India Emerges As Green Leader With the Lowest Per Capita CO2 Emissions Among the G20 Nations

India has emerged as a green leader among the G20 nations, boasting the lowest per capita CO2 emissions. With this, India is setting am example of sustainable development.

In 2023, India's per capita CO2 emissions were around 2.1 metric tons per person, compared to much higher figures in countries like Saudi Arabia, which had the highest per capita emissions at over 17 metric tons per person.

 

China had the highest CO2 emissions among G20 countries, while Argentina had the lowest. India's per capita emissions were the lowest among the G20 nations, highlighting its efforts in maintaining a lower carbon footprint.

India's achievement is largely due to the country's agrarian economy and relatively low per capita energy consumption compared to many developed nations. Despite being the most populous G20 country, India's efforts in deploying renewable energy and maintaining lower emissions have been commendable.

The latest International Energy Agency (IEA) report on CO2 emissions provides a comprehensive analysis of global emissions in 2023.

Global Emissions CO2 emissions reached a new record high in 2023, with an increase of 1.1%, increasing 410 million tonnes (Mt) to reach a new record high of 37.4 billion tonnes (Gt). This was driven by weather effects and continued reopening from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Nevertheless, the growth in clean energy technologies, such as renewables, electric vehicles, and heat pumps, helped limit the rise in global emissions.

Emissions from energy combustion increased, while emissions from industrial processes decreased.

Between 2019 and 2023, total energy-related emissions increased around 900 Mt. Without the growing deployment of five key clean energy technologies since 2019 - solar PV, wind, nuclear, heat pumps, and electric cars - the emissions growth would have been three times larger.

Indian Govt Plans Its First Carbon Credits Sale Via FCI

India is gearing up for its first carbon credit sale, with the Food Corporation of India (FCI) playing a crucial role. The government plans to leverage FCI's optimized logistics and digital transformation efforts, which have significantly reduced greenhouse gas emissions. This initiative is part of India's broader strategy to meet its emission reduction targets under the Paris Agreement.

The carbon credits generated from these efforts will be sold, providing a financial incentive for further sustainability initiatives. This move is expected to promote cleaner technologies and practices across various sectors.

India's carbon credit trading scheme, established under the Energy Conservation (Amendment) Act, 2022, aims to create a domestic carbon market. This market will incentivize emission reductions by allowing companies to trade carbon credits, thus encouraging them to adopt more sustainable practices.

The Food Corporation of India (FCI) is playing a pivotal role in the Indian government’s first carbon credit sale. By optimizing its logistics operations, FCI has significantly reduced its greenhouse gas emissions. This includes digital transformation initiatives that streamline supply chain operations, reduce transportation distances, and improve overall efficiency. The carbon credits generated from these emission reductions will be sold. 

It’s a significant step towards achieving carbon neutrality and promoting sustainable practices in India’s foodgrain management system.

To optimize its logistics, focusing on improving efficiency and reducing emissions, FCI has adopted digital tools to streamline its supply chain operations. This includes real-time tracking of foodgrain movement, automated inventory management, and predictive analytics to forecast demand and optimize storage and distribution

Further, by optimizing routes and consolidating shipments, FCI has reduced fuel consumption and transportation costs. This not only lowers emissions but also ensures timely delivery of foodgrains.

Moreover, FCI is incorporating sustainable practices such as using energy-efficient equipment and renewable energy sources in its operations. This further contributes to reducing the carbon footprint.

Besides, the FCI is also working with various stakeholders, including state governments and private partners, to implement best practices in logistics and supply chain management. Additionally, it provides training to its staff on sustainable practices and efficient resource utilization.

FCI maintains a vast network of storage facilities across the country, including warehouses and silos, to store the procured food grains.

Established in 1965 under the Food Corporations Act, 1964, the FCI operates under the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution. FCI’s primary mandate is to ensure the food security of India by managing the procurement, storage, and distribution of food grains, primarily wheat and rice.

In April this year, the Indian government has significantly increased FCI’s authorized working capital to ₹21,000 crore from ₹10,000 crore. This financial boost is aimed at minimizing borrowings and interest payouts, and funding a planned modernization drive. The additional capital will help FCI enhance its storage facilities, improve transportation networks, and adopt advanced technologies.

Later in July, the Union government has restructured FCI’s funding, allowing it to operate without taking on new debt for the first time. This move expected to cut interest payments by a tenth and smoothen the flow of funds, ensuring more efficient operations.

Notably, the Indian government has several plans and initiatives related to carbon credit sales and the development of a domestic carbon market.

Last year in June, the Ministry of Power has notified the Carbon Credit Trading Scheme, 2023, which aims to establish a domestic carbon market. This scheme sets the framework for trading carbon credits, with the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) acting as the administrator and the Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC) overseeing the trading process.

Besides, the country is also working towards launching a national carbon market to drive down fossil fuel use. This market will allow polluters to exchange credits equivalent to a certain amount of emissions, incentivizing companies to reduce their carbon footprint

SAP and Ambipar Unveil Net Zero as a Service, for Businesses to Manage and Offset Carbon Emissions

SAP and Ambipar have announced a new initiative called Net Zero as a Service. This partnership aims to help businesses manage and offset their carbon emissions more effectively. By combining SAP's robust cloud solutions with Ambipar's expertise in carbon credit generation and trading, the service provides a comprehensive solution for the entire decarbonization journey.

Key features include:

End-to-end carbon management: SAP's ERP-centric and AI-enabled solutions allow businesses to measure emissions accurately and make informed decisions.

Carbon credit purchasing: Customers can neutralize their emissions by buying internationally certified carbon credits through Ambipar's platform, AMBIFY, available on the SAP Store.

Scalability: Ambipar is currently piloting this service in its own operations and plans to make it widely available to SAP customers soon.

This initiative underscores both companies' commitment to sustainability and helping organizations achieve their net zero goals. 

Google's Greenhouse Gas Emissions Grew by 48% Since 2019 With Rise in AI Usage

Tech giant Google's pollution amounted to 14.3mn tonnes of carbon equivalent in 2023, a 48% increase from its 2019 baseline and a 13% rise since last year, Google said in its annual environmental report on Tuesday.

Chief sustainability officer, Google, Kate Brandt said the company remained committed to the 2030 'net zero' target but stressed the 'extremely ambitious' nature of the goal.

As per Google's 2024 environmental report, the silicon valley's greenhouse gas emissions surged 48% compared to 2019. This increase is attributed to the growing energy demands of data centers, driven by rapid advancements in and demand for artificial intelligence (AI). The impact of AI on electricity demand is well-documented, with AI data centers alone expected to add about 323 terawatt hours of electricity demand in the U.S. by 2030.

While Google remains committed to mitigating the environmental impact of AI, this spike in emissions poses a challenge to their goal of achieving net-zero emissions by 2030¹. Microsoft also reported increased emissions due to AI demand.

Google's 2024 Environmental Report provides an overview of their environmental sustainability strategy, including targets and annual progress. The report covers data from their 2023 fiscal year (January 1 to December 31, 2023) and highlights achievements from the first half of 2024.

Google's 2024 Environmental Report's key findings:

Emissions Surge: Google's greenhouse gas emissions increased by nearly 50% compared to 2019. This rise is attributed to the growing energy demands of data centers, primarily driven by the surge in artificial intelligence (AI) usage.

Energy Efficiency Efforts: Despite the emissions increase, Google continues to invest in energy-efficient technologies and renewable energy sources. They're committed to achieving net-zero emissions by 2030.

