Climate Capital Network launches global market for climate change investments

March 18, 2008

(Climate Capital Network) London, UK, March 18th 2008 – Today sees the official launch of a global market for investments tackling climate change at www.climatecapital.net. Climate Capital Network™ will attract and facilitate massive capital flow from investors, to ventures that mitigate and compensate greenhouse gases (GHG) globally.

Michael Mathres, Partner & Co-Founder says: “We need to massively increase and accelerate capital flow into solutions tackling climate change if we are serious about dealing with this problem. Climate Capital Network will do just that.”

ccn-global-map.jpg

Climate Capital Network (CCN) will accelerate our global transition to a low-carbon economy, by connecting investors and entrepreneurs/companies offering solutions that tackle climate change (e.g. renewable energy, clean technology, energy efficiency, recycling, CDM, JI, CCS, geo-engineering, forestation etc…). Investors interested in such ventures, and entrepreneurs and companies providing them have to register for FREE at www.climatecapital.net. Climate Capital Network will then conduct due diligence, strategically advise them, provide intelligence, and help them with fundraising.

Over the past year CCN has conducted research in the scale and size of this low-carbon economy and values it at more than a Trillion Dollars*.

Michael Mathres, Partner & Co-Founder says: “The Kyoto Protocol is simply not enough! We have to massively reduce our global emissions and have only 10-20 years to fix things. We need to start a Third Industrial Revolution predicated on, and driven by, low-carbon energies and technologies. Climate Capital Network will mobilize global investors, and connect them with these low-carbon solutions.”

WHY DOES CLIMATE CAPITAL NETWORK EXIST?
• Our current financial markets are inefficient and ineffective.
• There is no global investment market for solutions that tackle climate change.
• There is not enough capital addressing climate change adaptation and mitigation.

Climate Capital Network is managed by two entrepreneurs with 15 years experience in the climate change and finance industry. Michael Mathres (London) & Alan Ocaña (Paris) are supported by a team of analysts, and an Advisory Board.

KEY POINTS ABOUT CCN:
• Global exclusive network of private, public, corporate, venture, institutional, individual and High-Net-Worth investors, companies, governments and experts.
• CCN is independent and not affiliated to any funds, countries, or political parties
• Platform is easy to use and membership is FREE with no obligation
• CCN offers consulting, fundraising and intelligence services to facilitate capital flow
• CCN has developed, with its strategic partner Epsilon Research[1], a database of reports on financial transactions in the climate change sector. The database is launching with more than 100 deals aiming to get 400 by the end of 2008.
• CCN is already working with large corporations, rich entrepreneurs and investors
• Offices in London, Paris and, soon, San Fransisco.

For more information and interviews please contact: Michael Mathres, Partner & Co-Founder, Climate Capital Network, London: +44 20 755 88 185 miche@climatecapital.net or go to www.climatecapital.net

*Key figures of this Trillion-dollar market:
• Rising Energy Demand – Spending on global supply infrastructure will exceed $15 trillion through 2030 according to the International Energy Agency.
• Stern Review – The Stern Review suggests committing 1% of GDP ($350-480billion/year) to cut carbon emissions.
• UNFCCC – The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change says that to mitigate climate change, we would need $200billion/year or 0.3% of global GDP.
• Carbon trading schemes – According to Point Carbon, the market has tripled to more than $60B in the past year. It will be worth more than $1 trillion within a decade, says New York Times.
• Voluntary carbon markets – According to Katoomba, this market grew 200% last year and is currently worth over $100M.
• Energy productivity/efficiency -The McKinsey Global Institute has indicated that we must invest $170 billion/year, to reduce global energy demand by half.
• Renewable energy – According to Ernst & Young global investment in renewable energy could reach US$750bn within the next ten years. US bank Morgan Stanley estimates the US market for clean energy sources—like wind, solar, geothermal, and biofuels—could top $1 trillion by 2030.
• Institutional investors – The Carbon Disclosure Project, an organization representing over $41 trillion in assets, is asking for more action on climate change and the full disclosure of carbon emissions by all FT500 companies.
• Next US President – All US presidential candidates (Obama, Clinton & McCain) have hinted at joining post-Kyoto negotiations and forming a national carbon cap-and-trade scheme that would be worth $150 Billion by 2012.
• Consumers – bought low-carbon goods, which was worth £4.1B in the UK alone in 2006 according to the Co-operative Bank.
• Clean technology – According to New Energy Finance, investors poured more than $150B in 2007 in clean-tech.


