19.06.2022

nuklearna-elektrana — Foto-ilustracija: Pixabay

In a few weeks’ time, the EU could classify nuclear power and fossil gas as ‘sustainable’. More specifically, the EU is about to sign off on a list of “green” investments as part of its new investment guidebook, the EU Taxonomy. As a consequence, billions of euros will be diverted away from wind, solar, and other green technologies, increasing people’s already skyrocketing gas bills.

WWF and other environmental organizations consider that decision extremely dangerous. We have launched the campaign #StopFakeGreen that urges Members of the European Parliament to vote down this greenwashed list. High emissions from fossil gas and the waste produced by nuclear power that can remain radioactive for thousands of years, which cannot be seen as sustainable.

“Gas is driving an inflation crisis in Europe. So why is the EU adding fuel to the fire by promoting new gas as a ‘sustainable’ investment, thereby boosting its use even further? Today, energy from renewables is far cheaper than from gas, so households energy bills will benefit from a faster transition to energy efficiency and renewable energy, rather than a push of outdated and polluting technologies”, said Nataša Kaulauz, CEO of WWF Adria.

Today, MEPs in the Environment and Economic Affairs committees have rejected the classification of fossil gas and nuclear power as environmentally sustainable under the EU Taxonomy.

“That is a great first step! The final vote is scheduled for the European Parliament plenary session in the first week of July. If MEPs fail to reject the greenwashed Taxonomy, it will pass into EU law. That would mean a climate and financial catastrophe for us and our planet”, concludes Kalauz.

Source: WWF Adria

EBRD, Sweden and Banca Intesa Boost Women Entrepreneurs in Serbia

18.06.2022

Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Jeswin Thomas)

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is extending an EUR 8 million loan to Banca Intesa Belgrade in Serbia. The financing, which Sweden is backing with grants and technical assistance, will support investments by women entrepreneurs.

The financing for businesses run or owned by women is being extended under the EBRD’s Women in Business programme, which promotes women’s entrepreneurship and their participation in business more broadly by providing them with access to finance and know-how.

The loan agreement was signed by Alain Pilloux, EBRD Vice President, during his visit to the country. He said: “Improving access to finance and know-how for women-led businesses is one of our key priorities in the economies where we invest. The Women in Business programme, in particular, is helping to encourage and empower many women and I hope that this new financing will support many of them in going a step further and investing in scaling up their businesses.”

In the Western Balkans, including Serbia, women entrepreneurs continue to face gender-specific challenges, both in terms of access to finance and access to know-how, curtailing economic opportunities to establish and grow their businesses. To help improve access to finance, the EBRD offers specialised credit lines in partnership with commercial banks. Since its launch in the Western Balkans in 2014, the Women in Business programme has provided more than EUR 57 million in credit lines to more than 4,800 women-led micro, small and medium-sized enterprises across the region, giving them access to finance, advisory services, training, mentoring and network-building activities.

Banca Intesa has so far signed 20 credit line agreements with the EBRD, of which five were under the Women in Business programme.

Darko Popovic, President of the Executive Board of Banca Intesa, said: “Economic empowerment of women and their stronger integration into economic flows are important prerequisites for employment growth and sustainable economic development, which is why Banca Intesa has been providing strategic support to this segment of the economy for many years. As the first bank in Serbia to join the Women in Business programme, we have so far supported more than 2,500 women entrepreneurs with over EUR 25.8 million in loans, helping them to develop their businesses and achieve professional ambitions. It is my great pleasure that after the exceptional success in the implementation of the previous four agreements, we continue our cooperation, thus encouraging the creation of an environment that boosts the development of women’s entrepreneurship and contributes to inclusive economic development”.

The EBRD is a leading institutional investor in Serbia. The Bank has invested more than EUR 7.3 billion in the country to date. Its focus in Serbia is on private-sector development, improving public utilities and facilitating the country’s transition to a green economy.

Source: EBRD

The Interlinked Threats Facing Lakes and Why we Need to Protect Them

17.06.2022

hintersee-pejzaž-reka-šuma-jezero-priroda — Foto ilustracija: Pixabay

Photo-illustration: Unsplash/Steve Huntington

Across the world, lakes fed by rivers, glacial melt, groundwater and rain have played an important role in human civilization and development. They contain 90 percent of the fresh water on the planet’s surface, house an array of wildlife, and make possible farming, fishing and industry. Yet, due to climate change, pollution, mining, population pressure, and unsustainable land use, they are declining at an unprecedented rate. Freshwater ecosystems have lost more extent and biodiversity than almost any ecosystem in the world.

