Output
Green Monday: October 2011
Resource Scarcity - do you need to change your business model?
Arrive: 5:45pm / Start 6:15pm / Networking: 8:15pm / Close: 9:30pm
3rd October 2011
Bank of America Merrill Lynch: King Edward Hall
2 King Edward Street
City of London
London
EC1A 1HQ
Event overview:
Resource Scarcity - do you need to change your business model?
A growing number of investors and economists are joining environmentalists in arguing that resource scarcity is going to disrupt the economic landscape. After over 100 years of declining commodity prices, oil prices started rising in the 1970’s and most commodities have been rising since 2002(1). Most attribute this to a combination of population growth, climate change and accelerated by a growing regulatory structure.
Recent Green Mondays have looked at the strategies of Nissan, GE and Siemens in the context of rising commodity and energy prices, but in October we will ask ourselves whether it amounts to what Jeremy Grantham describes as the “rarest of rare birds; a new paradigm” .
To guide us in the debate we have;
- Tim Lenton, Professor of Earth System Sciences at The University of Exeter, will look at our relationship with the environment from the perspective of Earth Systems Science, and how we are necessarily entering an era of recycling and efficiency over exploitation. The Malthusian perspective.
- Simon Ellis, Managing Director at Legal and General Investments, who will look at how this “global megatrend” is impacting the investment landscape. Specifically he will look at the impact for companies exposed to low carbon energy, resource efficiency or waste and water management.
- Andy Wales, Group Head of Sustainable Business at SAB Miller, will share SAB’s vision for the future in terms of resource prices, and what SAB Miller is doing to manage the impacts of rising resource prices on its margins.
- Brendan O'Neill, Editor of Spiked, will lock horns with Professor Lenton from a Cornucopian perspective. Brendan will argue that the Earth’s resources are infinite which coupled with man’s ingenuity means the demands of the growing world can easily be met.
(1) Jeremy Grantham April Newsletter Time to Wake Up: Days of Abundant Resources and Falling Prices Are Over Forever
Jim Woods on "Jeremy Grantham in 6 minutes"
Timothy Lenton, Professor of Earth System Science, University of Exeter
Brendan O'Neill, Editor, Spiked
Simon Ellis, Managing Director, Legal and General
Andy Wales Group Head of Sustainable Business, SAB Miller
Q & A Session Part 1
Q & A Session Part 2