Banking is notoriously known as one of the most bureaucratic, complicatedly organized and retrograde financial spheres. The first banks appeared in Italy in the late middle ages, and believe it or not, quite a few ground rules of how they function haven’t changed since back then. However, the onslaught of the new technologies is inevitable and even such change-resistant spheres as banking eventually bend under its pressure. With the emergence of blockchain, with businesses going vastly online during Covid-19 times, and with general tendency towards flexible scaling and decentralization, banks have a lot to adjust to in order to keep up with customer demands.
Let’s take a look at what challenges the banking sphere is facing today and how new tech can make things easier for banks and their customers.
Has traditional banking become redundant?
Did you know that the average bank transfer across seas takes up to 3 days to verify and settle? For a fast-paced population, traditional forms of banking are quickly becoming redundant, especially across borders.
Not only does this inconvenience the consumer, but making money move can be a logistical nightmare for banking institutions themselves. One account-to-account transfer must bypass a system of intermediaries, verification processes and cost heavy processing before settling.
Implementing tech like blockchain could become a solution for this problem, with its instantaneous transactions and the lack of necessity for multiple verifications and heavy-handed processing. However, blockchain has yet a long way to go before becoming universally accepted.
Is adopting microservices a solution for banks?
Microservice architecture has been conquering multiple industries and spheres. It is modular, it is simple to handle, it is flexible as a Lego, where you can build a custom solution from small nuclear blocks that can work perfectly together and yet are independent from each other. The same module-based system makes microservice architecture very solid and stable-working. Many companies and payment providers, like the UK-based Connectum Limited, offer complete solutions, where you can hand-pick the services you want to work with and use only them.
The assortment of microservices within a single ecosystem is usually pretty wide, from simple payment gateways to extensive analytic services. Microservices are often available through easy-to-implement APIs, providing for a smooth on-site deployment and further easy maintenance. They communicate between themselves using light-weight, understandable and wide-spread mechanisms, and apply a bare minimum of centralized management. This makes the transition from traditional ways of handling bank operations much easier and would allow banks to drop bulky, expensive, heavily customized and thus complicated to handle solutions.
aaS solutions and how they change the way services get delivered
aaS is a new way products and boxed solutions get delivered to customers. It can be Software-as-a-Service, Platform-as-a-Service, Infrastructure or even Ecosystem as a service. Instead of a product, which may need maintenance, customization, management, specifically trained people, enterprises and corporate customers can now get a whole, fine-tuned system not as a product, but as a service, delivered to them. This allows them to significantly reduce effort spent on maintaining infrastructure and instead focus on what they do best – deliver services to their own customers. To say nothing of the fact that such solutions usually employ all the latest innovations, making them much faster, stabler and generally more efficient.
Although the banking sphere is slow to address changes, we still see how little by little, changes do infiltrate it, making banking services more accessible and affordable worldwide.
Amidst growing awareness about the impact of humans on this planet, sustainability is becoming an integral part of how companies operate — and the beauty industry is no different. Paris-based perfume house The Harmonist proves that sustainability doesn’t always come at the price of profit as it more than tripled its revenues in 2021, reporting a 240% growth in revenues from the previous year.
Founded in 2016 by Lola Tillyaeva (Till), The Harmonist is on its way to becoming a leading player in the fragrance industry. In 2021 alone, the perfume house expanded its distribution from five to ten markets, bringing its luxury scents and products to new customers in Ukraine, Germany, Austria, Mexico, and Hungary.
Under Lola’s direction, The Harmonist business model is built on sustainability principles. Recyclable materials are used at every possible touchpoint, and re-fills are available for best-sellers. Ingredients used across The Harmonist’s collections and fragrances are primarily sourced sustainably. In 2021, The Harmonist launched recyclable packaging, redesigned to eliminate all internal plastic.
The Harmonist’s philosophy
Lola Till’s inspiration for The Harmonist stems from her quest for self-knowledge and her search for answers to fundamental questions about human nature. Lola encountered the Feng Shui philosophy on this search, and she became fascinated by its comprehensive explanation of cosmology (macrocosm) and human beings (microcosm).
Each scent is carefully crafted to help the wearer find balance, harmony, and wellbeing and is inspired by the ancient philosophy of Feng Shui, which teaches that every individual possesses five vital elements: wood, fire, earth, water and metal.
Passionate about fragrances, Lola thought to herself, “why not translate the language of Feng Shui into the language of scents?” In creating these fragrances, Lola’s wish to generate inner harmony for people by balancing the natural elements of the universe makes The Harmonist one of a kind.
