ECONOMY & POLICY

"Reducing Carbon Footprint: Strategies for Environmental Sustainability"

Somewhere in 2006, Swedish pension funds concerned with global warming and environmental degradation were looking to diversify their portfolio to include investments in environment-friendly projects that would not carry additional risk. They could not find any such instruments. This led t...

Somewhere in 2006, Swedish pension funds concerned with global warming and environmental degradation were looking to diversify their portfolio to include investments in environment-friendly projects that would not carry additional risk. They could not find any such instruments. This led them to explore the possibility of creating an instrument like a regular investment product in terms of yield, security, risk and maturity, while addressing concerns related to the environment. After many discussions with stakeholders, the draft of an instrument was prepared. With this, investors approached the World Bank within a month of deliberations, the Bank accepted the concept and worked out the details and the first ‘green bond’ was born in 2008. This bond created the blueprint for today’s green bond in terms of the criteria to be followed to be classified as one. While drafting the product, financial and environmental teams interacted, understanding and addressing their respective concerns, to ensure that the bond meets the objective with which it was designed. This included criteria like opinion from recognised climate research institutions, transparency and impact reporting. This bond established that it is possible to raise funds at competitive rates for environmentally sustainable projects and that there is a large pool of investors willing to invest in such bonds. What are green bonds? Green bonds are fixed-income instruments funding projects related to the climate and environment. However, deciding what should count within that definition can be difficult. The Climate Bonds Initiative (CBI), International Capital Market Association (ICMA), European Union and Chinese government have developed guidelines to define green bonds. Broadly, green bonds finance projects aimed at energy efficiency, pollution prevention, sustainable agriculture, fishery and forestry, the protection of aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, clean transportation, clean water and sustainable water management.

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Equipment

Schwing Stetter India Unveils New Innovations at Excon 2025

Schwing Stetter India unveiled more than 20 new machines at Excon 2025, marking one of its most significant showcases and introducing several India-first technologies to the construction equipment sector. The company launched the country’s first 56-metre boom pump designed and manufactured in India, the first fully electric truck mixer, the first CNG mixer variant and the first hybrid boom pump. Executives said the launch portfolio was engineered to support India’s move toward faster, greener and more vertically oriented infrastructure through advanced engineering, clean-energy solutions a..

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Infrastructure Energy

SEPC Resolves Hindustan Copper Dispute, Wins Rs 725 Mn Order

Engineering, procurement and construction firm SEPC Ltd has recently settled a dispute with Hindustan Copper Ltd (HCL) and secured a mining infrastructure order valued at Rs 725 million from the state-owned company. SEPC informed the stock exchanges that it has executed a settlement deed with HCL, bringing closure to all inter-se claims and counterclaims arising from arbitration proceedings. As part of the settlement, SEPC will receive Rs 304.5 million as full and final payment, marking the resolution of all pending disputes between the two entities. The company also stated that Hindustan Co..

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Infrastructure Energy

20% Ethanol Blending Cuts India’s CO2 Emissions by 73.6 Mn Tonnes

Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari recently said that India has reduced carbon dioxide emissions by 73.6 million metric tonnes due to the adoption of 20 per cent ethanol blending in petrol. He made the statement while replying to supplementary questions during the Question Hour in the Lok Sabha. Describing ethanol as a green fuel, the minister said it plays a key role in reducing pollution while also supporting higher incomes for farmers. He underlined that ethanol blending contributes both to environmental sustainability and rural economic growth. Nitin Gadkari also po..

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