Blogs and Opinions
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The supply chain is dead: Why we must build a ‘living supply chain’ for food
Friday 12th of August 2022
“This year’s food crisis is about lack of access. Next year’s could be about lack of food.”
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The 4 forces workplaces can’t ignore
Friday 12th of August 2022
Workforces have been shaped throughout human history by four key forces: specialization, scarcity, rivalry and humanity.
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The ‘resignation equation’ driving employees to quit: 5 economic stories to read this week
Friday 12th of August 2022
A fifth of workers say they are extremely or very likely to quit their jobs in 2022, according to a global PwC survey. This trend is being driven by 5 key factors – the so-called ‘resignation equation’.
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7 tips from young leaders on achieving intergenerational justice
Friday 12th of August 2022
An intergenerational crisis is underway. Once-in-a-lifetime catastrophes like COVID-19 and fears of a global recession continue to disproportionately affect the careers and economic stability of young people.
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Building resilience and youth entrepreneurship in Africa
Friday 12th of August 2022
Mosibudi Makgato and her sister Rosemary Padi have turned the taste of their South African childhood into a thriving business. Through their home-crafted ginger beer, sold under the Yamama Gemmer brand (which translates to “mother’s ginger beer”), these two young entrepreneurs have crafted a product that balances traditional flavor with modern convenience.
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What you need to know about the global economy this week
Thursday 11th of August 2022
The Bank of England will likely have to raise interest rates further to tackle inflation, Deputy Governor Dave Ramsden told Reuters.
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How to give the world’s youth a voice in shaping global challenges
Thursday 11th of August 2022
There are 1.12 billion young people between the ages of 15 and 24 on earth, about 16% of the global population. By 2030, this figure is expected to grow to nearly 1.3 billion.
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Why deep metrics and a strong learning culture are needed to drive effective ESG performance
Thursday 11th of August 2022
Sustainability seems to be on the lips of every executive today. But for all the rhetoric, the results are somewhat disappointing. This is largely because companies have difficulty operationalising and measuring what sustainability means in practice. Even when metrics are defined and data is collected, leadership teams often struggle to use this information to inform strategy. Decision-making without data is akin to going on a hike up a mountain without a map to show you where you are going or how far you have gone. This leaves companies vulnerable in the face of increasing societal demands to become net positive or gender equal.
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Vertical Urban Mobility: Why the future of urban development lies far above the ground
Thursday 11th of August 2022
If you listen to the current global discourse about urban development, you almost certainly would have come across the idea of building 15-minute cities. It seems like everyone, from government officials and public policy wonks to architects and city developers, is talking about redesigning or building from scratch urban settlements where residents can get to wherever they need to be in a quarter of an hour.
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How to spot fake news on your social networks
Thursday 11th of August 2022
How can we avoid being fooled by fake news? Our social networks are bombarded by information and it is almost impossible to discern what is real and what is unreliable information.
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Why we must act now to shape a lung cancer revolution
Thursday 11th of August 2022
By 2030, premature mortality from lung cancer is estimated to increase by 30%. Simultaneously, countries have the formidable challenge of reducing premature mortality from non-communicable disease (NCD) by one-third through the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 3.4).
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Climate change is making infectious diseases worse, according to a ‘truly scary’ study
Thursday 11th of August 2022
Over half of all known infectious diseases that threaten humans have been worsened by climate change, according to an alarming new study.
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From Carson Pickett to Colin Kaepernick, these activist athletes are making a change
Thursday 11th of August 2022
Sometimes it seems as if changing the world has become part of the job description for the world’s top athletes.
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This country has the highest number of people planning to quit their jobs
Thursday 11th of August 2022
It’s been called the Great Resignation, the Great Attrition and the Big Quit. It began at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic and, according to latest findings, is showing no sign of stopping.
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Protect, manage, restore: the formula for ending deforestation
Thursday 11th of August 2022
When it comes to tropical forests and climate change, two things are clear: we must protect our forests, and we must do it at scale.
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How can countries achieve digital maturity in healthcare?
Thursday 11th of August 2022
Healthcare systems have become increasingly digitised since the late 1960s, but in the last decade progress has accelerated, expanded in scope and been given a huge boost by the pandemic. From its beginnings in the early development of structured medical records through to the critical role telehealth played in continuing operations during the COVID-19 pandemic, digital technologies have allowed policymakers, caregivers and patients the ability to make informed decisions to better manage healthcare delivery.
