Climate Bonds Blog

Posted: Oct 17, 2011

The European Investment Bank (the EIB), the EU's bank, is the world's largest clean energy lender. True! Yet their lending is not (yet) enough to achieve the transition to a low-carbon economy the EU needs and has mandated by 2050.

I'm sitting in a meeting in Luxembourg with their management team and 27 member board, in their classically European Union égalité-style board room - concentric circles of seating, all fitted out with push button mikes, translation headphones - and a beautiful green forest just outside floor-to-ceiling glass windows on two sides.

This is a huge bank, nearly three times the size of the World Bank.

From leafy Luxembourg: can the EIB become the climate banker to match the EU's leadership
Posted: Oct 5, 2011

Governments can provide more incentives to boost private sector green investments, say Morgan Stanley's Imtiaz Ahmad and Climate Bonds Chair Sean Kidney in "A Climate Change Fix" in Trading Carbon magazine.

A better path for Green Climate Funds
Posted: Oct 4, 2011

Delaware $72.5 EE bond

Delaware $72.5 EE bond
Posted: Oct 3, 2011

I’m sitting in the 11th annual “Workshop on Greenhouse Gas Emission Trading” at the International Energy Agency in Paris. 100 very smart people from all over the world, sitting around a huge oval table in a slightly-too-warm, wood-paneled conference room across the road from the Eiffel Tower (yes, I’m looking at it now, so excitingly close!).

I've been privileged to be invited by the co-hosting International Emissions Trading Association. I’ve just finished my 10 minute (ok, it went to 15) pitch about issues involved in mobilizing bond markets to finance climate change solutions. Quite a few questions; encouraging (or maybe just polite).

The Eiffel Tower and the anguish of carbon markets
Posted: Sep 22, 2011

The Climate Bonds Initiative, with WWF and the Global Canopy Programme, today published the "Unlocking Forest Bonds" report of a high-level workshop on tropical forest finance. The report argues for regional development bonds as an instrument to save forests.

> "Read the PDF report - "Unlocking Forest Bonds"

> Read the press release below — and join the WEBINAR on 29 Sept.

Bonds key to protecting forests
Posted: Sep 21, 2011

> You're invited to hear Judith Stewart, CEO of the Great Barrier Reef Foundation, speak about Reef Bonds on Tues 27 Sept, 4pm London time. Location: central London; dial-in available.

Climate Change investment usually means 'mitigation' – clean energy to reduce power sector emissions, transport to shift away from oil, etc.

Adaptation bonds to help save Australia’s Great Barrier Reef - seminar 27 Sept in London
Posted: Sep 16, 2011

We've been working - with a bunch of others - on a project for the European Climate Foundation around finance for a transition to a low-carbon Europe. The report of that project has just been released. http://goo.gl/0PPYV

If you want a short-cut summary go straight to the European Energy Review article about the report that came out yesterday. http://goo.gl/clBuL

Some of the findings:

"Financing for a zero-carbon power sector in Europe": new report from ECF, Climate Bonds & Co.
Posted: Sep 16, 2011

Earlier this week I sent you a note about our "LEEP" project to develop capital markets financing solutions for residential eco-refurbishment (energy efficiency + micro-renewables). It's a UK project at the moment, with plans to extend our work to other countries. Key features of the model are:

- Local Authorities facilitating and supervising local loan funds and service delivery for households.

- A mix of policy and service delivery solutions that will address barriers to eco-refurbishment being taken up by householders.

- Re-financing loan funds by issuing climate bonds designed to meet the needs of institutional investors.

Eversheds to provide legal advice for our eco-refurbishment finance project
Posted: Sep 15, 2011

The Climate Bonds Initiative has been working all year on developing a sustainable and replicable residential eco-refurbishment solution that attracts commercial capital at a national scale.

Download advance copy of Phase One Report - click here

Climate Bonds to release residential eco-refurb financing rpt - sneak preview
Posted: Sep 14, 2011

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) will next week publish a Working Paper on the "Role of Pension Funds in Financing Green Growth Initiatives".

> Download a sneak preview here.

The paper is part of their major Green Growth initiative and their Institutional Investors and Long-term Investment work.

New OECD paper on 'Role of PFs in Funding Green Growth' recommends standards for green/climate bonds