ESG and Sustainability
The rise of ESG factors in investment decision making will have a dramatic impact on returns and opportunities in the 21st century. A recent survey by LGT Capital Partners and Mercer showed that 57% of respondents believe that incorporating ESG standards into investment decisions will raise returns. Just 9% argued they reduce returns on investment.
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Atom bank and Kamma have formed a significant partnership aimed at addressing the pressing concerns of climate change. This collaboration brings together Atom bank’s cutting-edge banking technology with Kamma’s climate tech expertise, creating a comprehensive approach to understanding and mitigating climate risks associated with Atom bank’s mortgage portfolio.
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More Stories on ESG and Sustainability
Artificial Intelligence: After Gebru, Google Terminates Another AI Researcher
Margaret Mitchell, an AI researcher and a leader of Google’s (NASDAQ: GOOGL) Ethical AI team, was terminated by the company after a suspension that commenced last month. Dr Mitchell said in a tweet on Friday afternoon: “I’m fired.”
Artificial Intelligence: AI To Log Fishing Effort In Oregon
How do you estimate and account for how much fishing – recreational or commercial – is actually going on in your friendly neighborhood ocean? That information is central to measuring catch and ultimately, the sustainability of the fish and marine life in the water body. The EDF launched today its SmartPass fishery monitoring system that combines the use of shore-based cameras, AI, and automated image analysis to monitor fishing effort.
Alternative Investments/ESG: Down Under, Betashares Launches A Climate Change Innovation ETF
BetaShares, the Australian asset manager, has launched the BetaShares Climate Change Innovation ETF (ERTH). Many global companies will reap the benefits from the massive transition to a sustainable planet, given that climate change is recognized as the defining challenge of this age.
Artificial Intelligence: AI Protects Endangered Sea Turtles From Feral Pigs
Sea turtles are an endangered species, not only from mankind’s activities. Their nests on Queensland’s western Cape York are a favorite prey for feral pigs. The pigs have wiped out sea turtles from great swathes of beaches south of Aurukun, in the Far North Queensland, Australia. Scientists at the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), Australia’s national science research agency, and rangers have tried for the past six years to protect the nests from the marauding pigs using drones and helicopters. They are now harnessing AI for the purpose.
Venture Capital: Marquee Investors Put $300M Into Adjuvant Capital For Overlooked Diseases
Adjuvant Capital, which finances cures for “high-burden and neglected diseases,” announced today its raise of an oversubscribed $300 million fund from big names in pharma and philanthropy. Diseases such as malaria, shigella, hookworm, tuberculosis, and Lassa fever affect millions of people in the poorer countries.
Alternative Investments/ESG: LGIM’s Hydrogen Economy ETF Debuts In Europe
Legal & General Investment Management (LGIM) has introduced a new ETF to complement its existing range of sustainable thematic ETFs, namely the L&G Clean Energy UCITS ETF and the L&G Battery Value-Chain UCITS ETF. LGIM has launched its L&G Hydrogen Economy UCITS ETF, a vehicle for investors looking to benefit from the global transition to a low-carbon, hydrogen economy.
Venture Capital: Investors, Including Big Oil, Back Eavor Technologies With $40M
Eavor Technologies leverages deep drilling expertise from the oil industry to construct a looped well that harvests geothermal energy from deep below the earth. The technology has drawn a $40 million investment, including from Big Oil companies such as the venture arms of BP (LON: BP) and Chevron (NYSE: CVX).
Alternative Investments/ESG: Colin Kaepernick Forms SPAC Eyeing $1B ESG Consumer Company
An SEC filing on Tuesday revealed that Mission Advancement Corp., an ESG-focused SPAC founded by Colin Kaepernick and Jahm Najafi, will raise $250 million via an IPO. The company will offer 25 million units at $10. Each unit will consist of one share of common stock and one-third of a warrant, exercisable at $11.50.
The SPAC, or “blank check company,” intends to acquire a so-far unidentified target, approximately sized $1 billion, and having a positive ESG impact.
Artificial Intelligence: Mitsui OSK And Bearing Develop AI-Powered Smart Routing Of Ships To Cut Emissions
An AI-powered Smart Routing Engine predicts the most fuel-efficient route for the ship. Mitsui O.S.K. Lines Ltd (TYO: 9104), one of the largest shipping companies in the world, has an operational fleet of approximately 800 ships. Since 2019, Mitsui has been collaborating with Silicon Valley-based Bearing.ai, an Artificial Intelligence technology startup, on improving shipping efficiencies….
Venture Capital: Brand New VC Firm Panoramic Ventures To Focus On Diversity And Under-Funded Regions
Panoramic Ventures is a new Atlanta-based VC firm. It is a partnership between Paul Judge, a black serial entrepreneur and investor, and BIP Capital. The latter has more than $550 million in assets under management. While announcing its formation, Panoramic also flagged off a new $300 million fund targeted at founders from under-capitalized communities and startups located in the south-west and mid-west regions of America.
