Discussion - The Other Debt Ceiling: Using Finance to Balance Our Environmental Budget

This discussion will take place on November 20, 2013, and is presented by Solar One and NYC ACRE 7 p.m. -9 p.m. (Doors at 6:30), The WNYC Jerome L. Greene Performance Space 44 Charlton Street, New York City.

As weather events become more extreme, water shortages threaten, and human sprawl leads to biodiversity loss, there is a new focus on the global economic impact of environmental degradation. Studies from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Harvard School of Public Health, and others assert that our active growth and inactive conservation efforts have left us with a trillion-dollar bill.

Cleantech Troubles in 2013: Predictions from Kachan

As reported in an Environmental Leader article, Kachan & Co, a boutique cleantech research and advisory firm, is predicting that Global cleantech will “backtrack” in 2013. According to their bleak predictions, venture capital investments will decline even further than they did in 2012 and long-term risks are emerging in the solar, wind and electric vehicle market.

Kachan's latest predictions indicate cleantech venture capital investment won’t ever return to the highs it achieved before the financial crisis of 2007-2008. In 2013, the sector will lose venture investors because of disappointing returns, poor policy support worldwide and a lag time in the pullback of equity and debt investment.

Event - Renewable Energy Finance and Infrastructure Summit

The fourth annual Renewable Energy Finance and Infrastructure Summit will take place on February 27th – 28th, 2013 in Vienna Austria. Concrete efforts in the energy sector are moving Renewable Energy towards a truly sustainable role within the global energy market. Despite this, both European and other countries are continuing to face difficulties related to National budget cuts, changes to financial markets, and instability in both the regulatory and policy environments.

These issues continue to prevent smooth progress with Renewable Energy projects. In the face of these obstacles, finance and investment professionals in the renewables sector have continued to find innovative approaches to increase the contribution that their projects can make to both energy markets and sustainable approaches to energy production.

GigaOM: Top Cleantech Stories of 2012

Here are GigaOM's top stories based on page views. GigaOM’s cleantech fans loved exclusive photos and videos of new technologies in 2012. Yeah, that’s probably not such a surprise, but the most-trafficked cleantech stories in 2012 included: the first photos and videos of Tesla’s Model X electric SUV, photos and an explainer of Apple’s ground-breaking solar farm in North Carolina, and photos and videos inside Facebook’s energy-efficient Oregon data center A number of these highly trafficked stories managed to capture the interest not just of cleanteach regulars but more mainstream readers as well. Meantime, their loyal readers also appreciated their profiles of new and under-the-radar startups, feature stories on clean energy and electric car trends, and explainers on new battery technologies.

Alternative Energy Stocks After Obama's Election Victory

After the election of Obama, many believed that we would see a surge in alternative energy stock prices, but this did not happen. As reviewed in a Renewable Energy World article “of the approximately 250 alternative energy companies that the Roen Financial Report tracks, only 21 companies, or less than 9%, were gainers. In other words, losers beat gainers by a 10:1 ratio! On average, alternative energy companies were down 5.8%, with 35 companies showing double-digit losses for the week. Of the 21 gainers, fully half were volatile penny stocks with market caps less than $100 million, so those gains may change very quickly.”

“Of the six alternative energy industries — wind, solar, smart grid, efficiency, fuel alternatives and environmental companies — wind fared the worst. Only two wind companies posted a gain for the week, Pike Electric Corporation (PIKE) and the highly speculative Quantum Fuel Systems Technologies (QTWW). Otherwise, the average wind company lost 6.0% for the week.”

The CERINA Investment Model from IWR

The CERINA plan (CO2 Emissions and Renewable Investment Action Plan) is an investment model by means of which CO2 emissions are compensated for through investments in renewable energy technologies. Since 2009, the German Based Renewable Energy Industry (IWR) has been determining global CO2 emissions and those of individual states using the fossil fuel energy consumption data of BP. On this basis, the amount of investment in renewable technology needed to stabilise global CO2 emissions at the current level is then computed for each country.

On the basis of an objective allocation key per metric ton of CO2, the level of investment can be specified according to the source. Countries with low emissions are required to make lower investments than are countries with high emissions.

A Private Sector Approach to Clean Technology from the CTTA

The Clean Technology Trade Alliance (CTTA) is a non-profit trade organization whose founding premise is based on the concept that supporting and improving the environment for future generations can only be accomplished through private sector action. Although they strive to support the environment and strengthen the economy, the CTTA sees efficiency as the driving force of business rather than environmental concerns.

