FT RETHINK
In a fragmented world, as the economy shifts and resource use is scrutinised, FT Rethink spotlights the innovations shaping a new sustainability agenda.
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Is shock the new reality?
Shocks to the global economy are now expected. Is this new reality here to stay, and if it is, for how long? Lombard Odier's, Chief Economist, Samy Chaar dives in to explain what is happening.
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How to cure an ailing antibiotics business?
New drugs are needed to combat infectious bacteria and their ever-evolving resistance to existing antibiotics.
Cleaning up farm emissions?
Tougher emissions rules have reignited a passionate debate about agricultural pollution and the future of farming in Europe.
A renewable energy revolution?
Renewable energy systems offer a compelling alternative for households, but making the switch can be challenging.
Building the Future: A Sustainable HQ
Herzog & de Meuron reveal Lombard Odier’s new sustainable workplace, a space that redefines flexibility, innovation, and environmental responsibility.
Dam deconstruction is gathering pace, but it’s no simple process
Increasing numbers of ageing dams are being demolished. But it can be costly, complicated and controversial, especially when water supplies are affected.
Can vertical farming overcome its growing pains?
Vertical farming has been a boom industry, but investment funding has recently dropped significantly. So, where does the industry stand now?
Are Insurers Longing For Risk?
What changes are shaking up the insurance industry, and what can they do about it?
Why we need to be smarter about smart meters
The domestic devices’ true potential may be less in changing individual behaviour than in helping to transform the wider energy system
Costly climate change is forcing insurers to get creative
The frequency of natural disasters is climbing, along with the repair bills that come with them. What impact could that have, and how is the insurance industry responding to the threat?
Technology and demographics are driving the uptake of medical robots
The use of robots in healthcare is rising, but high costs, plus the ethical and legal issues surrounding medical robots remain significant hurdles.
Why regenerative agriculture is gaining ground
Proponents argue that farming rooted in improving the soil brings resilience and biodiversity while reducing erosion and flooding
Can transport authorities balance road building with net zero goals?
New road-building projects worth around $2.7tn are underway around the world, but can road builders balance growth with challenging net zero targets?
Rare earth metals are not remotely rare
A deep dive into the misconceptions around rare earth metals
Can new technologies supercharge solar power?
With scientists generating record efficiencies from solar cells, new products are sparking renewed confidence in an industry under threat from a variety of market challenges.
Denmark’s ambitious plan to boost plant-based foods
In 2023, Denmark launched its Plant-based Action Plan, the world’s first. But how do you go about changing a nation’s diet?
How crisp packets unwrap the challenges of the circular economy
The damaging afterlife of the layered plastic and foil bags highlights the need to look far beyond recycling
Will AI-enhanced firefighting technology be a game-changer?
AI is increasingly being deployed to fight wildfires. But with high costs and limited prevention funding, can technology really turn the tide?
Europe's shock therapy
How the global order shake-up is affecting markets and investors.
FT Rethink looks at building a sustainable economy by transforming key economic systems: land and oceans, energy, materials and pricing externalities.
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Re-commerce: the future of fashion
How two fashion insiders created a sustainability loop with high-end brands entering the second hand market for the first time.
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Architects design community solutions for combatting climate disaster
Better social infrastructure can foster resilience in densely-populated urban environments
Has Sustainable Investing Peaked?
Lombard Odier's Michael Urban explores the structural nature of sustainable investing and looks at the prospects for a near-term acceleration.
The Future of AI Business Models
Lombard Odier looks at the transformations that are creating investment opportunity in the AI space.
Mass timber: the future of construction?
Developers are starting to build bigger using mass timber – thick, compressed layers of wood – although some still have concerns over its safety and sustainability.
Cold War 2.0
Lombard Odier's Samy Chaar explores the emerging new world order, as China and the US vie for technology dominance.
Why leather from fishskin and fungi fibres are becoming the height of fashion
Alternative fibres can help to reduce the clothing industry’s huge carbon footprint
Could a new law really protect Europe’s soil?
Poor soil conditions have prompted the EU to introduce its first law designed to protect this precious resource, but questions remain around its practical application.
Forest detectives are tackling the illegal wood trade
Criminals have created a world awash with illegal timber. But high-tech forest detectives are fighting back.
The future’s building blocks
Lombard Odier spotlights the building materials that can make a huge difference in lowering the emissions coming from our built environment.
Curbing shipping’s emissions remains hugely challenging
Shipping is one of the hardest human activities to decarbonise. New fuels and technologies could make a difference, but will owners be willing to invest in them?
Pink rice serves up alternative to carbon-intensive meat
Lab-grown proteins can reduce greenhouse gas emissions but are an expensively acquired taste
New methods of recycling wastewater are evolving, but face unique challenges
As the need to conserve water grows, San Francisco is emerging as a world leader in onsite water recycling, where large buildings must reuse their own wastewater.
Solar radiation management could cool the planet. But at what cost?
Our planet continues to heat up. Solar radiation management, which works on the principle of reflecting the sun’s rays into space, could cool our climate, but at what cost?