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3 tips from trillion-dollar investors on sealing the co-investment deal
Thursday 11th of August 2022
Co-investing as a strategy has been on the rise for years.
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These are the world’s best passports to own in 2022
Thursday 11th of August 2022
“The passport you hold determines your fate and dramatically impacts the options you have,” says Dr Christian Kaelin, chairman of Henley and Partners and inventor of the passport index concept, earlier this year.
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How to scale up digital wages in line with the UN Principles for Responsible Digital Payments
Thursday 11th of August 2022
Lessons from Bangladesh, Jordan, and Senegal
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Red meat and heart disease: a new study examines the link
Thursday 11th of August 2022
Despite intense study, the impact of animal source foods on atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) is vigorously debated, and the mechanisms underlying potential effects of animal proteins remain unclear.
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Canadian village razed by wildfire wrestles with climate-proofing its future
Thursday 11th of August 2022
A year after a wildfire destroyed the western Canadian village of Lytton, residents, municipal leaders, and the British Columbia government are grappling with the slow and costly reality of future-proofing a community against climate change.
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Longer days on Earth could break the internet – here’s how
Thursday 11th of August 2022
Atomic clocks, combined with precise astronomical measurements, have revealed that the length of a day is suddenly getting longer, and scientists don’t know why.
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Scrapping use-by dates could reduce food waste – what else can be done?
Thursday 11th of August 2022
Before ending up on a European supermarket shelf, an avocado has effectively emitted 1.3 kilograms of carbon into the atmosphere. Its production alone consumes 60 gallons of water. Despite this, the fruit will often be discarded as household waste.
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These will be the world’s most populous countries by 2030
Thursday 11th of August 2022
India is set to become the world’s most populous country by the end of the decade, overtaking China, according to the latest edition of the United Nations’ World Population Prospects.
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Meet the ‘climate catalysts’ pressing companies to protect the planet
Thursday 11th of August 2022
A powerful group of consumers is mobilizing to change the way companies interact with the environment. But they aren’t who you might think they may be.
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Why trust is key to leading companies unlocking value
Thursday 11th of August 2022
Corporate leaders today are measured by a new yardstick. The supreme test of a CEO and board of directors is now the value they create not just for shareholders, but for all stakeholders.
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8 endangered species that are being reintroduced around the world
Wednesday 10th of August 2022
Conservation projects around the world are helping to bring back endangered and extinct wildlife species. Not only is this important for the species themselves – preserving wildlife has positive impacts on human life, too.
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Crypto mining can retire fossil fuels for good. Here’s how
Wednesday 10th of August 2022
The future of blockchain is bright, but first we need to bring our expectations back to earth. To realize its full potential, the decentralized finance (DeFi) market must operate within regulatory guard rails — to protect both investors and the planet.
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What’s stopping the world from using more green hydrogen?
Wednesday 10th of August 2022
Green hydrogen (GH2) as a means to decarbonize industry is now well-ingrained in the policy discourse. Around 45 countries are devising or have published hydrogen strategies, and several agreements have been concluded between countries to set up tomorrow’s trade routes for hydrogen. Despite these efforts, we are still far from a world where GH2 plays a key role as a source of energy, given that demand for GH2 is limited and the infrastructure for GH2 is confined to industrial areas. Moreover, global electrolyser capacity amounts to just a few hundred megawatts, which lies significantly below the target of 115 GW by 2030 to meet the GH2 demands for all the published and announced strategies, and again far below the forecasted target of 5 TW by 2050, according to IRENA’s World Energy Transitions Outlook.
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COVID-19 has hit children hard. Here’s how schools can help
Wednesday 10th of August 2022
COVID has left a lasting impact on education in a number of ways. Deficits in learning may never be fully redressed; backlogs, delays and more complexity in university admission will continue to be felt down the line; anxiety and depression are more prevalent.
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Monkeypox vaccines: A virologist answers 6 key questions
Wednesday 10th of August 2022
Monkeypox isn’t going to be the next COVID-19. But with the outbreak having bloomed to thousands of infections, with cases in nearly every state, on Aug. 4, 2022, the U.S. declared monkeypox a national public health emergency. One reason health experts did not expect monkeypox to become so widespread is that the U.S. had previously approved two vaccines for the virus. Maureen Ferran, a virologist at Rochester Institute of Technology, has been keeping tabs on the two vaccines that can protect against monkeypox.
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Inflation has risen so fast it’s even surprised central banks. Can they do anything to bring it down?
