Global briefing: Wind and solar dominate new Indian power projects

Global briefing: Wind and solar dominate new Indian power projects

Renewables accounted for over 90 per cent of all new power capacity in India last year

India: Wind and solar account for over 90 per cent of new power capacity

Wind and solar projects dominated new electricity capacity additions last year, according to a new analysis from think tank Ember.

The report shows that wind and solar projects accounted for 92 per cent of all new power capacity, while new coal plants accounted for just five per cent.

In total, India added 13.9GW of new solar capacity and 1.8GW of new wind capacity, delivering 15.7GW of new renewables capacity in total which represented a 17 per cent increase on new additions seen in 2021. Ember said India’s new renewables capacity last year was comparable to the UK’s entire solar fleet as of 2021.

“India, especially the states of Rajastan and Gujarat, have demonstrated to the world that rapo deployment of solar and wind is not only possible, but also already happening,” said Uni Lee, data analyst at Ember. “As the country presides over the G20 presidency this year, India is well positioned to take climate leadership as a prime example on the possibilities of enabling clean power generation by unleashing solar and wind power.”

 

President Biden sparks anger with approval for Alaska oil project

The White House this week triggered angry protests, after it approved a controversial $8bn (£6bn) drilling project in Alaska.

The ConocoPhillips Willow project is expected to produce an estimated 576 million barrels of oil over 30 years, prompting warnings from environmental groups that the Biden administration has fatally undermined its wider climate policy efforts.

“Approving the Willow Project is an unacceptable departure from President Biden’s promises to the American people on climate and environmental justice,” said Lena Moffitt, executive director of campaign group Evergreen Action. “After all that this administration has done to advance climate action and environmental justice, it is heartbreaking to see a decision that we know will poison Arctic communities and lock in decades of climate pollution we simply cannot afford.”

The Bureau of Land Management said the approval “strikes a balance” as it allows ConocoPhillips to take advantage of longstanding leases in the Arctic while also limiting the number of sites it can exploit. The White House also announced it would ban any future oil and gas drilling in the US Arctic Ocean and extend the areas in Alaska where drilling is not permitted.

But the move prompted an angry response from green groups who warned the project ran counter to the International Energy Agency’s warnings that no new exploration should be permitted if the world is to deliver on its climate goals.

 

Albania declares Vjosa River a National Park – with help from Patagonia

The Vjosa River in Albania, one of the last wild rivers in Europe was this week officially declared a National Park by the Albanian Government, becoming the first Wild River National Park in Europe.

The milestone is the result of a unique collaboration between the Albanian Government, local and international experts, environmental NGOs from the Save the Blue Heart of Europe campaign, the International Union for Conservation of Nature, and outdoor clothing company Patagonia.

The Vjosa and its main tributaries run freely for over 400km, from the Pindus Mountain Range in Greece, where it is called Aoös, to the Adriatic coast in Albania. The river and its surrounding areas are ecosystems of substantial biodiversity and are home to over 1,100 species of animals, including 13 animal species and two plant species assessed as globally threatened by IUCN.

However, the river has been under threat from development, deforestation, and water pollution, leading to calls for it to be turned into a pioneering new National Park. 

“Vjosa is a symbol of human history and also a very important part of the history of our country,” said Mirela Kumbaro Furxhi, Minister of Tourism and Environment. “Maybe Albania does not have the power to change the world, but it can create successful models of protecting biodiversity and natural assets and we are proud to announce the creation of this first National Park on one of the last wild rivers in Europe. The Albanian government has taken the bold decision to create a National Park of 12,727 hectares, including the 190 kilometers long Vjosa, where over 60,000 people have lived for centuries.”

The move was welcomed by Ryan Gellert, CEO of Patagonia, which supported the feasibility study that provided the basis for the National Park’s creation. “This unique collaboration between government, civil society and business is testament to the power of collective action and we hope it will inspire others to come together to protect the wild places we have left, in a meaningful way,” he said. “Standing on the banks of the Vjosa today, we are humbled to know that this exceptional river and its wildlife will be conserved forever.”

