Living Health Systems

What if every financial decision made the world a healthier place?

  • Is New Forests Greenwashing In Laos?

    In May 2025, Impact Investor magazine ran a story about a forest purchase by an Australian investment company in the Lao Peoples Democratic Republic (Lao PDR or Laos). New Forests had bought a majority share in Burapha Agro-Forestry, a timber plantation forestry company in Laos. Burapha Agro-Forestry own 6,000 hectares of plantation forest, “conservation areas”,…

  • Are Global Financial Networks Reforming?

    There have been numerous calls to reform global financial networks. Global financial networks are “deeply” implicated in the production and financing of climate heating, biodiversity loss, and poverty [1]. Debt is a critical part – money that could be used for mitigation and adaption is being diverted into interest and repayments [2]. And global shocks…

  • What is the International Financial Architecture?

    This post was revised and edited on 1st July 2025. Recently, I’ve been paying more attention to this phrase: ‘International Financial Architecture’. For instance, it turned up in here: “… reform of the international financial architecture…(to) make financial flows consistent with a pathway towards low greenhouse gas emissions and climate-resilient development (…)’ (Article 2.1c, Paris…

  • Can there be an End to Greenwashing?

    This post was revised and edited on 1st July 2025. In April 2025, the German investment management company DWS was fined US$27 million for lying to its customers that it was a “leader” in environmental, social and governance investing [1]. Volkswagen has faced numerous fines and legal fees worldwide after installing software in its cars…

  • Who are Impact Investors?

    This post was revised and edited on 1st July 2025. Impact investing is “investments made with the intention to generate positive, measurable, social or environmental impact alongside a financial return” [1]. Intentional is important – it means impact doesn’t happen by accident. Impact investing was valued at US$1.571 trillion in 2023, managed by 3,907 organisations…

  • What is Private Climate Finance?

    This post was edited and revised on 1st July 2025. At COP29 in 2024, a new collective quantified goal on climate finance was acrimoniously concluded between government parties to the Paris Agreement. Developed-country parties such as the EU, USA and Japan agreed to raise “at least” US$300 billion every year to 2035 for climate action…