Category Archives: Resource Based Economy

Class of natural resources

A non-renewable resource (also called a finite resource) is a natural resource that cannot be readily replaced by natural means at a pace quick enough to keep up with consumption.[1] An example is carbon-based fossil fuels. The original organic matter, with the aid of heat and pressure, becomes a fuel such as oil or gas. Earth minerals and metal ores, fossil fuels (coal, petroleum, natural gas) and groundwater in certain aquifers are all considered non-renewable resources, though individual elements are always conserved (except in nuclear reactions, nuclear decay or atmospheric escape).

Conversely, resources such as timber (when harvested sustainably) and wind (used to power energy conversion systems) are considered renewable resources, largely because their localized replenishment can occur within time frames meaningful to humans as well.

Earth minerals and metal ores are examples of non-renewable resources. The metals themselves are present in vast amounts in Earth's crust, and their extraction by humans only occurs where they are concentrated by natural geological processes (such as heat, pressure, organic activity, weathering and other processes) enough to become economically viable to extract. These processes generally take from tens of thousands to millions of years, through plate tectonics, tectonic subsidence and crustal recycling.

The localized deposits of metal ores near the surface which can be extracted economically by humans are non-renewable in human time-frames. There are certain rare earth minerals and elements that are more scarce and exhaustible than others. These are in high demand in manufacturing, particularly for the electronics industry.

Natural resources such as coal, petroleum (crude oil) and natural gas take thousands of years to form naturally and cannot be replaced as fast as they are being consumed. Eventually it is considered that fossil-based resources will become too costly to harvest and humanity will need to shift its reliance to other sources of energy such as solar or wind power, see renewable energy.

An alternative hypothesis is that carbon based fuel is virtually inexhaustible in human terms, if one includes all sources of carbon-based energy such as methane hydrates on the sea floor, which are vastly greater than all other carbon based fossil fuel resources combined.[2] These sources of carbon are also considered non-renewable, although their rate of formation/replenishment on the sea floor is not known. However their extraction at economically viable costs and rates has yet to be determined.

At present, the main energy source used by humans is non-renewable fossil fuels. Since the dawn of internal combustion engine technologies in the 19th century, petroleum and other fossil fuels have remained in continual demand. As a result, conventional infrastructure and transport systems, which are fitted to combustion engines, remain prominent throughout the globe.

The modern-day fossil fuel economy is widely criticized for its lack of renewability, as well as being a contributor to climate change.[3]

In 1987, the World Commission on Environment and Development (WCED) classified fission reactors that produce more fissile nuclear fuel than they consume (i.e. breeder reactors) among conventional renewable energy sources, such as solar and falling water.[7] The American Petroleum Institute likewise does not consider conventional nuclear fission as renewable, but rather that breeder reactor nuclear power fuel is considered renewable and sustainable, noting that radioactive waste from used spent fuel rods remains radioactive and so has to be very carefully stored for several hundred years.[8] With the careful monitoring of radioactive waste products also being required upon the use of other renewable energy sources, such as geothermal energy.[9]

The use of nuclear technology relying on fission requires Naturally occurring radioactive material as fuel. Uranium, the most common fission fuel, is present in the ground at relatively low concentrations and mined in 19 countries.[10] This mined uranium is used to fuel energy-generating nuclear reactors with fissionable uranium-235 which generates heat that is ultimately used to power turbines to generate electricity.[11]

As of 2013 only a few kilograms (picture available) of uranium have been extracted from the ocean in pilot programs and it is also believed that the uranium extracted on an industrial scale from the seawater would constantly be replenished from uranium leached from the ocean floor, maintaining the seawater concentration at a stable level.[12] In 2014, with the advances made in the efficiency of seawater uranium extraction, a paper in the journal of Marine Science & Engineering suggests that with, light water reactors as its target, the process would be economically competitive if implemented on a large scale.[13]

Nuclear power provides about 6% of the world's energy and 1314% of the world's electricity.[14] Nuclear energy production is associated with potentially dangerous radioactive contamination as it relies upon unstable elements. In particular, nuclear power facilities produce about 200,000 metric tons of low and intermediate level waste (LILW) and 10,000 metric tons of high level waste (HLW) (including spent fuel designated as waste) each year worldwide.[15]

Issues entirely separate from the question of the sustainability of nuclear fuel, relate to the use of nuclear fuel and the high-level radioactive waste the nuclear industry generates that if not properly contained, is highly hazardous to people and wildlife. The United Nations (UNSCEAR) estimated in 2008 that average annual human radiation exposure includes 0.01 millisievert (mSv) from the legacy of past atmospheric nuclear testing plus the Chernobyl disaster and the nuclear fuel cycle, along with 2.0 mSv from natural radioisotopes and 0.4 mSv from cosmic rays; all exposures vary by location.[16] natural uranium in some inefficient reactor nuclear fuel cycles, becomes part of the nuclear waste "once through" stream, and in a similar manner to the scenario were this uranium remained naturally in the ground, this uranium emits various forms of radiation in a decay chain that has a half-life of about 4.5 billion years,[17] the storage of this unused uranium and the accompanying fission reaction products have raised public concerns about risks of leaks and containment, however the knowledge gained from studying the Natural nuclear fission reactor in Oklo Gabon, has informed geologists on the proven processes that kept the waste from this 2 billion year old natural nuclear reactor that operated for hundreds of thousands of years.[18]

Land surface can be considered both renewable and non-renewable resource depending on the scope of comparison. Land can be reused but new land cannot be created on demand so from economic perspective it's a fixed resource with perfectly inelastic supply.[19][20]

Natural resources, known as renewable resources, are replaced by natural processes and forces persistent in the natural environment. There are intermittent and reoccurring renewables, and recyclable materials, which are utilized during a cycle across a certain amount of time, and can be harnessed for any number of cycles.

The production of goods and services by manufacturing products in economic systems creates many types of waste during production and after the consumer has made use of it. The material is then either incinerated, buried in a landfill or recycled for reuse. Recycling turns materials of value that would otherwise become waste into valuable resources again.

In the natural environment water, forests, plants and animals are all renewable resources, as long as they are adequately monitored, protected and conserved. Sustainable agriculture is the cultivation of plant and animal materials in a manner that preserves plant and animal ecosystems and that can improve soil health and soil fertility over the long term. The overfishing of the oceans is one example of where an industry practice or method can threaten an ecosystem, endanger species and possibly even determine whether or not a fishery is sustainable for use by humans. An unregulated industry practice or method can lead to a complete resource depletion.[23]

The renewable energy from the sun, wind, wave, biomass and geothermal energies are based on renewable resources. Renewable resources such as the movement of water (hydropower, tidal power and wave power), wind and radiant energy from geothermal heat (used for geothermal power) and solar energy (used for solar power) are practically infinite and cannot be depleted, unlike their non-renewable counterparts, which are likely to run out if not used sparingly.

The potential wave energy on coastlines can provide 1/5 of world demand. Hydroelectric power can supply 1/3 of our total energy global needs. Geothermal energy can provide 1.5 more times the energy we need. There is enough wind to power the planet 30 times over, wind power could power all of humanity's needs alone. Solar currently supplies only 0.1% of our world energy needs, but there is enough out there to power humanity's needs 4,000 times over, the entire global projected energy demand by 2050.[24][25]

Renewable energy and energy efficiency are no longer niche sectors that are promoted only by governments and environmentalists. The increasing levels of investment and that more of the capital is from conventional financial actors, both suggest that sustainable energy has become mainstream and the future of energy production, as non-renewable resources decline. This is reinforced by climate change concerns, nuclear dangers and accumulating radioactive waste, high oil prices, peak oil and increasing government support for renewable energy. These factors are commercializing renewable energy, enlarging the market and growing demand, the adoption of new products to replace obsolete technology and the conversion of existing infrastructure to a renewable standard.[26]

In economics, a non-renewable resource is defined as goods, where greater consumption today implies less consumption tomorrow.[27] David Ricardo in his early works analysed the pricing of exhaustible resources, where he argued that the price of a mineral resource should increase over time. He argued that the spot price is always determined by the mine with the highest cost of extraction, and mine owners with lower extraction costs benefit from a differential rent. The first model is defined by Hotelling's rule, which is a 1931 economic model of non-renewable resource management by Harold Hotelling. It shows that efficient exploitation of a nonrenewable and nonaugmentable resource would, under otherwise stable conditions, lead to a depletion of the resource. The rule states that this would lead to a net price or "Hotelling rent" for it that rose annually at a rate equal to the rate of interest, reflecting the increasing scarcity of the resources.[28] The Hartwick's rule provides an important result about the sustainability of welfare in an economy that uses non-renewable source.[29]

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Non-renewable resource - Wikipedia

OTTAWA, ON, Oct. 13, 2022 /CNW/ - Canada's abundant natural resources and its ability to develop them sustainably and inclusively are a significant comparative advantage in the global transition to a net-zero economy. That transition presents a generational economic opportunity for Canadians from coast to coast to coast. A key question on which Canada must collectively focus on is how to build on its regional comparative advantages in a manner that will create good jobs, economic opportunity and prosperity for all Canadians.

