Regenerative Farming; A Solution to Save our Soil
Agriculture in developed nations is consolidated around industrial, largescale farms. These farms, which will often grow a limited range of crops or even a single crop (also known as ‘monoculture’), are increasingly responsible for the food that we eat. The advantages of a largescale farm are commonly assumed to be self-evident: consistency of output and economies of scale. For the consumer in the supermarket, this translates […]
One Giant Cost for Mankind
Water on the moon looks to be more abundant and accessible than previously thought, which is good news for all those considering a future lunar economy. Lunar water offers the potential of lunar manufactured rocket fuel, which means more efficient space exploration of other heavenly bodies. But before we view the solar system as the […]
High Seas Impact
Utilising some 51,600 vessels the Maritime Transport Industry (MTI) is responsible for the distribution of some 11 billion tonnes of cargo a year, equivalent to 90% of world trade. Approximately 30% comprises tanker trade (e.g. crude oil, gas, chemicals etc.), another 30% comprises main bulk (e.g. iron ore, grain, coal, phosphate etc.) and the remaining 40 per cent comprises other dry cargo (e.g. containers etc.). It’s fair to say the Maritime Transport […]
Children for Chocolate
The International Labour Organisation (ILO) has estimated that on any given day, on average, 152 million children are being exploited in the labour market. This equates to more than double the UK’s population. Child labour is defined as ‘work that deprives children of their childhood, their potential and their dignity, and that is harmful to […]
A Total Capital Approach for Developing a Sustainability Agenda
In collaboration with Marakon, the following article details how to use Route2’s Total Capital Accounting to effectively weave sustainability considerations into corporate strategy. The gap between what markets value and what society values is closing. Financial markets and investors are increasingly focused on the fact that risks and opportunities linked to sustainability are tangible and can […]
Low Carbon Future
The world has been given a deadline to stop and begin to reverse the impacts of climate change. This means lowering the global production of greenhouse gases including carbon dioxide. Preventing the destructive impacts of climate change rests on this commitment. Key measures include halving our global energy-related carbon emissions by 2030 and aiming for […]
Workplace Discrimination: The Cost
The moral case for ending discrimination is clear, but its economic benefits remain largely unexplored. By our calculations, ethnic discrimination in the workplace costs the UK £40 billion annually. That’s £10 billion more than Rishi Sunak’s latest coronavirus response package, or equivalent to 1.8% of our Gross Domestic Product. Costing Discrimination Experiences of discrimination (EOD) are positively associated with a range of mental disorders including depression, anxiety, and PTSD. A 2016 study found that 20% of cases of depression amongst young male Australians […]
Too big to boycott?
Consumers, at least most of the time, have a choice whether to buy a product or use a service. When a company behaves in a way that it is at odds with your values, you are able to boycott that company, refusing to purchase their products or use their services in the hopes of reducing […]
Supply Chain Resilience
In February of this year, I was considering purchasing a new Apple laptop. Given the option of customising the existing line-up with increased memory or power, I noticed that the delivery estimate went from next day for a standard model, to over a month for a custom model. What could have been the cause of this? There was no explanation on […]
Green Spaces
68% of the world population is projected to live in urban areas by 2050, about 2.5 billion more people than now. Pollution in urban environments is therefore expected to rise. About 9 million people die as a result of air pollution every year. People who live in urban spaces consume more energy and water, resulting in other forms of pollution which […]