“uåX˜äŠÊ˜·³Ç

A new tax write-off scheme for, among other things, investments in wind energy (“uåX˜äŠÊ˜·³Ç, January 1996) is being criticised by Wouter Freeling of Dutch wind association Newin. Earnings on money put into the green fund are tax free, encouraging investment in wind and other sustainable energy technologies. But Freeling is not happy about a large chunk of the ABN/Amro green fund going to the existing Eemsmond Wind Park -- a project, to make things worse, built with a government subsidy. Freeling says the green funds were meant to stimulate development of new sustainable energy capacity, not for soft loans on projects already finished. He has a point, says Peter Blom from ethical investment bank, Triodos, a large wind power investor in the Netherlands. The problem arises, though, because of a shortage of projects for green investment.