In our previous paper we covered all the major issues associated with the mining of cobalt and various other precious minerals which are contributing to the sustainability revolution. In this paper we will shift focus to the solutions and innovations which are taking place in the mining sector in the hope that the further dissemination of this information will educate the general public and possibly inspire those involved in mining to look into and apply some of the things they have learnt here. Our emphasis will also be on ESG’s, SDG’s and accountability which all have a part to play in changing the face of mineral mining around the world.

Gender equality is a global issue. One that requires unique approaches which are carefully curated to fit the needs of the multiple peoples, cultures and geographies in which they are placed. There are, however, some common threads to gender equality, which include access to education, to healthcare, to a livelihood, to safety and to a certain degree of autonomy. Whilst great strides have been taken across the world to improve women and girl’s access to all these crucial aspects of life, climate change is threatening the advancement of equality and endangering the lives of women and girls across the globe.

2022 was a busy year for the climate movement with peaks and troughs throughout. We saw economic volatility and war in Europe change our reliance on fossil fuels. We saw successful and unsuccessful summits, talks and conferences, bringing us 'loss and damage finance', fossil fuel lobbyists and commitments to protect biodiversity. We saw seriously questionable behaviour by governments and big business as greenwashing spreads and green commitments fall by the wayside. Importantly, we also experienced moments of sheer joy through positive developments in areas ranging from technology to rewilding, to seeing a gradual shift in public awareness of the climate crisis. As the festive season drew to a close and we stepped into a new year once again full of hope for what could be achieved it is important that we take a moment to look back and remind ourselves of those moments which have shaped sustainable finance moving into 2023.

Asia and the Pacific is one of the most expansive and diverse regions on earth. It contains some of the greatest disparities in wealth and access resources whilst being rich in culture and innovation. There are areas where you can walk for miles and never meet a soul and in others you can barely move through the hustle and bustle of densely populated cities. The sheer complexity of cultures and peoples is all at once overwhelming and at the same time a magnificent display of the human capacity to adapt and be creative. Yet, as the climate crisis worsens, and few places are left untouched by its impacts, the strengths and weaknesses of political systems and local methods of resilience will be tested in equal measure.

2022 marked a year of hope as numerous nations continued to speak out on climate change and the need for sustainable development. The Cop26 agenda appeared to be in full force as not just international governments but entire communities were dedicated to making changes that would positively benefit our planet. Six months later and the progress we have made leaves much to be desired.

For centuries cobalt ore was not usually mined for the cobalt content, rather, it was often recovered as a by-product of mining for various other ores such as silver, iron, nickel, copper, zinc, manganese and arsenic. Due to the complex processing required to concentrate and extract the cobalt from these oars this metal has been considered precious throughout history, from being used for jewellery in ancient Persia, to porcelain in Ming dynasty China, humanity has long admired this malleable and at times beautiful substance. However, during the 20th and 21st centuries its uses have expanded to areas such as cancer therapy, radioactive tracers, magnetic alloys and battery materials for electric cars (Gregersen, 2022) making it one of the most in demand metals around the world. Unfortunately, as is so often the case when certain resources come to be considered as valuable, exploitation and destruction is never far behind…

The new year has arrived and we are looking forward to positive changes for the climate and sustainable investment. As Cop26 fades from the wider public discourse it has never been more important to share news on the various events occurring across the world and to hold governments and organisations accountable for their actions.

The SDGs are a collection of 17 interlinked global goals developed by the United Nations. This article provides an introduction to the SDGs, their origins and the process of implementation that created these goals.

The impacts of Covid-19 have disproportionally effected women, causing the gender pay gap to widen. Women’s earnings have dropped by an average of 13% during the pandemic, almost double the typical decrease in male earnings. The World Economic Forum predicts that following Covid-19, it will now take 257 years to achieve economic gender parity.

Coal is the most carbon intensive fossil fuel which when burned, directly leads to the production of carbon dioxide and the subsequent warming of the earth. Currently, 37% of the world’s electricity and over 70% of the world’s steel is produced using coal. In order to prevent global warming, there must be a united global effort to reduce our coal consumption.

Flows into European sustainable funds have more than doubled in Q2 of 2020 to €54.6bn, following growth of investor interest in Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) investments. This has, encouragingly, been helped by the initiatives to “build back better” in the wake of COVID-19, and consequent restructuring of investments.

What is ESG? ESG is the Environmental, Social and Governance Principles - are considered the “Three Pillars of Sustainability” and defined by the UN’s Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI) as “The systematic and explicit inclusion of material ESG factors into investment analysis and investment decisions”.