Eco Money

The theme for this year's World Environment Day is land restoration, desertification, and drought resilience. In this episode of Eco Money we look at  hydro-technology, and how hydro is evolving to become smaller, more compact, and its growth as countries across the globe race to net zero targets. To help us get a better understanding of hydropower in Asia, Rachel Kelly spoke to Brian Selby , Regi...

GE Vernova is the energy portfolio of GE. It’s been in the news recently as it listed at the beginning of April. The business trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker GEV. In this episode of Eco Money Rachel Kelly speaks to Shailesh Mishra, Regional Leader, Grid System Integration APAC, GE Vernona to discuss power grid continuity as the renewable energy pie is ramped up on the road t...

There is a 1.5 trillion dollar investment gap when it comes to funding Southeast Asia’s green transition, and this means there is opportunity for investors. That’s according to the latest Green Economy 2024 Report by Bain & Company, GenZero, Standard Chartered and Temasek. Publishers of the report state that this means Southeast Asian markets now have a window of opportunity to accelerate deca...

Eco Money host Rachel Kelly, attends the AVPN Global Conference in Abu Dhabi to get the latest insights into social investing and what it means to be a social investor.    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

RHB, Malaysia’s fourth-largest bank by assets has announced ambitious climate targets. Setting its sights on net zero by 2050 and increasing its sustainable finance target to RM50 billion  by 2026. The news was shared at the inaugural RHB sustainability media day. Speaking at the session, Mohd Rashid Mohamad  Group Managing Director / Group Chief Executive Officer of RHB Banking Group shared that...

The Sustainable City is the first operational Net Zero Energy city in Dubai, modelled to become an international showcase for high quality sustainable living. It’s been 9 years since the first set of keys were handed over to tenants in this community with solar panel clad homes and shaded vehicle free pedestrian streets. Now, it’s been one year since I moved to Dubai and I can’t help but wonder wh...

In a capitalist world, can profits still be attained while leaders pursue purpose? Can a balance between environmental needs with those of corporations be struck? Rachel Kelly speaks with Rajeev Peshawaria , CEO, Stewardship Asia Centre and author of the book Sustainable Sustainability to discuss  the role corporates play in tackling climate change and how steward leadership can help us combine pr...

There are many ways investors can address climate risks in fixed income portfolios, including financing issuers that deliver climate solutions. That said, due to the complexity of fixed income markets investors often struggle to identify and track exposure to bonds that are associated with carbon-intensive activities. In a report just out titled 'Tracing Carbon-Intensive Debt' , London Stock Excha...

Did you know that 2.2 billion people on the planet still live without safely managed drinking water? And at least half the worlds population experiences water scarcity for at least part of the year. World Water Day is celebrated on 22nd March and this year’s theme is water for peace. But what role does finance play? Rachel Kelly takes a look in this week's Eco Money   See omnystudio.com/listener f...

If you don’t take advantage of grants provided by the government to green your business, your competitors will. Those were the words of Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu speaking at the Navigating Climate and Business in 2024 dialogue organised by The Singapore Business Federation (SBF) and Institute of Singapore Chartered Accountants (ISCA). During the session key insights...

Singapore has one of the busiest ports in the world - an average 140,000 vessels call annually. The city state is serious about fostering sustainability within the industry - to bolster efforts the government has just announced a new Sustainability pillar under the maritime cluster fund. Speaking in parliament this week at the debate for the Transport ministry’s budget Transport Minister Chee Hong...

Security and sustainability go hand in hand for business and the nation. This was highlighted in two key sustainability areas of this year’s Singapore National Budget which rolls out the first instalment of the Forward Singapore programmes. Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong delivered his third annual Budget speech in Parliament on February 16th - he highlighted that for firms to be competitive,...

Colour analysis to produce a palette that best compliaments your skin and hair tone may have become the latest trend, but have you given any thought to how the dyes for your clothes are produced? Colorifix is on a mission to tackle toxic dye pollution caused by the industry and reduce water consumption.  Rachel Kelly speaks to Orr Yarkoni, Founder and CEO of Colorifix to find out more.  See omnyst...