A significant part of the answer to that question is the Regional Energy and Resource Tables.

Today, the Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Natural Resources, announced five more provinces and territories are formally joining the Regional Energy and Resource Tables initiative, which is a partnership between the federal and provincial and territorial governments to support strong communities and job creation in every region of Canada.

With the addition of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, the Northwest Territories, and the Yukon, a total of eight provinces and territories are now participating in the Regional Energy and Resource Tables after British Columbia, Manitoba and Newfoundland and Labrador helped launch Phase 1 on June 1, 2022. The federal government is setting up these tables during the next several months with the goal of establishing them with all 13 provinces and territories by early 2023.

At the federal level, the Regional Tables are an initiative led by Natural Resources Canada, involving multiple federal institutions, including Innovation, Science, and Economic Development Canada, the Regional Development Agencies and the Canada Infrastructure Bank. The Regional Energy and Resource Tables are collaborative fora that will bring the federal, provincial and territorial governments together with Indigenous partners, union partners, municipalities, industry, workers, experts and civil society to advance the top economic priorities in the natural resources space in every region of Canada through the development of place-based economic strategies. The Regional Energy and Resource Tables will gather input from relevant partners and seek to align resources, timelines and regulatory approaches to capitalize on key regional opportunities and priorities.

This collaboration will significantly advance the realization of economic opportunities that could range from mining critical minerals for made-in-Canada electric vehicles and batteries, to hydrogen in several regions across the country, to building small modular reactors. Other initiatives might include developing biofuels, making greater use of technologies such as carbon capture, utilization and storage, or advancing wind projects on the East Coast to generate clean electricity.

The Regional Energy and Resource Tables will help ensure that federal funding from existing sources are directed toward top regional priorities and projects, including the $8-billion Net Zero Accelerator, the $35-billion Canada Infrastructure Bank and the $3.8 billion allocated in Budget 2022 to implement Canada's first Critical Minerals Strategy. The Regional Energy and Resource Tables will also identify areas in which incremental resources may be required.

At the federal level, the Regional Energy and Resource Tables are being led by Natural Resources Canada while involving multiple federal institutions, including Innovation, Science and Development Canada; the Regional Development Agencies; and the Canada Infrastructure Bank.

By working together, Canadians will create the good jobs and enduring prosperity that will come with the unprecedented economic opportunities of building a net-zero world.

Quotes

"Just as any successful business must be capable of interpreting and reacting to changes in the business environment, countries must also be capable of thoughtful response and action to sustain and enhance their level of prosperity. This initiative will enable provinces, territories, the federal government and key Indigenous partners to collectively accelerate economic activity and position Canada as an economic leader in the global shift toward a low-carbon future."

The Honourable Jonathan WilkinsonMinister of Natural Resources Canada, Government of Canada

"With the highest tides and some of the best offshore wind in the world, we're using our natural resources to our advantage in Nova Scotia to develop our renewable energy markets. Through the Regional Energy and Resource Tables, we look forward to further collaboration with our colleagues across Canada to reach our ambitious climate change goals and create green jobs here at home."

The Honourable Tory RushtonMinister of Natural Resources and Renewables, Government of Nova Scotia

"As a province, we are very clear that our transition to net zero is a top priority. We know we require more resources to achieve our ambitious climate goals and look forward to working with the federal government and key partners to ensure a sustainable future for Prince Edward Island. We have unique circumstances in the Atlantic region, and we anticipate important discussions surrounding battery storage, carbon capture, electrification and other innovative ideas and technologies we can implement on the path to net zero."

The Honourable Steven MyersMinister of Environment, Energy and Climate Action, Government of Prince Edward Island

"We look forward to the Table discussions and applaud Minister Wilkinson for this important initiative, which will help us align with the federal government on our provincial priorities such as small modular reactor development and hydrogen production and provide an opportunity for our key stakeholders to give input as we transition our economy to a net-zero world."

The Honourable Mike HollandMinister of Natural Resources and Energy Development, Government of New Brunswick

"The Northwest Territories is well positioned for economic growth and prosperity while deploying the energy solutions we need to make a successful transition to a low-carbon economy that runs on reliable, affordable energy. The territorial 2030 Energy Strategy advances several transformational energy projects such as transmission lines to bring clean hydro to diesel communities and the Taltson hydroelectricity expansion project to develop NWT clean energy potential. Through the spirit of collaboration and partnership at the Regional Energy and Resource Tables with all levels of government, including Indigenous leadership, we can advance priorities important to all 33 communities in the Northwest Territories, create lasting economic opportunities, and promote the well-being of northerners for generations to come."

The Honourable Diane ArchieMinister of Infrastructure, Government of the Northwest Territories

"The Northwest Territories' resource sector is at an exciting moment in its history. With a rich supply of critical minerals and a regulatory framework that places environmental protection and Indigenous rights at the centre of decision-making, we are at the heart of ESG-I and future green energy solutions. We will continue working with our partners to create a strong, responsible resource sector that contributes to a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions in Canada and supports our goal of becoming a leader in Canada's low-carbon economy."

The Honourable Caroline WawzonekMinister of Industry, Tourism and Investment, Government of the Northwest Territories

"The Yukon has many of the resources needed for the transition to a low-carbon economy and our government is proud to be advancing the territory to a green future. We look forward to continuing to work with the federal government, First Nations and all partners through the Regional Energy and Resource Tables to support a responsible and sustainable resource sector that keeps our environment and the generations to come in mind."

The Honourable John StreickerMinister of Energy, Mines and Resources, Government of Yukon

Quick facts

Backgrounder: Progress Update on the Regional Energy and Resource Tables

The Regional Energy and Resource Tables are a collaborative initiative between the federal government and the provinces and territories designed to identify, prioritize and pursue opportunities for sustainable job creation and economic growth in Canada's natural resource sectors as the world transitions to net zero.

The Regional Energy and Resource Tables were launched on June 1, 2022, with the Government of Canada partnering with British Columbia, Manitoba and Newfoundland and Labrador in Phase 1.

Phase 2 of the Regional Energy and Resource Tables was launched on October 13, with New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, the Northwest Territories and the Yukon.

Progress to date under Regional Energy and Resource Tables Phase 1

Since the launch of Phase 1, the Government of Canada has engaged in regular discussions at multiple levels with the participating provinces of British Columbia, Manitoba and Newfoundland and Labrador, as well as with Indigenous partners and organizations in those three provinces.

These efforts have led to the identification of a number of shared priorities, the creation of work streams and the first steps toward developing action plans to align resources, timelines and regulatory approaches to seize those opportunities.

The following are snapshots of the early progress made through Phase 1:

In addition, the federal government and all three provincial governments remain committed to working in close collaboration with relevant experts and key stakeholders such as industry partners and labour representatives.

Roll out of Regional Energy and Resource Tables Phase 2 and Next Steps

In the coming months, officials from the Government of Canada and provincial and territorial governments will engage formally to:

Through the Regional Energy and Resource Tables, the federal government will continue to work with the provinces and territories to grow the economy, create sustainable jobs and lower emissions from coast to coast to coast.

Follow us on Twitter: @NRCan (http://twitter.com/nrcan)

SOURCE Natural Resources Canada

For further information: Natural Resources Canada, Media Relations, 343-292-6100, [emailprotected]; Keean Nembhard, Press Secretary, Office of the Minister of Natural Resources, 613-323-7892, [emailprotected]

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Minister Wilkinson Launches Phase 2 of the Regional Energy and Resource Tables - Canada NewsWire

UNECE Executive Secretary Olga Algayerova took part in a panel discussion at the Russian Energy Week today aimed at fostering international cooperation on hydrogen (H2).

Hydrogen offers the prospect to decarbonize the energy sector and large sectors of the economy. The shift to a decarbonized hydrogen-based economy could help achieve carbon neutrality by 2050 in line with the objectives of the Paris Agreement. This would require a rapid and extensive expansion of renewable and low-carbon hydrogen production. For this to happen, massive investments and appropriate policy support will be needed.

During her intervention, the Executive Secretary expressed her solidarity with the people of Ukraine, called for the application of the resolutions of the General Assembly of the United Nations on Ukraines territorial integrity, the respect of the principles of the UN Charter and adherence to international law. She reiterated the UN Secretary Generals urgent calls for an immediate cessation of hostilities.

She also invited the Russian Federation to take its share of responsibility in the collective effort to deliver carbon neutrality and to limit global warming.

UNECE member States and other stakeholders still disagree on how to quantify the sustainability of hydrogen, said UNECE Executive Secretary Olga Algayerova. In view of the climate emergency and energy crisis the world is facing, we have no time to lose in decarbonising the energy sector and our economies. UNECE offers a unique platform to define and develop the future hydrogen-based economy. I invite member States to use our Committee on Sustainable Energy to overcome their differences and develop a comprehensive classification for hydrogen.

