14 February 2009 | Luca Del Buono

 

For the first time, UNEP's Governing Council, Global Ministerial Environment Forum and Civil Society Forum includes a "Green Technology Tent". Organised by Climate Action, the Green Technology Tent is aligned with the Green 'New Deal' plan to rescue world economies, which looks towards environmentally sustainable solutions to generate real growth and trigger an employment boom in the 21st Century.

UNEP and Climate Action are working together to showcase new technologies that will assist governments and their populations in addressing environmental issues at the 2009 Forum.

The Green Technology Tent features innovative technologies that can assist countries around the world address their environmental concerns.

The six participants include Royal Philips Electronics of the Netherlands presenting the case for a global switch to energy-efficient and sustainable lighting; Ecospec of Singapore are leading the way to GHG emission reductions with technology that can reduce emissions of four pollutants in a single scrubbing system; Noble Energy Solar Technologies Ltd. from India are committed to contributing towards the eradication of light poverty; 2008 Saskawa prizewinners Sunlabob Rural Energy Ltd (Lao PDR) and Practical Action (Peru) are bringing clean power - solar and hydro - to remote rural communities that do not have access to grid electricity on the Eastern slopes of the Andes and in the farthest-flung regions of Lao PDR.

The United Nations Environment Programme Division of Technology, Industry and Economics (UNEP DTIE) is also part of the Green Technology Tent exhibiting Solar Chill, a global initiative that is developing a climate- and ozone-friendly vaccine cooler powered by solar energy, which will directly help improve the health of children in developing countries.

For the organisations involved, this is a unique opportunity to present landmark technology and ideas to a key international audience of Environment Ministers, Permanent Secretaries, NGOs and civil society organisations gathering to consult on crucial environmental issues.

These discussions are particularly valuable in the lead up to COP 15 in December 2009.

Frances Muchiri of Practical Action said "We realise the importance of environmental conservation as a result of global climate change. It is important for us to be here to show off some of the technologies we have produced in collaboration with the community in utilising their resources."

Further information on the exhibitors:

Ecospec Global Technology Pte. Ltd.
Ecospec Global Technology Pte. Ltd. develops effective solutions for water, emission and energy related environmental problems for the onshore and marine industries. Established in 2001 and headquartered in Singapore, Ecospec is a pioneer and market leader. The group has presence in Singapore, China, India, Indonesia, Thailand, the Far East, Europe, Central America and the USA. Central to the business is their first "true green" technology, CSNOx, which is capable of reducing nitrogen oxide (NOx), sulphur dioxide (SO2), carbon dioxide (CO2) and particulate matters (PM) emitted by ships, power plants and boilers into the environment in a single process, chemical free, system. This brings a net carbon credit gain without any net increase in atmospheric CO2 or ocean acidification. Other unique solutions include BacComber® Water Treatment Technology, which treats water with ultra low frequency (ULF) instead of chemicals; UFlame™ Fuel and Oil Treatment System, which enables significant fuel and oil efficiency and EMSalloy™ converter, a fuel and oil treatment technology capable of better managing and enhancing worldwide consumption of combustion energy and resources.

Philips
Royal Philips Electronics of the Netherlands (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHI) is a diversified health and well-being company, focused on improving people's lives through timely innovations. As a world leader in healthcare, lifestyle and energy efficient lighting, Philips integrates technologies and design into people-centric solutions, based on the brand promise of "sense and simplicity". Philips will be presenting the case for a global switch to energy efficient and sustainable lighting. This includes a new drive to provide off-grid lighting solutions using the latest solar and LED/CFL lighting technologies. Examples of new products and developments will be displayed.

Noble Energy Solar Technologies
Noble Energy Solar Technologies Ltd (NEST) was established in 1998 by Mr. DT Barki to address the basic lighting needs of 1.6 billion people who lack access to modern lighting technologies. In 2001 NEST launched the AISHWARYA® 6543 solar mini lamp to replace dirty and unsafe kerosene
lamps being used in the rural households globally. NEST's methodology is to apply its technical and management expertise to develop innovative solar lighting products and implement replicable projects at both micro and macro levels. NEST's mission is to contribute significantly towards "eliminating light poverty" in the world. NEST is currently involved in high purity quartz material research that is intended to produce low cost solar silicon to pave the way for cost-effective lighting solutions to rural communities.
AISHWARYA® 6343, a reliable and affordable lighting product for rural household applications was the first product to be designed and developed at NEST in 2001. It is a solar mini lamp and NEST's flagship product, which shot to global fame when NEST won the prestigious Ashden Light Award 2005.

United Nations Environment Programme Division of Technology, Industry and Economics (UNEP DTIE)
UNEP DTIE encourages decision makers in government, local authorities and industry to develop and implement policies, strategies and practices that are cleaner and safer, make efficient use of natural resources, ensure environmentally sound management of chemicals, reduce pollution and risks for humans and the environment, enable implementation of conventions and international agreements, and incorporate environmental costs. UNEP DTIE will be showcasing Solar Chill, a global initiative that is developing a climate- and ozonefriendly vaccine cooler that is powered by solar energy and which will directly help improve the health of children in developing countries.

Sunlabob – 2008 Sasakawa Prize Winner
Sunlabob, a commercial company licensed in Laos since 2001, offers a variety of energy solutions running on multiple renewable energy sources such as sun, water, and wind, which are optimal for decentralised use. They are a full-service energy provider, providing after-sales services including full maintenance, technical servicing, and replacement of defective parts. Sunlabob strives to become the largest regional provider for commercially viable renewable energy solutions and reliable field-tested equipment.

Over the last seven years Sunlabob has grown from a small enterprise with three employees installing and selling small solar systems to 40 employees implementing a wide range of projects. Having built up a franchise network with 36 small rural service providers throughout the country to date, Sunlabob has created over 100 jobs, installed over 5,800 Solar Home Systems and has 1,500 rental systems in more than 79 villages and locations all over Laos (2005). Sunlabob aims to maintain their position as a global leader in providing affordable and renewable energy services to off-grid communities and aspires to expand existing innovative approaches globally

Practical Action – 2008 Sasakawa Prize Winner
Practical Action is working in Peru's eastern Andes where 68 per cent of the population - around five million people - do not have access to electricity. The project makes use of the region's vast potential for hydroelectricity: to date, 47 micro-hydro schemes have been installed in the area through Practical Action, bringing clean power to about 30,000 people. Through this project, Practical Action is also boosting local industry, as most of the turbines are manufactured by small companies in Peru to Practical Action designs - with each company making three or four turbines a year. Practical Action sees local manufacture as a key step towards widespread use of renewable energy. The electricity supply is boosting the development of the remote communities. Previously, people moved away to start businesses in places where the infrastructure was better, but the electricity from the micro-hydro schemes has brought them back. Some villages have doubled in size, with people returning and others starting or expanding businesses including restaurants, bakeries, furniture makers, welders and internet cafes.

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