Let hydrogen fuel our vehicles to a greener future June 4, 2020 Almost exactly a year ago, the UK became the first major economy to sign into law an ambition to become carbon neutral by 2050. Getting to “net zero” will be a monumental feat, and will require both behavioural changes and new technological solutions coming to market. Such efforts are essential to protect against the worst [...]
DEBATE: Should the government rethink its quarantine rules? June 4, 2020 Should the government rethink its 14-day quarantine rules for new UK arrivals? Kate Nicholls, chief executive at UKHospitality, says YES. International tourism is a significant driver of our economy and is going to be key to recovering from the Covid-19 crisis. The proposed 14-day quarantine will inevitably damage international visitor travel and could hurt consumer [...]
Survive and thrive: KERB hopes to bring some flavour to the streets June 4, 2020 London’s businesses have been forced to weather a storm they never saw coming, but many have pivoted to new ways of doing business. Today, Simon Mitchell – CEO of street food pioneers KERB – writes for City A.M. on his hopes for the future, inside and outside their new Covent Garden flagship Rewind 11 weeks ago to [...]
The global mobility bounceback is closer than you think June 4, 2020 Premature though it may seem, there are reasons to be optimistic about the return of global mobility as the threat of Covid-19 recedes. As countries begin to reopen their borders, new findings from the Passport Index reveal figures that show global mobility returning to a historic upward trend. The World Openness Score, the Passport Index’s [...]
The key to fixing the housing and social care sectors — with one policy June 3, 2020 Few would deny we have a housing crisis in this country — and even fewer that the social care system, which has suffered so much in recent weeks, needs urgent reform. These two facts may seem to have little correlation, but a report out today from Cass Business School and ARCO — entitled Too Little, [...]
Twitter’s feud with Trump could be a savvy business move June 3, 2020 The social media founders promised utopias, where speech would be democratised and each of us would be given our voice in the public square. Utopias, however, have always been tricky. The term was coined by Thomas More in his 1516 work of the same name, and it was a pun that More’s learned readers would [...]
DEBATE: Do we need more regulation and a ‘post-pandemic settlement’ to protect low-paid workers? June 3, 2020 Do we need more regulation and a ‘post-pandemic settlement’ to protect low-paid workers? Hannah Slaughter, economist at the Resolution Foundation, says YES. Low-paid workers have been at the heart of the crisis. They are three times more likely to have stopped working as high earners, and are twice as likely to have put their health [...]
What can we learn from the Black Death? Be prepared, trust entrepreneurs, and have faith June 3, 2020 Can we learn from history? An excellent book by Ben Gummer on the Black Death in fourteenth century Britain, The Scourging Angel, shows that we can. Published 10 years ago, the book offers many intriguing parallels with the Covid-19 crisis. Of course, the Black Death was almost incomprehensibly more lethal. Around 50 per cent of [...]
Survive and thrive: Gastropub goes takeout as punters enjoy the bar from afar June 3, 2020 London’s businesses have been forced to weather a storm they never saw coming, but many have pivoted to new ways of doing business. Today, Heath Ball – owner and landlord at Highgate gastropub The Red Lion & Sun – tells us about his new delivery service, dropping off wine to the park, and the future [...]
Office politics: Pandemic sees onshoring trend ramp up June 2, 2020 The Covid-19 pandemic has been devastating for communities, businesses and economies globally. Over the past 16 weeks, as lockdowns were enforced around the world, consumers retreated to their homes and offices and services closed their doors. The lockdown has presented unique challenges to the customer service industry, much of which has been outsourced overseas over [...]