Green news roundup

There is a lot going on in the ‘green’ space right now. Here are some insights:

A recently published report by the European Wind Energy Association (EWEA) highlights the vast amount of water used by traditional power stations to generate power, i.e., three Olympic-sized swimming pools being consumed every minute. Energy production accounts for 44 percent of the EU’s total water use. For more information please see the following website:  http://www.ewea.org

The UK Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) has produced a specification, known technically as PAS 2030, to set out requirements that installers have to follow in installing new energy efficiency measures within the ‘Green Deal scheme’.  To check that your installer complies with these requirements, consult the the following website: www.gov.uk/green-deal-energy-saving-measures/overview

The offshore wind energy industry could provide £6.7 billion per year to the UK economy as well as providing 150,000 jobs by 2020, according to a new report published recently. The following webside provides further information: http://www.businessgreen.com/bg/analysis/2334094/report-offshore-wind-industry-promises-150-000-jobs-boost

I recently came across the ‘eco congregation’ scheme, which started in Portugal and encourages churches to turn ‘green’. This can be achieved by changing some of the following things; how ancient church buildings are heated and insulated, how congregations travel to church, and how they recycle and come together to support the community schemes more widely. My own local church held a recycling day this week, which enabled members to drop off old clothes, mobile phones etc. To find out more about eco congregations, please view the following website: http://www.ecocongregation.org

Volkswagen is aiming to triple battery life in the 2015 Golf, using Lithium-air batteries. Check out the following website to find out more: http://www.greencarreports.com/news

Negotiators are meeting in Bonn, Germany, this week to make progress on establishing a global climate agreement by 2015. Follow the Agreement on Climate Transformation 2015 (ACT 2015) on the following site: http://www.wri.org/our-work/project/act-2015

I am continuing work on international standards (ISO series) for sustainable and resilient communities and Smart Cities, which will help planners and local authorities to engage with entire communities in order to address what really matters in the local areas. This will come on stream in 2015; however, consultation documents should be available this summer.

Finally, the British Standards Institution (BSI) has just released a free leaflet for any community wanting to be more sustainable. It comes in the form of a guide that contains a user-friendly plan for any group thinking about developing basic sustainable living. As one of the main authors, I am hoping this short leaflet will be distributed widely in the UK in order to spark new schemes as well as shift views. Sustainability is not just a company responsibility or an individual lifestyle choice; it is, however, often best addressed as a village, town or neighbourhood. Please visit the following website to find out more:  http://shop.bsigroup.com

Article by David Jackman