FT RETHINK
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.
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Chemical recycling: the end of plastic waste?
The world is choking on plastic waste. Less than nine per cent of it is recycled, but an emerging industry promises to change all that. The FT’s Charlotte Middlehurst discovers how chemical recycling...
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Cracking the plastic crisis?
Investors are getting excited about chemical recycling, but campaigners see it as a distraction
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Better batteries: the hunt for an energy storage solution
If renewable energy is going to provide a steady source of energy to power grids, we need to find ways of storing it. Lithium-ion batteries are currently the dominant technology, but new rivals are emerging.
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Storage technologies: paving the way for a renewable energy future
Renewable energy sources such as wind and solar power are now becoming viable alternatives to fossil fuels. But for electricity grids, constantly matching supply with demand becomes much harder when you strip out coal and gas-fired plants that provide...
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Could the pandemic lead to a fairer economy?
The coronavirus pandemic is a tragedy, but the FT’s Martin Sandbu believes it could also be a once-in-a-lifetime chance to rebuild better economies that work for everyone.
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A post-Covid economy designed for everyone
The pandemic has brought the economic polarisation seen in many countries sharply into focus. We’ve seen many of those in humbler occupations that we all depend on marginalised by Covid-19.
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Forests into Fashion: How the fashion industry is turning to forests for the fibres of the future
Patagonia and Stella Mccartney have been singing the tune of ethical fashion for a few decades, but it wasn't until the past few years that some of the most exciting innovations in environmentally conscious fashion have been launched.
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Is this a new era for old goods? How the second-hand market can promote a circular economy
Could the second-hand clothes market help support a circular economy? With over 80 billion garments being produced every year and garments only being worn 7 times before being thrown away, the fashion industry has a massive negative environmental impact.
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A new pathway to greener aluminium?
Aluminium is lightweight, durable, and 100% recyclable. It’s also a key input for numerous industries. But today, the aluminium sector contributes about one per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions.
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A new plan to address the growing appetite for greener aluminium
Amidst the growing appetite among companies and investors for disclosure of environmental, social and governance data, the London Metal Exchange plans to launch a platform which trades ‘low-carbon’ aluminium.
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The Year of the New Normal: Looking ahead at 2021
After a tumultuous 2020, Lombard Odier's Kristina Church looks ahead to what investment trends we can expect to see in 2021, and shares insights into how new regulations in sustainability will impact businesses.
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Reforesting the planet using seed-spitting drones from the air
Start up, Dendra Systems, aims to restore ecosystems and biodiversity using AI and drones. With the ability to analyse an entire ecosystem down to a blade of grass, Dendra Systems hopes to restore and reforest areas around the world that have been damaged
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Insects: an emerging protein source for animal feed
The world is continuously looking for alternative protein sources. The FT’s Paris Bureau Chief Victor Mallet discovers how insect protein is reinventing the food chain and alleviating pressure on feeding the animals that feed the world.
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Insect protein’s big push
As the world’s population rises, the demand for animal protein in particular is increasing the strain on the environment. As a result, hundreds of millions of dollars are being invested in insect protein companies.
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Is Less Really More? From natural farming to natural capital
Our economy is in danger of cannibalising itself. Our planet's natural capital - soil, forests, water sources, minerals - is being depleted at a rate that is unsustainable. A shift if needed, but how?
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The start-up putting an end to food waste
Behind that unassuming façade, WISErg has spent the past decade working on a potential solution to one of the world’s biggest challenges to sustainability: how to process food waste.
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Covid-crushing technology for the office?
In the Covid-19 era, employers are looking at a range of innovations aimed at making workplaces safe. These range from materials that can puncture and kill viruses, to germicidal ultraviolet irradiation, to viral furnaces.
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The rise of Covid-safe technologies in the workplace, and beyond.
As economies return to work, a range of technologies are emerging to keep us safe from the coronavirus. Some are high-tech, expensive and still at the experimental stage, while others involve adjusting existing technology.
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Pulling carbon dioxide out of thin air
Agriculture’s entire food chain could account for up to 37 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions.
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Direct air capture: the technology that could help alleviate climate change
It sounds at first like science fiction: giant machines that suck carbon dioxide directly out of the air.
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Transitioning from a WILD to a CLIC™ Economy
Our current economic model is wasteful, idle, lopsided and dirty. It is WILD. But we believe a transition is underway to a circular, lean, inclusive and clean economic model. We call it CLIC™.
