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4 February: Carbon market participants have given a mixed reception to the proposed emissions cuts and mitigation actions pledged under the Copenhagen Accord. More...
4 February: Clean energy was a winner in US President Barack Obama’s proposed budget, with major funding increases despite his pledge to control spending. More...
4 February: Investment analysts have responded positively to Shell’s planned $12 billion joint venture with Brazilian ethanol giant Cosan, predicting it could help push Brazilian ethanol into world markets. More...
4 February: Pension funds and insurance companies must raise their investments in clean energy infrastructure if the EU is going to have a chance of meeting its targets for renewable energy capacity and carbon reduction, a panel of investors said this week. More...
4 February: EU member states have agreed to distribute 300 million carbon allowances from the bloc’s emissions trading scheme to fund renewable energy and carbon capture and storage projects from 2013. More...
4 February: The five financial institutions which founded the Climate Principles have further to go in integrating climate analysis into their operations, according to an independent review of their progress. More...
4 February: A proposed ‘Green Bank’ to help finance renewable energy projects in the US may get a boost from an unexpected source: a series of jobs bills aimed at lowering the nation’s stubbornly high unemployment rate. More...
4 February: UK householders, businesses and communities which install small-scale renewables will, from April, earn a feed-in tariff. More...
4 February: Sustainable investment pioneer Matthew Kiernan is launching an asset management company, Inflexion Point Capital Management, in partnership with Legg Mason and Phoenix Global Advisers. More...
4 February: CelsiusPro, an online seller of weather risk management products, has struck a deal that will see camera buyers in Switzerland get a full rebate on their purchase if the weather is bad over the Easter holiday. More...
28 January: After substantial prodding from investor advocates, the US Securities and Exchange Commission will provide guidance to companies about what they must tell their investors about climate risks and opportunities. More...
28 January: Almost 10GW of wind energy capacity was added last year in the US, according to figures from the American Wind Energy Association, breaking all records – and despite the global economic strife in 2009. More...
28 January: The governments of Japan and Australia yesterday confirmed that they would stick with their existing 2020 emission reduction targets, with just four days until a 31 January deadline to submit goals under the Copenhagen Accord. More...
28 January: Most real estate funds and companies are not yet actively managing their environmental impacts, according to a report commissioned by three European institutional investors. More...
28 January: The UK government’s clean-tech private equity fund achieved its first close at £125 million ($202 million) on Tuesday. More...
28 January: Several major suppliers of transport fuel in the UK failed to meet the sustainability criteria for biofuels in the first year of the government’s pioneering Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation. More...
28 January: Nikko Asset Management has developed a fund for the Japanese retail market that will invest mainly in ‘green’ bonds issued by the World Bank. More...
28 January: Earth Capital Partners has hired a three-strong sustainable forestry and agriculture team, in advance of the launch of a suite of funds. More...
28 January: Risk analysis firm Maplecroft has launched a family of indexes to track climate-related innovation and carbon management at some of the biggest companies in the US. More...
21 January: Key German government ministers have agreed to make double digit cuts to solar feed-in tariffs, to the dismay of the German solar industry. More...
21 January: Deutsche Bank and Masdar have raised $265 million in the first close of their clean-tech private equity fund. More...
21 January:
UN climate chief Yvo de Boer has admitted that December’s conference in Copenhagen was not a success, but said that “cool heads” are seeing it as a way to reach an international agreement on climate change. More...
21 January: The World Bank is aiming to raise some $110 million to finance low-carbon development through a five-year 'green' bond currently being marketed to Japanese retail investors. More...
21 January: Countries such as the US that fail to adopt concrete climate plans risk losing the race for clean energy dollars to the emerging markets, investors said. More...
21 January: Tilting investment portfolios towards companies offering solutions to climate change is already generating outperformance for investors, and will continue to do so, regardless of the disappointing outcome of the Copenhagen climate talks, according to Deutsche Bank. More...
21 January: The first environmental, social and governance index of Middle Eastern and North African companies is due to be launched later this year – two years after it was first announced. More...
14 January: UN talks in Mexico at the end of this year are likely to produce the legally binding climate change treaty that eluded negotiators in Copenhagen, according to the UK’s climate change secretary of state. More...
14 January: The transition to a sustainable economy must be at the heart of all EU policies, said EU environment commissioner-designate Janez Potočnik during a three-hour grilling yesterday by the European Parliament’s environment committee. More...
14 January: A potential 32GW of offshore wind capacity could be developed in the UK after the government granted rights to nine coastal zones – but questions remain over how these projects will be financed. More...
14 January: US federal agencies have awarded $2.3 billion in tax credits for clean energy manufacturing projects in a move designed to spur a major push in renewable energy development. More...
14 January: A new asset manager established by a founder of Climate Change Capital is planning a fixed income fund as its first sustainable investment product pursuing a “natural capital” theme. More...
14 January: If climate legislation stalls in the US Congress this year, lawmakers will likely move forward with an energy bill that includes a federal renewable portfolio standard and a 'Green Bank' to help finance renewable energy projects, according to law firm Van Ness Feldman’s 2010 outlook. More...
14 January: European bioenergy organisations have expressed concerns about plans by the International Organization for Standardization for a new standard to address sustainability issues linked to bioenergy. More...
(from Carbon Finance)
14 January: Fortis Bank Netherlands is considering changing the focus of its planned carbon fund, Carbon Finance has learned. More...
7 January: Renewable energy specialists in China have questioned the significance of a recent amendment to the country’s 2006 Renewable Energy Law, saying it will have little, if any, effect on renewable energy companies on the ground. More...
7 January: The disappointing outcome of the Copenhagen talks last month is likely to discourage some investors from committing to low-carbon investments, leading investors have conceded – despite likely progress on national and regional efforts to promote alternative energy technologies. More...
7 January: Clean technology investors ploughed money into the energy efficiency, transportation and power storage sectors in 2009, at the expense of more traditional renewable energy technologies such as solar and wind, according to end-of-year reports from two analysis firms. More...
7 January: Carbon prices will be weak in January and February as industrial emitters sell surplus EU allowances from 2009, analysts predict. More...
7 January: An alarmingly high number of asset managers are ignoring the risks posed by climate change in their investment decision-making, according to a report by Ceres. More...
7 January: Investors should avoid the solar sector in the early part of this year, according to equity analysts at investment bank Jefferies International, but wind energy companies may be a good bet as orders are expected to surge. More...
7 January: The US has introduced legislation requiring the Overseas Private Investment Corporation to slash greenhouse gas emissions from the projects it invests in by 50% over the next 15 years. More...
7 January Losses from natural catastrophes were dramatically lower in 2009 than the previous year, owing mainly to a benign North American hurricane season, according to Munich Re. More...
7 January: The Carbon Markets & Investors Association has appointed Miles Austin as its new director, effective on 1 February. More...
