Finance: The $1 Trillion Market For ‘Green Bonds’

So-called green bonds have become more popular in recent years, and this fast-growing segment of the $128.3 trillion global bond market could grow even more. When an issuer sells a green bond, they’re making a nonbinding commitment to earmark the sale’s proceeds for environmentally friendly projects. That could include renewable energy projects, constructing energy efficient buildings or making investments in clean water or transportation. Green bonds fall under the wider umbrella of sustainable bonds, which include fixed-income instruments whose proceeds are set aside for social or sustainability projects. Big household names such as Apple and PepsiCo are diving into this space. A handful of massive banks and governments around the world are also issuing sustainable bonds, including China, Russia and the European Union. This may be contributing to the space’s rapid growth. A report from Moody’s said new sustainable bond issuance may top $650 billion in 2021. That would represent a 32% jump from 2020.

Walking Tour: Stuttgart – Southwest Germany (4K)

Stuttgart, capital of southwest Germany’s Baden-Württemberg state, is known as a manufacturing hub. Mercedes-Benz and Porsche have headquarters and museums here. The city is filled with greenspaces, which wrap around its center. Popular parks include the Schlossgarten, Rosensteinpark and Killesbergpark. Wilhelma, one of the largest zoos and botanical gardens in Europe, is just northeast of Rosenstein Castle.

8K Views: Europe’s Most Beautiful Landscapes

8K view of the most beautiful landscapes in Europe.

Video timeline: 00:0000:05 Intro 00:0600:48 Tirol Austrian Mountains 00:4901:29 Furka Pass and Rhone Glacier, Switzerland 01:3001:36 Italian Dolomites 01:3701:46 Leukerbad Mountain, Switzerland 01:4702:06 Faroe Islands 02:0702:16 Formentera island, Spain 02:1702:54 Lofoten islands, Norway 02:5503:20 Krka National Park, Croatia 03:2103:55 Icelandic Landscapes 03:5604:18 Dolomites, Italy 04:1904:32 Stelvio Pass Bormio, Italy 04:3304:49 Pennine Alps mountains, Italy- Switzerland 04:5005:24 Tuscany landscapes, Italy 05:2505:51 Kandertal Alps, Switzerland 05:5206:18 Dolomites, Italy 06:1906:31 Torrevieja Salt Flats, Spain 06:3206:56 Lovatnet Lake, Norway 06:5707:03 Dutch landscape 07:0408:52 Icelandic landscapes 08:5309:16 Staubbach Falls, Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland 09:1709:32 Lake in Graubnden, Switzerland 09:3309:44 Swiss mountain lake 09:4510:02 Interlaken, Switzerland 10:0310:30 Finland forests 10:3111:05 Dover coast, United Kingdom 11:0611:16 Hintersee Lake, Germany 11:1711:28 Etretat coast, France 11:2911:39 Geiranger Fjord, Norway 11:4011:46 Lago di Fusine, Italy 11:4712:20 Corfu island, Greece

Morning News: Biden’s $6 Trillion Budget, Post-Pandemic Food Delivery

A.M Edition for May 28. Can food-delivery companies be profitable? WSJ’s Heather Haddon looks at their strategies. Details of President Biden’s proposed $6 trillion budget are expected to be released today. The Jersey Shore sees a revival. Marc Stewart hosts.

Design Tour: ‘Harry House’ In Melbourne, Australia

Nestled in the northern suburb of Coburg, Harry House by Archier is a Japanese-inspired home that radiates familiarity and comfort. As per the clients’ brief,

Harry House is a Japanese-inspired home, with Archier incorporating Japanese design into many aspects of the architecture. Originally, the site was a double-fronted pre-war weatherboard cottage; the clients wanted to retain the entry’s warmth but reorientate the living space to frame the green foliage. This allowed the space to be maximised, combining the old and new aspects of the building. Named after the family dog ‘Harry’,

Harry House experiments with interior design, space and usability. The materials were chosen with care, making sure that each element ages well and is robust for family life. The textures celebrate honest carpentry, with materials that are unpolished yet full of life, adding to the atmosphere of the home. Harry House is centred around family, with bespoke living areas that connect multiple aspects of the home. This includes the soft netted areas located in the voids, allowing the residents to occupy spaces without needing furniture. Archier’s extension adds new elements of play, specifically in its design references to a childhood treehouse. The client’s Japanese heritage inspired the house, including how the space interplays with natural light and connection to the lush gardens. Located 10 minutes from the Archier Studio, the house has access to the Merri Creek, as well as restaurants on Lygon Street and Sydney Road. As a Japanese-inspired home, the layout of the bathrooms was important for functionality and design. With separate spaces for the toilet, basin and bathing, it is easy to see how the architecture was influenced by the client’s heritage, honouring the traditional ways Japanese bathrooms are configured. Having exceeded the clients’ expectations, and taking design inspiration from the client’s Japanese heritage, Harry House by Archier is a sustainable home, ready to raise a young family. Architecture and Interior Design by Archier. Filmed and Edited by Dan Preston. Production by The Local Project.

Views: ‘Zaanse Schans’ – The Netherlands (8K)

The Zaanse Schans is a residential area in which the 18th and 19th centuries are brought to life. Stroll past the bakery museum and enjoy the smell of fresh cookies, or take a look at the warehouse where clogs are made. You should be sure not to miss the cheese factory, pewter foundry and the various windmills. The Zaanse Schans is a unique part of the Netherlands, full of wooden houses, mills, barns and workshops. Make a cycling or sailing trip, browse the shops or treat yourself at the pancake restaurant. A day out at the Zaanse Schans in North Holland is fun and educational.

Wealth In 2021: U.S. States With Most Billionaires

News about billionaires like Elon Musk and Larry Ellison moving out of California might lead you to believe that tycoons have abandoned the state. Tesla’s “Technoking” Musk confirmed in December that he had moved to Austin, Texas. And that same month Ellison told employees at software firm Oracle that he was moving to the Hawaiian island of Lanai, which he owns. But it turns out that the Golden State has yet to lose its appeal for the ultra-wealthy. Forbes just released the 2021 list of the World’s Billionaires, and California is once again home to more billionaires than any other state, with 189 billionaire residents out of the 2,755 billionaires Forbes tracked globally. That’s 24 more than a year ago, due mostly to a surge in the number of new billionaires. New York comes in second with 126 billionaires, up from 118 last year. Altogether, 732 members of the 2021 list live in the U.S., including non-U.S. citizens, like Ireland’s John and Patrick Collison, the brothers who founded San Francisco-based payments firm Stripe. (There are 724 U.S. citizens on the list.) Large states dominate the top 10 states for these tycoons: seven out of the ten most populous U.S. states are also home to the most billionaires. One of the outliers, Massachusetts, a tech hub, has 7 more billionaires than a year ago; the fastest vaccine development in history—spurred by the Covid-19 pandemic—minted several new biotech billionaires who live in the state. Seven states don’t have any billionaire residents that Forbes could find: Alabama, Alaska, Delaware, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Vermont and West Virginia. (Jim Justice, the governor of West Virginia, used to be a billionaire but was recently revealed to have borrowed $850 million from Greensill Capital, a U.K. based lender that has filed for insolvency.) Read the full profile on Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/sites/krisztia…