News

• Silver Lake teams with Soros for clean-tech venture

  03 March 2011

  Private equity firm Silver Lake and financier George Soros will team up to launch a venture to fund innovative companies in the energy and resource sectors.

• Ontario approves 40 renewable projects but no joy for offshore wind plans

  03 March 2011

  Ontario's clean energy sector received a boost last week with the approval of contracts for 40 renewable energy projects, representing nearly 900MW in energy capacity. However, offshore wind projects will miss out on assistance from the government's feed-in tariff (FIT) programme.

• BlackRock jumps into renewables infrastructure investment

  03 March 2011

  Investment management giant BlackRock has launched a new renewable power investment group, led by the CEO of Irish utility NTR – marking its first foray into renewable energy infrastructure investing.

• Suspension will be temporary for embattled Amazon dam - campaigners

  03 March 2011

  An order blocking construction of Brazil's Belo Monte dam will prove only a temporary victory, campaigners say, as they are expecting the decision to be overturned.

• Ecotricity: green bonds now 'permanent part' of corporate fundraising

  03 March 2011

  Green bonds are to become a permanent fixture of how UK renewable energy utility Ecotricity raises finance – although the UK government's review of its solar feed-in tariff could delay the next fund-raising.

• Money laundering scandal could finish off carbon trading – Barcap

  03 March 2011

  The EU's Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) is the ideal environment for laundering money – and if such a scandal emerges, it will mean the end of the cap-and-trade programme, a leading investment banker has warned.

• Investors offer tips to US firms on disclosing climate risks, opportunities

  03 March 2011

  Providing quality disclosure on climate change risks and opportunities is no easy task, but a report by Ceres aims to let companies know exactly what information investors are looking for in the US.

• Commission seeks input on raising €100bn of 'project bonds'

  03 March 2011

  The European Commission has launched a public consultation to find the best way of encouraging the private sector to plug the €100 billion ($139 billion) shortfall needed to update Europe's outdated energy infrastructure via 'project bonds'.

• China still top dog but global renewables in 'flux' – E&Y

  02 March 2011

  China is still the most attractive market for renewables investment, despite facing significant supply chain challenges, while continued economic pressure has put the wider global renewables market "in a state of flux", according to analysis by Ernst & Young.

• US set to outpace Canadian sustainable business spend

  02 March 2011

  Canadian businesses are increasing spending on sustainability, but growth rates are still trailing their counterparts south of the border.