Wednesday 10th of August 2022
Central banks in major economies expected as recently as a few months ago that they could tighten monetary policy very gradually. Inflation seemed to be driven by an unusual mix of supply shocks associated with the pandemic and later Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and it was expected to decline rapidly once these pressures eased.
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How mixed reality is helping scientists study forests
Wednesday 10th of August 2022
To measure vegetation in the wild, researchers set up a Microsoft HoloLens as a mixed reality sensor to feed their application called VegSense.
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How does gender impact opinions about artificial intelligence?
Wednesday 10th of August 2022
Women in the United States are more skeptical than men about some uses of artificial intelligence (AI), particularly the possible widespread use of driverless passenger vehicles, according to a new analysis of Pew Research Center survey data collected in November 2021.
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Solar power is transforming Indian banking. Here’s how
Wednesday 10th of August 2022
Going to the bank in his home village in western India used to be a slow, frustrating process for Kiran Patil, as frequent power cuts – sometimes lasting for days – turned what should have been a quick errand into a lengthy ordeal.
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How young people in Kenya are helping to tackle drought
Wednesday 10th of August 2022
Sitting under an acacia tree to cool off from northern Kenya’s stifling heat, youth leader Bonface Ewaar was deep in discussion about how best to warn his community of Katilu about worsening drought.
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The ‘resignation equation’: 5 factors that drive employees to quit
Wednesday 10th of August 2022
The term “Great Resignation” emerged in May 2021, after it became clear that record numbers of people were leaving their jobs during the pandemic. More than a year later the phenomenon shows no sign of stopping, and consultancy PwC says it can be explained by the “resignation equation”.
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How consumer credit can drive growth in Africa’s emerging e-commerce sector
Wednesday 10th of August 2022
Retail in Africa is primarily informal. Most consumer buying occurs in open-air markets, small shops, tabletops, kiosks, and street hawkers. These sellers operate informally and are the backbone of trade in many African countries.
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The solution to online abuse? AI plus human intelligence
Wednesday 10th of August 2022
Readers: Please be aware that this article has been shared on websites that routinely misrepresent content and spread misinformation. We ask you to note the following:
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3 charts that show the state of the job market in OECD countries
Wednesday 10th of August 2022
Unemployment is steadying in countries representing 80% of world trade and investment, as these three charts below show.
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Inflation, employment, growth: The Eurozone’s economic outlook in 3 charts
Wednesday 10th of August 2022
Fears of a global recession are growing, as supply chain disruptions cause soaring inflation and a cost-of-living crisis.
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US crypto regulation bill aims to bring clarity to decentralized autonomous organizations
Wednesday 10th of August 2022
On 7 June, United States Senators Cynthia Lummis and Kirsten Gillibrand launched the much anticipated Responsible Financial Innovation Act, proposing a comprehensive set of crypto regulations that address some of the biggest questions facing the digital assets sector. By providing holistic guidance to the rapidly growing industry, the crypto regulation bill offers a bipartisan response to President Biden’s call for a whole-of-government approach to regulating crypto.
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Indigenous peoples teach the world First Nations wisdom through technology
Wednesday 10th of August 2022
Efforts are being made around the world to give Indigenous peoples a voice, to empower them to share their wisdom and stories and to ensure First Nations are involved in building our digital futures. The marginalization from dominant economic, political and legal systems many Indigenous peoples face mean our world views are routinely overlooked by modern society, but it doesn’t have to be this way.
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How successful leaders will take ESG further: BlackRock’s alternative investment chief Pam Chan
Tuesday 9th of August 2022
Pam Chan is the Chief Investment Officer and global head of the Alternative Solutions Group at BlackRock. This is a $10 billion platform investing across the private market space, from private equity and credit to infrastructure, to even wetland mitigation and music. Her work considers how the private market can help push forward goals like sustainability and meet ESG criteria – environmental, social and governance standards that socially-conscious investors can use to measure the non-financial success of a company.
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3 ways to improve recycling behaviour and boost the circular economy
Tuesday 9th of August 2022
Despite decades of promoting recycling, global rates are stuck at a disappointing 16%. Improved design, technologies and access for reuse and recyclability are critical to closing the gap. But better recycling behaviours are just as important for making the shift to a truly circular economy.
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The four key ways disinformation is spread online
Tuesday 9th of August 2022
Social media has ushered in an era of unprecedented connectivity. Yet it has also allowed disinformation and so-called fake news campaigns to proliferate and flourish.
