Sustainability Momentum Sdn Bhd

A number of reports from various Chinese authorities and organisations have revealed that the ecological system of the upper branches of the Yangtze River has collapsed and as a result many precious fish species are now on the brink of extinction. Species populations such as reeves shad, sturgeons, puffer fish and at least four types of carps (black carp, grass carp, silver carp and bighead carp) are on the decline. In addition to over-fishing and pollution, the main reason for the drastic decline of fish species in the Yangtze is the disordered construction of dams.

Researchers from the Institute of Photonic Sciences (ICFO) have recently fabricated an organic solar cell which has a high level of transparency and an increased level of power conversion efficiency. These transparent solar cells promise a new development in urban integrated renewable energy, whereby entire buildings could be effective energy generators. Organic Photovoltaic (OPV) cells are gaining importance as a potential technology to integrate solar energy into everyday applications due to the lowering of its production costs.

It is concerning to learn that oil palm plantations along Sungai Kinabatangan are still continuing to plant right up to the riverbank, without establishing environmental buffers, and on top of this, getting away with it. Without a buffer zone to protect forest corridors, plantation activities could result in leakages of herbicides and pesticides, particularly into the river. One of the plantations in question is located near the Lower Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary and the Pin-Supu Virgin Jungle Reserve, both of which are identified habitats for wildlife species such as the orang utan, proboscis monkeys and Bornean elephants.

HEVO Power and the Polytechnic Institute of New York University have designed a wireless charging system which can be “embedded” into manhole covers and underground tunnel access points. Using resonance charging, a car’s battery can wirelessly be charged when it is parked over the manhole cover. Potential trial units may be installed as early as 2014 at New York University’s main campus and around Washington Square Park. If successful, the invention may boost electric vehicles even further.

In an effort to keep the air in Singapore clean and safe, tighter emission standards for diesel vehicles were announced in the Singapore government's budget debate this year. The new requirements will mandate that all diesel vehicles in use in Singapore to have a smoke opacity test result of 40 Hartridge Smoke Units (HSU) or lower from January 1, 2014. The current requirement is 50 HSU and lower. Vehicle owners are currently being assisted by the National Environment Agency (NEA) to adjust to the higher standard. Owners whose vehicles fail to meet the standard can be fined up to S$5,000.

                                                                     Photo Credit: Malaysia -The Star Newspaper

A huge retail giant, TESCO, has paved the way for other organisations to follow by announcing the commitment to become a zero carbon business by 2050. TESCO has set intermediate goals of reducing 50% of its carbon emission per sqft from its stores and distribution centres by 2020 (from 2006 base levels) and 25% reduction per case load of goods (from 2011 base levels).

In line with this, TESCO Malaysia has implemented several energy saving initiatives and programs focusing on their transportation, lighting management, refrigeration and climate control, which has resulted in 17% savings in energy bills and 25% reduction in carbon intensity for its 48 stores and 2 distribution centres (from 2006 base levels).

Photo Credit: Wikipedia (River Mole)

The path towards sustainability in an organisation goes through several stages over a period of years, depending on how the organisation started out on that journey. These main stages are described in an interesting analysis of sustainability using unusual terminologies such as Grassroots, Functional, Strategic, Ecosystem and DNA.

For more explanation: http://www.greenbiz.com/blog/2010/12/13/five-stages-sustainability-journey?

Date and Source: December 13, 2010, The GreenBiz

Diagram: Difference in the Number of Companies in the Global Cleantech 100 List between year 2012 and 2013

Based on year 2013 and year 2012 data from the Global Cleantech 100 report, energy efficiency companies are growing and more favoured in the market today. This has resulted from companies that are not just developing fancy dashboards but are delivering practical products, deploying good hardware and providing excellent services. Check out these companies and their products/services on the following link.

Link: http://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/heres-proof-that-energy-efficiency-is-one-of-the-hottest-cleantech-sectors

                                                                                Diagram Source: Greentechmedia

Almost every business process has been captured and managed in IT systems, from customer acquisition to supply chain logistics, to provide decision makers with the best available information to make the right decisions. Yet, most organisations are slow to invest in Energy Management Systems (EnMS) though they might know that energy consumption is a critical cost factor in their operations and can yield significant cost savings if managed well. There are many reasons why investment in Energy Management Systems lags behind and the key is to identify which ones are true for your organisation so that appropriate strategies can be put in place to benefit from energy savings.