Blogs
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5 facts you might not know about why forest biodiversity matters
Wednesday 3rd of March 2021
The Earth’s forests are some of the richest and most biodiverse habitats we have.
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Why private capital is the key to unlocking carbon capture at scale
Wednesday 3rd of March 2021
The UK has recently mandated all its companies to disclose the financial risks associated with their climate risks, impact and strategies – as per the framework set out by the Taskforce on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) – by 2025. Not only will this help understand how a given company’s activities are contributing to climate change, but the transparency of reported data will also help unlock the investment required by the more complicated carbon emission-management technologies.
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Record numbers of people in the UK have applied to study nursing
Wednesday 3rd of March 2021
Applications to join the nursing profession in the UK are soaring. In the past year, the number of people applying to study to become a nurse has risen by almost a third to more than 60,000. There has also been increased interest in related disciplines, including dentistry and medicine.
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The developing world must get ready to adapt its trade to climate change
Wednesday 3rd of March 2021
• In the absence of adaptation, developing countries stand to be hit the hardest by trade losses due to climate change.
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This chart shows South Korea’s population is ageing and shrinking
Wednesday 3rd of March 2021
After the number of residents registered in South Korea had already shown a decline for 2020, the fact that the country’s population is decreasing is now cemented by the release of births and deaths data.
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Introducing the ‘world’s greenest football club’ – and their new kit made from coffee beans
Wednesday 3rd of March 2021
Already in a league of their own when it comes to sustainability in sport, innovative English soccer club Forest Green Rovers are trialling a kit made from coffee bean waste.
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Brazil’s plan for a 2,600km ‘Green corridor’ that will plant 1.7 billion trees
Wednesday 3rd of March 2021
The Black Jaguar Foundation (BJF) has just one goal, but it’s a very big one: the NGO founded by the Dutch entrepreneur and environmentalist Ben Valks plans to reforest 1 million hectares (2.4 million acres) on either side of Brazil’s Araguaia and Tocantins rivers in the Amazon and Cerrado biomes.
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Why we need to bridge the digital divide for greater equality
Wednesday 3rd of March 2021
COVID-19 is deepening inequity both within and beyond borders. And as the world shifts increasingly online, uneven access to technology is leaving much of the global population behind.
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Texas power crisis shows need to build a clean, resilient grid
Wednesday 3rd of March 2021
What unfolded in Texas wasn’t a power outage – it was a tragedy. And unfortunately, it’s far from the first or the worst we’ve seen in recent years.
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On World Wildlife Day, a host of conservation success stories
Wednesday 3rd of March 2021
Whether on land, in the air, or in the water, plants and animals large and small are struggling.
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This country is restarting air travel. Here’s how
Wednesday 3rd of March 2021
COVID-19 struck the aviation industry with unprecedented losses as international passenger traffic dropped by about 90% and around 46 million aviation-related jobs were at risk. In Kuwait alone, those losses were in excess of $1 billion. There were repercussions for families separated, livelihoods interrupted, medical and compassionate travel delayed, education programmes canceled, among many other consequences.
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7 ‘Champions for Nature’ tell us their must-read books
Wednesday 3rd of March 2021
During this year’s Davos Agenda Week, leaders from the private and public sectors highlighted the urgent need to halt and reverse nature loss. Deliberate action on the interlinked climate and ecological crises to achieve a net-zero, nature-positive economy is paramount. At the same time, these leaders also presented a message of hope: that investing in nature holds the key to ensuring economic and social prosperity and resilience.
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COVID-19: What you need to know about the coronavirus pandemic on 3 March
Wednesday 3rd of March 2021
1. How COVID-19 is affecting the globe
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Reducing plastic waste at source is a key part of Indonesia’s battle against ocean pollution
Wednesday 3rd of March 2021
Right now an estimated 150 million tonnes of plastic waste is floating in our marine environments. Every year around 11 million additional tonnes make their way into our oceans.
