News

• Investors sign up to $10bn climate action plan

  01 March 2008

  Almost 50 institutional investors signed up to a 'climate risk action plan' last week, which includes a promise to plough $10 billion into clean technology within two years.

• SAM doubles AUM in 07

  01 March 2008

  Sustainable Asset Management (SAM) has increased its assets under management to Sfr8.5 billion ($8.1 billion) in its 2007 financial year, an increase of 125% on the previous year. Including the assets on which it advises, the figure is Sfr15 ­billion.

• Germanic SRI assets leap 90%

  01 March 2008

  The assets managed by sustainable investment funds in Germany, Austria and Switzerland grew by 90% in 2007, reaching €34 billion ($51.7 billion) according to the Sustainable Business Institute (SBI), based in Oestrich-Winkel, Germany. The number of funds also grew, from 137 in 2006 to 181 by the end of last year.

• Indonesia eyes 100Mt of REDD credits

  01 March 2008

  US investment bank Merrill Lynch has joined an Indonesian-based avoided deforestation project which is expected to generate 100 million tonnes of voluntary emission reductions (VERs) over 30 years.

• CERA sees $7 trillion for clean energy

  01 March 2008

  Cumulative clean energy investment could surpass $7 trillion by 2030, according to a study from Cambridge Energy Research Associates (CERA).

• TFS launches green finance division

  01 March 2008

  Brokerage TFS Energy has launched a 'green finance' division, which will focus on sourcing finance for renewable energy and emission reduction projects. The division is headed by Matt Williamson, who joins the firm from New York-based SparQ Energy Advisors, where he was a principal.

• Clarification – CCX

  01 March 2008

  In the February issue, we reported on the launch of the Green Exchange, noting that, unlike the Chicago Climate Exchange (CCX), it will be regulated by the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC – see page 6).

• People moves this month

  01 March 2008

  Dutch sustainable energy company Econcern has appointed ANGELIEN KEMNA and her husband AART VAN BEUZEKOM to lead its €1 billion ($1.5 million) fund that will finance solar, offshore wind, biofuels and energy efficiency projects.

• China launches first environmental stock index

  01 February 2008

  China's Shenzhen Stock Exchange and state-owned TEDA Holding Company have jointly launched China's first environmental and social responsibility stock index, on 2 January.

• WeatherBill pays out on Canadian snow deal

  01 February 2008

  Online weather risk management service WeatherBill has paid for thousands of holidays booked by customers of Canadian tour operator itravel2000.com after an unusually heavy fall of snow in Montreal triggered a weather deal signed last year.