AI Impact: The report emphasizes the impact of AI on electricity demand. AI data centers are projected to add approximately 323 terawatt hours of electricity demand in the U.S. by 2030.

Sustainability Goals: Google remains dedicated to sustainability. They're working on innovative solutions, including carbon capture and renewable energy projects.

The report provides a snapshot of Google's ongoing efforts to balance technological advancements with environmental responsibility.

India Gets Additional $1.5 Bn from World Bank to Develop Low-Carbon Energy Infrastructure

The World Bank has granted USD 1.5 billion in financing to help India expedite the development of low-carbon energy infrastructure.

The financing for the operation includes a $1.46 billion loan from the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) and a $31.5 million credit from the International Development Association (IDA).

This funding aims to boost low-carbon energy by scaling up renewable energy and producing green hydrogen, among other initiatives. India, as the fastest-growing large economy globally, faces the challenge of decoupling economic growth from emissions growth. To achieve this, the World Bank's support focuses on:

• Green Hydrogen: The operation aims to promote the development of a vibrant market for green hydrogen, which is critical for decarbonization.
• Renewable Energy: Scaling up renewable energy is essential, especially in hard-to-abate industrial sectors.
• Climate Finance: The financing will stimulate climate finance for low-carbon energy investments, supporting India's transition toward cleaner energy sources.

This strategic investment aligns with India's net-zero target and will create clean energy jobs in the private sector. By FY25/26, the reforms supported by this operation are expected to result in the production of at least 450,000 metric tons of green hydrogen and 1,500 MW of electrolyzers annually. Additionally, it will significantly increase renewable energy capacity and contribute to reducing emissions by 50 million tons per year.

Impact on India's energy sector

The World Bank's additional financing of USD 1.5 billion will significantly impact India's energy sector by accelerating its transition toward a low-carbon economy. Here are the key areas of impact

1. Green Hydrogen Development: The funding will promote the development of a vibrant market for green hydrogen. Green hydrogen, produced using renewable energy, has immense potential for decarbonization and can be used in various sectors, including industry and transportation.

2. Renewable Energy Scaling: India aims to scale up its renewable energy capacity. The financing will support projects that enhance solar, wind, and other renewable energy sources. This will contribute to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and improving energy security.

3. Clean Energy Jobs: The investment will create jobs in the private sector related to clean energy production, distribution, and technology development. This will boost employment opportunities and contribute to economic growth.

4. Emission Reduction: By FY25/26, the reforms supported by this operation are expected to result in the production of at least 450,000 metric tons of green hydrogen and 1,500 MW of electrolyzers annually. Additionally, it will significantly reduce emissions by 50 million tons per year.

Overall, this funding aligns with India's net-zero target and supports the country's efforts to transition to sustainable and cleaner energy sources.

SAIL Partners SaaS Startup Sentra.World for Carbon Emission Tracking and Reduction

The Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) has partnered with the Bengaluru-based SaaS startup Sentra.world to pioneer carbon emission reduction in steel production.

This collaboration involves using Sentra.world's advanced carbon tracking software at SAIL's Durgapur Steel Plant and its Environment Management Division.

sentra.world is a B2B SaaS carbon accounting software company that helps industrial businesses measure, report, certify, and reduce their carbon emissions.

The initiative is a significant step towards sustainable and eco-friendly practices in the steel industry, aiming to comprehensively monitor and manage carbon dioxide emissions across various production facilities. This partnership aligns with global efforts to decarbonize economies and minimize the environmental impact of industrial activities.

Founded in 2023 by two ex-McKinsey junior partners — Harsh Choudhry and Vikas Upadhyay — each with 16+ years of experience in sustainability, industrial manufacturing and digital technology, Sentra.world's software help industrial companies track and reduce their CO2 emissions. It uses a combination of AI and blockchain technology to provide a comprehensive view of emissions, employing various methods for accurate assessments.

The software uses recognized methodologies like the GHG protocol and standards set by the World Steel Association to measure CO2 emissions.

The startup is headquartered in Bangalore and has received a total funding of $2.0 million from investors such as Avaana Capital, Golden Sparrow Ventures and RPG Ventures.

Sentra.world's software is gaining traction in the industrial sector, particularly among companies focused on sustainability and carbon emission reduction. The software is designed to cater to industries such as Steel, Aluminum, Cement, Chemicals, and Utilities. These sectors are critical for decarbonization efforts due to their significant greenhouse gas emissions. Sentra.world's approach, which combines AI and blockchain technology, is particularly suitable for businesses looking to meet ESG compliance, access new markets, and reduce costs while managing their environmental footprint.

SAP and Infosys Introduce Industry Cloud Solution to Identify, Track, Predict, and Refine Carbon Emissions During S&OP

For companies to act sustainably, responsibly, and efficiently, they must harness the power of data-driven decisions and advanced technology to reduce their carbon footprint and create sustainable product portfolios.

At a September 2022 Hack2Build event, Indian IT & technology major, Infosys, also a partner of SAP, presented a solution for organizations to identify, track, predict, and refine carbon emissions during sales and operations planning (S&OP) and make sustainable decisions. The solution, Sustainable S&OP and Carbon Footprint Management, was built using SAP Integrated Business Planning (SAP IBP) for Supply Chain, SAP S/4HANA, SAP Business Technology Platform (SAP BTP), SAP Integration Suite, and SAP Sustainability Footprint Management.

Built on SAP Integrated Business Planning (IBP), S/4HANA and SAP Product Foot print management the Infosys carbon footprint solution calculates carbon emission based on greenhouse gas protocols and Global warming potential across procurement, production and distribution processes. [Download the Document] 

Infosys’ carbon footprint solution calculates carbon emissions based on greenhouse gas protocols and global warming potential factors across an organization’s procurement, production, and distribution processes. It helps calculate key information, such as estimates of CO2e emissions per order level, thereby helping to make decisions that can ensure a smaller carbon footprint.

The solution also provides an innovative framework to help companies identify, track, predict, and refine their carbon emissions numbers throughout the entire supply chain process.

“Infosys is delighted to publish the Infosys Sustainable S&OP and Carbon Footprint Management Solution through the SAP-validated partner use case program,” said Atul Chorbele, AVP at Infosys. “We are confident that customers across industries will benefit from adopting this solution.”

Holger Brammer, Global Partner Ecosystem vice president at SAP, praised this partner solution and the development process: “It was impressive to see how fast Infosys developed this solution on SAP BTP and integrated it with SAP S/4HANA, SAP IBP, and SAP Sustainability Footprint Management. I’m quite confident that this solution will resonate very well with customers.”

Infosys’ solution is part of the SAP-validated partner use case program. The program was established to give SAP service partners the ability to showcase, position, and promote solutions and spotlight their expertise of SAP Business Technology Platform, leveraging the power of SAP’s vast customer base and industry networks.

The SAP-validated partner use case program offers service partners the ability to:

• Get amplified market reach: Increased visibility enables service partners to target a broader audience, opening doors to new markets and untapped opportunities. Leveraging SAP’s robust platform, partners can position themselves strategically and expand their global reach.
• Collaborate and co-innovate: Participating in the SAP-validated partner use case program can foster collaboration with SAP experts, industry leaders, and customers.
• Access a dynamic ecosystem: Partners can benefit from SAP’s ecosystem, where they can collaborate, exchange knowledge, and share best practices with some of the industry’s best leaders.
• Develop customer-centric solutions: The program helps put the customer at the core of solution development. Service partners can gain valuable customer insights though interactions facilitated by SAP, leading to better-tailored products and services that can precisely address users’ pain points.