17 December: Voting has opened in the Environmental Finance survey of the voluntary carbon markets.
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17 December: Politicians are upping the rhetoric as the UN climate talks in Copenhagen approach their conclusion tomorrow, led by US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who today endorsed proposals for $100 billion a year of funding for climate change adaptation and mitigation in developing countries, by 2020.
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17 December: The value of catastrophe bonds sold this year is likely to top 2008’s total, according to leading sponsor Swiss Re – a strong recovery for a market that stalled completely after the financial crisis. More...
17 December: Eleven concentrated solar projects in the Middle East and North Africa are set to receive $750 million from the World Bank, which it said could help unlock a further $4.85 billion in financing from other sources. More...
17 December: A US government policy may encourage wider adoption of programmes to curtail overfishing, some of which will have trading mechanisms. More...
17 December: US sulphur dioxide emissions continued their sharp decline last year, according to the US Environmental Protection Agency. More...
17 December: Another listed carbon trader could be set to disappear, with investors representing a majority of shares in Trading Emissions Plc and Leaf Clean Energy backing management plans for a merger. More...
17 December: UK-based environmental investor Impax Asset Management has announced a distribution agreement with Milwaukee-based Titanium Asset Management, and two funds aimed at the US market. More...
17 December: The latest issue of Environmental Finance is now available, featuring the results of our 2009 market survey. More...
10 December: Billionaire financier George Soros has proposed that developed countries create a $100 billion climate fund, drawn down from existing currency reserves, to kick-start forestry and land-use projects in developing countries. More...
10 December: The UN’s climate chief has downplayed a draft negotiating text, from the Danish hosts of this week’s climate talks, stating that it is “not on the table in a formal sense”. More...
10 December: Denmark’s largest pension fund, ATP, is setting up a €1 billion ($1.5 billion) fund to address climate change in emerging economies – and is inviting other institutional investors to join. More...
10 December: In an attempt to spur additional investment in the renewable energy sector, the US Department of Energy has loosened the rules governing its loan guarantee programme. More...
10 December: China is second only to the US as the most attractive country to invest in renewable energy projects, according to consultancy Ernst & Young. More...
10 December: Environmental investment manager Impax saw its assets under management grow 15% to £1.26 billion ($2.30 billion) in the year ending 30 September 2009. More...
10 December: The European Commission has named the six carbon capture and storage projects that will receive a share of the €1.05 billion ($1.55 billion) in funding from the €4 billion set aside for energy projects in the EU economic-stimulus package. More...
10 December: Nine European countries have signed an agreement to co-operate on an electricity grid in the North Sea and Irish Sea, to connect up offshore wind farms and help the EU meet its target to source 20% of energy from renewables by 2020. More...
3 December: Progress on a post-2012 global agreement in Copenhagen could provide momentum for climate legislation in the US Senate, according to the Pew Center on Global Climate Change. More...
3 December: Railpen, one of the UK’s largest pension funds, has asked its investment managers and trustees to fill out a ‘climate audit’ of how they factor climate change into existing investment processes. More...
3 December: Targets from China and India to reduce their carbon intensity “are in the right ball-park” for getting the world back in line with its 'carbon budget', according to PricewaterhouseCoopers. More...
3 December: Spending on renewable energy by the European Investment Bank is being undermined by its continuing support for fossil fuels, according to funding watchdog CEE Bankwatch Network. More...
3 December: Governments of at least three of the world’s 10 largest economies are actively discussing issuing 'index-linked climate bonds', according to the think-tank that has pioneered the concept. More...
3 December: The US Environmental Protection Agency has deferred a decision on increasing the limit on ethanol blended into gasoline from 10% to 15% until next summer, but indicated preliminary tests support such a change. More...
3 December: Infinis, the UK landfill gas-to-energy firm owned by private equity group Terra Firma, appears set to take over Novera, its smaller rival, after raising its offer last week. More...
3 December: Thomson Reuters has acquired Asset4, which provides environmental, social and governance data and tools for investors and corporations, for an undisclosed sum. More...
26 November: US President Barack Obama will table an emissions cap for the country at next month’s UN climate summit in Copenhagen, the White House confirmed yesterday. More...
26 November: The Stanley Fink-backed Earth Capital Partners is still on course to raise $5 billion into environmentally-focused funds, as it prepares to name a cornerstone investor in a new renewable energy fund. More...
26 November: Less than a fifth of the promised $513 billion in government green stimulus money is set to be spent this year, raising the risk of “retrenchment” as governments seek to exit fiscal stimulus strategies, according to HSBC. More...
26 November: Investors have welcomed the launch of a water disclosure programme by the Carbon Disclosure Project, but the initiative exposes a plethora of challenges in understanding the risks and opportunities associated with water scarcity. More...
26 November: The US Securities and Exchange Commission should provide guidance to companies on climate change disclosure, given recent “regulatory, legislative and scientific developments” on the issue, according to investors managing $1 trillion in assets. More...
26 November: Governments and private institutions must invest $50 billion-$60 billion annually between now and 2030 to avoid future water shortages causing serious economic and environmental consequences, according to a report from McKinsey and the World Bank. More...
26 November: Infinis has raised its offer to acquire Novera Energy, prolonging the takeover battle involving the UK’s two leading producers of power from landfill gas. More...
26 November: Investing sustainably in China is possible but growth is being hampered by a number of factors, including a lack of relevant information, according to a report from sustainability consultancy BSR. More...
19 November: Statements from US President Barack Obama and Chinese President Hu Jintao that a legally binding climate deal is unlikely to be struck at Copenhagen next month have rocked confidence in the global carbon markets, investors have told Carbon Finance. More..
19 November: Policy-makers should expand payments for ecosystem services and harness the power of markets to help protect the planet’s biodiversity, according to a landmark study. More..
19 November: The UK government is aiming for a first close of its venture capital fund of funds at £300 million ($499 million) in December. More..
19 November: The US Environmental Protection Agency wants to set more timely limits on sulphur dioxide emissions. More..
19 November: Taking environmental, social and governance issues into account can improve the financial performance of investments, according to a survey of academic research by consultancy Mercer. More..
19 November: A lack of private sector investment could lead to the marine energy industry floundering unless governments throw the sector a lifeline, according to analysts at Frost & Sullivan in London. More..
19 November: Leading Hong Kong-based brokerage CLSA Asia-Pacific Markets has hired Simon Powell as its first head of sustainability research. More..
19 November: The latest issue of Environmental Finance is now available, featuring a special report examining the key issues faced by the international climate change negotiators in Copenhagen next month. More..
19 November: The November issue of Carbon Finance is now available, including the latest on negotiations on a post-2012 international climate agreement. More..
12 November: Each year of delay in cementing a global post-2012 climate deal will add $500 billion to the cost of the low-carbon energy revolution, the International Energy Agency has warned. More...
