PurOrigin, a new venture focused on designing and developing novel, energy efficient domestic appliances, has won the NovaUCD 2012 Start-Up Award. In addition to the award PurOrigin was also presented with a €20,000 prize fund after being declared overall winner of University College Dublin’s 17th NovaUCD Campus Company Development Programme. PurDry, PurOrigin’s initial product, is … Read more
Data provided by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on 2007-2010 E-Pollutant Release and Transfer (PRTR) reporting to the European Commission is now available on the national PRTR website. The map-based website is a database of chemical substances and pollutants emitted to air, water and soil, and transferred off-site for treatment or disposal. A total of … Read more
Offsetting by European companies grew by a staggering 85% last year, according to new research by the environmental campaign group Sandbag. The companies policed by the EU’s Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) submitted a total of 254 million credits to offset 13% of their carbon emissions. But Sandbag observes that the vast majority of these offset … Read more
FTSE Group, NAREIT and the US Green Building Council (USGBC) have jointly developed the first investable green property indexes for both institutional and retail investors. This collaboration brings together the global market leaders in US real estate indexing, REIT market expertise and environmental building standards. The indexes, currently in the final stages of implementation prior … Read more
The annual rate of reduction of carbon emissions per unit of GDP needed to limit global warming to 2C, has passed a critical threshold, according to new analysis from PwC. The rate of reduction now required has never been achieved before. The analysis in the PwC Low Carbon Economy Index demonstrates that at current rates … Read more
The European Commission has taken an important step today towards long-term climate objectives by presenting a proposal to significantly reduce emissions of fluorinated gases (F-gases). Emissions of F-gases, which have a warming effect up to 23,000 times more powerful than carbon dioxide, have risen by 60% since 1990, while all other greenhouse gases have been … Read more
Emissions of greenhouse gases in the European Union (EU) fell on average by 2.5 % from 2010 to 2011, although several countries increased emissions. Almost all European countries are individually on track towards their commitments under the Kyoto Protocol compared to last year, according to two reports published by the European Environment Agency (EEA). The … Read more
A total of 80 new highly advanced double decker buses are being funded by the National Transport Authority as replacement vehicles for Dublin Bus under its public service obligation contract. The new buses represent an investment of €26 million in the Dublin Bus fleet replacement programme. The new replacement vehicles are the most environmentally friendly … Read more
Emerging from the global economic recession, investments in renewable energy technologies continued their steady rise in 2011, with total new investments in renewable power and fuels (excluding large hydropower and solar hot water) reaching $257 billion, up from $220 billion in 2010. In a year marked by falling costs for renewable energy technologies, net investment … Read more
The delivery of up to 600 new bus for London vehicles over the next four years will represent the largest order of hybrid buses ever placed in Europe and will deliver significant environmental benefits for the British capital city. The 600 buses represent a 200 per cent increase in the current hybrid bus fleet which … Read more