When questioned about the brand’s future, The Harmonist’s Founder and Owner, Lola Tillyaeva (Till), said: “Our bespoke approach to fragrance design has elevated us to the forefront of luxury perfume brands in 2021. Looking back at an enriching year, we are grateful to be doing what we love, that is, to create unique scents designed to reflect the wearer’s unique spirit. Our passion and dedication have brought us to where we stand today, and we are looking forward to continuing to innovate in the perfume industry.”
While still a newcomer on the scene, The Harmonist has grown rapidly. Its bespoke approach to fragrance design also earned it two nominations at the prestigious 2021 Fragrance Foundation Awards: Moon Glory was nominated for Fragrance of the Year, Women’s Luxury, while Sun Force was nominated for Fragrance of the Year, Men’s Luxury. The brand became the first to be shortlisted for two luxury categories in the same year, competing with leading global brands such as Gucci, Channel, and Tom Ford.
In October 2021, The Harmonist re-launched its much-anticipated Yang Collection encompassing five new radiant fragrances in which a new perfume concentration allows ingredients to reveal their depth and character better. Designed by Lola in collaboration with master-perfumer Guillaume Flavigny, the new collection channels the core elements of Feng Shui into five vibrant scents that express Yang energy. In Feng Shui, Yang is dynamic, forceful energy, as represented by the sun and light.
Poised for continued success, the newcomer perfume house has many exciting plans for 2022. These include new product launches and a re-brand across its range of candles, travel sets, and selected scents.
But Lola’s commitment to the environment does not stop at The Harmonist. In addition to designing new scents, Lola dedicates her time advocating greater wellbeing and sustainable living within our environment.
For example, she also spearheaded the Harmonist’s charitable initiative “The Droplet” – an interactive art installation designed to raise awareness of water scarcity. It was created in 2017 in collaboration with British interdisciplinary artist Marcos Lutyens.
Beyond The Harmonist, Till is an entrepreneur and author who in 2020 published the much-appraised self-care guide “Be Your Own Harmonist: Awakening Your Inner Wisdom for Physical, Mental and Emotional Wellbeing.” Described as an “in-depth guide to building a more balanced life”, the publication provides practical advice based on a combination of scientific research and personal experience.
Follow @theharmonist on Instagram or visit their website www.theharmonist.com for the latest updates.
Everybody dreams of having a home they can call their own. To help fulfill the dreams of millions who are facing the challenge of getting on to the property ladder, the UK Government are offering more beneficial and generous help to buy schemes than we have ever seen before.
The Government has offered help to buy schemes for first time buyers for over a decade, but these have often been packaged in inconvenient ways. It’s more been an arrangement with the developers for example Barratt homes, rather than arrangements with mortgage lenders which seems to be the new approach in 2022. Nowadays, the Government are offering lenders insurance against any defaults and directly offering Interest free loans to house buyers with the Help to Buy Equity Loan scheme which was announced in April 2021 and will run until March 2023.
How will the Equity Scheme Help House Buyers
Since the Equity Loan was released in April 2021 it has already been used by nearly 300,000 people. When buying a house the home must be in England, a new build and not exceed the value of the price cap set for different regions, for example in London you can buy a house worth up to £600,000 but in other regions such as the North East the house value price cap is as low as £186,100, reflecting the lower value of homes in that region. All the price caps for different regions can be seen in this advice for house buyers.
Other Features of the Scheme:
The buyer pays a 5% deposit and the Government will provide a loan for the remaining 20% of the property value, meaning that the new homeowner can also benefit from a 75% LTV mortgage with a great interest rate.
The Loan is interest free for five years, after that it is 1.75% a year.
If you are buying a house in London then the loan can be up to 40%.
The amount you owe increases if the house value goes up, so you will owe the government 20% of the sale price not the value when you bought the home.
A Property Investment for The Government and the Homeowner
It would be best to sell your house before the Interest free period ends at five years. If the property value increases the homeowner needs to appreciate that they will only get to keep 80% of that value increase. However that’s 80% of a bigger house than they could have afforded without the scheme, so the homeowner shouldn’t be too bothered about the government’s own property investment interest.
Government Assisted Mortgage Lending
In March 2021 the government introduced the Mortgage Guarantee Scheme as a way to assist home buyers to buy a house with a 5% deposit. Under this scheme, the UK Government stands as guarantor to the lenders for a mortgaged property in case the buyer defaults. This has resulted in lenders offering more 95% LTV mortgages. Buyers need to bare in mind that the high loan to value will lower the amount they are able to borrow.
Save for your Deposit in a LISA
Additionally, the LISA (Lifetime ISA Account) also provides a major benefit to home buyers. A tax free system to save £4000 per year, when saving into a LISA the government gives you an additional 25% on your savings at the time when you want to withdraw.