12 November: US Senators have introduced a bill that would extend the 30% solar investment tax credit to equipment and facilities used to manufacture solar technology. More...
12 November: The European Investment Bank and three private sector banks are to lend up to £1.4 billion ($2.3 billion) to onshore wind farms in the UK – 40% more than was planned just three months ago when the programme was first flagged. More...
12 November: Invicta Capital aims to raise £300 million ($496 million) into a fund to develop nine biomass combined heat-and-power plants in Scotland. More...
12 November: Mountain Cleantech, a Switzerland-based investment group, plans to launch its second fund targeting the clean technology sector in German-speaking countries.
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12 November: UK bank RBS has launched an equity index that will track socially responsible companies in emerging markets – and will shortly launch two products based upon it. More...
12 November: The EU is on track to meet its Kyoto Protocol target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, according to the European Commission’s annual emissions report. More...
5 November: German energy giant RWE overstated its own carbon dioxide emissions by 70 million tonnes – equivalent to the annual greenhouse gas emissions of Denmark – in a report this year because of a classification mistake. More...
5 November: Hopes for a US Senate vote on climate legislation ahead of the UN climate conference in Copenhagen next month have dimmed, following further delays in committee meetings this week. More...
5 November: The European Investment Bank has sold a total of SEK2.25 billion ($320 million) in bonds to Scandinavian investors, the proceeds of which will be used to finance renewable energy and energy efficiency projects. More...
5 November: The US Export-Import Bank has adopted what it claims is the first comprehensive carbon policy for an export credit agency and has set up a $250 million facility to back renewables exports. More...
5 November: RiskMetrics has bought socially responsible investment pioneer KLD Research & Analytics for $10 million, in the latest sign of consolidation in the SRI research space. More...
5 November: A joint venture has been set up to pursue the €400 billion ($595 billion) Desertec project, to build solar and wind projects in the deserts of the Middle East and North Africa to supply local energy needs – and export electricity to Europe. More...
5 November: PepsiCo UK & Ireland, the company behind Walkers Crisps, has undertaken a project to identify practical actions to reduce water usage by potato growers, the firm said in its annual environmental sustainability report published last month. More...
29 October: Both the value and the volume of carbon trading fell between the second and third quarters this year, under the twin effects of recession and a clamp-down on value added tax fraud. More...
29 October: AIG Investments is shedding its sustainable investment division, following its acquisition by Pacific Century Group, a Hong Kong-based private equity firm. More...
29 October: Solar third-party financier SunEdison has been snapped up by silicon wafer firm MEMC Electronic Materials for $200 million, the latest in a cluster of solar deals – including the first IPO in the sector for more than a year. More...
29 October: The recently elected German coalition government has dropped plans for major cuts to solar photovoltaic feed-in tariffs. More...
29 October: Emissions trading has done little to encourage investment in renewable energy and energy efficiency, and governments should focus on introducing feed-in tariffs and mandates if they want to prevent the worst effects of climate change by 2020, according to analysis by Deutsche Bank’s Asset Management division. More...
29 October: Investors will now find it easier to demand climate change disclosures from US-listed companies, following a Securities and Exchange Commission decision on Tuesday. More...
29 October: Governments should adopt “creative policies” to encourage low-carbon investment in developing countries, if the world is to mobilise the $500 billion a year needed to help poor countries tackle climate change, according to a report from the UN Environment Programme and other finance groups. More...
29 October: The European Investment Bank is seeking fund managers to both manage and leverage £100 million ($165 million) in sustainable energy funding for London announced last week. More...
29 October: Investors have raised concerns that few companies are adequately managing their dependence on natural ecosystems, putting their strategies and valuations at risk. More...
22 October: Voting has opened in the Environmental Finance and Carbon Finance market survey – the most closely watched survey of the world’s environmental markets. More...
22 October: EU environment ministers have set out the bloc’s position on shipping and aviation emissions for the Copenhagen climate talks – but have failed to agree on the treatment of Assigned Amount Units. More...
22 October: The prospects for a US federal bank to help finance renewable energy – as proposed in Congressional climate legislation – look rosy given bipartisan support and the ongoing difficulty of securing financing in the private markets, supporters have said. More...
22 October: The US renewable energy grant programme has led to a surge in wind project development in recent months, according to the American Wind Energy Association. More...
22 October: “More action is needed” by International Energy Agency member countries on energy efficiency, according to a new report from the agency. More...
22 October: Mexico has sold a $290 million catastrophe bond to investors, becoming the first country to use the ‘Multicat’ framework developed by the World Bank. More...
22 October: Impax Asset Management has raised £102 million ($170 million) into its Asian Environmental Markets fund – making it the largest closed-end listed investment trust raised in London since July 2008, according to its book-runner. More...
22 October: A High Court judge has quashed an attempt by three NGOs to force the UK government to apply stricter environmental and social criteria to investments made by RBS, one of the banks nationalised during the credit crunch. More...
22 October: A study is underway to examine how water shortages and climate change could affect the value of US municipal bonds. More...
22 October: Biodiesel crop plantations will now be eligible for carbon credits under the Clean Development Mechanism of the Kyoto Protocol, following approval of a new methodology last week. More...
15 October: Environmental Finance celebrates 10 years of publishing this month with a special commemorative issue. More...
15 October: Billionaire hedge fund manager George Soros has said he will invest $1 billion in clean technology, in a bid to tackle climate change. More...
15 October: Dutch investment manager Robeco is raising capital into its third clean-tech private equity fund-of-funds, according to its global head of private equity. More...
15 October: Investment manager Climate Change Capital is pulling out of listed equities, after its loss-making unit failed to perform as well as expected. More...
15 October: Policy-makers must not allow the recession to cloud the need for a “step change” in action on climate change, the committee responsible for setting the UK government’s carbon budget has warned. More...
15 October: The US government’s grant programme for renewable energy projects has been extremely effective, boosting developer hopes for an extension. More...
15 October: The International Civil Aviation Organization has committed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from aviation through market-based measures, improved fuel efficiency and use of biofuels, ahead of December’s UN climate talks. More...
15 October: Financial services firm Markit may launch derivatives which would allow clients to hedge the risk of Clean Development Mechanism projects under-delivering. More...
15 October: US electricity utility Southern Company is buying a $475 million–500 million, 100MW biomass power project in Texas from developer American Renewables as part of its plan to expand its biomass generating capacity. More...
15 October: The October issue of Carbon Finance is now available, including the results of our carbon fund manager survey. More...
8 October: The chairman of financial services group Aviva today called for the Carbon Disclosure Project to move from disclosure to mitigation – a proposal which was met with an enthusiastic reception by the CDP’s chairman and chief executive. More...
