Multinational corporations become big buyers of low carbon investment

On September 7, the United Nations Trade and Development Organization released the World Investment Report 2010 at the Second World Investment Forum in Xiamen. The report points out that multinational corporations are both large emitters of carbon and major low-carbon investors. Therefore, they are both part of the climate change problem and part of their solution.

The United Nations Trade and Development Organization estimates that in 2009, only low-carbon FDI flowing into the three major low-carbon commercial sectors (renewable energy, recycling, and low-carbon technology manufacturing) would reach US$90 billion. If one considers the low-carbon investment in other industries and the non-equity participation of multinational companies, the total amount of such investment will be much greater. The potential for cross-border low-carbon investment remains large, and as the world shifts to a low-carbon economy, the potential in this area will be enormous.

The report also stated that multinational corporations can contribute to global efforts to combat climate change by improving production processes at home and abroad, supplying cleaner goods and services, providing much-needed capital and cutting-edge technologies.