This special episode of 2050 Investors takes you to… well, the year 2050! Will we have achieved our goal of net-zero emissions and taken the necessary steps to limit global warming to 1.5 C°? And if not, what will a world on the verge of climate collapse due to human activities look like?  Join Kokou Agbo-Bloua as he explores the future, inspired by the thought-provoking series "Black Mirror". Stuck inside a dream within a dream, where fiction and reality are intertwined, will we discover a...

What kind of risk taker are you? The answer may reveal more than you think. In this episode of 2050 Investors, Kokou Agbo-Bloua takes a closer look at risk and its role in the financial markets. Kokou explores traditional risk management models such as the Value at Risk, volatility and heteroskedasticity (volatility of volatility) and explores the interplay between Main Street and Wall Street. Later, Kokou sits down with Hatem Mustapha, Co-Head of Global Markets, to discuss the ins and outs...

$25 trillion ! This is the sum injected into the economy by Governments and Central Banks to protect a significant portion of the global economy during the Covid crisis. Where does this funding come from, and what are the impacts of such government spending? Is this strategy sustainable in the long term? These are important questions to consider, particularly since we are in a year where half of the world's population is heading to the polls and many candidates are advocating for a 'whatever...

Part 1 of the episode. Don't miss Jonny Wilkinson's interview in Part 2. “You only get one shot, do not miss your chance to blow. This opportunity comes once in a lifetime”. In this episode about sports, these lyrics from Eminem’s hit song ‘Lose Yourself‘ resonate deeply. Throughout History, from civil rights to diversity and inclusion, sports have deeply shaped, inspired and changed our individual and collective human experiences. This episode is a celebration of all things sports. In the...

Part 2 of the episode. We recommend you listen to Part 1 if you haven't already. “You only get one shot, do not miss your chance to blow. This opportunity comes once in a lifetime”. In this episode about sports, these lyrics from Eminem’s hit song ‘Lose Yourself‘ resonate deeply. Throughout History, from civil rights to diversity and inclusion, sports have deeply shaped, inspired and changed our individual and collective human experiences. This episode is a celebration of all things...

Is nuclear power the key to a carbon-neutral future or an accident waiting to happen? Non-hydro renewables such as wind and solar are predicted to play a major role in the future. However, one of these energy solutions has divided public opinion more than others. To mention the name "nuclear" is to conjure up the boogie man or "he who must not be named". By 2050, some 10 billion people will need some form of energy to eat, travel, work and protect themselves from the weather. McKinsey's...

Abraham Lincoln once said, “By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail”. So why do well-known risk managements models fail to predict major events? Is it possible to know when and where the next crisis will come from? And how can we be better prepared? In this episode of 2050 Investors, host Kokou Agbo-Bloua explores the theory of Black Swans, created by Nassim Nicholas Taleb, and its relevance to sustainability, climate change, and financial markets. Delving into the world of the...

The Chinese have a saying, 'A peaceful life has nothing to do with the passage of time'. This sound reminder points to the importance of enjoying life regardless of age. After all, age is just a number, right? Ageing has become a topical issue in the mainstream recently as experts warn of the incoming 'Silver Avalanche', which has already swept Europe and is making its way to Asia. Global life expectancy has risen from 51 to 72 since 1960 and is expected to reach 77 by 2050. It is projected...

Strap on your boots, don your hats, grab your pitchforks and mangroves, because we are going carbon hunting! Although carbon dioxide makes up a measly 0.04% of our atmosphere or 421 parts per million (ppm), it is about double the average concentration seen over the past 3 million years. All of this extra carbon dioxide accumulated since the pre-industrial era has already caused global warming of 1.1 degrees Celsius, destabilized Earth's climate and started the 6th mass extinction of...

Should the world's central banks (Fed, ECB, BoE...) launch a coordinated "green quantitative easing" programme to simply print the $3.5 trillion a year needed to finance the energy transition? Is this a realistic solution or too green to be true? This episode of the 2050 investors podcast puts the 'central' back in central banks. Since their creation in the 17th century, central banks have been tasked with managing monetary policy, overseeing the banking system and the core mandate of...

What has no beginning, end, or middle and touches every continent? If you answered, “the ocean”- Correct! Or the ‘living infinite’, as Jules Verne called it in Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea. This latest episode of 2050 Investors is a splashy one as host Kokou Agbo-Bloua dives deep into the mysteries of the oceans aboard the modern-day Nautilus, the Nautile. In 2022, at the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), 150 member states pledged to preserve or safeguard thirty percent of...

Why do we say, "there’s no place like home"? This iconic phrase appears in "The Wizard of Oz" to remind us of the human need for familiarity, belonging and protection. Over the past centuries, our homes have followed a Darwinian process of evolution by natural selection of efficiency. From caves to skyscrapers, they’ve protected us from wild animals, natural disasters, and the changing climate.   Current estimates put the total number of houses at around 2 billion and by 2050, we will need...