8 October: The European Commission has proposed a list of six carbon capture and storage projects to receive a total of €1.05 billion ($1.6 billion) in funding, but industry representatives are concerned about the lack of transparency involved in the selection procedure. More...
8 October: The top US government watchdog has cast doubt on the necessity of federal ethanol subsidies, drawing a sharp rebuke from the Renewable Fuels Association. More...
8 October: Triodos Bank is seeking €90 million ($133 million) in fresh capital to double its loan portfolio, as it reports “unprecedented interest” in its approach to banking after the financial crisis. More...
8 October: Retailers and big business caught in the UK’s domestic carbon trading scheme will only need to report on their emissions for the first year of the programme, not surrender allowances, under changes announced yesterday. More...
8 October: Global investment in clean energy slipped to $25.9 billion in the third quarter of 2009, according to analysis firm New Energy Finance, down from $28.6 billion in the second quarter and 22% below the same period last year. More...
8 October: Long-term investors should consider shifting out of equities and into bonds, unless they believe ambitious efforts to tackle climate change are likely, a working paper by French pension fund Fonds de Reserve pour les Retraites suggests. More...
1 October: The first draft of a Senate climate bill, released yesterday by senators Barbara Boxer and John Kerry, includes a tougher 2020 target than its companion bill passed by the US House of Representatives. More...
1 October: Venture capital investments in clean-technology companies climbed to $1.59 billion over the last three months, as national stimulus packages brought some confidence back to the sector, according to the Cleantech Group and Deloitte. More...
1 October: Germany’s incoming government has signalled that it is to extend the life of nuclear power plants and tighten the country's generous renewable energy subsidy law. More...
1 October: The success of last week’s Nasdaq listing of A123 Systems has raised hopes among financiers that the initial public offering market may be reopening for clean-tech firms. More...
1 October: The leading socially responsible investment team at Insight Investment is likely to be made redundant, following the break up of the UK-based asset manager. More...
1 October: An online facility meant to make it easier for renewable energy projects in developing countries to access insurance has been launched by a group of insurers and the UN. More...
Business1 October: Uniduto, the Brazilian pipeline developer established by the sugar cane and ethanol firms Cosan, Crystalsev and Copersucar in 2008, will begin a roadshow in February 2010 to raise $1 billion to build its proposed 570 kilometre ethanol pipeline. More..
24 September: The assets held by or committed to carbon funds have risen by 25% over the last year – which, while a much shallower rise than in previous years, has defied the sharp economic contraction. More...
24 September: Germany’s Christian Democrat parties are likely to reduce the role of renewable energy feed-in tariffs and build new nuclear capacity if they win this weekend’s federal election. More...
24 September: A World Economic Forum task force has called for the formation of regional public-private investment funds to generate the billions of dollars needed for clean energy technology and infrastructure in the developing world. More...
24 September: Dire economic conditions did not dissuade companies from voluntarily disclosing climate change risks and mitigation strategies, as a record number of top corporations replied to an annual survey conducted by the Carbon Disclosure Project. More...
24 September: The International Finance Corporation and Standard & Poor's are to launch the first emerging market stock index based on relative carbon efficiency. More...
24 September: Corporate revenues related to climate change rose globally by 75% in 2008, according to HSBC – but its Climate Change Index has underperformed global equities by 0.8% since its inception in 2007. More...
24 September: Nasdaq this week launched an index to track global ‘smart grid’ infrastructure companies. More...
24 September: One of the UK's largest single electricity users – Anglesey Aluminium Metals – has applied to the government for permission to build a 300MW biomass-fired power station to stave off final closure. More...
24 September: Leapfrog, a UK charity that aims to channel free specialist assistance to emission reduction and clean technology projects, aims to be providing input worth around £12 million ($19 million) a year to at least 100 projects, within three years. More...
17 September: The US must show greater leadership on climate change and follow the example of Japan, which recently agreed to slash emissions by 25% by 2020, according to the Swedish EU presidency.
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17 September: Investors managing $13 trillion in assets yesterday called for an international climate treaty to “catalyse massive global investments” in low-carbon technologies. More...
17 September: China’s ‘green technology’ market has the potential to grow to $1 trillion and make up 15% of GDP by 2013, according to a report by the China Greentech Initiative. More...
17 September: Investors anticipate a bidding war for EcoSecurities, as JPMorgan made a play for the firm on Monday – backed by the London-listed project developer’s directors. More...
17 September: Investment company Leaf Clean Energy said that it is now largely fully invested or committed to investing, with $243 million in 11 businesses, including biofuel and biomass power companies. More...
17 September: Two US initiatives that will create markets out of services provided by ecosystems have appointed Markit, a financial services firm, to provide a registry for their credits. More...
17 September: The latest issue of Environmental Finance is now available, featuring an in-depth analysis of the UK’s planned Carbon Reduction Commitment. More...
10 September: The EU is willing to pay an annual contribution of up to €15 billion ($22 billion) by 2020 to help developing countries fight climate change, according to a European Commission proposal. More...
10 September: The French government will next year introduce a carbon tax of €17 ($25) per tonne of carbon dioxide emitted, President Nicholas Sarkozy announced today. More...
10 September: The World Bank's International Finance Corporation has stopped investing in palm oil projects pending the development of a new strategy to address environmental and social practices associated with the crop. More...
10 September: Valuations for venture-stage clean-technology companies have further to fall, according to one of the heads of Intel Capital, who expects to invest less in the sector in 2009 than in either of the previous two years. More...
10 September: The Norwegian and Swedish governments have agreed to create a unified green certificate market, reviving a long-stalled proposal. More...
10 September: Global aviation emissions must be included in any climate deal agreed at Copenhagen, a key body advising the UK government has said. More...
10 September: UK-based investment manager Impax Asset Management is to list an investment trust focused on environmental companies in the Asia-Pacific region. More...
3 September: Venture capital firm Khosla Ventures has closed two funds investing in clean technology and information technology with more than $1 billion. More...
3 September: The first clean-technology company to seek a stock market listing in London since the financial crisis began trading yesterday – but with just £9.75 million ($15.75 million) raised, down from the £25 million hoped for by Indian Energy’s brokers. More...
3 September: A hostile takeover bid for emissions reduction project developer EcoSecurities by its former president has moved up a gear, as a new potential buyer enters the frame. More...
3 September: In a quicker than expected turnaround, the US government has awarded more than $500 million in grants to 12 renewable energy projects whose developers chose to receive cash payments rather than tax credits. More...
3 September: US government assessments of the American Clean Energy and Security Act have proven just how affordable a US federal cap-and-trade system will be, said Nat Keohane, director of economic policy & analysis for the Environmental Defense Fund in New York. More...
3 September: Turnover of the Switzerland-based biodiesel producer Biopetrol Industries dropped by half in the first half of this year compared with a year before, to €69.7 million ($99.5 million) from €139.8 million, while the net loss increased to €12.3 million from €7.1 million. More...
