2050 Investors — Economic and markets megatrends, ahead of 2050’s global sustainability targets

Is the Earth running out of fresh water?

The summer of 2022 saw significant droughts across the world, with serious ripple effects from energy shortages to severe food insecurity. But how can we have a water crisis when water makes up close to three quarters of our planet’s surface? 

In this episode, Kokou Agbo-Bloua looks at how climate change is disrupting our planet’s water cycle. He explores the vast reserves of our planet against the backdrop of dwindling freshwater resources. From record rainless periods in Europe to the water-intensive natur...

Private credit has become one of the fastest-growing areas of finance.
But behind the headlines lies a deeper question: what do we gain, and what do we give up, when we exchange liquidity for commitment?

In this episode of 2050 Investors, Kokou Agbo-Bloua explores the rise of private credit, the enduring dominance of public markets, and the trade-offs between liquidity and flexibility, transparency and discretion, mark-to-market pricing and long-term conviction.

Joining him is Ludovic Subran, Chief Investment Officer and Chief Economist of Allianz, for a wide-ranging conversation on the "conservation of ri...

This episode was first aired on 11/10/2024

What kind of risk taker are you? The answer may reveal more than you think.

In this episode of 2050 Investors, Kokou Agbo-Bloua takes a closer look at risk and its role in the financial markets. Kokou explores traditional risk management models such as the Value at Risk, volatility and heteroskedasticity (volatility of volatility) and explores the interplay between Main Street and Wall Street.

Later, Kokou sits down with Hatem Mustapha, Co-Head of Global Markets, to discuss the ins and outs of...

A king looks into a mirror and asks a simple question: "Markets, markets on the wall, who is the safest of them all?"

For centuries, investors have sought refuge in gold, government bonds and cash. Yet history tells a more complicated story. Inflation erodes cash. Rising rates punish bonds. Even gold can fail to protect when investors need it most.

In this episode of 2050 Investors, Kokou Agbo-Bloua explores a provocative idea: safety is not something you buy, it is something you build. Drawing on finance, philosophy and economic history, he examines whether s...

Previous climate change policies focused primarily on mitigation, reducing emissions to achieve net zero by 2050 and avoid the worst outcomes. But as emissions continue to rise, extreme weather events intensify and physical risks materialize, a second, less comfortable reality is setting in: we must also adapt and build resilience, because we must now brace for impact.

In this episode of 2050 Investors, Kokou Agbo-Bloua explores the consequences of what this shift will mean in practice for economies, public policy, infrastructure, and capital allocation. He examines the growing economic need for climate adaptation and resilience, the widening g...

This episode was first aired on 28/07/2022

Is hydrogen gray until proven green? When looking into the energy transition and options for clean sources of energy, hydrogen is often listed as one of the key solutions for the future. The hype about its potential is undeniable, but so are the critics about its costs, efficiency and sustainability.

In this podcast episode, you are invited to participate in a "trial by podcast," where you act as the jury, weighing evidence presented by both sides—Solar and Wind Energy versus Hydrogen—in a compelling debate over...

This episode was first aired on 18/11/2021

What is the impact of technological change on employment? When it comes to skills and jobs, adaptability quotient (AQ) can have a massive impact on your career, in comparison to intellectual (IQ) and emotional (EQ) quotients. Especially as workers must change and evolve to keep pace with technologies. So, how individuals make their way through employment opportunities?

In this new episode of 2050 Investors, Kokou Agbo-Bloua investigates our ability to survive in a labour market that is poised to be revolutionized by technology. Key themes such as the e...

What if our biggest edge in an AI world isn’t more data—but better learning?

In this episode of 2050 Investors, host Kokou Agbo-Bloua pits biological intelligence (BI) against its artificial counterpart (AI). Creativity and synapses on one side; scale, speed, and 24/7 recall on the other. We discover why deep learning happens in alpha, not frenetic beta; why a 20-watt human brain still outperforms giant models on imagination; and what centaur-style teaming (humans + machines) means for faster search, synthesis, and simulation.

Later, guest Dr. Barbara Oakley, Professor of Engineering at Oakland Univer...

This episode was first aired on 29/01/2025

How did the banking system evolve from a simple bench—the very origin of the word “bank”—into the sophisticated institutions that drive the global economy?

Banks are more than just institutions. With over 4,000 years of history, they have played a pivotal role in powering industrial revolutions, transforming dreams into reality, and adapting to the evolving needs of clients across generations. From economic booms to busts, they have stood the test of time, channeling funding like the lifeblood of the economy and serving as critical cogs in the m...

Artificial intelligence may appear weightless, but its backbone is built on vast, energy-hungry data centers. In this episode, host Kokou Agbo-Bloua explores how these facilities—from corporate server farms to hyperscale sites—have become the brain of the AI boom. Kokou dissects the dual demands of AI: training massive models and running inference, and how these processes are fundamentally reshaping global energy and water consumption, while fuelling a trillion-dollar investment race.

