The investment to build the interconnector will amount to EUR2.8 billion, with the EIB set to contribute up to EUR400 million for the financing construction of the section within the European Union (EU).  Other financiers include the UK Infrastructure Bank, which will focus on the stretch within UK maritime and land territory, and the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC).…

INTRODUCTION 

ACCOUNTING used to be restricted to financially measurable matters of profit and loss; expenditure and revenue; taxes and subsidies; investment and liabilities. But the mathematical and statistical skills underpinning a solid set of books and filed accounts are today increasingly being used to measure the environmental and social sustainability of a product, input, production process and supply chain.…

A disconnect is growing between some European jurisdictions and halal certification systems over the stunning of livestock, which has the potential to stymie the growth of halal meat production.

Since last December (2020), European Union member states have had a freer hand to impose stunning requirements, even on proponents of religious slaughter, including kosher as well as halal production, because of a European Court of Justice (ECJ) decision.…

Fraud in the global halal food sector is emerging as a widespread problem. A series of scandals have rocked the industry worldwide, and shone a spotlight on the difficulty of eliminating non-halal practices from increasingly large and complicated food supply chains. …

The European Union (EU) dairy industry is looking hard at the new Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) reforms that were approved in June to see if they deliver enough help to rejuvenate what has become an ageing industry. Currently only 11% of EU farmers are less than 40 years old, the European Commission notes (1), a problem highlighted at this year’s European Milk Board general assembly.…

The Polish can manufacturing and filling industry continues to attract attention from major buyers and investors from around the world, aware that this strong and innovating national sector is able to rely on a strong, reliable workforce.

Global beverage giant PepsiCo, for example, has been drawn to the Polish can manufacturing industry.…

Growth in demand for and production of renewable diesel is set to disrupt the global liquid fuels sector, with major increases in refining capacity being developed now. Renewable diesel has major potential as a transitional alternative energy source, because, unlike standard biofuels, in its highest quality form, it is chemically identical to fossil fuel diesel. …

Sub-Saharan Africa has natural resources that aids the development of renewable energy, it has lots of sun, plentiful wind, and much potentially sustainable biomass. With the development of small-scale affordable renewable energy technologies, such systems have been promoted by major aid agencies keen to prevent deforestation and excessive reliance on fossil fuels, that – even where they are plentiful, have not usually led to widespread economic development.

Somalia universities are developing innovative ways to attract and retain women in their higher education sector either as students, administrators or as part of the teaching staff. In this way, higher education institutions in this country that is still recovering from civil strife and armed unrest, are seeking to undermine the lack of positive policies and ongoing discrimination preventing women undertaking higher learning and gaining academic jobs in Somalia.…

With its complex supply and distribution chain, the international knitwear sector fosters innovation, with commercial partners cross-fertilising technical and design ideas that span digitisation and mechanical smarts, as well as consumer-focused creativity.

One key area of innovation in the past year has been warp knitting – for instance by leading northern Italian warp seamless knitwear manufacturer Cifra (1), which last December (2020) launched an innovative and sustainable garment concept for women, spanning beachwear, athleisure bodywear and lingerie.…