27 August: Market participants have expressed fears that fraudsters who have targeted European carbon allowances may turn to other environmental markets, with brokers reporting an increase in requests to trade renewable energy certificates. More...
27 August: India’s prime minister this week unveiled an energy efficiency trading system designed to save 5% of the country’s energy consumption, and 100 million tonnes of carbon dioxide annually, by 2015. More...
27 August: Pedro Moura Costa, one of the co-founders of EcoSecurities, has attacked the board of the London-listed project developer, claiming it is taking the company in the wrong direction. More...
27 August: Activist shareholders are seeing growing support from investors in US and Canadian companies for climate change-related resolutions, according to Ceres. More...
27 August: Growing interest in catastrophe bonds and a lack of major disasters is helping to drive up prices – and market participants are expecting a wave of issuances as the risk premium demanded by investors returns to pre-crisis levels. More...
27 August: Many of the world's 100 largest companies are setting targets to cut their greenhouse gas emissions, but they must double the pace of action to avoid dangerous climate change, a report by the Carbon Disclosure Project and UK telecoms firm BT has concluded.
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27 August: Cheviot Asset Management is planning to launch what it hopes will be the first of a series of sustainability-orientated investment funds in October with £20 million ($33 million) in commitments, according to its recently appointed portfolio manager. More..
27 August: California’s Amyris Biotechnologies has raised $24.7 million to pursue development of its technology to convert sugar cane into biofuels and useful chemicals. More...
20 August: The UK yesterday arrested seven people suspected of committing value added tax fraud in the carbon market. More...
20 August: The Australian Senate today passed legislation that commits the nation to generating 20% of its electricity from renewables by 2020, after the government secured the support of the main opposition coalition. More...
20 August: Australian wind farm developer Infigen Energy has put its US assets up for sale, in order to focus on its domestic market. More...
20 August: Norway’s $394 billion sovereign wealth fund has identified water supply as a risk to 11% of its portfolio – adding the issue to climate change and a number of social concerns on which it will pressure the companies in which it invests. More...
20 August: The New York State Common Retirement Fund is to invest $100 million each against the FTSE Environmental Technology 50 and the HSBC Global Climate Change Index, as the first investments under its planned $500 million “Green Strategic Investment Program”. More...
20 August: Five financial institutions have been delisted from the Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI) initiative after failing to file an annual report on how they are integrating environmental, social and corporate governance issues into their investment processes. More...
20 August: The August issue of Carbon Finance is now available, including the latest on UN negotiations on a post-2012 international climate agreement. More...
13 August: Falling prices and demand for solar cells and modules is causing pain for the largest companies in the solar sector, who may have to wait until 2010 to feel the benefit of renewable energy stimulus packages. More...
13 August: An audit by the International Finance Corporation’s own watchdog has found it failed to apply its own environmental and social standards in a series of investments and loans to palm oil trading and plantation owner Wilmar Group. More...
13 August: Waste Management will pursue waste-to-energy opportunities in China following its $140 million acquisition of a stake in Shanghai Environment Group last week, believed to the single largest foreign investment in China’s solid waste management sector. More...
(from Carbon Finance)
13 August: A quest to ensure “perfect accuracy” in the Clean Development Mechanism is hindering its growth, said EDF Trading. More...
13 August: Five Japanese companies have come together in what they say is the country’s first business coalition around climate change. More...
13 August: Leading hedge fund GLG Partners has asked consulting group Mercer to conduct a study into how the perceived need to tackle climate change and other environmental issues is impacting mainstream investing. More...
13 August: TMO Renewables has raised £11 million ($18 million) from the sale of new shares to help fund the roll-out of its "second-generation ethanol" technology, the company said last week. More...
6 August: Renewable Ventures has raised $200 million into its latest solar fund, which will finance development of 35MW of utility-scale projects across the US in the next year.
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6 August: Technology giant Bosch announced this week plans to take over two German solar companies – potentially representing the largest clean-tech deal since the financial crisis and heralding likely consolidation in the sector. More...
6 August: Germanischer Lloyd and Garrad Hassan, two of the leading engineering and consultancy companies serving the wind industry, have announced plans for a merger.
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6 August: London-listed carbon project developers EcoSecurities and Camco both reported strong results for the first half of the year, with the former posting its first profit. More...
Carbon Finance6 August: A US think-tank has called on the Environmental Protection Agency to introduce a cap-and-trade programme targeting transport emissions, rather than wait for Congress to overcome its internal disputes. More...
6 August: Climate policy veteran Jennifer Morgan is to join the World Resources Institute as director of its climate and energy programme, succeeding Jonathan Pershing who left in March to become deputy special envoy for climate change for the US. More...
6 August: ArcelorMittal cut its greenhouse gas emissions by 8.2% in 2008, despite increasing the emissions intensity of its steelmaking operations. More...
30 July: Energy efficiency measures could offer net savings of $680 billion to the US economy by 2020, according to a study by consultancy McKinsey & Co. More...
30 July: In a bid to re-start UK onshore wind development after the credit crunch, the government, the European Investment Bank and three commercial banks are planning a £1 billion ($1.65 billion), three-year financing programme.
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30 July: Indian wind energy developer Indian Energy has announced that it is seeking a listing on the London Stock Exchange’s Alternative Investment Market – which would be London’s first clean-tech flotation since the financial crisis began last year.
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30 July: The Belwind offshore wind project has closed €546 million ($768 million) in financing, bringing it back from the brink after the original developer Econcern filed for bankruptcy. More...
30 July: The expansion of the US wind sector slowed in the second quarter of 2009, jeopardising the industry’s record pace of growth.
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30 July: With more policy support for renewable energy still forthcoming, China this month announced a plan to subsidise at least 500MW of solar power installations as well as a fixed feed-in tariff for wind power projects.
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30 July: Natural catastrophes took far fewer lives than usual in the first half of 2009, but insured losses were above the 10-year average, according to Munich Re.
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30 July: Pedro Moura Costa, former president and a co-founder of carbon aggregator EcoSecurities, formally made an offer to take over his old firm last week, six weeks after announcing his intentions. More...
30 July: UK defence and aerospace giant BAE Systems has signed a memorandum of understanding with Canadian biorefiner Lignol Energy – including the possible financing of commercial-scale cellulosic ethanol projects. More...
30 July: The latest issue of Environmental Finance is now available, featuring the winners of the annual Environmental Finance awards. More...
23 July: Environmental Finance magazine has named the winners of its annual awards, which recognise leading transactions and individuals active in environmental markets. More...
23 July: A Chinese private equity firm is hoping to raise $350 million into US dollar and yuan-denominated funds over the next two years to invest in clean energy projects and companies. More...