The program presents opportunities for both customers and service partners to flourish. By achieving certification, service partners can earn credibility, expand market reach, and foster collaborative innovation with industry giants. Its streamlined processes help accelerate time-to-market, providing a significant advantage in today’s fast-paced business landscape.

Hyundai Motor and Kia Introduce AI-enabled and Blockchain-based Carbon Emission Monitoring System

Two major Korean multinational automobile manufacturers — Hyundai Motor and Kia Corporation — introduce an AI-enabled, blockchain-based Supplier CO2 Emission Monitoring System (SCEMS) to support their partner companies to efficiently handle global environmental regulations. It is to be noted that Hyundai Motor is the parent company of Kia Corporation and the later comes under the umbrella of Hyundai Motor Group. 

The system, SCEMS, calculates emissions across partners' supply chains, and since its on top of blockchain tech it promises transparency and data integrity. It's also expected to ease suppliers' workloads in data collection and management, enhancing accuracy in carbon emissions monitoring.

Leveraging Artifical Intelligence (AI) and blockchain, Hyundai and Kia aim to proactively meet environmental regulations and foster sustainable supply chains, responding to climate change issues.

The SCEMS is designed to record and manage carbon footprints at every stage of the manufacturing process, starting from the extraction of raw materials to the production and delivery of parts and vehicles. This comprehensive approach allows Hyundai and Kia to gain better control over their carbon reduction initiatives.

Both the companies have successfully verified the effectiveness of the high-performance blockchain technology and adopted it to accomplish their critical goal of promptly and securely collecting carbon emissions data.

Hyundai Motors and Kia would distribute the SCEMS free of charge to suppliers/partners that make up the automotive supply chain to support carbon emission reduction activities throughout the supply chain.

When partners input essential data that suits their circumstances into the SCEMS system, the artificial intelligence automatically provides information on carbon emissions and predicts what will occur in the future.

The system also expected to relieve suppliers from this time & cost consuming work and enable them to manage their carbon emissions with accuracy. With SCEMS, which is powered by AI and high-performance blockchain technology, business partners can efficiently monitor and manage the collected data and carbon emission status at their respective workplaces.

This year in February, Hyundai and Kia joined the Carbon Disclosure Project's (CDP) "CDP Supply Chain" program, conducting capacity-building training on carbon neutrality for partner companies facing challenges in their independent response.

CDP was established as the 'Carbon Disclosure Project' in 2000 as a non-profit organization, asking companies to disclose their climate impact. Over the time since its establishment, CDP has broadened the scope of environmental disclosure, to incorporate deforestation and water security, while also building its reach to support cities, states and regions.

Companies participating in the program submit data to CDP, including energy consumption and greenhouse gas emission status, carbon neutrality strategies, progress in goal setting and execution, and plans and achievements related to the renewable energy transition, and undergo evaluations.

Tata Steel Inks MoU with Germany’s SMS Group for Decarbonising Steel Making Process

Tata Steel Limited and Germany’s SMS group have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to collaborate on decarbonisation of steel making process. As part of the MoU, the companies shall undertake further technical discussions and initiate actions for conducting Joint Industrial Demonstration of the EASyMelt technology, developed by SMS group.

The demonstration will be executed at ‘E’ Blast Furnace in Tata Steel’s Jamshedpur plant with an objective to reduce CO2 emission by more than 50% from blast furnace’s baseline operation.

 

Tata Steel Limited Jamshedpur plant

The EASyMelt (electric-assisted syngas smelter) technology is a cutting-edge ironmaking solution that can be implemented in an existing integrated steel plants to accelerate decarbonisation. The core of the technology utilises blast furnace top gas recycling for syngas production through reforming of coke oven gas. The resulting syngas is then injected at both shaft and tuyere level, with the gas injected at the tuyere level further being heated using a plasma torch system.

T. V. Narendran, CEO & MD, Tata Steel, said: “Tata Steel is actively looking for solutions to facilitate the transition to green steel production, and thus contribute to a sustainable future. Further, India being the second largest steel producer in the world also places a huge responsibility on large manufacturers like Tata Steel to lead the country’s decarbonisation journey. We are delighted to reaffirm our partnership with the SMS group and intend to take this association ahead with a deeper collaboration to access better technologies and processes to reduce our carbon footprint in a meaningful and consistent way.”

“We are very proud to team up with a major steel producer like Tata Steel, and look forward to our future interactions as well as the possibility of achieving a first joint reference for our EASyMelt technology,” said Burkhard Dahmen, CEO of SMS group. “This will represent a significant milestone for the decarbonization of existing blast furnace plants worldwide and thus also a significant milestone in the global transformation of steel making.”

In November 2022, Tata Steel and SMS group had signed a MoU to strengthen their collaboration on projects and technology related to green steel and decarbonisation.

Tata Steel is prioritising decarbonisation and has set a goal of achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2045. Earlier this year, Tata Steel successfully carried out trials for record-high hydrogen gas injection in Blast Furnace-E at its Jamshedpur plant. The Company is committed to contributing to India's journey towards industrial decarbonisation and has been consistently taking several steps in this regard including conducting a trial of continuous Coal Bed Methane (CBM) injection in early 2022, installation and continuous operation since September 2021 of 5 tonnes per day (TPD) industrial plant for carbon capture and utilisation from blast furnace off-gas, reducing freshwater consumption, developing sustainable supply chains, and imbibing circular economy.

Tata Steel is the first steel maker in the country to receive the coveted ‘ResponsibleSteel Certification’ for its Jamshedpur plant, placing India on the global decarbonisation and sustainability map.

Disclaimer

Statements in this press release describing the Company’s performance may be “forward looking statements” within the meaning of applicable securities laws and regulations. Actual results may differ materially from those directly or indirectly expressed, inferred or implied. Important factors that could make a difference to the Company’s operations include, among others, economic conditions affecting demand/ supply and price conditions in the domestic and overseas markets in which the Company operates, changes in or due to the environment, Government regulations, laws, statutes, judicial pronouncements and/ or other incidental factors.

About Tata Steel

Tata Steel group is among the top global steel companies with an annual crude steel capacity of 35 million tonnes per annum.

It is one of the world's most geographically diversified steel producers, with operations and commercial presence across the world.

The group recorded a consolidated turnover of ~US$30.3 billion in the financial year ending March 31, 2023.

A Great Place to Work-CertifiedTM organisation, Tata Steel Limited, together with its subsidiaries, associates, and joint ventures, is spread across five continents with an employee base of over 70,000.

Tata Steel has announced its major sustainability objectives including Net Zero Carbon by 2045, Net Zero Water consumption by 2030, improving Ambient Air Quality and No Net loss in Biodiversity by 2030.

The Company has been on a multi-year digital-enabled business transformation journey intending to be the leader in ‘Digital Steel making by 2025’. The Company has received the World Economic Forum’s Global Lighthouse recognition for its Jamshedpur, Kalinganagar and IJmuiden Plants.

Tata Steel aspires to have 25% diverse workforce by 2025. The Company has been recognised with the World Economic Forum’s Global Diversity Equity & Inclusion Lighthouse 2023.

The Company has been a part of the DJSI Emerging Markets Index since 2012 and has been consistently ranked amongst top 10 steel companies in the DJSI Corporate Sustainability Assessment since 2016.

Tata Steel’s Jamshedpur Plant is India’s first site to receive ResponsibleSteelTM Certification.

