Felix Preston

Listed companies are responsible for 40% of climate-warming emissions. The analysis takes into account Scope 1, 2 and some Scope 3 emissions for the first time. It underscores the critical role that investors in listed equities must play in climate action, including through engagement and capital allocation choices
Cutting emissions along the value chain must be a priority for both companies and investors
As we approach COP26, mobilising action across the listed company landscape will… Show more

Listed companies are responsible for 40% of climate-warming emissions. The analysis takes into account Scope 1, 2 and some Scope 3 emissions for the first time. It underscores the critical role that investors in listed equities must play in climate action, including through engagement and capital allocation choices
Cutting emissions along the value chain must be a priority for both companies and investors
As we approach COP26, mobilising action across the listed company landscape will play a crucial role in closing the ambition gap to 2030. Show less

Net zero will be the law of the land in the major economies sooner rather than later, where this isn't already the case.1 Waiting to put net zero arrangements in place is putting capital at risk and increasing the chances of being caught out by sharp policy adjustments in key markets. The Net Zero Asset Managers initiative (NZAM) is a coalition of like-minded managers committed to investing in line with net zero emissions by mid-century. The framework for NZAM reflects both the necessity and… Show more

Net zero will be the law of the land in the major economies sooner rather than later, where this isn't already the case.1 Waiting to put net zero arrangements in place is putting capital at risk and increasing the chances of being caught out by sharp policy adjustments in key markets. The Net Zero Asset Managers initiative (NZAM) is a coalition of like-minded managers committed to investing in line with net zero emissions by mid-century. The framework for NZAM reflects both the necessity and urgency of climate action as well as the specific nature of asset management. This a vital step for the investment sector, but the real work starts now. We set out seven challenges for the future of net zero investing. Show less

As investors focused on the long term, we are deeply aware of the scale and urgency of the changes required to move to a sustainable economy and society. We need to know if a company will survive and thrive under these shifts. We want to invest in companies that we believe are leading the way. We call such companies ‘system positive.’

ESG data underpins the fast-evolving landscape of sustainable investment. It helps guide the allocation of trillions of dollars of ‘ESG aware’ investment capital. Investors ignore the limitations of today’s ESG data at their own peril. We believe placing ESG data in context is key to making sound investment choices. The coming revolution in ESG data will be forward looking and tied to real-world impact – tracking towards science-based targets and an inclusive economy – and testing if management… Show more

ESG data underpins the fast-evolving landscape of sustainable investment. It helps guide the allocation of trillions of dollars of ‘ESG aware’ investment capital. Investors ignore the limitations of today’s ESG data at their own peril. We believe placing ESG data in context is key to making sound investment choices. The coming revolution in ESG data will be forward looking and tied to real-world impact – tracking towards science-based targets and an inclusive economy – and testing if management is transition-ready.
We identify five enablers of the coming revolution in ESG data: Show less

Rising international trade frictions could have unintended consequences for food security, low-carbon innovation and climate policy.

This is my contribution to "Chatham House Expert Perspectives 2018: Risks and Opportunities in International Affairs" - you can explore the others via the same link. The articles compiled in this volume, the first of a new annual series, have been written by Chatham House experts and reflect their perspectives on geopolitics and security, politics and… Show more

Rising international trade frictions could have unintended consequences for food security, low-carbon innovation and climate policy.

This is my contribution to "Chatham House Expert Perspectives 2018: Risks and Opportunities in International Affairs" - you can explore the others via the same link. The articles compiled in this volume, the first of a new annual series, have been written by Chatham House experts and reflect their perspectives on geopolitics and security, politics and society, governance, the global economy, and issues around resources and the environment. These articles are not intended to provide an exhaustive account of the state of the world, but to selectively highlight some of the trends that are coalescing into definable shape as risks or opportunities. They draw on Chatham House’s capacity for regional, thematic and technical evidence-based policy research. They are informed by the sense that the future will be one in which risks will certainly need to be assessed carefully, but so too the new solutions to policy challenges that can help shape an evolving global landscape. Show less

Significant changes in how cement and concrete are produced and used are urgently needed to achieve deep cuts in emissions in line with the Paris Agreement on climate change. We set out the disruptive innovations in the cement sector - and in the wider built environment - that make this possible. The report includes a new patent landscaping of novel cements, with 4500 relevant patents identified.

Lower-income countries are in many ways more ‘circular’ than their developed-economy counterparts – this briefing paper explores how to turn this into a development opportunity.

