A new year - a new opportunity to build momentum for a strong sustainability agenda. In a new blog post for Economist Impact's Sustainability Project, I highlight the top 5 sustainability and climate trends to watch in 2023, and why stronger collaboration will be required to accelerate progress this year.

The time to start building better is now. Population growth and rising demand for housing mean construction is expanding at a faster rate than efforts to reduce energy consumption. But only a tiny fraction of properties are carbon neutral. Next week I will be moderating a virtual panel discussion on “Constructing change".

Tomorrow I will moderate Economist Impact’s Sustainable Cities Talk. According to data from the World Bank, cities are already home to 56% of the global population—and that percentage will continue to grow in the coming decades. The United Nations Environment Programme estimates that cities also contribute to 75% of global carbon emissions.

Consumer companies have talked about sustainability for decades, but the need for immediate action has never been stronger. Join me and industry leaders in this webinar to hear about a new study we just released that explores the potential of collaboration to scale sustainability initiatives.

It was encouraging to see the source-to-sea approach making waves at this year’s World Water Week, organised by Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI). However, ocean solutions could still be featured more prominently. Here are my five takeaways.

A key part of California’s single-use plastics law, Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) eventually could lead to cost savings through better product design and materials recovery. I was interviewed by PlasticsToday about the opportunities and challenges of introducing EPR schemes, with references to Economist Impact's recent work on the circular economy, plastics management and advanced recycling technologies.

I was interviewed by Waste360 about the prospects of advanced recycling technologies. In the interview I discuss how Economist Impact's "Rethinking Plastics in a Circular Economy" study, supported by Dow, comprehensively assesses each plastic recycling technology for attributes that will be important considerations to policymakers, investors and the plastics industry.

Economist Impact's Sustainability Project spoke with me about the implications of the UN Treaty on Plastic Pollution and other recent signs of progress on the circular economy for plastics.

The Economist Educational Foundation is an independent charity that empowers young people to have high-quality discussions about current affairs. To help them achieve this, I am taking part in a fundraising challenge.

Tomorrow I will be moderating two sessions at the Ellen MacArthur Foundation's flagship annual event on the circular economy, with this year's event focusing on "Regenerative by Design".

Around 75% of clothing end up in landfills and less than 1% are being recycled into new clothing. How can clothes be designed to last longer, be reused, and be recycled into new clothes at their end of life? Find out in the latest episode of Economist Impact’s “Inside the Circle” podcast, hosted by me.

As Europe emerges from covid-19, the focus is on economic recovery and a triple transition of climate, digital and social change. Different types of capital and different systems are needed to serve new forms and flows of value. I am moderating a webinar on social impact, based on new Economist Impact research that I directed.

Join me for Economist Impact's 2nd annual "Sustainability Week US: How will the promise of a green future be kept?" next week (between June 6th and June 9th), virtually and in Washington, DC for a week full of practical case-study sessions, interviews and closed roundtables.

Will we be prepared for the shift to electric vehicles? What can we do to accelerate the adoption of electric vehicles? These are just a few of the topics that I will discuss at the Electric Vehicle Innovation Summit #EVIS2022 in Abu Dhabi between May 23rd and 25th.

I will be presenting at a webinar on communicating sustainability. Communicating the benefits—as well as challenges—of embarking on sustainability initiatives, based on evidence and transparency, is crucial in overcoming greenwashing and creating real-world impact.

I am delighted to present about "The nuances of net zero and the new EU taxonomy" at the European Broadcasting Union's Sustainability Summit. I will be joined by my colleague Emily Jackson-Kessler, SVP Sustainability, who will speak about The Economist Group's approach to climate risk.

I moderated five sessions at Economist Impact's Sustainability Week between Monday March 21st and Thursday March 24th, on topics such as investing in nature, the road to nature-positive, and farming for the future. On the in-person day in London on March 22nd I moderated sessions on materials and technology, and measuring the S in ESG.

I presented Economist Impact research on "Decarbonising Technologies for Cities" at the "Making Media Technology Sustainable" event by the Institution of Engineering and Technology in London. The event also featured industry experts from the BBC, Greening of Streaming, Plum Consulting and the DIMPACT Project.

I have been appointed a trustee at the New Economics Foundation, a UK-based think tank focusing on social, economic and environmental justice.

A big talking point in the investment world is the financial resilience of companies with high ESG ratings. I am project director of a new Economist Impact study based on two global surveys—one of asset owners and one of companies—to examine how they can find common purpose in ESG.