George Soros stepped up to the plate in Copenhagen yesterday, announcing two initiatives clearly designed to goad politicians at the Climate Conference to further action.  Soros announced a $1B investment in clean tech that will demonstrably combat climate change, and dedicated $100M over 10 years to a new non-profit group to be based on San Fransisco: the Climate Policy Initiative.

More info here.

It will be interesting to see details as they emerge on both of these initiatives; what technologies will draw this investment and what policy directions will be advocated by the advisory group.  Of course, we need much more investment in technologies that tackle climate change and this is great news.  My fear is that an emphasis on “clean tech” often overlooks investment in energy conservation- easily the most effective way to reduce our energy use.  Fingers crossed that Mr. Soros’ team are aware of the role buildings must play in any solutions.  If they have any questions, we’re in the phone book.