News

• EPA dismisses scare stories over power regulation

  02 February 2011

  Rumours of the destructive impact of pending federal pollution and carbon regulations on the US power sector have been greatly exaggerated, according to a top Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) official.

• Indian firms outdo global average on carbon

  02 February 2011

  Indian construction, automotive and telecommunications companies have a lower carbon intensity than the global average, according to HSBC. However, the bank found Indian firms in areas such as materials, resources and banking are no better than the global average.

• Obama calls for 80% clean energy by 2035 – but includes clean coal, gas and nuclear

  27 January 2011

  President Obama set a goal of generating 80% of US electricity from clean energy sources by 2035 in his State of the Union address on Tuesday, but renewable energy advocates were dismayed by his inclusion of clean coal and nuclear power.

• Greening programme for private equity firms launched

  27 January 2011

  Private equity firms looking to incorporate environmental performance in their investment decisions will soon have a new tool at their disposal.

• Success unlikely for Spanish solar legal challenge: lawyer

  27 January 2011

  The Spanish solar industry's plans to pursue legal action over changes to the country's support for photovoltaic (PV) installations are unlikely to succeed, a Spanish lawyer has said.

• HSBC sets out oil sands policy, RAN unimpressed

  27 January 2011

  HSBC has added language on oil sands to its policies governing lending to the energy sector – but the policy has left a leading pressure group unimpressed.

• Carbon Principles fail to slow US coal financing – RAN

  27 January 2011

  The Carbon Principles have done nothing to slow down financing of US coal-fired power plants by the six banks that signed the voluntary agreement, according to a report by environment group Rainforest Action Network (RAN).

• Advanced biofuels projects win flurry of US loan guarantees

  26 January 2011

  The US government is stepping up its support for advanced biofuels, with two federal agencies providing loan guarantees worth hundreds of millions, but the sector still faces funding and technology issues that are challenging its ability to scale-up operations.

• BP forecasts huge growth in energy demand, carbon by 2030

  26 January 2011

  Global policy and technology efforts aimed at reducing emissions are not doing enough to set the world on a safe carbon path, according to BP, which predicts global emissions in 2030 will be 27% higher than today.

• Shareholders tell gas firms to 'frack' off

  26 January 2011

  Shareholder resolutions related to natural gas "fracking" practices have proven more popular and sometimes more effective in changing energy company practices than similar resolutions, partly due to tremendous media scrutiny, investor advocates said.