Green energy providers face a potential shortage of transmission cables
Renewable energy capacity is growing rapidly. But could a shortage of transmission cables put a handbrake on the green transition?
Recycling could play a key role in the energy transition
Improved recycling and use of materials could alleviate shortages of metals crucial to the energy transition, but key recycling policies and strategies will be needed.
Circular, lean, inclusive and clean focuses on the people, technology, strategies and systems moving us from an economy that is wasteful, idle, lopsided and dirty towards one that is circular, lean, inclusive and clean
Featured
Nature: your most reliable business partner
Marc Palahi, one of the world's first Chief Nature Officers, explains how Nature is our most important business partner and why a role like this should be created within every business moving forward.
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Plastic's new chapter
Powerful forces are combining to turn the tide of plastic pollution, 70 years after it first became a part of our lives.
Biodiversity funds are springing up in the investor market
A number of biodiversity funds have recently sprung up to supposedly help protect the world from biodiversity loss. Could they actually make a difference?
The long haul to electrify heavy trucks
Large EV trucks are slowly rolling off production lines, but a viable, open recharging network is still a long way down the road.
Can society turn down damaging levels of light pollution?
Levels of artificial light are continually increasing, disturbing nature, and contributing to global biodiversity loss. But scientists are finding new ways to limit the damage.
Trashion vs Fashion
How two companies are changing the linear and unsustainable business model of fast fashion.
Our electrifying future
Lombard Odier's Thomas Hohne-Sparborth breaks down just how impactful the electrification of our economies will be.
Could de-extinction help reverse human-inflicted biodiversity loss?
A US biotech company thinks it can bring animals back from extinction. But scientists and conservationists warn the effects of de-extinction could be unpredictable.
Architects take inspiration from nature to build sustainable future
Biomimicry can lessen a structure’s impact on the environment and reverse ecological damage
Europe and the US look to boost their lithium independence
China controls about 60 per cent of global lithium processing. Europe and the US are both making moves to loosen that grip on the lithium supply chain, but it won’t be easy.
Can sustainable aviation fuel clean up flying?
Sustainable aviation fuel can reduce emissions from flying by up to 80 per cent. The FT’s Myles McCormick looks at whether production of SAF can be scaled, and how long it will take.
The carbon market opportunity
Carbon markets: explaning this emerging asset class and the unique opportunity it offers for investors
Falling wind speeds could affect green energy strategy
By 2100, average annual wind speeds could drop by up to 10 per cent, but what impact might that have on the world’s transition to renewable energy?
Is a sustainable electronics industry possible?
Over the past decade, tech has become an indispensable companion in our lives.
Recycling the world’s hard drive waste
Wiping, instead of shredding discarded hard drives for data protection could save valuable resources but companies are reluctant to do it.
Planetary boundaries: What are they and why shouldn't we cross them?
Michael Urban, Chief Sustainability Strategist for the Lombard Odier Group explains the nine planetary boundaries we live within, how they interact with each other, and what could happens when we cross them.
Are we too obsessed with our personal carbon footprints?
The FT’s Simon Mundy argues that intense debates about personal behaviour when it comes to climate action may be crowding out some more important questions. But what can we do about it?
Farmbots bring precision to the business of food production
By nurturing crops on a plant by plant basis, new technology can cut chemical use and boost yields
How tech is being used to keep fisheries in line
Pick up an Austral Fisheries toothfish loin in the supermarket, scan the barcode on the back of the packet, and you’ll be able to follow every step in the fish’s journey from deep ocean to shop shelf.
Rethink Sustainability explores the spread of sustainable practises into urban systems, food systems, financial systems and supply chains
Featured
When summer destinations meet social isolation
The coronavirus pandemic prompted a huge drop in carbon emissions. As the travel industry begins to rebuild and the summer holiday season hits its peak, how do we ensure a green recovery?
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A greener way of sourcing essential minerals
Valley in the middle of a mine
Biodiversity: the risks of living outside nature’s boundaries
From bacteria to blue whales and from fungi to flowers, the loss of Earth’s biodiversity and the subsequent damage to our ecosystem is one of the top ten dangers facing society today.
Decarbonisation: plotting the path to net zero
There is limited time left to reduce emission levels and mitigate climate change risks, but the path to net zero will bring with it significant investment opportunities
Precision Agriculture - Farming for the future
Digital solutions could be the key to producing more food while protecting the environment
A world without waste: how gold mining is going green
Recycling precious metals and minerals from used electronics can help make today's consumption patterns more environmentally sustainable.
Sponge Cities - Smart cities for the future
It seems inevitable, in the short-term at least, that Wuhan will be remembered most widely outside of China as the city at the centre of the coronavirus outbreak.
The pandemic will forever transform how we live
From homeworking to healthcare, Covid-19 has forced society to adapt in ways that should endure
Can we turn the tide of plastic packaging?
The consumer movement against plastic food and beverage packaging is gathering momentum, and companies are beginning to respond.
Coronavirus could help push us into a greener way of life
For all its horror, the pandemic may change our habits when nothing else could
Warrior accountants: leading the green revolution?
