auctusESG

Most of the world’s population has started moving towards cities because of the greater availability of all the necessary resources and better employment opportunities. Due to this, many cities are getting overcrowded leading to the huge amount of waste, greenhouse gas emission. UN DESA notes that by    2050 around 68% of the global population  will reside in urban areas, leading to growing concerns around developing smart and sustainable cities. Smart cities have the potential to generate economic benefit worth  $20 trillion by 2026 , leading to 3 priority areas arising to transform urban infrastructure Enabling technology in building and construction Decarbonising the building and construction sector is crucial to achieving sustainable cities. Commercial buildings account for  20% of energy usage (30% of which is wasted).  Smart technologies like digital twins, matching energy occupancy with usage, dynamic power consumption and seasonal thermal energy sto...

  The world emitted 36.42 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide in 2019, equaling 7.9 billion passenger vehicles on the road in one year. Add to that the emissions of other greenhouse gases and the total emission count crosses 50 billion tonnes a year. Such high levels of GHG emissions threaten to push the global temperatures to above 2 degree celsius over pre-industrial levels and well above the ideal 1.5 degree celsius mark. While the most obvious ill-effects of global warming are rising sea levels, melting ice, water crisis, food scarcity and climate related catastrophes like droughts, cyclones, storms et al, the not-so-talked about side effect is the loss of biodiversity.    Biodiversity  is defined as the biological diversity and variety of genetics, species and ecosystem levels on Earth. Biodiversity hotspots (regions with high levels of native species,  and having experienced great habitat loss) are majorly forest areas located in the tropics and are in B...

  Recently, there has been a rising stakeholder demand and an increased media attention on incorporating ESG criteria into financial investment decisions. ESG led investments have had huge impacts on asset inflows and sustainability is no longer just a trend but a vital prerequisite for a well-constructed portfolio. COVID-19 and natural disasters such as the recent cyclonic storm in Mumbai ‘Tauktae’ have only amplified the need to direct finance flows towards green sectors.    ESG based reporting was first conceived in 2006, by the United Nations, Principles of Responsible Investment (PRI). Since then, it has gained traction as it appealed to conscious investors seeking value-based returns along with financial gains. However, even as ESG continues to receive necessary attention, there have been growing speculations on whether ESG is a passing fad or is here to stay.    Business leaders integrating ESG concerns into business strategies, including its core operati...

  I t’s no news that climate change disproportionately affects vulnerable socioeconomic groups. One of the largest groups in this mix is women.     An unequal world Women are more likely to be living in extreme poverty – women make up  70% of the world’s poor Women have less access to basic human rights Women have limited access to education or employment, restricting their economic participation and social mobility Women are more vulnerable to experience, poverty, displacement, food and water insecurity  Women are much more likely to experience discrimination and systemic violence    The statistics, data and facts are well known and understood, however, it is crucial to note that this unequal state of affairs exacerbates the impact of climate change on women.    What is climate feminism? Quite simply, the discourse of climate feminism sheds light on the intersectionality between the climate crisis and gender inequality, with climate change b...

  "Clearly, the oil industry is not going to shut down in the near future." According to  BNEF , energy transition investments hit $500 Billion in 2020, beating the previous year by 9% despite the economic disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Aggressive planning, implementation and trillions of funds are still required towards green investments to transition to a low carbon economy. This being said, the world is framing policies to uplift renewable sector and create favorable environment to attract more and more investments to drive energy transition. António Guterres, UN Secretary-General at focused on the need for concrete support and highlighted that Developed nations should stop coal usage by 2030 and others by 2040 at the Leaders’ Climate Summit, which is certainly an equitable and achievable target. This indicates there is also a dire need to directly cut or slow down funding and investments into fossil fuels.   Is the grass greener on the other side? Recent ...

There is no denying that human activities have impacted the planet drastically, especially in the last few centuries. The impact of social and human activities has led to such fast and irreversible changes that scientists have proposed a new geological epoch to define it. The Anthropocene is the epoch  in which human activity has been the dominant force on climate and the environment.  In this context, one of the fundamental ways proposed to tackle climate change is by transitioning to a low carbon economy. Economics and finance, thus, emerge as the key drivers of modern societies, by setting the roadmap that humanity will take. They influence spheres of policy, social life, and businesses to shape the growth and development trajectory.  Most businesses consider the environment simply as a means to an end, the end being profit. This ‘tragic reality’ in the age of the Anthropocene is what  Shrivastava et al.  reflect on. They suggest that the ways of co...