In 2020, under the auspices of its Groups of Experts on Gas, Renewable Energy and Cleaner Electricity Systems, UNECE established a Task Force on hydrogen, which launched a project to improve the capacities of countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States (Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Republic of Moldova, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan) to develop sustainable hydrogen production strategieswhile raising awareness and overcoming economic, technical, policy and investment barriers.

The Policy Brief on hydrogen published in November 2021 highlighted H2s potential to decarbonize the economy, described the state of play in the UNECE region and listed a series of recommended policy commitments.

Finally, last month theCommittee on Sustainable Energy mandated UNECE to develop specifications to apply the United Nations Framework Classification for Resources (UNFC) and the United Nations Resource Management System (UNRMS) that is under development to hydrogen projects, through pilot projects and case studies.

In addition to its work on the production of H2, UNECEs regulatory work ensures the safe use of hydrogen through:

TheUnited Nations Model Regulations on the Transport of Dangerous Goodscontain provisions for the safe transport of hydrogen and other dangerous goods by all modes of transport. These provisions, developed by theECOSOC Committee of Experts on the Transport of Dangerous Goodsserviced by UNECE, are then incorporated into all modal instruments for air, maritime and land transport.

International regulations developed by UNECEs World Forum for Harmonization of Vehicle Regulations provide the basis to scale up the use of hydrogen and Fuel Cell Vehicles (HFCVs) through theUN Global Technical Regulation (UN GTR) No. 13, under the 1998 Agreement andUN Regulation No. 134(mirroring the same provisions in the framework of the type approval system), under the 1958 Agreement.

A number of industrial activities produce or use hydrogen, e.g. chemical, nuclear or pharmaceutical industry, oil refineries, packaging activities, etc. Hydrogen is covered as a hazardous substance under the provisions of theUNECE Convention on the Transboundary Effects of Industrial Accidents, which supports countries to strengthen prevention, preparedness and response in the case of an accident.

UNECE will continue supporting its member States in enhancing the understanding of the role of hydrogen to attain carbon neutrality and develop resilient energy systems across the region, in particular through hydrogen-related technical dialogues at COP 27 on 7 November 2022 and the Almaty Energy Forum on 14 November 2022.

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Executive Secretary participates in Russian Energy Week to advocate for decarbonization in the UNECE region ahead of COP27 - UNECE

RENAULT

The Future Is NEUTRAL: The circular economy is stepping into a new era!

Renault Group is creating The Future Is NEUTRAL, the first company operating across the entire automotive circular economy value chain, aiming at moving the automotive industry towards resource neutrality.

Bringing together all the existing expertise of the group and its partners in this activity, this new entity offers closed-loop1 recycling solutions at each stage of a vehicle's life: supply of parts and raw materials, production, use and end of life.

With the objective of the business portfolio reaching a turnover2 of more than 2,3 billion euros and an operating margin of more than 10% by 2030, The Future Is NEUTRAL aims to become the leader in industrial and European scale of the closed-loop automotive circular economy, at the service of car manufacturers as well as the entire industry.

Renault Group is thus taking another step forward in its historic commitment to the circular economy.

Boulogne-Billancourt, October 13, 2022 Today, Renault Group announced the creation of a new entity entirely dedicated to the circular economy: The Future Is NEUTRAL. By bringing together the existing industrial and technological expertise and assets of the group and its partners under a new brand, The Future Is NEUTRAL is the first company to operate across the entire automotive circular economy value chain, and is aimed at all players in the automotive world, beyond Renault Group.

In a context of energy transition marked by the scarcity of resources and inflation in the price of raw materials, this entity will develop more technological and industrial solutions thanks to the expertise of its subsidiaries and its network of partners already operating. It will enable the automotive industry to significantly increase the proportion of recycled materials from the automotive industry in the production of new vehicles. Today, a new vehicle contains only between 20 and 30% recycled materials from all industries.

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In the short term, the entity aims at growing its existing businesses with a dedicated business model and developing new opportunities with the automotive industry. With the objective of the business portfolio reaching a turnover of more than 2,3 billion2 and an operating margin of more than 10%2 by 2030, The Future Is NEUTRAL aims to be the industrial and European leader in the closed-loop automotive circular economy.

Finally, in order to accelerate its development and strengthen its leadership in a fast-growing market, The Future Is NEUTRAL is opening up a minority of its capital to outside investors with a view to co-financing investments of around 500 million until 2030.

Luca de Meo, CEO of Renault Group, said: Today we are taking another step in our historic commitment to the circular economy. Our subsidiaries Gaia, Indra and Boone Comenor, as well as the Refactory in Flins, have already demonstrated our ability to generate activities that create economic, social and environmental value throughout the vehicle life cycle. Based on this experience and convinced of the potential of these activities, we are accelerating and creating The Future Is NEUTRAL, which brings together all our industrial and technological assets, as well as our network of strategic partners. Its mission: to grow its business with ambitious strategic plans and new outlets by offering the automotive industry, faced with the climate challenge, new regulatory requirements and increasing pressure on resources, closed-loop recycling solutions, i.e. from car to car. Our ambition is to bring recycling into a new era and become the European leader in the automotive circular economy.

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From car to car: the car as a raw material

Every year in Europe more than 11 million vehicles, made up of around 85% recyclable materials, reach the end of their life. However, this resource is under-exploited: new vehicles are made up of only 20-30% of recycled material, from all industries. Today, the recyclable material from end-of-life vehicles is mostly recovered for other industrial applications (metallurgy, construction, etc.). The objective of The Future Is NEUTRAL is to maintain the value of parts and materials for as long as possible and to enable the industry to achieve a much higher rate of recycled automotive materials in the production of new vehicles.

Jean-Philippe Bahuaud, CEO of The Future Is NEUTRAL, explains: In the automotive sector, the first under-exploited resource is the car itself, which is made up of more than 85% of metals and plastics. The Future Is NEUTRAL brings together the expertise to convert this potential into new growth levers. This new entity aims to push the automotive industry towards resource neutrality, extracting from each vehicle the largest possible amount of material needed to manufacture a new model.

The Future Is NEUTRAL's expertise

The company's strength lies in its ability to mobilise a network of subsidiaries and partners to collect parts, materials and batteries throughout the automotive lifecycle, from scrap cars, factory rejects and garages. Thanks to this ecosystem, The Future Is NEUTRAL is developing circular economy loops at each stage of a vehicle's life, from the production phase to the use and end of life of vehicles.

In concrete terms, The Future Is NEUTRAL relies on its subsidiary Gaia, whose battery repair, parts collection and reuse, and recycling of materials from end-of-life vehicles (ELVs) are based in Flins. Also located at the heart of the Flins Refactory, the renovation of mechanical and mechatronic parts, as well as the future vehicle dismantling line, aim to supply these circular flows. With its reference partner Suez, the entity also owns two companies: Indra3, the leader in ELV treatment in France, with more than 370 approved centres, and Boone Comenor4, an expert in the recycling of metal scraps from industry5.

Alongside industrial partners, The Future Is NEUTRAL aims at becoming a future European leader in closed-loop battery recycling, in line with regulations, and attractive to other car manufacturers by leveraging a world-class industrial process in terms of yield and purity to ensure the required level of recycled content in their batteries at the best cost. To develop Europe's first closed-loop battery recycling offer, the entity relies on Europe's largest fleet of electric vehicles6, high-content chemistry7 and capitalises on INDRA's expanding network to assist in battery collection and GAIA's expertise in battery diagnosis. Finally, The Future Is NEUTRAL will also work with its battery manufacturer partners, such as Verkor, to pool their end-of-life batteries with production waste.

To carry out its activities, The Future Is NEUTRAL relies on a wide range of technical skills, from advanced engineering and chemistry to the use of data, which it places at the heart of its business model to optimise the economic and environmental performance of its solutions.

