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USA ahead of China as global investment in renewable energy booms

The indications of a rise in global investment in clean energy follows the pact by major greenhouse-emitting countries in Durban last month on a road map that would lead to a global climate change deal by 2015. Erwin Jackson, deputy CEO of the Climate Institute, said: ”There are all these myths of the world not acting on climate change. All you have to do is follow the money.”

Global investment in clean energy hits record levels SMH David Wroe, Canberra January 14, 2012 DESPITE the turbulence in the global economy, the world invested a record $251 billion in clean energy last year, with the US streaking ahead of China in green spending and boosting confidence among climate action advocates.
New figures from Bloomberg New Energy Finance showed the US spent $54 billion on clean energy, retaking the No. 1 spot it lost to China in 2009 and defying assumptions that the world’s largest economy is flagging on greenhouse gas reductions.
Australia also hit a record, spending $4.7 billion on clean energy in
2011, a jump of 11 per cent on the previous year, mostly from
increases in rooftop solar. ”Despite financial crisis, and even
though carbon pricing schemes haven’t developed quite the way they
were expected to … investment keeps growing, which reflects the world
view of many major economists that clean energy is going to be the
major industrial driver of economic growth this century,” said Kobad
Bhavnagri, Bloomberg New Energy Finance’s lead clean energy analyst in
Australia.
He said Australia’s investment was on track to rise to $6.8 billion
next year and $45 billion by 2020, meeting the target of renewable
sources such as solar, wind and geothermal making up 20 per cent of
energy supply.
The indications of a rise in global investment in clean energy follows
the pact by major greenhouse-emitting countries in Durban last month
on a road map that would lead to a global climate change deal by 2015.
Erwin Jackson, deputy CEO of the Climate Institute, said: ”There are
all these myths of the world not acting on climate change. All you
have to do is follow the money.”
A spokeswoman for Climate Change Minister Greg Combet said the
government’s clean energy package was meant to ensure Australia ”does
not miss out on the benefits of clean energy investments”.
”US President Barack Obama has committed to a Clean Energy Standard,
which will double the share of clean energy sources in the electricity
supply mix to 80 per cent by 2035, and individual states across the US
are also taking action … US investment in renewable energy grew 33 per
cent to $55.9 billion in 2011. This level of investment is likely to
grow as California introduces its own emissions trading scheme.”
http://www.smh.com.au/national/global-investment-in-clean-energy-hits-record-levels-20120113-1pzfk.html#ixzz1jUk95Ht2

January 14, 2012 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | 2 WORLD, renewable