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A Cleantech Park for China

It looks like China will get its first “CleanTech Park” thanks to a partnership between investors and government. The Xuzhou Cleantech Park will serve as a center for businesses focusing on the development and deployment of technology across the spectrum of cleantech segments including renewable energy, energy efficiency, water & wastewater purification, resource recycling, clean production, manufacturing, and advanced materials. The Park is being developed as a joint venture between The Cleantech Group, Tsing Capital, Tsinghua Holdings and the municipality of Xuzhou. “We welcome the Cleantech Group’s support and view the development of Xuzhou Cleantech Park as a major step forward in accelerating the commercialization of clean technologies and in keeping with the substantial increase in venture capital investment in China,” said Don Ye, President and CEO of Tsing Capital. “The enforcement of China’s Renewable Energy Law solicited a significant increase in venture capital investment into the energy category in 2006. Coupled with the 11th 5 Year Plan and China’s strong interest in cleantech as a means to resolve major environmental issues, we see China becoming a major cleantech powerhouse – both as a customer and an innovator – in the coming years.” According to the Cleantech Group research, investors […]

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Coffee Companies Increasing Sustainable Coffee Purchases

Kraft Foods Inc., Nestle and other major coffee suppliers are significantly increasing purchases of sustainably produced coffee. Rainforest Alliance, which certifies sustainably grown coffee and other food products, says its coffee business has grown 100% a year for the past three years. Kraft Foods Inc. is the largest buyer of Rainforest certified coffee beans. Its purchase of sustainably grown beans has grown from 5.5 million pounds in 2004 to 26.5 million pounds in 2006. They constitute 30% of the beans in Kraft’s Yuban brand, the minimum percentage required for certification. Nestle Nespresso S.A., a subsidiary of Nestle, plans to increase the amount of sustainable coffee that it buys to 50% by 2010, from the current 30 percent. Minneapolis-based Caribou Coffee Co. Inc., also plains to increase Rainforest certified coffee to 50% by 2008, up from the expected 35% for 2007. Coffee companies must pass specific environmental, social and economic criteria to gain Rainforest Alliance certification. In total, the group says the amount of certified coffee has grown from 7 million pounds in 2003 to 54.7 million pounds in 2006. The NGO attributes the rise in sales to increased consumer and company awareness about environmental issues and farmers’ working conditions.

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UK Plans World's Largest Offshore Windfarm

Farm Energy Ltd, based in the UK, is planning the world’s largest offshore wind farm off the coast of Devon in southwest England. It called for a quick overhaul of Britain’s planning system to speed its development. The “Atlantic Array” proposal is for 350 turbines that generate 1500 MW of energy. The project would cost 3 billion pounds (US$5.93 billion). It would supply energy for over a million homes. The company is currently building the largest offshore wind farm to date – a 1,000-megawatt London Array project in the Thames Eastuary. “We are consulting early because we understand how long these projects take to come to fruition. The London Array is probably in its tenth or ninth year,” Farm Energy director Michael Huntingford told Reuters. Next week, the government will release new policies designed to clear redtape from the planning process.

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Microsoft to Develop, Donate Emissions Software for Cities

Yesterday we announced that 16 cities around the world will be able to increase the energy efficiency of municipal buildings thanks to a new Clinton Foundation partnership. The partnership includes critical financing by major banks, all of which have committed $1 billion. The loans will paid back through energy savings to Citi, Deutsche Bank, JPMorgan Chase, UBS and ABN Amro. New York, Chicago, Houston, Toronto, Mexico City, London, Berlin, Tokyo and Rome are among the cities. Today, The Clinton Foundation and Microsoft Corp. (Nasdaq: MSFT) announced a long-term partnership to develop a suite of technology tools that will enable cities to accurately monitor, compare and reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. Microsoft, together with a consortium of partners, will develop a single Web solution to allow cities to clearly understand their environmental footprint. With this information, cities can make better choices as they aim to improve their energy efficiency and reduce carbon emissions. The new online, Web-based software tools will be provided pro bono to cities and will be available by the end of the year. The software tools will support cities to collaborate in new ways via the Web and online communities, enabling them to work together to monitor their […]

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Survey: Healthcare Industry Embracing Sustainability and Green Building

A survey on green building in the healthcare construction sector, one of the slower sectors to embrace change, concludes that even here, green building is on the upswing. 60% of respondents see green building as transforming the healthcare construction sector. 19% of respondents expect their organization will be significantly involved with green building in 2008 – more than triple the level for 2007. The study was conducted by McGraw-Hill Construction, part of The McGraw-Hill Companies (NYSE: MHP), in conjunction with Turner Construction Company, the U.S. Green Building Council and Johns Manville. Respondents indicate the following benefits from green buildings: – Green healthcare facilities reduce energy use, thus reducing green house gasses and improving air quality – 47% of respondents said that patient recovery time is reduced in green buildings – Other benefits include lower operating costs, greater innovation and public relations benefits Turner Construction Company, co-sponsor of the research and the nation’s leading green builder, is encouraged by the survey respondents’ acceptance of the benefits of green. “We’re seeing a growing consensus that green building brings improvements. Green buildings reduce the amount of energy used and thus reduce the impact buildings have on the environment. In fact, over two-thirds acknowledge […]

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