The Future Is NEUTRAL also offers the automotive industry a consultancy service, as well as training dedicated to the circular economy, with the support of the Circular Mobility Industry (ICM) campus based in Flins, as part of the group's ReKnow University.

http://www.thefutureisneutral.com

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About Renault GroupRenault Group is at the forefront of a mobility that is reinventing itself. Strengthened by its alliance with Nissan and Mitsubishi Motors, and its unique expertise in electrification, Renault Group comprises 4 complementary brands - Renault, Dacia, Alpine and Mobilize - offering sustainable and innovative mobility solutions to its customers. Established in more than 130 countries, the Group has sold 2.7 million vehicles in 2021. It employs nearly 111,000 people who embody its Purpose every day, so that mobility brings people closer. Ready to pursue challenges both on the road and in competition, Renault Group is committed to an ambitious transformation that will generate value. This is centred on the development of new technologies and services, and a new range of even more competitive, balanced and electrified vehicles. In line with environmental challenges, the Groups ambition is to achieve carbon neutrality in Europe by 2040. https://www.renaultgroup.com/en/

Juliette Faucon / +33 7 89 27 09 92 / juliette.faucon@renault.com

1 Closed loop: i.e. from the car to the car.2 Total Scope, Sum of the Parts.

3 Indra is a joint venture owned 50% by Renault Group and 50% by Suez.4 Boone Comenor is a joint venture owned 33% by Renault Group and 67% by Suez.5 In 10 years, the activities developed by the Gaia, Indra and Boone Comenor subsidiaries have already made it possible to recover 14 million tonnes of steel, the equivalent of more than 17 million vehicles, a year's production in Europe, and 12,000 tonnes of plastics and copper, enough to supply one year's production of Renault Megane in polypropylene. 6 900,000 Renault and Nissan electric vehicles on the road by 2022. 7 Chemicals rich in nickel, manganese, cobalt and lithium.

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Renault Group: The Future Is NEUTRAL: The circular economy is stepping into a new era! - Yahoo Finance

Housing Slowdown Demonstrates Impact of Rapidly Risen Mortgage Rate Environment

WASHINGTON, Oct. 12, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The combination of high inflation, monetary policy tightening, and a slowing housing market is still projected to tip the economy into a modest recession in the first quarter of 2023, according to the October 2022 commentary from the Fannie Mae (OTCQB: FNMA)Economic and Strategic Research (ESR) Group. The ESR Group expects real gross domestic product (GDP) to grow 2.3 percent annualized in the third quarter of 2022 due to strong net export and inventory investment activity, before contracting 0.7 percent annualized in the fourth quarter as the effects of that activity wane. Headline GDP growth is expected to remain negative through the third quarter of 2023 as the economy enters a modest recession. The ESR Group forecasts negative 0.1 percent real GDP growth on a full-year basis for 2022, a slight downward revision from its prior month prediction of 0.0 percent, and it maintained its expectation for a 0.5 percent contraction in real GDP in 2023. Core inflation remains considerably higher than the Federal Reserve's stated target; and despite the historic decline in August job openings, the continued strength in labor has futures markets expecting the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) to raise the federal funds rate by an additional 75 basis points at its November meeting.

Due largely to the higher mortgage rate environment, the ESR Group lowered its forecast for total single-family home sales in 2022 and 2023 to 5.64 million and 4.47 million, respectively, which would represent annual declines of 18.1 percent and 20.8 percent. While multifamily construction remains strong, the ESR Group also revised downward its multifamily starts forecast for 2023 to 390,000 units. Further, the ESR Group significantly revised its outlook for national home price growth and now expects year-over-year home price growth to turn negative in Q2 2023. From a full-year perspective, the ESR Group expects Q4/Q4 national home price growth in 2022 to be 9.0 percent, down from last month's prediction of 16.0 percent. The ESR Group expects home price declines of 1.5 percent in 2023, down from its previous prediction of home price growth of 4.4 percent in 2023.

"Over the last few weeks, markets have increasingly and perhaps reluctantly reflected the resolve of the Fed to lower inflation via rapid tightening of monetary policy," said Doug Duncan, Fannie Mae Senior Vice President and Chief Economist. "At times, the market has reacted to incoming economic data suggesting the Fed is making progress in its fight with inflation by anticipating a potential policy 'pivot' toward a less restrictive regimen, prompting the Fed to restate its resolve. Of course, the slowing effect on the housing market of the higher mortgage rate environment has been largely predictable, and home prices appear to have already begun trending downward. Looking ahead to the full year 2023, on a national basis, we expect an average home price decline of 1.5%. Given the ongoing tension between potential homebuyers and home-sellers at the moment, we believe the pace of sales is likely to slow even further, too."

Visitthe Economic & Strategic Researchsite at fanniemae.comto read the full October 2022 Economic Outlook, including the Economic Developments Commentary, Economic Forecast, Housing Forecast, and Multifamily Market Commentary. To receive e-mail updates with other housing market research from Fannie Mae's Economic & Strategic Research Group, please click here.

Opinions, analyses, estimates, forecasts, and other views of Fannie Mae's Economic & Strategic Research (ESR) group included in these materials should not be construed as indicating Fannie Mae's business prospects or expected results, are based on a number of assumptions, and are subject to change without notice. How this information affects Fannie Mae will depend on many factors. Although the ESR group bases its opinions, analyses, estimates, forecasts, and other views on information it considers reliable, it does not guarantee that the information provided in these materials is accurate, current or suitable for any particular purpose. Changes in the assumptions or the information underlying these views could produce materially different results. The analyses, opinions, estimates, forecasts, and other views published by the ESR group represent the views of that group as of the date indicated and do not necessarily represent the views of Fannie Mae or its management.

About the ESR Group

Fannie Mae's Economic and Strategic Research Group, led by Chief Economist Doug Duncan, studies current data, analyzes historical and emerging trends, and conducts surveys of consumer and mortgage lender groups to provide forecasts and analyses on the economy, housing, and mortgage markets. The ESR Group was recently awarded the prestigious 2022 Lawrence R. Klein Award for Blue Chip Forecast Accuracy based on the accuracy of its macroeconomic forecasts published over the 4-year period from 2018 to 2021.

About Fannie Mae

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Economy Expected to Contract Further in 2023, as the Fed Appears Resolved to Tame Inflation - PR Newswire

Brazil is now headed toward a rocky presidential runoff vote on October 30, after its October 2 election produced no clear winner between far right populist president Jair Bolsonaro an outspoken admirer of the brutal military dictatorship that came to power in 1964 by deposing a democratically elected president and lasted until 1985 and Bolsonaros leftist challenger, Lula.

This is a tightly contested election, but polls are giving Lula a clear edge as he has received the endorsement of both the third and fourth finishers. Meanwhile Bolsonaro has indicated on numerous occasions in the past that he will not accept the election result if he loses.

The election will determine the future of Latin Americas powerhouse a country with the 12th largest economy in the world that is rich in a variety of natural resources and home to the worlds biggest rainforest, the Amazon. Brazil is also a country of extreme inequality, awash in corruption and violence.

What is at stake in the runoff election, both for Brazil and the world at large, is brilliantly elucidated by Noam Chomsky in the exclusive interview for Truthout that follows. Chomsky is presently in Brazil and has been following very closely both the election campaigns as well as overall developments in the country.

Chomsky is internationally recognized as one of the greatest public intellectuals alive, the founder of modern linguistics and one of the most cited scholars in the history of the world. He is institute professor and professor of linguistics emeritus at MIT and laureate professor of linguistics at the University of Arizona. He has published more than 150 books in linguistics, politics and current affair, history and political economy, media studies, U.S. foreign policy and global affairs.

C.J. Polychroniou: Noam, the eyes of the world were focused on Brazils presidential election a couple of weeks ago, which pitted incumbent Jair Bolsonaro, a divisive far right populist, against former leftist president Luiz Incio Lula da Silva, who had served years in prison on charges of money laundering and corruption in a controversial trial. Neither candidate managed to win more than 50 percent of the vote, so there is going to be a runoff election at the end of the month. Why does Brazils election matter so much to the world?

Noam Chomsky: A century ago, Brazil was declared to be the Colossus of the South, set to lead the hemisphere along with the Colossus of the North. Since then, the northern Colossus has replaced Britain as the virtual ruler of the world, extending its power far beyond the dreams of what is now Washingtons junior partner. The southern Colossus has stumbled. It is important to understand how.

In the 1950s, decolonization was beginning, and the former colonial societies were not only seeking independence but also advances toward social justice and peaceful settlement of international disputes. The non-aligned movement was formed. Other initiatives were beginning. All of this was anathema to the U.S. and its imperial predecessors.

Brazil was part of the global effort under Kubitschek and in the early 60s, Quadros and Goulart. The Kennedy administration was deeply concerned with these global developments, particularly in the traditional U.S. preserve in Latin America.

In 1962, in a decision of historical importance, JFK shifted the role of the Latin American military from hemispheric defense to internal security, meaning war against the population. The effects were graphically described by Kennedy-Johnson Director of Counterinsurgency Charles Maechling: The decision led to a shift from toleration of the rapacity and cruelty of the Latin American military to direct complicity in their crimes, to U.S. support for the methods of Heinrich Himmlers extermination squads.

A primary concern was Brazil, Latin Americas powerhouse. The JFK administration helped prepare the ground for a 1964 military coup that overthrew the flourishing Brazilian democracy shortly after Kennedys assassination.

The destruction of democracy was welcomed by Kennedy-Johnson Ambassador to Brazil Lincoln Gordon as a democratic rebellion, a great victory for the free world that should create a greatly improved climate for private investments. This democratic rebellion was the single most decisive victory of freedom in the mid-twentieth century, Gordon continued, one of the major turning points in world history in this period.

