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China pledges to starve polluters of credit
01 September 2007China's top banking regulatory commission, together with its state environmental agency, has vowed to restrict lending to heavily polluting companies. The bold policy created a buzz both on and off the mainland. However, observers were cautious, citing the failure of similar government efforts and an enforcement gap between national and local banking authorities.
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ADB in $100m clean energy call
01 September 2007The Asia Development Bank (ADB) is planning to invest $100 million in up to five private equity funds focusing on renewables, energy efficiency or carbon reductions in the region. In a call for proposals, issued in July, the ADB said it aims to "significantly increase its investments in the clean energy sector in Asia through specialised private equity funds".
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NOx trading goes annual
01 September 2007Participants in the US nitrogen oxide (NOx) allowance market are beginning to trade for the 2009 annual market, at prices up to $7,000/ton, despite the fact that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has not yet allocated allowances.
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Barclays' China deal raises environmental risks
01 September 2007China Development Bank (CDB) has acquired a 3.1% stake in Barclays, which could rise to 6–7%, giving the UK-based bank access to the prized Chinese market. But socially responsible investment research firm Innovest Strategic Value Advisors has raised concerns about the environmental, social and governance risk to Barclays from the deal.
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People moves this month
01 September 2007US investment bank JPMorgan has appointed KEDIN KILGORE as head of North American environmental product markets. Based in New York, Kilgore, who previously traded environmental markets at investment company RNK Capital, will be responsible for the bank's activities in greenhouse gas and renewable energy certificate markets.
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Trade in GHG permits and credits up 45%
01 September 2007Volumes in the world's carbon markets were up 45% year on year to 1.2 billion tonnes in the first six months of 2007, according to research from Point Carbon.
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Merrill launches energy efficiency index
01 September 2007Merrill Lynch has launched an index to track companies that offer energy efficiency savings.
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Power to the people
01 September 2007The growing enthusiasm for biofuels touches many of the world's high-profile issues: energy, the environment, food supply, trade and a large dose of international politics. Vic Wyman reports
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Fuel cell inside
01 September 2007With the much-vaunted hydrogen economy still on the distant horizon, the fuel cell sector has fallen out of favour with environmental investors. But Ceres Power is offering a different fuel cell play. Elisabeth Jeffries reports
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Rethinking risk
01 September 2007As this issue of Environmental Finance went to press on 21 August, the world's investors seemed to be holding their breath. The US Fed's move at the end of the previous week, cutting its discount rate by 0.5 percentage points, had, for the time being at least, put the brakes on stock market slides. But, with continuing anxiety in the credit markets, the consensus is that more volatility is around the corner.