Redacción de The Smart City Journal, Author at thesmartcityjournal.com

US Banking Sector Headwinds Shift Energy Transition Investment

Sustained tightening of lending has shifted the balance towards types of projects that rely on equity-intensive financial structures rather than debt Ongoing banking sector volatility and renewed attention from regulators in the wake of the Silicon Valley Bank and First Republic Bank failures have diminished already scant risk appetite, the analysis says. As a result,…

Zero-energy buildings beat fossil gas in a new study of seven Central and Eastern European countries’ energy plans

Governments in the region, which currently plan to invest a combined €21 billion in fossil gas infrastructure, could instead use that money to create 730,000 zero-energy homes A new report commissioned by Greenpeace’s Central and Eastern Europe office shows that fossil gas is the worst-performing option when it comes to home renovations in seven Central and Eastern…

New Employment Models Shaping the Workforce

The flexibility and opportunities they offer have the potential to revolutionize traditional employment structures and open doors for a diverse range of workers The world of work is undergoing a significant transformation with the rise of new employment models. Non-standard forms of employment, fueled by digitalization, are becoming increasingly prevalent, offering flexibility and new opportunities…

Accelerate tourism innovation and entrepreneurship

UNWTO has partnered with Les Roches Global Hospitality Management School to support tourism startups Throughout May, the 15 winners of the UNWTO Awake Tourism Challenge were given the opportunity to take part in the Acceleration program offered by Spark, Les Roches Hospitality School, at Crans-Montana, the Swiss Campus of the school. The acceleration program focuses…

Curitiba: From landfill to solar revolution

Curitiba officially launched its Solar Pyramid, a landmark project representing the first solar plant to be built on a former landfill in Latin America The project was supported by the C40 Cities Finance Facility (CFF), which recognizes that one of the biggest barriers cities face when developing climate mitigation and resilience projects is access to finance. Through…

Capital Markets Union: Commission proposes new rules to protect and empower retail investors in the EU

Is also an essential means to channel private funding into our economy and to fund the green and digital transitions The Commission has adopted a Retail Investment Package that places the consumers' interests at the centre of retail investing. The aim is to empower retail investors (i.e. “consumer” investors) to make investment decisions that are…

Should AI training be put on pause? Why or why not?

When the first Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools began to gain popularity, the world was more than impressed by their abilities. However, the most recent advancements in AI-based technology seem to be stretching the limits of what we previously believed AI could do. With this in mind, it comes as no surprise that ChatGPT, Bing Chat,…

Central cities are ripe for reinvention in the aftermath of the pandemic

Despite short-term challenges, central business districts are well-positioned to capitalize on their strengths to become resilient, multi-purpose destinations and attract investment Cities globally are at an inflection point, navigating structural changes to how people live and work due to the pandemic. JLL’s (NYSE: JLL) new The Future of the Central Business District report explores how cities are…

Scientists discover microbes that can eat plastic in the cold

Swiss researchers identify new group of plastic-eating microbes in colder environments which could revolutionize plastic recycling In a significant scientific discovery, a team of researchers from the Swiss Federal Institute WSL has unearthed a group of microbes capable of breaking down plastic at lower temperatures. Previous findings had only identified such microbes functioning at higher…

Experts agree on new guidelines to promote decent work in the agri-food sector

The agreement will support efforts to improve the lives and livelihoods of more than 1.3 billion workers and support sustainable enterprise development in the sector The promotion of decent work in the sector will also help address major global challenges such as rising food insecurity, affecting hundreds of millions of people globally; increasing levels of…