Clean energy investment in 2007 even stronger than first estimates suggested

Investment in technology and projects in renewable energy and energy efficiency grew even more spectacularly last year than was revealed in initial estimates made at the end of December.

This is the message of figures published in London today at the inaugural New Energy Finance Summit, a two-day event bringing together 150 top executives and opinion leaders from the world’s clean energy sector. New Energy Finance is the leading independent provider of research to global investors in renewable energy, low-carbon technologies and the carbon markets.
Among the key factors pushing this numbers sharply upwards in 2007 were government policies around the world to promote renewable power and cleaner fuels, oil prices approaching $100-a-barrel and rising corporate and investor awareness of the opportunities in clean energy.
One of the themes of 2007 was geographic diversification. Western Europe and North America continued to enjoy sharp increases in VC/PE, public market and project investment – but the momentum spread out to include other developed economic regions such as Eastern Europe and Australia. Even more significant was the pick-up in activity in emerging economies, with China moving strongly ahead with projects in wind, biomass and energy efficiency, Brazil seeing huge investment interest in its sugar based ethanol sector, and Africa starting to see renewable energy and efficiency as partial answers to its power shortages.

Al Bawaba