News

• Impax assets rise 44%, portfolios defy clean-tech stock gloom

  13 January 2011

  Impax Asset Management reported a 44% rise in its assets under management last year to £1.8 billion ($2.8 billion), while its portfolios defied the gloom that afflicted indexes tracking clean technology and clean energy stocks. Since the end of the year, Impax's assets have risen again to £2.3 billion.

• Cat bond market tipped for $7bn in 2011

  13 January 2011

  Insurance experts have painted a rosy picture of the catastrophe bond market, with some predicting issuances in 2011 will reach $7 billion, up from $4.8 billion last year.

• Carlyle to develop ESG metrics for private equity investments

  13 January 2011

  Private equity giant Carlyle plans to develop a set of metrics to measure the environmental, social and governance (ESG) performance of its portfolio companies.

• Clean energy sees record $243bn investment in 2010

  12 January 2011

  Global investment in clean energy reached a record of $243 billion in 2010, a 30% increase on 2009 levels, according to research house Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF).

• Venture capitalists close record number of clean technology deals

  12 January 2011

  Venture capital (VC) firms invested $7.8 billion in clean-tech firms in 2010, up 28% year-on-year, according to figures from the Cleantech Group. The California-based research and advisory firm tracked 715 deals last year, across North America, Europe, China and India, an annual record.

• Carbon market will grow to €107bn in 2011 – analyst

  12 January 2011

  The carbon market will grow 15% to €107 billion ($139 billion) in 2011, according to analysts at Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF).

• Agricultural weather risk targeted by weather veteran

  12 January 2011

  Weather risk veteran Brian O'Hearne has set up a new venture, initially offering weather risk protection to the agricultural sector.

• LDK snaffles Solar Power, First Solar buys RayTracker

  10 January 2011

  Chinese solar wafer company LDK Solar has grabbed a 70% interest in solar module designer and manufacturer Solar Power, in a $33 million deal, while another solar transaction saw Arizona-based First Solar snap up technology company RayTracker.

• US looks to easy target in renewables subsidy spat with China

  06 January 2011

  The US government's case against China for allegedly violating international trade law in its support of its wind sector focuses on the one allegation that's easiest to pursue because it appears to be a blatant violation of trade rules, experts said.

• Sale of California concentrated solar project shows up financing woes

  06 January 2011

  The sale of a large-scale solar project in California is indicative of the ongoing challenges of financing unproven renewable energy technologies, according to a finance expert.