Received Prime Minister’s Trophy for the best performing integrated steel plant for 2016-17, 2023 Steel Sustainability Champion recognition from worldsteel for six years in a row, 2022 ‘Supplier Engagement Leader’ recognition by CDP, Top performer in Iron and Steel sector in Dun & Bradstreet's India's top 500 companies 2022, Ranked as the 2023 most valuable Mining and Metals brand in India by Brand Finance, and ‘Most Ethical Company’ award 2021 from Ethisphere Institute.

Received 2022 ERM Global Award of Distinction, ‘Masters of Risk’ - Metals & Mining Sector recognition at The India Risk Management Awards for the seventh consecutive year, and Award for Excellence in Financial Reporting FY20 from ICAI, among several others. 

Sentra.world, an ESG SaaS Platform Raises $2 Mn in Seed Funding Led by Avaana Climate Fund to Enable Industrial Businesses to Meet Net-Zero Goals and Better Manage Scope 3 Emissions

sentra.world who aims to manage 1% of global GHG emissions in the next five years, will infuse seed funding for novel sectoral climate intelligence, product development, team expansion and strategic partnerships

sentra.world, a technology platform empowering industrial businesses on their path to net zero, is proud to announce a successful seed funding round of $2 million (~INR 16 crores). The funding round was led by Avaana Capital, India's foremost early-stage climate-tech venture capital firm, with participation from RPG Ventures and Golden Sparrow Ventures.

The recent momentum towards net-zero emissions is evident, with 1000’s of companies committed to achieving net-zero emissions globally. Industrial sectors such as utilities, steel, cement, aluminium, automotive and chemicals play a significant role, accounting for approximately 38% of global emissions and 62% of emissions in India (McKinsey's Global Energy Perspective, 2022 & Decarbonising India, 2022). This underscores the pressing need for decisive action.

sentra.world aims to help industrial companies manage GHG emissions of their own operations, of their suppliers (scope 3), and at the holding company level through its products sentra.calculus, sentra.network and sentra.portfolio respectively. With sector specific measurement approaches, simulations for emissions reduction, intuitive dashboards, global reporting standards, and gamified data reporting, sentra.world empowers industrial businesses to reduce their carbon footprint and contribute to a sustainable future.

Companies are now aiming to include scope 3 (supplier related) in emissions management with procurement and sustainability functions partnering to deliver. Large industrial companies have upwards of 5000 suppliers each, however, face challenges such as suppliers not having enough/unstructured data, not the right incentives, and suppliers not wanting to expose their data to buyers and competitors, The sentra.network product solves for these and also provides a green rating to suppliers, giving them a new value proposition and enabling procurement functions of buyers to find the right suppliers for their net zero journey.

Harsh Choudhry (CEO) and Vikas Upadhyay (COO), the founders of sentra.world, bring over 30 years of combined global experience in sustainability, heavy industry, and technology. Their background as former junior partners at McKinsey, a renowned global management consulting firm, has shaped sentra.world's vision and comprehensive suite of solutions. With Harsh Choudhry's visionary leadership and Vikas Upadhyay's expertise in driving sustainable operations, sentra.world is committed to facilitating industrial businesses worldwide on their net-zero journeys through sector-specific SaaS products.

Harsh Choudhary

"We envision empowering global industrial businesses on their net-zero journeys through sector-specific SaaS products," shared Harsh Choudhry, Co-Founder and CEO of sentra.world. "By prioritising Scope 3 emissions, we drive sustainability across the value chain for industrial businesses in India, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia, with future expansion into Europe. Our goal is to have 500 industrial companies and 500,000 suppliers as valued customers, managing 1% of global emissions within five years.”

Vikas Upadhyay co-Founder & COO, sentra.world

"This seed funding will accelerate our efforts to provide cutting-edge solutions, sectoral intelligence that help businesses seamlessly track supplier emissions, enhance green sourcing, and optimise their environmental impact”, said Vikas Upadhyay, Co-Founder and COO, sentra.world. “As sentra.world stands for Sustainability and Energy Transition for a Better World, we are enthused to embark on this sustainable journey to make a lasting positive impact on Planet Earth”, he exclaimed.

"We are excited to lead the seed funding round for sentra.world and support their groundbreaking efforts in Scope 3 emissions management," said Anjali Bansal, Founding Partner at Avaana Capital. "Their innovative platform and comprehensive suite of solutions address critical challenges faced by industrial businesses, driving sustainability and enabling a greener future. We are confident that sentra.world will play a pivotal role in shaping the industrial sector's transition to net-zero emissions."

Sentra.world's seed funding will drive global expansion, platform development, and sectoral intelligence enhancement, serving industrial businesses in India, the Middle East, Southeast Asia, and beyond. With a commitment to sustainability and net-zero goals, Sentra.world offers innovative Scope 3 solutions to empower businesses and achieve ESG excellence.

About sentra.world

sentra.world is a technology platform that empowers industrial businesses on their net-zero journeys by providing accurate, comprehensive, efficient, and traceable methods to measure emissions performance. Through its SaaS products, including sentra.calculus, sentra.network, and sentra.portfolio, sentra.world enables businesses to achieve ESG excellence, decarbonise their value chain, and drive sustainability across the industrial sector. With a strong focus on India, the Middle East, Southeast Asia, and Europe, sentra.world aims to be at the forefront of managing emissions for at least 500 industrial companies, contributing to a more sustainable future. Headquartered in Bangalore, sentra.world combines a dedicated team of tech experts and climate specialists with advanced data analytics and cloud technologies.

For more information about sentra.world and its ESG technology platform, please visitwww.sentra.world

About Avaana Capital

Avaana Capital manages Avaana Climate and Sustainability Fund, India’s first and largest climate-tech venture capital fund, investing in future market leaders who are leveraging technology-led innovation to build and scale solutions for climate and sustainability while delivering exponential returns. Avaana invests in climate mitigation, adaptation and resilience across thematic areas of Energy transition and Resource management, Mobility and Supply chains, and Sustainable agriculture and food systems.

Avaana's portfolio features climate-focused startups such as Eeki Foods, Aerem, FarMart, Turno, Terra.do, Ninety One, Praman (Intello Labs), Eggoz, Praan etc. Avaana’s Team has previously made investments in unicorns and category-leaders like Delhivery, Nykaa, Urban Company, ShadowFax, NinjaCart, Stellapps etc.

Capgemini Offices in India Reach 100% on Renewable Energy

The company will avoid 70,000 tonnes of carbon footprint per annum – a sustainability milestone

Capgemini today announced that its facilities in India are operating on 100 percent renewable energy (RE), achieving a new sustainability milestone. This allows the company to avoid over 70,000 tonnes of carbon emissions per annum. The company transitioned to 100 percent renewable energy through onsite renewable energy generation, offsite renewable energy purchase through power purchase agreements, and green power purchasing through utility programs, all contributing to 83 percent of renewable energy. The balance of 17 percent is sourced from renewable energy certificates.

Capgemini in India comprises 180,000+ team members working across 13 cities. It has installed 11.5MWp of on-premises solar plants across all campuses in India. Some campuses have energy surplus which they are exporting to their respective state electricity boards. Capgemini’s campuses in Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Chennai (MIPL and SIPCOT) have been exporting surplus renewable energy back to the state electricity grid using the ‘net-metering program’. Since the beginning of the year, 450 MWh of renewable electricity has been exported to the electricity grid from the four offices, making the campuses net positive on energy use in 2023.

In another decarbonization initiative, illustrating the use of technology to transform the energy industry, Capgemini recently installed a state-of-the-art ‘Battery Energy Storage Solution’ (BESS) with a capacity of 2.5 MWh in the Noida campus and 3.5 MWh in the Mumbai campus. The solution allows Capgemini to store excess renewable energy generated from solar plants during the day and use it during the evening peak hours. This, in turn, significantly reduces the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from peaker power plants and decreases the energy cost, carbon footprint and stress on the grid during the peak hours.

