Summary of Green News

Local News

• International panel to review BCA’s green plans (Business Times via Wildsingapore) – The Building and Construction Authority has invited five international experts to review its green building plans and recommend new directions for Singapore’s green building efforts.
• Can a green F1 ever exist? (Straits Times Blogs)- The environment takes a backseat during the F1 Grand Prix and the total carbon footprint of the event from fuel consumption, equipment transportation, lightings to air travelling is mind-boggling.
• Asia’s first carbon hub: Hong Kong closing in on Singapore (Straits Times via Wildsingapore) – Hong Kong is catching up with Singapore to be Asia’s first carbon trading hub, with its recent establishment of the legal framework to allow projects that could sell their reductions in carbon emissions, and its close location to China where a large proportion of carbon projects are.
• Biggest hike in 8 years (Today) – SP Services announced the biggest jump in electricity tariffs since the market began opening up in 2001, and consumers are expected to pay an average of 21.5% more on their monthly electricity bill.
• Are you being green washed? (Straits Times via Wildsingapore) – The trend of greenwashing can be found in Singapore. A check of about 50 necessities which claimed to be environmentally friendly, found that 1 in 4 claims was dubious and could not be proven.
• Going green: Firms can do a lot more (Straits Times via Wildsingapore)- A survey by Spire Research and Consulting showed that 8 in 10 companies surveyed in Singapore have adopted environmental conservation measures, but their green measures are still skin-deep and they need to put in more effort to be truly eco-friendly.

Global News

• First U.S. greenhouse cap-and-trade market opens (Yahoo! News UK) – Ten states in the U.S. Northeast have started the country’s first cap-and-trade market on greenhouse gas emissions to limit emissions of carbon dioxide from power plants. The states conducted their first auction of permits to emit CO2 to utilities and investors, and plan to spend the money raised from the auctions on improving energy efficiency and alternative energy.
• Companies’ Carbon Offset Strategies, Practices Detailed in New Report (GreenBiz)- A study called Carbon Offsetting Trends Survey 2008 was conducted by EcoSecurities and ClimateBiz, and sampled 65 companies across industries on their carbon offset strategies. The study showed that multinational corporations are addressing their carbon footprints and only 23% have not yet developed a carbon offset strategy.

Green Business Times Interview – Lenovo

Green Business Times is conducting interviews with business leaders, companies and organisations, who would share their views on going green and achieving environmental sustainability. This week, we have the privilege of interviewing Mr Ronnie Lee, Country General Manager, Lenovo Singapore.

About Lenovo

Lenovo is dedicated to building exceptionally engineered personal computers. Lenovo’s business model is built on innovation, operational efficiency and customer satisfaction as well as a focus on investment in emerging markets. Formed by Lenovo Group’s acquisition of the former IBM Personal Computing Division, the company develops, manufactures and markets reliable, high-quality, secure and easy-to-use technology products and services worldwide. Lenovo has major research centers in Yamato, Japan; Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen, China; and Raleigh, North Carolina. For more information see www.lenovo.com. Read more

Singapore Energy Efficiency Investment Forum

Venue : Swissôtel The Stamford, 2 Stamford Road, Singapore 178882

The Singapore Energy Efficiency Investment Forum is organised by the Sustainable Energy Association of Singapore (SEAS). This forum will help participants to understand the policies and developments in energy efficiency, the sources of financing and investment, and the various ESCOs in the market. For details and registration, visit the SEAS website.

Asian Youth Energy Summit 2008

Venue: International Conference Centre, 29 Heng Mui Keng Terrace (beside the National University of Singapore)

Energy Carta is organising the Asian Youth Energy Summit 2008 from 30 to 31 Oct 2008, as part of the International Energy Week. The conference includes panel discussions and exhibitions on clean energy and sustainable development, and speakers include:

• Claire Chiang, Senior Vice President, Banyan Tree Holdings
• Joachim Luther, CEO Solar Energy Research Institute of Singapore (SERIS)
• Robert Dixon, Head of Energy Technology Policy Division, International Energy Agency
• Neil McGregor, Managing Director, PowerSeraya
• Ichiro Kawada, President, JAIC Asia Capital Pte Ltd

For details and registration, visit http://www.AYES2008.com.

Summary of Green News

Local News

• ‘Green’ meetings take off here (Straits Times via Wildsingapore) – More companies are starting to hold green meetings and requesting for eco-friendly measures to be included in the hotels and convention centres.
• A green meeting place (Today Online) – City Development Limited’s new eco-friendly City Square Mall will be opened at the end of next year, and one of the anchor tenants, NTUC FairPrice, has pledged to implement green practices such as checkout lanes for shoppers with reusable bags, a section for organic products, and motion sensor lighting in its office and storeroom.
• Green makes dollar sense (Business Times via Infocomm123) – Infocomm vendors are promoting Green IT, which refers to the application of technology and practices that cut unnecessary energy use. Some practices include the virtualisation of servers and using less power-consuming computers.
• More individuals, firms doing their part to save water (Channel NewsAsia) – More individuals and organisations are doing their part to save water, as the PUB saw a 140% increase in its “Friends of Water” membership last year.
• Trials on new system of buying electricity start later this year (Channel NewsAsia) – The Electricity Vending System will go on trial in Nov this year and will give households the freedom to choose different electricity packages from suppliers. Home owners can buy electricity from vending machines and via the Internet and mobile phones. This system would help consumers to be more aware of how much electricity they use and save energy.

Global News

• U.N. chief warns against waiting for climate deal (Reuters) – United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said that countries should aim for a meaningful breakthrough on negotiations for the successor deal to the Kyoto Protocol in Poland this December, and not wait till the Copenhagen summit in end 2009.
• First Draft of Sustainable Biofuels Standard Released (ClimateBiz) – The Roundtable on Sustainable Biofuels has released the first draft of a biofuels global standard, which will guide worldwide biofuel production and processing.

The Factor 4 Leap in Energy Consumption of Buildings

Speaker: Mr Poul E Kristensen, Managing Director, IEN Consultants Sdn Bhd, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Venue: Seminar Room II, ISEAS

This seminar discusses the need for buildings to reduce their energy consumption and carbon emissions. The speaker will explain that it is possible to reduce the energy consumption of buildings by a factor of 4 through energy efficiency and local cogeneration using natural gas or biofuel. Case studies and the necessary technologies will also be discussed. For details and registration, visit the ISEAS website.

Green Business Times Interview – Conergy Renewable Energy Singapore

There has been tremendous growth and interest in clean energy in Asia and Singapore over the past few years. To understand more about clean energy issues and trends, we have the privilege of interviewing Mr Stefan Mueller, Managing Director, Asia-Pacific of Conergy Renewable Energy Singapore.

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About Conergy Renewable Energy Singapore

Conergy Renewable Energy Singapore has been established since 2006 and operates as Regional Headquarters for Hamburg-based Conergy AG. In the Asia-Pacific, Conergy offers a broad range of renewable energy solutions, serving customers from its satellite operations in Australia, China, India, Korea, Singapore and Thailand. Our office in Singapore serves as regional headquarters for the Asia-Pacific and the Middle East; and with a sales, engineering and operational unit for all other countries. Read more