News

• Chicago exchange to list REC futures

  16 April 2009

  Market participants embraced the Chicago Climate Futures Exchange (CCFE) decision to list renewable energy certificate (REC) futures, but there are questions about the potential liquidity of the contracts.

• Business reports on 'Stern review' of nature

  16 April 2009

  A major study on the economic importance of nature is seeking input from businesses across all sectors.

• Aventine partly blames biofuel blending credits for bankruptcy

  15 April 2009

  US ethanol producer Aventine Renewable Energy claimed that the increased use by fuel refiners and blenders of excess tradeable biofuel credits to meet their blending targets had helped to push it into Chapter 11 bankruptcy last week.

• E.Capital Partners launches water index

  09 April 2009

  E. Capital Partners has launched an environmentally-screened index to track global water stocks "best positioned to capture the opportunities arising from the challenges of the declining water availability".

• Climate Group rebuts attack on Climate Principles

  09 April 2009

  The Climate Group has hit back at claims that the Climate Principles are "meek" or "window dressing", but acknowledged that "more action" is required from the finance sector to tackle climate change.

• Norwegian fund proposes $3 billion green investments

  09 April 2009

  Norway's finance minister had proposed that the government's $39 billion pension fund allocates $3 billion to sustainable investments – potentially the largest such allocation ever made.

• Investors eye forestry, water opportunities in tough markets

  09 April 2009

  US investors have deserted the green investment space, according to analysts and investors speaking at a recent environmental markets conference in New York.

• No clean-tech rally before 2010 – BoA

  09 April 2009

  Investors hoping that clean technology will be able to beat the market in 2009 look to be disappointed, Banc of America Securities-Merrill Lynch (BAS-ML) said this week. Delays in the implementation of the stimulus package and wider market trends mean it will be 2010-11 before business improves, it said in a research note.

• ICF sees EUA prices breaching €70 by 2020

  08 April 2009

  The failure of the EU to meet its 2020 renewable energy targets could see EU allowance (EUA) prices hitting €70 ($93) by that date, according to consultancy ICF International. And wholesale power prices in the bloc are set to double over 2010-20, ICF predicted in its latest European Power & Carbon Markets Outlook report.

• UK set to unveil bioenergy sustainability policy

  08 April 2009

  The UK's Environment Agency (EA) will in a fortnight unveil its policy on the greenhouse gas emissions produced by bioenergy in its full life-cycle, from the growing of feedstock crops to consumption.