The BESS solution is equipped with an intelligent Energy Management System (EMS) to orchestrate and manage the electrons from solar, battery storage, utility supply, and load. This, integrated with Capgemini’s Energy Command Center (ECC), enables real-time monitoring and control of energy supply. The EMS is equipped with artificial intelligence (AI) analytics for effective management of energy tariff and utilization of BESS to store and release energy during the non-peak and peak hours, respectively. This process helps in managing ‘Peak Shaving’ efficiently.

Commenting on the milestone, Ashwin Yardi, CEO of Capgemini in India and Member of the Group Executive Committee said, “At Capgemini, sustainability has always been a priority, and, over the years, we have taken significant steps to ensure we reduce our carbon footprint. In India, we have progressed our journey towards our net-zero goal, through this milestone of achieving 100 percent renewable energy across all offices in India. With the use of innovative technology like Battery Energy Storage Solutions and intelligent Energy Management Systems, we can very clearly see a path towards transforming and decarbonizing the energy industry through technology. We will continue to leverage technology to drive meaningful impact and help nurture a sustainable tomorrow, making our communities future ready.

The Capgemini Group was amongst the first companies globally to have its net zero targets validated according to the SBTi’s new Net-Zero Standard in July 2022, including achieving a 90% reduction in all carbon emissions across scope 1, 2 and 3 by 2040.

Capgemini is a global leader in partnering with companies to transform and manage their business by harnessing the power of technology. The Group is guided everyday by its purpose of unleashing human energy through technology for an inclusive and sustainable future. It is a responsible and diverse organization of nearly 360,000 team members in more than 50 countries. With its strong 55-year heritage and deep industry expertise, Capgemini is trusted by its clients to address the entire breadth of their business needs, from strategy and design to operations, fueled by the fast evolving and innovative world of cloud, data, AI, connectivity, software, digital engineering and platforms. The Group reported 2022 global revenues of €22 billion.

Get The Future You Want | http://www.capgemini.com

Capgemini in India comprises over 185,000 team members working across 13 cities: Bengaluru, Bhubaneswar, Chennai, Coimbatore, Gandhinagar, Gurugram, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Mumbai, Noida, Pune, Salem and Tiruchirappalli. Learn more about Capgemini in India at www.capgemini.com/in-en.

Hotmail & Showreel Founder Sabeer Bhatia Advocates for Zero Carbon Emission - Launches First Edition of Project Carbon Shunya in Delhi

Hotmail and ShowReel founder Sabeer Bhatia launched the first edition of “Project Carbon Shunya” in Delhi to promote awareness around the importance of attaining Zero Carbon emissions in India. The Sabeer-led initiative aims at uniting changemakers and trailblazers in the country to initiate a dialogue towards imperative climate concerns such as global warming and rising pollution levels. The cycling campaign addresses these concerns and proposes solutions to minimize its impact for a sustainable future.

Air pollution is one of the most significant health and environmental concerns across the globe. The economic impact of this issue is also massive as it attributes to 11.65% of deaths globally. Today, India is one of the leading contributors to this critical global concern and the alarming pollution levels in the country are now also hampering the economy adversely. It is of paramount importance to take immediate action to reduce its effect on the country.

Mr. Anurag Thakur

The Project Carbon Shunya initiative is a step forward taken to encourage people to use pollution-free transport in the country. Union Minister of Information & Broadcasting and Youth Affairs & Sports, Shri Anurag Singh Thakur inaugurated the event on Saturday at Shangri-La Eros, New Delhi. 60 cycling enthusiasts from the city participated in the first edition of the campaign including Major General Vikram Dev Dogra (also known as the Iron Man of India), Ali Rizvi, (Secretary DPE), Alkesh Sharma (Secretary MEITY), Javed Yunus (Co-Founder, Showreel), Subhonil Ghoshal (Managing Director, Accenture) along with others. Leading Govt. organizations also contributed to the campaign including Oil India Limited (OIL), Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI), Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency Limited (IREDA), Indian Railway Finance Corporation (IRFC), Gas Authority of India (GAIL), Indian Compressors Limited (ICL) and IDFC Bank to promote a cleaner and greener environment. The campaign aims to contribute to PM Modi and the government’s target of achieving Zero Carbon emissions by 2070.

Cyclists

Sabeer Bhatia, Co-founder of Showreel, said, “The Hon’ble Prime Minister has been pushing government bodies to relentlessly work towards spreading awareness about the urgency and importance of attaining Zero Carbon emissions in our country. Project Carbon Shunya is aimed at achieving our PM’s vision and encourage people to take small steps in the right direction for a sustainable and healthier tomorrow. It is time for us to put our foot forward and pedal our way to a sustainable tomorrow.”

Honourable Union Minister of Information & Broadcasting and Youth Affairs & Sports, Shri Anurag Singh Thakur on Project Carbon Shunya said, “We are actively working on different initiatives around the country to help achieve the goal of net-zero emissions as mentioned by our Honourable Prime Minister at the Glasgow Conference on five elixirs. Project Carbon Shunya is a testament to our unwavering commitment to creating a cleaner and greener environment. It is our responsibility to lead by example and participate in such events aimed at addressing national concerns. Together, we can make a difference and create a more sustainable future for the generations to come.”

Tata Steel’s IJmuiden Steelworks Recognised as One of the Most CO² Efficient in the World

The IJmuiden steelworks of Tata Steel Nederland ranks 3rd in the 2022 CO2 intensity benchmark¹ published by the World Steel Association, the international trade body for the iron and steel industry. The site has been among the best 10% since 2013 and this is the 3rd consecutive year that it has scored a top-5 position. The ranking is a clear recognition of the importance Tata Steel attaches to process optimisation.

Rollen staat - Tata Steel IJmuiden

Tata Steel has been working for years to reduce its CO2 emissions. The CO2 intensity of the steel produced in IJmuiden is around 7% below the European average and almost 19% below the global average.

“I am proud that we are once more recognised as one of the most CO2-efficient steelworks in the world and I would like to share this recognition with all our people, contractors, suppliers and customers,” says Hans van den Berg, Chairman of the Board of Management of Tata Steel Nederland. “While steel is an essential part of our daily lives, we are not blind to the impact of our activities. We invest significantly to further reduce the impact of our IJmuiden operations on our neighbours and the environment. Our recently launched climate strategy represents a new level of ambition, which revolves around green, clean and circular steel production.”

Tata Steel Nederland aims to be completely CO2-neutral by 2045. CO2 reduction measures are being implemented across Europe. The site in Naantali, Finland, for example, is the first within the company to have CO2-neutral operations (for scope 1 and 2), while the new plant in Geldermalsen, the Netherlands, already runs entirely on electricity.

The company also plans to switch to green hydrogen-based steelmaking at its IJmuiden steelworks. It targets to commission its first direct reduction plants and electric furnaces by 2030, becoming a producer of large quantities of high-quality green steel and reducing its CO2 emissions by 35-40%.

Since the announcement, a great deal of progress has been made on the design phase. In August, McDermott, Danieli and Hatch were awarded the contract for the basic engineering and technical project management. Tata Steel Nederland recently also signed a memorandum of understanding with Ford in Europe to supply the car maker with Zeremis® green steel once the IJmuiden steelworks switches to green hydrogen-based steelmaking.

¹World Steel CO2 data report 2022, BF-BOF route. 

