Sustainable Energy News: 01/27/12

Friday, January 27, 2012

For Africa is there more carbon permit demand or less supply needed? Does it matter?

allAfrica.com: Africa, Steer Clear of This Ponzi Climate Scheme

PointCarbon, Reuters' climate trade news service, concluded that, 'Carbon markets are still on life support after the COP17 put off some big decisions until next year and failed to deliver any hope for a needed boost in carbon permit demand.'

1.65 Trillion Euros In Green Bonds To Be Issued By 2020

Environmental Finance | News | Green bonds vital to Europe – Barclays

‘Green bonds’ are set to fill most of a €2.9 trillion ($3.9 trillion) capital hole required to build low-carbon infrastructure in Europe from 2011-20, according to a report by Barclays and consultancy Accenture. Capital markets will supply €1.65 trillion, or 73% of the capital required, the report predicts, with banks playing an increasing role as the intermediary between projects and institutional capital. Green bonds, or asset-backed securities linked to low-carbon technology, will allow infrastructure projects access to €1.4 trillion of capital, the report forecasts.

Pipeline for green bonds filling up

Environmental Finance | News | Green bonds, securitisations in the pipeline as interest builds

A green bond worth $500 million certified to a new climate bonds standard is set to be issued within the coming months, while bankers are prepping renewable energy securitisations. Sean Kidney, chairman of the Climate Bonds Initiative, revealed that a $500 million green bond is being readied for launch in May, to coincide with the scheduled launch of a ‘beta’ Climate Bond Standard, designed to certify the environmental integrity of the underlying projects financed.

Green bonds downgraded

Environmental Finance | News | S&P downgrades €287m of Breeze wind energy bonds

Standard & Poor’s has downgraded €287 million ($396 million) of ‘Breeze 3’ renewable energy-backed bonds on the back of continuing poor performance of the underlying portfolio of projects, and has warned that €50 million of ‘Breeze 2’ notes could default, if underperformance conditions.

Do we really want the investment bankers getting a hold of this?

Environmental Finance | News | S&P sets out solar securitisation challenges

Securitisation may be a “viable option” for solar photovoltaic (PV) developers, says rating agency Standard & Poor’s (S&P), but it has set out a list of concerns that are likely to prove daunting to structurers and credit ratings firms. “As the US solar power industry continues to expand, developers will need various financing outlets to fund their growth,” S&P says in a note lead-authored by Andrew Giudici, a New York-based primary credit analyst at the company. “Such transactions could provide the issuers' parents with a significant amount of upfront cash for capital spending or other business ventures.”

Sustainability Leads To Healthier Air, Higher Morale

Sustainability in the Workplace: Healthier Air, Higher Morale

RIVERDALE, N.J., Jan. 27, 2012 /PRNewswire-iReach/ -- Sustainability isn't only on the minds of consumers, shareholders, and environmentalists. Employees and companies are finding they are becoming increasingly concerned with how their workplaces interact with the world around them. Businesses that have embraced sustainability initiatives have discovered that while these programs can cut down on waste, energy, and costs, they can also boost employee morale. To put it simply, workers want to be associated with companies that do the right thing. And the responsible use of resources has clearly become a "right thing" to do.

Wind power tax credit expiring soon

Environmental Finance | News | Expiring tax credit threatens US wind expansion

The US Congress should extend the production tax credit (PTC) for wind before the end of the first quarter of 2012 to keep the industry growing at its current robust rate, according to American Wind Energy Association (AWEA). The US wind industry installed about 6.8GW in 2011, a 31% increase from the 5.1GW in 2010, bringing total capacity up to 47GW, up 17% on 2010, according to AWEA. Installations in the fourth quarter of 2011 were very strong, with 3.4GW of new capacity, more than the first three quarters of the year combined.

Davos' Carbon Footprint

Picarro Reveals Carbon Emissions in Davos from the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2012 - MarketWatch

SANTA CLARA, Calif. & DAVOS, Switzerland, Jan 27, 2012 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- World Economic Forum -- Picarro, the world's leading provider of instruments for carbon and water cycle measurements, today announced results from its City Carbon project, demonstrating measurements of near real-time carbon emission estimates from the city of Davos, Switzerland before and during the World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting.