Sustainable Energy News: 03/09/12

Friday, March 9, 2012

UofA Launches Sustainable Cities Project

University of Arizona Downtown Launches Sustainable Cities Project - EcoTucson

Taking on the challenges of creating sustainable cities in the 21st century, University of Arizona Downtown has launched a new partnership to address the many complex issues to create a sustainable future for Tucson and show the way for other cities. The Sustainable City Project will address many areas, including renewable energy, climate change, economic development, affordable housing, transportation, water management, public health and ecosystem conservation.

Poland blocks EU efforts on carbon limits

Poland blocks EU efforts on carbon limits | Reuters

(Reuters) - Coal-reliant Poland on Friday vetoed European Union efforts to move further towards a low carbon economy, pitting itself against the rest of the 27-member bloc. Denmark, holder of the rotating EU presidency, has placed the environment at the heart of its leadership, backed by the Commission and the business community on the need for clear direction on EU climate policy beyond an existing set of 2020 goals.

First Turkish company offers climate neutral printing

Packaging Europe - Halaman Printing and Packaging Ltd.: first Turkish company to offer climate neutral printing

The printing and packaging company Halaman Printing and Packaging Ltd., from Istanbul, is now offering its customers the option of printing orders climate neutrally. This makes them the first Turkish printing and packaging company to have calculated their carbon footprint and offset carbon emissions with investments, upon customer request, in recognized carbon offset projects. The company is working with the renowned climate protection consultancy ClimatePartner to do so.

Google Buys Wind and Bets on the Sun

Google Buys Wind, Bets on Sun - Businessweek

Google (GOOG) is stepping up wind-power purchases to reduce emissions, even as it devotes most of its renewable energy investments to sun-related projects, a trade-off aimed at reining in costs as the company seeks higher returns. Google drew 30 percent of the energy it consumed last year from renewable sources, virtually all of it from wind, up from 19 percent a year earlier. Yet of the $917 million that the company has invested in renewable-energy projects, about two-thirds—or $622 million —is channeled toward solar.

Wind-Power Market Blows Cold

Wind-Power Market Blows Cold - Businessweek

The climate is getting worse for wind-power companies, which are finding it increasingly difficult to attract venture backers. Investment in U.S. turbine farms and wind-energy businesses tumbled 38 percent last year to $9.7 billion, according to data from Bloomberg New Energy Finance. Venture capitalists have practically left the sector altogether. They invested only $177.6 million in wind startups last year, down 71 percent from the year before, BNEF found. Wind power is bucking a broader trend for clean energy, which is experiencing a surge of investment. Venture backers pumped $4.29 billion into the green tech industry in 2011, up 13 percent from the previous year, according to the National Venture Capital Association. With wind, it’s harder for early investors to afford the large outlay of cash needed to get a business off the ground, says Jason Matlof, a partner at Battery Ventures in Menlo Park, Calif.

The skills sustainability consultants need to succeed

The skills sustainability consultants need to succeed | GreenBiz.com

The last decade has seen an evolution of what has become known as sustainability consulting: Corporate demand for expert advice on social responsibility, environmental impact mitigation strategies, environmental or socially-minded re-branding efforts development of new product and marketing strategies to serve environmental markets and internal and supply-chain assessments that have led to improved efficiencies and regulatory risk mitigation. Initially led by boutique firms (headed by professionals with personal passions for environmental or social causes and career histories to match), larger firms (accounting, legal and traditional corporate consulting) soon entered the market, redirecting existing personnel or acquiring new expertise and applying their traditional business models to market demand for sustainability services.

How to be a green rockstar!

Method, RecycleBank named among B Corp 'rockstars' | GreenBiz.com

B Lab, the nonprofit that created the sustainable business certification system for B Corporations, has released a number of lists of companies that it considers "Best For the World.” Collectively they form an A-list of the companies B Lab calls the “rockstars of the new economy.”B Lab released the list this week in conjunction with its 2012 annual report. The firms represent the top 10 percent of the 500 companies that have been certified and registered as B Corporations based on B Lab's "B Impact" assessment tool and third-party authentication process.

Volkswagen makes a $52B green commitment

Volkswagen's green commitment: $52 billion | GreenBiz.com

German automaker Volkswagen aims to drop the average emissions from its new vehicles to 120 grams CO2/km by 2015, as part of a "fundamental ecological restructuring" likely to be worth more than €40 billion (US$52 billion by 2016. The company says more than two thirds of its entire €62.4 billion (US$82.1 billion) investment programme for the coming five years will be directly or indirectly spent on "ever more efficient vehicles, powertrains and technologies, as well as environmentally compatible production."

Did that come out of me? The cream of the sustainable dairy crop.

Sustainable dairies: The cream of the crop | GreenBiz.com

When you think of products with hefty carbon footprints, milk may not be the first to come to mind. But global emissions from milk production equal that of the airline industry.
About three-fourths of the emissions occur before milk even leaves the farm, coming in the form of methane from cows' belches and farts, fertilizer from feed crops and the use of manure as a fertilizer. Aside from emissions, dairy farming -- especially factory farming -- can cause local pollution as well, either from manure or the large-scale crop-growing operations needed to feed cows.

EU Nations Support Airline CO2 Curbs

EU Nations Support CO2 Curbs on Airlines, Hedegaard Says - Businessweek

European Union governments backed the bloc’s curbs on greenhouse gas emissions from airlines at a meeting of environment ministers today, Climate Commissioner Connie Hedegaard said.

“All member states repeated full support to the EU’s line on aviation,” Hedegaard said on her Twitter Inc. account today.