Daniel Saunders

The latest #EV report from the International Energy Agency (IEA) presents several encouraging findings worth noting: - Electric car sales keep rising and could reach around 17 million in 2024, accounting for more than one in five cars sold worldwide. - Electric cars continue to make progress towards becoming a mass-market product in a larger number of countries. Global sales data remain strong. - In the first quarter of 2024, electric car sales grew by around 25% compared with the first quarter of 2023, similar to the year-on-year growth seen in the same period in 2022. - In 2024, the market share of electric cars could reach up to 45% in China, 25% in Europe and over 11% in the United States.

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🌍 **Special Episode Alert: The Carbon Exposure Project Podcast** 🌍 We're excited to bring you a special episode of the Carbon Exposure Project. 🎙️ Today, we're joined by Patrick Greenfield an Environment reporter from The Guardian. Patrick's in-depth coverage of carbon markets has sparked significant debate and shaped much of the public discourse over the past 18 months. This phenomenon, often termed the “Guardian effect,” mirrors the increased media scrutiny from outlets like DIE ZEIT, The New Yorker and Bloomberg, all highlighting integrity issues in carbon markets. Due to this intensified scrutiny, many customer-facing companies are now hesitant to engage with the Voluntary Carbon Market, fearing critical media coverage. In this episode, Patrick provides an unfiltered view of his investigative work. While our discussion dives into many contentious areas and we often find ourselves in disagreement, it stands as a testament to thoughtful and respectful dialogue. 📢 **Key Highlights:** - An unfiltered, 80-minute interview with Patrick Greenfield - Exploration of the "Guardian effect" and its impact on carbon markets - Discussion on the integrity of carbon markets We want to emphasize—unlike traditional media, this podcast does not editorialize. Our goal is to offer honest conversations about the complexities of carbon markets, allowing you, our listeners, to hear everything firsthand and form your own informed opinions. We hope you find this episode enlightening and encourage you to share your thoughts with us. 🎧 Full episode links below: 🟢 Spotify: https://lnkd.in/g-tp8K-8 🟢 YouTube: https://lnkd.in/g3Swpk2Z #CarbonExposureProject #Podcast #ClimateChange #CarbonMarkets #EnvironmentalJournalism #GuardianEffect #SustainableFuture #ThoughtfulDialogue #VCM #CarbonCredits #NetZero

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Another exciting partnership for us in the sustainability space this week... we are joining forces with ENGIE Factory, the startup studio of ENGIE Group, to invest in a venture which will bridge the financing gap in conservation projects through the use of carbon credits.   By leveraging emerging technology to identify and evaluate conservation efforts globally, the venture will enable investments into these projects, helping address the planet’s most pressing environmental challenges while delivering attractive returns for investors.   #Sustainability is one of our four high-conviction themes at SC Ventures by Standard Chartered — investing in conservation is not only a societal imperative but also a smart business decision. We’re looking forward to working closely with ENGIE, who shares our conviction, to accelerate the transition towards a more sustainable future.   Keen to learn more about our upcoming venture? Register here to stay updated: https://lnkd.in/gKyydTer #Sustainability #Partnership #CarbonCredits #Conservation #RewiringtheDNAinbanking

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The energy transition has two pillars: electrifying the economy and decarbonizing the grid. But renewables are intermittent - unlike burning fossil fuels we don't chose when the sun shines and how intensely the wind blows. This makes long-duration energy storage - i.e., massive batteries smoothing out electricity supply and demand - essential to building low-carbon girds. The challenge is that today's policy toolbox, including carbon finance, contracts for difference and feed-in tariffs, don't work well enough to make large-scale deployment viable for private investment. We're working with E.ON UK, one of the largest grid operators in the world, to fix this problem. We'll be presenting the results in New York in September alongside the UN General Assembly, and at COP29 in Baku. Get in touch if you're a developer, policy expert or investor and would like to partner. And read the concept note here https://lnkd.in/eQnWxzmQ

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Green Angel Ventures has just launched the eighth round of our EIS Climate Change Fund. This is how I am personally doing all my EIS investing now, because it gives me a great spread of investments, all backed by individual angels in our group and after our thorough due diligence process, and means that I don't miss any of Green Angel Ventures' portfolio (no FOMO!) #EIS #climatetech #angelinvestment

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Concise article on the challenges & benefits of securing financing for CleanTech capital-intensive projects.

