Sergio Abranches, from Durban
The first day fully dedicated to informal consultations and negotiations in Durban, South Africa, where COP17 is convened, has produced faint signs that some progress may be possible over the next days. Some negotiators said today that there has been some movement forward regarding what they call technical issues. More »
Sergio Abranches, from Durban
A new, satellite-based survey released by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) shows the changes in the world’s forests. The survey indicates that forest land use declined between 1990 and 2005. The highest rate of forest conversion to other land uses in both periods was in South America, followed by Africa. More »
Sergio Abranches
Manuel is an investment banker from Mozambique. He runs an investment and private equity company with stakes in pratically all sectors of almost all African countries. He moved from Mozambique to Namibia, where he lives. So far all his company’s investment were financed with its own capital. No leveraging. He is in a strategic position that gives him a broader and yet deep view of what is going on in Africa. We’ve met recently at an event on global sustainable logistics and had a long conversation about China’s involvement in the region. He asked me to have our talk off the records, for understandable reasons, that’s why I don’t write his full name. Our chat was in Portuguese our common language. More »
Sergio Abranches
Heavy-weights of the computer and electronic industries have joined forces to rid their supply-chains from “blood minerals” coming from the Congo’s militarized mines. More »
High-tech is linked to war and brutality not only through the arms industry. Computers, cellphones, and other electronic equipment can be part of a shocking connection of highly advanced technology with human suffering, forced labor and unending war. Does it sound too preposterous?
Sergio Abranches More »
