Clean Energy Sector

Reliable and cost-effective energy supply is a common element underpinning the development of modern civilisations. Significant amounts of investment are now being directed at what is a new industry - the clean energy sector. Examples include:

• According to the United Nations Energy Programme, investment in renewable energy in 2006 was US$71 billion, up 46 per cent on investment in 2005.
• The Stern Report released in 2007 estimates that the market for low-carbon energy products will be worth around US$500billion by 2050.
• Global carbon emissions trading worth $21 billion in 2006 (up from $10b in 2005).

Clean energy technologies include traditional renewable energy technologies such as wind, hydro-electricity, solar as well as wave, biofuels, geothermal and clean coal technologies.

A Windfarm in Europe