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Striking: Zenobē, a UK climate tech startup, raised £600m from KKR and £270m from Infracapital, bypassing VC entirely. Zenobe captures excess energy from wind farms to stabilize the grid and reduce gas power reliance. This means: Zenobe secured one of 2023's biggest startup fundraises — without any venture capital. #battery #fundraising #venturecapital #energystorage #infrastructure #growthinflection Sifted: https://lnkd.in/g8wF-xA5

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Delighted to announce WTW’s involvement in the successful completion of a first transaction providing the opportunity to scale finance for carbon removals. The precise and novel structure of this transaction helps to overcome significant barriers when providing finance to carbon removal project developers like UNDO. Working with Standard Chartered, British Airways, CUR8 and CFC has shown significant potential for scale across removal methods by unlocking the amounts of finance needed for projects, and helping to de-risk finance. Read the announcement here: https://lnkd.in/e6CbCNBr Carbon removal methods play a pivotal role in combatting climate change, which need to scale at pace to support global climate commitments. These ground breaking projects require equally innovative financing and insurance solutions to match. WTW is proud to have worked with all key stakeholders in this achievement to help inventive climate technologies and concepts become reality, in turn driving the development of sustainable solutions into the future. Find out more about our solutions for the carbon market: https://ow.ly/U5GW50TlPwB #WTWFinancialSolutions #CarbonMarket #GreenEconomy #CarbonInsurance

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At the start of 2024 we invited a subset of leading climate fund managers to share views on market sentiment as well as their performance. Insights include sentiment on the fundraising environment, sector focus, impact tracking methodologies, portfolio valuation expectations and spending allocations. Please find an abridged version of the survey here: https://lnkd.in/e-BgCKpG We truly appreciate the participation of all the contributing managers and hope the results are insightful and useful to all. We view this inaugural survey as the first of many CREO Climate Investment Surveys and aspire to attract participation from an increasingly robust and diverse set of managers. We will invite managers to participate in our 2025 survey at the end of this year. Participants who completed the survey received unabridged versions of the aggregated results. CREO Owen LoudonLucas FiorettiTaline Filipovic

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Good to see SIS Ventures EIS fund covered here by Hardman & Co The SIS Ventures EIS / SEIS Fund is open for applications! Our Fund's Information Memorandum is available to qualified investors. We are committed to backing exceptional founders, investing in high-growth businesses with global ambition. SIS Ventures are impact investors, please check out our Impact Report 👀: https://lnkd.in/eGuz6bqY for insights into our impact investing approach, portfolio and progress: ✔ SIS Ventures uses venture capital to address the most complex problems facing society and the planet, with IP-rich solutions as a force for good. ✔ Impact Reach 🌍: Growing number of our companies are gaining traction globally for their products or services. ✔ Types of Portfolio Companies we invest in, and their progress: Read about how each of our portfolio companies are growing their businesses and progressing impact. ✔ Our desire for rigour, transparency and measurement in respect of impact and sustainable investment; investment in innovation. Assuring investors of our commitment to impact investing. ✔ Ensuring fair and equitable access to venture capital, to fund the best opportunities. ✔ Sector agnostic approach: Widening our coverage across UN SDGs If you are looking to invest or understand risks further please get in touch. CAPITAL AT RISK Don’t invest unless you’re prepared to lose all the money you invest. This is a high-risk investment and you are unlikely to be protected if something goes wrong. Take 2 mins to learn more via the following link https://lnkd.in/dx3n6Q7Q #impactinvesting #venturecapital #EIS #innovation

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Standard Chartered pioneers green finance with carbon removal startup UNDO. • StanChart breaks new ground by offering commercial debt to UNDO, a carbon removal firm using Enhanced Rock Weathering (ERW) - a promising yet controversial approach to fighting climate change. • This innovative financing model, backed by British Airways advance credit purchase, could unlock scalable funding for nascent carbon capture technologies. • ERW shows potential for dual benefits: sequestering CO2 for millennia while improving soil health and crop yields. But questions remain about its ecological impact and verification challenges. Is this the financial catalyst needed to scale carbon removal, or are we overlooking simpler climate solutions? What are your thoughts on ERW as a viable carbon capture method? #CarbonCapture #ClimateFinance #SustainableInvesting #CleanTech #NetZero

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It was great to get the investment in Stacatruc Limited completed. The first of many to come at YFM Equity Partners from Matt Gordon-Smith, with huge support from Callum Long. It took us longer to convince Matt Gordon-Smith to come and join us than it did for him to complete his first investment with us. Stacatruc is the 4th investment in the last 5 months - with another 6 in diligence across the business. We have a big team now though so plenty of capacity across all of our offices to talk about new opportunities. We can invest between £3m and £15m of equity. Either to fund a Change of Ownership when a business has £1m+ profit (MBO's, partial cash outs, carve outs etc), or Growth Capital to go faster when a business has £1m+ Revenue or ARR.

