Asset managers and younger age groups are driving the change to a more sustainable financial sector. As the second decade of the XXI century has now officially began, people are eager to rethink the very purpose of the current economic system. In October 2019, the...
Food and beverage / 20.12.2019
Towards an OPEC for Cocoa
The creation of a cocoa OPEC among the main cocoa producing countries has been in the collective imaginary of the producers for almost a decade. There are some reasons to support their argument, but the most undeniable one is the high concentration of production. Indeed,...
ESG, Tech / 20.12.2019
Investors to pressure tech giants over ESG issues
"All that glitter is not gold, often have you heard that told." Tech giants have long been deemed ESG good-will ambassadors. They usually couple a meaningful value proposition together with a garageland background, which makes the formula extremely appealing to people, especially the young. However, since...
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) and Peugeot S.A. (PSA) merge into a new combined company, which would become the 3rd largest global Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) by combined revenues of nearly €170bn. FCA and PSA announced it issuing a joint press release and a proposed merger doc (see...
Corporate Governance / 16.12.2019
Apple shareholders to discuss human rights policies at 2020 annual meeting
Next year at Apple’ s annual meeting, shareholders will vote a non-binding resolution for transparency over human rights policies. On 9 September 2019, SumOfUs, a consumer advocacy group, submitted the proposal claiming that the US tech company had limited individual freedom of expression kowtowing to China's will, which...
“I am disappointed with the results of COP 25” The UN Secretary-General António Guterres sentenced on Twitter on 15 December, 2019, at the end of the COP 25 closing plenary. “Time For Action” was the slogan unrolled at the start of the 25th UN Climate Change Conference (COP 25). The...
Major ESG-related controversies during the past six years were accompanied by market capitalization losses of $534 billion for large US companies over the past 5 years, according to an analysis by Bank of America Merrill Lynch. The research shows that "90% of bankruptcies in the...
Climate change / 12.12.2019
A global political impasse threatens both negotiations at COP25 and the EU’s Green Deal
Millions of people are taking into the streets in an effort to save the planet. Despite that, public mobilisation has had very little impact on governments’ leaders so far. Talks between world's leaders have not evolved into actions as people wish, and the...
ESG, Senza categoria / 12.12.2019
Japan’s Government Pension Investment Fund (GPIF) on stewardship and ESG
Hiro Mizuno, chief investment officer of Japan’s Government Pension Investment Fund, says in an interview to the FT of December 12, 2019 that it values stewardship and it is going to embrace ESG factors fully in all the investment of the GPIF. GPIF is the world’s...
Climate change / 11.12.2019
The EU’s Green New Deal: protecting the Planet or the European industry?
Will the EU be able to reach its 2050’s environmental targets? If so, at what costs for the international trade market? As President of the EU Commission, Ms. Ursula von der Leyen, is preparing to unveiling EU’s Green New Deal later this Wednesday (11 December), debates about the impacts of...
In her interview to the Delphine Strauss FT journalist, Esther Duflo, the second women being awarded a Nobel prize at the age of 47 declares how she got interested in finding small working solutions to poverty in the developing world experiencing poverty in her own...
Climate change / 04.12.2019
New EEA Report on transition to a sustainable Europe gives hope for future
The European Environment Agency’s (EEA) latest State of the Environment (SoE) Report gives hope for future, despite EU climate change transition actions are not sufficient to fully achieve all 34 policy objectives. According to the SoE Report, Europe has to scale up its climate measures. ...
Day one of the UN COP 25 in Madrid closed yesterday, 2 December 2019. Over the next two weeks to 13 December, the 196 delegations will negotiate to find a common ground to tackle climate change. So what is at stake at COP 25? We have highlighted...
Climate change / 03.12.2019
Mark Carney to become the next UN envoy on climate change and climate finance
Bank of England Governor Mark Carney will be the 2020 UN special envoy on climate action and climate finance. The Canadian economist and banker will replace billionaire Michael Bloomberg taking on the UN role to push finance to act on climate change. However, Mr. Carney’s successor at...