Climate Change Capital

This article is part of the Climate project of Spinwatch.

Climate Change Capital is an investment and advisory firm with offices in London, Washington, Beijing and Madrid. It deals in carbon markets through asset management of projects which can generate carbon credits, and advice to energy intensive industry, financial institutions, clean technology companies and governments. It aims 'to provide attractive returns to investors, demonstrating the financial opportunity associated with the low carbon economy' and manages over US $1.5 billion in assets.

In particular the company has deployed funds for:

• 'Financing renewable energy projects and retrofitting commercial property in the UK
• Capturing coal mine methane in China
• Investing in clean technology businesses in Europe
• Investing in waste-to-energy projects in China and Hungary'

'Creating Wealth Worth Having (Registered)'

CCC claim to be motivated by;

'an ambition to channel significant amounts of capital into the solutions to climate change while shaping the investment and policy environments to the public good.'

To this end they have registered the above line as their own, and even commissioned artist Alex Echo to make a huge mural representing their altruistic mindset for their headquarters. The website even quotes singer Nick Cave's line that "in the end it is beauty that is going to save the world", projecting themselves as climate-heros with a high moral stance, rather than merely a profit making business.

In another interview CCC's James Cameron speaks philosophically (and convincingly) about the consciousness shift needed to solve climate change issues, which he says go beyond the material issues and into our deeper relationship with nature. He goes on to talk about the deep changes needed to political and economic systems in order to deal with the issues of climate, including more of a long term mentality, and accompanying longer term appointments in business and government.

Liberal Climate Strategy

CCC's reaction to the December 09 pre budget report shows their lack of serious green credentials, despite their well-polished climate-hero image. Ben Caldecott, head of UK and EU climate change and energy policy, welcomes Alistair Darling's announcement that the government will fund four Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) demonstration plants saying;

This sends another positive signal to those taking part in the climate change negotiations in Copenhagen. But in order to generate real commercial interest, it is crucial that the Government deploys this new money quickly and that the deployment of four CCS plants isn't beset by the problems that have affected the current UK CCS competition.

People

Board of Directors

• Shaun Mays Chief Executive Officer
• James Cameron Vice Chairman and founder (also Chairman of the Carbon Disclosure Project, Chairman of China Dialogue, a Board Member of the Worldwatch Institute, a treasurer of REEEP, a member of Oxfam's development board and a Senior Advisor to The Climate Group. He is a member of the board of GE Ecomagination, a member of the Copenhagen Climate Council, a member of the development board of the Smith School and a member of the World Economic Forum's Climate Council.
• Mark Macleod Chief Financial Officer
• Vivienne Cox Chairman of the Board, Non-Executive Director
• Peter Wheeler Non-Executive Director
• Ronald Latenstein van Voorst Investor Director
• Raymond Abbott Investor Director

Senior Managers

• Mark Bell Head of Carbon Finance
• Mark Ellis Head of Human Resources
• Simon Robert-Tissot General Counsel
• Alex Betts Partner, Clean Tech Private Equity Fund
• Michael Bradley Managing Director, MJ Bradley & Associates
• Bruno Derungs Partner, Clean Tech Private Equity Fund
• Simon Drury Partner, Clean Tech Private Equity Fund
• Rupert Edwards Head of Research and Market Analysis
• Laurence Fumagalli Managing Director, Carbon Finance
• Esme Lowe Managing Director, Climate Change Capital Property Team
• Yuebing Lu Managing Director, China
• Tim Mockett Managing Director, Climate Change Capital Property Team
• Andrew Pearson Managing Director and Head of Fund Operations
• Steve Read Managing Director, Ventus Funds
• Nigel Scott Managing Director, Head of Portfolio Management, Carbon Finance
• Ian Temperton Managing Director, Advisory

Contact

Climate Change Capital's headquarters are in London, overlooking City Hall where they have over 80 staff.

3 More London Riverside London SE1 2AQ United Kingdom T: +44 (0)20 7939 5000 F: +44 (0)20 7939 5030

They also have offices in Washington, Beijing and Madrid.