The Triple Bottom - 🌱 The Sushi Laboratory

Singapore plans a five-fold increase in carbon tax in 2014 
A carbon tax is a means of assigning costs to companies' emissions. Singapore just announced they will increase taxes from the current $5 per tonne of emissions to $80 by 2030 (one of the largest government-mandated carbon taxes).
The price: The hitherto 5 SGD/t represented less than 1% of household electricity prices. An 80 SGD/t carbon tax makes a difference – potentially a 40% increase in gas-plant wholesale electricity prices. 
Importance: Singapore ranks poorly in carbon emissions per capita. The increase will make consumers and businesses more energy-conscious and will help price carbon-intensive products out of the market.

ESG activists score early wins in proxy season
Activist ESG shareholders have already scored some early wins in 2022 with successful shareholder proposals pressuring…

• JPMorgan to publish new information about its lobbying memberships and how these organisations engage on climate change. 

• Moderna to publish details about its government funding and vaccine pricing strategy (to understand if it was ethical).

• McDonald’s to consider the welfare of the pigs sourced for its pork supply. (launched by Billionaire activist investor, Carl Icahn)

Why it matters: Shareholder proposals — once shrugged off in the boardroom — are becoming a greater tool for influencing change in the absence of government action.

Asda fighting food waste is Apeel'ing
Asda is launching an innovative new material coating for produce in 150 of its stores, as part of its efforts to reduce plastic packaging and food waste. The supermarket is set to stock citrus fruits and avocados coated in an innovative material, produced by Apeel Sciences. The material is made using the proteins and cellulose found in fruit and vegetable seeds and acts as a barrier, keeping moisture in and oxygen out. This extends the shelf life of the product to reduce spoilage.

Growing 'sushi-grade' salmon
Global salmon farming is wreaking havoc on marine ecosystems through pollution, parasite infestation and high fish mortality rates. It’s been estimated this damage cost ecosystems $50bn between 2013-2019. Wildtype, a company developing cultured salmon just raised $100m for developing high-quality, “sushi-grade” salmon in the lab from the cells of a specific breed of pacific salmon. We spoke about cultivated meat in our AgriTech Playbook as one of the largest growing sectors of AgriTech. Wildtype’s also overcoming a key challeng facing the growth of cultivated meat through its high-quality Salmon - fulfilling high consumer expectations for traditional meat alternatives.

• Elon Musk provides internet to Ukrainians using Starlink satellites as Internet connectivity has been affected by the Russian invasion.

• The UK’s biggest bicycle manufacturer has commissioned construction of a new factory in a wetland built on stilts, with no new car park and instead relies on pedestrian and cycle paths from the train station.

• Kellogg will help farmers reduce their methane emissions by paying producers $20 per tonne of greenhouse gas they reduce after introducing environmentally-friendly farming practices. 

• Indigenous American tribe is helping to bring back buffalo to South Dakota, with aims to build the largest Indigenous-owned herd to boost food security and restore the land.

• Blockchain Is Helping China's Automakers Boost Green Credentials