23 July: French consumers should pay a carbon tax on their fossil fuel emissions from 2010, climate and energy experts will advise the French government tomorrow. More...
23 July: Asia’s public pension funds could “leapfrog” the West and become leaders on responsible investment, according to a report commissioned by the Asian Development Bank. .More...
23 July: Despite tough market conditions, First Wind has announced the completion of two sizeable financing transactions. More...
23 July: A surplus of allowances threatens to make the EU Emissions Trading Scheme irrelevant, says Bryony Worthington – who suggests how it could be rescued. More...
23 July: US ethanol producer Panda Ethanol has dissolved its operations and asked a court to modify a bankruptcy petition filed previously by its subsidiary to reflect its pending liquidation. More...
16 July: The UK government yesterday announced plans for how the country will reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 18% against 2008 levels by 2020, unveiling additional support for renewable energy generation. More...
(from Bioenergy Business)
16 July: Oil and gas giant ExxonMobil is to spend up to $600 million over five to six years on research and development of biofuels made from algae and potentially more than $1 billion over the next 10–15 years. More...
16 July: A US federal grant programme could provide a much-needed boost to the renewable energy sector now that key guidance has been released, according to investors, but unresolved questions could limit its effectiveness. More...
16 July: Companies deemed 'sustainability leaders' using analysis developed by SAM have outperformed their peers, according to research carried out by Robeco. More...
16 July: Asset manager Sarasin & Partners has launched a long-only equity fund that will invest in global sustainable real estate companies and real estate investment trusts. More...
16 July: Société Générale has won a raft of plaudits for its socially responsible investment analysis in a survey by UKSIF, a UK-based sustainable investment and finance association and Thompson Reuters Extel, which also showed confidence that demand for sustainability research will increase this year. More...
16 July: The European Commission has given the green light to proposals by the UK to introduce an emissions trading scheme for sectors not covered by the EU’s existing cap-and-trade scheme. More...
(from Carbon Finance)
16 July: A US broker is using micro-blogging site Twitter to offer carbon credits and seek other business in the carbon markets. More...
9 July: Investors exposed to the climate change theme have welcomed progress on targets at the G8 meeting in Italy this week – but say it is of little immediate relevance in investment terms. More..
9 July: Volumes in the global carbon markets jumped 124% in the first half of this year, compared with the same period last year, according to Point Carbon – with the EU Emissions Trading Scheme accounting for the bulk of the growth, as recession-hit industrial emitters sold allowances to raise cash. More...
9 July: Texas oilman T Boone Pickens’ has put on hold his grand plan to build the largest US wind farm – highlighting two significant problems for renewable energy development: tight financing and an inadequate transmission infrastructure. More...
9 July: Three European banks have come under fire from environmentalists for their involvement in a fund-raising by palm oil producer Golden Agri-Resources, which NGOs claim is involved in rainforest destruction. More...
9 July: Climate change has little influence on the investment decisions made by equity fund managers, according to a report which revealed a seven-fold difference in the carbon footprints of UK-based equity funds. More...
9 July: Sweden has told its energy agency to develop a national policy for the production, distribution and use of biogas as a vehicle fuel, as part of a move towards its target of the country's cars being fossil fuel-free by 2030. More...
2 July: Renewable energy advocates have welcomed the momentum toward adoption of a US federal renewable electricity standard, but vowed to keep pushing for a stronger mandate. More...
2 July: UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown has called for $100 billion a year to be put aside by 2020 to help developing countries fight climate change – the first leader of an industrialised country to put a figure on the table. More...
2 July: Venture capital investment in clean technologies rebounded to $1.2 billion in the second quarter of 2009, according to the Cleantech Group, but investment levels stayed well below the highs of 2007-08. More...
2 July: Three environmental NGOs have taken legal action against the UK Treasury over its decision to bail out RBS without imposing environmental criteria on the bank’s finance practices. More...
2 July: A team of former Wall Street bankers have launched a financial advisory firm focused on the alternative energy and clean technology sectors. More...
2 July: CME Group is to launch a series of futures and options contracts based on sulphur dioxide allowances in mid July. More...
2 July: The UK offshore wind and wave power markets could be worth £70 billion ($115 billion) and provide at least 15% of the carbon dioxide emissions reductions needed to meet the country’s 2050 targets, said the Carbon Trust today. More...
2 July: Trader and broker Bache Commodities yesterday launched a "green" investment and benchmarking index based on biofuels feedstocks and "clean air" commodities including carbon emissions credits. More...
2 July: Annual revenues from Siemens’ environmental activities grew 12% in 2008 to €18.9 billion ($26.5 billion) – almost double the rate for the business as a whole. More...
25 June: With the distressed capital markets currently reluctant to provide extensive funds for renewable energy projects, the US Department of Energy is committed to temporarily providing financial support for mature technologies, officials said. More...
25 June: Munich Re is backing a €400 billion ($560 billion) plan to build solar energy plants in north Africa that could supply 15% of Europe’s energy needs by 2050. More..
25 June: Shares in leading carbon exchange operator Climate Exchange jumped more than 16% on Tuesday following news that IntercontinentalExchange (ICE) had bought a 4.8% stake in the company – sparking speculation of a takeover attempt. More...
25 June: Germany, Austria and Switzerland are to withdraw their export credit guarantees for Turkey’s Ilisu dam project, jeopardising the project’s future, according to a report last Friday from the German newspaper Frankfurter Rundschau. More...
25 June: The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is to double its clean energy investments to $2 billion from 2013. More...
25 June: Wheb Ventures has launched a sister company to invest in listed equities set to benefit from their exposure to three ‘megatrends’ – water, climate change and demographic change. More...
25 June: Dasos Capital’s private equity timber fund has made its first close of €85 million ($119 million), following a pledge of €30 million from the European Investment Bank (EIB). More...
25 June: Stricken Dutch sustainable energy company Econcern has managed to find buyers for parts of its business – but the jobs of some 600 of its 1,100 staff remain at risk. More...
25 June: The Leapfrog initiative, which aims to provide specialist volunteers to help bring emission reduction and clean technology projects to fruition, is moving ahead on several projects and is planning a formal launch on 24 September. More...
18 June: Environmental groups have slammed a US Senate bill that would implement a federal renewable electricity standard because of a weakening of its targets, vowing to push for the reinstatement of stronger mandates as the bill navigates the legislative process. More...
18 June: Investors are to call on companies to examine and disclose their role in tropical deforestation, via the Forest Footprint Disclosure Project. More...
18 June: The US government has resurrected the FutureGen Project – a major carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) pilot – although its future remains far from certain. More...
18 June: The German environment ministry has blocked proposals to provide relief to the smelting industry by reimbursing the cost of EU allowances passed on through electricity bills. More...
18 June: Energy efficiency and energy management companies within the HSBC Climate Change Index have strongly outperformed this year, thanks to support from government stimulus packages, according to an HSBC report. More...
