Thematic: Climate Change

From when the world had just tens of millions of inhabitants to today, where it is closer to ten billion, the concern has been the same. That there are too many people for the Earth’s resources to sustain. The question becomes is there something different about this time - does climate change change the equation - or will Sir David Attenborough join Plato and Thomas Malthus as famously incorrect worriers about overpopulation?

Munro Partners give an overview of a stock set to benefit from the structural growth opportunities associated with waste and the circular economy.

This article takes a look at what is in the climate and energy bill. Some of the biggest changes include clean energy tax credits, incentives for electric vehicles, and a tax on methane emissions.

Across the Northern Hemisphere, it is getting hot. The United Kingdom is seeing its highest temperatures every recorded, the United States is seeing a similar heatwave, and wildfires are burning across Spain, France and Portugal. This is the latest reminder that climate change is not a future threat. It is a current problem.

The United Nations’s treaty on global plastics is a big step towards reducing the millions of tons of plastic seeping into the environment. As governments get to work on the details, as an investor, Fidelity engaged with 9 major consumer brands - from Nestlé to Unilever to Coca-Cola - on their plans to reduce plastic pollution.

It may feel like you’ve heard this story before, and you have. Well at least something similar. But that only underlines their importance. New data has found that the North Barents Sea in the Arctic is one of the fastest warming places on earth, heating up seven times faster than the global average. What is perhaps most concerning is that the rate of warming surprised researchers, suggesting that warming in parts of the world is happening faster than climate models have predicted.

Antarctica’s temperature is changing, and with it the animal life that is able to survive in the world’s largest desert. In March, scientists recorded temperatures that were 70 degrees Fahrenheit (~21 degrees celsius) higher than average for that time of year. The continent's average temperature is expected to rise a few degrees by 2050, but on the western peninsula the temperature is warming at 10 times the rate of the rest of the world. Warming temperatures and waters have the potential to expose Antarctica’s ecosystems that have been isolated for 25 million years. A group of Australian scientists, using a machine learning algorithm, were able to identify four marine species that could threaten the Antarctic marine ecosystem today and an additional five under future climate change scenarios. One example, the Northern Pacific Seastar, has already invaded Tasmanian waterways after being transported by a shipping vessel from its native northern hemisphere.

The need to decarbonise the planet is a major thematic of our time, and Climate represents a significant long term investment opportunity. In this article Munro Partners outline 10 companies currently best positioned to champion the planet’s need to reach net-zero and ‘save the world’.

The work from home movement has made tracking emissions that much more complex. How is a company meant to track emissions from home offices? For companies that have tried, they have found that any emissions saved by fewer commutes of remote workers are offset by the increases in emissions from home offices. This finding is surprising at first. Why would booting up my computer at home produce more emissions than booting up my computer in the office?

"The world is heading toward a zero-carbon future, and climate change is the next big S-curve, one that will last twenty years or more". In this article our friends at Munro Partners explore two companies they see as 'clean energy' leaders.

We all recycle. Despite this, 99% of the stuff we harvest, mine, process and transport are trashed within six months. There is obvious room for improvement and in this article our friends at Munro Partners explore two companies they see as 'circular economy' leaders.

A growing number of businesses are popping up that facilitate the reuse of items, extending product lives and helping the environment in the process. This resale industry has both financial and environmental benefits by allowing sellers to make money, buyers to cuts costs, and the overall carbon footprint to fall.

Carbon footprint is one way organisations measure their progress towards achieving net zero operational emissions by 2030. Here we explain what it is and how it's measured.

Climate change is the defining issue of our time and generation. If no action is taken to address climate change, what are the implications of a heating world for the year 2050?

You could be forgiven for believing that your outrage has fallen on deaf ears, especially in Australia.  However, the overwhelming worldwide demand for ESG and socially responsible initiatives from customers, employees and shareholders has influenced most corporations in changing their behaviour - virtually every company we meet is talking about their sustainability goals.

If you’re on the internet, it’s likely that you’ve heard of cryptocurrency, or more specifically Bitcoin. Put simply, these are digital currencies. This means there are no physical little gold bitcoins that you can take to the supermarket to buy your groceries and no institution or organisation (i.e. a bank) that’s controlling your transactions – they all exist solely online (aka digitally).