We have been working with Green Purposes Company (GPC) to provide information on current global green investments.

GPC holds a special share created by UK Government to safeguard the green mission of the Green Investment Bank (GIB) following its sale to Macquarie and re-branding as the Green Investment Group (GIG).

GPC was interested in the breadth of green investments being made globally, especially in relation to the five Green Purposes of GIG. The aim of the report was to provide information to GPC on commercially successful investments which address all five Green Purposes and to identify those which embrace projects beyond existing, relatively mature technologies.

The research covers the remit of seven green investment banks, across Australia, Malaysia, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States. The report found that, in total, these institutions made 137 investments worth over £4.5 billion in the past three years. In addition, the report identifies similar institutions, such as the green bank Triodos, as well as wider green investments into novel opportunities such as water catchment and woodland.

The report, Global Green Investments, found that, generally, investments are made where returns are available, with energy and energy-from-waste investments more readily available than those into biodiversity, natural capital and environmental sustainability. However, several instances were identified where novel mechanisms had been developed which could provide a return for investors while delivering benefits to biodiversity and the environment.

Our research will provide GPC with an evidence base as to how GIG might take inspiration from peer institutions to further the goals of all five of its Green Purposes.

The full report can be accessed here.

Photo by Artur Potosi, Flickr, CC BY 2.0.