The Knowledge to Decide

Microsoft has signed its first solar power agreement with Atria Power in India to purchase 3 megawatts (MW) of solar-powered electricity at its new office in Bangalore, India. This ensures that 80% of the building’s projected electricity requirement is met by supporting the local clean energy industry. Encouraging initiatives like this will help India fulfil its Paris Agreement obligations to cut greenhouse gas emissions. The deal comes a week after the announcement of another deal in Singapore for a 60 MW solar project. Has Asia’s renewable energy sector hit a tipping point? For further information, click here.

Internet access among Cuba’s 11.2 million people is growing. Between 2013 and 2015, the share of the Cuban population using the internet jumped from about a quarter to more than 35%. This growing market has drawn the attention of internet giants, such as Airbnb, Netflix and Google. This trend has also fuelled activity among local entrepreneurs, who have launched domestic versions of sites such as the crowd-sourced business directory Yelp. Will Cuba’s internet revolution unleash economic growth? https://www.spireresearch.com/newsroom/spirethoughts/the-advent-of-the-internet-in-cuba-kick-starts-online-start-ups/