Vegetarian Society launches campaign

September 19, 2007

 silent-but-deadly.jpg

(ClimateRadar) It is an overlooked and yet unbelievable fact: farmed animals produce more greenhouse gas emissions (18%) than the world’s entire transport system (13.5%). Today The Vegetarian Society is launching a new campaign called “Silent but Deadly” to point out that being vegetarian helps climate change, and hopefully convert more people to become vegetarian. Liz O’Neill Head of Communications at The Vegetarian Society said, “Silent but Deadly is about getting the reader’s attention, making them think, and hopefully want to find out more about the connection between diet and climate change.”

http://www.vegsoc.org/press/2007/silent.html


Greenland warms to potatoes

September 15, 2007

“The price of potatoes was a headline,” says Professor Rosing. “That would have been a hilarious joke in Greenland a few years ago.”

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/6993612.stm


Climate Change Threatens World Food Production

September 14, 2007

faologo.gif

The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) www.fao.org held a special session in Rome, Italy, [September 10-12] to discuss the impact of climate change on world food security. Experts say that if industrial emissions continue to rise as predicted, the warming temperatures, increased rainfall, droughts and floods resulting from global warming threaten to disrupt farming systems around the world, with developing nations expected to fare the worst. In Washington this week, a new country-by-country analysis describes in detail the impact climate change is likely to have on global agriculture.

http://www.voanews.com/english/Science/2007-09-13-voa16.cfm 


World needs a 10% meat diet to fight global warming

September 13, 2007

Cutting world meat consumption by 10 percent would have a substantial impact on greenhouse emissions, say doctors writing in the health journal The Lancet.

http://news.mongabay.com/2007/0912-meat.html 


Al Gore criticised over diet by PETA

September 10, 2007

wgore109.jpg

He may be the hero of the environmental movement for his crusade against global warming but Al Gore is about to be targeted by animal rights activists over his carnivorous contribution to greenhouse gases.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/09/09/wgore109.xml&CMP=ILC-mostviewedbox


Food miles vs. organic: what is the best?

August 4, 2007

A Times report on food miles vs. the organic food industry.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/food_and_drink/real_food/article2182994.ece


INDONESIA: Biofuel clashes

August 4, 2007

 A report on how the demand for biofuels is leading to social and agricultural clashes in Indonesia.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/6927890.stm


The meat of global warming

August 2, 2007

Directly and indirectly, livestock account for 18 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions, the FAO says – more than “all transport” combined. Makes you want to go vegetarian…

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20070801.RREYNOLDS01/TPStory/Business


The French bioenergy market is growing

August 2, 2007

The use of bioenergy is gaining in significance in France, as the French government has markedly improved the funding of biogas in the past year. The state guarantees a fixed price for electricity from biogas plants. This means that the French farmers are taking an increased interest in biogas technology. The French organisation SOLAGRO believes there is the potential for 2,000 plants in 2007.

Wood pellets are also heating a growing number of individual homes in France. In 2006, 124,000 pellet ovens and over 17,000 pellet boilers were sold. In the meantime, pellet ovens have gained a share of six percent, and pellet boilers five percent, of their market.

Additionally, France is investing heavily in biofuels. The country has become the second biggest market for biofuels in Europe. Because some French companies have not yet acquired as many years of experience and technical knowledge, German system manufacturers and project developers are gaining a strong foothold in this market.