Gordon was right. The vicious military junta in Brazil was the first of the neo-Nazi terror-and-torture National Security States that then spread over Latin America, a plague that reached Central America under Reagans murderous regime.

By the 1980s, the plague was declining in South America, less under U.S. control. In Argentina and Uruguay, truth commissions exposed the horrors of the military regimes. Not in Brazil. The democratization process largely evaded the topic, apart from a Church-based inquiry. The result is that many younger Brazilians are unaware of the terrible crimes, or not concerned. That enables a great admirer of the military regime like Bolsonaro to condemn the Brazilian generals for their weakness: They did not murder 30,000 people as their associates in Argentina did.

Plumbing the depths of depravity a considerable achievement for this Trump admirer when voting for the fraudulent impeachment of [Workers Party] Dilma Rousseff, Bolsonaro dedicated his vote to her torturer, the chief torturer of the junta.

All of this passes with little comment, something else we are more than familiar with in the U.S.

The crushing of Brazilian democracy was one stage of a much broader process that is one of the most important and least discussed features of modern history: beating back the efforts of the former colonies to find a place in the global system. That idea was utterly intolerable to the U.S., which led the western campaign to cut off this departure from good order, also virtually wiping it out of history.

Brazil resumed the process in the new century. It became one of the most respected and influential world powers during Lulas term in office (2003-2010), a golden decade in Brazils history in the eyes of the World Bank. Together with his Minister of Foreign Affairs Celso Amorim, Lula also led efforts to gain a voice for the Global South more generally. These positive developments went into reverse during the erratic and authoritarian Bolsonaro years.

The potential remains. The country has abundant resources that the world desperately needs. It is culturally and technologically advanced in many areas. It suffers under the Latin American curse of an ultra-privileged elite that has little commitment to the welfare of the country, a major reason for the sharp divergence in development between resource-rich Latin America and resource-poor East Asia in the past years, as economic historians have discussed.

Cooperating under leadership based on progressive popular movements, the two Colossi could be leading the world toward a brighter future. In a Trump-Bolsonaro alliance, they would be dragging the world to an abyss.

The most compelling immediate concern is the fate of the Amazon forests, mostly in Brazil. It has long been understood that if current trends persist, this core component of the lungs of the earth will turn to savannah, unable to produce enough moisture to sustain itself. A major carbon sink that has been protecting all of us will turn to a carbon producer, impelling us toward catastrophe.

As in many other cases, the time scale of this tragedy has been severely underestimated. Brazilian researchers have shown that it has already begun to happen in some regions, which are reaching irreversible tipping points. The threat to survival has been sharply accelerated by Bolsonaros support for illegal logging, mining, agribusiness expansion, and destruction of native reserves and the many tribes that inhabit them. Formally, they are protected under laws that are being cast aside in the interests of short-term profit and power.

Though not of course confined to Brazil, the crime against humanity is particularly grave there because of the scale. And it is particularly critical right now because the fate of the Amazon, and all that it entails, will be decided on October 30, the runoff for the elections. A Bolsonaro victory would likely doom the Amazon. A Lula victory might be able to save it, averting a disaster for Brazil and a catastrophe for life on earth.

The good news is that in the first round Lula came close to victory, much as polling had predicted. Collaboration with a center-left party rather close to Lulas Workers Party would have led to victory. This and broader coalitions are now forming and might lead to victory on October 30.

The bad news is dual. Bolsonaros vote was far beyond what polling predicted, and his candidates swept other offices: governors and parliament particularly, meaning that Lulas hands will be tied even if elected. The far right surge even included such monstrous figures as Ricardo Salles, the point man for Bolsonaros campaign to enrich the criminals who were destroying the Amazon under his watch.

A week later, an election will take place in the northern Colossus with similar stakes but of even greater import given power relations. The denialist party is poised to add Congress to its conquests. The most reactionary Supreme Court in memory is already firmly in its hands and is likely to grease the way to the campaign to turn the country into an Orbn-style illiberal democracy where a minority party of the far right will be able to maintain power and drive the country to an extremist Christian nationalism. None of this is at all concealed.

That grotesque outcome will, in fact, not matter much as environmental destruction goes out of control under the hands of those dedicated to enhancing corporate profits whatever the human consequences.

In answer to the question, there is a fateful week ahead.

Opinion surveys had shown Lula leading Bolsonaro by more than 10 percentage points, but the race turned out to be much tighter than anticipated and, in fact, Bolsonaro swept the state and senate races. What happened?

We have to withhold judgment until the facts are in. One possibility is that what happened is similar to what has been studied in depth in the U.S.

In both counties, the huge evangelical vote is by now fairly solidly in the hands of the far right and its propaganda messages about the fires of hell if the accomplice of the devil triumphs. In the U.S., that traces back to the GOP campaigns of the 70s to shift to culture wars to gain political power.

Trump voters regard pollsters as part of the hated elite that is supposedly leading the Great Replacement and grooming children for sexual perversion (not an exaggeration of current right-wing discourse) and therefore do not respond to them accurately if at all. That is very likely a factor in Brazil as well. There may well be studies of the matter, but I dont know of them.

Another factor is suggested by the fact that many of the right-wingers elected seem to be little known, meaning that voters may have not even been aware of their programs a fact familiar in the U.S. as well, as extensively documented. Pre-election, Bolsonaro was lavishly distributing state funds to potential voters, using a mysterious secret budget of public funds, possibly supplemented by private funds from wealthy supporters in Brazil and the U.S. What was the impact? We can surmise, but do not know.

What we do know is that the stakes are very high.

The election campaign was marked by a series of violent incidents between supporters of Bolsonaro and Lula, and its highly unlikely that the climate will be different now that the two candidates are heading to second round. Whats the main cause of the extreme polarization that characterizes contemporary Brazilian society?

I should defer here to people who know far more about Brazil than I do.

Some aspects of the polarization are not obscure. One was already mentioned. The polarization goes far back. Inequality is deeply rooted. A very rich mostly white minority lives in luxury not far from miserable slums, where people lack access even to food and water. Furthermore, the rich have little commitment to the society. They evade taxes, export their capital, import luxury goods and have second homes in Paris a pattern increasingly familiar in the U.S. after 40 years of the brutal class war misleadingly framed in terms of market worship.

On the surface, Brazil gives the impression of a well-functioning multiracial society, far more so than the U.S. Thats on the surface. Behind the veil, the white rulers are deeply racist and have harsh class prejudice. One reason for their contempt for Lula, scarcely concealed, is that he is a mere industrial worker lacking formal education. Not the right kind of person to be in the presidential palace. Even a white face doesnt protect him from the contempt, in his case class-based, and deepened by his initiatives at social inclusion of Afro-Brazilians and Indigenous communities as well as social welfare for the undeserving poor. Again, the resonances in the U.S. are too obvious to discuss.

The polarization may be taking sharper forms today, as is happening in much of the world, but it is drawing from social pathology that runs deep.

Bolsonaro has long raised doubts about Brazils electoral process. Is it likely that he might refuse to go if he loses the runoff vote at the end of the month, especially with his party having the most seats in both chambers of the congress? How far will Brazils military back him?

We can speculate idly or devote our efforts to restricting the possibilities. Brazil is not the U.S., but the questions are not unfamiliar there. Both countries are awash in guns, a recent phenomenon in Brazil as Bolsonaro has opened to arsenals, overwhelmingly to his supporters. There are heavily armed militias that control areas that are barely accessible to the police. Civilian control of the military, and the major police forces, is less firmly institutionalized than in the U.S. where questions also arise.

In the U.S., large parts of Republican voters have called for violence if it is necessary to save the country from the devils intent on destroying the white race, Christianity, the family. There are similar elements in Brazil. Both countries are plagued by demagogues with the talent to tap the ugliest currents that rot the society from below. They are visible, prominent, influential, close to power.

If power is allowed to fall into their hands, we will be facing the nightmare of a Western Hemisphere in the hands of the two Colossi bent on driving to world to destruction.

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Brazils Runoff Election Will Have Enormous Effects on the Global Climate Crisis - Truthout

Please note that the Public Health England team leading this policy transitioned into the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities on 1 October 2021.

This guide is part of All Our Health, a resource that helps health and care professionals and the wider workforce prevent ill health and promote wellbeing as part of their everyday practice. All Our Health content on inclusion health, community-centred practice and improving the wider determinants of health may be of particular interest in connection with this topic.

Health inequalities are defined as avoidable differences in health outcomes between groups or populations such as differences in how long we live, or the age at which we get preventable diseases or health conditions. Similarly, health disparities are described by Healthy People 2020 as:

a particular type of health difference that is closely linked with social, economic and/or environmental disadvantage.

Health disparities are said to adversely affect groups of people who have systematically experienced greater obstacles to health. Depending on the workforce, sector or organisation, different language is sometimes used to describe the same problem. The terms health disparities and health inequalities are sometimes used interchangeably.