There are two methods under a LISA that a home buyer can withdraw without paying any penalty. They are: buying a home for the first time or on reaching 60 years as a pensioner.
There is a early withdrawal clause that must be kept in mind, it is quite a high penalty which is currently set at 25%. With all going to plan a combination of saving for your deposit into a LISA and then utilising one of the government’s house buying schemes, can enable many house buyers to get onto the property ladder quicker and cheaper than they had previously thought.
Calling all hippies, free spirits and beatniks. If you’re looking to inject some life and culture into your home, you have probably come across the classic boho style that seems to permeate each and every interior décor blog on the internet. The boho style, also known as bohemian, was originally inspired by unconventional people marching to the beat of their own drum. So-called nomads, writers, artists and actors looked to mirror their own colourful lives within their homes and hovels by combining objects from places they had travelled to or been inspired by which resulted in an unusual if comforting cohort of textures, patterns and colours we now refer to as bohemian.
In a nutshell, bohemian style flies in the face of minimalist décor and embraces the creative and the carefree, with not even two rooms alike. If you’re looking for a truly unique look for your property, then this style may be for you.
Bohemian colours
Colour is what makes bohemian style truly unique, and it can make or break your renovation project. In saying that however, there really are no strict guidelines when it comes to boho décor. Warm earthy tones such as sandy browns and sage-esque greens are common, as are metallics. For your base colours, you might like to complement antique wooden furniture and floors with deep greens or blues. Arguably the best thing about bohemian style is the total lack of rules. You might like to keep your walls as white and blank as possible, and then opt for natural greens and browns for your furniture.
Decorative materials
Bohemian style really does operate in contrast to contemporary minimalism. When it comes to textures and patterns, don’t be afraid to use unconventional styles. Using a dyed, handwoven throw for example and painting your walls a bold colour can foster a fun, welcoming atmosphere. Layer your throws and blankets on top of your furniture and hang tapestries and rugs on your wall.
Mixing and matching your colours, textures and patterns is the key to a true boho look. Combine natural materials such as burlap with silk and keep an eye out in your favourite local thrift store for materials with a slightly worn look – not necessarily damaged, just not particularly shiny or new. Large sheets with colourful patterns and tie-dyed pieces can be hung from the ceiling in a circus-esque fashion. Macrame plant hangers and wall art are also ideal for a truly boho look.
Furnishings
Truly unique bohemian furniture is not found in IKEA or Marks and Spencer. Bohemian homes tend to be packed full of furniture collected over time, from travels around the world and trips to local thrift stores. Every piece of furniture should be special to you and tell a story. The time you visited Iran on a whim and spontaneously decided to purchase a Persian rug; the time a quick trip to your favourite second hand store resulted in you and your best buddy standing in the parking lot laughing as you attempted to get an antique TV stand into the back of your hatchback. It’s important to have fun exploring your local community and selected each piece carefully. It’s important to remember that implementing a Bohemian style means mixing and matching. If you love a piece, it will fit in. In terms of your furniture colours, opt for the saturated and the bold. Low level seating such as overstuffed pillows, ottomans and beanbags can create a casual atmosphere that says, ‘hey you, stay a while’.
As embracing natural materials, patterns and colours are also central to achieving a bohemian style, embrace the natural world with plenty of ferns and hanging plants. Plants can add vibrancy to your interior spaces as well as improve air quality. You might even like to consider succulents in a variety of different colours and textures. Place your variety of plants and succulents around the room at different heights, and be sure to thrift bold and funky plant pots and holders.
Lighting
Arguably it is your lighting that is the most important interior feature of the boho style. Your boho room should have understated, ambient lighting to create a warm, welcoming vibe. Rather than blaring overhead lights, layer your lighting with lanterns, candles and table lamps in a variety of shapes, sizes and styles. As with your other furnishings, it’s important to embrace different patterns, materials and colours when it comes to your lampshades. Don’t be afraid to mix and match!
Three different sources of light in each room are enough to create a balanced yet ambient space. You also might like to consider using different bulbs or different sized lampshades, such as a brightly coloured drum lampshade. Layering your lighting at different heights is also important. For example, in a study you might decide on a tall floor lamp in one corner, and a vintage-inspired table lamp in the other corner on top of your thrifted dresser. Don’t forget the fairy lights! Having lighting at different heights around your room can effortlessly transform the space to atmospheric and welcoming. This includes a bold chandelier or art deco lampshade as your centre focus point.
Unlike your other furnishings, your lampshades and lighting doesn’t have to be sourced from a thrift store. Mix and match the old and the new with lighting from a combination of second hand and new pieces. You might try searching for table lampshades in the UK online using your favourite search engine, but source your larger lights from your favourite thrift store. At the end of the day, boho is what you make it. It will all come down to your own personal tastes as well as the unique specifications of your bohemian home.
