Total Takes Controlling Position in SunPower

The press release states, “SunPower and Total today announced that the two companies have entered into a broad strategic relationship to shape the future of the solar industry. Total Group will launch a friendly tender offer through a wholly owned subsidiary for up to 60 percent of SunPower’s outstanding Class A Common shares and 60 [...]

Saint-Gobain to make $80 million strategic investment in SAGE

According to the press release, “Saint-Gobain, one of the world’s largest glass and construction material manufacturers, is making a strategic equity investment in SAGE Electrochromics to make electronically tintable “dynamic glass” an affordable, mass-market product, ushering in a new era of energy-saving buildings. The announcement takes place one year after Saint-Gobain launched its consolidated advanced [...]

Yingli Green Energy Announces a 7.9 MW PV Module Sales Agreement with Cegelec

According to the press release, “Yingli Green Energy Holding Company Limited (NYSE: YGE), (“Yingli Green Energy” or the “Company”), a leading solar energy company and one of the world’s largest vertically integrated photovoltaic manufacturers, which markets its products under the brand “Yingli Solar,” has signed a 7.9 MW PV module sales agreement with Cegelec, a [...]

European Development Finance Institutions to establish joint climate change fund

According to the press release, “Agence Française de Développement (AFD), the European Investment Bank (EIB) and European Development Finance Institutions (EDFI) will establish a joint climate change fund. AFD, EIB and EDFI members will sign a Memorandum of Understanding for THE INTERACT CLIMATE CHANGE FUND (ICCF) at a meeting in Bruges on Friday. The Parties [...]

France seeks tighter regulation of CO2 market

According to Reuters, “A French government report on Monday urged tighter regulation of the fast-growing carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions trading market, which has suffered from exploitation of legal loopholes and illegal sales practices. France’s finance ministry commissioned Michel Prada, former head of the country’s AMF stock market watchdog, to publish a report on the CO2 [...]

France to propose new carbon tax: minister

According to Reuters, “The French Constitutional Council annulled the tax, hailed by President Nicolas Sarkozy as a ground-breaking tool to fight climate change, on Tuesday on the grounds that it offered too many exemptions. After the Constitutional Council complained that some 93 percent of industrial emissions were exempt from the tax, Lagarde told French radio [...]

France proposes climate plan for poorest countries

According to Thomson Reuters, “France is proposing a plan to help the world’s poorest countries finance renewable energy projects that it hopes will form part of upcoming climate talks, Ecology Minister Jean-Louis Borloo said in an interview on Sunday. The “justice-climate” plan could be financed by revenue from financial transactions, he told the Journal du [...]