Alternative Outlook

India ranks 6 th in the world in terms of energy demand. However, a large part of India’s population, living mostly in rural areas and including the poorest people, does not have access to fossil fuel, oil-dependent sources of energy.

The increasing gap between demand and domestically produced petroleum is a matter of serious concern. It is estimated that the import of crude oil will increase from 85 mmtpa to 151 mmtpa by the end of 2006- 2007, correspondingly increas…

Biofuels is the “only game in town” when it comes to decarbonising the transport sector, according to a senior BP executive who also downplayed the potential for electric vehicles as a near-term replacement for conventional cars.

Olivier Mace, head of strategy, regulatory affairs and communications at BP Biofuels, told a conference in London yesterday that while alternative low-carbon technologies could play some role in cutting vehicle emissions, fuel from energy crops would be at the vanguard of efforts to cut transport-related emissions o…

Surging biofuel demand in Australia has outstripped the rate of global growth, with the country witnessing a 34 per cent increase between 2009 and 2010, according to the latest figures.

A report by APAC Biofuel Consultants said demand in Australia for biofuels over 2009 was more than double worldwide growth, which increased by 16 per cent.

The Australian Biofuels 2010-2011 report said that despite a lack of clarification on government policy for the sector, the rate of uptake is both encouraging and game changing.

Mike Cochran, …

In the midst of the Japanese nuclear crisis, Maria Merricks examines whether investors can find opportunities within the renewable energy space.

The world watched in horror as the 9.0 magnitude earthquake and subsequent tsunami battered Japan’s shores earlier this month. As if the devastation to follow was not enough, the country then faced nuclear catastrophe.

Reports from the Fukushima Daiichi plant vary but, as Investment Week goes to press, it appears the situation is slowly improving.

The sheer scale of potential disast…

Gold has been making fresh highs recently as a number of events have contributed to uncertainty in the markets and investors have sought out a safe haven for their wealth:

More than £20billion was wiped from the FTSE100 as stock markets reacted to the Japanese crisis. An incredible £380billion has been wiped off the Nikkei Index in two days amid fears of radioactive leaks – the biggest fall since 1987
An OECD report backed the UK’s spending cuts and urged interest rates to stay low to tackle the country’s soaring debt but warned th…

One of the most popular, most talked about and most successful alternative investments has been fine wine. But is it a genuine opportunity for retail consumers or just the preserve of a few knowledgeable specialists?

Wine Investment

One of the reasons investors are so attracted to wine as an asset are the impressively high returns. Over the last ten years the Liv-Ex Fine Wine 100 index has enjoyed a 14.1 per cent compound annual growth rate. Last year, fine wines returned an impressive 40.5% and fine wine is continuing its strong start to…

IFAs and agents looking for a simple alternative investment to add to their menu of products could do a lot worse than gold. You don’t need a masters in economics to understand it and you don’t need to be regulated to sell it.

What are the Benefits of Gold for Agents?

There are two key benefits of gold that agents should bear in mind.

Firstly, it’s an opportunity to earn commissions that they wouldn’t earn otherwise. While large investments are not uncommon, gold is a low entry level, liquid alternative to cash and what many ag…

Many IFAs and agents looking to broaden their offering of investment products are consideringforestry. It’s a product that has consistently outperformed other assets – and good projects have a green halo that can be a real hook for some investors.

What are the Benefits of Forestry for Agents?

As an investment product, farmland offers three key benefits to agents:

Green halo to help sell it
Favourable commissions for agents
Brilliant diversification tool

Green Halo

Forestry projects can be opportunities for green, ethical, …

Introduction to Green Oil

Very simply, green oil is the oil derived from the seeds of crops such as Jatropha, Oil Palm, Millettia and Silverleaf. The basic process involves planting fast growing trees that will be productive within two or three years.

At this point the seeds can be harvested and crushed to produce green oil which can be used to generate electricity, as a Bio-Fuel, as Animal Stockfeed and as Organic Fertilizer.

The key uses that earn the highest revenues are to generate electricity and as Bio-Fuel.

It’s ac…

IFAs and agents looking to broaden their offering of investment products should consider farmland. It’s a product with a great back story and it offers solid returns.

What are the Benefits of Farmland for Agents?

Farmland offers three key benefits to agents:

Favourable commissions
Complimentary product
Great backstory

Unlike gold, which we discussed in the column last week, commissions on farmland are favourable with property investment products

As an asset it’s another alternative investment that compliments agents’ c…