Market Watch

In 2022, BBVA channeled €50 billion into sustainable business, up 41% from the €35.4 billion mobilized in 2021. The bank has now channeled a total of €135.9 billion since 2018, when it announced its sustainable business mobilization target through 2025. That target, set initially at €100 billion, was trebled in October 2022 to €300 billion , thanks to the reinforcement of the product offering in the wholesale and retail segments. "Investments in sustainability are highly attractive economically for both companies and individuals. This enables us at BBVA to undertake this effort, which is critical for society and the planet, as a business opportunity, with strong growth and high returns," said Javier Rodríguez Soler, BBVA’s Global Head of Sustainability. The €135.9 billion in sustainable finance between 2018 and 2022 has been allocated to the two vectors that guide BBVA’s purpose in the field of sustainability: climate action and inclusive growth . This amount includes project and corporate finance, transactional banking, bond distributed and investment products managed or marketed by BBVA. BBVA’s sustainable business in 2022 Of the €50 billion that BBVA channeled into sustainable business in 2022, 81% was allocated to climate change and 19% to inclusive growth. The breakdown […]

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After a decade of research and development, PXG is moving into the direct-to-consumer golf ball … [+] PXG In a relatively short time, PXG has become the most successful and well-known direct-to-consumer club manufacturer in the golf business. The approach — bypassing the retail store middlemen to engage directly with golfers, through specialized, appointment fittings or in their own branded stores – has helped PXG build a very loyal following and earn recognition as one of the Top 100 golf businesses in the U.S. Now, PXG is venturing into the crowded direct-to-consumer golf ball market. For PXG founder and billionaire Bob Parsons, everything the company does starts with the question of whether they can create a better product. “For a long time, despite our best efforts, we weren’t sure if we could make a better golf ball. But we didn’t stop trying,” Parsons said. The PXG Xtreme golf balls, officially released today, are the culmination of almost a decade of research and development. Early patents floated around years ago, but PXG’s R&D team didn’t have a product they were willing to bring to market until they were able to add a new partner to expand engineering capabilities and leverage […]

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Vapor rises from cooling towers at night from the Jaenschwalde lignite fired power plant, in Peitz, Germany, on Monday, Sept. 16, 2019 The European Commission has taken a landmark step in climate policy that will enter into force in October. Richard J. Albert and Alwyn Hopkins of EY outline the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism measures and the key areas of potential impact for businesses importing into the EU or engaging in international trade with EU businesses. In July 2021, the European Commission introduced its climate package of 13 interconnected legislative proposals and revisions—commonly referred to as “ Fit for 55 ”—as part of the European Green Deal. The package is a key enabler for a climate-neutral Europe by 2050 and for reducing emissions from 1990 levels by 55% by 2030. A critical element is the new EU Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism, CBAM, which will result in a carbon price—similar to a levy on carbon emissions—on certain goods imported into the EU. On Dec. 13 and Dec. 18, 2022 , final trilogue discussions between the European Council, European Parliament, and European Commission concluded, and they reached a provisional agreement. While the agreement may undergo minor amendments before it is finalized, […]

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CNN — Google on Monday unveiled a new chatbot tool dubbed “Bard” in an apparent bid to compete with the viral success of ChatGPT. Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google and parent company Alphabet, said in a blog post that Bard will be opened up to “trusted testers” starting Monday, with plans to make it available to the public “in the coming weeks.” Like ChatGPT, which was released publicly in late November by AI research company OpenAI, Bard is built on a large language model. These models are trained on vast troves of data online in order to generate compelling responses to user prompts. ChatGPT creator launches subscription service for viral AI chatbot “Bard seeks to combine the breadth of the world’s knowledge with the power, intelligence and creativity of our large language models,” Pichai wrote. “It draws on information from the web to provide fresh, high-quality responses.” The announcement comes as Google’s core product – online search – is widely thought to be facing its most significant risk in years. In the two months since it launched to the public, ChatGPT has been used to generate essays, stories and song lyrics, and to answer some questions one might previously […]

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Twice a week, Kuilima Farm workers are in the fields by about 5 a.m. They huddle over rows of crops, the picking lit only by the headlights of an ATV and a small floodlight. The team then takes its harvest to its new washing and packing facility. Leaves are dumped into water-filled tubs before drying in a modified washing machine; root vegetables are cleaned in a refashioned concrete mixer. Not long after sunrise the orders are ready to be dispatched. Most of Kuilima’s weekly 1,000-pound harvest will go to Turtle Bay Resort, though demand for the farm’s produce is increasing because it processes its crops in accordance with federal food safety standards. Kuilima is one of only 100 of the state’s 7,300 farms certified under U.S. Department of Agriculture food safety guidelines. But food safety proponents say certification by the U.S. Department of Agriculture or state equivalents, not only assures customers that farms meet food standards, but they are also key to opening up new markets. “The ones that are certified right now, they’re inundated with orders,” Hawaii Agricultural Foundation Dean Okimoto said. “It really is a marketing tool for farmers,” he said. At Kuilima Farm on the North […]

