News

• Stoxx ESG index looks to launch investable products

  11 October 2011

  Index provider Stoxx is in talks to launch exchange-traded funds (ETFs) based on its most recent environmental, social and governance (ESG) index family, which is weighted by sustainability rather than traditional measures of stock liquidity.

• Relief for renewables as Liberals win in Ontario

  11 October 2011

  Ontario's subsidy for renewable energy generation dodged a bullet with the surprising victory of the Liberal Party in provincial elections last week – although the feed-in tariff (FiT) programme could still undergo significant changes.

• DOE loan chief steps down amid Solyndra backlash

  07 October 2011

  The head of the US Department of Energy (DOE) Loan Programs Office has resigned in the midst of the controversy surrounding the bankruptcy of solar panel manufacturer Solyndra.

• US loan guarantees drive a spike in clean energy project finance

  06 October 2011

  Global clean energy project finance rose to a record $49.9 billion last quarter, as US developers rushed to take advantage of a cash grant programme that is soon to expire, according to data from VB Research.

• Dutch government signs 59 Green Deals

  06 October 2011

  The Dutch government signed 59 'Green Deals' with businesses and citizen groups on Monday, in a bid to increase the generation of renewable energy.

• Carbon rallies as ECJ aide backs aviation's inclusion in ETS

  06 October 2011

  The inclusion of aviation in the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS) does not violate international law, said an aide to the European Court of Justice (ECJ) – paving the way for the court to rule against a legal challenge to the plan, and boosting confidence in the trading programme.

• Carbon capture 'on track' for 2020 target

  06 October 2011

  The world is likely to have 20 large-scale carbon capture and storage (CCS) projects operating by 2020, according to the latest report from the Global CCS Institute.

• Solyndra backlash risks hobbling US clean energy sector

  06 October 2011

  The controversy surrounding the collapse of solar panel manufacturer Solyndra could make it impossible to extend the US loan guarantee or cash grant programmes for renewable energy and may make supporting other clean energy programmes much more challenging, experts have said.

• Value-chain emissions reporting to become norm in five years – Simpson

  04 October 2011

  Reporting of greenhouse gas emissions from a company's value chain will become standard practice within three to five years, predicted Paul Simpson, CEO of the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP).

• SRI policies take off at European pension funds – Eurosif

  04 October 2011

  A majority of European corporate pension funds have a socially responsible investment (SRI) policy in place, according to a survey by the European Sustainable Investment Forum (Eurosif).