Conclusion
Plants, people and the best vibes. From a whimsical colour scheme to bold, unconventional furniture, there is much to consider when refurbishing your home in a bohemian style. Perhaps most important, boho style flies in the face of minimalism and embraces the bright, the bold and the carefree. Although it can seem overwhelming, transforming your home from minimalist to maximalist doesn’t have to be a chore. It’s the opportunity to go wild, embrace your free-spirited nature and bring a sense of adventure and ambience into your home.
Dress for the job; why do women buy modest plus size dresses for work? Here is a suggestion that we all must have heard in our entire careers. I am pretty sure why women want to buy modest plus size clothes for work? In addition, I have written at least once a decade about working in fashion with modest plus-size dresses for work.
The idea for: If you want your boss to see you as someone with more power. Then you need to wear modest plus-size dresses that way. Part of this demonstration is how you present yourself.
For thin women, this is good advice to wear modest plus-size dresses they’ll still remember. I wore to my every job, “A Million Girls Will Kill.” Fitted and flared Kate Spade dress, modest maxi dresses in blue peep pumps this was last year, and an arrogant teen magazine. A fitted black sheet with a tweed TB blazer and pointed lobsters. In hindsight, shopping for these interviews was easy. Sure, I was stressed and wanted to look perfect. But it wasn’t a quick trip to Barnes, as things didn’t work out.
Then earlier this year, I found myself in a place in my career where I was ready to take more ownership. I’m just 35 years old. I’ve landed in my video series. I’m already taking on growing responsibilities, and I’ve recently gained.
That last part is important because I started looking to my mentors for guidance. Suddenly, the same advice I had when climbing the stairs put me on my mattress. ۔ One asked me to work on my “presentation” while the other flat out told me I needed to improve the “green maternity dress.”
Why Do Women Want to Buy Modest Plus Size Clothes for Work?
“Of course, I wore an oversized sweatshirt and asymmetrical jeans because of my investment in “dress for the job you want” 500 printed floral modest maxi dresses, thrilling outfits, and silk button-downs. Now they were collecting dust in the closet, waiting. My weight returned to ten sizes from U to squeeze them again.
I have worked to prove myself in an industry where I have often felt I need to be better – better speaking, better dressed, better. – It was a crushing blow, not just for my desire. The way I felt about my body. Despite years of commitment to glamor size inclusion, I am one of only two plus-size people on the staff and curvy in most shoots and senior-level meetings.
How can I tell these women that I can’t dress like a director because all the beauty directors I know wore brands like Odèn and Sleeper, which stopped at the size of 10 or 12 small? Do I need to lose weight to get better at my job?
Of course not, but here’s the problem: for women over the age of 12, a hidden endeavor goes into the fashion world, combining stylish clothes. We can’t just go to the department store or Zara and buy a rack. We have to find pieces online, spend extra money on shipping, and study the measurements to see things our peers can buy; or gifts from brands. They sent it for free. It’s easier to be fashionable when you are thin.
Work in Fashion
At first, I was disappointed, then I got angry. I referred to Lindsay People’s Wagner’s groundbreaking report “What’s Like to Be Black and Work in Fashion” for The Cut, which explores the pain of racism and bigotry in every aspect of the fashion industry. And encouraged by the subtleties, I started. To talk to dozens of other people who are also plus size and work in fashion.
In conclusion, I found brands that look good and feel great about, many of which I’ve discussed on the recommendation of dozens of people – but what got me out there was that these women were online. There was work that Berna was ready to do for the fashion industry. So, Moda Modest offers you to buy modest plus size clothes for work at reasonable prices to revolutionize this.
I told other editors, writers, photographers, influencers, models, and stylists that I was not alone. Models expressed frustration at the lack of jobs on both the runway and off-site, not to mention the scary, fat-phobic things the designers told them. Editors and inspirational people shared confusing stories to help Fashion Week. The consultants discussed how brands would hire them for their plus size marketing experience then decide to go in a “different direction” (read “Women are sick with the same tired stereotypes. Thanks for reading; above all, why do women want to buy modest plus size clothes for work? Leave a comment if you’re asking questions about why women want to purchase modest plus size clothes for work? We will also get back to you and answer your question about buying modest plus size clothes for work.
Even more below
Therefore, overweight women represent 73% of buyers, yet for each of these individuals below, we are only a few percentages of the people in our respective positions in fashion. Most decision-makers are still straight-size. But change is on the horizon. As writer Nicolette Mason puts it in our September cover story on the New Supers: “Inclusivity is the future in fashion. You can either get on board or fade into irrelevance.
