Humanitarian plan aims to assist 109 million vulnerable people in 2020 A record 168 million people worldwide will need help and protection in 2020, or roughly 1 in every 45 people on the planet, the UN’s top humanitarian official said on Wednesday. Mark Lowcock was speaking in Geneva, where the UN and its humanitarian partners...Read More

As the planet warms due to excess carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, a solution for drawing down that carbon — or at least a major part of it — lies silently below us. Soil organic matter — made of decomposing plant, animal and microbial tissue — is what distinguishes healthy, vibrant soil from just plain...Read More

The latest example of building momentum for greater investing in companies with strong environmental, social and governance (ESG) practices was provided this week in the form of new research from Edelman. An overwhelming majority of investors now expect companies to implement effective ESG practices, according to Edelman’s survey of 600 institutional investors in six countries...Read More

The impact investing movement is gaining momentum at a time when the world is facing unprecedented challenges Now is the time for an urgent alliance of capital and communities for the future of the country, says environmental activist David Ritter. In an impassioned plea at the Impact Investment Summit Asia Pacific, the Greenpeace CEO joined...Read More

MADRID (Reuters) – A surprise drop in coal use in the United States and Europe has helped to slow the growth of global carbon dioxide emissions this year, with softening demand in China and India also contributing, according to a study published on Wednesday. The report, launched at a U.N. climate summit in Madrid, showed...Read More

MADRID (Reuters) – The world must stop a “war against nature” and find more political will to combat climate change, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Sunday, the eve of a two-week global climate summit in Madrid. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres speaks during a news conference on the eve of the U.N. climate summit...Read More

The millennial appetite for social entrepreneurship isn’t simply youthful idealism, writes Russell Prior Young people today are growing up in an increasingly interconnected and borderless world. This lets them explore the world outside their own and connect to the problems that surround them. In recent months, we’ve seen the proliferation of networking groups, societies and advisory...Read More

That’s the general consensus among some of Europe’s leading plastic industry commentators — the very people working to reshape the industry. While plastic in its myriad forms is ingrained in every aspect of our life, ‘plastiphobia’ has entered the vernacular as a condition, and regulators are cracking down hard on an industry that already faces...Read More

For a long time, I was generous to a fault with my time and attention: A student entrepreneur wants input on her business idea? Happy to help. An employee requests a meeting? I’m available. The nonprofit dearest to me needs an event chairperson? Of course. But I’ve reconsidered my reflexive “yes.” Earlier this year, I...Read More

In the first in a series of blog posts on private markets, we address the mechanics and outlook for key private market strategies. Fueled by a global need to fund long-term obligations, the demand for private market strategies is projected to grow. Are investors considering the full opportunity set? Fueled by a global need to...Read More