Bonds are a set of financial products ideally suited to both the financing of long-payback period energy projects and to providing institutional investors with security of returns over the longer term. Climate Bonds are intended to unlock ‘patient capital’: taking savings which require secure returns over long periods of time, such as those held by pension funds, and investing them in low-carbon projects that have high up-front costs but good payback rates over the long term. Climate Bonds need not differ greatly from existing government and corporate bonds, save for their central purpose: the funds they attract are underpinned by real and verifiable energy efficiency and renewable energy projects that in some certifiable manner contribute to the mitigation of climate change. At a minimum this has marketing benefits, allowing investors to report to their members on how their secure investments are also making a contribution to addressing climate change. At a maximum, investors...

This Briefing Document, by Tomorrow’s Company, summarises some of the frameworks that have been established in various countries to support the transition to green, low-carbon economies.  Whilst each have followed their own path the importance of governments and business working together to establish effective frameworks is shared, as are the positive returns both economically and environmentally that are being generated.  This is not intended to be a comprehensive briefing - rather it provides indicative examples. The Tomorrow's Company Briefing Documents are intended to provide the reader with a comprehensive introduction to a particular topic. You can find the full list of Briefing Documents on forceforgood.com here.

SMEs make a vital contribution to our economy - they are huge sources of jobs, innovation and are essential to our communities. But when we talk about the low-carbon economy of the future, it is all too often large businesses that lead the way. In these difficult economic times, many small and medium-sized businesses may well be missing opportunities to not only reduce their cost, but also to open up to new possibilities in the low-carbon economy. We believe that this can largely be explained by the confusing and often contradictory information that is out there - not to any failing on the part of SMEs. Tomorrow's Company works with and for the business community to develop effective solutions to the problems companies face: we have created this guide in partnership with companies, government departments and organisations to assist leaders of businesses large and small, to make the low-carbon transition in a way that makes good business sense and helps secure future business...

This is an Executive Summary report on the “Coal Plants in Transition: An Economic Case Study” prepared by Natural Capitalism Solutions in Colorado. The report makes a strong business case for energy providers to consider transitioning away from coal to a combination of renewable and energy efficiency technologies.  The transition becomes cost effective and quite profitable when combined with revenue streams that result from selling pollution credits (NOx, SO2), carbon credits, water rights, and also fuel savings.       The study specifically considers the Navajo Generating Station as an example. But the report is designed to provide information to utility managers all over the country who are faced with serious economic decisions regarding the future of their coal plants as we enter a carbon and water constrained world.

This report presents full analysis of the research ?ndings. It includes results from a UK-  wide survey of 1,500 managers and ten case studies based on interviews conducted among a range of organisations in different sectors. It also provides key conclusions and recommendations, drawn from the research, to help individual managers and organisations adapt to the challenges they face. This research has been led by the Chartered Management Institute in partnership with the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) and the UK Business Council  for Sustainable Energy, supported by EDF Energy and the Association of Chief Police Of?cers, Cymru. The Centre for Environmental Strategy at the University of Surrey was the research partner.