Among the key trends affecting advisors this past year were the resurgence of independent investment dealers and new mutual fund dealers joining the fray. The financial services industry is facing disruption and challenges from every corner these days. From robo-advisors that offer investment advice at a fraction of the cost – and commercials criticizing financial...Read More

IMAGINE investing in a good story. A big story, tracing the arc of a megatrend – not just a cycle – that will propel those riding the wave far forward. That’s what thematic investing is about: betting on the robotics revolution, rapid urbanisation, or the fact that many of today’s incumbents will be heavily disrupted...Read More

  Researchers have developed a first-of-its-kind model to control traffic and intersections in order to increase autonomous car capacity on urban streets of the future, reduce congestion and minimize accidents. In the not-so-distant future, city streets could be flooded with autonomous vehicles. Self-driving cars can move faster and travel closer together, allowing more of them...Read More

Climate change is the defining challenge of this generation, according to the United Nations, and if you ask NASA it is one of the most complex issues we face today. At the heart of the climate debate is the energy sector. There is now a global consensus that hydrogen is a key cornerstone on the...Read More

As an ice-cream maker, Ben & Jerry’s relies on cow’s milk, but not from just any cows. For four decades, the company has built a reputation for ice cream that does good while tasting good. Its core values, which consumer-goods giant Unilever says it has maintained since acquiring Ben & Jerry’s in 2000, are supposed...Read More

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Scientists said on Monday that for the first time, a satellite on a routine global survey identified and measured methane gas escaping from a gas well explosion, a tool that could be important in efforts to curb climate change. Oil and gas accidents have long emitted vast amounts of methane, a gas...Read More

Impact investing emerged in 2007 out of global discussions on how to mobilise more capital to tackle societal problems. Credit: shutterstock Governments, communities and industries are grappling with issues such as climate change, inequality and social justice – and how to mobilise more funding to tackle these issues. One possible solution is impact investing. Impact...Read More

A powerhouse coalition of impact investors hopes to build out the field through a donor collaborative launched last week with an initial $12.5 million in commitments. The mission of the new Tipping Point Fund (TPF) is creating and scaling a high-functioning market that operates with integrity. The U.S. Impact Investing Alliance will manage the work. Fran Seegull, its...Read More

  Tesla Model S lithium-ion battery pack in rolling chassis Although electric cars haven’t quite taken off in the 2010s the way some had anticipated, sheer economics are pointing to the 2020s as the time when EVs will find that market fever pitch. From 2010 to 2019, lithium-ion battery prices (when looking at the battery...Read More

  The VMD tiny home is an eco-conscious dwelling that is built using shipping-containers Mexican architectural studios Studioroca and Taller Escape have recently joined forces to create a prefabricated housing model that is move-in ready in just 99 days from ordering. Dubbed VMD, the 30-sq-m (323-sq-ft) tiny home is an eco-conscious dwelling that is built...Read More