China and the Growth of Global Wind Power

China is now the global leader in the rapidly growing wind energy sector. The International Wind Energy Development (IWED) report predicts that the wind power market, is expected to grow from $96.4 billion in 2011 to $161.2 billion in 2015. By 2020, wind power expected to supply almost 10 percent (9.1 percent) of the world’s power needs. The report predicts an average global growth rate of 15.5 percent a year for new annual installations through 2015, which would result in a total global capacity of 513.6 GW by 2015. The report also predicts an average annual growth rate of 11.5 percent from 2016 to 2020, which would bring world capacity to almost 1,000 GW by 2020.

The Promise of Renewable Energy in the US

While many Republicans are deriding a future powered by renewable energy, others are working to bring that reality to fruition. Renewable energy is not a pipe dream like the GOP supported Keystone XL pipeline. Clean power can supply the majority of America's energy needs. The right combination of leadership and popular support could radically change US dependence on fossil fuels while significantly reducing climate change causing emissions.

BIT's World Congress of Greentech (Event)

On October 19-21, 2012, BIT's annual World Congress of Greentech will take place in Guangzhou Baiyn International Convention Center, China. This conference will focus on practical perspectives on green economy, promotion of sustainable or renewable energy, and technical solutions.

The mission of the World Congress is to reign in excessive emissions from fossil fuels, halt the rise of the oceans and avoid extreme weather. The event promulgates practical solutions and policies for greenhouse gas mitigation.

Clean Energy Week in Sydney Australia

On the 25th of July to the 27th of July, Clean Energy Week will take place in Sydney Australia. This three day long event includes a dynamic, industry-driven conference program, a huge trade exhibition, a schools' program and events for the general public.Clean Energy Week is Australia's largest event for the renewable energy and energy efficiency industries, incorporating ATRAA (Australia's largest solar conference)

London Cleantech Cluster (Event)

London Cleantech Cluster is produced by Rushlight Events. It will take place in London, UK. This event will provide a platform to bring together all the various initiatives, activities and programmes undertaken by organisations throughout the region to support the development of cleantech businesses and to facilitate the deployment of sustainable alternatives.

Renewable Energy World Conference and Exposition Europe (Event)

On June 12 to 14, 2012 the Renewable Energy World Conference and Exposition Europe will take place in Koelnmesse, Cologne, Germany. Renewable Energy World Europe, co-located with POWER-GEN Europe, offers the largest and most comprehensive conference and exhibition for the European electricity and power technology sector. The combination of conferences and exhibitions across the entire spectrum of power generation is unique and is serving the vital move towards integrating the traditional fossil fuel and fast-growing renewable generation sectors. For more information click here.

© 2012, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

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The 2nd International Workshop on Renewable Energy in Azores will take place between June 11 and 15. The event will be hosted by the University of Azores in cooperation with CRUSUS, University of Pardubice, Leuphana University and the Higher Institute of Statistics and Information Management (University Nova of Lisbon).

China's Twitter Users Focused on Sustainability

As published in Collective Responsibility, here is a partial list of some of the Chinese people and organizations who use Twitter and are focused on sustainability and the environment. 

MaRS Cleantech Fund LP: Canadian First in Early-Stage Technology Investing

On March 26th, MaRS announced the launch of Canada’s first dedicated early-stage cleantech venture fund. The MaRS Cleantech Fund LP ushers in a new model in early-stage technology investing by leveraging the strength of a non-exclusive, but strategic relationship between MaRS Discovery District and the private sector.

Innovation is the Future of Canadian Cleantech

Canada has performed well over the last few years. The country looks particularly good when compared to many other nations which suffered tremendously after the recession of 2007 & 2008. Although Canada's ruling Conservatives may try to take the credit, the nation's economic strength is attributable to the market demand for Canada's abundant natural resources like oil and potash.

Global Growth of Cleantech 2007-2020

There is a growing interest in green innovation. Investors are increasingly interested in investing in cleantech, particularly innovative green technology. Over the course of the last five years cleantech has grown tremendously.

Republican Governors See Value in Green

Unlike members of the GOP vying for public office Republican governors see value in supporting the green economy. The GOP presidential candidates and Republican members of Congress are largely united in their resistance to climate change, but an increasing number of Republicans are bucking this trend. Climate denial is a defining feature of the GOP and de rigueur for any Republican seeking the presidential nomination. However, some Republican governors are adopting policies that promote the green economy. Clean energy policies have been implemented in all 50 states and 30 of those states have Republican governors.

How the West can Capitalize on the Growth of Chinese Cleantech in 2012

For the past decade Western countries have led the way in cleantech, but the reduction of government support for the sector is advancing China's position as an international cleantech leader. Due to the eurozone crisis, China can expect to see very little demand from European countries. However, demand from domestic Chinese companies may be enough to drive the growth of China's cleantech industry in 2012.