News

• US outlines proposals for national GHG reporting

  01 April 2009

  The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rel­eased its proposals for mandatory reporting of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions last month, setting in train a crucial underpinning of any carbon cap-and-trade system.

• US DOE guarantees first loan under renewables programme

  01 April 2009

  The US Department of Energy (DOE) has kickstarted its loan guarantee programme for renewable energy projects, providing a welcome boost to the solar industry.

• CCC seeking €500m for renewables equity fund

  01 April 2009

  London-based Climate Change Capital (CCC) has launched a private equity fund that will invest in medium-sized renewable energy projects in Europe.

• Babcock & Brown Wind to rebrand after parent's collapse

  01 April 2009

  Babcock & Brown Wind (BBW), still in the final stages of extricating itself from the debris of its erstwhile parent Babcock & Brown (B&B), will this month seek to rebrand and refocus its business, despite calls by a major shareholder for it to be wound up.

• US climate, energy compromises emerge

  01 April 2009

  Two leading US congressmen have unveiled draft energy and climate change legislation, as President Barack Obama signals that he is prepared to be flexible on one of the most contentious issues of a federal cap-and-trade system – auctioning carbon allow­ances.

• EU power sector commits to 'carbon neutrality

  01 April 2009

  European electricity companies have pledged to become carbon neutral by 2050, by reducing their greenhouse gas emissions as far as possible and offsetting any unavoidable emissions.

• Element closes $486m clean-tech equity fund

  01 April 2009

  Element Partners has closed a $486 million clean technology growth equity fund, Element Partners II, exceeding its original $400 million target for the fund.

• Catastrophe bond market bounces back

  01 April 2009

  Insurance companies successfully sponsored $575 million of natural catastrophe (cat) bonds in the first quarter of 2009, marking the end of a six-month hiatus caused by the collapse of Lehman Brothers and the general malaise in financial markets.

• Warning issued on government carbon trades

  01 April 2009

  Government-to-government sales of Kyoto Protocol carbon emissions allow­ances have been steadily gathering momentum, with three deals signed in March – including the largest single such sale to date – prompting industry body the International Emissions Trading Association (IETA) to caution on how the proceeds are used.

• VCS registry launched

  01 April 2009

  The first Voluntary Carbon Standard (VCS) credits were issued last month, following the long-awaited launch of registries for the offset standard.