We’re willing to spend money on our modest maxi dresses, black tunic top, oversized sweatshirt, and green maternity dress. In addition, we wish to spend money on a white long sleeve top, tunic sweatshirts, asymmetric top, and tulle maternity dress. However, asymmetrical jeans, prayer dresses, oversized sweatshirts, and green maternity dresses are the best brands for our clothing.
“Brands are crazy for not expanding sizes. I want it to be just as appalling as a beauty brand not making inclusive shades—that if you come off the line selling only to a tiny demographic of people. That everyone in a united way would be outraged, do better. I know from the business perspective that it costs way more; every size you add is another expense. But for the brands that can, they should.
Do you hate fat people that much? Your disdain for my body type is so great that you deny it. However, in a business where your entire purpose is to make money, that’s wild.”
Fatih Aydin
Former fashion merchant of #ModaModest
Thanks, Fatih
“Over the last nine years, in my various roles in the fashion business for women. To understand why women want to buy modest plus-size clothes for work? It isn’t easy to find straight-sized retailers to invest in modest plus-size dresses. Many retailers want to dip their feet into modest plus-size dresses. But they only offer certain styles of modest maxi dresses they consider ‘plus-appropriate.’ No! Women also don’t wish to be limited in what they want to buy of modest plus size dresses. However, many companies still don’t know how to afford it. Therefore, Moda Modest offers you to buy modest plus size clothes for work at reasonable prices.”
Berna Aydin
Beauty Editor of #ModaModest
Courtesy Berna Aydin
“Money has no size. I am spending as much as someone’s size six or two. But I can count on one hand how many stores I can go to in New York City and find my size. She’s 21 forever, and given that, it’s nice to have cheap options, but sometimes you don’t want to run a rifle in a pile of clothes, and you don’t want to fight teenagers for a dress. I want to go to a good store. Clean dressing room. I get scared whenever I travel to work. I’m afraid I’ll lose my suitcase because I’m abroad. I don’t know if I can find something that suits my body, not masculinity or eloquence, but it’s impossible. Eloquent But it is impossible.
Aleyna Aydin
Co-founder of Moda Modest of #ModaModest
Courtesy of Aleyna Aydin
“There’s still a big problem with offering multiple price points. In the world of straight sizes, trends come from top to bottom. The runway moves, and then it filters out the low-cost items. Also, it looks like it comes from the bottom. Most of our modest plus-size dresses and modest maxi dresses are $100 or less, which is great because it makes them accessible to women. But they’re still a lot of designs and green maternity dresses that we can’t afford to wear. However, there are different contemporaries. Moda Modest Brands are offering us options. In addition, women will pay $250, even $500 for stylish, high-quality, modest plus-size dresses. They’ll also enjoy modest maxi dresses, oversized sweatshirts, green maternity dresses, white long sleeve tops, tunic sweatshirts, and prayer dresses. Best offers by Moda Modest to buy modest plus size clothes.”
When it comes to trading Forex, there are a lot of complexities that you’ll need to consider – and, with this in mind, we’ve outlined some of the key Forex trading software options and what you need to know to choose the right software for your needs. After all – choosing the best automated Forex trading software shouldn’t be a major headache and could revolutionize the way that you trade in the future!
The Basics of Forex Trading Software: What You Need to Know
Forex trading software is rapidly becoming more popular among traders, with as many as 80% of all trades on the U.S. Stock Exchanges deriving from automated systems. These trading systems make payments based on automatic criteria, such as the average crossover or the like.
Automated Forex trading software is generally based on algorithms and careful analysis of the current prices and trends within the Forex industry, usually over different timeframes.
The main purpose of Forex trading software is to detect currency pair trades that could offer a lucrative opportunity for investors based on the investor’s specific profitability metrics. When the software identifies a trade that falls within the requirements established by the investor, it automatically creates a trade.
Benefits of Automated Forex Trading Software
There are numerous benefits associated with investing in automated Forex trading software, and these include the following points:
When using automated trading software, investments are made based on financial analysis of trade profitability rather than being led by emotions and judgement. As such, this can reduce the chances of a trader investing on a “heart vs. head” basis, which may represent a riskier trading strategy.
Automated Forex trading software makes it incredibly easy to identify and trade based on interest rates, thereby highlighting clear pricing discrepancies within currency pairs.
When trading with an automated system, investors are able to set numerous buy or sell triggers based on their trading preferences and profit/loss requirements. As such, Forex trading software can enable investors to customise their trading efforts based on established Forex trading strategies.
Drawbacks of Automated Forex Trading Software
At this point, we have outlined some of the key benefits of using automated Forex trading software. However, as with everything, there’s no perfect solution for your trading needs.
