Energy & Climate Strategy

Our Energy & Climate Strategy team works with companies and government institutions to transform the challenges posed by climate changes into opportunities. We offer innovative yet practical solutions for a sustainable energy future. Combining in-house technical expertise with policy capability, our advisory services focus on corporate and supply chain sustainability, energy and climate policy, carbon markets and sustainable cities.

Corporate and supply chain sustainability

In today’s international marketplace, climate change is an increasingly vital issue companies can no longer afford to ignore. With continued pressure to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions coupled with rising energy costs, leading companies are now setting ambitious targets to limit their carbon emissions and move towards sustainability. 

The Energy and Climate Strategy team helps companies meet the challenge of securing a sustainable future. With experience in a vast array of different industries, we provide comprehensive guidance on energy efficiency auditing and planning, carbon management, and green supply chains, helping companies secure their long-term growth by cutting costs and making investments for the future.

Energy and climate policy

In China and abroad, policy makers are constantly developing and implementing new climate and energy policies to help the world’s fastest growing economy successfully mitigate climate change.. Due to our long established presence in China, Azure is able to provide key decision makers with credible and robust analysis on policy formulation and implementation. Internationally, our policy analysis is feeding into bi-lateral and international negotiation for the post-2012 framework.  In China, we are actively collaborating with local governments to create policy roadmaps, which will help steer the adoption of low-carbon, energy-efficient measures.

Carbon markets

Leveraging Azure's deep understanding of China's carbon market and relevant policies, the Energy and Climate Team provides insight on investments, advises on the newest technologies, and helps financial institutions take advantage of the market’s potential. 

With our on-the-ground exposure to China's clean tech industry, the Energy and Climate team helps companies expand their scope of CDM investment outside of the traditional hydropower and wind energy. We help extend the boundaries of the market by opening up new opportunities for investment in energy efficiency, plentiful small-scale projects, and biogas.

One huge barrier that inhibits the development of CDM projects is the difficulty in finding sources of funding. Many banks are unprepared to deal with the unique needs of small-scale but technically-intensive efforts to reduce carbon emissions. Azure solves this problem by helping both international and domestic financial institutions to better understand the carbon market in China by designing financial mechanisms based on the reality faced by project developers.

One issue of great concern is the fate of CDM and carbon markets in general after the Kyoto Protocol expires in 2012. Where will the market stand in the so-called post-2012 world? For investors, financial institutions, and other organizations concerned about carbon finance under a new regime, Azure provides expert guidance on the risks and opportunities to be had in China come 2012.

Sustainable cities

Transitioning to a sustainable way of life in urban areas is a crucial part of constructing low-carbon economies and the fight against global warming. By working with local governments throughout China, the Energy and Climate Strategy team is playing an important part in this transition. In Azure's work with the development of sustainable cities, the Energy and Climate Strategy team carries out a full assessment of a city's greenhouse gas emissions and energy use. By integrating professional knowledge from a wide variety of fields, Azure is able to create comprehensive carbon management strategies to place cities on a path towards sustainability.