The Energy and Resources Institute Creating Innovative Solutions for a Sustainable Future

Any viable approach to sustainable development needs to go hand in hand with waste recycling, said Dr Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, Chairperson and Managing Director, Biocon Ltd. Speaking at the third regional conference on 'Innovations in Sustainable Habitats', organised by TERI, Dr Shaw said technologies that are relevant to India need to be developed. The two-day conference is discussing the GRIHA approach - GRIHA, an acronym for Green Rating for Integrated Habitat Assessment, the building rating standard in India devised by TERI.

Dr R K Pachauri, Director-General of TERI, has suggested the need to introduce "demand restraint measures" in Delhi to put a check on the growing number of cars so that there was a check on pollution, congestion and accidents in the city. Speaking at a conference on urban mobility organized by the Union urban development ministry, Pachauri said average ownership of cars in Delhi was more than that in Singapore and Hong Kong. He said while in Delhi, there are 200 cars per 1000 people, it's only 70-100 per 1000 population in Hong Kong and Singapore. On an average, car ownership is only 13 per 1000 people in India, he said.

A report earlier this year from the Brookings Institution, the World Resources Institute and the Breakthrough Institute said the low-carbon energy industry is failing to move "beyond boom and bust". All of the shortlisted entries in the energy category showed both resilience to changing conditions and the ability to meet multiple objectives. TERI has innovated with institutions, creating a new financial structure to allow poor communities to buy cleaner, safer liquid petroleum gas cookers so they can stop burning wood.

Dr R K Pachauri, Director-General of TERI, has been appointed the new chairperson of Guyana-based Iwokrama International Centre for Rainforest Conservation. Established in 1996, under an agreement between the government of Guyana and the Commonwealth Secretariat, the facility manages the Iwokrama reserve that comprises nearly 3,71,000 hectares of rainforest area.

Myanmar opposition leader Ms Aung San Suu Kyi visited TERI campus and invited the organisation to offer advice on boosting sustainable development in Myanmar. She said TERI's innovations held the potential to become models for wider replication in Myanmar, which is a developing nation facing a major resource-crunch to fuel its economic growth.

United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization launched the UNESCO chair on 'climate science and policy' at TERI University. Aimed at promoting knowledge dissemination, technology development, transfer and information sharing on climate science and related policy issues, the chair was officially launched by the director general of UNESCO, Dr Irina Bokova.

The government has unveiled a road map for the biotechnology sector - "The Bioenergy Road Map Vision 2020" - for innovative technologies and policies for biofuels development in India. Prepared by the DBT, the document was released by Science and Technology Minister Mr S Jaipal Reddy at the inauguration of a two-day international summit on 'Bioenergy: Algae Biofuel and Synthetic Biology 2012' organised by DBT along with TERI.

A possible environmental bomb is ticking in the Bay of Bengal off the Andhra coast. A well drilled through the ocean bed by state-run Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) for pumping natural gas has been leaking for the last two months, spewing methane into air. Dr Banwari Lal, scientist at TERI, said it was be difficult to estimate any possible damage to the environment without conducting a study.

St. Mary's School, Dwarka hosted a delegation of Vietnamese teachers and The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) representatives. The visiting dignitaries were impressed by the models and projects showcased by the students celebrating 'Rural India and It's Role in Preserving the Environment'. A programme depicting India's rich culture through dances and songs was also presented by the students.

Pune's public transport system has a scientifically sound planning process and promotes equity, leading environment research body TERI has said in its report. However, the report also urged the city's administrators to come up with specific projects to implement strategies promoting safety and security of transport users.