The signs of a thriving business and investment ecosystem between Asia-Pacific and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are hard to miss. The two regions are strengthening ties through strategies such as trade agreements and infrastructure investments. Asian companies are interested in becoming a part of the UAE’s free trade zones. What is the current state of the UAE-Asia Pacific relations as well as the future prospects? What are the implications for some of the key players? How can investors and...

In this special podcast series on culture and the creative economy, Naka Kondo, editorial lead for global initiatives at Economist Impact speaks to Sam Ford, Executive Director, accelerate KY, Kentucky, USA research, affiliate MIT comparative media studies, and Nathalie Collins, who is a senior lecturer at Edith Cowan University School of Business and Law to try to understand some of the foundational elements of today's fandom and the creative economy. This episode is part of "culture and the...

Ocean pollution is a complex and multifaceted problem. It threatens ecosystems, human health and economies, but a lack of data about its impact means relatively little is being done to prevent and address it. That’s why Back to Blue has published A global ocean free from the harmful impacts of pollution: Roadmap for action. Here to talk about the roadmap and why it matters is Jessica Brown, Back to Blue’s head of engagement. Follow the Back to Blue series for more podcast episodes, or...

"The core concept really is that everything that gets discharged to the sewer, ends up in the environment, in one way or another" (Andrew Crimston, Founder and CEO of Washbox Global) Chemical pollution in the ocean tends to be much less talked about than the highly visible plastics pollution, but is as equally, if not even more harmful. Back to Blue have published a comprehensive 100-page report on the state of marine chemical pollution in “The Invisible Wave”. This episode will give a...

Increasingly more financial players are interested in tapping into the potential of ESG and impact investments in Asia-Pacific. To address social and environmental challenges effectively, key stakeholders need to ensure that impact capital is deployed strategically, matching with the right opportunities. What are the opportunities investors can leverage to generate social and environmental value along with economic returns? What is the role of innovative models of business and financing in...

Australia’s screen industry has been on a trajectory of an investment boom and demand for skilled production workers. This podcast features three industry experts Ken Crouch (head of industry development at Screen Australia), Carly Heaton (head of scripted at Fremantle, Australia), and Ishmael Khan (director and writer) to explore the current state of Australia’s production growth, flow-on effects for the sector, the role of training and capacity-building programs to address critical skills...

On the global stage, India and China are becoming key players in terms of total number and valuation of startups, following the United States. Indonesia and Vietnam’s progress have been remarkable as well. Can Asia-Pacific create the next generation Silicon Valley and become a centre for entrepreneurship and innovation? In this episode, we talk about the startup ecosystem in Asia-Pacific. We also discuss how investors and founders can unlock entrepreneurship opportunities in the region.  Our...

At our inaugural Global Plastics Summit held on Oct 11-12th in Bangkok, Naka Kondo, the lead editor of Back to Blue Initiative spoke to Winnie Lau, project director, preventing ocean plastics at The Pew Charitable Trusts and Margaret Spring, chief conservation and science officer and Monterey Bay Aquarium. They discussed their impressions of the summit, and shared their recommendations and aspirations for the role of science and evidence in the treaty moving forward.  Follow the Back to Blue...

In the last six years, India’s business environment rankings rose 10 places among the 82 countries assessed by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU). Expanding investments will be crucial in maintaining the country’s favourable position for investors. To achieve this, India needs to keep improving regarding ease of doing business and governance transparency. Transforming the infrastructure to meet the needs of a growing economy is also key. In this episode, we discuss business and investment...

Back to Blue’s lead editor, Naka Kondo speaks to Ben Alva, the founder of Azul Bio, a startup developing microbiome-based treatments and probiotics from nature that give ocean life immunity to human impact, such as coral resilience. They are planning their first pilot in November. Follow the Back to Blue series for more podcast episodes, or visit backtoblueinitiative.com for more content. Back to Blue is an initiative of Economist Impact and The Nippon Foundation. Hosted on Acast. See...

On March 14th 2023 the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a proposal to establish legally enforceable levels for six types of ‘forever chemicals’ known as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). It is expected to prevent thousands of deaths and reduce tens of thousands of serious illnesses attributable to PFAS.   The rule would require public water systems to monitor PFAS levels, notify the public of these and reduce them if exceeding the proposed standards. Developed over...

Back to Blue's lead editor, Naka Kondo speaks to Anne Marieke Eveleens, co-founder and chief strategy officer of the Great Bubble Barrier, a Dutch social enterprise, about how air bubble technology can help clear plastics from our rivers. Follow the Back to Blue series for more podcast episodes, or visit backtoblueinitiative.com for more content. Back to Blue is an initiative of Economist Impact and The Nippon Foundation. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The era of AI has begun. Asia-Pacific’s spending on AI will reach around $50 billion in 2026. In the sixth episode of the series "Shelter from the storm: Investing in the era of uncertainty," sponsored by EquitiesFirst, we discuss the opportunities and risks around artificial intelligence investments in Asia-Pacific. Our guest speakers talk about the new business models emerging from the expanding industry applications of AI and how investors can leverage the associated investment...

