Sustainia100 Launched at Rio+20 (Brazil)

Sustainability legend Gro Harlem Brundtland, EU Commissioner for Climate Action Connie Hedegaard, Dr. Rajendra Pachauri, Chairman UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and 150 VIP guests celebrated the first concrete outcome at Rio+20: the launch of Sustainia100.

Sustainia100 is  a guide to 100 society-transforming, sustainable and readily available solutions focusing on hybrid energy system for merchant ships which couples a fuel cell with advanced batteries, saving fuel and reducing emissions.

“On behalf of DNV and our partners Wärtsila and Eidesvik, I would like to say we are honored that this panel of global sustainability leaders considers FellowSHIP among the top sustainable solutions available today,” said Bjørn K. Haugland, DNV Group Chief Technology and Sustainability Officer. “Commercial shipping is recognized as one of the growing sources of carbon emissions. The FellowSHIP maritime hybrid energy system, pairing a fuel cell with batteries, can reduce emissions by up to 50% and boost fuel efficiency by up to 30% over conventional maritime propulsion systems.”

Gathered from 56 countries spread over six continents, Sustainia100 is a complete guide to innovative and scalable solutions instrumental in creating sustainable societies. Building on ready and available solutions only, Sustainia100 is as a tangible tool for sustainability professionals – from politicians to CEOs – dedicated to create desirable and sustainable societies.

Individually, the solutions represent sustainable innovation in areas such as city planning, energy, water and waste management, high-tech and transportation. Collectively, they provide a guide of the building blocks available for transforming our societies.

“Sustainia100 is a cornerstone in Sustainia. A construction site for the desirable society we could live in if we implemented ready and available solutions. Developed by world-leading companies, organizations and experts in close collaboration with UN Global Compact and Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s initiative Regions20, Sustainia is the first holistic introduction to the attractive sustainable future,” explained Laura Storm, Executive Director, Sustainia.

“Securing the planet for future generations is a global collaborative task. Sustainia100 demonstrates that since the first Earth Summit in 1992 solutions and innovations to tackle this challenge have been developed all over the world. We need to make more people aware of these solutions and inspire more to act. With the Sustainia100 there is no excuse for not choosing a sustainable path to the future. The solutions are there. Ready for use,” said Gro Harlem Brundtland, former Prime Minister of Norway and Sustainia Committee Member.

Sustainia100 solutions are nominees for the Sustainia Award, which honors outstanding performance within sustainability. The winner will be announced at a ceremony later this year in Copenhagen.

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Source: DNV, June 25, 2012