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Bacteria: a weapon in the fight for sustainable food
How Denmark's Chr. Hansen is using natural products in the transition towards a sustainable economy
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Can food innovation save the climate?
Alice Ross, the FT’s Deputy News Editor outlines the impact agriculture is having on the environment, and what can be done to alleviate the damage.
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Can we save the world’s climate by investing in food innovation?
Agriculture’s entire food chain could account for up to 37 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions.
Watch videoRethink Sustainability explores the spread of sustainable practises into urban systems, food systems, financial systems and supply chains.
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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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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.
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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
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Build Back Better: the unmissable opportunity to build a sustainable economic future
A post COVID world is one that will look quite different to a pre-COVID world.
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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.
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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.
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Precision Agriculture - Farming for the future
Digital solutions could be the key to producing more food while protecting the environment
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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.
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The pandemic will forever transform how we live
From homeworking to healthcare, Covid-19 has forced society to adapt in ways that should endure
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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
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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
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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.
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Alternative meat industry moves beyond the burger
Cell- and plant-based meat start-ups are developing ‘cuts’ of steak and chicken
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Mastering the art of sustainable architecture
In a nation where space is at a premium, the Dutch are leaders in creating environmentally friendly buildings. From repurposed redundant structures to modular, transportable studios and floating neighbourhoods, the FT’s Helen Barrett explores three comple
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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
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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.
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Agriculture's New Apps: Precision Innovation to Feed the World
Precision weather tracking, ‘blood pressure monitoring’ for plants and complex nutrient analysis apps are now the must-have tools for modern farmers.
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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
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Conscious capitalism
The so-called ESG business space is currently reckoned to be worth more than some $32tn. The FT’s Gillian Tett explains that companies are realising they cannot afford to ignore issues like climate change, income inequality and a whole range of governance
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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
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Curbing the great sand grab
Up to 50 billion tonnes of sand a year is being mined, dredged and even stolen to satisfy the global appetite for infrastructure, according to the UN, and it’s disappearing faster than it can be replenished.
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From Garbage to Gold: Tales of the e-waste pioneers
At first glance, the business of recycling and reusing small electronics sounds neither glamorous, nor lucrative.
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The Devil wears sustainable nylon
Lorenzo Bertelli oversees bags made from recycled fabric after joining family group
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Investors’ growing appetite for alternative proteins
Investors are showing greater interest in alternative proteins, as the climate impact of food production comes under the spotlight and the global population continues to climb.
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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
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Entrepreneurs hope microbes hold the key to a food revolution
Start-ups are utilising bacteria and fungi to generate protein and boost agriculture.
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Creating a circular economy for fashion
Waste in fashion is on a massive scale, and less than one per cent of recycled textiles are converted into new, wearable materials. But very gradually, that may be changing.
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Absorbing Risk: How cities are turning into flood water sponges
Cities across the world are turning themselves into vast sponges.
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Could car subscription services disrupt the auto industry?
Car subscription services, an alternative to owning or leasing a car, are gathering speed. As the FT’s Patrick McGee explains, it could hugely disrupt the traditional car ownership model.
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Who are the Ostriches and Eagles?
Didier Rabbatu, Head of Equities at Lombard Odier Investment Managers explains why businesses embracing change and embedding sustainability will soar like Eagles, whilst companies clinging to a dated mindset - sticking their heads in the sand like Ostrich
Watch videoSustainability Revolution takes a look into every aspect of life and business – from healthcare to data management, transport and energy.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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
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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?
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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"".
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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"".
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Hotels in fifty shades of green
Who wants to worry about taking care of the environment when they’re on holiday? No one, according to Xenia zu Hohenlohe, partner at Considerate Group, which is which is why she thinks hotels should do the job for their guests.
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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.
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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.
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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
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The internet is broken - people could die
The internet has rapidly become an indispensable tool, but the FT’s Hannah Kuchler thinks it is seriously flawed and in urgent need of repair.
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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.
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Blockchain in the Silicon Savannah
One of the most innovative blockchain and cryptocurrency hubs on the planet right now is in Nairobi, Kenya.
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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.
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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.
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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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The sustainability revolution
The next economic revolution is already underway - and it is driven by sustainability.
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Globalisation: Is this the end?
President Trump seems determined to tear apart the global economy by erecting tariff walls and promoting bilateral trade deals. Does this mark the end of globalisation?
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Climate gentrification is on the rise
Sea levels are rising, and that could be causing waves of unexpected house price increases in poorer areas of coastal cities. The FT’s Ed Crooks reports on what has become known as climate gentrification.
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