While considerable research has examined the risk of disturbance in global energy markets resulting from a disruption to physical chokepoints along major trade routes, no comparable analysis has been undertaken for food markets. We describe a method for estimating global agricultural commodities flows via maritime chokepoints. Such data can be combined with information on inland and overland transport networks, strategic reserves and environmental change, to enhance understanding of the risks… Show more

While considerable research has examined the risk of disturbance in global energy markets resulting from a disruption to physical chokepoints along major trade routes, no comparable analysis has been undertaken for food markets. We describe a method for estimating global agricultural commodities flows via maritime chokepoints. Such data can be combined with information on inland and overland transport networks, strategic reserves and environmental change, to enhance understanding of the risks associated with disruption to critical infrastructure – owing to weather events, trade restrictions, conflict, congestion, or institutional failures. We consider the applications at national, and multilateral level and identify priority measures to enhance global food security. Show less

How China responds to the challenges of resource security and sustainability, working with others, will help define its reputation as a responsible actor on the world stage in the next decade. This joint report by the Development Research Center of the State Council and Chatham House makes strategic recommendations for both China and the international community on how to manage these dynamics.

China’s new role in the global governance of natural resources is coming to the fore against a… Show more

How China responds to the challenges of resource security and sustainability, working with others, will help define its reputation as a responsible actor on the world stage in the next decade. This joint report by the Development Research Center of the State Council and Chatham House makes strategic recommendations for both China and the international community on how to manage these dynamics.

China’s new role in the global governance of natural resources is coming to the fore against a backdrop of profound uncertainty, driven by the convergence of three interlinked trends. At home, China’s leaders are navigating the structural shift to slower but higher-quality growth, a phase of development referred to as the ‘new normal’, while facing considerable environmental and resource security challenges. Globally, the slowdown in China’s economy has sent reverberations through commodity markets, pulling the plug on the decade-long commodities ‘super cycle’. Meanwhile, China is taking on a growing role in global governance, from the G20 and multilateral development banks, to its regional partnerships in Latin America and Africa. Show less

Examines the political, economic and capacity challenges to low-carbon transformation and considers how these vary in poor, middle-income and high-income countries.

This Fung Global Institute working paper surveys a broad selection of publications on the sustainability of development in Asia, not only in environmental but also in social and economic terms. It maps the relative and overlapping coverage of these issues and analyzes the perspectives brought to the debate by a range of international organisations, think tanks and private sector companies.

A report resulting from 2 years of research and 6 workshops with energy sector stakeholders in the Gulf Cooperation Council countries. This makes the case for urgent and comprehensive policies to stem the waste of energy resources in the region, maps progress on country strategies and offers recommendations for cross country collaboration and regional level action. It also showcases the Energy Saving Toolkit which demonstrates how 1.5 - 2 million barrels of oil might be saved in Saudi Arabia… Show more

A report resulting from 2 years of research and 6 workshops with energy sector stakeholders in the Gulf Cooperation Council countries. This makes the case for urgent and comprehensive policies to stem the waste of energy resources in the region, maps progress on country strategies and offers recommendations for cross country collaboration and regional level action. It also showcases the Energy Saving Toolkit which demonstrates how 1.5 - 2 million barrels of oil might be saved in Saudi Arabia by 2025 through new energy sources and demand side technology shifts. Show less

An analysis of the potential for energy intensity and other kinds of high level targets to conserve oil and gas resources in the 6 GCC countries. Also relevant to oil exporting countries more generally.

The spectre of resource insecurity has come back with a vengeance. The world is undergoing a period of intensified resource stress, driven in part by the scale and speed of demand growth from emerging economies and a decade of tight commodity markets. Poorly designed and short-sighted policies are also making things worse, not better. Whether or not resources are actually running out, the outlook is one of supply disruptions, volatile prices, accelerated environmental degradation and rising… Show more

The spectre of resource insecurity has come back with a vengeance. The world is undergoing a period of intensified resource stress, driven in part by the scale and speed of demand growth from emerging economies and a decade of tight commodity markets. Poorly designed and short-sighted policies are also making things worse, not better. Whether or not resources are actually running out, the outlook is one of supply disruptions, volatile prices, accelerated environmental degradation and rising political tensions over resource access.

This report focuses on the new political economy of resources. It analyses the latest global trends in the production, trade and consumption of key raw materials or intermediate products and explores how defensive and offensive moves by governments and other stakeholders are creating new fault lines on top of existing weaknesses and uncertainties.

