News

• Climate change worsening natural catastrophe rate – Munich Re

  07 January 2010

  Losses from natural catastrophes were dramatically lower in 2009 than the previous year, owing mainly to a benign North American hurricane season, according to Munich Re.

• Invest in wind stocks, avoid solar, says Jefferies

  07 January 2010

  Investors should avoid the solar sector in the early part of this year, according to equity analysts at investment bank Jefferies International, but wind energy companies may be a good bet as orders are expected to surge.

• Almost half of asset managers ignoring climate – Ceres

  07 January 2010

  An alarmingly high number of asset managers are ignoring the risks posed by climate change in thir investment decision-making, according to a reportt by Ceres.

• Copenhagen likely to slow low-carbon investment – investors

  07 January 2010

  The disappointing outcome of the Copenhagen talks last month is likely to discourage some investors from committing to low-carbon investments, leading investors have conceded – despite likely progress on national and regional efforts to promote alternative energy technologies.

• Clean-tech investors favoured energy efficiency in 2009

  07 January 2010

  Clean technology investors ploughed money into the energy efficiency, transportation and power storage sectors in 2009, at the expense of more traditional renewable energy technologies such as solar and wind, according to end-of-year reports from two analysis firms.

• Experts split on significance of China's new green energy law

  07 January 2010

  Renewable energy specialists in China have questioned the significance of a recent amendment to the country's 2006 Renewable Energy Law, saying it will have little, if any, effect on renewable energy companies on the ground.

• Political posturing rises as Copenhagen talks near end

  17 December 2009

  Politicians are upping the rhetoric as the UN climate talks in Copenhagen approach their conclusion tomorrow, led by US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who today endorsed proposals for $100 billion a year of funding for climate change adaptation and mitigation in developing countries, by 2020.

• Cat bonds to beat 2008 issuance this year - Swiss Re

  17 December 2009

  The value of catastrophe (cat) bonds sold this year is likely to top 2008's total, according to leading sponsor Swiss Re – a strong recovery for a market that stalled completely after the financial crisis.

• World Bank sets aside $750m for solar in North Africa, Middle East

  17 December 2009

  Eleven concentrated solar projects in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) are set to receive $750 million from the World Bank, which it said could help unlock a further $4.85 billion in financing from other sources.

• US promotes caps, and some trade, for fish stocks

  17 December 2009

  A US government policy may encourage wider adoption of programmes to curtail overfishing, some of which will have trading mechanisms.