The threats facing lakes are interlinked. Lake pollution is worsened by global heating – leading, for instance, to more frequent and intense floods that cause nutrients, surface-bound contaminants and solid waste to be flushed into rivers and lakes. “Water pollution has continued to worsen over the last two decades, increasing the threats to freshwater ecosystems and human health,” says UNEP’s 2021 flagship report Making Peace With Nature.

Fertilizer is an important component of current food systems, and yet it is also a major source of river and lake pollution. Rain washes the nutrients in fertilizer into waterways and lakes which can lead to damaging algal blooms, which are predicted to increase by at least 20 percent by 2050.

Wastewater is another pollution threat. Up to 80 percent of global wastewater is estimated to enter water bodies untreated with adverse impacts on human and ecosystem health.

United Nations resolution calls for action on lakes

Recognizing these threats, in March 2022 the United Nations Environment Assembly adopted a resolution on Sustainable Lake Management. It calls on countries to protect, restore, and sustainably use lakes, while integrating them into national and regional development plans.

“This is the first ever United Nations resolution specifically focusing on the sustainable management of lakes, without distinguishing between freshwater, alkaline, saltwater or soda lakes,” says Lis Mullin Bernhardt, a freshwater expert with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). “We hope it will help galvanize funding and efforts to protect and better manage lakes that are so important for human well-being.”

The March 2022 UN Environment Assembly also adopted a resolution asking UNEP to support Member States in the development of national action plans to sustainably manage nitrogen, a nutrient in fertilizer that can create aquatic “dead zones”.

Tackling interlinked threats requires sustainable lake management involving the collaboration of stakeholders to ensure sustainable land management and integrated water resources management. Lake Dojran, shared by North Macedonia and Greece, is an example of where such approaches are promoting conservation and restoration.

A recent globally agreed definition of nature-based solutions could help promote environmentally friendly and cost-effective ways of sustainably utilizing the services lakes provide and tackling some of the challenges they face, say experts.

Lakes are a haven for biodiversity

Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Jim Schuman)

People, plants, microbes and animals depend on healthy lakes and have a special role as stopovers for migratory birds. Lakes are a tremendous source of biodiversity – the library of life on which we all depend for our survival. Six percent of total biodiversity, or over 140,000 described species, including 55 percent of all fish, rely on freshwater habitats for their survival. Yet, nature is declining at an unprecedented rate. Globally, around 1 million of 7.8 million species face extinction. Investing in natural infrastructure, including lakes, makes sense.

“Reduction of pressure on biodiversity and ecosystem services in populated, productive and human-transformed landscapes and freshwater systems is a key conservation strategy,” says Making Peace with Nature.

Lakes provide recreation and food

Across the world lakes provide food, support livelihoods, and have recreational and intrinsic value. Lakes support a huge variety of fish, including the sturgeon, which can grow to 6 metres and weigh more than 680 kg.

Some lakes are vital sources of food. Lake Victoria, the world’s second-largest lake by surface area, is a prime example. According to the African Center for Aquatic Research and Education, the lake supports the largest freshwater fishery in the world, producing 1 million tons of fish per year and supporting the livelihoods of 4 million people.

Lakes help fight the climate crisis

Lakes help keep the planet cool and absorb flood water. Lakes, rivers and wetlands hold 20–30 percent of global soil carbon despite occupying only 5–8 percent of its land surface. Protecting and restoring lakes is key to both mitigation efforts and to helping ecosystems and humans adapt to the impacts of climate change.

For instance, lakes have been tapped for their ability to cool cities. Toronto, Canada’s biggest city, has implemented the largest sustainable lake-source cooling system in the world. It uses cold lake water as a renewable energy source

Source: UNEP

IntenCity – Schneider Electric’s “smart building”

16.06.2022

IntenCity is Schneider Electric’s new flagship building in Grenoble, France’s Scientific Polygon (Presqu’île). This year is special for Grenoble since the city has been named the 2022 European Green Capital. The award highlights Grenoble’s long-term commitments to sustainable development.

As a leading expert in sustainability and decarbonization, Schneider Electric’s newest building IntenCity, with its 26,000 m², illustrates their vision of Buildings of the Future which they believe needs to be sustainable, resilient, and hyper-efficient, and people-focused. It is part of a big project reorganizing Schneider Electric’s facilities in Grenoble, where 135M€ have been invested over five years to deploy their workplace policy in all their sites and showcase their energy management solutions. The objective was to regroup 5,000 workers from over 13 different sites into four major buildings (Technopole, Alp’Xpôle, Electropole, and IntenCity). The company aimed to reduce the group’s carbon footprint by choosing environmentally friendly buildings, reducing inter-site travel, strengthening cross-department team collaboration, and public and private sector organizations in Grenoble area such as R&D, Universities and laboratories.

