Responsible Future
Responsible future · 25 Aug 2026
Power shift: investing in the electrification megatrend
A global shift toward electrification is gaining momentum. This megatrend is driven by a mix of industrial demand, technological advances and geopolitical risk. In this Q&A, PWM energy equity analyst Malik Zetchi shares his perspectives on where investors can find value in the electrification revolution.
Philanthropy
How women are transforming philanthropy
Empowered by their growing share of global wealth, women are shaking up the world of philanthropy.
Philanthropy
How to manage philanthropy and impact in the family office
Whether you are an entrepreneur building first-generation wealth or part of a family stewarding a multigenerational legacy, family offices are now at the centre of how families pursue their philanthropic and impact ambitions. As the Great Wealth Transfer accelerates, both new and established families are moving their giving and impact work into the family office—seeking greater coordination, alignment, and professionalism.
Philanthropy
Professionalising purpose: how family offices are reshaping philanthropy
As family wealth passes to a new generation, philanthropy is being embedded into the structures of family offices. The result is a more strategic, professional and intergenerational approach to giving.
Philanthropy
Giving back is a life’s work
Paco Arango, the founder of The Aladina Foundation, has supported countless children with cancer in Spain and around the world. Here, he explains how a profound sense of his own good fortune and his father’s spirit of generosity both influenced his decision to dedicate his life to this cause.
Philanthropy
Leaving a legacy through philanthropy
How can you use your wealth to benefit the generations to come?
Responsible future · 19 Jun 2025
Creating AI powered sustainable alternatives to non-recyclable packaging
With a shared background in consumer goods, the founders of Hamburg-based startup one.five came together to tackle the global issue of reducing CO2 emissions caused by non-recyclable plastic packaging, and create sustainable alternatives.
Responsible future · 19 Jun 2025
Deploying battery-powered renewable energy
Singapore-based startup VFlowTech is on a mission to power the green transition, having spent years developing a low-cost energy storage system.
Responsible future · 18 Nov 2024
Can laser-powered nuclear energy light up the future?
Munich-based startup Marvel Fusion is pioneering an alternative system to harness cheap, green nuclear power in a safer, more reliable way using laser technology – known as nuclear fusion.
Responsible future · 17 Oct 2024
Cities lead the way in building resilience to climate change
Suffering from amplified temperature rises, cities are serving as laboratories in the quest for innovative infrastructure solutions to environmental change.
Responsible future · 19 Aug 2024
Decarbonising the built environment
Founded by architects, Berlin-based startup Made of Air is targeting the problem of global carbon emissions produced by building materials by developing a carbon-negative filler, made from waste biomass, for industrial-use façade panels.
Responsible future · 24 Jul 2024
Creating sustainable water and energy solutions
Joining the family manufacturing and export business at home in Kolkata was a transformative move for Preeyam Budhia – and for rural Indian women too. After first forging an independent path, the management graduate created a new green vertical within Patton Group, designing efficient products for accessing fresh water in more remote areas.
Responsible future · 10 Jul 2024
Humanising the fashion supply chain
Upon realising the true human cost of cheap labour in the fashion industry, Marianne Hughes launched her startup, Kno Global – focusing on the wellbeing of garment factory workers while also providing real-time supply chain data to brands and businesses globally.
Responsible future · 28 Jun 2024
Transforming the world’s water usage
The average person in the developed world uses three times as much water as is sustainable. Mehrdad Mahdjoubi, who has created a circular shower system that recirculates water as you wash, believes that innovative design – not behaviour change – is the best way to curb consumption.
Responsible future · 24 Apr 2024
Clearing the waterways with litter-picking bots
With his fleet of emission-free marine bots, Clearbot founder Sidhant Gupta is efficiently and sustainably cleaning up the waterways of Asia. As he prepares for global expansion, he explains why autonomy is key for making a real difference in this area.
Philanthropy · 23 Apr 2024
The age of the philanthropreneurs
In pursuit of solutions
Philanthropy · 02 Apr 2024
Stanley Tan - A case study in how business can serve society
The entrepreneur and investor turned a tough childhood into a highly successful business career. But he always held on to the principles of fairness and community spirit that were instilled in him at an early age.
Responsible future · 07 Mar 2024
Scaling regenerative agriculture
Berlin-based startup Klim is one of a growing number of companies accelerating the regenerative agricultural movement, working with farmers and companies, in order to decarbonise food supply chains and improve soil health.
Philanthropy · 09 Feb 2024
Monica Oudang - Investing in people to help achieve a nation’s ambitions
Through her work as the chairperson of the GoTo Impact Foundation, as well as through her own entrepreneurial ventures, the former HR executive is developing talent and helping Indonesia to build a future-proof workforce for the 21st century.
Responsible future · 07 Feb 2024
Curtailing carbon with direct air capture
As scientists and engineers race to develop new ways to reduce global carbon emissions, Mission Zero Technologies is one startup that wants to remove gigatons of CO2 from the atmosphere by deploying its innovative direct air capture technology.
