Why climate change is creating a 1929 moment January 15, 2021 The battle against Covid-19 has been brutal, inflicting a terrible cost on society. But it will be overcome; scientific endeavour will prevail. Looking decades ahead, my greater concern is climate change. By 2050 we may find the effects of the pandemic will be dwarfed by the consequences of unchecked global warming. The future actions of [...]
Does an emissions scandal await the real estate sector? May 6, 2021 In September 2015, news broke that Volkswagen (VW) had been selling cars in the US that had a so-called “defeat device” installed in diesel engines. It could detect when they were being tested and change performance to improve results. The German carmaker admitted to cheating emissions tests and it soon became clear that this was [...]
Lawyers know best: Is it time law firms left the LLP behind? March 8, 2021 Recent legislative changes have paved the way for new, alternative structures in law firms, a sector that was previously dominated by traditional partnerships and LLPs – limited liability partnerships. Alternative business structures (ABSs) – which allow non-lawyers to have a financial stake in a firm – have grown in popularity throughout the 2010s, and for [...]
UK green lights £1.3bn of housing and infrastructure spending August 4, 2020 Proposals to build more than 70,000 new homes and start a raft of commercial infrastructure projects were given the green light today in a £1.3bn funding announcement from the UK government. More than 300 projects in England – including a £23m commercial development in Manchester and a £14.88m investment in building residential homes on Brownfield [...]
Finance must play a bigger role in the UK’s national security, says think tank August 5, 2020 A think tank has called on the government to use the UK’s financial capabilities to further support its national security policy. The Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) has recommended the UK capitalise on its financial advantages ahead of an integrated review of the UK’s foreign policy, defence and security. In February, the government announced the [...]
Q&A: the end of big oil? June 16, 2021 Our “in the news” series focuses on recent dramatic events in the energy industry as oil majors were held to account over climate change. We explain what’s happened and how Schroders acted on behalf of clients. The oil industry last week faced a “paradigm shift” after climate activists and asset managers led revolts at the [...]
Thames freeport bid could be ‘transformative’ for region, says estuary chief January 6, 2021 The envoy for the Thames Estuary has said a bid to develop one of the UK’s new freeports on the river would be “transformative” for the region. Kate Willard, who is spearheading redevelopment attempts along the Thames, was speaking after Forth Ports and DP World unveiled their plan for a freeport on the estuary at [...]
Government backtracks on Covid death charts used to justify lockdown November 6, 2020 The government has quietly replaced death rate projections that pushed England into its second national lockdown, after admitting the charts showed figures that were “too high”. Graphs presented alongside new lockdown measures at the Number 10 press conference last Saturday predicted the UK would see up to 1,500 coronavirus-related deaths a day by early December. [...]
Tingo and MICT agree to merge May 12, 2022 African agri-fintech company Tingo and financial services provider MICT have executed a definitive merger agreement to consolidate both operations across the African and Asian markets.
Regulator gives green light on Big Four plans for audit separation February 23, 2021 The Financial Reporting Council (FRC) has given the go ahead for the Big Four firms to press on with the next stage of separating their audit divisions from the rest of the business. The Big Four – Deloitte, EY, KPMG and PwC – were asked by the regulator to submit their plans for operational separation [...]