The causes of health inequalities or disparities are complex, but are generally associated with variation in a range of factors that positively or negatively influence our ability to be healthy. This includes individual health-related behaviour, such as:

In recent times, progress has been made in improving key determinants of health for many people including:

However, the benefits of this have not been felt equally across the population, resulting in some groups or people living in some areas continuing to spend more of their lives in poor health and dying sooner than others.

This All Our Health: health disparities and health inequalities resource highlights that everyone can contribute to addressing health disparities and health inequalities in the course of their everyday work or role. It has been created to help a wide range of organisations and professionals, including health and care professionals, practitioners, commissioners, senior leaders, managers, and voluntary and community sector workers to:

In England, there is a 19-year gap in healthy life expectancy (whether we experience health conditions or diseases that impact how long we live in good health) between the most and least affluent areas of the country, with people in the most deprived neighbourhoods, certain ethnic minority and inclusion health groups getting multiple long-term health conditions 10 to 15 years earlier than the least deprived communities, spending more years in ill health and dying sooner.[footnote 1]

The most recent data on how long we live overall (life expectancy for local areas of the UK: between 2001 to 2003 and 2018 to 2020) includes some data from the coronavirus (COVID-19) period. It indicates that life expectancy for men has fallen for England as a whole, but there is significant variation across the regions for both men and women. For example, for men, life expectancy at birth has fallen in all regions other than the south-east and south-west, and, for females, there have been reductions in all regions other than the south-east, south-west and London.

These differences in health outcomes are known as health inequalities unfair and avoidable differences in health across the population, and between different groups within society. Health inequalities arise because of the conditions in which we are born, grow, live, work and age. These conditions influence our opportunities for good health, and how we think, feel and act, and this shapes our mental health, physical health and wellbeing.[footnote 2]

Figure 1 above shows the broad range of individual characteristics and societal factors that have been identified as contributing to health inequalities. These are:

These factors (or domains) are complex and interact with each other to benefit or disadvantage people or groups, leading to differences in health outcomes. Individuals fall into more than one category and, subsequently, may experience multiple drivers of poor health at the same time.

Figure 2 above illustrates the characteristics of people or places associated with differences in health outcomes.

Some other key terms in health inequalities and health disparities are:

We want everyone to have equally good health. However, the term equality is sometimes used to describe equal treatment or access for everyone regardless of need or outcome.

We want fair outcomes for everyone. What is important is addressing avoidable or remediable differences in health between groups of people.

Figure 2 above demonstrates that, to achieve health equity, some groups may need more or different support or resources in order to achieve the same outcomes.

Ideally, the barriers to good health would be removed for everyone, so adjustments wouldnt be required however, this is not always possible.

Ensuring everyone can access services equitably (that is according to need) is a key priority for the NHS.

To achieve this, consideration needs to be given to access to information, services and support. Central to this is enabling people to access the right service at the right time for them, reducing variation in the avoidable use of urgent support such as accident and emergency services through better access to preventative care.

The Public Sector Equality Duty set out in the Equality Act 2010 applies to all public bodies and all those that carry out public functions.

The protected characteristics covered by the dutyare:

Public bodies are required to have due regard to the need to:

Inclusion health is a catch-all term used to describe people who:

These experiences frequently lead to barriers in access to healthcare and extremely poor health outcomes.

Deprivation describes a wide range of living conditions that impact on the lives of individuals and communities. People may be considered to be living in poverty if they lack the financial resources to meet their needs, whereas people can be regarded as deprived if they lack any kind of resources, not just income.

The Index of Multiple Deprivationis the official measure of relative deprivation in England that measures 7 domains of deprivation when combined and appropriately weighted. These are:

Health disparities and health inequalities are not spread equally across England. There are local variations in the concentration of pre-existing health conditions and chronic disease in certain geographies between different areas. Alongside and contributing to driving these are variations in protective factors, such as:

The COVID-19 pandemic has shone a spotlight on health disparities and health inequalities. Disparities or differences in both the risk of getting COVID-19 and of having poorer outcomes have been seen by:

The reasons for these disparities are complex with influencing factors including the impact of existing social and economic inequalities, pre-existing disease and other societal factors.

Alongside the direct impact of COVID-19, some groups have also been more likely to experience greater impact from measures to control the pandemic.

Health disparities and health inequalities impact on the physical and mental wellbeing, and the life chances of the individuals and groups most affected. Alongside the individual human costs, disparities and inequalities impact on society as a whole.

Prior to COVID-19, health inequalities were estimated to cost the NHS an extra 4.8 billion a year, society around 31 billion in lost productivity, and between 20 and 32 billion a year in lost tax revenue and benefit payments.[footnote 3] Health is therefore a major determinant of economic performance and prosperity.

Consequently, taking action on health inequalities:

A wide range of factors influence our ability to be healthy. These factors overlap with one another and are often outside the control of individuals themselves.

Figure 3 above demonstrates the complex interplay between the determinants of health (for example, income and housing), psychosocial factors (for example, isolation and social support), health behaviours (for example, smoking and drinking) and physiological impacts (for example, high blood pressure, anxiety and depression) of wider social determinants of health with psychosocial factors, individual health behaviours and the resulting physiological impacts (for example, high blood pressure, anxiety and depression).

The wider determinants of healthinclude factors such as:

These determinants or influences are not spread equally throughout the population, resulting in some groups experiencing multiple disadvantages throughout their lives, and circumstances compounding to create an un-level playing field.

The ability of individuals to lead healthy lives is influenced both by the wider determinants of health, and by individual factors (health behaviours) associated with peoples opportunities and experiences.

The main behavioural risk factors for poor health smoking, poor diet or excess weight, physical inactivity and high alcohol consumption follow the same pattern of uneven distribution as the wider determinants of health, indicating that there is a relationship between an individuals likelihood of smoking, eating healthily, physical inactivity, and their social and environmental circumstances.

Linked to health behaviours, the concept of health literacyrefers to people having the appropriate skills, knowledge, understanding and confidence to access, understand, evaluate, use and navigate health and social care information and services. Improving health literacy by supporting patients to engage in shared decision-making can help to reduce health inequalities by empowering and enabling people to navigate individual and societal barriers to improving their health and managing health problems.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guideline on shared decision-making describes how to make it part of everyday care in all healthcare settings.

Different exposure to social, economic and environmental stressors and adversities, also known as psychosocial factors, work alongside factors related to our ability to cope such as:

They affect our state of mind from an early age and throughout life, directly affecting resilience, health conditions and health behaviours. Psychosocial factors can help to mitigate or protect against the impact of the social determinants of health.

Because the causes of health disparities and health inequalities are complex, overlapping and not equally distributed, it follows that, in order to address them, our actions need to focus on improving the health of those with the poorest health outcomes first, and fastest. Actions should be evidence based, outcomes orientated, systematically applied, scaled up appropriately and appropriately resourced[footnote 4] to ensure that the gap between populations is narrowed.

This means that everyone and every organisation has a role to play. Building on the findings ofFair Society, Healthy Lives (The Marmot Review), a further reportby the Institute of Health Equity focussing on health inequalities in Greater Manchester sets out a framework for addressing the social determinants of health, identifying the range of sectors and organisations that can contribute to this.

Place-based approaches to reducing health inequalitiesprovides tools and resources to support sectors and organisations to work together to take whole-system at-scale action on health inequalities.

It uses the population intervention triangle (see Figure 4, below) to describe how local authorities and policy-makers (civic) can work alongside the NHS and other organisations (services), and with communities (community-centred interventions) to address health inequalities at a scale that makes a difference, and best meets local needs and circumstances. Actions can be targeted to specific population groups, for example:

Interventions should be applied proportionately to need for example, through a proportionate universalism approach.

Further guidance on community-centred public health(a core component of the population intervention triangle) identifies 11 elements of an integrated whole-system approach, incorporating a range of actions from neighbourhood work through to strategic leadership. Additional learning on community-centred approaches can also be found in Community-centred practice: applying All Our Health..

The following sections set out information to inform the actions that different organisations or sectors can take to play a part in addressing health disparities and health inequalities.

You may wish to focus on the sections relevant to your organisation or role, or to review the whole content to gain wider understanding of the role of different sectors and workforces in addition to your own.

The 2019 NHS Long Term Plan set out that action to drive down health inequalities is central to everything that the NHS does.

In addition, the Health and Care Bill 2021 to 2022 promotes integration and partnership-working to improve health and tackle health inequalities. This action takes place through integrated care systems (ICSs) and integrated care partnerships, place-based partnerships and through working with people and communities,bringing together health, social care, public health and others to develop strategy and plans to address the needs of the local system.

The NHS operational and planning guidance also builds on previous guidance to prevent ill health and tackle inequalities, particularly in light of the COVID-19 pandemic and its disproportionate impact on certain population groups who were already facing disadvantage and discrimination.