The most apparent risk that comes with automated Forex trading software is the potential for traders to get lulled into a false sense of security. Indeed, while Forex trading software makes a trade based on pre-defined financial metrics, there is never any guarantee to make money when trading in Forex.
As such, traders still need to carefully monitor their trades, and when necessary, traders may need to alter the pre-established settings on the software. This is particularly critical when influential events (for example, the announcement of Brexit for the British Pound Sterling) could significantly impact the value of an investment).
No matter how advanced it might be, automated software is unable to react according to these external influences. As a result, investors should always remain vigilant to manually monitor the markets and adjust trade settings accordingly.
How to Choose the Best Forex Trading Software for your Needs
At this point, we’ve summarised some of the key features of Forex trading software – but how can you choose the best Forex trading software for your needs?
Forex trading software can offer a myriad of benefits, and with this in mind, it’s well worth considering how Forex trading software might benefit your trading.
However, it’s crucial that you’ve invested in reliable software to get the best success – and with this in mind, it’s so important that you have considered the following factors to ensure the software you’ve purchased provides an excellent trading solution overall:
Price – does your chosen trading software offer a value-for-money pricing structure? As part of this, you may also want to consider if the software also provides satisfaction guarantees
Real-time monitoring – as a matter of course, you must always choose software that provides real-time market monitoring
Remote access – can you check your Forex trading software while on the go? For those traders who travel regularly, having remote access to your software is a necessity.
Features – always look for a trading system that offers the features you desire (e.g., market orders, report generation, trailing stops, etc.)
Currency pairs – always check that your chosen Forex trading software supports high-liquidity currency pairs, as these will often represent the most regular (and less risky) trades.
Reviews – has your chosen system achieved positive reviews from past customers? This is one of the best indicators of a quality system, as reviews are unbiased and genuine reports of how well the software worked for individual traders.
These are all crucial factors to consider when choosing automated Forex trading software. With that being said, even the above factors cannot guarantee that you will make a profit from Forex trading; they only outline the support that the system can offer for your trading efforts.
Final Thoughts
Investing in Forex trading software can make the process of buying and selling Forex far easier for traders, particularly for new traders. With this in mind, today, we’ve outlined some of the most crucial things you could consider as part of your own forex trading efforts.
So, please don’t leave things to chance; to optimize your Forex trading efforts, make sure you’ve spent some time considering how Forex trading software solutions.
ESG aspects of listed companies in regards to their business activities are rapidly gaining the interest of stakeholders. Companies listed on the Saudi Stock Exchange (Tadawul) are making a coordinated effort to align with global ESG related principles, guidelines and voluntarily implement practices that address emerging challenges.
Companies integrate the ESG criteria into their culture, strategy, and business goals in order to make a tangible impact on societal and environmental issues. To achieve a competitive advantage in attracting and retaining investors, customers, employees, and other stakeholders, listed companies need support in making use of the ESG journey.
The Value of ESG Disclosures
ESG information provides insight into the quality of corporate management and helps investors to forecast company performance by providing a more complex view of the company. Comprehensive analysis of relevant ESG aspects has become a fundamental part of assessing the value of an investment, thus making ESG disclosures a must for companies in communicating ESG-related risks.
Strong performance across 3 pillars of ESG is indicative of business resilience. Listed companies must be able to demonstrate the progress they have made and the actions taken. This way the company will show that it is able to adapt to risk and protect the longevity of the environment and society in which it operates.
Communicating how sustainability initiatives are linked to the strategy, financial performance and valuation bring multiple benefits. A strong Corporate Governance on ESG factors correlates positively with financial performance.
ESG is worth making a priority. ESG reporting is evolving rapidly and growing in importance. Skilful and transparent management of these issues improves relationships with investors, clients, employees, and all stakeholders.
ESG Reporting
ESG reports show investors how companies mitigate risks and generate sustainable long-term financial returns. ESG reporting and disclosures help companies get access to capital markets and secure their license to operate. Strong ESG performance leads to preferential treatment from investors compared to companies whose environmental or other practices may pose a greater financial risk. Robust sustainability and ESG strategies increase business resilience and help improve overall company performance.
While demand for ESG-related information is high, the ability to meet those demands can be a challenge. ESG reporting standards often leave companies struggling to decide just how far they should go.
Checklist to guide company ESG reporting efforts:
1. Create a reporting framework that includes ESG issues, targets and initiatives, performance metrics, internal and external reporting standards.
2. Gauge the relative importance of sustainability issues for various stakeholders.
3. Work with ESG solution experts who can provide real-time data to map your ESG needs and provide insights to meet reporting needs that comply with stakeholders and industry standards.
4. Create an effective communication strategy to showcase your ESG management framework and reporting for external and internal stakeholders.