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The Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) has unveiled a raft of revisions and resources designed to help financial institutions set ambitious near-term emissions reduction targets. The changes to #SBTi criteria are set to come into force on 30 November 2024. Under the new criteria, financial firms with validated targets must align their operational and power emissions from a pathway aligned with "well-below" 2C of warming to one aligned with 1.5C of warming. They must also meet #Scope1 and #Scope2 emissions reduction targets in a five-to-10-year timeframe, down from the five-to-15-year window they were afforded previously, according to the SBTi. #Sustainability #ESG #NetZero #Climatetargets

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🌍💡 Embracing Interoperability: The Evolution of Carbon Markets 💡🌍 The landscape of carbon markets is rapidly evolving, with a significant shift towards fungibility and interoperability. What does this mean? We (at the SoHo Global Climate Fund) spoke with leading climate fund manager, Charles Bedford of Carbon Growth Partners, to shed light on this important trend in the carbon markets. It's about creating seamless connections between compliance and voluntary markets, allowing for the exchange and recognition of carbon credits across borders and sectors. This trend marks a pivotal moment in our collective efforts towards combating climate change. By enabling carbon credits to be fungible and interoperable, we're fostering a more efficient and scalable approach to carbon pricing and emissions reduction strategies. Companies and organizations now have greater flexibility to participate in markets that align with their goals. #CarbonMarkets #ClimateAction #Fungibility #Interoperability #Sustainability #Innovation #GlobalImpact

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📢 **Navigating Capital Challenges Under the SEIS Scheme** In the current landscape, start-ups are finding it increasingly difficult to raise capital under the Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme (SEIS). The economic climate, coupled with stringent regulations, is posing significant hurdles for innovative companies striving to make their mark. At Sustainable Times, we understand these challenges and are committed to supporting sustainable start-ups in their journey. Over the past four years, we've successfully raised over £84 million for sustainable start-ups and infrastructure projects, driving growth and fostering innovation in the sector. If you're a sustainable start-up looking to secure capital and scale your business, let's connect. Our expertise and track record speak for themselves, and we're here to help you navigate these challenging times. Get in touch today and let's build a sustainable future together! #Sustainability #Startups #SEIS #VentureCapital #Innovation #Funding #GreenEconomy

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🚨Using the military communication tactic BLUF for a world of busy readers🚨 🆘 In a world where paying for pollution only happens (at scale) if governments mandate it; allowing carbon credits to be used in lieu of a financial emissions liability in government programmes can be a catalyst for building demand (and liquidity) for carbon credits. 🆘 Linking government carbon programmes to increase the number and heterogeneity of participants should increase liquidity and lower transaction costs for all participants. And for those who haven’t stopped reading yet 🫣  In the latest episode of 'New Frontiers in Climate Finance', host Angel Miao discussed the research of Raúl C. Rosales, PhD on the economic and environmental benefits of incorporating the Woodland Carbon Code into the UK ETS. I had the opportunity to talk about demand and liquidity in carbon markets. These are inextricably linked. ⭐️DEMAND⭐️ 😭 You can’t have a market without buyers. 😍The beauty of government mandated carbon mechanisms is that they create demand by identifying the polluter, and take those physical emissions and turn them in to financial liabilities. 👍These financial liabilities are then paid for by acquiring a carbon asset (mostly in the form of an allowance but sometimes in the form of a credit). 👍The purchase of these assets, offset the financial liability. The polluter does not become carbon neutral - they still emitted - but they incur the economic pain of polluting and are therefore incentivised to find lower cost abatement opportunities. 👎Today, the only carbon markets that operate at scale is where the government creates financial liabilities for polluting. 👎We don’t voluntarily create financial liabilities for physical emissions yet (at scale). 👍 👍 Therefore linking carbon credits to a government mandated programme creates demand and starts to build liquidity. ⭐️LIQUIDITY⭐️ More participants and in particular the more heterogeneous the participation typically contribute to better liquidity. Here's why: 👍 With more participants, there are more potential buyers and sellers in the market. This increases the likelihood that someone will be available to take the opposite side of a trade, thus enhancing liquidity. 👍 The more heterogeneous the participation means there are more diverse strategies, risk tolerances, and time horizons. Different needs bring different perspectives of value to the market which can then be expressed through price. 👍👍Better liquidity is characterised by tighter bid-offer spreads, greater market depth, more stable prices (less volatility) and easier execution of trades. 😀 which lowers transaction costs. 🙏 🙏🙏 if you got this far 🙄

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Barclays has published thought leadership on scaling growth stage climate tech and addressing the missing middle finance gap through UK public finance institutions. Hopefully an interesting read for all and I look forward to seeing how the market can innovate overall to rise up to the challenges of financing in this space #cleantech #MissingMiddle #Barclays

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