Short notes

This week there were some interesting news items:

• Green building concept gets cold shoulder in Madhya Pradesh

Despite government incentives, concept of green buildings has failed to catch fancy of real estate developers in Madhya Pradesh. This is much in contrast to booming real estate markets like Gurgaon (Haryana), Mumbai, Bangalore and Hyderabad where ‘green’ is the in-thing.

Not a single building in the state is rated ‘green building,’ which uses less water, optimizes energy efficiency, conserves natural resources, generates less waste and provides healthier spaces for occupants, as compared to conventional buildings. There are 352 green-rated buildings in the country, approved by Indian Green Building Council (IGBC).

• 150 million for energy efficiency in Normandy
  

Basse-Normandie, a region in north-west France, has obtained a loan of 150 million euros, for a period of 25 years from the EIB, the total expenses expected to be 336 million euros.

The EIB (European Investment Bank) and the Lower Normandy region have announced a commitment of € 150 million for energy efficiency in schools and health center at the University of Caen. This loan term 25, was obtained from the EIB, the total expenditure is 336 million euros.

Over the period 2011-2015, are 47 schools of general education or professional and who will benefit from the investment in the region.

The region also leads several large investment transactions in the field of higher education, mainly with the construction of a training center for health Caen. This will include 22,000 m² on training to medical and paramedical professions. There will be nearly 4000 students from the autumn of 2014.

The EIB’s mission is to provide mainly long-term loans in support of viable investment projects, public or private, which achieve the objectives of integration, cohesion and development of the European Union.

·       Policy Brief: Low Carbon Technology for the Rising Middle Class By Heleen de Coninck & Robert Byrne

This policy brief will discuss the role of local and international technology and innovation policies for low-carbon development of the rising middle class in developing countries. Although a large segment of the population of most developing countries remains severely deprived, most developing countries also have a significant and growing part of the population that could be a feasible target for low-carbon policies.  The report is available here.

• Call for abstracts: The Tyndall Centre Radical Emission Reduction Conference, London

We face an unavoidably radical future. We either continue with rising emissions and reap the radical repercussions of severe climate change, or we acknowledge that we have a choice and pursue radical emission reductions: No longer is there a non-radical option. Moreover, low-carbon supply technologies cannot deliver the necessary rate of emission reductions – they need to be complemented with rapid, deep and early reductions in energy consumption – the rationale for this conference. The deadline for submitting abstracts is 28 June. The conference is December 10-11 at the Royal Society, London.

Information is available here.

• Sustainability report from Knauf Insulation

Knauf Insulation has just published its sustainability report for 2012.  It explains the actions the company has taken recently in sustainability:  an Energy Response Corps in the US, a Life Cycle Analysis programme that has 50% of the products covered by an LCA at the end of 2012 and training their teams in LCA thinking.  They have also taken many steps to reduce their own CO2 emissions and in 2012 made waste a priority area.  The 2012 Sustainability Report is available here.

• EEIP at Hannover Messe

Energy Efficiency in Industrial Processes held two events at this year’s Hannover Messe, the leading European fair for all things energy efficiency, industry, automation, and trade.  The first event, EEIP #BusinessPitch, brought together some major companies in two camps. The companies presented their products and stood well in questioning from a selected jury.  In the second event, #EEAllstars, Kateri Callahan, President of the US-based Alliance to Save Energy, Dusan  Jakovljevic of EEIP, and Orhan Erenberk, Director of Thomas Industrial Media, discussed the changing world of communicating and connecting on energy efficiency.  Information is available here.

At the EU Sustainable Energy Week, EiD will be co-organising an event with EEIP.