Responsible future · 01 Feb 2024
Capturing CO2 utilising the world’s oldest species
Danish startup Algiecel has developed a technology that turns excess carbon dioxide into ingredients for feed, cosmetics and dietary supplements using microalgae. Not only are they sustainable and nutritious, these ancient photosynthesising organisms are set to become a billion-dollar industry.
Responsible future · 18 Jan 2024
China expert Zak Dychtwald on the country’s generational divides
Responsible future · 17 Jan 2024
Tamira Snell - Studying the future for a living, you get used to uncertainty
The Copenhagen-based futurist explains how an open mindset and an exploratory approach can improve decision-making and make us better equipped to deal with a range of “potential plausible futures”.
Responsible future · 11 Jan 2024
Eloa Guillotin, co-founder and CEO of Beyond Aero
Flying into the future with hydrogen power.
Responsible future · 29 Nov 2023
Infrastructure innovations: Reimagining the cities of today in a greener future
The drive to make cities more sustainable involves refurbishing existing assets, building more sustainably, and reimagining urban areas that were developed amid the very different conditions, lifestyles and concerns of the 19th and 20th centuries. Achieving success is crucial to the campaign to tackle climate change, since real estate accounts for around 37% of global carbon emissions.
Philanthropy · 27 Nov 2023
Anthony Gao: Powering up philanthropy for climate goals | Podcast
This podcast episode explores how philanthropists can leverage blended finance, combining public and private funds, to maximize impact in philanthropic goals like the net zero transition.
Responsible future · 17 Nov 2023
Onego Bio’s marvellous protein
Sustaining the demand for eggs globally is increasingly challenging – with high-carbon farming methods, animal welfare concerns and avian flu outbreaks. That’s why Onego Bio, a Finnish foodtech startup, has developed an alternative animal free egg white for use as an ingredient by the food industry.
Responsible future · 25 Oct 2023
Shining a light on metabolic health
A Helsinki-based startup aims to address a little known yet global epidemic through its holistic health app and wearable blood-sugar sensors. But Veri is not aimed at biohackers, rather it harnesses tech as a preventative tool for the increasing number of people at risk of diabetes.
Responsible future · 16 Oct 2023
Transforming the future of cancer diagnosis
Cancer remains a leading cause of death worldwide – and while this is only set to increase, the number of pathologists continues to decrease. That’s where the Singapore-based healthtech startup Qritive steps in, with its AI-driven analysis that allows for more rapid and precise diagnoses and a global reach.
Responsible future · 03 Oct 2023
Foreign investment the key to Southeast Asia’s energy transition
Southeast Asia has a key role to play in the global energy transition, provided it can attract the foreign investment needed to exploit its abundance of renewable resources and manufacturing potential.
Responsible future · 26 Sept 2023
Saving peatlands while growing trees
As the deadline looms on the UK government’s ban on peat products, finding an eco-friendly peat-free alternative is no longer a luxury but a necessity for the forestry and growing sectors. Scotland-based agritech startup SilviBio offers a solution.
Responsible future · 13 Sept 2023
Forest & Whale is the design studio leaning into longevity and circular thinking
The husband-and-wife team struck out on their own to create more sustainable and meaningful products and services. Here, they talk us through their considered projects and explain why they’re optimistic about the future.
Responsible future · 25 Aug 2023
When it comes to renewable hydrogen, Kobe City is forging ahead
The city’s mayor describes how his hometown recovered from a devastating earthquake and how it is looking to build a greener, more equitable and more resilient future.
Responsible future · 25 Aug 2023
Saving the bees with robotic hives
The survival of bees is vital to our own survival. Yet the rate at which bee colonies collapse is worryingly high, thanks to climate change. Now, the startup Beewise is helping reduce this number with the first remotely controlled AI-driven beehives.
Responsible future · 25 Aug 2023
Fairmat has invented a new, more sustainable way to recycle advanced materials
Benjamin Saada set up a company that used carbon- fibre composites. Then he saw how the materials were disposed of at the end of their life cycle and he vowed to find a better solution.
Responsible future · 21 Aug 2023
The mayor of a Danish seaport on fostering the global energy transition.
Jesper Frost Rasmussen, the mayor of Esbjerg on Denmark’s North Sea coast, discusses both his ambitions for the future and the challenges standing in his way.
Philanthropy · 02 Aug 2023
Making the case for blended finance
By blending various sources of finance, additional private capital can be mobilised for projects with social and environmental impact.
Responsible future · 26 Jul 2023
Investing in nutrition leads to impact on both human and planetary health
Mayssa Al Midani is a lead investment manager at Pictet Asset Management, focused on nutrition. She talks us through why our global food system is at a pivotal point and highlights some of the solutions she feels will be most transformative.
Responsible future · 19 Jul 2023
Vaclav Smil on overhyped inventions, category errors and missed opportunities.
Vaclav Smil has built his considerable reputation on always cleaving to facts in the face of hype and hysteria.