Later, Sikander Rashid, Global Head of AI Infrastructure at Brookfield Asset Management, joins to discuss how investors are navigating soaring demand for computational powe...

This episode was first aired on 05/09/2024

$25 trillion! This is the sum injected into the economy by Governments and Central Banks to protect a significant portion of the global economy during the Covid crisis. Where does this funding come from, and what are the impacts of such government spending? Is this strategy sustainable in the long term? These are important questions to consider, particularly since we are in a year where half of the world's population is heading to the polls and many candidates are advocating for a 'whatever it takes' approach.

Even...

Stablecoins, once a niche segment of the cryptocurrency market, are rapidly emerging as a vital bridge between the digital innovation of decentralised finance (DeFi) and traditional finance (TradFi). Backed by real-world assets and powered by blockchain technology, they mark a new phase in the evolution of money: from Gold (Money 1.0) to the trust-based fiat system (Money 2.0) and now to a new era of Money 3.0. Each stage has fundamentally transformed how societies store, transfer, and multiply economic energy.

In this episode of 2050 Investors, Kokou Agbo-Bloua, Head of Economics, Cross-Asset & Quant Research at Societe Generale, explores...

This episode was first aired on 22/12/2022

What is the future of international trade? After Brexit, the War in Ukraine, and the Covid-19 pandemic, are we at the beginning of the end of globalisation? Will a future Phileas Fogg be more incentivized to stay at home and circle the world in the metaverse in 80 seconds?

While globalization has fueled economic growth, lifted millions out of poverty, and facilitated unprecedented access to consumer goods and information, it also carries a dark underbelly. Kokou Agbo-Bloua explores the repercussions of global trade, from job displacement to...

This episode was first aired on 21/12/2023

What has no beginning, end, or middle and touches every continent?

If you answered, “the ocean”- Correct!

Or the ‘living infinite’, as Jules Verne called it in Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea. This latest episode of 2050 Investors is a splashy one as host Kokou Agbo-Bloua dives deep into the mysteries of the oceans aboard the modern-day Nautilus, the Nautile.

In 2022, at the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), 150 member states pledged to preserve or safeguard thirty percent of the world's oceans by 2030: or “30 b...

Europe, once the driving force of global progress, gave birth to the Industrial Revolution, Enlightenment ideals, innovative scientific discoveries, and a cultural renaissance that shaped modern civilization. However, today, amid trade wars, geopolitical crises and industrial and technological advancements, Europe finds itself at a critical crossroads. In response to these disruptions in the global order, the European Union has announced bold investment plans in infrastructure and defence spending. But could this moment also mark the beginning of a financial renaissance, or does Europe risk falling further behind in the global race ?

In this episode of 2050 I...

Every so often, a bold new climate solution emerges - hailed as the answer to humanity's looming environmental crisis. From carbon capture and storage (CCS) technologies to nature-based solutions, these innovations offer hope. But one of the most provocative - and polarizing - is geoengineering.

Unlike traditional mitigation strategies, geoengineering doesn't aim to address the root causes of climate change. Instead, it proposes fixing the climate at a planetary scale, either by cooling the planet through the injection of particles into the stratosphere or fertilizing oceans.

So what happens...

Think about the last advert you saw. Was it the first or the 100th time you saw it? Today, the average person sees around 5,000 to 10,000 ads a day - a significant jump from the 500 ads a day in the 1970s.

So, with all these ads - from social media to cable TV - vying for our attention, it's time for a reckoning. In this episode of 2050 Investors, we ask: has advertising been a force for good, or has it contributed to patterns of over-consumption?

Join host Kokou Agbo-Bloua on a journey th...

What qualities make the best salespeople? And what are the secrets behind their ability to sell anything — from a simple pen to a car, a house or even an option based systematic overlay on US Equities?

In this episode of 2050 Investors, Kokou delves into the duality of selling as both an art and a science. Far from the realm of fantasy, salespeople bring a unique blend of creativity and expertise to the world of banking.

Join us as we explore different sales techniques from AIDA to SPIN, the evolution of sales strategies ov...

How did the banking system evolve from a simple bench—the very origin of the word “bank”—into the sophisticated institutions that drive the global economy?

Banks are more than just institutions. With over 4,000 years of history, they have played a pivotal role in powering industrial revolutions, transforming dreams into reality, and adapting to the evolving needs of clients across generations. From economic booms to busts, they have stood the test of time, channeling funding like the lifeblood of the economy and serving as critical cogs in the machinery of society. Banks have turned the alch...

Part 1 of the episode. Don't miss Claudia Senik's interview in Part 2.

What really drives happiness in the 21st century? The UN designates March 20 as “International Day of Happiness” to celebrate the importance of happiness and well-being as “universal goals and aspirations in the lives of human beings worldwide and in public policy objectives".