We talked with Mr Pascal Bonnefoi, in charge of the customer visits in Grenoble for Schneider Electric. He explained that the key features of the new generation of buildings are energy efficiency and the capability of compensating their consumption with local production. Contrary to the company’s other facilities in the region, which are renovated buildings, IntenCity was built from scratch with two objectives, the human objective to reduce the number of sites and maximize the exchange between the employees and also to be a demonstrator of Schneider Electric’s building solutions.

IntenCity has its own Building Information Modeling (BIM), which is an exact reflection of the construction and an energy model capable of reproducing the energy behavior of the real building. Schneider Electric is the first group in the world to use a 3D visualization model for real-time building monitoring. They created an animation with the 3D lenses for the employees two years before the delivery of IntenCity, to encourage the change management and allow the people to visit the place and better understand the environment.

Efficient building

Equipped with EcoStruxure™ Building solutions, Intencity consumes only 37 kWh per m2 per year, just 10 percent of the average consumption of buildings in Europe with 348 kWh per m2 per year.

IntenCity began efforts to obtain the LEED Platinum certification from the very beginning. It is the highest level of the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certificate. The building is aiming for a score of 103 credits (out of a maximum of 110), making it the most energy-efficient in the world. Mr. Bonnefoi mentioned that there are still some technical issues they need to work towards solving, such as the problem with the quality of the underground water, which results in the occasional malfunction of the filters used in the geothermal power.

Building’s efficiency is also shown through real-time energy consumption. Thanks to the command-control which enables the “energy-saving” mode to be activated on a floor or area that is not being used and thus avoids unnecessary consumption. Building’s efficiency is also shown through facility management, thanks to monitoring tools that collect information (temperature, luminosity, CO2 levels, occupancy, etc.). The building captures over 60,000 data points every 10 minutes, with sensors automatically reducing energy in unoccupied spaces.

Mr Bonnefoi said “automatization in IntenCity is a constant equilibrium between the efficiency from the software system and the comfort of the people”.

Flexible Building

The site generates over 920 MWh of energy per year (enough to power 200 homes) using 4,000 square meters of photovoltaic panels fitted to the roof, two vertical wind turbines, geothermal power from the underground water and 300kW on-site energy storage, thus making the building energy autonomous.

Smart district contribution

Through a unique microgrid partnership, energy is also shared with neighboring buildings and the city of Grenoble. As a smart grid-ready building, IntenCity can opt-out in the event of high demand for electricity or a high tariff, storing the renewable energy produced and deferring consumption in favor of neighboring buildings.

Working towards its goal to become net carbon zero by 2030, Schneider Electric confirms its commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions in line with Grenoble’s Air Energy Climate Plan.

In Schneider Electric, they believe the performance of your buildings significantly impacts the productivity of your people, the success of your business, and the health of the planet.

“In our EcoStruxure building solution in Schneider, we have implemented a solution from a partner company Saint-Gobain who manufactures glass that is sensible to electricity. If you apply an electrical current, you can shade the windows which allows us to optimize energy by shading the windows in summer to reduce the incoming energy and making them transparent in winter to maximize the incoming energy. It’s an evolution of the solution of our partner. Initially the Saint-Gobain’s offer was the visual comfort only, thanks to EcoStruxure building solution we can use the same components for energy optimization. That’s really the value of Schneider electric, to offer a global solution and for our partner of course it’s a win win because the Saint-Gobain solution is now potentially offering a new solution not only for visual comfort but also for energy efficiency.

Katarina Potulić

EU and Egypt Step Up Cooperation on Climate, Energy and the Green Transition

16.06.2022

zaštita_životne_sredine — Photo-illustration: Pixabay

Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Mo Gabrail)

Today in Cairo, on the occasion of the visit of Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and her meeting with Egyptian President El Sisi, the EU and Egypt issued a joint statement on climate, energy and the green transition.

“We are starting to tap into the full potential of EU-Egypt relations, by putting the clean energy transition and the fight against climate change at the heart of our partnership. I look forward to working with Egypt as COP27 Presidency to build on the good momentum from last year in Glasgow. Egypt is also a crucial partner in our efforts to move away from Russian fossil fuels and towards more reliable suppliers”, said president von der Leyen.

The EU and Egypt will join efforts to implement the Paris Agreement and ensure ambitious outcomes at COP27, which takes place in Sharm El-Sheikh in November. The joint statement commits both parties to work together on a global just energy transition, on improving adaptation capacity, mitigating loss and damage due to climate change, and on increasing climate finance to respond to the needs of developing countries.

The cooperation will have a particular focus on renewable energy sources, hydrogen, and energy efficiency. The EU and Egypt will develop a Mediterranean Hydrogen Partnership to promote investments in renewable electricity generation, strengthening and extension of electricity grids, including trans-Mediterranean interconnectors, the production of renewables and low carbon hydrogen, and the construction of storage, transport and distribution infrastructure.

