Climate Change

Blog: How a focus on investing in energy efficiency to achieve Paris Climate Agreement goals is transforming the Mexican energy sector

The Mexican economy has traditionally been strongly driven by revenues from fossil fuels. The Paris Climate Agreement and a realisation in Mexico that new and clean sources of energy and energy savings will reduce volatility and enable a more precitable domestic energy system have triggered a fundamental transformation of the Mexican energy sector, writes UNEP […]

Blog: Investing in Energy Efficiency gets a boost at G20 Hamburg summit

Energy efficiency has been sitting at the core of sustainability discussions within the G20 for several years, and has emerged as a key consensus area across the G20 countries. UNEP FI’s Martin Schoenberg provides his take on what the recent G20 summit means for energy efficiency investment going forward, and the role of the G20 Energy […]

EEFIG Underwriting Toolkit provides common framework to boost energy efficiency investment

The Energy Efficiency Financial Institutions Group (EEFIG) Underwriting Toolkit launched on June 22nd 2017, during the EU Sustainable Energy Week in Brussels. EEFIG is a partnership between UNEP FI and the European Commission. The report provides a common framework for financial institutions, project developers and hosts of energy efficiency projects such as companies and consumers to […]

UNEP FI responds to the US withdrawal from the Paris Agreement

“There is incredible momentum on climate action from individual states, cities, the private sector and citizens. A single political decision will not derail this unparalleled effort” said UN Environment Head, Erik Solheim in response to the US decision to withdraw from the Paris Climate Agreement. You can read his full statement later in this article […]

G20 Energy Efficiency Investment Toolkit presented at Clean Energy Ministerial in China

The 8th Clean Energy Ministerial in China saw the Asian launch of the G20 Energy Efficiency Investment Toolkit to a packed audience of policy-makers, cleantech entrepreneurs, investors and financiers. The Clean Energy Ministerials are senior-level meetings dedicated to accelerating the global clean energy transition. The Asian launch was was organised by the G20 Energy Efficiency Finance Task […]

G20 Energy Efficiency Investment Toolkit highlights US$ 221 billion investment opportunities

  According to the International Energy Agency’s analysis, more than USD 221 billion is being invested annually into energy efficiency improvements in buildings, industry and transport in the G20 economies. More than half of this investment is into the buildings sector. UNEP FI has contributed to the G20’s Energy Efficiency Investment Toolkit, which provides guidance on […]

BLOG: G20 Energy Efficiency Investment Toolkit marks culmination of three years of UNEP FI engagement with the G20

 G20 Energy Efficiency Finance Task Group Rapporteur Peter Sweatman presenting the Toolkit at the G20 Energy Efficiency Forum in Hamburg The G20 Energy Efficiency Investment Toolkit marks the culmination of three years of UNEP FI engagement with the G20. Public and private sector financial institutions are increasingly tackling the energy efficiency investment opportunity by sharing […]

New York State Pension Fund joins Portfolio Decarbonization Coalition

January 24, 2017 In the latest demonstration of institutional asset owners’ commitment to climate action, New York State Common Retirement Fund, the third largest public pension fund in the US with $184.5 billion in assets, has joined the Portfolio Decarbonization Coalition. The Common Retirement Fund is the first major US pension fund to join the Coalition’s 28 […]

Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures: Draft Recommendations Report out 14th December

  The Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) released its draft Recommendations Report in December 2016. The initiative – set up by the Financial Stability Board – will develop voluntary, consistent climate-related financial risk disclosures for use by companies in providing information to investors, lenders, insurers, and other stakeholders. The task force launched a […]

Blog from Cop 22 Part II: A Tale of Two Cities

A Tale of Two Cities: Progress and Challenges on the Road from Paris to Marrakech In his second blog on COP 22, the climate conference that took place in Marrakech from 4 -16 November 2016, UNEP FI Climate Change Officer, Remco Fischer asks what was accomplished in Morocco, and summarises UNEP FI’s contribution.  In the […]

Blog: News from Climate COP22 Part I

The Good, The Bad, and the Unknown UNEP FI round-up: developments and outcomes from the first week of the 2016 intergovernmental climate conference in Marrakech, Morocco (COP22) by Remco Fischer, Climate Change Programme Officer. The good Last year’s climate meeting in Paris, COP 21, has been widely praised as historic for two reasons: it was […]

G20 Energy Efficiency Finance Task Group (EEFTG) 2016 Activity Report

In 2016, G20 nations adopted a new long-term strategy for energy efficiency, the Energy Efficiency Leading Program, emphasizing the key role of finance. The topic was also highlighted in the Leaders Communiqué and embedded in the Synthesis Report of the G20 Green Finance Study Group. In parallel, through the mobilisation launched by UNEP FI, $4 […]

Global stocktaking: How banks finance energy efficiency?

As part of the Secretariat of the G20 Energy Efficiency Finance Task Group and the only representative of the private financial sector there, UNEP FI has been leading a global mobilization on energy efficiency finance since COP 21. Currently close to 120 banks from over 40 countries have endorsed the Statement of Financial Institutions on […]

PDC to award research prize on aligning investment portfolios with a low carbon economy

Investors and financial regulators are increasingly aware of the risks associated with a changing climate. In a recent speech to the insurance industry, the Governor of the Bank of England warned of huge losses faced by investors exposed to these risks. These risks are twofold. Firstly, there are those posed by climate change itself, through […]

New Report: Head of UNEP calls for scaled-up renewable energy in Africa at launch

Smart public policies are key to powering up sub-Saharan’s Africa’s clean energy potential, said the head of UNEP Achim Steiner while unveiling UNEP FI’s latest report in Nairobi Tuesday. Financing Renewable Energy in Developing Countries: Drivers and Barriers for Private Finance in sub-Saharan Africa outlines how current obstacles to renewable energy solutions in Africa can […]