Latest news with #SustainableEnergyforAll
Newsweek
19-06-2025
- Business
- Newsweek
AI Impact Awards 2025: How IBM Helps Cities Plan for a Cleaner, Cooler Energy Future
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. As rapidly growing cities in the world's developing countries expand and modernize, they need better ways to assess their coming energy use and adapt to a changing climate. New tools developed with artificial intelligence by IBM's impact accelerator and the company's partner organizations give officials and planners both a current view of their cities and a forecast of likely developments. "Demand for energy is growing not just as a function of the number of people who live there, but also as a function of what is being built," Michael Jacobs, head of social innovation at IBM, told Newsweek. "You can forecast demand by analyzing what is being built where." Jacobs and his colleagues worked with the United Nations Development Programme and Sustainable Energy for All, an independent nonprofit organization, to come up with data tools to track and predict growth and the associated energy demand. The team used IBM's AI to analyze satellite images and data from the German Aerospace Center. They then aligned those images with census information and other data sets on building size and usage to create precise and detailed digital maps of some cities in Africa and India. That formed the basis for an interactive online platform called Open Building Insights (OBI), which launched in November at the United Nations COP29 climate conference. OBI includes an AI tool called Modeling Urban Growth that forecasts what types of buildings will be built and where, helping officials and stakeholders make more informed decisions about sustainable development. "Government and development agencies can see around the corner and invest now to meet the needs of tomorrow," Jacobs said. IBM's work has earned them a place among the winners of Newsweek's first AI Impact Awards, which celebrate organizations that are driving exceptional impact through the strategic and ethical use of AI technologies. Contest entries came from various industries and competed in more than a dozen respective categories, including ones focused on sustainability, health care and customer service. The 38 total winners were selected by a panel of AI and subject matter experts. Honorees have also been invited to Newsweek's AI Impact Summit, taking place from June 23 through 25 in Sonoma, California. The showcase promises three days of conversations and presentations on ground-breaking deployment of AI. AI Impact Winner: IBM AI Impact Winner: IBM Newsweek Illustration IBM worked with Sustainable Energy for All and another nonprofit, the World Resources Institute, to implement use of OBI in Nairobi, Kenya, where local officials are using the tool in the development of an energy plan. Kenya is well on its way to meeting an ambitious target of 100 percent clean energy by 2030. The country already gets about 90 percent of its electricity from carbon-free or low-carbon sources, largely thanks to robust geothermal and hydro energy. But a swelling population and economy will challenge the power supply. Nairobi, now with an estimated population of close to 6 million people, is expected to have annual population growth of more than 4 percent in the coming years, according to the UN. Jacobs said the OBI can help to integrate energy development with the city's growth. "You can be designing specific buildings for specific places to optimize where they are in the electrical grid or for how much rooftop solar you can install," he said. Solar is a small but growing part of Kenya's power supply, and the detailed information OBI offers about buildings can promote solar deployment in urban settings, Jacobs said. Staff from IBM and the nonprofit Sustainable Energy for All pictured during a 2024 site visit in Nairobi, Kenya. Officials in Nairobi are using the data visualization tool to develop an energy plan. Staff from IBM and the nonprofit Sustainable Energy for All pictured during a 2024 site visit in Nairobi, Kenya. Officials in Nairobi are using the data visualization tool to develop an energy plan. Courtesy of IBM "The profile of the roof, its square footage, its angle, its position, all that has really significant implications for how much solar energy you're going to be able to produce," he said. The OBI will also be used in India, where large-scale deployment of rooftop solar is a national-level initiative. India's climate and energy forecasts include a problematic feedback loop between warming, energy demand and greenhouse gas emissions. As parts of the country get hotter due to climate change, the use of air conditioning grows—so much so, in fact, that the International Energy Agency said greater use of air conditioning will be a leading contributor to global demand for electricity. India is among the world's biggest producers and consumers of electricity and while renewable sources are growing, coal still dominates India's fuel mix. That means that greater power demand for air conditioning will result in more greenhouse gas emissions from coal-fired power plants, at least in the near term, until cleaner energy sources displace coal and other fossil fuels. Jacobs said the OBI can help, both by aiding the development of solar power and helping cities better cope with rising temperatures. "We are exploring how to use the tool to develop a heat vulnerability index, because again, the dynamics of building design can have really significant impacts on localized heat," he said. With a better understanding of the buildings in their cities (and the buildings to come), officials can anticipate energy needs and public infrastructure, such as cooling centers, to help communities adapt to the extreme heat that is becoming more common with climate change. Jacobs said the geospatial data modeling is just one of the ways IBM is applying AI to climate impacts. He said AI can also help share vital information during climate-driven extreme weather events, and AI-assisted research promises to speed the development of new materials that could be important for clean technology. "AI is going to be integral to solving climate challenges," he said. "And IBM is a solutions-oriented company." To see the full list of AI Impact winners, visit the official page for Newsweek's AI Impact Awards. Newsweek will continue the conversation on meaningful AI innovations at our AI Impact Summit from June 23 to 25 in Sonoma, California. Click here for more information and to register for the event.
