Use the Starbucks app and you may start getting offers for chai latte with soy milk or chocolate muffins, if those are your favourites. Watch Netflix for just a little while and you’ll get recommendations for new shows similar to what you watched in the past as well as shows in adjacent genres that you might enjoy. Consumer companies like these leaders use customer data, artificial intelligence (AI) and more to deliver real-time hyper-personalised recommendations for services you use and products you did not even realise you wanted.

A common lament is that going plant-based costs too much. However, it’s not true to say that your budget for groceries for a vegan lifestyle will go up even though some items such as Impossible burgers and Oatly ice cream cost more. In reality, you can save money by switching to a plant-based lifestyle, whether it’s just meatless Mondays or every day.

Much of the focus on mitigating climate change has been on solutions such as renewable energy, agtech innovation, electronic vehicles, and sustainable fashion. Perhaps surprisingly, initiatives to make payments more sustainable can reduce climate change too. Although many of these payment solutions are domestic, cross-border payments also play a role in sustainability.

While making climate-friendly meal choices at home has long been easier than when eating in restaurants, consumers and restaurants now both have innovative opportunities to make dining out far more climate friendly.

A fractured grid that was built for coal- and fuel-based energy generation does not meet the decentralized needs of a clean energy economy. Extreme weather conditions have caused the electrical grids to fail . Attacks on power substations showed just how vulnerable our electrical grid is. Improving the infrastructure and resolving risks is critical for the future of solar energy.

Revenge spending and holiday expenses are causing inflation to rise. It’s time to slow down the spending.

Singapore has done well in making multi-decade plans for where people will live. As more areas are cleared for urban development, a critical question is whether animals can have places to live and even survive

Recyclable non-plastic credit cards and benefits for consumers who go green get plenty of attention amidst the increasing focus on mitigating climate change. While initiatives behind the scenes in operations get less attention, financial institutions (FIs) have also taken almost equally big steps to mitigate climate change with their practices for payments in the back office. While paying with a card might seem to have little impact on the environment, everything from making cards and payment t

A 2016 report by the International Renewable Energy Agency(*) found that, given an average solar panel life span of 30 years, it is likely that millions of metric tons of solar panels will be decommissioned by the early to mid-2030s and may end up in landfill. That forecast and the pressure to use more responsibly-produced materials for solar panels should incentivize everyone from materials suppliers and manufacturers to installers and utilities to source panels responsibly and seek means to recycle or reuse them. Unfortunately, the tools are not easily available.

While it might seem like payments are just a small part of the many ways merchants can achieve their environmental goals, new models are emerging that make transactions more important. Merchants can leverage new solutions to help their customers and the community protect the planet while also growing their business faster.

The implosion of FTX and plummeting prices of cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin have been costly lessons for retail investors. What is the best way to protect investors from getting in over their heads? The full article was published in Today at https://www.channelnewsasia.com/commentary/ftx-crypto-retail-investors-mas-test-risk-assessment-educate-3122441

Consider making this holiday season far more meaningful by planning your shopping or parties better and, perhaps surprisingly, considering climate change. While it’s easy to get caught up in the whirlwind of buying Christmas gifts and planning parties, slowing down to reflect can make the season more meaningful and memorable, and also protect the planet.

Food production causes nearly a quarter of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, so being careful about what we eat can mitigate climate change. While making climate-friendly meal choices at home has long been easier than when eating in restaurants, consumers and restaurants now both have innovative opportunities to make dining out far more climate friendly.

This article appeared first in Today.

When considering solar power, most people think about solar panels on a roof. While those work well in most circumstances, there are other options.

This article appeared first in Today. https://www.channelnewsasia.com/commentary/car-ownership-coe-public-transport-mindsets-drivers-3027701

During a recent visit to a shop at the Singapore Design Centre, I picked up a print showing the icons of Singapore and planned to buy it as a souvenir for my children so they would remember where they grew up. As I looked closer, however, they wouldn’t even recognize more than half of the sites.

While music alone won’t mitigate climate change, it can play a surprisingly big part in getting people to act to save the planet. From songs that inspire action to fast-paced pieces that influence what you buy, music has unexpected impacts on how people behave.

•Large family-run businesses in Asia are focusing more on sustainability, doing good, creating impact and enabling the next generation. •BFI supports family businesses with education and engagement. •BFI uses a 4G framework for that support: multi-generation success, business growth, a giving mindset, and global connectivity. Founding academic director of Business Families Institute, Annie Koh, and its current academic director, Kenneth Goh, discussed the trends shaping Asia’s leading business families. First published by The Asian Banker at https://www.theasianbanker.com/updates-and-articles/empowering-next-generation-family-leaders

With more consumers showing far greater concern about climate change, it’s not surprising that payment companies have started to offer more eco-friendly cards. While some programmes seem formulaic, a few early movers have created innovative cards that really can reduce climate change. Card issuers that develop meaningful products can gain a competitive advantage. (First published by Payments Consulting Network at https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:6963288001732886528/)