Building on this and contributing to the governments mission to level up health, NHS England and Improvement (now NHS England) launched the Core20PLUS5 approach to support focused action on improving health inequalities, both at a national and system level. This approach is focused on action in the following areas:

Driving this action forward is the NHS England Healthcare Inequalities Improvement Programme, which has the vision of delivering exceptional quality healthcare for all, ensuring equitable access, excellent experience and optimal outcomes. For more information on the work of this programme, please access the Equality and Health Inequalities Network NHS future forum space.[footnote 5]

The Local Government Association highlights the contribution of different determinants of health on health outcomes, setting out the important role of local authorities in prevention including through their specific public health duties and action on the wider determinants of health.

Local authorities duties, functions and interests cover a broad range of activity, from improving health through:

Local authorities can use their leadership role at place to work alongside partners for example, through health and wellbeing boards, ICS partnerships and local economic partnerships to enable whole-system action on health inequalities. More information and resources can be found on the LGA website and in the governments health equity collection.

The role of VCSE in addressing health inequalities is wide ranging. For example, theHealth Foundation, the Institute of Health Equity and New Philanthropy Capital and theAll Party Parliamentary Committee on Arts and Wellbeing identify the contribution that civil society can make to improving health and addressing health inequalities, including through:

Organisations in these sectors are often trusted by and have good reach into many of the most marginalised communities.

ICS implementation guidance on partnerships with the voluntary, community and social enterprise sector provides further insight on how VCSE partnership should be embedded in how the ICS operates, indicating that VCSE is a key strategic partner with an important contribution to make in shaping, improving and delivering services, and developing and implementing plans to tackle the wider determinants of health.

View more information on VCSEs role in health inequalities from the VCSE Health and Wellbeing Alliance.

Good-quality work is a key contributor to what makes us healthy. Inclusive and sustainable economies: leaving no-one behind identifies the mutually dependent role of the economy and health.

This includes the potential for businesses to act as anchor institutions,working alongside public and voluntary sector organisations to utilise their spending power and scale social value.

In addition, community businesses can make an important contribution to improving health.

All public sector organisations have a role to play in addressing health disparities and health inequalities. For many services, the communities they serve are often those that have the poorest health outcomes.

Emergency services such as the police, fire and rescue and ambulance services already recognise their wider role in prevention and contributing to addressing health inequalities. The Royal Society for Public Healths Emergency Services Hub provides further information and resources to support this role.

The wider public sector can work together to address specific determinants and direct causes of health inequalities for example, to reduce violence or in respect of the impact of the built and natural environment on health.

This section sets out some key considerations against priority areas for action identified by national and regional public health teams. It includes prompts for everyone to consider, as well as specific suggestions for different professional and occupation groups.

Ensure you are aware of your organisation or sectors approach or potential role in addressing health disparities and health inequalities.

You can also keep yourself informed and up to date on the latest information and guidance by joining relevant NHS England Networks or Knowledge Hubs[footnote 5] such as:

In addition, you can review the information above for your organisation or sector, the 6 priority actions for health inequalities below and the suggestions for your occupational group, and consider what you could do in the scope of your role.

Ask yourself:

Ask yourself:

Ask yourself:

Ask yourself:

Ask yourself:

Ask yourself:

Frontline health and care workers have millions of contacts with people at risk of poorer health outcomes every day. As a frontline worker, you can address health inequalities by:

Your work can also contribute to addressing the social conditions of peoples lives such as poverty, disability, damp or overcrowded housing, or a poor diet, making a difference to the communities in which they work.[footnote 6]

My role in tackling health inequalities: a framework for allied health professionals details how allied health professionals can raise awareness, take action and optimise advocacy through 6 lenses:

While the framework was developed for and with allied health professionals, many other frontline professionals may find the approach relevant to their area of work.

In addition to reviewing the allied health professional framework, you can:

Team leaders and managers have an important role in actively seeking out and enabling teams to embed evidence-based action targeted at those with the poorest health outcomes.

As a team leader or manager, you can:

Commissioners play an important role in addressing health inequalities as resourcing decisions and service models can have an impact on health outcomes.

In particular, you can:

The VCSE sector plays an important role in enabling people to improve their health and in addressing determinants of health.

As a VCSE worker, you can:

Leaders make an important contribution to prioritising and embedding whole-system action to address health disparities and health inequalities.

As a leader, you can use your role to:

Data tools and resources can help you to understand more about the causes and impact of health disparities and health inequalities at a national level and in your local area.

A guide to using national and local data to address health inequalitiesprovides an overview of data sources for health inequalities, and their uses. This is updated periodically and can be used alongside local joint strategic needs assessments and other data sources to develop plans to address health inequalities.

The following tools may also be of use:

There are a range of reasons why it makes sense to measure your and your organisations impact, and demonstrate the value of your contribution. This could be about sharing what has worked well in order to benefit your colleagues and local people, contribute to growing the evidence base for health inequalities, help in prioritising future resource allocation or for individual professional development.

The following resources can help with evaluating individual, organisational or programme impact:

Continued here:

Health disparities and health inequalities: applying All Our Health - GOV.UK

Lets break down the World Health Organizations definition of mental health. Mental health is defined as a state of well-being in which the individual realizes his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to his or her community.

A few questions regarding this statement:

Abilities: The abilities to do what?

Normal stresses of life: In what economic, political, and socio-cultural setting is the normalcyof life measured?

Work productively: Who and what does individual productivity serve? Since when did well-being become reliant on productivity?

It seems like the answers to all questions unite in the narrative that in todays society productivity defines well-being. The abilities to produce in a capitalist economy have somehow been codified as determinants of well-being and happiness.

Political scientists have a term called biopolitics that precisely explains our current relationship with mental health. Popularized by Michel Foucault, biopolitics refers to the form of governance that regulates populations by exerting political power on all processes of human life, such as birth, death, disease, and health, to achieve efficient economic controls.

This form of economic and political governance breeds a ludicrous cycle of how we approach mental health. First, mental health is forced into an arranged marriage with economic productivity. Then systemic -isms, be it racism, sexism, or discrimination based on sexual orientation, help certain groups while preventing others from reaching a comfortable level of wealth. Chronic stress and anxiety accumulate as people confront the burden of doing more but getting less within institutional inequalities. Mental health conditions prevail. Identity-based disparities in mental health outcomes also ensue. Now we proclaim, you have a disease and without treatment you cannot get back to your maximal level of productivity.

Biopolitics has wrapped its invisible hands around the throat of our mental health.

The not-producing-therefore-not-well mentality was not baked into the American psyche overnight by a single institution or power. Intentionally or unintentionally, overtly or subtly, all sorts of institutions under biopolitical governance partake in the regulation of mental health. Mental health is defined in a way that can serve maximal economic efficiency. Politics and public policies categorize populations in a way that allows certain groups to be given more resources and institutional advantages than others and ultimately create systemic disparities in mental health outcomes. Medicine treats mental health in a way that sustains the pathologization needed to oil the machines of the pharma industry.

I would like to reiterate that examining mental health through the lens of biopolitics is not to invalidate medical science or negate the value of understanding the biological mechanisms of mental conditions, but to expand the discourse through which we understand, discuss, and address mental health. Physiological symptoms undoubtedly demand evidence-based treatment, but effective mental healthcare cannot stop at addressing individual symptoms without adequately confronting the social ecosystem that engineers our mental health. We need a candid recognition of the economic and political reality we live in that govern our functions and well-being.

What if we reimagined mental health not as a dysfunction of the mind, but as the symptoms experienced by the mind in response to the dysfunction of society?

This change of rhetoric demands all aspects of politics and governance to take on the responsibility of managing population mental health. Mental health policies must go beyond medicine for mental illness itself and incorporate political action on poverty, housing, healthcare access, education, and other aspects of resource reallocation to counter the structural -isms that shape population mental health.

Addressing the causal mechanisms of population mental health thus becomes an inevitably complicated and interdisciplinary enterprise.

Artists and musicians, you have the power to help people communicate their lived experiences of mental health and mental illness through your creations;

Historians, philosophers, sociologist, anthropologists, your wisdoms about the multifaceted nature of human experiences are invaluable to challenging out understanding of life and health.

Political agents, you shoulder the responsibility to create policies that deconstruct the boundaries of race, gender, ethnicities, sexual orientation, and able-bodiedness in peoples access to resources.

Medical practitioner and researchers, you have the power to push the boundaries of our holistic understanding of mental health through cross-disciplinary innovation and collaboration;

Media and technology developers, your decision on whether the information and technologies you create serve to drive profit at the expense of population health and equity has tremendous weight.

Lastly, to any individual who is reading this, while it may not always fee like a simple deed, we have the responsibility to pursue our happiness and well-being. We are in an arduous battle to demand structural equity on all fronts of mental healthcare, so in the meantime please be kind to yourself, be kind to your kind, be kind to your body.

