Cop15 2022 put biodiversity on the map for many in the financial and investment world and with it came a reminder of how crucial biodiversity and the natural world are to our ability to survive and thrive. US$41.7 trillion of economic value generation is either all or in part dependent upon nature, making the protection of our wild spaces and the various flora and fauna which reside within them of the upmost importance. However, the key to securing a balance between biodiversity and human development is not to look upon the value of the natural world in solely monetary terms. Instead, we must remind ourselves of how our survival as a species is deeply interconnected with those ecosystems on which we rely for food, fresh air, water, and raw materials.

Over the past few years racial inequality has found itself once again in the headlines. Former students of residential schools run by the Catholic church across Canada have been speaking out on the decades long abuse experienced by indigenous pupils. The shocking murder of George Floyd electrified the world to action for Black Lives Matter. The hate crimes against people of Asian heritage rocketed with the outbreak of Covid-19. The conflict in Syria brought thousands of migrants to the gates of Europe and the US leading to far right backlash and scenes of racial hatred not seen since Enoch Powell’s infamous “rivers of blood” speech. The once bright image of a cosmopolitan, globalised and egalitarian society almost appeared to be disintegrating as inequality, the Covid-19 pandemic, a shaky economy and government parties dividing faster than bacteria began to jeopardise the harmony that communities across the globe have been striving to achieve. Yet, race-based inequality continues to reach its bony fingers into the structural inequalities we see and hear about in education, employment and general standard of living. Hidden away in plain view are the environmental inequalities that numerous minority ethnic and Indigenous communities are now experiencing as climate change lands on their doorstep and large polluting companies set up shop in their back yard.

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.

As we rapidly head towards Christmas, communities around the world are putting up decorations, wrapping presents, purchasing huge quantities of food and drink, and traveling varying distances to spend the holiday season with family and friends. Though it's important that we all enjoy this opportunity to take a break from the stresses and anxieties that loom over everyday life and to treat ourselves to a minced pie or box of chocolates it is important that we continue to be mindful of the lifestyle choices we make and how they impact upon the planet.

As the global population tops eight billion we are facing challenges few of us would have envisioned even ten years ago. Food and water insecurity are already prevalent in "hunger hotspots" across the globe with famine threatening people from the Horn of Africa to Afghanistan. The impacts of war and violence are bleeding across national borders and migration is on the rise. The cost-of-living crisis is forcing families to choose between heating or eating and in some cases not being able to do either, instead being forced to rely on the charitable donations of others. Accessing basic resources is rapidly becoming a battle ground as affordability slips through the fingers of the general public, whilst political infighting leaves national economies in tatters. Meanwhile, climate change lingers over us exacerbating every crisis yet further leading to increased gender-based violence, displacement and malnutrition amongst children and adults alike. Yet, we continue our current path, patting ourselves on the back for making compromises at Cop27, or remembering to take the recycling out and all the while either forgetting about or failing to appreciate the bigger picture.

Change. There is nothing more intrinsic to the existence of humanity and the planet we live on as change. Yet, such a short word conveys not only that strange and unsettling mixture of emotions one feels when hearing it but is also used to translate into language the way time interacts with human society and the natural world. Today, we face change on an unprecedented scale, but this change is not one we can afford to be fearful of, nor can we afford ourselves the time to become accustomed to such rapid changes. Instead, we must be bold, we must take action and we must embrace changes in every facet of our lives, from the food on our plates, to the way that we travel, and to the items we pick off the shelves. In governance and policy, the changes will need to be yet more extensive with restructuring required at every level and in every sector to ensure that our planet has a future.

Never before has climate change been so apparent to the global population. As heat waves, wildfires, floods, and every imaginable extreme weather event continues to shake the foundations of modern society we are rapidly reaching a breaking point. As Europeans and Americans flock to the beaches and leave the fans and AC running 24/7 in an attempt cool down during the second major heat wave of the year it can be easy to forget the true source of the heat and how issues such as this are a daily battle for many areas of the global South. As climate change clashes with war, limited socio-economic development, pandemics, racial inequality, gender inequality, ineffective/inefficient governments and greenwashing across industry and agriculture it can be difficult to see any possible future for our planet.

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…

Climate news can often leave one feeling despondent about the future of our natural world. As great tree's that have seen more of history than a mere human could ever hope to are felled to meet the short-term needs of a greedy society and plastic chokes our oceans, destroying ecosystems which have existed untouched for thousands of years, the consequences of our presence on this planet continue to be truly catastrophic and yet hope remains as is evidenced both in the small and larger acts that can be identified if we look hard enough.