LDC London Asia

RNS Number:1078V
London Asia Capital PLC
05 December 2005


5 December 2005


            LONDON ASIA CAPITAL FORMS ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT DIVISION


            Office opened in Germany and major agreement signed with 
                    China Environmental Protection Foundation


London Asia Capital plc ("London Asia" or "the Company"), the Greater China
focused investment and merchant banking group, announces that it has formed an
Energy and Environment ("E&E") division, Clean Technology plc ("Clean Tech") to
be based in Freiburg, Germany. London Asia also announces that Clean Tech has
signed an agreement with leading Chinese environmental group The China
Environmental Protection Foundation ("CEPF").


Clean Tech has been formed to bring together specialist E&E teams in Germany,
the UK, Canada and China. E&E is a fast growing market, particularly in China,
with substantial short and long term potential and favourable national and
international regulatory frameworks. Clean Tech, headquartered in London Asia's
office in Freiburg, Germany, is headed by renewable energy specialist Jochen
Sautter. Jochen is co-founder of Das Grune Emissionshaus where he has been a key
director for over seven years. Das Grune Emissionshaus is a leading issuer of
structured finance products in the renewable energy market and Jochen has a
wealth of experience in wind and solar energy project development, including
raising over Euro400 million of funding for European wind and other renewable
projects.


Commenting on the formation of Clean Tech, Simon Littlewood, Chief Executive,
London Asia said: "Investments into renewables and energy efficiency
technologies are attractive as they are the best hedge against the economic
risks of rising oil prices and declining reserves. We have assembled a team with
expertise in this area in order to source technology in Western markets and
apply it to projects in China, which we are accessing through our own network
and via the alliance announced today. Basing Clean Tech in Freiburg is
significant, as it is widely recognised as the European hot bed for renewable
energy technology initiatives."


London Asia is also pleased to announce that Clean Tech's China office has
signed a co-operation agreement with the leading Chinese environmental group:
The China Environmental Protection Foundation ("CEPF"). CEPF is the first Non
Government Organisation in China specialised in raising and managing funds for
environmental protection related businesses. It is headed by Professor Qu
Geping, the first Administrator of China's National Environmental Protection
Agency, and former Director of the Natural Resources Conservation Committee of
the National People's Congress. In 1992 at the Rio Conference on the
Environment, the UN awarded him the Environment Prize for his outstanding
contribution to, and leadership in, China's environmental protection - he
donated the prize money to fund the creation of CEPF.


CEPF manages The Collaboration and Development Fund ("the Fund"), which raises
funds from overseas capital markets to invest in the environmental sector in
China.


Under the agreement, London Asia will help the Fund to raise finance from
international capital markets, attract international investors and bring
advanced environmental related technology and know-how to China. The Fund has
awarded London Asia the right of first refusal to be the financial adviser for
all environmental related projects sourced by the Fund. In addition, CEPF and
the Fund will introduce London Asia to potential environmental related project
owners and developers to broaden London Asia's access to China's environmental
market.


Commenting on the alliance, Simon Littlewood added: "As a result of the
country's rapid industrialisation, large and increasingly prosperous population,
and heavy reliance on fossil fuels, especially coal, with its associated
pollution, China represents the fastest growing environmental market in the
world. The alliance with CEPF provides us with a strong source of good quality
deal flow in this exciting sector."


                                    - ends -


For further information please visit www.londonasia.com or contact:

Simon Littlewood                           John West/Matt Ridsdale
London Asia                                Tavistock Communications
Tel: 020 7248 7578                         Tel: 020 7920 3150


About China Environmental Protection Foundation

Founded in April 1993, CEPF (www.cepf.org.cn/en_index.asp) is a non-profit NGO
foundation dedicated to environmental protection in China. CEPF works to raise
funds through different means and channels to commend organisations and
individuals that have made outstanding contributions to environmental
protection, to sponsor activities and projects of various kinds and to promote
technical exchange and co-operation with other countries in the environmental
field to further environmental protection in China.

Since its founding, CEPF has been involved in a series of activities such as
commending 120 outstanding environmental workers in June 1993, hosting the Fifth
Pacific environmental Conference in 1995, completing a project of investigation
regarding national awareness of environmental protection between 1995 and 1996,
and organizing training for environmental volunteers. CEPF has invested several
million yuan in environmental protection enterprises to help develop the
environmental protection industry.


About The Chinese Energy and Environment Market

China's surging economy and industrialisation has created pressures on China's
environment, which the Chinese Government is looking to address through
encouraging investment in the sector and utilising western technology. Issues
being addressed and seeking investment include:

*   China's drinking water and electricity supply cannot keep up with the
    surging demand: shortages are common in many parts of China
*   Eight out of ten of the most polluted cities in the world are Chinese,
    causing high levels of asthma and other pollution related diseases
*   China has announced its intension to spend US$180bn on renewable
    energies over the next 15 years, increasing their contribution to energy
    supply from 7% to 15%
*   Since 2000 China's energy use has been rising at a rate of 15% pa - the
    annual increase in China's energy consumption is approximately equal to the
    total energy consumption of the UK
*   China's energy industry relies on coal for around 75% of output, and
    China is already the biggest coal consumer worldwide, as well as the second
    largest consumer of oil




                      This information is provided by RNS
            The company news service from the London Stock Exchange

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