Mary Lihong Peng is a second-year Master of Public Health candidate and Horstmann scholar at Yale University.

See more here:

Opinion: Biopolitics is the invisible hand shaping mental health - The Connecticut Mirror

Photos and video assets available: https://www.apmultimedianewsroom.com/multimedia-newsroom/avaaz-urges-georgieva-and-trudeau-%5B%5Dtend-decembers-vital-un-biodiversity-talks-in-montreal

WASHINGTON, Oct. 12, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- To highlight the urgency of securing high-level participation and financial resource mobilization for biodiversity conservation ahead of the 15th UN Biodiversity Conference (COP15 of the Convention on Biological Diversity, CBD), Avaaz displayed life-size cut-outs of IMF Managing Director, Kristalina Georgieva, and of Canadas PM Justin Trudeau along an enormous train ticket to Montreal, where the COP15 meeting will be held in December.

This conference will shape a new deal to halt biodiversity loss, and one of its central issues concerns the economic reforms and financial resources that will be necessary to implement the plan agreed upon during the talks. The IMF can play a critical role in securing these much needed financial resources.

Dressed in a Wonder Woman outfit, complete with the famous Lasso of Truth, Georgieva was serenaded by activists wearing vintage stewardess outfits singing the Wonder Woman theme song with its original lyrics: Get us out from under, Wonder Woman All our hopes are pinned on you And the magic that you do (...) All the world's waiting for you (...) Now the world is ready for you, and the wonders you can do. Meanwhile, PM Trudeau was called to host world leaders", "hold nature talks", and to "honor his legacy", reminding the Canadian leader of the responsibility he took when he agreed to host the talks, and of the importance of having Heads of State present at COP15 to ensure chances of achieving a deal.

Oscar Soria, Campaign Director at Avaaz, said: Biodiversity loss is economic loss it is responsible for massive species extinction, increased food insecurity, aggravated climate change, and the rise of zoonotic diseases like Covid-19. Our house is on fire, people are getting poorer and even dying. IMF delegates need to understand this truth, and Georgieva needs to lasso them into acting immediately and decisively to mobilize the resources necessary to save our global economy and secure the healthy future of our planet.

We also call upon the leader of the meeting's host country, Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, to convince fellow Heads of State to participate in the CBD meeting, and use it to agree to a new global financial system based on biodiversity conservation, which will benefit us all. The biodiversity agenda needs to be in the highest levels of political discussion, so we can have an ambitious deal for nature put into practice right after the Montreal talks.

To accelerate agreement among CBD delegates about financing for biodiversity conservation, today Avaaz released a new report, Its the Ecology, Bretton Woods. Written by a group of economists, political scientists, and biodiversity experts, the report is based on a comprehensive review of the literature of the economics of biodiversity. Our report presents an actionable case for a sustainable, equitable global economy that values biodiversity conservation and ensures a healthy future for all of us, added Soria.

With more than half of the worlds economic output US$44 trillion dependent on biodiversity, our paper makes the case that it is time for financial institutions such as the IMF and the World Bank to become actively involved in the CBD negotiations, continued Soria. The hope of Avaazs 70 million members around the world is that IMF delegates will read the report and commit to coming to Montreal.

Notes to the Editor:

* A copy of the report Its the Ecology, Bretton Woods can be found here: https://secure.avaaz.org/economic_case_for_biodiversity

* Reference of our spokespersons: - Sound bites in English - Luciana Weyne, Avaaz- Sound bites in Spanish - Emilio Spataro, Avaaz- Sound bites in French - Aleksandar Rankovic, Avaaz

Lyrics of the song played during the demonstration: Change their minds, and change the world

Wonder WomanWonder WomanAll the world's waiting for youAnd the power you possessIn your satin tights,Fighting for your rightsWonder WomanWonder WomanNow the world is ready for you,And the wonders you can do.Make a hawk a dove,Stop a war with love,Make a liar tell the truthWonder WomanGet us out from under, Wonder WomanAll our hopes are pinned on youAnd the magic that you doStop a bullet cold,Make the Axis fall,Change their minds, and change the worldWonder WomanWonder WomanYou're a wonder, Wonder Woman

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/d215a819-a93a-4b6b-bdfa-a24ad2d7def2

The photo is also available at Newscom,www.newscom.com, and via AP PhotoExpress.

Continued here:

Avaaz urges Georgieva and Trudeau to lasso-in commitments from IMF to attend December's vital UN Biodiversity Talks in Montreal - GlobeNewswire

The National Urban Conclave Bodhi-2022 in Kochi called for a paradigm shift in the development perspective of the city, known as the commercial capital of Kerala. The biggest takeaway from the two-day event was that Kochi should start thinking big.

The driving force behind this call for a change in perception is Keshav Varma, one of the senior-most bureaucrats in the country. Varma, as the chairman of the High-Level Committee on Urban Planning, under the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, was one of the most active participants of the conclave. The 1976 batch Gujarat cadre IAS officer addressed the delegates several times during the event and every time the crux of his message to Kochi was that it should position itself as a global city region.

He urged the Greater Cochin Development Authority (GCDA), which is mandated to design the development of the city and its suburbs, to shift its focus to more creative financial tools from the traditional models of resource mobilisation.

Ahmedabad attracted key projects that helped it get the megacity tag. During his three-year tenure as the city's Municipal Commissioner in the 1990s. In 2018, Varma returned to the city as the chairman of the Sabarmati River Front Development Corporation Ltd.

Onmanorama caught up with the 76-year-old veteran officer on the sidelines of the Bodhi conclave.

Excerpts:

Q: Addressing the conclave, you said Kochi should position itself as a global city region. How realistic is such an ambition?

A: Its realistic and I have seen it happening in China and some other countries. After all, human beings have created cities like that. At the same time, we also have to make unrealistic things happen (smiles). On a serious note, what is required is a concerted effort to keep the vision in mind.

Kochi is a gateway to the country, not just Kerala. It has access to West Asia. So the entire region should be developed. Its comparative advantage already exists because of the people who go there (to the Gulf). The knowledge should be developed in terms of economic zones and other financial incentives to cater to the trade and commerce potentiality of the external markets.

When we look at the economic geography of Kochi, it becomes rather obvious that it has the potential to be a global city. It may take 50 years to achieve or just five years to do it.

At present, some economic forces are favourable. We are the only country that is showing stability in economic growth. Our country is progressively emerging as a destination for investments. We have to take advantage of that.

When there is such a trend happening then these areas must develop as a potential investment destinations. When economic activity starts happening then they have this impulsive. They will actually generate urban planning and would align the city to those ideas. So its realistic and must be done.

Many of our southern cities are on the coast. Those on the eastern coast can plug in with south-east Asian markets like Singapore, Indonesia, and the Philippines. Traditionally these cities were centres of trade and commerce. Now we only have to revive that role and restore that potentiality.

Q: Even as we remain ambitious, the ground reality is that Kochi goes underwater even if theres a short spell of rain. What should be the first step the city should take to address this persisting issue?

A: You have to create climate change resilient infrastructure and do it fast. Thats why I talk about raising resources in a determinant nature not just putting Rs 100 crore here or Rs 200 crore there. They will make some difference but the problem has to be solved quickly. For projects like flood mitigation and cleaning of all canals, we will need a lot of money. There has to be a concerted effort to raise resources.

Q: When it comes to funds, one major criticism is that Kerala, as a whole, lacks a culture of production. What should Kochi do to create its resources?

A: Every city has to enhance its comparative advantage. We should not try to do things that are alien to us. If there is a good culture of service industry or tourism or water-based economy, then they should be enhanced.

Q: You have worked in Ahmedabad and other cities. Do you see a difference in the attitude of the political class there and here in Kerala?

A: In both cities, there is a lot of quality leadership. I think the political culture is also very progressive. Kerala ranks top in social indices. The state is in a leadership position in the country because of the quality of its people and education.

What I see in Ahmedabad and other places is there is greater autonomy for municipal authorities. We dont have to go to the state government for every clearance. Our boards are fully empowered to take any action. However, in terms of sustainability Kerala is much ahead. That is the advantage Kerala has. You should not lose that.

Q: Are you for more autonomy to the local bodies in Kerala too?

A: Im in favour of autonomy but along with that we must professionalise. You cant just start giving more responsibilities without equipping the local bodies with the right kind of professionals. We did that in Ahmedabad. Now the city has 1,000 technical people working in the municipal corporations. It has a budget of Rs 10,000 crore.

Kochi has its position and brand image. That can be developed to its advantage. It must keep itself very clean. The water has to be very clean. Then we have to professionalise.

Q: Does the city need a redesign?

A: Thats not possible. Redesigning happens because of market forces. If you design it in a manner where the floor area ratios start encouraging redevelopment then it will happen on its own. You cant redesign it but you can give it some directions.

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Kochi as a global city? Why not, asks the man behind Ahmedabads mega city story | Manorama English - Onmanorama