Time of India
10-06-2025
- Business
- Time of India
NTPC signs pact with SEforALL to develop clean energy transition roadmap
New Delhi: India's largest power utility NTPC has signed an agreement with Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL) to develop a comprehensive clean energy transition roadmap aligned with India's net-zero target by 2070. The roadmap will include modelling of multiple scenarios reflecting NTPC's short-, mid-, and long-term strategic horizons, estimating investment needs, identifying diversification opportunities, and mapping the socio-economic impacts of shifting to cleaner energy systems. According to NTPC, the collaboration will support the company's broader energy strategy which includes research and deployment of green hydrogen pilot projects, floating solar photovoltaic systems, battery energy storage systems, pumped storage hydropower, and carbon capture and utilization. Established in 1975, NTPC has committed to installing 60 GW of renewable energy capacity by 2032. The company currently contributes around 25 per cent of India's electricity generation. It has an additional 32 GW under construction, including 13 GW of renewable energy capacity. In 2021, NTPC became the first major utility in India to sign a UN Energy Compact with defined renewable energy targets. The company has expanded into solar, wind, and hydro, in addition to its existing thermal power portfolio. 'Our aim is to foster responsible, sustainable economic development through an energy strategy that champions energy security, social inclusiveness, environmental stewardship, and growth powered by data, technology, and innovation. This agreement positions us to meet the rising demand from communities and industry while keeping us at the leading edge of the energy transition,' said Gurdeep Singh , Chairman and Managing Director, NTPC. 'India continues to show climate leadership on the global stage moving beyond commitment to concrete actions while demonstrating that the energy transition in emerging countries can co-exist alongside economic development. We are excited to support NTPC to co-create net zero roadmap for the energy giant of India. I laud NTPC for its commitment to transitioning to cleaner energy sources,' said Damilola Ogunbiyi , CEO and Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Sustainable Energy for All. SEforALL will work closely with NTPC to align the company's energy transition roadmap with India's energy security priorities and development agenda, including the country's goal to reach 500 GW of non-fossil fuel capacity by 2030.
Mint
09-06-2025
- Business
- Mint
NTPC ties up with SEforALL for energy transition roadmap
New Delhi: The state-run National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) Ltd has signed an agreement with Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL) to develop its energy transition roadmap. A joint statement said that under the agreement, SEforALL will support the development of NTPC's comprehensive energy transition roadmap aligning with country's energy security, development priorities and net-zero commitments. Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL) is an international organization working in partnership with the UN, governments, the private sector, financial institutions and civil society with a goal to drive towards the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 7, which calls for universal access to sustainable energy by 2030. Also read: Search for NTPC CMD to continue as PESB fails to find suitable candidate The roadmap will include modelling of multiple scenarios reflecting NTPC's short-, mid- and long-term strategic horizons, estimating investments needs, identifying diversification opportunities and the socio-economic benefits that come with shifting to cleaner energy systems. 'Targeting emissions reductions in the energy sector, India's largest power company, NTPC, signed an agreement with Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL) to support their transition to clean energy," the statement said. NTPC is already present in the energy transition space including, through its green energy subsidiary NTPC Green Energy Ltd (NGEL). It is present in R&D and large-scale deployments of green hydrogen pilot projects, floating solar photovoltaic systems, battery energy storage systems, pumped storage hydropower and carbon capture and utilization. Also read: ONGC-led JV resumes production from 'PY-3' offshore field in Cauvery basin Through NGEL, NTPC plans to install 60 GW of renewable energy capacity by 2032. 'Our aim is to foster responsible, sustainable economic development through an energy strategy that champions energy security, social inclusiveness, environmental stewardship, and growth powered by data, technology and innovation. This agreement positions us to meet the rising demand from communities and industry while keeping us at the leading edge of the energy transition," Gurdeep Singh, Chairman and Managing Director, NTPC. Damilola Ogunbiyi, chief executive officer (CEO) and Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Sustainable Energy for All, said India continues to show climate leadership on the global stage moving beyond commitment to concrete actions while demonstrating that the energy transition in emerging countries can co-exist alongside economic development. Also read: NMDC eyes ₹70,000 crore worth of projects 'We are excited to support NTPC to co-create net zero roadmap for the energy giant of India. I laud NTPC for its commitment to transitioning to cleaner energy sources," the CEO said.
