Important step forward in funding renewable energy development in Africa

UK Climate Investments is setting up Africa’s first dedicated renewable energy yieldco. A yieldco is a company that is formed to own operating assets that produce a predictable cash flow, primarily through long term contracts. Bella Weetch writes on the Energy Global website about latest developments. UK Climate Investments to support renewable energy development … Continue reading Important step forward in funding renewable energy development in Africa →

EBRD advances first loan to support renovation of residential multi-apartment buildings in Lithuania

Addressing a core issue in the effort to improve the use of energy in Lithuania, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is lending €67.5 million to support an innovative scheme to scale up renovation of residential multi-apartment buildings – its largest direct investment in renovating privately owned buildings in the country, according to … Continue reading EBRD advances first loan to support renovation of residential multi-apartment buildings in Lithuania →

How much climate change harms economies will depend a lot on how financial regulators and central banks react

Garth Heutel, Givi Melkadze and Stefano Carattini from Georgia State University write on The Conversation website about the important role central banks can play to avoid a financial crisis triggered by climate change. They conclude that central banks will have roles to play as countries try to manage climate change going forward. In particular, prudent … Continue reading How much climate change harms economies will depend a lot on how financial regulators and central banks react →

What it takes to urgently improve the energy efficiency of Britain’s housing stock

With some of the worst levels of energy efficiency in Europe, Britain’s housing stock is in urgent need of a plan to encompass wishes, grants to alleviate fuel poverty as well as installer training. Andrew Warren, chairman of the British Energy Efficiency Federation, provides his views in his column for the July/August issue of Energy … Continue reading What it takes to urgently improve the energy efficiency of Britain’s housing stock →

Impact of environmental taxes in the UK

A report from the UK National Audit Office acknowledges the benefits of taxation on organisations but questions what specific effects they achieve. Andrew Warren, chairman of the British Energy Efficiency Federation, discusses the issues in an article in the April 2021 issue of Energy in Buildings & Industry. Environmental taxes work – but we’re … Continue reading Impact of environmental taxes in the UK →

In its first economy-wide climate stress test, the European Central Bank assessed the impact of climate change on four million companies and 2,000 banks in the bloc

Gurpreet Narwan writes on The Times website about the first economy-wide climate stress test by the ECB on companies and banks in the European Union. European Central Bank environment stress test shows polluters at risk Climate change poses “a major source of systemic risk” to the economy, the European Central Bank has warned after … Continue reading In its first economy-wide climate stress test, the European Central Bank assessed the impact of climate change on four million companies and 2,000 banks in the bloc →

Paying for a service to accelerate deployment of energy-efficient technologies

Although energy-efficient technologies are available and their economic benefits are clear, there are several barriers that prevent these from being deployed, including high up-front costs, perception of greater performance risk, and other investment priorities. Dimitris Karamitsos writes on the weforum website about a way to overcome those barriers through servitisation. What is servitisation, and … Continue reading Paying for a service to accelerate deployment of energy-efficient technologies →

EU green finance getting more serious

Kate Abnett and Simon Jessop write on the Reuter’s website that new taxonomy rules will be tighter for buildings but much less so for the shipping industry. No doubt you will be reading more about latest developments in taxonomy. On November 20th, the Commission launched a stakeholder feedback period on the draft Commission Delegated Regulation supplementing … Continue reading EU green finance getting more serious →

Investors are pushing major European companies to make sure the “missing” costs of climate change are properly reflected in their financial statements

European and U.S. investors, who manage $9 trillion in assets, have sent 36 carbon-heavy companies a document setting out how they should account for the likely impact of the 2015 Paris climate accord on their future profits. Matthew Green and Simon Jessop explain latest developments in an article on the Reuters website. Investors tell … Continue reading Investors are pushing major European companies to make sure the “missing” costs of climate change are properly reflected in their financial statements →

World’s publicly financed development banks pledge to use their financial muscle to rescue the global economy from the Covid-19 crisis and the climate emergency

The goal must be to build economies that are sustainable, resilient and inclusive says one head of a development bank. Encouragingly, we are seeing development banks take a more co-ordinated, integrated approach to address recovery plans and the need to ensure the Paris climate objectives are met. Fiona Harvey explains in an article on The … Continue reading World’s publicly financed development banks pledge to use their financial muscle to rescue the global economy from the Covid-19 crisis and the climate emergency →