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Hello, this is Kasmira, editor-in-chief of Geneva Solutions, with your sustainable business and finance news.

Last week saw a raft of net zero carbon pledges and commitments from businesses and asset managers rushing to step in line with the Paris climate accord. I spoke to Peter Bakker, CEO of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development, on whether businesses can deliver.

Also on our radar today: why space is the new frontier for sustainable investing and ingenious solutions for extracting carbon out of the skies.

photo journaliste

Kasmira Jefford

14.12.2020


Today’s reason for hope


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Virgin Galactic's spacecraft, which was forced to abort its test flight on Saturday.

Space, the final frontier of sustainable investment. “Space is a dream...it is the new frontier,” says Raphael Röttgen, a former banker and author of a new book Hoch Hinaus (flying high), in which he argues that space is the new frontier for investors- as long as they have sufficiently deep pockets. He also believes in its positive impact in advancing the UN's sustainable development goals.

Swissinfo (EN)

Sustainable Business and Finance news


The uphill task of turning climate promises into plans. An increasing number of companies have made pledges to reach net zero emissions by the mid-century. But the biggest challenge is making detailed plans on how to get there, warns Peter Bakker, CEO of World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD).

Geneva Solutions (EN)

Asset managers with $9 trillion under management commit to net zero goal. Thirty of the world’s leading asset managers representing over $9 trillion of assets under management (AUM) have set a goal of reaching net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 or sooner, in line with global efforts to limit warming to 1.5°C.

Geneva Solutions (EN)

Slowing climate change with sewage treatment for the skies. Removing carbon from the atmosphere is expensive—but so are a lot of other necessary things. Several companies are already working on systems and have prototypes operating that could be scaled up. Climeworks in Switzerland is one of them.

Bloomberg (EN)

Here's what else is happening


Chart of the day


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The companies with the largest plastic footprint. Break Free From Plastic (BFFP), a non-profit organisation fighting plastic pollution, published the results of its annual brand audit earlier this month. With the help of thousands of volunteers, BFFP conducts a global audit of plastic waste collected in cleanups each year. With 13,834 branded items found in 51 countries, Coca-Cola had by far the largest plastic footprint in 2020, followed by fellow consumer goods giants Nestlé, Colgate-Palmolive and Unilever.

Statista (EN)


14 December | The European Green Deal and Nature-based Solutions The event will focus on action by the EU and its Member States and demonstrate the potential of nature-based solutions to address global challenges.

UNEP (EN)

17 December | Zero-carbon, myth or reality? Aviation facing its future This virtual roundtable debate hosted by the University of Geneva features guests including easyJet CEO Johan Lundgren and André Schneider, CEO of Genève Aéroport.

UNIGE (EN)

17 December | Women entrepreneurship in natural resource management. An online workshop focusing on the challenges and opportunities in the sustainable natural resources management sector for micro-, small, and medium enterprises (MSME).

UNECE (EN)

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