“You only get one shot, do not miss your chance to blow. This opportunity comes once in a lifetime”. In this episode about sports, these lyrics from Eminem’s hit song ‘Lose Yourself‘ resonate deeply. Throughout History, from civil rights to diversity and inclusion, sports have deeply shaped, inspired and changed our individual and collective human experiences. This episode is a celebration of all things sports. In the first part of this episode, we explore the past, the present and the...

“You only get one shot, do not miss your chance to blow. This opportunity comes once in a lifetime”. In this episode about sports, these lyrics from Eminem’s hit song ‘Lose Yourself‘ resonate deeply. Throughout History, from civil rights to diversity and inclusion, sports have deeply shaped, inspired and changed our individual and collective human experiences. This episode is a celebration of all things sports. In this part two, Kokou Agbo-Bloua interviews rugby legend, Jonny...

This special episode of 2050 Investors takes you to… well, the year 2050. Will we have achieved our goal of net-zero emissions and taken the necessary steps to limit global warming to 1.5 C? And if not, what will a world on the verge of climate collapse due to human activities look like?   Join Kokou Agbo-Bloua as he explores the future, inspired by the thought-provoking series "Black Mirror". Stuck inside a dream within a dream, where fiction and reality are intertwined, will we discover...

Economy, planet, markets and you 2050 Investors is going on a summer break! Before we meet again in September, listen to our April 2022 episode on the insurance industry, which is facing a number of challenges as a result of climate change. In insurance lingo, an “Act of God” is an event outside of human control or activity, such as natural disasters. With the growing frequency of such "Acts of God" - amplified by acts of men - the question of the insurability of climate risks is front...

Economy, planet, markets and you    Welcome fellow energy explorers! In this episode of “2050 Investors” we're embarking on a wild and thrilling adventure into the world of energy. Why is the energy transition taking so long? And what awaits us when we eventually deplete our energy reserves?  Kokou Agbo-Bloua addresses all your energy concerns. Learn about the intriguing concept of energy density and its significance in our quest to find sustainable energy sources.  Later in this...

Economy, planet, markets and you    Did you know that in 2022, the global apparel market was valued at over US 1.5 trillion dollars and is expected to increase to almost US 2 trillion dollars by 2027 (Consumer Market Outlook)?  But here is the catch: the industry accounts for 8 to 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions, and that figure is growing! So, forget “Emily in Paris” or Fashion Week — this episode promises to go beyond the glitz and glam, brand labels and fashion runways to ask...

Economy, planet, markets and you     Did you know that over the past 440 million years, there have been FIVE mass extinction events on Earth? Now, according to scientists, the sixth extinction may already be underway. By the end of the century, it is estimated that half of an estimated 8 million living species could become extinct due to human-induced global warming.  In this episode of “2050 Investors”, Kokou Agbo-Bloua dissects the math and science behind Biodiversity. What is the...

Economy, planet, markets and you    The UN designates March 20 of every year as “International Day of Happiness” to celebrate the importance of happiness and well-being as “universal goals and aspirations in the lives of human beings worldwide and in public policy objectives". This special, two-part episode of “2050 Investors” is all about happiness. What does it mean to be happy in the 21st century, what is happiness, can we measure and influence it on a national or worldwide scale?...

Economy, planet, markets and you   The UN designates March 20 of every year as “International Day of Happiness” to celebrate the importance of happiness and well-being as “universal goals and aspirations in the lives of human beings worldwide and in public policy objectives". This special, two-part episode of “2050 Investors” is all about happiness. What does it mean to be happy in the 21st century, what is happiness, can we measure and influence it on a national or worldwide scale? And...

Economy, planet, markets and you   Thanks to the incredible discoveries in medicine and technology, the average global human lifespan has more than doubled since 1900 and is now above 70 years. Over the same period, CO2 emissions exponentially increased, which raises questions on the link between healthcare and climate change.   In this episode, Kokou Agbo-Bloua deep dives into the health-care industry by addressing the major concerns, discoveries and breakthroughs shaping the...

Economy, planet, markets and you Drifting in the Central North Pacific Ocean is the “Great Pacific Garbage Patch”, a collection of marine debris with a mass so large it has been ranked as our eighth continent. Nature is “circular by design” - balanced and sustainable - but our modern lifestyle is simply not. While recycling efforts are increasing, coupled with government policies and regulations, we must consider if ‘recycling’ is rightly positioned as the last stage in the ‘Reduce, Reuse...

Economy, planet, markets and you  Historically, globalisation and international trade contributed to a significant increase in global GDP and wealth. We enjoyed many benefits, including vast choices of consumer goods and services at our fingertips. But behind this story, there is a dark, carbonated side. So, what is the future of international trade? After Brexit, the War in Ukraine, and the Covid-19 pandemic, are we at the beginning of the end of globalisation? Will a future Phileas...