News

• Latest Rio+20 draft moving in the right direction on reporting – GRI

  12 June 2012

  The latest version of the Rio+20 negotiating text has improved over the previous version in terms of its language on sustainability reporting, according to the deputy head of the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI).

• CAIR emissions rule seen in place for a year or more

  11 June 2012

  The Clean Air Interstate Rule (CAIR) could remain in place for another year or longer in the likely scenario that the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) fails to win on all elements of a legal challenge against the Cross-State Air Pollution Rule (CSAPR), according to a leading lawyer.

• Prime Capital launches €600m renewables investment company

  11 June 2012

  German asset manager Prime Capital is hoping to raise €600 million ($750 million) of debt to invest into renewable energy projects in Europe through its new renewables unit.

• HSBC makes $100m water, sanitation donation

  11 June 2012

  HSBC has unveiled a five-year, $100 million partnership with three NGOs to help address the "global water challenge", as the bank publishes a report assessing the future of the planet's 10 most populated river basins.

• Cities await climate finance from development banks

  08 June 2012

  Cities are still largely financing climate change initiatives from their own funds, according to a report from the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP), with multilateral development banks providing less than 1% of funds.

• First international standard on biodiversity offsets launched

  08 June 2012

  The Business and Biodiversity Offsets Programme (BBOP) has published what it says is the first international standard on biodiversity offsets.

• Renewables could access $6bn of financing with MLPs, says study

  07 June 2012

  Allowing the US renewable energy industry to tap into master limited partnerships (MLP) could provide up to $6 billion in financing for new projects, according to a new study.

• Wind energy is 'good business' for banks – BayernLB

  07 June 2012

  The banking sector sees the wind energy industry as good business, but should perhaps express its support for the industry more forcefully, according to one banker.

• UN chief 'cautiously optimistic' on Rio+20 agreement

  06 June 2012

  Difficult negotiations in the run up to the UN's sustainable development summit are not unusual, said UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, who is "cautiously optimistic" of agreement being reached in Rio de Janeiro later this month.

• Five companies partner on plant-based plastic

  06 June 2012

  Coca-Cola, Ford, Heinz, Nike and Procter & Gamble have announced a partnership to develop and use 100% plant-based plastic in their products.