As I have noted before in this space, there are a number of risks and opportunities associated with palm oil. Among other negative impacts, expansion of palm oil plantations drives deforestation in many tropical countries, resulting in enormous carbon emissions. However, palm oil’s high productivity makes it a profitable investment and it has the potential to bring wealth and … [Read more...] about Six Takeaways on the Growth of Palm Oil in Latin America
Why are there so few women at the World Economic Forum?
Only 17% of participants at the World Economic Forum, hosted in Davos, Switzerland last month, were women. The annual WEF meeting brings together 2,500 leaders from government, the private sector and civil society to discuss challenges and opportunities for the global economy. For instance, one of the major outputs of the conference is a Global Risks Report that summaries … [Read more...] about Why are there so few women at the World Economic Forum?
Is Investment in Palm Oil Certification Worth It?
Palm oil has a terrible reputation. Especially among environmental and social advocates, palm oil is viewed as the crop responsible for a large-scale deforestation, particularly in Southeast Asia. Deforestation of carbon-rich forests leads to greenhouse gas emissions; between 2001 and 2010, palm oil-driven land-use change resulted in an average of 216-268 million tons of CO2 … [Read more...] about Is Investment in Palm Oil Certification Worth It?
How Big Data Is Changing Big Business
Flickr Creative Commons CIFOR Did you know that every minute the world loses 50 soccer fields worth of forest? That’s one of the headline findings from recently published data on global deforestation. Access to deforestation data is making it increasingly easy for companies to monitor deforestation in their supply chains. … [Read more...] about How Big Data Is Changing Big Business
What is the World Cup’s Carbon Footprint?
When Arjen Robben scored Holland’s fifth goal against Spain, the Arena Fonte Nova in Salvador, Brazil, was overflowing with emotion. The Dutch ecstatic, the Spanish devastated, and neutral fans like myself thrilled just to see such an exciting game. After watching the Netherlands team take a well-deserved victory lap, we poured out of the stadium into Salvador’s streets, … [Read more...] about What is the World Cup’s Carbon Footprint?