Mr. Christophe Bongars

GLG News by Mr. Christophe Bongars, CEO and Founder

GLG News is now G+ Insights

G+ is a community for professionals, academics and entrepreneurs to connect through online discussions and in-person meetings. You will continue to see G+ Insights (formerly GLG News) here as well as on the G+ website, where you can share and discuss the G+ Insights you read.

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.

Energy & Environmental Services in China | The P2E2 Scheme

December 8, 2006

Analysis of:China to host energy meeting for US, Japan, India, South Korea | www.iht.com

- New market-driven financing opportunities for cleantech and eco-efficiency entrepreneurs.
- Energy security and the mitigation of environmental pressures are becoming high priorities in China’s fast developing economy

Water is essential to support continued economic growth

September 11, 2006

Analysis of:China's Water Resources Become Stretched | online.wsj.com

The adoption of comprehensive water policies and the allocation of adequate capital resources is key to prevent water scarcity, especially in the Northern provinces of China, and ensure long term economic growth. Water is a irreplacable resource which at current market prices is grossly undervalued. Because of the rising levels of pollution and contaminants in the fresh water supply, the cost of treatment is expected to continue rising in the future.

Private companies and investors should evaluate closely the risks of inadequate access to long term water resources and the possible mitigation measures necessary to prevent business interruption and non-compliance/legal risks on the discharge side. Such measures may include: demand side management, i.e. reducing net water consumption by implementing water conservation, reuse and recycling measures and complete water cycle management, including water and wastewater treatment and "zero effluent" strategies, in order to reduce the business dependency on external water supply streams.

Water is a highly fragmented industry

September 5, 2006

Analysis of:GE's Water Unit Remains Stagnant As It Struggles to Integrate Acquisitions | online.wsj.com

With its Ecomagination marketing strategy towards environmentally friendly, cleaner technologies and eco-products, the GE group has perfectly uncovered not only a great market potential, but also the underlying growth drivers, such as: urbanization trends, regulatory pressures. increasing infrastructure requirements, especially in fast growing economies such as China.

However there are some misconceptions as to which portion of the market is accessible to private companies and what segment of the industry have the highest value-added and can deliver long term revenues and growth: see commentary below.

The challenge GE is facing today is the same as the one experienced by Vivendi (now Veolia) when they acquired USFilters in 1999: they had to integrate a multitude of smaller firms into a larger business stream. Vivendi later sold USFilter in September 2002, with a significant financial upside, but without having completely solved the underlying fragmentation issues within the USFilter group of companies.

Another challenge occurred in 2003 when Suez (Ondeo) divested water specialty chemicals business Nalco, where alignment with Ondeo mainstream water business was also an issue.

To various degrees all water industry giants (or aspiring giants such as GE Water or Siemens) face the reality of a highly fragmented industry...

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