Blue & Green Daily: Thursday 7 August headlines

Blue & Green Daily finds and summarises the top sustainability stories around the web every morning. We start with our own picks from Blue & Green Tomorrow.

Financing the future of renewable energy

New SME lending rules to ‘open the flood gates’ for alternative finance

Non-executive directors can play a key role in sustainability

Marine pioneer Lewis Pugh to swim seven seas

Australian National University to take sustainable investment advice from CAER 

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7 August headlines

Bank of America set to settle mortgages case for $16bn-plus

Bank of America has reached an agreement in principle to pay more than $16bn in cash and consumer relief to US authorities to resolve allegations of misselling mortgage-backed securities, people familiar with the matter said. Financial Times.

Britain’s food self-sufficiency is in long-term decline, warn farmers

The National Farmers Union calculates that this Thursday would be the day that the year’s food supply would run out without imports. “An alarming notion,” says Meurig Raymond, president of the NFU. “But looking back seeing the downward slope in self-sufficiency says to me: this needs to change.” The Guardian.

Standard Chartered again in firing line of NY regulator

Standard Chartered Plc has warned it faces another fine from New York’s financial regulator for problems in its anti-money laundering controls, piling more pressure on the Asia-focused bank and its bosses. The London-based bank said on Wednesday problems in its surveillance system – part of its anti-money laundering systems and controls – were likely to result in a fine, remedial action and an extension of a two-year monitoring period. Reuters.

World will have 13 ‘super-aged’ nations by 2020

The world will have 13 “super-aged” societies by 2020, up from just three today, according to a report that warns of ageing populations becoming a drag on global economic growth. Moody’s, the rating agency, said the number of “super-aged” countries – where more than one in five of the population is 65 or older – would reach 13 in 2020 and 34 in 2030. Only Germany, Italy and Japan meet that definition today, it said. Financial Times. 

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Interesting picks

Strong economic case for fossil fuel divestment, says Al Gore – Financial Times.

Irish Sea mystery as fish stocks continue to decline – BBC.

The great diesel scandal: how cheap fuel is choking our cities – The Guardian.

Photo: Sanja gjenero via Freeimages

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