News

• Rio+20: Water issues 'better integrated' in latest text

  24 May 2012

  Issues around access to water have been reframed in the negotiating text that emerged this week for the Rio+20 sustainable development summit, according to a German official.

• Fugitive emissions make shale gas a risky investment – SWIP (CORRECTED)

  23 May 2012

  The Scottish Widows Investment Partnership has called for co-ordinated government policies to reduce fugitive methane emissions from shale gas extraction.

• Federal funds needed to keep clean-tech from 'valley of death'

  23 May 2012

  The US government must step in to finance clean energy research and development as the private markets continue to shy away from such investments, experts said.

• UK eyes low-carbon electricity sector with wide-ranging market reform

  22 May 2012

  The UK government has unveiled draft legislation to reform the country's electricity market to incentivise renewable energy, nuclear power and carbon capture and storage.

• State efforts raise questions over US federal CES – Murkowski

  22 May 2012

  An erstwhile Republican supporter of a federal clean energy standard (CES) has decided not to back a Senate bill establishing such a standard, citing successful efforts at the state level.

• Rio+20: Business calls for better policies on sustainability

  22 May 2012

  The deep transformation required to make society sustainable will only be achieved if governments set policies that unleash the power of business, according to the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD).

• Europe's largest renewables fund plays safe with onshore wind, hydro

  21 May 2012

  Europe's largest renewable energy infrastructure fund is only investing in projects that are closest to being viable without government support, according to the fund's manager.

• Republicans needed for renewables financing boost

  18 May 2012

  A Democratic US senator wants to allow clean energy projects to be financed using tax-advantaged master limited partnerships (MLPs), but has so far had no luck getting a Republican counterpart to sign on.

• EBRD puts emissions target on energy lending

  18 May 2012

  The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has announced a greenhouse gas emissions reduction target for the investments made in the 2012-14 phase of its sustainable energy initiative (SEI).

• Commerce Department hits Chinese solar firms with stiff anti-dumping penalties

  18 May 2012

  The US Department of Commerce imposed substantial anti-dumping penalties on Chinese solar manufacturers after finding that they have been dumping their products in the US at less than fair value.