South Pole’s latest Net Zero Report has shown that 44% of surveyed companies say external communication on climate targets has become more difficult in just the past year, and 58% are decreasing communications as a result. A sign that green hushing is the new norm? Host Rachel Kelly, takes a closer look at the report in this episode of Eco Money. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information...

Buildings alone account for close to 40% of global energy-related carbon emissions. And with many of the buildings around today expected to still be standing by net zero target date of 2050  - Rachel Kelly speaks to Adrien Pierson, Vice President of Strategy, iviva to find out if the industry is progressing fast enough. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

2023 may have seen a spotlight cast on controversy around ESG investing. Greenwashing and confusing terminology may have punched a dent in ESG’s credibility. Could this give way to greater clarity around language, goals and intentions in the year ahead? MSCI ESG Research’s Sustainability and Climate Trends for 2024 is hot off the press.  Rachel Kelly speaks to Yu Ishihara, Executive Director, MSCI...

It’s official, 2023 was the hottest year on record. That’s according to the latest findings from the Copernicus  2023 Global Climate Highlights report. And not only was 2023 the hottest, 2023 was the first year on record where all days were in excess of 1°C above pre industrial leves, with two days exceeding 2°C for the first time. Rachel Kelly has the details in this episode of Eco Money. See omn...

What do you need to look out for in the year ahead when it comes to sustainable business and investing? And, now that the dust has settled on COP28, which key dates do you need to highlight in your diary?  Eco Money's Rachel Kelly takes a look at reports from Allianz Global investors and MUFG Research for key themes and what to watch in the year ahead. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy infor...

Every year - over 430 million tonnes of plastic is produced globally. According to the UN - two-thirds of that are short-lived products that soon become waste. In fact, abandoned, lost and discarded fishing gear is the deadliest form of marine plastic, threatening 66 per cent of marine animals. Earlier this year, Gopaal  Jeyaram Founder of Big Fins & Underwater Zombie - came face to face with...

National climate action plans remain insufficient to limit global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius and meet the goals of the Paris Agreement. That's according to the latest report from the UN. Even with increased efforts by some countries, the report shows much more action is needed now to bend the world’s emissions trajectory further downward and avoid the worst impacts of climate change....

Global CCUS uptake needs to expand 120 times from current levels by 2050, rising to at least 4.2 gigatons per annum of CO2 captured, for countries to achieve their net-zero commitments. That's according to a McKinsey report. At the Asia Clean Energy Summit organised by the Sustainable Energy Association of Singapore, we heard highlights from industry on transformation in this area and what more ne...

Would it surprise you to know that the number of instances of greenwashing by banks and financial services companies around the world rose by 70% in the past 12 months. Are all of these instances intentional? OR are companies getting caught up in eco jargon? What is greenwashing anyway? And what role does the media play in tackling the issue. This was the topic of a recent panel discussion organis...

Developing countries face an investment gap of $2 trillion annually for the energy transition, out of a $4 trillion annual funding gap for the Sustainable Development Goals. That’s according to the United Nations. Earlier this year it called for urgent support to developing countries to enable them to attract significantly more investment for their transition to clean energy. But barriers remain,...

Over 60 percent of US companies expect ESG backlash to continue or increase over the next two years. That’s according to a recent report by The Conference Board. As anti-ESG backlash and confusion around ratings muddies the waters - how can corporates best navigate? Rachel Kelly speaks to Tim Mohin,  a global Partner and Director with Boston Consulting Group or B-C-G. He is the former CEO of carbo...

Ringing in a new era of hope for climate action. That is the weight that hangs above this year’s conference of parties or COP28. COP28 President-Designate, Dr Sultan Al Jaber literally did that in New York as the first COP president to ring the New York Stock Exchange bell to help raise awareness of climate finance in the US business community. Rachel Kelly has the latest in this week's Eco Money....