Economics and Financial Markets

Sustainable, responsible, and impact (SRI) investing is on the rise. But with SRI investing called out as “marketing hype” by sceptics like Mr Tariq Fancy, the former chief investment officer for sustainable investing at BlackRock Inc, the importance of measuring and assessing environmental, social, and governance (ESG) impact on investment is more pertinent now than ever before. 

Investing in real estate has long been viewed as a safe bet, particularly in the growth regions of Asia. However, the disruptions caused by Covid-19 have seriously scuffed the property sector’s once-bulletproof sheen. The decline of brick-and-mortar retail space seems to have accelerated, as stores struggle to stay afloat during global lockdowns. Many offices remain under-utilised as work-from-home protocols persist. All over the world, uncertainty prevails over the prospects for commercial real estate.

With dine-in capacities slashed due to social distancing measures and national borders worldwide closed to control the spread of Covid-19, there is no doubt that the food & beverage and tourism sectors are two of the industries hardest hit by the pandemic.

The growth of the gig economy is one of the many changes that have arisen due to the pervasive reach of new technologies over the past decade. Jobs such as the Grab driver and Foodpanda delivery person arose due to the launch of new digital platforms.

  Ideas from a new book co-authored by Prof Arnoud De Meyer

At the inaugural SMU City Dialogues Series, nearly 60 key industry professionals from around the world shared ideas and debated strategies for battling climate change.

A recent symposium at SMU brought together key industry players and thought leaders to discuss the relationship between sustainability and economic growth. Three of these experts share their views with SMU Engage. The science has spoken. Climate change is a global emergency that is forcing us to rethink the way we spend Mother Nature’s precious resources as we try to forge a better way of life.

Subbarao Kambhampati goes in-depth into the concept of artificial intelligence, common misconceptions, and how we can use it to our advantage

From solving environmental woes to exposing corruption, the cryptography-linked technology can become a powerful catalyst for social change.