ImpactAlpha, March 12 – A modest downturn in demand triggered a crash in oil prices that will strand billions of dollars in fossil fuel assets and, perhaps, signal a dramatic reduction in carbon emissions. That the inciting incident was a worldwide pandemic and not, say, the adoption of electric vehicles or the establishment of a...Read More

  Our LinkedIn audience answered five questions on the current state of ESG investing, including how to manage gaps in the disclosure of ESG data. The LinkedIn chat questioned whether asset managers were actively pricing climate change risks into their investment decisions and portfolios. The discussion concluded that ESG compliance was now a vital consideration...Read More

Nearly a decade after the world’s largest climate fund, the Green Climate Fund (GCF), was established in 2010 under the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the first comprehensive performance review of the Fund’s effectivity, functionality and impact was published in late 2019.Is the Fund responding to the needs of developing countries? How are...Read More

At the heart of Hong Kong’s past year of protests is an emboldened nativism that portrays the Chinese Communist Party, and mainland Chinese people, as antithetical to the city’s interests. At its worst, such nativism manifests in racist, dehumanizing rhetoric—and a chilling schadenfreude over crises such as the COVID-19 outbreak—imbued with thinly veiled colonialist nostalgia...Read More

The New York State Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) has announced a new Co-Investment Fund to support emerging clean energy startups. The fund has an initial $6 million in capital to finance clean energy startups seeking to match investments from qualified investors. The Co-Investment Fund is part of New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo’s climate...Read More

According to the International District Energy Association, demands for air conditioning currently create 50-70% of electricity demand. The International Energy Agency estimates that it accounts for about 10% of global electricity consumption, and remains a “critical blind spot” in today’s energy debate. Tabreed is a national central cooling company that currently delivers over 1 million refrigeration tons of cooling...Read More

If you board a train, streetcar, or bus in Luxembourg, beginning on March 1, you’ll no longer pay a fare. The country is among the first to pioneer fully free public transit. The move aims to help reduce inequality—even though the tiny country is known for its wealth, poverty is increasing. “The objective is to...Read More

Geoff Blake, in a guest ESG Comment for II, explains the significance of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals and how KBI Global Investors’ analysis helps investors to understand what it is they are actually investing in.  When our peers use terms such as “aligned,” “mapped,” “meet” or “track” in the context of their investment strategies...Read More

Think back to 30—even 40—years ago. The solid waste industry was once known for its behind-the-scenes, “invisible” work. Now, conversations around landfills, recycling and the call for zero waste and sustainable business practices have put the waste and recycling industry under society’s microscope, with society leaning on this industry to solve some of its greatest...Read More

Corporate CEOs and boards are under increasing pressure from investors and others to do better by the planet and everyone living on it. That means doing all of the following and more: Go green. Do business more ethically, humanely and sustainably. Treat employees well and pay them fairly. Diversify the workplace and boardroom. Improve data...Read More