18 June: Germany-based exchange Eurex is to launch hurricane futures on 29 June, it announced on Tuesday, targeted at asset managers, hedge funds, banks and insurance and reinsurance companies. More...
18 June: The severe economic struggles of the US ethanol sector have led to a shift from expanding production using proven processes towards smaller investments in emerging biofuel technologies, market experts said. More...
18 June: Three index providers this week announced new products focused on companies that address environmental issues or show class-leading efforts on sustainability reporting. More...
11 June: Governments from developed countries must lead the way on finance for climate change adaptation, mitigation and technology transfer, said a negotiator for China today at UN climate talks. More...
11 June: Japan has defended its 2020 emissions reduction target, announced yesterday, in the face of criticism from the EU and NGOs. More...
11 June: Airlines have committed to a global cap on their carbon emissions in 2020, the International Air Transport Association announced on Monday, but environmentalists slammed the group's lack of ambition. More...
11 June: The European Greens have heralded their increase in seats in last week’s European Parliament elections, but with the centre-right parties as the dominant players, it looks unlikely that Europe’s politicians will emerge with a stronger line on climate change in time for the UN’s Copenhagen summit on climate change in December. More...
11 June: Triodos Bank was last week named sustainable bank of the year, the first time a specialist ethical bank has won the annual award given out by the International Finance Corporation and the Financial Times. More...
11 June: BP’s head of alternative energy, Vivienne Cox, is to retire from the company after four years of leading the division. More...
11 June: Investors have been warned of the “critical risks” to key sectors from biodiversity and ecosystem loss, in a report by the European Sustainable Investment Forum and sustainable ratings agency Oekom Research. More...
11 June: Greenhouse gas emissions by Xstrata, the coal and metals mining giant, rose 7% in 2008 while the carbon intensity of its operations rose by 8%, but the company remains on track to meet its 2010 target for emissions intensity. More...
11 June: The International Finance Corporation, part of the World Bank, is to lend Norwegian bioenergy and forestry firm Green Resources $18 million for a $64.3 million project in Tanzania to plant 8,000 hectares of forest for wood and energy. More...
4 June: The notional value of transactions in the weather risk market in 2008/9 fell to $15.1 billion, less than half the previous year’s $32 billion, as the economic meltdown took its toll on risk capital, according to an annual survey by the Weather Risk Management Association. More...
4 June: Dutch renewable energy company Econcern says it obtained short-term bridging finance earlier this week, and is now seeking to divest itself of potentially all of its joint ventures and operating companies. More...
4 June: Carbon costs in a cap-and-trade programme could wipe out earnings for some companies in the Standard & Poor’s 500, according to a study by the Investor Responsibility Research Center Institute. More...
4 June: Yvo de Boer, executive secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, welcomed a near-complete list of post-2012 emission reduction pledges from industrialised countries, but warned that the level of ambition is not high enough. More...
4 June: Financial services companies are the worst offenders when it comes to failing to disclose climate change risks and mitigation strategies, which could have serious consequences for investors, two reports on corporate disclosure warn. More...
4 June: Galileo Weather Risk Management Advisors has been bought by its founders for an undisclosed sum and has linked up with a soon-to-be-named insurance company that will provide counterparty credit. More...
4 June: The replacement by biofuels of half of the jet fuels now being burned could cut airlines' greenhouse gas emissions by 60–65%, claimed Air New Zealand. More...
4 June: HSBC made mixed progress on its sustainability goals in 2008, according to its sustainability report published last week. More...
28 May: A recently launched fund manager claiming “depth and breadth” in experience is understood to be hoping to raise €200 million ($279 million) into a low-carbon technology private equity fund of funds. More...
28 May: The carbon market grew by 100% in value between 2007 and 2008, to more than $126 billion, according to the World Bank. More...
28 May: Fewer than one third of International Emissions Trading Association members expect “ambitious commitments” from any climate deal reached in Copenhagen in December. More...
28 May: Investments in renewable energy are expected to drop 38% in 2009 thanks in part to the financial crisis, according to a report from the International Energy Agency for the G8 energy ministers’ meeting in Rome this week. More...
28 May: Insurance broker Marsh and Munich Re are insuring Signet Solar’s photovoltaic modules against deterioration in performance, through what they claim is a first-of-its-kind policy. More...
28 May: Corporations wanting to report data relevant to climate change now have a standard procedure to follow, with the launch of a draft framework by the Climate Disclosure Standards Board this week. More...
28 May: Biodiesel producers in Brazil cheered the government's decision last week to increase the compulsory biodiesel blend from 3% to 4% of diesel fuel, beginning on 1 July. More...
21 May: Environmental Finance is soliciting nominations for its annual awards – which aim to recognise excellence in applying capital markets know-how to solving the world’s environmental problems. More...
21 May: The loosening of renewable energy targets in the proposed US House of Representatives climate and energy bill brings its provisions closer to Senate renewables proposals – making federal targets more likely, say observers. More...
21 May: Voluntary carbon markets doubled in size and value in 2008, consistent with the trend in 2007 and in line with earlier predictions, according to a report released yesterday.
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21 May: Carbon market participants have welcomed the publication of three negotiating texts for a post-2012 climate change treaty, despite them showing the mountain of work that needs to be done before December’s Copenhagen talks. More...
21 May: Senior executives in the energy industry predict that subsidies for renewable energy will increase during the next year, despite economic troubles that have plagued the globe, according to a KPMG mergers and acquisitions report. More...
21 May: The chief executive of biodiesel producer Biopetrol Industries launched a stinging attack on Germany's politicians – including the Chancellor Angela Merkel – for almost destroying the country's biodiesel sector through double standards, egoism, bowing to special interests and politicking. More...
21 May: An alliance of institutional investors managing €4 trillion in assets has called for carbon markets to be strengthened and broadened – but is also calling for alternative policies to attract climate-related investments in developing countries. More...
21 May: Losses widened to $313.3 million at Clipper Windpower in 2008, as the wind turbine maker was forced to spend $300 million over two years fixing faults. More...
14 May: The UK government will have to extend its additional subsidy for offshore wind, or the industry will have to cut its costs, if the UK’s medium-term targets for renewable energy are to remain in sight, according to bankers and analysts. More...
14 May: More renewable energy than conventional power capacity was added in both the EU and the US for the first time in 2008, according to the annual report from stakeholder group REN21. More...
14 May: The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development has unveiled plans to invest €3 billion-5 billion ($4 billion-7 billion) in the second phase of its Sustainable Energy Initiative, over 2009-11. More...
14 May: Rumours are circulating that international offsets are to play a greater role in compromise climate legislation under preparation by the US House of Representatives' energy and commerce committee. More...
