An updated version of the Carbon Clean 200 (Clean200) released today by As You Sow and Corporate Knights reveals that China continues to play a leading role in the clean energy economic expansion. Although China’s stock market is less than half the size of the U.S., it has almost double the number of large clean energy companies (71 vs. 41). Overall, the total clean energy revenue of the 200 companies accounts for 30 percent of total revenues.
The updated Clean200 list is the first of 2017, and includes companies such as Siemens, Toyota, Johnson Controls, Panasonic, Vestas, Bombardier, Phillips, Emerson Electric, DONG Energy, Tesla, First Solar, and Samsung. The top ten countries with companies on the list include China, USA, Japan, Germany, India, Canada, South Korea, Switzerland, Denmark, and Spain.
“The world came together in Paris to solve a global crisis; having 25 countries with large-cap companies building the clean energy future is truly inspiring,” said Andrew Behar, CEO of As You Sow and report co-author. “It shows that the rhetoric of divisiveness, of us versus them has no place in the clean energy future.”
“The clean energy ‘space race’ is on and China is in pole position,” said Toby Heaps, CEO of As You Sow and report co-author. “Whether or not the U.S. can climb out of second place will depend in no small measure on the new administration’s ability to make American green again.”
In the period of live performance from August 15, 2016 to January 31, 2017, the Clean200 generated a total return of 2.91 percent, slightly lagging in its S&P 1200 benchmark, which generated a total return on 4.17 percent.
The Clean200 ranks the largest publicly listed companies worldwide by their total clean energy revenues as rated by Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF). In order to be eligible, a company must have a market capitalization greater than $1 billion (end of Q4 2016) and earn more than 10 percent of total revenues from clean energy sources. The list excludes all oil and gas companies and utilities that generate less than 50 percent of their power from renewable sources, as well as the top 100 coal companies measured by reserves. The list also filters out companies profiting from weapons manufacturing, tropical deforestation, the use of child/or forced labor, and companies that engage in negative climate lobbying.
The methodology and list used to develop the Clean200 are in the creative commons and can be downloaded at Clean200.org.
The U.S. election contributed to gyrations in the Clean200 vs. S&P 1200. In the lead up to the election from August 15 to November 8, when a Trump win was viewed as improbable, the Clean200 outperformed the S&P 1200 by a full percentage point. After Trump’s upset, there was a bump in the lead up to the January 20th inauguration, but the Clean200 lagged. In the brief window between the inauguration and the end of January, the Clean200 bounced back, turning in 2 percent (more than triple the 0.6 percent of the S&P 1200 for the same period).
Click here to read the report in full.
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Published Feb 21, 2017 3pm EST / 12pm PST / 8pm GMT / 9pm CET