How to close the green investment gap. Don’t bank on interest rates cuts yet. Giving nature a market value is the only way to protect it. The rich and very personal stories now up for grabs thanks to the ad tech ecosystem. How to become a ‘supercommunicator’.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
ARTICLE – VIDEO OF THE WEEK
Al Gore, This is how the world can close the ‘green’ investment gap, according to Al Gore
(World Economic Forum, March 2024)
This short video makes crystal clear what needs to be done to close the USD18tr financing gap required by 2030 to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees C. In short: (1) Motivate people to demand an end to government subsidies for fossil fuels; (2) Implement a carbon tax or a carbon fee; (3) Address the issue of access to capital available to developing countries. And remember that the political will to resolve the problem is itself a renewable resource (3 min and 30 sec; free access)
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John Authers, The Fed Wasn’t Going to Cut Rates Soon, Anyway,
(Bloomberg, 1 March 2024)
For a few months, it’s been our conviction that the financial markets were way too optimistic about cuts in interest rates. The case is now closed, with the markets and the Fed in agreement that there will be fewer rate cuts and that they will start later than anticipated. The reason: as the central bank’s preferred measure of inflation (the “supercore”: services inflation excluding property) ticks upward, there’s no need to rush. A great and simple read to understand the technicalities of inflation measurement and what it means (gifted article, reads in 5-6 min).
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Lydia DePillis, Nature Has Value. Could We Literally Invest in It?
(The New York Times, 18 February 2024)
Music to our ears and our good4nature alliance. An increasing number of people argue that nature won’t be adequately protected unless it is assigned a value in the market. Hence the idea of “Natural asset companies” that would put a market price on improving ecosystems, rather than on destroying them. Despite the opposition of right-wing groups and some leftist environmentalists, this concept almost made it through as a SEC proposal in the US. Private markets will eventually embrace it, because in the words of the founder of an incubator of Natural Assets companies: “All of these things are social agreements to a degree. And the beauty of a financial system is between a willing buyer and seller, the underlying becomes true.” But the political backlash (in the US) is fierce (gifted article, 7-9 min).
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Byron Tau, How the Pentagon Learned to Use Targeted Ads to Find Its Targets—and Vladimir Putin
(Wired, 27 February 2024)
A chilling, intriguing article about a government contractor and technologist who taught US intelligence agencies how to make the most of the ad tech ecosystem, “the largest information-gathering enterprise ever conceived by man.” The key insight: buried in the seemingly innocuous technical data that comes off every cell phone in the world, there is a “rich story” about each and every one of us. Whether we like or not, this information is now out there, for sale, and cheap (metered paywall, 6-8 min).
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Lauren Mechling, Can these seven tips help you become a ‘supercommunicator’?
(The Guardian, 20 February 2024)
A review of the recently published “Supercommunicators: How to Unlock the Secret Language of Connection” by Charles Duhigg. Supercommunicators are rarely the most dynamic people in the room, but they can make those around them feel truly understood and tend to be good at getting what they want. How to become one? (1) Mirror other people’s wants and needs; (2) Laugh your way into their heart; (3) Use your influence; (4) Assess what kind of conversation is needed; (5) Prepare a list of topics to discuss; (6) Repeat what your interlocutors are saying; (7) Pay attention to non-verbal clues (free access, 6-8 min).
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