Of course there are exceptions to the current general distrust of cleantech shares, such as the recent flotation of electric car maker Tesla Motors on NASDAQ. But while a company selling an exciting product that investors can easily get their collective heads around might still enjoy plenty of interest, it seems that other more conventional cleantech firms will continue to have a tough time with investors (as demonstrated by the postponement of the IPO of Xinjiang Goldwind, China’s second-largest wind turbine manufacturer, on the Hong Kong stock market.)
Meanwhile, in London things have suddenly become a lot tougher for cleantech firms quoted on the London Stock Exchange’s Alternative Investment Market. AIM investors have suffered something of a double whammy during the past few years. Whereas UK-based higher rate taxpayers were once able to pay just 10% capital gains tax (CGT) on AIM shares that they had held for more than two years, the previous Labour Government scrapped this taper relief and instead brought in a flat CGT rate of 18% for all kinds of investments, whether quoted on AIM or not.
But now, after the recent coalition Government’s emergency Budget, the CGT rate for higher rate taxpayers has been increased to 28%, with no taper relief for AIM shares!
Although AIM is recognised as being a market for more adventurous investors, the notion that they might have to pay over a quarter of any profit to the Chancellor will surely make some investors think twice before risking their money in London’s junior market.
At the back of the minds of all investors, whether they favour cleantech or not, is the fear of a double dip worldwide recession, which could well occur should governments in Europe and elsewhere prove unable to tackle the issue of sovereign debt. If the world does fall back into recession, then all bets will be off for the cleantech sector in the short to medium term. Cutting carbon dioxide emissions, improving the environment in general and developing alternative sources of energy to fossil fuels are recognised by both governments and big business as important goals, but governments and big business will need to invest a lot of money in order to achieve those goals.
Sadly, the short term interests of the voters who elect the governments and the shareholders who own the big businesses are likely to come first. However, we still believe that, over the long term, the clean energy industry - and other cleantech sub sectors - will become as established as the oil and gas industry is today.
Jon Mainwaring
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