When it comes to green issues, many of us assume it’s activists and campaigners who will change the world. But the FT’s Gillian Tett believes that as the responsible investing business continues to grow, so too will the need for financial transparency and
High-hanging fruit?: Feeding cities with vertical farming
By 2050, 68% of the global population is expected to live in cities and eat 80% of food produced. Unless we find a way to grow food within or near cities, the ecological footprint of feeding the masses could be devastating.
Alternative meat industry moves beyond the burger
Cell- and plant-based meat start-ups are developing ‘cuts’ of steak and chicken
Eco-friendly tech that uses natural and recycled materials
Five sustainable gadgets for the kitchen and the living room, designed with the wellbeing of the planet in mind
The digital technologies transforming the supply chain
Whether they’re tracking the origin of valuable assets or allowing consumers to discover more about the sustainability of their purchases, digital technologies are making the supply chain ever more efficient, and transparent.
Can you swallow the idea of lab-grown meat?
The notion of ‘growing’ a steak in a test tube sounds like science fiction. But our food habits change
The growing problem of e-waste
Globally, we produce 50m tonnes of toxic electronic waste every year — and the UK is one of the worst offenders
The Devil wears sustainable nylon
Lorenzo Bertelli oversees bags made from recycled fabric after joining family group
Can we break our addiction to plastic? The future of packaging.
Roughly a quarter of the 348 million tons of annual plastic production worldwide now goes into packaging, according to Plastics Europe and UK conservation charity the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, making it the single biggest use of the material
Sustainability Revolution takes a look into every aspect of life and business – from healthcare to data management, transport and energy
Featured
Climate change and the migrant caravan
Thousands of Central Americans are trying to flee to the United States in what’s become known as the migrant caravan. Many are escaping violence and extortion, but climate change is also playing a part.
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DYSFUNCTIONAL: exploring sustainability through design
Artist Mathieu Lehanneur discusses his work for new exhibit DYSFUNCTIONAL, created in partnership with Carpenters Workshop Gallery and Lombard Odier.
Can we build smarter people using AI?
Theoretical neuroscientist and entrepreneur Vivienne Ming believes that AI and what she calls “augmented intelligence” mean we’ll eventually have people who are artificially smarter than others.
Why women should invest in women
Men dominate the venture capital scene. A recent UK study found that less than one per cent of venture capital goes to businesses founded by women.
The rise of the #MeOnly society
People are living longer and children have always been expected to look after their parents in old age. But the FT’s Roger Blitz is convinced individuals are becoming more self-centred and less interested in the family.
Dinner is printed: is 3D technology the future of food?
Culinary 3D printing is new and rather niche but it could be an answer to some of the food industry's biggest challenges.
What If I don't Buy A House...Ever?
Whilst the traditional home ownership model is no longer viable for many, it hasn’t dampened the appetite for city centre living, nor impacted the growing desire for a smaller environmental footprint.
How cities can heal themselves
As urbanisation accelerates and infrastructure decays, researchers are working out how cities can heal themselves. As the FT’s Nikou Asgari explains, they are carrying out tests on materials that repair themselves and an army of maintenance robots that ca
Will gene editing increase inequality?
A Chinese scientist claims to have created the world’s first genome-edited babies, but won't this cause more inequality in society?
Deep-sea mining: vital resource or environmental disaster?
Chief Economist of Lombard Odier Samy Chaar shares his diagnosis for Europe's economy ""We're not going to run the marathon tomorrow, but we're doing ok"".
A Diagnosis for Europe
Chief Economist of Lombard Odier Samy Chaar shares his diagnosis for Europe's economy ""We're not going to run the marathon tomorrow, but we're doing ok"".
The west’s new recycling challenge
At the end of 2017, China banned virtually all materials for recycling. Before that, it took about 60 per cent of the plastic waste exported by G7 countries.
Should we be frightened of AI?
Could computers ever replicate humans and take over the world? It’s unlikely, according to leading neuroscientist David Eagleman, largely because what it means to be human is constantly evolving.
What If?
An investor with ownership in a large forest faces numerous choices, ranging from farming the land, to building houses, to simply selling all the wood
The scorpion-milking robot: extracting the poison that cures
Since ancient Rome animal poisons have been used to heal rather than harm the human body. Scorpion venom can be used to help detect and cure diseases, but milking scorpions by hand is a time-consuming and dangerous process.
Blockchain in the Silicon Savannah
One of the most innovative blockchain and cryptocurrency hubs on the planet right now is in Nairobi, Kenya.
Is technology controlling you?
We may think we’re in control of our technology but the FT’s Rana Foroohar believes it may be controlling us. A recent study found that 4 in 10 Americans are suffering from addictive behaviour linked to their phones.
Is data the new oil?
In the past, Big Data was often compared to oil, because companies could get rich off their deep wells of information. But just like oil, data can be ‘spilled’, with serious consequences.
Back to the future with barter
Barter is making a comeback. That’s because technology has made it a lot easier to swap things online. It also means people can give away things like personal data to tech companies in return for services.
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