News

• 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.

• Sustainable palm oil 'a serious business opportunity' – WWF

  05 April 2012

  Financial gains and other business benefits for palm oil producers outweigh the costs of meeting sustainable palm oil criteria, according to the WWF.

• NYSE and BNEF launch sectoral clean energy indexes

  05 April 2012

  NYSE Euronext and Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF) have introduced three sector-focused global clean energy indexes.

• UK brokerage to aid access to green finance

  03 April 2012

  A specialist brokerage firm has been launched to help UK companies access finance for renewable energy and energy efficiency projects.

• Sustainable investment groups to collaborate on global tally

  02 April 2012

  Regional sustainable investment groups are to collaborate to produce a first-of-its kind assessment of the size of the global sustainable and responsible investment market.

• Sustainability reduces corporate bond risk – Sarasin

  02 April 2012

  Bonds issued by companies with a high sustainability rating had a lower risk premium during the recent financial crisis than those issued by their less-sustainable peers, say analysts at Bank Sarasin.