Global investment in sustainable energy reached $155 billion in 2008, a modest increase of 5% over 2007. Following several years of over 50% growth, this marks a dramatic slowdown as a result of the global economic downturn.

There were some “green shoots” during the second quarter of 2009, but the sector has a long way to go this year to reach previous levels of investment.

The drivers that have propelled investment in the sustainable energy sector for the past five years, however, are still at work – climate change, energy insecurity, fossil fuel depletion and new technologies. As well, political support remains strong, with an estimated $180 billion of fiscal stimulus committed to sustainable energy.

While the $155 billion of investment in 2008 and $180 billion of government support in 2009 are impressive, investment needs to reach half a trillion dollars per annum by 2020 to help ensure a peak in greenhouse gas emissions. The report provides an overview of different types of capital flows and an analysis of the trends in sustainable energy investment activity in developed and developing countries.

This information is intended to be a strategic tool for understanding the status of sustainable energy development and for weighing future public and private commitments to the sector.

Visit Global Trends in Sustainable Energy Investment 2009 Download Page

You can download Global Trends in Sustainable Energy Investment 2009 in PDF format.

Analysis of Trends and Issues in the Financing of Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency

FOREWORD
The 2009 Global Trends in Sustainable Energy Investment report, considered by many to be the most authoritative appraisal of clean energy investment trends, is being released during one of the worst financial and economic crises for a generation with sharply rising unemployment in many parts of the globe.

It also comes less than six months before the crucial UN climate convention meeting taking place in Copenhagen, Denmark.

It is the view of the UN Environment Programme and increasingly others that a Green Economy approach to these and other emerging challenges, such as energy security, resource efficiency and catalyzing an innovation-based economy, go hand in hand.

Renewable energy, with its low carbon footprint, the relative speed with which it can be deployed into developed and developing communities alike and its ability to generate new kinds of businesses and green jobs, is a key element of that transition. ...

ABOUT SEFI
UNEP is working to create the policy and economic framework whereby sustainable energy can increasingly meet the global energy challenge. Changing attitudes and helping mainstream financiers to consider sustainable energy investments are key components of the energy work within UNEP and the starting point for the UNEP Sustainable Energy Finance Initiative.

SEFI provides current and targeted information to financiers and facilitates new economic tools that combine social and environmental factors – both risks and returns – as integral measures of economic performance.

SEFI is modelled as a platform to provide financiers with the tools, support and networks to drive fi nancial innovation that improves the environmental performance of the energy mix. The overall strategy is to use this platform and modest amounts of capital to convene financiers, engage them to do jointly what they may have been reluctant to do individually, and to catalyze public-private alliances that together share the costs and lower the barriers to sustainable energy investment.

SEFI is managed jointly by the UNEP Energy Branch in Paris, the UNEP Finance Initiative in Geneva and BASE, a UNEP Collaborating Centre located in Basel.

ABOUT NEW ENERGY FINANCE
New Energy Finance is the world’s leading independent provider of subscription-based research to decision-makers in renewable energy, energy efficiency, biofuels, carbon capture and storage, nuclear power and the carbon markets. The company has a staff of more than 130, based in London, Washington DC, New York, Palo Alto, Beijing, Shanghai, New Delhi, Hyderabad, Cape Town, São Paulo, Sydney and Perth.

New Energy Finance’s Insight Services provide deep market analysis to investors in wind, solar, bioenergy, geothermal, carbon capture and storage, energy efficiency, nuclear power and the traditional energy markets. Our Industry Intelligence service provides access to the most comprehensive database of investors and investments in clean energy. The New Energy Finance Briefing is the leading global news and newsletter service focusing on clean energy investment. New Energy Finance is co-publisher of the first global stock-market index of quoted clean energy companies (ticker symbol NEX). The company also undertakes custom research and consultancy and runs senior-level networking events.

ABOUT NEW CARBON FINANCE
New Carbon Finance is the leading provider of high quality fundamental analysis of the European, North American, Kyoto and Australian carbon markets. Its team of analysts has been providing professional advice on carbon markets since 1998, including assistance in the design of various national and international schemes and company-level strategic advice.

During this time New Carbon Finance has built up highly detailed abatement curves and market models that analyse carbon market demand and supply and provide regular forecasts of future carbon prices. New Carbon Finance operates as a division of New Energy Finance.
www.newenergyfinance.com

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