Join Kokou Agbo-Bloua as he delves into the dynamics of happiness economics and the pursuit of genuine well-being in today's globalized world. Kokou questions the conventional metrics of success and prosperity, pondering whether the path t...

Part 2 of the episode. We recommend you listen to Part 1 if you haven't already.

What really drives happiness in the 21st century? The UN designates March 20 as “International Day of Happiness” to celebrate the importance of happiness and well-being as “universal goals and aspirations in the lives of human beings worldwide and in public policy objectives".

Join Kokou Agbo-Bloua as he delves into the dynamics of happiness economics and the pursuit of genuine well-being in today's globalized world. Kokou questions the conventional metrics of success and prosperity, ponder...

This special episode of 2050 Investors takes you to… well, the year 2050! Will we have achieved our goal of net-zero emissions and taken the necessary steps to limit global warming to 1.5 C°? And if not, what will a world on the verge of climate collapse due to human activities look like?  

Join Kokou Agbo-Bloua as he explores the future, inspired by the thought-provoking series "Black Mirror". Stuck inside a dream within a dream, where fiction and reality are intertwined, will we discover a bright future where humans have taken drastic actions to mitigate climate change and protect our envi...

What kind of risk taker are you? The answer may reveal more than you think.

In this episode of 2050 Investors, Kokou Agbo-Bloua takes a closer look at risk and its role in the financial markets. Kokou explores traditional risk management models such as the Value at Risk, volatility and heteroskedasticity (volatility of volatility) and explores the interplay between Main Street and Wall Street.

Later, Kokou sits down with Hatem Mustapha, Co-Head of Global Markets, to discuss the ins and outs of managing risk. They examine different risk management models...

$25 trillion ! This is the sum injected into the economy by Governments and Central Banks to protect a significant portion of the global economy during the Covid crisis. Where does this funding come from, and what are the impacts of such government spending? Is this strategy sustainable in the long term? These are important questions to consider, particularly since we are in a year where half of the world's population is heading to the polls and many candidates are advocating for a 'whatever it takes' approach.

Even if we are near full employment, witnessing rising...

Part 1 of the episode. Don't miss Jonny Wilkinson's interview in Part 2.

“You only get one shot, do not miss your chance to blow.

This opportunity comes once in a lifetime”.

In this episode about sports, these lyrics from Eminem’s hit song ‘Lose Yourself‘ resonate deeply. Throughout History, from civil rights to diversity and inclusion, sports have deeply shaped, inspired and changed our individual and collective human experiences.

This episode is a celebration of all things sports. In the first part of th...

Part 2 of the episode. We recommend you listen to Part 1 if you haven't already.

“You only get one shot, do not miss your chance to blow.

This opportunity comes once in a lifetime”.

In this episode about sports, these lyrics from Eminem’s hit song ‘Lose Yourself‘ resonate deeply. Throughout History, from civil rights to diversity and inclusion, sports have deeply shaped, inspired and changed our individual and collective human experiences.

This episode is a celebration of all things...

Is nuclear power the key to a carbon-neutral future or an accident waiting to happen?

Non-hydro renewables such as wind and solar are predicted to play a major role in the future. However, one of these energy solutions has divided public opinion more than others. To mention the name "nuclear" is to conjure up the boogie man or "he who must not be named".

By 2050, some 10 billion people will need some form of energy to eat, travel, work and protect themselves from the weather. McKinsey's Energy 2050 research report predicts that demand for...

Abraham Lincoln once said, “By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail”. So why do well-known risk managements models fail to predict major events? Is it possible to know when and where the next crisis will come from? And how can we be better prepared?

In this episode of 2050 Investors, host Kokou Agbo-Bloua explores the theory of Black Swans, created by Nassim Nicholas Taleb, and its relevance to sustainability, climate change, and financial markets.

Delving into the world of the unexpected, he draws parallels between the dramatic twists and turns of Tchaikovsky's "Swan Lake" and...

The Chinese have a saying, 'A peaceful life has nothing to do with the passage of time'. This sound reminder points to the importance of enjoying life regardless of age. After all, age is just a number, right? Ageing has become a topical issue in the mainstream recently as experts warn of the incoming 'Silver Avalanche', which has already swept Europe and is making its way to Asia.

Global life expectancy has risen from 51 to 72 since 1960 and is expected to reach 77 by 2050. It is projected that there will be around 2.4 billion elderly (aged 65 or...

Strap on your boots, don your hats, grab your pitchforks and mangroves, because we are going carbon hunting!

Although carbon dioxide makes up a measly 0.04% of our atmosphere or 421 parts per million (ppm), it is about double the average concentration seen over the past 3 million years. All of this extra carbon dioxide accumulated since the pre-industrial era has already caused global warming of 1.1 degrees Celsius, destabilized Earth's climate and started the 6th mass extinction of biodiversity in our planet's history.

