News

• Citi $6.4bn closer to climate investment target in 2011

  17 April 2012

  Citi facilitated or made $6.4 billion of investments to help mitigate climate change in 2011, putting the US banking giant comfortably on course to exceed its target of $50 billion in such investments by 2017.

• Clean energy M&A rises in first quarter

  13 April 2012

  Clean energy mergers and acquisitions (M&A) surged in the first quarter of 2012, while private equity investments and public market activity were all down, according to figures from VB Research.

• No US wind farms planned, or turbines ordered, for 2013 – AWEA

  13 April 2012

  The US wind energy industry is set to come to a grinding halt at the end of this year unless a crucial production tax credit (PTC) for renewable energy is extended, the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) has warned.

• BrightSource Energy withdraws IPO

  12 April 2012

  Solar thermal developer BrightSource Energy has withdrawn its initial public offering (IPO) due to adverse market conditions.

• Italian renewables tariff review dismays industry

  12 April 2012

  Italy is to cut the tariff it pays to solar energy installations by 35% on average, according to decrees approved by the industry and environment ministries.

• Clean energy investment slumps in first quarter

  12 April 2012

  New investment in clean energy in the first quarter of 2012 totalled $27 billion – some 28% down on the previous quarter and 22% below the total for the same quarter last year, according to Bloomberg New Energy Finance.

• RBS aims to save £200m through environmental targets

  12 April 2012

  The Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) has announced plans to save £200 million ($319 million) by 2020 via new environmental targets.

• Record first-quarter issuance for cat bonds

  12 April 2012

  A record volume of catastrophe (cat) bonds was issued in the first quarter of 2012, amid predictions that this year's Atlantic hurricane season will be milder than usual.

• Only 50% of solar PV module makers to survive the year – Photon

  12 April 2012

  Roughly half of the larger solar photovoltaic (PV) module makers will not be in business by 2013, and that number will halve again in 2014, according to an industry expert.

• UK seeds impact investment bank with £600m

  05 April 2012

  The UK government has launched a £600 million ($949 million) finance institution to lend money to charities and community groups, of which an undisclosed amount will go to environmental organisations.