For more information, please contact: Peter van Boesschoten, Spokesperson Tata Steel Nederland +31 6 1510 1728 / peter.van-boesschoten@tatasteeleurope.com

About Tata Steel Nederland

Tata Steel Nederland is one of Europe’s leading steel producers. The company supplies high-quality steel products to the most demanding markets, including construction, automotive, packaging and engineering. Tata Steel Nederland works with customers to develop new steel products that give them a competitive edge. Tata Steel Nederland has sites in the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany and elsewhere in Europe and is part of the Indian Tata Steel Group, one of the world’s largest steel companies. Tata Steel Nederland recorded a turnover of 6.9 billion euros in the financial year ending 31 March, 2022. Tata Steel Nederland is working on producing steel with zero carbon emissions by 2045. It will do so by switching to producing steel by using hydrogen instead of coal.

Green Computing Technologies Helped Ant Group Reduce Data-center Carbon Emissions by 947 Tons During the 11.11 Global Shopping Festival

Business Wire India

Ant Group announced today that, according to calculations by the China Environmental United Certification Center (CEC), the company reduced its data centers’ electricity consumption by 1,538 megawatt-hours during this year’s 11.11 Global Shopping Festival from November 1 to November 11, with the help from green computing technologies.

By using green computing technologies, Ant Group lowered carbon emissions by 947 tons over the 11-day period, which is 2.4 times compared to last year's 394 tons over the same period. The amount reduced this year is equivalent to daily carbon emissions of about 72,000 gas and diesel cars. The increase in energy savings was mainly attributed to Ant Group’s improved utilization rate of computing resources enabled by the company’s continuing optimization of its green computing technologies.

The green computing technologies Ant Group deploys include online-offline hybrid deployment, cloud-native time-shared scheduling and AI-based auto scaling. These technologies allow data centers to provide computing resources as efficiently as possible, while ensuring applications’ access to the computing power they need to remain stable in operations. By adopting these technologies, data centers can support more business demands with fewer servers, maximize their utilization of computing resources, minimize wasted electricity and reduce energy intensity.

Today, data centers still consume a large amount of electricity and produce carbon emissions as they fuel the development of the digital economy. Ant Group began exploring innovative technologies to improve its data centers' operational efficiency in 2019. Green computing technologies is an integral part of the company’s roadmap towards the pledge it made in March 2021 to realize net zero in carbon emissions by 2030. In April 2022, the company announced that it had achieved carbon neutrality in its own operations (Scopes 1 & 2), according to 2021 emission figures certified by the CEC.

About Ant Group

Ant Group traces its roots back to Alipay, which was established in 2004 to create trust between online sellers and buyers. Over the years, Ant Group has grown to become one of the world's leading open Internet platforms. Through technological innovation, we support our partners in providing inclusive, convenient digital life and digital financial services to consumers and SMEs. In addition, we have been introducing new technologies and products to support the digital transformation and industrial collaboration. Working together with global partners, we enable merchants and consumers to make and receive payments and remit around the world.


View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20221111005325/en/

Ambee Launches Greenhouse Gas API To Track Hyperlocal Emissions

Ambee, a climate intelligence company that supplies actionable environmental & climate data in real-time, has launched a greenhouse gas API to track emissions at a hyperlocal level. With Ambee’s API, businesses, government bodies, administrators, and ESG stakeholders can readily obtain near real-time data for greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in their immediate vicinity.

Greenhouse gases have existed in the atmosphere at relatively stable levels for thousands of years until the industrial processes were developed. After industrialization, the levels of greenhouse gases have risen at an unprecedented rate. This sudden rise in GHG concentrations has intensified the greenhouse effect, pushing it beyond its natural limits. The increase in greenhouse gas emissions traps heat in the atmosphere and alters the climate. Rising temperatures increase the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events such as heatwaves, floods, forest fires, etc. The only way to minimize these events is by reducing greenhouse gas emissions. To do so, the first step is to be aware of how much we emit. Ambee’s greenhouse gas API helps businesses quantify emissions and alert their customers about the level of emissions in their surroundings.

With Ambee’s GHG API, a user can understand the greenhouse gas levels present in the atmosphere at particular geo-coordinates. Along with global daily coverage of greenhouse gas data, it also provides information on carbon dioxide (CO2), water vapor, methane (CH4) and ozone (O3).

Commenting on the new launch, Chandrashekar D, VP of Engineering, Ambee, said, “Countries across the globe have been reporting emissions data for decades. However, there are still a lot of gaps in terms of access to the right data and the expertise required to quantify emissions. There is a large unmet need for accurate and hyperlocal GHG data on a global scale. Our goal is to address this need through our GHG API.”

“Ambee uses raw data from multiple earth observational satellites, which we then combine with insights from our on ground sensors. These insights are generated from our learnings collected from the proprietary devices we’ve deployed in Mumbai. These proprietary devices deployed in various critical locations across Mumbai are the foundation of the research that backs Ambee’s GHG API”, Chandrashekar adds.

Ambee’s Greenhouse Gas API use cases

Global corporations, institutions, and governments can use Ambee’s GHG API to implement domestic policies related to the management of greenhouse gas emissions. The data can be used to set GHG reduction targets in different departments.

Companies can also assess their climate risks and opportunities with GHG data. GHG dataset can help businesses track and compare their internal greenhouse gas emissions, identify opportunities to reduce pollution, decrease energy wastage, and save money.

Cities can use Ambee’s GHG API to find the high-emitting points in a particular region, compare the insights between similar facilities, and develop unified climate policies.

For more details, visit, https://www.getambee.com/api/greenhouse-gas

Ambee is a climate and environmental intelligence company that builds hyperlocal datasets for air quality, pollen, greenhouse gas, weather, active fires, and other climate parameters. The company was founded to democratize access to environmental data and it now aims to deliver evidence-based science-backed climate data to help stakeholders take action.

Ambee’s APIs aggregate raw data from multiple sources, such as on-ground sensors, earth observation satellites, and open-source traffic data, and process it with beyond the best-in-class proprietary AI algorithms to build reliable and accurate datasets.

Ambee provides location-specific and real-time data that can be used by a wide range of markets that aim to build a healthier planet. Businesses and administrators across the globe integrate Ambee’s AI-powered, scientifically-validated data into their businesses and lives to create sustainable and climate-friendly surroundings.

IESA Supports UNIDO FLCTD Innovation Challenge 2022

India Energy Storage Alliance (IESA) supports United Nations Industrial Development Organization’s (UNIDO) FLCTD Innovation Challenge 2022

The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) regional office in New Delhi has announced the launch of 5th Innovation Challenge on Innovative Low Carbon Technologies. Applications will be accepted until 31st May 2022. The Innovation Challenge is conducted under the Facility for Low Carbon Technology Deployment (FLCTD; https://www.low-carbon-innovation.org/), which is jointly implemented by UNIDO and Bureau of Energy Efficiency.

The Innovation Challenge covers thematic area of “Electrical Energy Storage Systems” in which applications are invited for innovative solutions on electrochemical batteries, supercapacitors, hybrid energy storage systems including super/ultra-capacitor & electrochemical battery systems and critical components for electrical energy storage systems including power conversion system.

Customized Energy Solutions (CES) India, powered with India Energy Storage Alliance (IESA) is the implementing partner to support the project management unit in planning and implementation of the innovation challenge.

The project provides financial assistance of up to US$50,000 to the winners to validate their innovation and demonstrate its efficacy (performance) in actual field conditions – a necessary step before commercialization. It also supports innovative technologies in advance stage of development for field demonstration and validation and does not support innovation that are at the ideation-stage, proof-of-concept or at lab-scale.

