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About us
Forbury Investment Network and
the Royal Commonwealth Society
• Forbury Investment Network (London, Cardiff)
• Ghana
• Nigeria
• South Africa (Durban and Cape Town)
• Canada
• Sri Lanka
• Maldives
• Seychelles
About us • Pan-Commonwealth platform to create a shared
community of business interest in the environment
• Encouraging low carbon economic growth through connecting entrepreneurs, investors and sustainable businesses in the environmental goods and services sector
• Sharing sector and entrepreneurial knowledge, contacts and experience across Commonwealth markets
• A network of hubs that serve their national markets but also connect members across other Commonwealth markets
Why? • Opportunity for SMEs and new jobs
• New technologies and services hugely SME based
• SMEs need funding, good management, and a supportive environment
• CEIP model is to help fill the gap of finance and international cooperation which limits growth of SMEs
• Mechanism to facilitate technology transfer needed
How? • Develop stakeholders around hubs in each country
• Connecting with investors and business angel networks
• Investor briefing and training workshops
• Sharing knowledge and expertise on sustainability, entrepreneurship, technology
• Linking SME’s with mutual interests
• General stakeholder awareness
Outcome
• Connecting stakeholders to achieve sustainable economic growth whilst addressing urgent social, economic and environmental issues
• Entrepreneurs, investors, SMEs, universities, governments all benefit uniquely
• Opportunity through Enterprise (2013
Commonwealth theme)
Why the Commonwealth?
• Common legal frameworks and existing business, governmental, linguistic and cultural links make it the ideal international forum
• As a global network the Commonwealth has a head start and huge business potential
• Combined GDP of Commonwealth now exceeds Eurozone
• Most of the 53 member states of the Commonwealth are developing countries
Why the Commonwealth?
• Combined workforce of the Commonwealth – 1.4 billion
• Total Commonwealth population of 2.2 billion citizens - over 60% of these are under the age of 30
• Progress turns on exchange of ideas, trade and people – the role of the Commonwealth
The Commonwealth – Focus on Africa
• As of 2013, there are 53 fully independent countries on mainland Africa and its surrounding islands - 18 countries part of the Commonwealth
• Africa is now the fastest growing continent in the world
• Africa's population represents approximately 14.72% of the world's total population with about a billion inhabitants in more than 60 territories
• Africa is so big it geographically could absorb all of the US, India, China, and most of Europe
• It is estimated that 60% of the world’s uncultivated arable land is located in Africa
The Commonwealth - a platform for
business • Home to citizens of all faiths and ethnicities
and includes some of the world's largest, smallest, richest and poorest countries
• Smaller nations benefit greatly from Commonwealth support and links
• Over the last twenty years, the importance of Commonwealth members to one another as their mutual trade in imports and exports has grown by almost a third
• If the Commonwealth did not exist we would need to invent it
The Commonwealth - a platform for
business
• Commonwealth provides scope for innovative long term investing and risk spreading
• Special role for UK as the main facilitator of EU/Commonwealth enterprise
• Cardiff as excellent and competitive bridge for Commonwealth to UK and EU market?
Sustainable Cities Initiative
“The 19th century was a century of empires, the 20th century was a
century of nation states and the 21st century will be a century of
cities.”
(Wellington Webb - former mayor of Denver)
Sustainable Cities Initiative
• Cities now host more than half of the world’s population
• They generate 80% of global GDP and contribute to 70% of the world’s CO2 emissions
• It is expected that by 2050 the global proportion of people living in cities will rise to about 70%
• Rapid urbanisation poses big challenges - many cities do not have a strategy to cope with this high growth
Sustainable Cities - challenges
Socio-Economic
• Growing population
• Ageing population
• Health and inequality
• Crime and safety
• Infrastructure stress
• Lack of capital
Environmental
• Climate change
• Resource scarcity
• Energy resilience
• Sea level rise
Sustainable Cities - challenges
• Ageing and urbanization are also closely related
• One-quarter of urban populations in less developed countries will be over the age of 60 by 2050
• In developed countries, 80% of older people already live in urban areas
• Attractive environment, proximity of nature, access to health care, transport, amenities and community
Sustainable Cities Initiative
• Cities are experimenting with new approaches to planning, energy production, traffic management, building infrastructure etc
• The global renewable energy market had total revenues of $474.9bn in 2012 and it is expected the market will grow to a value of $632.8bn by the end of 2017
• This provides a fertile ground for innovation, testing of technologies and implementation of proven technologies
Sustainable Cities Initiative
• Knowledge gap constrains growth
• There are recognised barriers to the implementation of changes and technology - knowledge sharing can help to overcome some of these barriers
• Knowledge sharing is key to implement a strategy effectively
Sustainable Cities Initiative
• Cities around the world are facing similar challenges
• There is huge potential for the sharing of experience of technology and innovation between the developed and developing countries of the Commonwealth
• Cities can greatly enhance the growth and efficiency of environmental innovation and trade on an international scale
Sustainable Cities Initiative
Linking sustainable cities - opportunities:
• Share expertise and know-how. Cities that share specific interests and challenges can come together to learn from each other and identify shared resource needs
• Problem solving
• Technology transfer
• Eliminating barriers to procurement
• Greater access to SME’s and investors/funding
Sustainable Cities Initiative
Opportunities for Cardiff:
• Cardiff could provide a bridge between Europe and the Commonwealth
• Cardiff to provide leadership in sustainability - define a vision of a more sustainable future and to inspire developing cities
• Collaborate with cities, industry, and citizens to share ideas and to leverage proven solutions
• Cardiff as a top European and Commonwealth sustainable city
