News

• More carbon cuts from shareholders, consumers than emissions trading?

  01 September 2007

  Pressure from consumers and shareholders to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases is having more of an impact on many large companies than the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS), according to some emissions specialists.

• Renewable investment 'to reach $750bn by 2016'

  01 September 2007

  World-wide investment in renewable energy could pass the $750 billion mark by 2016, Ernst & Young predicts.

• Italian business offered hot weather bet

  01 September 2007

  Merrill Lynch has launched a temperature-linked investment product that will allow farmers and retailers in Italy to mitigate against the impacts of hot weather on crop yields or sales.

• Sakhalin finances under spotlight

  01 September 2007

  Two campaign groups have filed for a judicial review of the UK export credit agency's decision to underwrite $1 billion of contracts for the controversial Sakhalin II oil and gas project before the environmental impact assessment of the project was completed.

• Hurricane Dean to cost insurers up to $3 billion

  01 September 2007

  Insured losses from Hurricane Dean are likely to be between $1.5 billion and $3 billion, according to extreme risk modeller Eqecat, hitting the insurance sector with its second big bill this summer.

• China pledges to starve polluters of credit

  01 September 2007

  China's top banking regulatory commission, together with its state environmental agency, has vowed to restrict lending to heavily polluting companies. The bold policy created a buzz both on and off the mainland. However, observers were cautious, citing the failure of similar government efforts and an enforcement gap between national and local banking authorities.

• ADB in $100m clean energy call

  01 September 2007

  The Asia Development Bank (ADB) is planning to invest $100 million in up to five private equity funds focusing on renewables, energy efficiency or carbon reductions in the region. In a call for proposals, issued in July, the ADB said it aims to "significantly increase its investments in the clean energy sector in Asia through specialised private equity funds".

• NOx trading goes annual

  01 September 2007

  Participants in the US nitrogen oxide (NOx) allowance market are beginning to trade for the 2009 annual market, at prices up to $7,000/ton, despite the fact that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has not yet allocated allowances.

• Barclays' China deal raises environmental risks

  01 September 2007

  China Development Bank (CDB) has acquired a 3.1% stake in Barclays, which could rise to 6–7%, giving the UK-based bank access to the prized Chinese market. But socially responsible investment research firm Innovest Strategic Value Advisors has raised concerns about the environmental, social and governance risk to Barclays from the deal.

• People moves this month

  01 September 2007

  US investment bank JPMorgan has appointed KEDIN KILGORE as head of North American environmental product markets. Based in New York, Kilgore, who previously traded environmental markets at investment company RNK Capital, will be responsible for the bank's activities in greenhouse gas and renewable energy certificate markets.