A report from the newly launched Marsh Center for Risk Insights highlights the risk of water shortages. Marsh was under severe scrutiny in 2005 for governance issues. They have clearly taken concerns of global sustainability to heart with the launch of their new research centre. Their report singles out water shortage as one of the …
Continue reading Water shortage risks highlighted by Marsh
DJSI company survey available
The ninth annual survey of the Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes is available. More information about the report, as well as selected downloads about each industry leader and regional rankings, are available at http://www.sustainability-indexes.com.
Role of soil in climate change highlighted
The International Forum on Soils, Society and Climate Change, a title you wouldn’t have imagined a few years ago, attempts to raise our awareness of soil erosion and the impact it has on the environment. Every year, some 100,000 square kilometres of land loses its vegetation and becomes degraded or turns into desert. In addition, …
Continue reading Role of soil in climate change highlighted
Is Northern Rock the “whale” that signals the rebalancing of the price of liquidity?
Anatole Galetsky presents GaveKal’s perspective in Here Comes the Whale that Northern Rock is the large problem that needs bailing out in order to pass through the financial liquidity imbalance that has accrued during the past few years. … on past experience, the long-awaited appearance of the whale – Continental Illinois, Chrysler, Brazil, Drexel Burnham, …
Continue reading Is Northern Rock the “whale” that signals the rebalancing of the price of liquidity?
Norway’s high standard of sovereign fund management
The FT describes how Norway’s sovereign fund management sets the standard. Government Pension Fund-Global, part of Norges Bank, was set up by the Norwegian government in 1990 and manages about €235 billion. It has worked with authorities in Kazakhstan, East Timor, Bolivia, the Faroe Islands and several African countries among others. “We make no strategic …
Continue reading Norway’s high standard of sovereign fund management
EU reports water wastage of 40%
EU leaders agree that up to 40% of water is being wasted by consumers, industry and farmers across Europe. The EU executive is calling for higher water prices and better implementation of existing water-management rules. http://www.wbcsd.org/plugins/DocSearch/details.asp?type=DocDet&ObjectId=MjYxNDg Commission’s latest report is here. EU: 01 Septemeber Presidency Conclusions WWF: Freshwater page Commission: Water policy website
Special report on financial centres
A comprehensive review of the characteristics of the world’s main financial centres by The Economist (EIU): Magnets for money. While the impact of technology on transformations of financial centres in recent decades is analysed, there could have been a more critical review of the outlook for the decentralisation of financial services through ICT.
New green PC
A new green machine from Lenovo is a response to rising energy costs around the world and to growing concern about electronics’ impacts on the environment. The new PC, officially known as the ThinkCentre A61e, is the company’s first EPEAT Gold-rated product, and surpasses the EPA’s Energy Star 4.0 criteria for computer systems with its …
Continue reading New green PC
Excessive pay hurts economy and society
A new report claims that excessive executive compensation in the US is taking a staggering economic and social toll on American society, threatening leadership in the business, government, and nonprofit sectors and creating instability in the economy. The report gives a good summary of the gross disparity between top earners and average earners and disparages …
Continue reading Excessive pay hurts economy and society
Fees win over carry for buyout managers …
A new study by two professors at Penn’s Wharton School lifts the lid on a “secret” of private equity managers. The findings of Wharton professors Andrew Metrick and Ayako Yasuda show that, “on average, leveraged-buyout funds can expect to collect $10.35 in management fees for every $100 they manage, whereas about half that, $5.41 for …
Continue reading Fees win over carry for buyout managers …