This paper investigates the factors limiting financial investments in renewable energy. A qualitative research study was conducted on South African based financial investors in renewable energy technologies with the intention of identifying investment barriers. The methodology employed involved a literature review. In addition, a questionnaire was designed and interviews were conducted to ascertain the prevalence of such investment barriers in a South African context. The results obtained were analysed using both qualitative and quantitative methods. These analyses revealed that the barriers that were identified namely political, economic, social and technological are valid for South Africa. In addition, several other barriers were identified that are specific to South Africa, such as education, poverty, technological readiness and access to the electricity grid. On the basis of the findings some recommendations are made which include building closer relationships between government and the private sector, as well as ensuring that government maintains an active role in promoting the renewable energy industry. Copyright / Dissertation (MBA)--University of Pretoria, 2011. / Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) / unrestricted

This study addresses the green bond market, a young and upcoming market that has received increasing attention in recent years. Academic literature in the field is limited, therefore theaim of this study is to identify investors’ main barriers and motives behind green bondinvestments. In order to examine Swedish fund companies’ requirements to invest in greenbonds, questionnaire responses were linked to interviews. The overall result shows the importance of financial incentives in investment decisions. In terms of market barriers, the low return of green bonds was the main reason that investments were restrained. It has been stated that green bonds are issued at a premium due to an additional reporting related administrative cost for the issuers. Another defined limit was the concern for issuers not fulfilling their 'green' obligation. The main motive behind green bond investments was to invest in a sustainable environment followed by the possibility to gain a combined financial and environmental return. In addition to the financial attributes, investors find a utility function in the green bonds that account for the premium price that these investors seem to accept. Furthermore, social norms are shown to influence the investment decision to a lesser extent.

Submitted by Daniele Santos (danielesantos.htl@gmail.com) on 2017-01-18T19:23:50Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Mario Sierra_Final aprovado.docx: 1504580 bytes, checksum: a023d401b8aee546043b4e9d5ea9e450 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Janete de Oliveira Feitosa (janete.feitosa@fgv.br) on 2017-01-24T16:45:14Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 Mario Sierra_Final aprovado.docx: 1504580 bytes, checksum: a023d401b8aee546043b4e9d5ea9e450 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-02-02T12:45:30Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Mario Sierra_Final aprovado.docx: 1504580 bytes, checksum: a023d401b8aee546043b4e9d5ea9e450 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-11-09 / This research aimed to identify the main investment barriers for Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in Oil and Gas in Colombia. The first part of the research was the literature review in which the Survey from the Fraser Institute was selected as the primary source of information. This Survey had global coverage and measured 16 factors that are consider critical for investment decisions. Among them, five factors were selected Security, Infrastructure, Disputed Land Claims, Labor Regulation/Employment Agreement and Protected Areas which had negative responses over 50 %. Through interviews with six high executives, one from each Oil Associations of Colombia (Acipet, ACP, ANDI and Campetrol ), one from an Regional Oil Company and one from Oil Service Company, it was possible to get opinions about trends and improvement actions to eliminate investment barriers in the country. Using the content analysis from Bardin, the interviews were reviewed to identify similarities and differences about trends and actions that the government could take to become an effective enabler of FDI in Oil and Gas in Colombia. Main similarities of the interviews were regarding the importance of social development in Oil areas in the country. Most of the barriers in the sectors have as a root cause extreme poverty and poor education. There will not be sustainability on oil exploration and production on those areas if the people do not have basic needs cover and when they depend 100% on non-renewal resource. The government should develop initiative that promote agricultural development in oil areas through education and productivity program. This will have a significant impact on security and facilitate previous consultation project.

With national cuts on solar PV subsidies and the current “oversupply” of panels, the global solar market is clearly threatened by a contraction. Yet, the need for more solar power is apparent, particularly for the world’s poor and vulnerable population. Instead of securing modern energy access for these people, trade interests have triggered a counterproductive solar trade war. This contemporary legal study addresses these issues by examining existent and potential instruments for stimulating a North-to-South solar capital flow. The research finds that recent reforms of the CDM will do little difference from previous deficiencies, as local investment barriers are not reflected in the monetary support of the clean development mechanism. Competing technologies are successfully keeping solar out of the game while baseline requirements are undermining the poor. Inspired by national renewable energy law and policy, international alternatives could address these shortcomings. While feed-in tariffs have been commonly advocated, the REC model seems far more appropriate in an international context. Its ability to be traded separately from the electricity makes it a perfect candidate as a substitute for the CDM. Entrusted with certain features it could address the geographical unbalance and provide with greater investor certainty. But the scheme(s) are under current WTO regulations required to be non-discriminatory, making it highly questionable to believe that developed countries would ever fund such incentive. It is not likely that solar capital exporters want Chinese solar PV manufacturers, who are already receiving significant production subsidies, to receive the same benefits as other producers. However, if countries adversely effected by subsidies where allowed to offset the injury by discriminating Chinese producers in international REC schemes, the Author believes that it would be easier to sell such a concept and implement it, for the benefits of climate change mitigation and adaptation as well as the world’s vulnerable and poor nations. However, this would require extensive reforms under WTO which the Author calls for.