UNEP: Investments in renewables reach record high

Worldwide investments in renewable energies reached a new record level last year. The investment volume in renewable energies (excluding large-scale hydroelectric plants) again increased significantly by 17% vis à vis 2010 to US$257bn. A major increase of 37% had already been recorded the preceding year. In 2011 65% of the investment volume was spent in industrialised countries and 35% in developing countries. This is the result published in the Global Trends in Renewable Energy Investments 2012 report presented by the UN environmental programme (UNEP) and the Frankfurt School of Finance & Management. This further increase means that investments by comparison with 2007 have virtually doubled and by comparison with 2004 they have increased six-fold.