23 September 2011

“Trading Charcoal for Sustainably Farmed Biofuel in Africa”

Novozymes Vice President Thomas Nagy describes the partnership with CleanStar Ventures announced at this year’s Clinton Global Initiative.

Download the article here

NEW YORK, NY – 19 September 2012

The Soros Economic Development Fund and the Industrialization Fund for Developing Countries announced today investments of nearly $9 million in CleanStar Mozambique, with the option to invest more in potential pan-African expansion.

“CleanStar Mozambique has found a commercial and scalable way to alleviate poverty in Africa,” said Stewart Paperin, president of the Soros Economic Development Fund. “This venture creates jobs, increases food security, and has sustainable environmental benefits. We’d like to see the charcoal replacement business operate successfully in dozens of countries throughout the continent.”

“Our team has seen this venture move from concept into implementation in record time,” said Finn Jonck, IFU’s Managing Director. “We are delighted to now come on board.”

The Press release can be found here.

The Wall Street Journal exclusive on the deal can be found here.

September 2011

A Global Compact for Sustainable Energy: A Framework for Business Action

On the occasion of the Private Sector Forum 2011, the UN Global Compact launched its new report A Global Compact for Sustainable Energy: A Framework for Business Action. The Framework was developed in support of UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s initiative Sustainable Energy For All aimed at mobilizing key constituencies from all sectors of society in a major global initiative intended to shape the fundamental policy and investment decisions needed to put countries on a more sustainable energy pathway over the next two decades.

The Framework aims to motivate and guide business engagement and action in support of the initiative. In keeping with the initiative’s 2030 targets, the Framework identifies how companies can have the most significant impact – through their core business operations as well as product and service development; through social investments and philanthropy; and through advocacy and public policy engagement.

Novozymes and CleanStar Ventures are featured in the Section “Sustainable Energy in Business Practices”, page 15.

Download the report here

NEW YORK, NY – 18 July 2012

Leading global magazine Environmental Finance awarded CleanStar Mozambique with the Bioenergy Finance Deal of the Year Award for its innovative, vertical integrated model that “brings together biofuels, carbon credits, sustainable agriculture and avoided deforestation”, as reported in the magazine.

“It’s one of the very few ventures that we came across that simultaneously secures an alternative and sustainable fuel supply in the rural environment whilst also helping channel consumer spend towards environmental protection” says Abyd Karmali, Head of Carbon Markets at Bank of America Merrill Lynch and member of CleanStar Mozambique’s Advisory Council.

More information about the award can be found here

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – 19 June 2012

Sagun Saxena, Greg Murray and Stefan Maard received the “Screw Business As Usual Award” from Sir Richard Branson for the innovative work done by CleanStar Mozambique on sustainable energy. CleanStar Mozambique was put forward for the award by the U.N. Foundation.

A video about the ceremony can be found here & here

A press release can be downloaded here

LONDON, UK – 14 June 2012

Greg Murray, Managing Partner of CleanStar Ventures attended the FT/IFC Sustainable Finance Conference & Awards 2012 and received a Special Commendation for CleanStar Mozambique as Sustainable Investment of the Year.

Now in their seventh year, The FT/IFC Sustainable Finance Awards are the major global awards for environmentally and socially responsible banking and investment. The 2012 Awards attracted 161 entries from 145 financial institutions and 36 non-financial groups in 67 countries.

More info can be found here

LONDON, UK – 29 May 2012

The Guardian Development Network reports about CleanStar Mozambique on the occasion of the launch of its operations.

The article can be found here

NEW YORK, NY – 25 May 2012

Andrew Yager, Senior Economic Affairs Officer in the Division for Sustainable Development at the United Nations talks about CleanStar Mozambique in view of the Rio+20 Conference.

Access the article here

NEW YORK, NY – 18 May 2012

The NYT Green Blog reports about the launch of CleanStar Mozambique operations and interviews Thomas Nagy, Executive Vice President at Novozymes, about the venture.

The article can be found here