Responsible future · 10 Jul 2023
Managing global food waste with AI
With his high-tech AI-driven rubbish bins, Rayner Loi is helping the hospitality industry significantly reduce and manage food waste – which amounts to billions of tonnes globally each year.
Responsible future · 03 Jul 2023
Passing on a passion for education
In an increasingly competitive global education market, additional tutoring for schoolchildren has become the norm. But it has not always been accessible or affordable. With his edtech startup, GoStudent, Felix Ohswald aims to unlock the full potential of every child.
Responsible future · 30 Jun 2023
How microscopic microbes can help us tackle the world’s biggest challenges
The CEO of bioscience company Chr. Hansen walks us through the company’s commitments and plans for the future, including an ambitious merger.
Responsible future · 06 Jun 2023
Re-imagining the future: the case for engagement
In recent years, innovation across all sectors has seen enormous progress. Nevertheless, the scale of today’s climate challenge calls for still greater change.
Responsible future · 22 May 2023
Thinking aloud on taking responsibility
Dina de Angelo shares her thoughts on how responsibility is becoming increasingly inherent in the choices clients make – and how ideas about responsibility are influenced by gender, ethnicity, personal experience, and generational differences. The future of investing is changing, but the human aspect matters more than ever.
Philanthropy · 11 May 2023
The linguistic quagmire of blended finance
Blended finance can provide a powerful mechanism for investors and philanthropists to maximise the impact of investing and giving.
Philanthropy · 26 Apr 2023
A world fit for life
A guide for changemakers and philanthropists on how to tackle the climate crisis.
Responsible future · 14 Mar 2023
Agritech: Can cutting edge innovations solve the global food crisis?
With AI, drones, robotics and precision agriculture, the sector is innovating like never before, at a time when the world needs to rethink how it feeds a growing population.
Responsible future · 28 Feb 2023
How do population dynamics affect inflation?
The world's key markets are undergoing a major demographic upheaval, resulting in a new era of structural inflation.
Responsible future · 16 Feb 2023
Using bio-based building materials to capture carbon in construction
How Thomas Robinson’s company Adaptavate is meeting the challenge of carbon emissions in the construction industry.
Responsible future · 14 Feb 2023
Has hydrogen finally come of age?
The gas’ potential to fuel hard-to-abate sectors without producing carbon emissions assures its future in the green transition. But lingering challenges make it a complex call for investors.
Responsible future · 02 Feb 2023
How investment in food tech can smooth the transition to a low-carbon future
Without intervention, the situation is set to worsen. The world’s population passed the 8 billion mark in November 2022, seeing demand for food products continue to increase, which, in turn, escalates CO2 emissions.
Responsible future · 31 Jan 2023
The future of food from farm to fork
Mayssa Al Midani is a lead investment manager for Pictet. Her team invests in the future of food from farm, to fork in three segments: agriculture technology (agri-tech), logistics and food.
Philanthropy · 26 Jan 2023
Aarti Lohia’s art collection is a reflection of her own tastes and personal journey
The art lover and philanthropist says there was ‘no plan’ to become a collector. Yet Aarti Lohia has become not only a powerful voice, but also a sought-after opinion in the world of contemporary art.
Philanthropy · 26 Jan 2023
Pierre Chen has built a 'component powerhouse' from the ground up
The founder and chairman of YAGEO, a global company based in Taiwan that makes essential components for electronic products, talks us through how his vision and execution in M&A have driven the company’s transformation efforts and shares how his passion for art has played an important role in this journey for decades.
Responsible future · 20 Jan 2023
Building an investor coalition to engage with companies that can do better
At Pictet, we take a multifaceted approach to being a responsible firm. One example is our partnership with Ceres.
Responsible future · 13 Jan 2023
Putting high-quality recycled plastic into the world’s supply chains
Andrew Almack’s company Plastics for Change in India connects waste collectors with global brands to help reduce the mountains of discarded plastic and help some of the poorest people in the world.
Responsible future · 29 Dec 2022
Helping corporations become climate-ready
Laia Romero is using satellite data for climate action to tell the story of our changing world through her company, Lobelia Earth.
Responsible future · 08 Dec 2022
Creating a fast-growing plant-based food business
Latesha Randall has turned a kitchen-table enterprise making dairy-free yoghurt into an internationally acclaimed plant-based food business, combining taste with sustainability.
Responsible future · 08 Dec 2022
Creating a fast-growing plant-based food business
Latesha Randall has turned a kitchen-table enterprise making dairy-free yoghurt into an internationally acclaimed plant-based food business, combining taste with sustainability.
Responsible future · 05 Dec 2022
Examining the trends shaping India’s electric vehicle transition
A successful transition to electric vehicles will have profound implications for India and its 1.39 billion citizens – from improved living standards to better health and more affordable transportation.
Philanthropy · 25 Jul 2022
Anthony Gao: Make an impact with philanthropy | Podcast
This podcast episode delves into the evolving landscape of Asian philanthropy, exploring motivations, trends, and impactful causes. Discover the blurring boundaries between business and philanthropy, collaborative giving, and donor-advised funds.
