As more politicians become aware of the need to do something about climate change before we’re all swallowed by the oceans we came from, discussions are focusing on how to measure what countries are doing about it and what steps to take to contain it.
An accounting trick that could save the planet should perhaps be given more attention: adjusting each country’s gross domestic product data by the effect that particular country has on climate change.
Continue readingProbably not many people waking up next Sunday 21 March will be aware that it is the International Day of Forests — but they should be.
Continue readingAmong developed countries investors, there are various interpretations of the strength of the commitment to environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors in emerging markets, ranging from the cynical to the idealistic.
The cynical view would be that there can be no “real” ESG in emerging markets because too often they are plagued by corruption, therefore investors cannot trust what companies in these countries report.
The idealistic view, on the other hand, would see every little step towards introducing ESG as a wonderful sign that these countries are finally deciding to adopt the same values as Western democracies.
While both extremes are wrong, sadly even the moderate take misses the main difference between emerging markets and developed ones: the effect of development itself on ESG — and in particular on the “E”.
As shoppers search for the latest bargains on UK high streets and online, Chancellor George Osborne could be forgiven for believing he really is the artisan of a strong UK recovery.
The year that is about to end was a good one for the UK, judging by some data: low inflation, low interest rates, high employment, rising house prices and a growing gross domestic product – what’s not to like?
But 2014 could turn out to be the year when the recovery ends. Other sets of data reveal the worrying signs of an economy that is running on hopes and dreams, rather than real investment.
The sunny summer that started in July and lasted for about three months seems to have done wonders for the British economy.
A look at the UK’s third-quarter gross domestic product reveals that the sectors that grew the most, contributing to the healthy 0.8 percent quarter-on-quarter and 1.5% year-on-year expansion, are those that depend heavily on the weather.