News

• US solar PV installations surge in Q1

  14 June 2012

  Solar energy installations in the US were close to a record high in the first quarter of this year and are expected to rise 75% in 2012, as developers complete a backlog of projects that were racked up to take advantage of a concluding subsidy programme, according to an industry report.

• CA Cheuvreux stays on top of Extel SRI research survey

  13 June 2012

  Brokerage CA Cheuvreux has once more been voted best pan-European brokerage firm for sustainability research in the annual Thomson Reuters Extel survey, again pipping Bank of America into second place, while UBS climbed from fifth place to third.

• Climate change investing 'alive and well' – Citi

  13 June 2012

  Despite ever-rising carbon dioxide emissions, sinking solar stocks, and perceived falls in government support for renewables, the low-carbon investment theme is "alive and well", according to analysts at Citi.

• Forest Footprint Disclosure Project to join CDP

  12 June 2012

  The Forest Footprint Disclosure Project (FFDP) is to become part of the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP), in a rare merger of two not-for-profits.

• Little push-back seen on US state renewable energy targets

  12 June 2012

  US states are proving more inclined to strengthen their renewable portfolio standard (RPS) targets than repeal them – despite increased scrutiny of the costs of renewable energy mandates.

• IEA head calls for an end to government "complacency" on climate

  12 June 2012

  The lead of the International Energy Agency (IEA) has warned of government complacency over climate change, and is calling for policies to transform the energy system via a $36 trillion investment plan.

• Renewables MLP bill introduced into US Senate

  12 June 2012

  Clean energy supporters have cheered the introduction of a US Senate bill to allow renewable energy projects to seek financing using tax-advantaged master limited partnerships (MLPs), but they have low expectations for its chances in the current Congress.

• Bank of America sets $50bn environmental target

  12 June 2012

  Bank of America has announced it will direct $50 billion to address climate change over the next ten years, but it was slammed by an NGO for not addressing its financing of coal businesses.

• 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.