5. Report your ESG performance and show how it aligns with your business strategy.
6. Continually work on and improve upon your ESG performance by engaging with stakeholders and understanding emerging sustainability issues affecting your business.
Final Thoughts
Companies need to take action now on assessing ESG risks and opportunities for their businesses and on proper ESG disclosures, in order to be prepared for these changing demands and for the growing expectations of companies’ financial and non-financial reporting. ESG criteria is a popular way for investors to evaluate companies in which they might want to invest, as ESG criteria can guide investors to those companies that are at a lower risk due to their ESG practices.
ESG reporting encompasses both qualitative disclosures of topics as well as quantitative metrics used to measure a company’s performance against ESG risks, opportunities, and related strategies.
Effective ESG reporting balances the risk of not sharing enough, or inaccurate, information, against the costs of capturing and processing those metrics. The ESG reporting strategy should be flexible enough to meet today’s requirements while having an eye on what’s coming in the near future. Sager IR team understands that ESG reporting and metrics are an important indicator of a company’s overall health, and ESG reports can lay the foundation for a compelling story about the impact your company is making on the world.
The renewable market is growing significantly. And companies such as powerful allies are at the forefront in offering the best renewable sources for businesses and schools.
That said, there’re various trends in renewable energy procurement. And this is what we discuss in this post.
Let’s delve right in.
More diverse companies are getting procurement deals
From the onset of clean energy contracts, the renewable energy sector leads the field. And these companies have been inking more deals, spearheading contract models, and negotiating bigger transactions.
Increasingly, more and more companies are joining the bandwagon. And are scooping renewable energy deals.
Notably, companies in heavy industries such as heavy machinery and steel are beginning to embrace renewable energy. And the number is growing each year.
The fact that heavy emitters are resorting to renewable energy is major. And having industrial movers in this will steer the growth more.
Companies are relying on grid decarbonization and not just clean energy deployment.
Most corporate buyers are looking to do more than rely on additional clean energy. And are looking to ensure it is decarbonization in the power system.
And this is a shift in thinking, from project outputs to outcomes.
For that reason, buyers are using varying strategies to optimize decarbonization. And that includes considering new location deployments. A solar power purchase agreement will have better emission reduction than one in the clean service industry.
Decarbonizing efforts have led to the ruse of procurement deals. And that includes energy storage. Besides, powering that trend is a cheaper energy strategy.
Adding storage to renewable energy projects allows for deeper decarbonization, firms our resources, add resilience, and helps provide energy when production stops.
As energy storage costs continue to decrease, companies are working towards getting more value from their clean energy procurement strategies.
Businesses are embracing the human impact of clean energy procurement
As structures and more contract models emerge, corporations get to use a better and more sophisticated criterion when signing long-term deals.
The strategic lens can get used for assessing upstream projects, such as energy company’s labor practices and solar panels manufacturers’ material sourcing.
That ensures renewable energy deployment and creates well-paying opportunities that support equity, diversity, and inclusion.
With the help of community-focused NGOs, corporate energy buyers help energy developers and service providers with the options they would like available in the future. Through offering these, new buyers will most likely prioritize. And a vicious cycle is born.
Stimulus plans
The latest pandemic recovery plans will increase renewable energy generation and reduce greenhouse emissions worldwide.
And governments across the globe have spent trillions of dollars to rescue businesses and stabilize entire economies.
Rather than returning to the status quo, countries can rely on the stimulus plans to boost renewable energy sources, phase out environmentally harmful industries, increase renewable energy generation, and protect ecosystems.
Policymakers have the chance to support the renewable energy industry in crucial ways amidst tough times.
When you reduce the way you consume energy, it offers a good opportunity for job creation through, for instance, the renovation of buildings.
Energy storage
Wind turbines and solar panels generate energy depending on the prevailing weather conditions. For this reason, there’s a surge in energy production that does not always correspond to energy demand, and that generated from renewable sources must get stored in batteries.
Traditionally, poor storage options and insufficient storage capacity have limited renewable energy potential. And this is potentially expensive.
Besides, newer forms of storage emerge. And that includes flow batteries that have a longer lifespan than the standard lithium-ion batteries.
Need some online games to enjoy on your upcoming road trip? Here are some of the best online games to play when traveling, and better yet, even make some money.
Road trips can be a fun adventure, but if they go on for too long, they can easily become boring. Fortunately, there are many online road trip games for players to enjoy, and they will keep them occupied during the trip.
The following offer something for everyone.
Play Rummy
One of the most interesting online games where you can earn a decent amount of money. It’s a favorite for many, and if you like it and want to make money with it, then it’s worth a try.
On the online Rummy Portal, you can download the app from Google Play or the iPhone app store and enjoy some great features. Among its many perks, the game is safe, secure, offers easy payouts, and has 24/7 customer support.
