Industry leaders comment on COP26
As COP26 draws to a close, key industry leaders have shared their reactions and comments with Highways.Today:
Nano One
Nano One is a technology company with a patented process for the low cost production of high performance cathode materials used in lithium ion batteries. Nano One’s mission is to establish its technology as the leading platform for the global production of a new generation of battery materials.
Dan Blondal, CEO of Nano One, commented: “Nano One commends world leaders at COP26 for renewing their commitment to tackle climate change and the 1.5c goal. The world needs clear and firm policies focused on responsibly sourced critical minerals, renewable green energy, resilient and sustainable battery supply chains, R&D and STEM education for the workforce. Nano One is committed to creating jobs and a new energy net-zero economy locally and with those nations collaborating and actively participating in COP26.”
Prescient Fund Services
Prescient Fund Services is an independent global provider of competitive and flexible outsourced management company, platform and administration services to managers of traditional and alternative investment funds and other investment vehicles. Hayden Reinders, Head of Business Development at Prescient Fund Services, said: “COP26 has highlighted the importance and need for commitment, leadership and follow-through from the asset management and banking sectors to ensure climate targets set in Paris in 2015 can be met.
“Consistency of reported data from corporate issuers has long been a concern amongst industry participants since the draft texts of Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation and the EU Taxonomy were published. The formation of the International Sustainability Standards Board during COP26 by the IFRS Foundation is a step in the right direction and will assist asset managers in obtaining the standardised data needed to disclose and report under SFDR and the EU Taxonomy.
“Integration of ESG factors into investment decision making is more evident in the past 12 months and we expect this trend to continue and increase post COP26.”
Prestige Funds
Prestige Funds is a specialist manager of direct lending investment strategies. Its funds lend to SMEs and biogas projects in the UK, and also to SMEs in the US.
Craig Reeves, Founder of Prestige Funds, commented: “The UK is a long way from achieving its COP 26 and other net zero objectives. We must increase our locally and domestically produced gas and electricity, and therefore, our energy security. The private sector is dripping in cash. There is finance readily available and global investors looking for ESG opportunities, but there is a huge gap in policy, which doesn’t provide consistency and long-term certainty in sectors such as energy from waste and is off-putting for investors.”
Euro Manganese
Euro Manganese Inc. is a battery materials company whose principal focus is advancing the development of the Chvaleticeite Manganese Project. The company is set to become the EU’s only primary producer of battery grade manganese, with the potential to become a valuable element of Europe’s emerging battery value chain. The project entails re-processing a significant manganese deposit hosted in tailings from a decommissioned mine, strategically located in the Czech Republic. The project will clean up a longstanding source of water pollution, create local jobs, and help the EU and its automotive industry move away from polluting fossil fuels as Europe’s transition to e-mobility accelerates. The Company’s goal is to become a leading, competitive and environmentally superior primary producer of ultra-high-purity Manganese Products in the heart of Europe, serving the lithium-ion battery industry, as well as other high-technology applications.
Marco Romero, CEO of Euro Manganese, said: “COP26 resulted in agreements related to the world’s transition to zero-emissions vehicles, which may not go as far as some stakeholders wanted. Yet, the message coming out of Glasgow is clear. A tipping point in attitude about the decarbonization of our society has been reached. The drive to e-mobility is now irreversible and continues to accelerate. This megatrend has profound implications for the battery raw materials sector, which is starting to experience exponential growth. Automobile and battery makers will require abundant, reliable and sustainable sources of supply, and market entrants like Euro Manganese are helping to build new and innovative supply chains to meet that need. Perhaps the biggest challenge, and opportunity, for our industry lies in satisfying the rising demand for battery materials in ways that meet increasingly stringent environmental requirements, such as the EU’s proposed Green Battery Regulations and the ‘Fit for 55’ policy package.”
Net Zero Infrastructure
Net Zero Infrastructure is a London-listed cash shell which is seeking opportunities within the UK’s clean energy sector. It is focusing on areas where investment is needed to support the output of clean energy. This includes, but is not limited to, energy parks and hubs, battery storage and hydrogen fuel production.
Mike Ellwood, CEO of Net Zero Infrastructure, commented: “The acceleration of decarbonisation and the strengthening of emissions reduction targets with 2030 rather than 2050 in mind will need more investment in the infrastructure to manage the flows of energy around the system.”
