News

• VCs strike gold on European clean energy bets

  01 October 2007

  Venture capitalists (VCs) are set to make annualised returns of 55% on investments in clean energy start-ups in Europe, according to new figures from New Energy Finance (NEF).

• Climate policies risk market distortions – Lehman

  01 October 2007

  Cost must be placed at the centre of climate change policy if market distortion is to be avoided, said John Llewellyn, London-based senior economic policy adviser for Lehman Brothers, in a report published last month.

• Uranium mining enters FTSE4Good

  01 October 2007

  Rio Tinto has become the first company involved in uranium mining to be included in the FTSE4Good index since restrictions were lifted over a year ago.

• CDP and Wal-Mart to target supply chain emissions

  01 October 2007

  The Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) will join with Wal-Mart to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the giant retailer's supply chain.

• OECD' report stokes fear and confusion over biofuels

  01 October 2007

  Forests, wetlands and pastureland are being put at risk by the growing demand for biofuels, while the use of food crops to power the transport system is likely to push up food prices for at least a decade, according to a damning report prepared for the OECD.

• Weather deal to save African farmers from famine

  01 October 2007

  Swiss Re has sold a series of weather derivative contracts to protect African farmers from poverty and famine in event of drought ruining their harvest.

• EU energy package to boost renewables – Commission

  01 October 2007

  Renewable energy developers will benefit from proposals to simplify and make more competitive Europe's energy market, according to the European Commission.

• Real estate investor buys up conservation fund

  01 October 2007

  MuniMae Mortgage & Equity has moved into the ecosystems services business, with the acquisition of the Sustainable Land Fund for an undisclosed sum.

• People moves this month

  01 October 2007

  TOM FROST, a former associate director and emissions and renewable energy specialist at UK-based stockbroker Numis Securities, has joined fast-growing Icelandic bank Kaupthing.

• Climate Group plans China campaign

  01 October 2007

  The Climate Group is launching awareness-raising campaigns in Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong as part of its efforts to engage influential businesses and city governments to lead "a coalition of the willing" against global warming. It also aims, this month, to start exploring the potential for the creation of a low-carbon economy in the Pear River delta.