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Norwegian fund giant to sell its stakes in companies over environmental concerns
Norway's $1.15 trillion Cdn sovereign-wealth oil fund announced this week that it will sell its stakes in four Asian companies over environmental concerns, underlining how willing it is to take an activist approach to companies that fail to meet its ethical standards.
- Categories
- Energy, Environment
- Tags
- impact investing
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5 African Cleantech Startups You Need To Watch
African entrepreneurs and technologists are coming up with solutions to solve their own energy problems.
- Categories
- Energy
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
- Tags
- renewable energy, solar
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A Solar Power-Charging Backpack Made From Recycled Plastic
Fledgling social enterprise Rethaka sells backpacks for school kids that do a few things at once: Made from recycled plastic bags, they first of all address the plague of waste from that material. And with a charger powered by solar energy, they provide light for children who lack electricity at home, while also reducing the use of kerosene, which causes a great many accidents and illnesses. Its CEO, 22-year-old Thato Kgatlhanye, founded the company and developed the product, called Repurpose Schoolbags, while attending a university in Johannessburg, South Africa.
- Categories
- Energy
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
- Tags
- renewable energy, solar
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Pope’s Climate Push At Odds With U.S. Catholic Oil Investments
Pope Francis heartened environmentalists around the world in June when he urged immediate action to save the planet from the effects of climate change, declaring that the use of "highly polluting fossil fuels needs to be progressively replaced without delay."
- Categories
- Energy, Environment
- Tags
- renewable energy
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The $7 trillion solar tsunami in our midst
Solar power costs just keep on falling, and with $7 trillion of investment piling into the sector, the momentum is now unstoppable.
- Categories
- Energy, Environment
- Tags
- renewable energy, solar
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Hewlett Foundation Begins to Distance Itself from Financing Fossil Fuels
The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, one of the US’s biggest and most influential foundations, has taken a small step to distance itself from financing fossil fuels.
- Categories
- Energy, Environment
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The Financial Power of the Group: How demand aggregation can enable consumer financing for renewable energy products
Salt farmers in Northern India use diesel pumps to help them harvest salt from sea water. They run these pumps for over 16 hours a day, which means up to 60 percent of their income is spent on fuel costs. Solar pumps could substantially increase their income, so Dalberg explored financing options that could make these pumps accessible. They discuss demand aggregation, one particularly promising solution.
- Categories
- Agriculture, Energy
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Scatec Solar to Build First Large Scale Solar Plant in West Africa
A historic agreement to Build-Own-and Operate West Africa’s first utility-scale solar power plant has been signed by Norwegian company Scatec Solar and its partners, the Malian Ministry of Energy and Water and Electricité du Mali (EDM), the electricity utility of Mali. To be located near the ancient city of Segou in South-East Mali, 240 kms from Bamako, the 33 MW solar project is being developed in partnership with IFC InfraVentures and the local developer Africa Power 1.
- Categories
- Energy
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
- Tags
- renewable energy, solar
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