Q3 2022 – Green finance

In 2020, the UP Initiative focused on green finance. At the time, Covid-19 was just beginning to hit the headlines with fears of unknown consequences on the political, social, and industrial level abounding. Two and a half years later, resiliency has been proven in many areas, not least in the renewables industry. While the pandemic continues to affect us, the world is facing a new crisis: The Ukrainian-Russian conflict. And let us not forget the climate crisis is also deepening.

How can we address these global threats? Arguably, the renewable energy industry is one of the most effective keys – not only in terms of shoring up domestic energy independence and achieving net-zero goals, but also in terms of redirecting investment towards a more positive future. Thus, this quarter, pv magazine will focus on sustainable finance and look at what needs to be done to achieve positive progress.

Topics will include:

  • Financial risk vs. impact, i.e., what are we talking about when we talk about issues like ESG and green finance, etc.
  • Sustainable products vs. sustainable operations
  • Greenwashing and how it can be avoided
  • What investors are looking for when it comes to ESG from a manufacturer's perspective

pv magazine 06/2022

The stakes are high for solar and green finance: Presentation of the quarterly theme.

pv magazine 07/2022

No silver bullet: Despite its faults and shortcomings, the EU’s Taxonomy Regulation is expected to support the energy transition and help redirect capital flows to renewables and green assets. Andreas Walstad examines how the taxonomy sets out criteria for technologies to be labeled green and environmentally sustainable in a bid to provide investors with a classification system that boosts clarity, accountability, and predictability.

ESG in action: The 2022 pv magazine Roundtables Europe focused on decarbonization throughout the continent. Linking sustainability to financial performance is a big part of this goal, as the second session, “Sustainability in action, raising the corporate bar,” attested to. During the panel discussion, four experts discussed end of life, circularity, material supply, project development, and the social community, as we approach terawatt solar scale.

Putting capital to work: Venture capital investment in solar and energy storage companies in sub-Saharan Africa brings with it considerable risk, but also holds the promise of making an outsized impact in delivering clean energy access. KawiSafi Ventures Managing Director Amar Inamdar says that venture capital investment in frontier markets will be a key part of the “capital stack” required to pursue the joint goals of leapfrogging fossil fuel energy development in the continent and lighting up African lives.

pv magazine 08/2022

Sustainable finance as standard: Sustainable finance has been a major growth story, and a positive development for the solar sector as a fundamental part of the energy transition. But as the sustainable investment market evolves and is forced to respond to some criticism, the question arises, what exactly is sustainable finance and what does it mean for the future of the solar sector? Felicia Jackson in London lays out some of the different forms this funding can take.

pv magazine 09/2022

Digital finance for direct impact: As finance goes digital, apps and services are helping investors to make easier green investments: solar projects with real carbon savings, cleaner investments, and even direct investment in startups. But can people really make better green investments just from their phone? Tristan Rayner speaks to three different companies looking to make a difference.

From trend to transformation: There are three main drivers behind the continuing growth of solar today: the economics of energy, the energy crisis driven by the war in Ukraine, and a growing global focus on green and net zero initiatives. What matters is that these three drivers change the dynamics of investment – there is a growing body of capital looking to align with low-carbon, net-zero initiatives. Yet as the debate rages about operational versus overall sustainability, what is the future of solar for ESG finance?

Financing plant combinations: Battery business models are evolving, as the technology shows its worth on more of Europe’s grids. Experts from international law firm Osborne Clark provide an overview of the legal framework for solar energy and battery storage combinations in Germany from a lender’s perspective.

No ordinary lending: ESG investing is growing quickly, including the practice of sustainable lending. Sustainability-linked loans are a part of the green financial wave, and as it breaks, new efforts are codifying the shape that these financial instruments should take for lenders and borrowers alike, writes Climate First Bank CEO Ken LaRoe.

Back to the UP Initiative feature page

This page was last updated on September 6, 2022.