Emerald Knight

Bamboo ready to make a huge impact  

• 8th August 2011
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Emerald Knight has just released details of a brand new investment project, one which is the first of its kind in the world and offers investors returns of up to 503 per cent. The new Bamboo Bonds are an asset backed bond and held in trust by a UK trustee which has taken security over the assets, making them at the same time some of the most exciting and secure investments on the market.

Starting with the basics, here are a few facts. Bamboo is a grass, rather than a tree, and is the fastest growing plant on the planet – it can grow up to one metre in a single day and add more than 50m in height in a single growing season. Added to this is the fact that bamboo plants absorb more carbon dioxide than fast-growing trees like Eucalyptus and have carbon sequestration rates (the rate at which carbon dioxide is absorbed and processed by the plant) 20 per cent higher than equivalent conifer varieties.

Bamboo also doesn’t damage the surrounding land while achieving this growth – the root system reduces soil erosion by up to 75 per cent in two years and provides a valuable habitat for wildlife. In addition, the nature of the growing process of bamboo means that the plants are constantly feeding nutrients back into the soils as they grow. Bamboo also sheds foliage throughout its lifetime and growth, which means that the plants add biomass to the soil surrounding where they grow.

Bamboo is more durable than wood and can be made both strong and flexible allowing a huge variety of uses, from building construction and snowboards to wind turbine blades and bicycles.

Bamboo can be harvested for structural use within three to four years of planting, and will then provide an annual crop for up to 100 years. Unlike many timber products, the root system of bamboo continues to feed new shoots after harvesting, rather than dying off. In fact, the plant diverts nutrients from other parts to feed new shoots.

Finally, there is the human aspect of bamboo. Because of its use in almost any field, alongside food products and other materials used in day to day life, it is estimated that 1.5 billion people depend on it for survival. The global market for bamboo is currently estimated to be in the region of $5 billion per year – but with the worldwide potential of bamboo products, the market is expected to be worth $20 billion by 2015.

For more information on Emerald Knight’s asset backed bamboo bond and to request your FREE brochure, click here.