Top Stories
Report reveals burgeoning green M&A
activity.—reliability high.
"The number of mergers and acquisitions completed in the alternative
energy sector in the past year climbed more than 54 per cent to 391
deals worldwide, according to new figures suggesting investor
confidence in the clean tech sector remains bullish. Recently released
research from IMAP, a global network of M&A advisory firms, shows
that M&A activity in the three largest alternative energy sectors –
biofuels, wind and solar energy – was worth $20.4bn (£13bn) during the
12 months to July this year. ... The report found that China boasted
the largest M&A deals over the past year, with 23 transactions
worth a total of $5.4bn. The US came in second in terms of transaction
value with 72 deals worth $2.6bn." See BusinessGreen.
Press release with more info here. PDF of
report here.
China to spend $3B on alternative energy,
trees.—reliability high.
"China plans to invest $3 bln in the next 10 years to develop
alternative energy fuels, combat desertification and prevent
landslides. Wu Jian, a senior engineer with State Forestry
Administration, said at a news conference on Wednesday that the trees
will fight climate change by absorbing carbon and will produce material
for bio-diesel and ethanol fuels by 2020." From Economic
Times. [Global
Times item says "China's government will earmark a total 200
billion yuan ($30 bln) to afforestation schemes to the end of 2021, the
State Forestry Administration (SFA) announced Wednesday." So is it $3B
or $30B?]
Companies,
Industries, Markets and Supply Chains
Tata Motors set to launch electric Indica,
Ace in Europe.—reliability high.
"Tata Motors will launch its electric Indica and Ace EV in Europe this
fiscal. Mr Ravi Kant, Vice-Chairman, told Business Line that the
company would begin retailing electric vehicles in the UK and
Scandinavian nations. Indications are that the Indica Vista is likely
to be launched in the UK this September-October. ... The company is
also watching the domestic market though no decision has been taken.
'Infrastructure support, primarily the network of charging stations, is
practically absent in India. We cannot have electric vehicles without
Government support, especially for setting up stations,' said Mr Ravi
Pisharody, President, Commercial Vehicles." Article at The
Hindu Business Line.
Warming trends may change global wine map.—reliability
high.
Guest column says "The wine industry may be among the very few in
which a leading figure will smile broadly when asked about climate
change and declare, 'I love it.' ... Müller is elated because growers
in cooler-climate regions like the Saar often struggle to achieve
ripeness in their grapes, and warmer temperatures are helping."
Observations of scientists of warming in growing regions and possible
consequences. "Even if such scenarios prove to be true, it won't be as
simple as planting new grape varieties. Jones points to France's
Burgundy and wonders whether it will remain the classic home for pinot
noir. 'And if it's not climatically the best place for pinot noir then
what happens when it grows syrah or merlot? Will the government allow
that to happen? Will the culture of the region accept that? And then
will the marketplace - a whole new generation of wine drinkers - will
they accept a different wine style from a given region?' he asked." See
Reuters
story.
Low-carbon focus should be on existing
buildings, says report.—reliability high.
"Improving the energy efficiency of the existing building stock is a
more cost-effective route for achieving CO2 savings than constructing
new buildings, a new report reveals. ... The report, published by IHS
BRE Press, considers the relative impact on UK CO2 savings targets of
constructing new, zero-carbon buildings as opposed to improving the
energy efficiency of existing buildings. Carbon dioxide emissions from
UK buildings accounted for approximately 40 percent of total UK CO2
emissions in 2006. The UK government has stated its aim to reduce
greenhouse gas emissions by 80 percent by 2050." From Click
Green. Press release here. [Access: You can
order a printed copy here for
£30.00, or download it as a PDF file for £35.25 (?!?).]
16 state-owned companies form electric auto
alliance.—reliability high.
"The Electric Vehicle Industry Alliance, which consists of 16 Chinese
central state-owned enterprises (SOEs) and is led by the State-owned
Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council
(SASAC), was founded in Beijing on August 18. The alliance's short-term
goal is to promote the unification of electric car-related
technologies, and its medium and long-term goal is to master the core
technology for electric vehicles and build internationally competitive
Chinese electric car brands, reported today's Shanghai Securities News.
... The main purpose of SASAC's launching the alliance is to
concentrate all useful resources on promoting the development of the
electric car industry. An insider said that according to the alliance's
plan, total investments in the new-energy vehicle industry from the
alliance members will reach 100 billion yuan by 2012." Story in People's
Daily Online. [100 billion yuan
is about $30 billion at purchasing power parity.]