One solution: put a bounty on carbon's head and...

Should the world's central banks (Fed, ECB, BoE...) launch a coordinated "green quantitative easing" programme to simply print the $3.5 trillion a year needed to finance the energy transition? Is this a realistic solution or too green to be true?

This episode of the 2050 investors podcast puts the 'central' back in central banks. Since their creation in the 17th century, central banks have been tasked with managing monetary policy, overseeing the banking system and the core mandate of maintaining 'price stability'. But climate change is becoming a major threat to their mandate, posing a real...

What has no beginning, end, or middle and touches every continent?

If you answered, “the ocean”- Correct!

Or the ‘living infinite’, as Jules Verne called it in Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea. This latest episode of 2050 Investors is a splashy one as host Kokou Agbo-Bloua dives deep into the mysteries of the oceans aboard the modern-day Nautilus, the Nautile.

In 2022, at the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), 150 member states pledged to preserve or safeguard thirty percent of the world's oceans by 2030: or “30 by 30”. While a positive step in the right direct...

Why do we say, "there’s no place like home"? This iconic phrase appears in "The Wizard of Oz" to remind us of the human need for familiarity, belonging and protection. Over the past centuries, our homes have followed a Darwinian process of evolution by natural selection of efficiency. From caves to skyscrapers, they’ve protected us from wild animals, natural disasters, and the changing climate.  

Current estimates put the total number of houses at around 2 billion and by 2050, we will need to house around 10 billion people, all looking for familiarity, belonging, comfort and secur...

Part 1 of the episode. Don't miss Jonny Wilkinson's interview in Part 2.

“You only get one shot, do not miss your chance to blow.

This opportunity comes once in a lifetime”.

In this episode about sports, these lyrics from Eminem’s hit song ‘Lose Yourself‘ resonate deeply. Throughout History, from civil rights to diversity and inclusion, sports have deeply shaped, inspired and changed our individual and collective human experiences.

This episode is a celebration of all things sports. In the first part of th...

Part 2 of the episode. We recommend you listen to Part 1 if you haven't already.

“You only get one shot, do not miss your chance to blow.

This opportunity comes once in a lifetime”.

In this episode about sports, these lyrics from Eminem’s hit song ‘Lose Yourself‘ resonate deeply. Throughout History, from civil rights to diversity and inclusion, sports have deeply shaped, inspired and changed our individual and collective human experiences.

This episode is a celebration of all things...

This special episode of 2050 Investors takes you to… well, the year 2050! Will we have achieved our goal of net-zero emissions and taken the necessary steps to limit global warming to 1.5 C°? And if not, what will a world on the verge of climate collapse due to human activities look like?  

Join Kokou Agbo-Bloua as he explores the future, inspired by the thought-provoking series "Black Mirror". Stuck inside a dream within a dream, where fiction and reality are intertwined, will we discover a bright future where humans have taken drastic actions to mitigate climate change and...

Economy, planet, markets and you

2050 Investors is going on a summer break! Before we meet again in September, listen to our April 2022 episode on the insurance industry, which is facing a number of challenges as a result of climate change.

In insurance lingo, an “Act of God” is an event outside of human control or activity, such as natural disasters. With the growing frequency of such "Acts of God" - amplified by acts of men - the question of the insurability of climate risks is front and centre.

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Welcome fellow energy explorers! Do you know why is the energy transition taking so long? And what awaits us when we eventually deplete our energy reserves?  

In this episode of “2050 Investors” we're embarking on a thrilling adventure into the world of energy and the ongoing transition away from fossil fuels. Inspired by the timeless tale of "The Jungle Book," we explore the metaphorical significance of "Man's red flower" as a symbol of humanity's relationship with energy and its impact on the planet.

Amidst concerns of climate change and the urgen...

Did you know that in 2022, the global apparel market was valued at over US 1.5 trillion dollars and is expected to increase to almost US 2 trillion dollars by 2027 (Consumer Market Outlook)? But here is the catch: the industry accounts for 8 to 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions, and that figure is growing!

In this riveting episode, Kokou Agbo-Bloua investigates the dark underbelly of fast fashion, exploring its impact on the environment, global markets, and the very fabric of our society. So, forget “Emily in Paris” or Fashion Week — this episode promises to go beyond the glitz and gla...

Did you know that over the past 440 million years, there have been five mass extinction events on Earth? Now, according to scientists, the sixth extinction may already be underway. By the end of the century, it is estimated that half of an estimated 8 million living species could become extinct due to human-induced global warming.  In other words: biodiversity is at risk.

Join Kokou Agbo-Bloua as he embarks on a journey to understand the critical importance of preserving biodiversity in the face of pressing environmental challenges. While listing topics ranging from historical mass extinction events t...