Yahoo
27-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Development Institutions Prepare for ‘a World Without the US'
(Bloomberg) -- The Trump administration's suspension of large parts of the US aid budget and its exit from global climate and health pacts has thrown the world's development finance institutions into disarray — now they're preparing to press ahead without the world's biggest economy. The Trump Administration Takes Aim at Transportation Research Shelters Await Billions in Federal Money for Homelessness Providers NYC's Congestion Pricing Pulls In $48.6 Million in First Month New York's Congestion Pricing Plan Faces Another Legal Showdown NYC to Shut Migrant Center in Former Hotel as Crisis Eases The US government and its branches have been largely absent from the Finance in Common Summit, an annual gathering of public development banks with $23 trillion in assets known as FICS that this year took place alongside a meeting of the finance ministers of the Group of 20 large economies in Cape Town. That comes as the country's secretaries of State and Treasury skipped the G-20 gatherings this month in South Africa amid a broader withdrawal of US global leadership. 'Everyone has to plan for a world without the US,' said Damilola Ogunbiyi, chief executive of the United Nations' Sustainable Energy for All institute, which promotes energy access, in an interview in Cape Town on Thursday. 'The world is not just the US.' Since taking office on Jan. 20, President Donald Trump has dismantled the United States Agency for International Development, which has a $40 billion annual budget. That, among other impacts, has disrupted life-saving HIV/Aids treatment programs in countries from Nigeria to South Africa and ended an energy access program in Africa that was set up by former US President Barack Obama. His attack on renewable energy and climate programs, and appointment of a vaccine skeptic as health secretary, have sown uncertainty in the development finance world as to whether the US will honor funding commitments it's already made or provide money for climate, health and humanitarian initiatives in the future. Trump's actions come at the same time that many wealthy European nations are slashing their aid budgets, including major donors like the UK, France and the Netherlands. 'Everything is up in the air,' Rémy Rioux, CEO of Agence Française de Développement and current chairman of FICS, said in an interview. 'There's a huge gap that I think I don't see anybody completely filling.' Still, 'in these times multilateralism has to reinvent and to deepen,' he added. 'We want to stick to the sustainable and inclusive development agenda.' China's Opportunity Washington's absence also creates an opportunity for its geopolitical rivals to build influence. 'We at the Asian Infrastructure Development Bank are based in Beijing but our heart goes to all the people in the world,' Jin Liqun, the AIIB's chairman, said at a press conference at FICS. 'Free trade and cross-border investment is important. People will quickly find that by shutting yourself off from the rest of the world you will suffer.' In a draft final communique the FICS group said it represents 536 public development finance institutions and public development banks and stressed that the conference had attracted a record 2,500 delegates. 'Everyone here is willing to cooperate on the global challenges — climate change, biodiversity, health, creation of jobs, reduction of inequalities,' said Audrey Rojkoff, the AFD's regional director for Southern Africa. Even if the US is unwilling, 'the others are cooperating,' she added. Trump's SALT Tax Promise Hinges on an Obscure Loophole Warner Bros. Movie Heads Are Burning Cash, and Their Boss Is Losing Patience Walmart Wants to Be Something for Everyone in a Divided America China Learned to Embrace What the US Forgot: The Virtues of Creative Destruction Meet Seven of America's Top Personal Finance Influencers ©2025 Bloomberg L.P.