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Libraries in North America are revising how they refer to Indigenous Peoples. This is why
Tuesday 9th of August 2022
The two largest agencies responsible for the language we use to discover books in libraries in North America — the Library of Congress in the United States, and Library and Archives Canada — are changing how they refer to Indigenous Peoples.
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The four-day work week may be too good to be true, here’s why
Tuesday 9th of August 2022
The four-day working week continues to gain momentum, with pilots taking place in the UK, Ireland, US, Canada and Australia. Over six-month periods between February and November, employees at participating businesses are working only 80% of their time but still receiving 100% of their salary and benefits.
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Monkeypox: US declares it a national public health emergency – here’s what it means
Tuesday 9th of August 2022
After news broke that the U.S. declared monkeypox to be a public health emergency, friends and family started asking me, an infectious disease epidemiologist, if monkeypox is about to begin causing widespread death and chaos. I assured them that the Aug. 4, 2022, public health emergency declaration is about government resource allocation. Similar to the World Health Organization’s declaration of monkeypox as a public health emergency of international concern, the U.S. declaration isn’t calling for individuals who are not in a high-risk group to change anything about their lives.
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How can we make the world’s buildings net-zero?
Tuesday 9th of August 2022
Buildings are a significant contributor of carbon emissions. As the broader economy transitions to net zero, various stakeholders are pushing for building decarbonization—whether it’s real-estate investors who have made net-zero commitments, policy makers setting emissions limits, or tenants looking for greener spaces. Electrifying space and water heating systems is one way to reduce building emissions—and electric heat-pump technology, which has improved and become cost-competitive in certain markets, has emerged as an increasingly viable solution.
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How AI is being used to improve 3D printing
Tuesday 9th of August 2022
Scientists and engineers are constantly developing new materials with unique properties that can be used for 3D printing, but figuring out how to print with these materials can be a complex, costly conundrum.
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The UN just declared a new human right
Tuesday 9th of August 2022
Climate change is already affecting much of the world’s population, with startlingly high temperatures from the Arctic to Australia. Air pollution from wildfires, vehicles and industries threatens human health. Bees and pollinators are dying in unprecedented numbers that may force changes in crop production and food availability.
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These 5 essential reads explain how heat and health are connected
Tuesday 9th of August 2022
Launching the National Integrated Heat Health Information System (NIHHIS) and the heat.gov site on July 26, 2022, the Biden administration cited heat waves and the warming climate as serious health threats. As the new initiative promises a “science informed response” to hotter conditions, five stories from The Conversation’s archive explain what researchers know about heat and health.
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Here’s why Zimbabwe is turning to solar water heaters in a drive for clean energy
Tuesday 9th of August 2022
People in Zimbabwe are used to taking cold baths during lengthy power cuts, but Cosmas Ndlovu’s new home means his family are among the fortunate few who can enjoy hot water at all hours.
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Why don’t solar panels work as well in heatwaves?
Tuesday 9th of August 2022
Heatwaves are good for generating solar energy – right?
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What are foreign currency reserves and can they help combat the global economic crisis?
Tuesday 9th of August 2022
The economic and political crisis in Sri Lanka, which began in April 2022, has been playing out on TV screens around the world. Protests have swept the country, forcing the President to step down.
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Why greener cities are cooler and more equal
Tuesday 9th of August 2022
Cities with more green spaces can stay cooler in hot weather and provide fairer lives for their residents, experts say.
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How city and state diplomacy can strengthen US foreign policy
Tuesday 9th of August 2022
In early 2020, as much of the world held its breath and refreshed the John Hopkins COVID-19 Dashboard, local leaders like Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti were already in action. Calling and texting with mayors around the world already facing down the virus and its impact. Los Angeles was able to move quickly: establishing drive-thru testing sites as recommended by Seoul, adopting Milan’s approach to reconfiguring hospital spaces, and sharing these models with other cities in the US.
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How to build an organizational culture that is ‘cybersecurity ready’
Tuesday 9th of August 2022
Cyber risk is one of the main challenges that organizations face today. The World Economic Forum’s Global Risks Report 2022 highlights how cyber threats have intensified through digital transformation and growing digital dependency.
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Drought in Europe – and other environment stories you need to read this week
Monday 8th of August 2022
Wildfires raging through Europe this summer have burned the second-largest area on record – twice the size of Luxembourg – and it’s still only halfway through the fire season. Just over 600,000 hectares have been affected so far this year, according to data from the European Union’s Joint Research Centre.
