There is a strong possibility that carbon will become a parallel currency to money in the future. Companies will need to operate within a carbon cap, or else pay for the excess they produce. This calculation will include carbon emitted through the supply chain, so it is critical that companies quickly come to understand the implications of both their own and their suppliers' and partners' carbon footprint.
With almost two-third of the world's proven oil reserves, the Middle East has no shortage of fuel and will not run out for many decades to come. Yet the investment rationale of many countries in the region is to diversify away from this superabundant supply and thereby limit the danger of economic hardship in future. It is also a means of capitalising on good fortune, by creating further wealth from the proceeds of oil production.
By 2020 the European Union expects to reduce its energy needs by a massive 315 TWh (terawatt hour) per year, thanks to new measures to combat unnecessary energy use. One terawatt equals a million million watts, and 315 of them is more than Italy uses each year.
With jitters, if not outright panic characterising the international markets and threatening to derail any number of deals, dampening growth across most sectors and geographies, the near-term health of the 'risky' Asian markets cannot be guaranteed.