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Here’s a simple and fair way to end corporate tax abuse
Wednesday 3rd of March 2021
The global losses from multinational companies’ tax abuses amount to hundreds of billions of dollars a year – revenues that are badly needed as the costs of the pandemic mount up. But international reform efforts have stalled and some future consensus seems unlikely.
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How improved data could boost humanitarian investment
Tuesday 2nd of March 2021
The COVID-19 crisis has exacerbated the pressing challenges already faced by families and communities in fragile contexts. The Global Humanitarian Response Plan for COVID-19, together with existing humanitarian appeals, totalled $39 billion. As of November 2020, donors had given $17 billion to inter-agency plans – around a $22 billion shortfall. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) estimates confirm that donor funding and development finance remains insufficient to meet the overall need (Figure 1).
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For climate policies to stay on track we must prepare for transition risks
Tuesday 2nd of March 2021
The world is well behind target on its climate change goals, but there are growing signs of accelerating action. More and more countries are committing to carbon neutrality in two or three decades. Oil and gas companies are under increasing pressure from investors and activists to do more. COP26 in Glasgow later this year offers the prospect of renewed momentum.
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This retro milk float is helping Londoners pursue a ‘zero-waste’ future
Tuesday 2nd of March 2021
Heralded by the whirr of its underpowered electric engine and the clink of bottles stacked in crates on the back, Ella Shone’s ‘Topup Truck’ started life ferrying morning milk to the doorsteps of bleary-eyed Londoners.
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Investors are failing African entrepreneurs — it’s time for a change
Tuesday 2nd of March 2021
Despite the global economic slowdown caused by COVID-19, the case for investing in Africa is stronger than ever. Africa will remain a competitive investment destination for decades to come because of its improving relative risk profiles, regional integration and strong economic fundamentals.
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For better diversity, leaders should create a cultural shift – here’s how
Tuesday 2nd of March 2021
Two scholars who have been studying diversity for decades say that the business case is a dangerous fallacy, one that lets leaders off the hook and trades human dignity for dollars.
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China’s new 5-year plan: Shifting investment from coal to green tech
Tuesday 2nd of March 2021
China, which long targeted rapid industrial growth despite its environmental consequences, now aims to become the global leader in “low-carbon tech for a carbon-constrained world” as it unveils its new five-year plan this week, China analysts said.
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Gender equality: Why pay equity isn’t enough
Tuesday 2nd of March 2021
Fixing pay inequality is not the silver bullet solution to creating more inclusive fair organisations and economies (famous last words of the CEO of a company developing innovative pay equity and fair pay software). But an innovative rewiring of jobs, complete with a new innovative look at reward and compensation is.
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IMF Head: How governments can prevent widening inequality
Tuesday 2nd of March 2021
As G20 finance ministers and central bank governors meet virtually this week, the world continues to climb back from the worst recession in peacetime since the Great Depression.
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Women’s rights must be central to the global recovery. Here’s why
Tuesday 2nd of March 2021
The economic crisis resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic is having a profound detrimental effect for most people around the world. Yet, it has impacted men and women differently. Women are more likely to work in health care, unpaid care, and domestic work, making them more susceptible to the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic. Women still earn less than men for equally valued jobs, bear more of the childcare burden, and face a higher risk of violence in their homes. The pandemic has widened the gender gap in labor force participation, risking decades of progress for women as workers and entrepreneurs. As we write this, the COVID-19 pandemic is still claiming lives and livelihoods, and government policies to address the gender effects of the pandemic have not been enough given the magnitude of the challenge.
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Why we must reimagine capacity building to strengthen education after COVID-19
Tuesday 2nd of March 2021
In the past year, COVID-19 has tested education sectors around the world in unprecedented ways. From the massive spread of online learning to the emergence of alternative providers, the remarkable efforts to cope with the pandemic have opened an invitation to reimagine school education in a post-COVID-19 world.