Mr. Christophe Bongars

GLG News^SM Analyses by Christophe Bongars(?)

Red Hot Green China?

May 26, 2009

Analysis of:China: Is the Environmental Picture Getting Better? | www.greentechmedia.com

Since 2005, the Greentech sector has enjoyed average growth rates above 40% per year: the current economic crisis will most likely curtail the sector growth rates below such historic levels. For the time being, the United States and the European Union are ahead of the Greentech sector. Given its level of competitiveness, the inertia of its economic growth and the demand of its domestic market, it is likely that China will catch-up and even overtake other industrialized countries in the race towards green technologies in the years to come. We believe that in the foreseeable future, China is poised to become the world’s largest green technologies market.

The narrow path to chinese blue gold

November 9, 2007

Analysis of:Liquid Asset, China Economic Review | www.chinaeconomicreview.com

The water industry is a very fragmented industry, where opportunities for investment abound. Large water services giants (Veolia and Suez) established in China for several decades are being challenged by smaller regional and local competitors (Hyflux, Biotreat, etc.). From multi-million capital intensive infrastructure assets will long concession terms (over 15 years) negotiated with local governments involving complex financial, human and management skills, to more focused systems integrators or engineering & construction contractors competing on prices and short term project delivery, or even niche technology players focused on specific industry segments (Sinomem), there is a diverse range of business models and sector specific risks and opportunities playing out in this sector. Given this complexity it is essential for investors to analyze each opportunity at close range, in order to distinguish a clear path between success and failure.

The new green asian tiger

March 22, 2007

Analysis of:Singapore to invest in clean energy industry | www.wbcsd.org

After devoting the last two decades creating world-class industrial and IT infrastructure, Singapore is positioning itself not only as a leading commercial and financial center, but also as the regional champion of knowledge based services and technologies.

Recent announcement by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong regarding Singapore’s push towards clean energy mirrors the rapid developments of renewable energy and bio-fuels projects in the South/South East Asian region. This strategy follows in the footsteps or decades of development in clean technologies and services in sustainable water reclamation, waste remediation, energy efficiency and land use.

Coal: the dark side of China's economy

March 21, 2007

Analysis of:Baby, it's coal outside | chinaeconomicreview.com

The path that China is taking in terms of its energy infrastructure will cast a long shadow on its future economic development. On the international stage, the corresponding choice of China's energy services mix will have a knock-on effect on the success of global climate change policies.

Traveling in China’s countryside is a sobering experience indeed: even the most affluent cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou or Hong Kong are engulfed in smog throughout the year. The reason for this is straightforward: over three quarters of China’s energy consumption is powered by coal. Why coal? Because it’s the cheapest primary energy source available. Clean coal technologies resulting in low emissions are encouraged but not systematically implemented by lack of enforcement or incentives.

Have Montreal and Kyoto left a hole in our skies…?

March 20, 2007

Analysis of:Coalition urges limits on perilous refrigerant | www.iht.com

The Montreal Protocol, an international treaty designed to protect the ozone layer by phasing out the production of a number of substances (CFCs or Chloro Fluoro Carbons) believed to be responsible for ozone depletion, allows developing countries to keep increasing their production of HCFC-22 (also known as R22: a low cost refrigerant commonly from the hydro chlorofluorocarbons family used in air conditioning systems) until 2016, and then freezes production at that level until 2040, when production is supposed to be entirely stopped.

That schedule was devised in the early 1990s when HCFC-22 was mainly used in industrialized countries. Developing countries were seen as too poor ever to afford much of the chemical: who would have anticipated the formidable growth of China and India over the last two decades?

The reality as shown that both India and China are huge and fast growing market where adoption of modern amenities such as air conditioning homes and offices far exceeds the current GDP growth: as a result it is estimated that consumption of such harmful CFC gases will continue unabated at double digit rates, averaging 35% per annum since the 1990s and until 2016.

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