 

Microsoft and Running Tide ink ocean carbon removals deal

US carbon removals developer Running Tide has this week announced a new agreement with Microsoft that makes it the technology company’s first open ocean-based carbon removal supplier.

Under the terms of the deal, Running Tide will remove the equivalent of 12,000 tons of carbon dioxide over the next two years through its technology which aims to accelerate the ocean’s ability to naturally remove carbon dioxide, sinking it to the deep ocean in a safe and permanent form. The agreement also includes innovations to ensure effective measurement, reporting, and verification of the promised carbon removals.

“Supporting innovative solutions is part of Microsoft’s carbon removal strategy,” said Phillip Goodman, director of the Carbon Removal Portfolio at Microsoft. “Running Tide’s dedication towards continued improvements in ocean-based MRV systems aligns with Microsoft’s pursuit of innovative CDR projects, and we look forward to Running Tide’s further development of the ocean-based carbon removal space.”

Running Tide uses a combination of photosynthesis from both terrestrial and marine biomass and ocean alkalinity enhancement to capture carbon, and then uses ships, gravity, and ocean currents to sink the carbon into the deep ocean so as to move it into “safe, long-term storage in the slow carbon cycle”.

“This agreement represents a joint investment in an abundant future: both in removing a significant amount of carbon while restoring ocean health for future generations,” said Running Tide CEO Marty Odlin. “Our deal develops the system and technologies needed to responsibly steward our natural resources and to further our knowledge of and connectivity to the ocean.”

 

Indonesia partners with the Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet

Indonesia’s Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources has this week signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet (GEAPP) in support of its ambitious Just Energy Transition Partnership.

GEAPP is an alliance of 19 partners led by philanthropies Rockefeller Foundation, IKEA Foundation, and Bezos Earth Fund, and including a host of multilateral and development finance institutions and governments that are working to help developing economies accelerate their net zero transitions.

As such, the group has committed to working with the Indonesian government to help deliver on its net zero by 2050 target and its Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP), which is set to mobilise billions of dollars of investment in new clean energy infrastructure.

“Working alongside the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, GEAPP will support the advancement of Indonesia’s JETP plan, by delivering capacity building and knowledge sharing, and supporting analysis into the acceleration of coal decommissioning,” the group said.

Simon Harford, CEO of GEAPP, said: “Indonesia has shown great foresight in its commitment to a just energy transition but is acutely aware that this transformation must be for the greater good of its population – driving not just clean energy but inspiring new livelihoods and sustainable economic growth. The government is also realistic about the international support, investment and technology this shift will require. GEAPP is privileged to support Indonesia’s goals and this MOU reflects our commitment to work at scale and pace to ensure an equitable and effective outcome for all.”

 

Iraq government announces five million trees target

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani has this week announced plans to plant five million trees as part of efforts to improve the country’s climate resilience. 

Speaking at the Iraq Climate Conference in Basra on Sunday, al-Sudani said that action was needed to protect the country against increased risk of drought, heat waves, and dust storms.

According to reports from Yale E360, Al-Sudani said the govcernment was working on plans to build new irrigation projects and source 30 per cent of the country’s power from reneables by 2030. But he also stressed the importance of tree planting to help combat desertification and heat wave risks.

 

World Bank hopeful touts climate investment plans

Ajay Banga, the US nominee to become the next World Bank President, was in Europe this week, as he sought to gather support for his nomination. 

According to Politico reports, the former Mastercard CEO stressed his commitment to mobilise increased investment in climate-related projects as he met with a series of European governments. 

“Climate change directly impacts the kind of developmental idea that we’re all trying to work on,” he told a group of reporters on Tuesday. 

He also highlighted the role of multilateral development banks in catalysing more private sector investment in the clean energy transition.

“We’re talking about trillions of dollars a year… to actually turn the tide on climate,” he said. “There are zeros there that don’t currently exist on the balance sheets of either governments or multilateral banks, or philanthropies. So we have to get the private sector to feel that their risk-return model makes sense, to invest.”

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