News

• Microsoft carbon neutrality goal would cost below $10m

  10 May 2012

  Microsoft would need to pay less than $10 million a year if it were to meet its new goal of becoming carbon neutral entirely through carbon offsets – a fraction of the IT giant's $5.1 billion in profits for the last quarter.

• Investors call for funding details as UK announces green bank legislation

  09 May 2012

  The UK government is to introduce legislation in the coming year to establish its long-planned Green Investment Bank (GIB), but investors and environmentalists have called for clarity over how it will be funded.

• Citi analysts favour less-frequent corporate reporting

  09 May 2012

  Abandoning quarterly reporting would help analysts better understand issues that drive longer-term company valuations, according to a slim majority of Citi equity analysts.

• DNV acquires sustainability consultancy

  08 May 2012

  DNV has bought Two Tomorrows Group, a UK-based sustainability consultancy, for an undisclosed sum.

• Brazilian exchange seeks afforestation credit buyers, sellers

  08 May 2012

  A new Brazilian environmental exchange has opened its doors to potential buyers and sellers of 'Forest Reserve Credits'.

• Generation leads $18.3m LED VC round

  08 May 2012

  A company specialising in LED lighting has raised $18.3 million in a venture capital financing round led by sustainability-focused investment firm Generation Investment Management.

• STX launches renewable energy certificate auctions

  08 May 2012

  An electronic platform for buying and selling renewable energy certificates in Europe has sold 100 gigawatt hours of electricity at its first auction.

• Renewables 'deadline' insurance hard to find

  08 May 2012

  Renewable energy project developers and investors, skittish about missing deadlines that could cost them US federal tax incentives and grants, are asking about the possibility of insurance to cover the risk – but options are extremely limited.

• Morgan Stanley backs major US solar finance facility

  08 May 2012

  Morgan Stanley is investing in a $300 million fund to finance residential solar projects in the US.

• Lenders drive demand for renewables insurance

  08 May 2012

  Demand from lenders is driving insurance purchases for renewable energy projects, even though the risk of a major pollution event for these projects is relatively slim, and the premiums are extremely attractive for buyers, according to providers.