Author: Stuart Mitchell

Winners announced for the 2025 Nature Awards for Inspiring Women in Science

Stuart Mitchell

The Nature Awards and The Estée Lauder Companies are excited to present Sue Han Lee, a Senior Lecturer at Swinburne University of Technology, Malaysia, and WinSci Pakistan, with this year’s Scientific Achievement and Science Outreach Awards, respectively. Sue Han Lee is this year’s recipient of the Scientific Achievement Award, which recognises an early-career researcher who has made a demonstrable contribution to scientific discovery. Sue Han Lee has been recognised for her AI-driven research in plant diversity and sustainable agriculture, which has supported scalable digital solutions that strengthen conservation strategies, biodiversity…

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Bellwether Report reveals back-to-back upward revisions to marketing budgets

Stuart Mitchell

UK companies revised their budgets up for a second consecutive quarter in Q3 2025, according to the latest IPA Bellwether Report. A healthy 22.3% of panellists reported an increase in their marketing expenditure in the third quarter of the year, while those indicating a reduction was lower at 18.7%. This resulted in a net balance of +3.6%, a slight decline from +5.5% recorded in the previous quarter, and well below the +18.4% net balance of companies that anticipated growth for the 2025/26 financial year, Nevertheless, this positive figure marked back-to-back…

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CAP and BCAP update guidance on protecting under-18s in gambling and lotteries advertising

Stuart Mitchell

The Committee of Advertising Practice (CAP) and the Broadcast Committee of Advertising Practice (BCAP) have updated their guidance on protecting under-18s in gambling and lotteries advertising.   In 2022, following public consultation, CAP and BCAP introduced a stricter standard, replacing the previous test of “particular” appeal (content likely to appeal more to under-18s than adults) with a stricter test of “strong” appeal, where there is a reasonable case that creative content might unduly attract the attention of under-18s.  The change brought more content within the scope of the Codes’ restrictions, particularly…

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Companies mismanaging plastic waste face acute financial and reputational risks

Stuart Mitchell

A new study from Planet Tracker and the MSCI Institute finds that companies with weak plastic-related governance – such as poor or absent packaging-related targets and lack of comprehensive strategies to address waste – face heightened financial risks, from lawsuits and compliance costs to reputational damage and potential share price declines. The report, Microplastics – Macro Risks & the Financial Cost of Inaction, analyses over 450 global companies and shows that those with the weakest packaging risk management were significantly more likely to suffer large share price drawdowns over the…

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UK’s iconic landmarks at risk from climate change by 2050, according to new report

Stuart Mitchell

Some of the UK’s most well-known landmarks could be at risk from the impacts of extreme weather in future unless action is taken, according to a new report by leading insurer, Aviva. Aviva’s third Building Future Communities report brings together the latest data to outline the risks that homes could face from multiple climate threats by 2050 and beyond, including flooding, subsidence and extreme heat. The report also highlights the importance of preventative measures to help protect homes, businesses and communities across the UK. According to the report, some of…

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