Commenting on the Innovation Challenge 2022, Sandeep Tandon, National Programme Manager, Facility for Low Carbon Technology Deployment (FLCTD) said, “UNIDO’s Innovation Challenge provides unique opportunity and risk-capital of up to INR 3.5 million to validate the efficacy and performance of innovative technologies for scale-up and commercialization. Already from a pool of 59 winning innovations that are being supported with INR 180 million, 17 have completed technology trials and 13 have been commercialized. The challenge is open to entrepreneurs, start up and registered private entities. FLCTD is helping industrial and commercial sector players to choose proven innovative low carbon technologies for decarbonization.

Debi Prasad Dash, Executive Director, India Energy Storage Alliance (IESA) said, “India’s energy storage sector is seeing many positive developments like the PLI and battery swapping announcement, and the energy storage policy is also expected from the Ministry of Power. With these developments, we will see many startups and large companies diversify their business into energy storage space and this will help many indigenous innovations in India that will support the ecosystem. This all will catalyze the growth of startups in India. With the national labs and research institutes, we expect new innovations to come in India like other emerging countries.”

The selection process includes post application screening, pitching to an expert panel, in-person visits, and technical and financial due-diligence. The project orientation of FLCTD is more technology-focused as compared to the standard fundraising opportunities available for innovators, so the shortlisted applicants are also provided mentoring through each round of the selection process to help them in improving their chances of final selection.

About India Energy Storage Alliance (IESA):

IESA is a leading industry alliance focused on the development of advanced energy storage, green hydrogen, and e-mobility technologies in India. Founded in 2012, by Customized Energy Solutions (CES), IESA’s vision is to make India a global hub for R&D, manufacturing, and adoption of advanced energy storage, e-mobility, and green hydrogen technologies.

The alliance has been at the forefront of efforts seminal in shaping an enabling policy framework for the adoption of energy storage, electric mobility, green hydrogen, and emerging clean technologies in India. Today, IESA is a proud network of 160+ member companies, encompassing industry verticals from energy storage, EV manufacturing, EV charging infrastructure, green hydrogen, microgrids, power electronics, renewable energy, research institutes and universities, and cleantech startups.

IESA website: www.indiaesa.info

Earth Day: Crypto Fundraising Platform Launches Carbon Offset Program

In an apparent bid to commemorate World Earth Day, Pledge, a crypto fundraising platform for non-profits today announced the launch of its patent-pending carbon offset initiative, where every crypto transaction made will support verified carbon offset projects.

The mining process connected to how cryptocurrency is logged on the blockchain uses significant energy and contributes to global carbon emissions.

Therefore, PledgeCrypto was inspired to commission the award-winning environmental consulting firm, Three Squares Inc, to conduct a cryptocurrency environmental impact assessment to quantify the carbon emissions of cryptocurrency transactions made on the PledgeCrypto platform, the company said in a statement issued here.

"At Pledge, we fundamentally believe that unlocking crypto donations will provide an abundant new source of funding for nonprofits around the globe, but the process needs to be done in a sustainable way,” said James Citron, CEO of Pledge.

“Inspired by our core values of care and community, we wanted to respond to environmental concerns about crypto, which is why we are proud to lead with the first-of-its-kind patent-pending invention to ensure that every crypto transaction through Pledge will support UNverified projects. This ensures that PledgeCrypto will not only be the most accessible way for donors to donate their digital assets and for nonprofits to receive them, but also in the most environmentally conscious way in the industry,” he added.

Eight of the most used cryptocurrencies were evaluated in-depth to quantify the emissions associated with a single transaction. This in-depth analysis factored in the total estimated energy of the cryptocurrency, matched with published recent transaction volumes.

A weighted electricity emissions factor was derived based on the regional breakdown of transaction locations around the globe. Multiple data sets were also used to ensure optimal data integrity.

While the final emissions will vary based on the energy used, location, and the currency being donated, Pledge estimates that roughly every 100 donations will generate approximately 2.6 tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. To compensate for this environmental impact, Pledge will cover 100 percent of the carbon footprint of each donation transaction at no additional cost to donors or nonprofits using PledgeCrypto.

Beginning of The End of Fossil-Fuel Era - World’s 2nd Largest Mining Company Cutting Ties with the Oil and Gas Sector

One of the BHP's  Petroleum Sites

BHP, a world-leading resources company that extract and process minerals, oil & gas, has announced that it is considering selling its petroleum business in order to cut ties with the oil and gas sector. This move from the company is result of its shareholders' pressure for reducing its carbon footprint.

Australia-based BHP is the World's second largest mining companies, in terms of revenue (in US billion dollars) as ranked by Statista in 2021. 

Last year in September, BHP pledged to slash its overall carbon emissions by 30% over the next decade and achieve net zero by 2050. As a result, shareholders have reportedly been pressuring the company to reduce their involvement in the hydrocarbon sector (natural gas, oil, and coal) in favour of renewable energy.

On an average, BHP produces approximately 300,000 barrels of oil equivalent (boe) per day from its operated and non-operated assets around the world, according to the company's fact sheet.

In 2020, the group also said it planned to sell its stake in two coking coal mines. This would reduce the size of its coal operation, bringing the company closer to achieving the Paris climate targets.

On 17 August, BHP said that it is entering into a merger deal with Woodside Petroleum, its biggest rival. By selling its fossil fuel division, BHP would be losing out on over US$ 12.9 billion (approx). As part of this merger plan, Woodside and BHP have agreed an option for BHP to sell its 26.5% interest in the Scarborough Joint Venture to Woodside and its 50% interest in the Thebe and Jupiter joint ventures to Woodside if the Scarborough Joint Venture takes a final investment decision FID by 15 December 2021.

With the combination of two high quality asset portfolios of Woodside and BHP -- , the proposed merger would create the largest energy company listed on Australia's primary securities exchange - ASX, with a global top 10 position in the LNG industry by production.

BHP’s underlying profit rose by 42% to $17.08 billion 2021. Despite this they are considering selling their petroleum business.

Further to this, global rating agency S&P Global has warned BHP that the miner’s decision to sell its oil and gas business could threaten its credit rating, since it will leave the group even more reliant on iron ore.

Via - euronews.green

SEforALL and Google to Launch New Compact to Decarbonize Electricity Globally

With support from UN-Energy, SEforALL and Google plan to build a global coalition of companies, governments and others interested in fully decarbonizing their energy consumption, starting with the launch of the 24/7 Carbon-free Energy Compact.

VIENNA, Aug. 24, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- A carbon-free electricity sector is the foundation for reaching a net-zero global economy. Electricity generates 25% of the world's greenhouse gas emissions, and is key to decarbonizing other sectors of the economy, including buildings, transport, and industry. To achieve net-zero emissions across the global economy by 2050, electricity must become the core of the energy system and be decarbonized even faster, while expanding to meet the increasing demands of millions who lack adequate access to electricity today.

Google is building on its three-decades long commitment to sustainability for people and planet by aiming to operate on carbon-free energy - every hour of every day, at all of its data centers and office campuses around the world, by 2030. This more ambitious commitment will be captured in an Energy Compact, an innovation introduced by SEforALL and backed by UN-Energy as a key outcome of the upcoming UN High-level Dialogue on Energy in September, The Energy Compacts are public and trackable commitments, with specific actions, made by governments, companies and others to achieve energy transition goals by 2030 – including universal access to affordable and clean energy.

Google and SEforALL will leverage Google's experience to build a global Compact for 24/7 Carbon-free Energy (CFE). Google and SEforAll are calling on companies, governments and other stakeholders who commit to the principles of 24/7 CFE to join the Compact and work together to enact the policies critical to fully decarbonize the world's electricity systems.