14 May: The European Commission’s plans to offer the EU’s biggest polluters free emissions allowances to protect them from overseas competition could undermine the bloc’s climate change credibility and reduce its clout in Copenhagen, warned the WWF today. More...
14 May: The economic gloom caused a significant drop in US venture capital investment in clean technology firms in the first quarter of 2009, according to Ernst & Young. More...
14 May: US company Renewable Energy Group has announced a plan to merge with three commercial-scale biodiesel plants in a move designed to better position the company to meet higher demand. More...
14 May: The May issue of Carbon Finance is now available, including the latest on negotiations for a US cap-and-trade bill. More...
7 May: Closed-door negotiations are continuing on a US federal cap-and-trade proposal after President Barack Obama urged Congressional Democrats to resolve key differences in the hope of passing comprehensive climate change legislation this year. More...
7 May: Blue Marble Capital Partners has launched a hedge fund to invest in securities set to benefit from the “global transition towards carbon-constrained societies”, including carbon credits. More...
7 May: US ethanol producers praised efforts by President Barack Obama’s administration to aid the struggling biofuels sector, but vowed to keep pushing to prevent the inclusion of indirect land-use change in the assessment of the environmental impacts of domestic ethanol production. More...
7 May: A novel approach to help accelerate reductions of greenhouse gas emissions is being developed by London-based law firm Travers Smith and a group of like-minded UK companies. More...
7 May: A set of guidelines to help financial institutions evaluate the risks and quantify the benefits of energy efficiency investments has been launched by the Washington, DC-based non-profit Efficiency Valuation Organization. More...
7 May: A resounding 95% of real estate fund managers believe there is a relationship between environmental performance and financial returns, according to a survey of UK and European property funds. More...
7 May: British American Tobacco published its 2008 sustainability report last week, outlining its approaches to reduce the harm caused by tobacco products and announcing targets to lessen its environmental impact. More...
30 April: A third World Bank climate bond issue is in the wings, Environmental Finance has learned from the Swedish bank that has placed the previous two issues. More...
30 April: HSBC has raised €117 million ($156 million) of a targeted €500 million into its Environmental Infrastructure Fund. More...
30 April: The EU is unlikely to meet renewable energy targets set for 2010, according to a report by the European Commission, which forecasts renewables will make up 19% of the bloc's electricity supply and 4% of the transport fuels by next year.
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30 April: Californian wind farm developer First Wind has secured $376 million to finance the first phase of a 203.5MW wind farm in Utah, involving a syndicate of nine banks. More...
30 April: The Environmental Protection Agency hopes to have an emissions control programme to replace the rejected Clean Air Interstate Rule established in two years, according to a top EPA official. More...
30 April: Ethanol supporters sharply criticised what they perceive to be unfair treatment of biofuels in California’s controversial low-carbon fuel standard adopted last week. More...
30 April: The International Finance Corporation is to begin financing growth-stage clean technology companies as part of its efforts to promote environmentally sustainable businesses in developing economies. More...
30 April: Japan’s largest opposition party has introduced a bill calling for an ambitious 25% cut in greenhouse gas emissions from 1990 levels by 2020. More...
30 April: Three angel investors have launched a ‘network of networks’ aimed at boosting the profile of very early-stage investment in clean-tech firms. More...
23 April:The co-founder and president of EcoSecurities, one of the oldest companies in the carbon trading business, has resigned “to pursue other interests”, the company announced today. More...
23 April: Italian utility Enel could sell up to 49% of its renewable energy unit, CEO Fulvio Conti said yesterday, to potentially net up to €6 billion ($7.8 billion). More...
23 April: In a long-anticipated move, the US Environmental Protection Agency ruled on Friday that carbon dioxide and the five other Kyoto Protocol greenhouse gases (GHGs) pose a danger to human health – opening up an alternative avenue for GHG regulation, should Congress not pass climate change legislation. More...
23 April: Several US states would find it impossible to meet a proposed federal standard on renewable energy generation, legislators complained during hearings this week. More...
23 April: The UK’s 2009 Budget, unveiled yesterday, promises a boost to the development of a low-carbon economy, according to industry groups. More...
23 April: Industry has given a qualified welcome to a report from the UK’s Environment Agency that calls on the government to consider setting minimum standards for greenhouse gas emissions from biomass projects. More...
23 April: The financial sector is the worst performer in terms of managing environmental, social and governance risks, and has shown the least improvement over the last three years, according to a study from Ethical Investment Research Services. More...
16 April: Ethical bank Triodos is considering securitising a part of its portfolio of loans to renewable energy projects, to allow it to increase its lending to the sector. More...
16 April: The shortfall of EU Emissions Trading Scheme allowances in 2008 was greater than many analysts expected, providing support to carbon prices – but the data does not reflect the extent of economic contraction, participants have warned. More...
16 April: Market participants embraced the Chicago Climate Futures Exchange decision to list renewable energy certificate futures, but there are questions about the potential liquidity of the contracts. More...
16 April: US ethanol producer Aventine Renewable Energy claimed that the increased use by fuel refiners and blenders of excess tradeable biofuel credits to meet their blending targets had helped to push it into Chapter 11 bankruptcy last week. More...
16 April: The EU should force companies and institutional investors to disclose more information on how they are dealing with environmental, social and governance issues, the European Sustainable Investment Forum has said. More...
16 April: A major study on the economic importance of nature is seeking input from businesses across all sectors. More...
16 April: The International Finance Corporation and the Financial Times have released the shortlist for their annual sustainable banking awards. More...
16 April: The April issue of Carbon Finance is now available, including an analysis of how China’s latest stimulus package provides investment opportunities for emissions project developers. More...
9 April: Norway’s finance minister had proposed that the government’s $39 billion pension fund allocates $3 billion to sustainable investments – potentially the largest such allocation ever made. More...
9 April: Investors hoping that clean technology will be able to beat the market in 2009 look to be disappointed, Banc of America Securities-Merrill Lynch said this week. More...
9 April: US investors have deserted the green investment space, according to analysts and investors speaking at a recent environmental markets conference in New York. More...
9 April: The failure of the EU to meet its 2020 renewable energy targets could see EU allowance prices hitting €70 ($93) by that date, according to consultancy ICF International. More...
9 April: The UK's Environment Agency will in a fortnight unveil its policy on the greenhouse gas emissions produced by bioenergy in its full life-cycle, from the growing of feedstock crops to consumption. More...
9 April: Environmental and social data provider Asset4 has launched a product to help plug the gaps in the timeliness and completeness of corporate carbon disclosure. More...
9 April: The Climate Group has hit back at claims that the Climate Principles are “meek” or “window dressing”, but acknowledged that “more action” is required from the finance sector to tackle climate change. More...
9 April: E. Capital Partners has launched an environmentally-screened index to track global water stocks “best positioned to capture the opportunities arising from the challenges of the declining water availability”. More...
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