What Caught Our Eye
Developments that we found particularly interesting during the week and why.
The limits of sequestration
Farmland, and in particular its soil, has the potential to store large amounts of carbon to varying degrees depending on the type of land. The 3,378 hectare Jigsaw Farms, comprising lush pastures, gum tree plantations, wildlife corridors and wetlands about near the town of Hamilton in Victoria Australia made
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
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
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
Tracking concrete technology developments
Among the various organisations interested in lower carbon concrete is, unsurprisingly, the Institution of Structural Engineers. Concrete is a massively important building material. But, as they say "publicly available information about these technologies is often limited and inconsistent, making it difficult to draw comparisons with conventional concrete." Which
Radical food system overhaul could deliver US$10 trillion per year in benefits
A report from the Food System Economics Commission (FSEC) argues that the current set up of food systems globally (i.e. what food we grow, how we grow it and how we distribute it to people) has a cost far bigger than their contribution to global prosperity and is on
An 'Industrial Revolution' for efficient buildings?
The European Energy Performance of Buildings Directive could create a massive investment opportunity.