The report also proposes a series of critical interventions, including new informal dialogues involving a group of systemically significant producer and consumer countries to tackle resource price volatility and to improve confidence and coordination in increasingly integrated global resource markets. Show less

A new model of industrial organization is needed to de-link rising prosperity from resource consumption growth – one that goes beyond incremental efficiency gains to deliver transformative change.

A 'circular economy' is an approach that would transform the function of resources in the economy. Waste from factories would become a valuable input to another process – and products could be repaired, reused or upgraded instead of thrown away.

In a world of high and volatile resource… Show more

A new model of industrial organization is needed to de-link rising prosperity from resource consumption growth – one that goes beyond incremental efficiency gains to deliver transformative change.

A 'circular economy' is an approach that would transform the function of resources in the economy. Waste from factories would become a valuable input to another process – and products could be repaired, reused or upgraded instead of thrown away.

In a world of high and volatile resource prices, a CE offers huge business opportunities. Pioneering companies are leading the way on a CE, but to drive broader change it is critical to collect and share data, spread best practice, invest in innovation and encourage business-to-business collaboration. Show less

The frequency of high-impact, low-probability (HILP) events in the last decade such as Hurricane Katrina, the Deepwater Horizon oil disaster and the nuclear crisis and tsunami in Japan, signals the emergence of a new 'normal' – the beginning of a crisis trend.

This report argues that governments and businesses remain insufficiently prepared to manage HILP crises and shoulder their economic, social and humanitarian consequences.

The report sets out the economic costs of HILP… Show more

The frequency of high-impact, low-probability (HILP) events in the last decade such as Hurricane Katrina, the Deepwater Horizon oil disaster and the nuclear crisis and tsunami in Japan, signals the emergence of a new 'normal' – the beginning of a crisis trend.

This report argues that governments and businesses remain insufficiently prepared to manage HILP crises and shoulder their economic, social and humanitarian consequences.

The report sets out the economic costs of HILP events and how the impacts of a shock spread across sectors and countries in today's globalized world.

Effective messaging and communications have never been more important in the management of high-impact events. The report draws on systemic analysis of social media to understand how the public discourse is shaped; highlights the window of opportunity to influence media messaging; and draws lessons for how the media should handle scientific uncertainties. Show less

This report is the result of two years of analysis of energy pathways, policy indicators, technology trends and investment requirements. It provides the building blocks for Jilin City to take a decisive step towards achieving low carbon development and become a national leader in China. The report argues that low carbon development is highly consistent with the city's existing objectives, including reducing energy intensity by shifting its manufacturing base to higher-added-value, advanced… Show more

This report is the result of two years of analysis of energy pathways, policy indicators, technology trends and investment requirements. It provides the building blocks for Jilin City to take a decisive step towards achieving low carbon development and become a national leader in China. The report argues that low carbon development is highly consistent with the city's existing objectives, including reducing energy intensity by shifting its manufacturing base to higher-added-value, advanced technology products; achieving excellent resource efficiency (the circular economy); realizing balanced urban-rural growth; and, critically, fulfilling China's scientific development concept.

The report is co-authored by Chatham House, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Energy Research Institute, Jilin University and E3G. Show less

Ensuring access to climate-friendly technologies at affordable prices is a critical issue for international public policy - and one that cuts across economic, legal, security and geopolitical concerns. To keep the rise in average global temperatures below 2C, global greenhouse gas emissions must peak before 2020 and be reduced to 50-85 per cent below 2000 levels by 2050. Achieving these ambitious targets requires a critical mass of low carbon investment, innovation and deployment that meets… Show more

Ensuring access to climate-friendly technologies at affordable prices is a critical issue for international public policy - and one that cuts across economic, legal, security and geopolitical concerns. To keep the rise in average global temperatures below 2C, global greenhouse gas emissions must peak before 2020 and be reduced to 50-85 per cent below 2000 levels by 2050. Achieving these ambitious targets requires a critical mass of low carbon investment, innovation and deployment that meets mid- and long-term goals. The implications for corporate strategies and business models are profound.

This report examines two issues: patent ownership of climate-friendly technologies, and the rate of technology diffusion. A polarized debate continues between proponents of strengthening intellectual property rights (IPR) regimes to encourage innovation of climate technologies on the one hand, and those calling for more IP-related flexibilities to ensure access to key technologies by developing countries on the other. Show less