Twitch
A popular app that offers live streaming of broadcasts including e-sports, music, creative content, and most notably, live video games. This gaming platform lets gamers stream their game-time online for other players and visitors to see.
There are various ways to make money playing on Twitch. Once your game-play starts streaming online, you’ll start gathering followers and visitors. These visitors will be your money makers.
You can make money by getting subscribers who pay for your content, getting donations and sponsorships from viewers, and displaying ads in your videos. Keep in mind that you can only start making money after you’ve achieved a significant audience. So, you have to be dedicated and consistent to make it big.
Twitch plays through Check and wire transfers, ACH, and PayPal. You also need a minimum of $50-$100 to receive payouts.
TapChamps
A game testing app for gamers to try out games and earn rewards. This in turn allows developers to gather valuable data from users’ experiences. Gamers start earning by downloading the application and playing games. The objective is to gain XP which allows players to earn trophies and Diamonds that can be redeemed for gift cards. Every game shows you how many Diamonds you can earn as a reward. Games are short, fun, and interesting.
Gamers on TapChamps are paid in Diamonds, which can be redeemed at a later time for gift cards. The game supports gift cards like eBay, Amazon, Visa, Xbox, Nintendo, and more.
Play at a Highly Rated Online Casino
Are you looking for an online casino with a huge selection of games and juicy bonuses? Online casino games are certainly worth checking out when things get boring on your trip. Online gambling is entertaining, secure, and convenient because you don’t need to download apps or any programs to play. And if you are lucky, you might win the jackpot.
When looking for the best online casino websites with the best reviews, check out this page. Here you’ll get comprehensive information about the best bonus and free spins offers and other loyalty programs.
Conclusion
Thanks to the advent of online games, players can now enjoy their favourite online games from just about anywhere. Whether on the road, at home, or in your office, there are many games to play that can make you some money.
When it comes to packaging materials, there are lots of different options available and knowing which is the most appropriate one to suit your needs can be difficult. One of the products that you may well have come across in your research to find the right packaging material is aluminium barrier foil. Let’s take a look at exactly what aluminium barrier foil is, the benefits that using it can offer you and what kind of protection it can offer to your products.
Aluminium Barrier Foil Explained
Aluminium barrier foils such as those you can purchase from professional manufacturers such as ProtPack are made up of 3 or even 4 separate layers of different materials. These materials are bonded together using either an adhesive or an extrusion polyethylene. This bonding gives them a stronger construction that can offer a number of different benefits to your products.
You could think of this as a sandwich, where each layer is vital to the construction and serves a very important function. The polyester later of an aluminium barrier foil is the outer layer. Its role is to be resistant to high temperatures. Polyester has good mechanical strength and is also there to protect the aluminium layer. This is the next layer, and it forms a barrier against water vapor, gases, and oxygen, preventing them from getting into your product and potentially damaging them. This layer can also act the other way not only can it keep certain things out, but it can also keep things like flavor in. The final layer is made of polyethylene and allows the entire sandwich to be sealed with heart or welded for use as a range of different shaped liners.
The benefits of using aluminium barrier foil
Aluminium barrier foil has a wide range of applications over a number of different industries. It can provide dried product protection and also corrosion protection. Barrier foil protects the integrity of any product where there is a possibility that the packaged product may deteriorate as a result of:
· UV light
· Oxygen ingress
· Moisture
· Odors
· Temperature extremes
· Mold and fungi growth
· Chemicals
· Grease and oils
Benefits
There are also a number of benefits to be had from a barrier foil product that can protect your product from all of the above. In most cases these are benefits that can not only help you to save money but will also ensure that you do not lose customers as a result of products deteriorating whilst they are being shipped to them.
· They eliminate corrosion
· They protects products that are hygroscopic from moisture ingress and any damage this can cause
· Any products that are atmospherically sensitive are protected from the outside environment
· They reduce overall use of desiccant which reduces the shipping weight of your product saving you money in terms of shipping cost and also desiccant cost
· They eliminate the need to re-dry products
· They eliminate odour transfer, both odours from outside tainting your product and odours from your products leaching out
· They Reduce the need to invest in forms of modified atmosphere storage
· They offer outer packaging cleanliness
· They are suitable for Hot-fill applications
· They are suitable for Anti-Static Applications
· They allow outer containers to be re-used which is more cost effective and better for the environment
The benefits of using aluminium barrier foil packaging for products are clear. They offer a much better protection to your items. This will ensure there is much less chance of them arriving with your customers in a less than satisfactory state. When goods arrive damaged with a customer this can create a negative opinion of your company and may even lead to a customer choosing to take their business to a competitor. Therefore, getting your packaging right first time matters.
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