Processed foods - from cost advantage to competitive disadvantage
High Fat, salt or sugar content ultra-processed foods have been a major contributor to the growing obesity pandemic. Calls are growing to shift to healthier options.
Yes, we need more mining but how much investment do we need?
Yes, decarbonisation of our economy is going to require a lot more of certain minerals. But, how much more, and how much will this cost?
Sunday Brunch - is DEI as important with the investor as with the investment?
We have discussed the topic of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) in a number of blogs previously. Have we been looking at DEI all wrong?Embracing diversity with an equitable mindset aimed at creating an inclusive workplace has been held up as a way of improving performance. But is that
What caught our eye: week 25
Converting unused offices; Mosquito-borne diseases in Europe; Deadly fungal infections
Living longer - please do take this personally
We all respond to our environment in different ways. The same is true of disease and medication. Personalising health care could prevent and treat issues more effectively.
Making money from coffee waste
Global coffee production delivers more than 23 million tons of waste every year. There are innovative uses, including using it as a feedstock in biodigesters, and potentially as a raw material for the production of higher value nutraceuticals.
Sunday Brunch: more on getting financial people to listen
Back at the end of May I wrote the first blog in a series on the topic of what gets financial peoples attention when we talk about Sustainable Finance. And yes, its mostly, but not exclusively, about money. My starting point is that we all want to deliver change and
Decarbonising shipping with the energy you don't use
Shipping is a big emitter of harmful gases. Regulation and innovation in fuels is an important path to reducing that. Increasing efficiency is also a big help and has a cost advantage too.
Geothermal electricity - power from the earth's heat
Geothermal electricity generation is currently (very) niche, only working in a few locations, and even then its expensive. But that is changing. New technologies offer the opportunity for it to be a financially viable balance to the variability of wind and solar.
Sunday Brunch: the values-behaviour gap
Understanding human behaviour is critical to all aspects of sustainable investing. If we don't know why people do things, we cannot get them to change. And if they are not going to change, we will need to rethink how we make company business model's sustainable and financially viable.
How do nature's insulation materials compare?
Nature has provided insulating materials in the past, but modern technology could mean a return to the mainstream for a more sustainable option.
Formalisation - the answer to artisanal mining?
One solution is to formalise the ASM sector, making it possible for the miners to legally earn a living. This is a good solution, but we need to recognise that each location has its own specific challenges - there is not a single catch all solution.
