Smart site selection can make hydropower greener
Even though new hydropower dam developments are intended to provide green energy, they can drown areas that are rich in plant and animal species. But a new study shows that this kind of collateral...
Tagged: clean energy
How wind energy emerged from contributing less than 1% of electricity demand
Twenty years ago, wind energy was a niche industry that contributed less than 1% to the total electricity demand in the United States. It has since emerged as a serious contender in the race...
Rolls-Royce plans 16 mini nuclear plants in the UK
Rolls-Royce has announced plans to build a fleet of 16 small modular reactor power stations (SMR) over the next 20 years. The power stations will help secure the UK’s net zero commitments affordably, says...
Increasing access to clean energy in India
India’s largest renewable energy company, ReNew Power, and the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) have signed a partnership agreement to promote increased access to renewable energy and improved energy efficiency. The strengthened partnership between the...
How AI is helping upcycle waste carbon with record efficiency
Artificial intelligence is helping researchers upcycle waste carbon. A collaboration between University of Toronto Engineering and Carnegie Mellon University has produced a record-setting catalyst for CO2-to-ethylene conversion. Researchers at University of Toronto Engineering and...
Cutting emissions won’t cause sudden spike in warming
New research shows that, contrary to some fears, cutting fossil fuel emissions gradually would not cause an unintended jump in temperatures. The researchers at Duke University and the University of Leeds analysed 42 scenarios...
Bacteria batteries turn sewage into clean energy
Purple bacteria could turn wastewater treatment plants into zero-carbon fuel generators, says Frontiers in Energy Research. The new findings are the first reported use of photosynthetic microbes in a battery-like bioelectrochemical system. Organic compounds...
New York to make power plants coal-free by 2020
New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo announced that his state intends to end all coal-fired power plants by 2020. The move is part of an overall strategy to reduce state-wide greenhouse gas emissions by...
Nobel family members invest in UK sustainability fund
Members of Sweden’s Nobel family are backing a new venture capital fund that will promote sustainable technologies in the UK. The £100 million Nobel Sustainability Growth Fund was launched this week by Sustainable Technology...
Sri Lanka on track to 100% clean energy by 2050
A new report shows that Sri Lanka could meet its current and future electricity demand through renewable energy alone by 2050. But it would take up to $50 billion in investments to achieve this....
US Conference of Mayors calls for 100% renewable energy
The US Conference of Mayors approved a resolution on Monday calling for 100 per cent renewable energy in US cities by 2035. The resolution was approved by leaders from more than 250 cities. The...
IKEA to acquire 88 MW wind farm in Canada
IKEA has announced that it will buy a second wind farm in the Canadian province of Alberta, putting the furniture giant on track to produce more renewable energy than it consumes by 2020. IKEA...
California campus switches to all-electric bus fleet
The University of California, Irvine is set to become the first college campus in the US to convert to an all-electric fleet of buses. The student-funded and student-operated shuttle service is acquiring 20 buses...
Solar power is becoming cheapest new electricity
Solar power is becoming the world’s cheapest form of new electricity, recent data has revealed. In emerging markets, new solar projects are cheaper to build than similar projects with wind energy. Solar power is...
Fossil fuel divestments double, now over USD 5 trillion
The global fossil fuel divestment movement has doubled over the past 15 months, with institutions and individuals controlling nearly USD 5.2 trillion in assets now pledging to divest, says a new report. According to...
Global cities clamour to disclose climate strategies
The number of cities revealing their environmental data has risen 70 per cent since the Paris climate agreement in 2015. 533 cities globally reported the climate actions they are taking this year, according to...
Renewable energy investments surge in Q2
Global investments in renewable energy rose sharply in the second quarter of 2016, rising by 30 per cent over the first quarter. But Brexit could have a negative impact on renewable investments across Europe...
Clean air a basic human right, says IEA head
The International Energy Agency has released its first-ever World Energy Outlook to focus on air quality. It found that a small increase in energy investments could cut premature deaths from air pollution in half...
In green we trust
Over 400 churches across the UK are turning to renewable energy for their light and heating. The move is part of the Big Church Switch initiative, launched by two Christian charities. As the Thomson...
India commits to clean growth
India is the last major economy to present its climate targets in advance of the UN climate talks in Paris in December. Unlike the US and Europe, the government of Narendra Modi is not...
