News

• EPA backs US biofuel mandate

  01 September 2008

  The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has refused a request by Texas to halve the country's Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS) mandate, but there could be more attempts to water down the target.

• World Bank blames biofuel boom for food price rises

  01 September 2008

  A World Bank study has said large increases in biofuels production in the US and Europe are the biggest cause of rises in food prices around the globe since January 2002.

• KLD launches bond index

  01 September 2008

  KLD Research & Analytics has launched an index family tracking bonds issued by US corporations with strong environmental, social governance (ESG) performance, branching out from equity indexes for the first time.

• Huge US?renewables projects defy credit crunch

  01 September 2008

  Gigantic renewable energy projects are being developed in the US and Canada despite the credit crunch, but the looming expiration of the federal tax credit threatens to derail some projects.

• Clean-tech listings get done – at a trickle

  01 September 2008

  Ahandful of clean technology initial public offerings (IPOs) are "getting out the door", but market observers say investors remain skittish, amid mixed post-IPO performance.

• Carbon fund assets reach $12.9bn, up 63%

  01 September 2008

  Assets managed by carbon funds have grown to $12.87 billion, up from $7.9 billion one year ago, according to research* by Environmental Finance Publications, with 80 private-sector carbon funds, government procurement vehicles and buyers' pools either operational, raising money or fully invested.

• Malua BioBank sells first biodiversity credits

  01 September 2008

  The first credits from a novel biodiversity bio­bank have been sold, following a $10 million private equity investment and the establishment of what is claimed to be the first registry of its kind to track credit trades.

• EU?to link to UN?emissions trading system in October

  01 September 2008

  A long-delayed connection between the EU and the UN's two carbon credit tracking systems will be made in October, the European Commission announced last month – providing a much-needed boost to project developers and carbon traders.

• Prince and pension funds join to fight climate change

  01 September 2008

  Ten of the world's largest public pension funds and the Prince of Wales plan to launch the 'P8' initiative on climate change later this year, in time for the next round of climate change negotiations in Poznan.

• Exchanges vie for US carbon business

  01 September 2008

  Two US exchanges are listing contracts for the country's first mandatory cap-and-trade programme targeting carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, ahead of the inaugural allowance auction on 25 September by six of the 10 states involved.