Day: 3 September 2025

World Bank Group joins African Development Bank Group and Mastercard as Co-Chair of Mobilizing Access to the Digital Economy (MADE) Alliance: Africa

Stuart Mitchell

The World Bank Group has signed on as co-chair of the Mobilizing Access to the Digital Economy (MADE) Alliance: Africa, an initiative aiming to provide digital access to critical services for 100 million individuals and businesses across Africa by 2034. The World Bank Group joins current co-chairs and founding members, the African Development Bank Group and Mastercard, aligning collective efforts to deliver critical digital services across the African continent. The MADE Alliance aligns with the World Bank Group’s efforts to accelerate digitalization by expanding access to secure, affordable, high-quality broadband…

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U.S. Bank Announces Resource Hub to Assist Small Business Owners

Stuart Mitchell

U.S. Bank has launched a new online education platform called U.S. Bank Business Resources Central that provides educational courses and other tools to help small business owners run and grow their businesses. The platform, which is free, is designed to help U.S. Bank clients and non-clients, as well as small businesses that are suppliers to the bank. The new resource hub aligns with a commitment at U.S. Bank to support small businesses, which are a driving force in the economy and a vital source of employment. As part of this…

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Environmental studies urgently required before Ocean Carbon Capture can go large-scale, scientists warn

Stuart Mitchell

New paper highlights critical knowledge gaps into the impacts of direct ocean carbon capture and storage (DOCCS) technology. Scientists from Plymouth Marine Laboratory (PML) and the University of Exeter are urging caution in the upscaling of ocean carbon removal technologies until more detailed research can be carried out into the environmental impacts. It follows a review of current research in addition to initial assessments made as part of the team’s SeaCURE project. Published in Frontiers in Climate, the study, “Removal of dissolved inorganic carbon from seawater for climate mitigation: potential…

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Data from Eight Countries Offers First Real-World Assessment of Plastic Pollution in Rivers Worldwide — Finds Two-Thirds of River Trash is Plastic

Stuart Mitchell

A sweeping new study in the Journal of Environmental Management has amassed the largest-ever continuous dataset on plastic pollution in rivers globally, classifying 66% of the debris analyzed as macroplastic — or large, visible pieces of plastic like bottles, bags, straws and cutlery. Whereas much plastic pollution research relies on models and estimates to make their conclusions, this dataset draws on an unparalleled, locally-led global effort to count trash found in rivers. “We know that rivers worldwide are clogged with plastic — and that this plastic often ends up in…

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New British Gas Energy Trust report calls for unified action to end fuel poverty, bringing frontline voices to policymakers

Stuart Mitchell

The British Gas Energy Trust (the Trust) recently published its report, Towards a fairer future: A unified approach to ending fuel poverty in Britain. A follow on from its 2024 landmark piece, Towards an end to fuel poverty in Britain, the report amplifies the experiences and recommendations of charities, community organisations, and industry representatives working directly with those most affected by fuel poverty. With the number of fuel-poor households in England more than doubling from 4.3 million to 8.9 million between 2020 and 2024, this report captures critical insights from…

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