Digital Assets: Why Bitcoin Miners Love The Xinjiang Province In China
Cheap power generated using coal in the Xinjiang province is a magnet for bitcoin miners. That trend will only intensify now that bitcoin has hit an all-time high above $47,000 after Elon Musk revealed Tesla’s $1.5 billion investment in the crypto.
Alternative Investments/ESG: Foster Denovo Expands Sustainable Portfolios With Passive Range
In October financial advisory firm Foster Denovo launched its new range of actively managed sustainable portfolios that addressed investors’ need for socially responsible investments that also provided a rate of return. Today, the firm announced the addition of “Passive Sustainable Dynamic Portfolios” to that suite of products.
Alternative Investments/ESG: Gabelli Launches The “Love Our Planet & People (LOPP)” ETF
Gabelli Funds rolled out the first of its nine Precidian ActiveShares actively managed ETFs. The Love Our Planet & People (LOPP) ETF is an Environmental, Social & Governance (ESG) ETF.
Digital Assets: Visa Launches Crypto Pilot Program With Black-Focused First Boulevard
Visa (NYSE: V) announced today the pilot launch of its new suite of crypto APIs in collaboration with digital neobank First Boulevard. The APIs will enable the bank’s customers, which are predominantly from the Black community, to purchase, custody and trade digital assets.
Artificial Intelligence: IdentiFlight’s AI-Powered Bird Detection Systems Save Eagles From Wind Turbines
It’s a “green-versus-green” conundrum. Windfarms generate emission-free energy on the one hand, but cause the deaths of wildlife such as protected eagle species, on the other. IdentiFlight’s smart cameras, however, provide an automated curtailment system that slows or stops wind turbines when it senses the risk of collision due to inbound wildlife.
Venture Capital: Robert Downey Jr. Launches FootPrint Coalition Ventures At WEF Digital Davos Agenda
Robert Downey Jr., producer, investor, and Iron Man star, launched FootPrint Coalition Ventures (FCV) at the World Economic Forum’s Digital Agenda on Wednesday. FCV comprises two ESG sector funds that will accelerate groundbreaking technologies to tackle the world’s largest environmental challenges.
Alternative Investments: BMO Launches 11 New ‘Megatrend’ ETFs
BMO announced Tuesday the launch of 11 new Exchange Trade Funds (ETFs). Five of these ETFs form part of an Innovation suite, while the other six focus on clean energy, covered calls, fixed income, and ESG.
FinTech: Infinity Maritime Names Four Shipbrokers For Its Alternative Ship Finance Platform
Infinity Maritime aims to provide a sustainable solution for maritime finance by digitizing ship portfolios on its platform. This enables fractional ownership, secondary trading in ships, and the financing of environmentally sustainable fleets. The London-based platform announced Wednesday a collaboration with four major shipbrokers to source ships for the creation of a sustainable fleet.
Digital Assets: Central Bank Of Bahrain Licenses Shariah Compliant Crypto Exchange CoinMENA
Investors in select Gulf countries, looking to invest in the burgeoning world of cryptocurrencies, may soon get that opportunity. CoinMENA, a digital assets exchange certified as Shariah-compliant by the Shariyah Review Board, announced Sunday that it had received the all-important license to operate from Bahrain’s central bank.
Artificial Intelligence: Satellites And AI Track African Elephants
Scientists from the University of Bath, University of Oxford, and the University of Twente in the Netherlands have demonstrated the successful use of satellite cameras with deep learning algorithms to monitor the location and number of African elephants.
Alternative Investments/ESG: Harvest Portfolios Launches The Harvest Clean Energy ETF
Harvest Portfolios Group Inc. completed last week the initial offering of Class A Units of the Harvest Clean Energy ETF (TSE: HCLN). The units of the ETF commenced trading on the Toronto Stock Exchange on January 14.
Alternative Investments: Investors Turn To Alternatives For ‘A.I.D.’ (JPMorgan Report)
The events of 2021 forced us all to reconsider what the “essentials” in our lives are: Health professionals, our family, our health, home, friends, and a good internet connection. The third annual Global Alternatives Outlook by J.P. Morgan Asset Management recommends you add another item to that list of essentials – alternative investments.
Venture Capital: Bill Gates-Backed, CleanTech VC Raises $1B
Breakthrough Energy Ventures (BEV) is a venture capital firm that invests in cleantech. The term describes companies (or technologies) that aim to improve environmental sustainability including the negative impact of conventional technologies such as coal-fired power. It was established in 2015 by Bill Gates and a coalition of private investors concerned about climate change. The firm has just raised $1 billion (its second raise of that amount) from unnamed investors.
Artificial Intelligence: AI Detects Illegal Roads In The Amazon Rainforest
An investigation in 2016 by Imazon showed that the actual length of roads in the Brazilian Amazon biome was nearly 13 times higher than what was shown in official maps. These unofficial roads, most of them illegal, threaten the existence of the Amazon ecosystems. The researchers spotted these unreported roads by tracing lines on satellite images.