Can better governance improve stock valuations?
For listed companies, there are a number of choices that a board and executive management can make to increase the valuation of the shares in the company. One example is choosing where to list. In my career I have seen many non-US companies running for US stock market listings in
Are vertical farms ahead of their time?
The BBC (among other outlets) reported on a vertical farm in Gloucestershire, that they describe as one of the country's most technically advanced. The facility grows lettuce, basil and other herbs under special lights, in a warm humid atmosphere (27 degrees C and 75% humidity). They claim they
What caught our eye - three key stories (week 8, 2024)
Vertical farms ahead of their time?; Better governance can lift valuations?; Limits of sequestration
Sunday Brunch: What does a CSO actually do? Part 2
Many companies seem to want the upside that comes from better sustainability optics, without doing the hard work involved in integrating sustainability into their operational processes and strategy formulation - Alison Taylor
Are we finally getting closer to using your EV to 'power' the electricity grid?
Octopus Energy has launched the UK’s first mass market vehicle-to-grid (V2G) tariff (called the Octopus Power Pack), which they say guarantees free charging for electric vehicle (EV) drivers. The tariff, which is still in beta, uses V2G technology and Octopus Energy’s tech platform, Kraken, to balance charging and
What to do with our natural gas networks?
This is about the pipes that currently move our natural gas around. And the answer is not as simple as you might first think. Carbon Tracker has recently published a series of research reports on the three main European gas transmission network operators, Snam, Italgas (both Italy) and Enagas (Spain)
When DEI isn't inclusive - discrimination against the 50 plus workforce
As individuals north of 50 years old, a LinkedIn post from the founder of recruitment service the Cleeve Partnership, Natasha Cleeve really caught our eye. Natasha highlighted that there is discrimination against the 50+ workforce even as a skills shortage persists. According to a WHO/UN report ageism is costing
What caught our eye - three key stories (week 7, 2024)
Ageism in the workplace; what to do with our natural gas networks?; closer to using EVs to power the grid?
Sunday Brunch: how much can we rely on regulation?
Is more regulation always the best answer? Given that so much of it seems to be either failing to produce the outcomes we want, or not even making into the statute books, do we need a rethink?
A positive story about coal mines
Could abandoned coal mines be a useful energy source to heat our homes? Local politicians in the west of England, working with the Coal Authority (the public body that manages the effects of historic coal mining) believe so. The principle is simple. Using the water in the now flooded mines
A new wee test for bowel cancer?
Colorectal cancer or bowel cancer is the third most common cancer globally and the second leading cause of cancer related deaths (after lung cancer). Europe has the highest death rate with an age-standardised rate of 12 per 100,000 (2022) across all ages and sexes and accounted for almost 28%
Supply chains - will the European regulation work?
It's well known that Europe is active in introducing regulation to ensure that products being sold in the region meet minimum human rights and environmental standards. Many companies are already preparing for the new rules and by and large the new rules are well supported by the general