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Camp V owner Natalie Binder looks over renovations to cabins on Camp V west of Naturita, Sept. 6, 2020. (William Woody, Special to The Colorado Sun) This story first appeared in The Outsider , the premium outdoor newsletter by Jason Blevins. In it, he covers the industry from the inside out, plus the fun side of being outdoors in our beautiful state. Nine Colorado outdoor recreation businesses and nonprofits are turning to outdoor industry students at Colorado Mesa University, Colorado Mountain College and Western Colorado University for help in solving their unique challenges. The Wright Collegiate Challenge is a 12-week program that pairs students with businesses and nonprofits to develop strategies for navigating Colorado’s growing outdoor recreation industry. The 5-year-old challenge is cheered by business owners who get fresh eyes on their issues while outdoor students gain real-life perspective on the industry. “I think Colorado does the best job of just about any state in producing workforce for the outdoor recreation industry and this is one of the best programs to inspire that in the state,” said Conor Hall, the boss at the state’s outdoor recreation office. This year’s nine businesses and nonprofits last week pitched their problems to […]

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A study in the National Library of Medicine in 2021 found that transformational entrepreneurship has an incredible effect on a leader’s personal readiness for change, psychological resilience, and employee performance. Meanwhile, another case study from the International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behavior & Research gives valuable insights into how entrepreneurial firms are creating and seizing opportunities using innovative practices, digital technologies, and key organizational values. Discover the newest best reads for discovering your brand authenticity, influencing consumer … [+] getty While it is impossible for every business endeavor to be successful, the key to transforming your entrepreneurship goals into effective plans of action is to discover your genuine brand authenticity, recognize the best ways to connect with your customers, and have a strong supporting team to help you along the way. The following books on this list will help any business leader and entrepreneur that is looking to elevate their business ideas and build a highly successful business. 1. Jeremy Delk – Without a Plan Jeremy Delk’s Without a Plan: A Memoir of Unbound Action and Failing My Way to Success is for the entrepreneur that is looking to find personal and professional career growth by following a forward-moving approach […]

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getty In our real-time age, streaming has been wildly successful at transforming how data moves around the enterprise. But moving data—even at scale—is only one piece of the puzzle. Businesses now demand more value from their data, and they expect to unlock that value in less time. When organizations are able to rapidly analyze data and act on it, they can increase revenue, prevent revenue leakage and otherwise control operational expenditures. Move over, big data: Streaming intelligence is the next business frontier for data, and 2023 is shaping up to be the year companies finally figure out how to monetize their streaming data. First off, let’s define our terms. What Is Streaming Data? Streaming data is data that is continuously generated and immediately moved from the originating data source to another location (e.g., an application). Examples of streaming data include real-time stock quotes, multiplayer game interactions, log files generated by user behavior, data generated by IoT devices and customer transaction data. Just like water flows, data streams are constantly moving. Once data is generated from the source, it instantly moves to a data platform where, with the right tools and technology in place, it can be acted on in […]

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The Cope Center in Springfield is having a big two-day sale on Feb. 11 and Feb. 14. SUBMITTED The COPE Center in Springfield has lots of selections of clothes for men, women and children. Springfield’s COPE Center thrift store has been raising money to help the needy in Robertson County for 40 years. And to celebrate, the volunteers are holding a big two-day sale – Feb. 11 and Feb. 14 – when everything in the store will be 40 percent off. “It is a customer appreciation sale,” said Joyce Munda, a board member who has volunteered in the store for more than 20 years. “We love our patrons.” She said that a lot of the customers are “regulars” who come in weekly or more often to see what is new. The shop’s inventory is everything from clothing for men, women and children (lots of infant wear) linens, lamps, toys, games, books, china, albums, 45s, and more – all priced to sell. (most everything is priced under $20). Munda also noted that the store is staffed totally by volunteers. “Nobody gets paid,” she said of the 20 or more volunteers who stock, clerk and do whatever is needed in the […]

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Adani Group’s Mundra Port in India. Shares in Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone are about 27% lower than before last month’s report by US short seller Hindenburg Research © Amit Dave/Reuters Gautam Adani’s ports and logistics company has announced plans to pay off some $605mn of borrowing and cut spending, as the under-fire billionaire rushes to shore up investor confidence. The company, the most widely traded in Adani’s business empire, has been hit by a brutal sell-off triggered by a short-seller report that highlighted Adani Group’s growing debt pile while alleging “brazen” accounting fraud and stock manipulation at the conglomerate, which ranges from logistics to airports and electricity. Adani Group has strenuously denied the allegations, but the ensuing stock market rout knocked more than $110bn off the conglomerate’s market value. Shares in Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone (Apsez) are about 27 per cent lower than before US short seller Hindenburg Research published its report last month. Apsez’s announcement comes a day after the Adani family said it had paid off a $1.1bn loan pledged against company shares about 20 months in advance. “When your shares have fallen 70 per cent that obviously creates pressure,” said Anish Teli, […]

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