Cleantech Troubles in 2013: Predictions from Kachan

As reported in an Environmental Leader article, Kachan & Co, a boutique cleantech research and advisory firm, is predicting that Global cleantech will “backtrack” in 2013. According to their bleak predictions, venture capital investments will decline even further than they did in 2012 and long-term risks are emerging in the solar, wind and electric vehicle market.

Kachan's latest predictions indicate cleantech venture capital investment won’t ever return to the highs it achieved before the financial crisis of 2007-2008. In 2013, the sector will lose venture investors because of disappointing returns, poor policy support worldwide and a lag time in the pullback of equity and debt investment.

Will 2013 Bring a New, Sustainable World?

This article was written by Pavan Sukhdev and published in Guardian Sustainable Business Blog on January 4, 2013. Pavan is an environmental economist and board member for Conservation International. He is also the UN Environment Programme's goodwill ambassador. A former banker, he led the UNEP's green economy initiative and is author of a new book, Corporation 2020.

The new year brings with it a host of ecological, governmental and social issues but a new world is, and has to be, possibleThey were right, the world has ended. The world as we knew it came to an end more or less when the Mayan calendar ran out, on winter solstice, 2012.

2012 Summary of Best Practices in Responsible Management Education (Part 2)

This is the second part of a two part series reviewing the best practices in responsible management for 2012. It was written by Giselle Weybrecht the author of  The Sustainable MBA: The Manager’s Guide to Green Business. The book aims to educate the next generation of business leaders about sustainability issues, whether these be students or business executives. Prior to this she worked for many years with the United Nations internationally in sustainable development. Today she works with government, universities, NGOs, business and with social entrepreneurs in sustainability around the world. She is committed to ensuring that the next generation of business leaders fully understand sustainability by working with business schools and businesses to embed these issues into their programmes. She is a dynamic and sought after speaker in sustainability issues and also writes on sustainability and business issues for a variety of publications including the Economist and Forbes.

2012 Summary of Best Practices in Responsible Management Education (Part 1)

This is the first part of a two part series reviewing the best practices in responsible management. It was written by Giselle Weybrecht the author of  The Sustainable MBA: The Manager’s Guide to Green Business. The book aims to educate the next generation of business leaders about sustainability issues, whether these be students or business executives. Prior to this she worked for many years with the United Nations internationally in sustainable development. Today she works with government, universities, NGOs, business and with social entrepreneurs in sustainability around the world. She is committed to ensuring that the next generation of business leaders fully understand sustainability by working with business schools and businesses to embed these issues into their programmes. She is a dynamic and sought after speaker in sustainability issues and also writes on sustainability and business issues for a variety of publications including the Economist and Forbes.

Happy New Year: Lets Make 2013 a More Sustainable Year

As 2013 commences we are called to to reflect on the year that has been. Most importantly we need to consider what we will do in the year to come. Last year we saw a number of studies and dire warnings about the state of our environment.There is reason to believe that both the business community and ordinary people are coming to terms with the facts.

The costs and risks associated with climate change make a powerful business case and extreme weather is making it increasingly difficult for the average person to ignore global warming.

In 2012 governments dithered but businesses around the world engaged climate change in record numbers. There was even evidence suggesting that average Americans are embracing climate science in ever increasing numbers.

This year we must come together to act. Businesses, consumers and even elected officials must get serious about engaging the environmental threats we face.

Let us dare to hope that despite the prodigious obstacles arrayed against us that 2013 will be the year that climate change gets the attention that it deserves. At the very least let us all commit to doing what we can to make human activities less egregious to the Earth.

© 2013, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.