New BPIE report calls on multilateral donors and policymakers to apply investment criteria for a sustainable reconstruction of Ukraine

This week the Buildings Performance Institute Europe presented six investment criteria to drive a sustainable reconstruction of Ukraine’s heavily damaged built environment. The report calls on multilateral donors and the Ukrainian government to allocate funding to projects that meet ambitious energy efficiency, renewable energy, climate adaptation, and circularity criteria. The criteria is aligned to scenarios … Continue reading New BPIE report calls on multilateral donors and policymakers to apply investment criteria for a sustainable reconstruction of Ukraine →

New rules will force U.S. firms to divulge role in warming the planet

US regulators approve significantly scaled back climate disclosure rule. In an article on The Conversation website Sehoon Kim, Assistant Professor of Finance, University of Florida, discusses why the requirements are weaker and what they mean for companies. For those of you wanting more, the Financial Times reports (behind a paywall) that ten US states petitioned … Continue reading New rules will force U.S. firms to divulge role in warming the planet →

There continues to be real opportunities for social impact investing (SII) directed to the Global South

Haider Alvi, Associate Professor of Innovation Finance, Faculty of Business, Athabasca University in Canada writes on The Conversation website about the issues related to social impact investing in the Global South. Responsible ESG investing in the Global South requires overcoming the Global North’s saviour complex ESG standards (Environment, Social and Governance) are metrics designed … Continue reading There continues to be real opportunities for social impact investing (SII) directed to the Global South →

Heat pumps as a service offered in Britain by Swedish company

Aira, which offers subscription service at no upfront cost, has sights set on UK’s growing heat pump market. Jillian Ambrose discusses latest developments in an article on the Guardian website. Swedish ‘Spotify of heat pumps’ hopes to reach more UK homes Britain’s plan to wean homes off fossil fuels has had a tepid start, … Continue reading Heat pumps as a service offered in Britain by Swedish company →

Key issues that will dominate COP28

In an article on The Conversation website, Rachel Kyte, Visiting Professor of Government, University of Oxford provides an excellent overview of the important issues that will dominate COP28. COP28 begins: 4 issues that will determine if the UN climate summit is a success, from methane to money The United Nations climate conference is underway … Continue reading Key issues that will dominate COP28 →

New publication on review of renewable energy support schemes in Europe for 2020 and 2021

This week the Council of European Energy Regulators, CEER, published its Status Review of Renewable Support Schemes in Europe for 2020 and 2021. This report constitutes the latest update to the regular CEER Status Reviews on Renewable Energy Sources (RES) support and builds on the previous CEER reports. The publication collects comparable data on support … Continue reading New publication on review of renewable energy support schemes in Europe for 2020 and 2021 →

Energy in Demand News, September 17, 2023

The Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTI) is undergoing some changes. SBTI show companies how much and how quickly businesses need to reduce their GHG emissions to prevent the worst impacts of climate change, leading them on a clear path towards decarbonisation. By guiding companies in science-based target setting, SBTi enables them to tackle climate change … Continue reading Energy in Demand News, September 17, 2023 →

The world’s poorest countries, mostly in Africa, are effectively priced out of the clean energy action by a global lending system that considers them too risky for investment

Max Bearak writes on the New York Times website about the lack of access to needed financing. A big obstacle is the lack of loans, a subject of intense disagreement between richer and poorer countries. But in Congo, where Mr. Bearak is writing from, a hard-fought solar investment shows a possible path forward. Clean … Continue reading The world’s poorest countries, mostly in Africa, are effectively priced out of the clean energy action by a global lending system that considers them too risky for investment →

No banks disclosed the share of total finance directed towards climate solutions in the last year, according to analysis by the TPI Centre

Only 6 of 26 banks have disclosed a commitment to end all on- and off-balance sheet activities that finance new coal capacity immediately. Only one of the banks’ net zero emissions commitments covers on and off-balance sheets activities. Five banks have publicly disclosed the quantitative results of climate scenario analysis to their shareholders and clients. … Continue reading No banks disclosed the share of total finance directed towards climate solutions in the last year, according to analysis by the TPI Centre →

One of the issues with ESG is how difficult it is for investors, consumers and the public to assess how effectively companies have implemented it

In an article on the Conversation website, Daniel Tsai, Lecturer in Business and Law at the University of Toronto and Peer Zumbansen, Professor of Business Law at McGill University discuss the need for changes to how ESG is implemented. The lack of government leadership and the fragmentation of the ESG landscape has created uncertainty about … Continue reading One of the issues with ESG is how difficult it is for investors, consumers and the public to assess how effectively companies have implemented it →