Securing alternative gas supplies for Europe

In light of the new geopolitical and energy market reality after the war in Ukraine and in line with the REPowerEU plan, the EU and Egypt will accelerate and intensify their energy partnership. Security of gas supply is a common concern. Today in Cairo, European Commissioner for Energy Kadri Simson, together with Minister El Molla and Minister Elharrar signed a trilateral Memorandum of Understanding between the EU, Egypt and Israel for the export of natural gas to Europe.

The three parties will work together on the stable delivery of natural gas, in a way that is consistent with long-term decarbonisation objectives and based on market-oriented pricing. Natural gas from Israel, Egypt and other sources in the Eastern Mediterranean region will be shipped to Europe via Egypt’s LNG export infrastructure.

The parties will promote the reduction of methane leakage, and in particular examine new technologies for reducing venting and flaring and explore possibilities for the utilisation of captured methane throughout the entire supply chain. They will also endeavour to ensure that future investments will not cause pollution of the marine or land environment.

Source: European Commission

ABB To Lead Turnkey Project For Largest Shore-To-Ship Solution In France

09.06.2022

Port of Toulon, which handles over 1.6 million ferry and cruise passengers annually, has committed to ABB Shore Connection technology at a key stage in its sustainability drive.

With around 1,300 yearly calls from ferries and cruise vessels right in the heart of the city, the port of Toulon plays an important role in developing the attractiveness of the region for business and tourists. The port is also central to the “Zero-smoke stopovers” plan by the region of Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur (Région Sud PACA), which aims to electrify the docks of Toulon, Marseille and Nice to enable emission-free stays for vessels

Shore-to-ship power connections allow ships to turn off diesel generators during port calls. For shipowners, this means savings on fuel and maintenance costs while switching to cleaner and more sustainable energy. Cruise and ferry passengers, as well as local residents benefit not only from cleaner air, but also from less noise and vibrations generated when ships are docked.

“Toulon is the first Mediterranean port to supply power to all of its docks. This is an innovative project built on an intelligent energy flow management system with a unique energy mix. With the support of ABB as well as the Région Sud PACA and our partners, we are significantly improving air quality in the port, while maintaining business activity. The shore-to-ship power connection will eliminate more than 80 percent of pollutant emissions. It will also save 9,000 hours of vessels running on diesel annually. For the ferry activity in the city of Toulon alone, this adds up to a reduction in sulfur emissions equivalent to those of 50,000 cars in a year,” said Hubert Falco, President of the Toulon Provence Méditerranée Metropolis.

“Technically, this project is developing a new, intelligent smart grid power network using digital technology to manage energy flows from several interconnected sources. The infrastructure makes it possible to optimize overall energy efficiency while limiting the carbon footprint,” said Frédéric Mestivier, designer and technical director of the power project for the Toulon Provence Méditerranée Metropolis.
ABB is leading the consortium selected to manage and execute this turnkey project, with commissioning due in 2023. The ABB solution will be capable of delivering enough energy to cover the needs of three ferries calling to port simultaneously, or one cruise ship. Vessels will have the possibility of 50 or 60Hz power connections. As part of the consortium, Eiffage Construction will carry out the civil engineering work, and Fauché will be responsible for installing and connecting the equipment.

Through the innovative design established by the Toulon Provence Méditerranée Metropolis, the system implemented with ABB equipment will have the ability to automatically adjust the energy mix to supply vessels through the local power network (Enedis), with solar energy produced from a photovoltaic shelter, as well as an energy storage system made up of lithium batteries. The system will help to smooth consumption peaks while allowing the storage of excess solar energy production. It will also be able to use other renewable energy sources such as fuel cells, as they become available.

“We are honored to have been selected by Toulon Provence Méditerranée Metropolis to work on this innovative project,” said Jyri Jusslin, Head of Service, ABB Marine & Ports. “We commend the Toulon authorities for grasping this opportunity. It sets a course for a more sustainable future with smart systems that already exist today.”

Sustainable transportation, including marine and inland vessels, will play an important role in the goal set by France to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050 in accordance with the climate plan announced in 2017.

Worldwide, ferries transport around four billion passengers and 370 million vehicles every year, according to trade association Interferry². The International Maritime Organization has adopted a strategy to reduce annual emissions by at least 40 percent by 2030 and 70 percent by 2050, and the passenger transport is under pressure to achieve these targets.
As a leader in electric shipping and smart port technology, ABB offers comprehensive shore connection solutions comprising state-of-the-art infrastructure both onshore and on board vessels. ABB’s shore-to-ship power technology has already been integrated by over 50 ports around the world to support the objective of reducing emissions and striving towards sustainable maritime transport.

Source: ABB

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