"We are eager to work with Sustainable Energy for All and the world's governments and corporations to fully decarbonize grids and support a carbon-free economy. With this global Compact, we have a unique opportunity to transform energy policies, technologies, and procurement practices- but only if we work together." said Kate Brandt, Chief Sustainability Officer of Google.

"This partnership with Google sends a powerful signal that none of us alone can achieve the scale necessary to tackle the double crisis of climate and energy poverty. The only hope we have to heal our planet and to provide opportunities for billions is together through partnerships like this that can pave the way for others to follow." said Damilola Ogunbiyi, CEO and Special Representative to the UN Secretary-General for Sustainable Energy for All.

Google and SEforALL recognize the need for urgent action now. This is punctuated by the troubling new IPCC report on climate change showing that we must dramatically transform our energy systems to operate on carbon-free energy to avoid warming the planet beyond the global target of 1.5 degrees Celsius. Getting there will require a rapid acceleration in the pace of clean energy deployment, the development of advanced carbon-free energy technologies, and significant policy changes. All stakeholders - from energy consumers to energy providers to policymakers and civil society - must work to advance the decarbonization of the world's electricity systems in a just and fair way. This is why a global coalition is needed now, more than ever.

To drive action on this urgent issue, Google and SEforALL are co-hosting a workshop on 24/7 Carbon-Free Energy as the Path to Net-Zero on Tuesday 24 August at 11:00 EST, to demonstrate the concept and how energy consumers everywhere can support electricity decarbonization, which means that every kilowatt-hour of electricity demand is served by carbon-free electricity sources, every hour of every day, everywhere. The workshop will also provide an overview of Energy Compacts and show how participants can themselves create and commit to one.

You can register for the virtual workshop on 24/7 Carbon-Free Energy as the Path to Net-Zero taking place on Tuesday 24 August at 11:00 EST here.

Contact:

For further details on the reports or any interview requests, please contact: Sherry Kennedy, Sustainable Energy for All: Sherry.Kennedy@SEforALL.org / Media@SEforALL.org | +43 676 846 727 237

About Sustainable Energy for All
Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL) is an international organization that works in partnership with the United Nations and leaders in government, the private sector, financial institutions, civil society and philanthropies to drive faster action towards the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG7) – access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all by 2030 – in line with the Paris Agreement on climate. SEforALL works to ensure a clean energy transition that leaves no one behind and brings new opportunities for everyone to fulfill their potential.

SEforALL is led by Damilola Ogunbiyi, CEO and Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Sustainable Energy for All and Co-Chair of UN-Energy. Follow her on Twitter @DamilolaSDG7. For more information, follow @SEforALLorg.

The Rising Frequency of Extreme Weather Events Underline the Need for Carbon Emission Control: Curtailing the Use of Liquid Fuels in Transport Must Be a Top Policy Priority

• With the latest hike in petrol and diesel price in Delhi, this is the right time to make a switch towards the cleaner fuel
• Extreme weather events have become increasingly frequent in recent times
• India had the dubious distinction of suffering the highest loss of lives in a single climate change-driven event last year
• This came out in an international report titled Counting the cost 2020: A year of climate breakdown that was published in December 2020
• Switching to auto LPG from existing liquid fuels is one potent way to deal with vehicular pollution, a principal contributor to climate change
• In addition to scrappage policy and Green tax, there is an instant need to ensure mass conversion of private vehicles suitable for cleaner and cheaper gaseous fuels such as auto LPG

New Delhi, 11th August 2021: With extreme weather events becoming more frequent the world over, including in India, the urgency to address climate change issues and global warming has never been greater. India in particular has been at the receiving end of these recurring extreme weather conditions. From unexpected and untimely torrential rains to floods to landslides to cyclones, the country has been continually ravaged by a spate of extreme weather events in recent times. Now with the onset of the unlock phases post-second Covid wave and the consequent return of private vehicles back on Indian roads, vehicular pollution, one major contributor to climate change is set to not only test people’s breathing organs but also further upset the already faltering weather cycles in the country. One of the ways to stem this vehicular pollution known for a heavy carbon footprint is to curtail the traditional liquid fuels of petrol and diesel and opt for cleaner alternatives such as auto LPG. Even the newly appointed Cabinet Minister for Petroleum, Mr. Hardeep Singh Puri would have a goal to address the pressing issue of air pollution in the urban areas, making sufficient use of cleaner energy to fight severe weather conditions.

With Delhi in the north, registering record temperatures and rainfall, to Bengal and Odisha suffering devastating cyclones and calamitous floods in the east in Assam, to Maharashtra witnessing both record-breaking droughts and floods in the west, to Hyderabad experiencing record rainfall in 24 hours, and Kerala enduring deadly landslides in the south, there is no part of this country which has been immune to these extreme weather events.

Alarmed by these recurring extreme weather events, Indian Auto LPG Coalition or IAC, the apex body of Auto LPG stakeholders in India has drawn the government’s attention towards the issue suggesting that the mass adoption of auto LPG replacing existing liquid fuels, to be one potent countermeasure towards controlling carbon emissions and thereby moderating the extreme weather phenomena.

“Extreme situations demand extreme and instant measures. With extreme weather conditions becoming an everyday reality impacting millions of Indians regularly now, we must hold the bull by its horns. And a part of the solution lies in addressing the vehicular pollution part of climate change with utmost urgency. For years, the liquid fuels of petrol and diesel have caused immense damage to health and the environment. At a time when cleaner and cheaper alternatives such as auto LPG are readily available, the policy persistence with petrol and diesel is simply inexplicable.

Further, the policy optimism on electric vehicles, something which is technologically and financially still decades away – is misplaced and premature. With the most recent emission tests confirming that the tailpipe emissions from auto LPG are even lesser than BS-VI compliant petrol, the government should not waste any time in giving a policy push to mass adoption of auto LPG. Remember, there are nearly 300 million vehicles, including two-wheelers plying there on Indian roads. While the current scrappage policy and the Green tax must be appreciated, the government needs to do more and do it quickly. In fact, the frequent occurrence of extreme weather events impacting the country must be treated as a due warning. And so the government right away needs to introduce policy incentives such as reducing GST on conversion kits along with subsidy support which would go a long way in ensuring mass conversion of existing vehicles into those that could be used on cleaner alternative fuels. The resultant reduction in air pollution would definitely help to a great extent in stemming the tide of extreme weather events that we have witnessed in the country and beyond in the recent past,” said Mr. Suyash Gupta, Director General, Indian Auto LPG Coalition.

“A credible report by a London-based international relief and the humanitarian agency has revealed that India suffered the highest loss of lives in a single event globally on account of climate change-driven events last year. This is ominous enough. On an equally grim note, the same report not only described cyclone Amphan to be the costliest cyclone of the year but also triggered the biggest displacement due to an extreme weather event anywhere in the world in 2020. These are dire signs and the authorities must take note of these,” further added Mr. Gupta.

About IAC:

Indian Auto LPG Coalition (IAC) is the nodal body for the promotion of Auto LPG in India. Members of the Coalition include the Oil Sector PSUs, Private Auto LPG marketers, Kit Suppliers, and Equipment Manufacturers. In addition, the Coalition works closely with the World LPG Association and Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers.

IAC is also a member of “Central Motor Vehicle Rules - Technical Standing Committee” (CMVR-TSC) & “Standing Committee on Emission Legislation” (SCOE), TED26 (Bureau of Indian Standards), Government of India.