United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon made sustainable energy one of his five priorities that will guide his second 5-year term. Specifically, he will direct the United Nations to extend energy’s reach in order to combat endemic poverty. Universal access to energy, improved efficiency and enhanced deployment of renewable sources are ambitious goals, and the Secretary-General is leading a Sustainable Energy for All initiative to make them achievable.
This initiative will call for private sector and national commitments and attract global attention to the importance of energy for development and poverty alleviation. In recognition of the importance of energy access for sustainable economic development and supporting achievement of the Millennium Development Goals, the United Nations General Assembly has designated 2012 as the International Year of Sustainable Energy for All.
WhichEnergy promotes solar energy consumer choice by providing the information consumers need – including ratings of solar products and retailers. For retailers it promotes best products and best practice – as ranked independently by consumers.
London’s new Blackfriars station – which is being built on a bridge spanning the River Thames – is on its way to becoming the world’s largest solar bridge as the installation of over 4,400 solar photovoltaic (PV) panels begins. The only other known solar bridge known in the world is the Kurilpa Footbridge constructed in 2009 in Brisbane, Australia. An 1886 Victorian-era bridge is the foundation for the new Blackfriars station. A new roof will incorporate over 6,000m² of PV panels, creating the biggest solar array in London by mid 2012. The solar panels will generate an estimated 900,000kWh of electricity every year, providing 50% of the station’s energy and reducing CO2 emissions by an estimated 511 tonnes per year. In addition to solar panels, other energy saving measures at the new station will include rain harvesting systems and sun pipes for natural lighting.
The Australian Alliance to Save Energy (A2SE) is an independent, not-for-profit, coalition of business, government and environmental leaders formed to drive research and advance the efficient use of energy in Australia. A2SE has appointed a new full time General Manager and established formal links with a growing list of international partners, giving the Alliance enormous reach and enabling it to be an exchange of knowledge and international best practice. A2SE has also strengthened its partnership with the Institute for Sustainable Futures (ISF) at the University of Technology Sydney, and with anchor sponsorship from the Australian Government’s Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency will be hosting the first Australian Summer Study on Energy Efficiency and Decentralised Energy from 29 February to 2 March 2012.
Sustainable House Day is celebrating its 10th year, and the event will continue to showcase some of Australia’s most sustainable homes to the public as millions of Australians continue to embrace renewable energy, recycling, and other practices suitable to their lifestyles.
Global Wind Day is a worldwide event that occurs annually on 15 June. It is a day for discovering wind, its power and the possibilities it holds to change our world. It is also a day for discovery of the work that has already begun by pioneers around the world. In more than 75 countries around the world, wind farms are in operation, generating energy from a clean and renewable source.
The Pew Charitable Trusts report Who’s Winning the Clean Energy Race? documents the dawning of a new worldwide industry – clean energy – which has experienced investment growth of 230 percent since 2005. Accounting for more than 90 percent of worldwide finance and investment, G-20 countries dominate the clean energy landscape. As the country profiles in this report demonstrate, virtually all G-20 countries have seen investments grow by more than 50 percent over the last five years. China, which has set ambitious targets for wind, biomass and solar energy, for the first time took the top spot within the G-20 and globally for overall clean energy finance and investment in 2009. The United States slipped to second place.
Investment leader China may double its solar power capacity goal amid rising doubts about the safety of nuclear power in the wake of the Japanese crisis. China, the world’s largest solar panel exporter, is likely to boast 10 gigawatts (gW) of solar power capacity by 2015, up from the current 1 gW and a doubling of its existing target.
Want to be an energy and climate change leader in your community? Get involved in the CSIRO Energymark program and help create a sustainable future – reduce your carbon footprint, lower energy usage and save on power bills. The program brings people together in small groups to learn about energy and climate change issues, and discuss what they can do to make a difference. Energymark is currently running in NSW and in the Brisbane and Redlands City Council areas of Queensland.