Charles Darwin once dismissed the ocean as a ‘tedious waste, a desert of water.’ Some of his contemporaries disagreed. The brave Challenger expedition of the 1870s set out to discover what lurked beneath, traversing over 100,000 kilometres and discovered 4,772 specimens, from sea snails to snake eels, discovered the deepest trench on earth, and toppled false assumptions about the lack of life under the waves. Over a century later, the Census of Marine Life picked up the baton. An...

Against a backdrop of economic headwinds, peaking inflation and ongoing geopolitical tension, the world looks uncertain for business and particularly for procurement. Whilst the Economist Intelligence Unit is forecasting global inflation and supply chain disruptions to ease over the year, they also expect supply chain diversification to remain front of mind for business. These conditions create opportunities for procurement as a function to redefine, refine and progress. However, this may not...

The war in Ukraine is entering its second year, with no end in sight. In the fifth episode of the series "Shelter from the storm: Investing in the era of uncertainty," sponsored by EquitiesFirst, we look at the impact of a protracted war in Ukraine on the Asia-Pacific economies. Our guests discuss topics such as how vulnerable APAC economies are to price shocks in an increasingly multipolar world. We also talk about the financial risks of an escalation on the global equity and fixed income...

The World Ocean Summit is an annual global event run by The Economist Group, which brings together the wide ocean community, from business and finance to governments, national and international policy-makers, civil society and academia. This year, we celebrated the 10th anniversary of this event in Lisbon, Portugal. In this episode, Martin Koehring, head of the World Ocean Initiative at Economist Impact, shares his firsthand experience at the summit and his key takeaways, with Naka Kondo,...

The world will continue to drown in plastic waste unless a bold and comprehensive set of policy changes is applied – this is according to Peak plastics: bending the consumption curve – a new report by Back to Blue, an initiative of Economist Impact and the Nippon Foundation. We delve into how we can decisively tackle plastic waste that is polluting our ocean and land environments with guest, Winnie Lau, project director of the Preventing Ocean Plastics project at The Pew Charitable Trusts....

The UN’s Sustainable Development Goal 14, Target 14.3, calls for minimising and addressing the impacts of ocean acidification through co-operation at all levels. There is an urgent need for scientific communities to come together with the media, education systems, policymakers and civil society to help bring more attention to the issue and to come up with technological solutions and robust legislation. Listen to the panel discussion on ocean acidification by Steve Widdicombe, director of...

The late 2022 predictions of an impending global recession have not materialised, but the global economy is not out of the woods yet. In the fourth episode of the series "Shelter from the storm: Investing in the era of uncertainty," sponsored by EquitiesFirst, we look at the risk of persistent high inflation and global economic slowdown for Asia-Pacific economies. We also discuss how investors are adjusting their portfolios in response to the new reality of high interest rates.   Our guests...

Less than a month after COP27 took place in Egypt in November, Asian countries remain at a critical juncture in their climate journeys. Despite tabling some historic agreements this year, a lot is left to be negotiated in the coming year. In this episode, hosts Harsheen Sethi, Aayushi Idda Sharma, and Ankita from Policy & Insights at Economist Impact, reflect on the key themes and some missed opportunities of this year’s climate conference and take a closer look at major polluting...

In the third episode of the series "Shelter from the storm: Investing in the era of uncertainty," supported by EquitiesFirst, we look at climate change. What risk does the warming climate represent for the economies, industries and businesses in Asia Pacific? And what opportunities do risk mitigation and adaptation efforts create for investors?  Our guests are: Aurélia Britsch - Senior Director, Climate Risk and Sustainable Finance at Sustainable Fitch Michelle Loi - Vice President, Asia...

In the second part of this podcast on deep sea mining, released during the World Ocean Summit Asia-Pacific, we dive deeper into the pollution risks of deep sea mining with Craig Smith, deep sea ecologist and professor emeritus at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. How has deep sea mining emerged as a sector and where are things standing today with this industry? In part 1 of this 2-part episode, we discussed the environmental impact of deep sea mining on our oceans and marine life, and it...

At the COP27 summit, Emmanuel Macron became the first head of state to call for a ban on deep sea mining. In part 1 of this 2-part episode on deep sea mining, the Back to Blue team talks to Phil McCabe, an ocean campaigner, a member of the deep sea conservation coalition about the past, present and future of deep sea mining projects. What has been driving deep-sea mining as a trend? And what are the environmental risks to our ocean? Learn more about marine chemical pollution...