Taiwan’s GDP growth forecast cut to 3.91% for 2022

The Directorate General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics (DGBAS) has lowered its forecast for Taiwan’s 2022 gross domestic product (GDP) to 3.91 percent, falling below the 4 percent floor the government had previously anticipated.

The downward revision was the result of geopolitical tensions from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which has driven up inflation, and a spike in domestically transmitted COVID-19 cases in Taiwan, affecting private consumption, the DGBAS said Friday.

The latest GDP growth forecast represented a decline of 0.51 percentage points from a 4.42 percent increase estimate the DGBAS made in February.

The DGBAS also raised its forecast of Taiwan’s consumer price index (CPI) by 0.74 percentage points from the February estimate to 2.67 percent, topping the 2 percent alert set by the country’s central bank.

Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel

China’s military sorties near Taiwan changing status quo: premier

China is changing the status quo in the region by conducting military sorties near Taiwan, Premier Su Tseng-chang (???) said Friday after the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) maneuvers were criticized by the United States’ top diplomat a day earlier.

Sending military planes to conduct exercises near Taiwan is “an act of changing the status quo” and an “inappropriate use of force,” Su said when asked to comment on the speech on the U.S.’ China policy by Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Thursday.

In his speech, Blinken criticized Beijing for its “increasingly provocative rhetoric and activity” against Taiwan that he said were “deeply destabilizing,” risked miscalculation, and threatened the peace and stability of the Taiwan Strait.

Blinken specifically cited the sorties of PLA aircraft in airspace near Taiwan on an almost daily basis as an example of the destabilizing behavior.

The U.S. continued to oppose any unilateral changes to the status quo from either side of the Taiwan Strait and expected cross-strait differences to be resolved peacefully, Blinken said.

While thanking Blinken for voicing concern over China’s military maneuvers, Su said Taiwan would defend itself and work with other countries to contribute to the peace and stability of the region.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said it was pleased to see the secretary of state reaffirming the U.S.’ commitment to Taiwan’s security.

According to MOFA, Blinken’s speech showed that the U.S. is very concerned about China’s attempts to exert military and economic pressure on Taiwan and isolate the country.

Meanwhile, Ting Shu-fan (???), professor emeritus at National Chengchi University, observed that Blinken merely reiterated the U.S.’ existing stance by saying the country would try to strengthen its relationship with Taiwan in accordance with the one China policy.

Blinken’s remarks did not come as a surprise, nor did they contain the more assertive wording used by President Joe Biden, Ting said, referring to the president’s off-the-cuff comments at a press conference in Tokyo on Monday suggesting the U.S. would be willing to intervene militarily if China were to attack Taiwan.

Biden later stressed that the U.S. policy toward Taiwan has not changed, something that Blinken once again stated during his policy speech.

The U.S. “remains committed to our one-China policy, which is guided by the Taiwan Relations Act, the Three Joint Communiqués [and] the Six Assurances,” the top diplomat said.

Nevertheless, Chen Fang-yu (???), a political science professor at Taipei-based Soochow University, took note of Blinken’s use of a Taiwan Relations Act provision in his speech.

Blinken said the U.S. would “maintain our capacity to resist any resort to force or other forms of coercion that would jeopardize the security or the social or economic system of Taiwan.”

Chen, one of the editors of the Facebook page US Taiwan Watch, argued that although the provision remains ambiguous, it could serve as the legal basis for a U.S. intervention in the event of a conflict in the Taiwan Strait.

Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel

CORONAVIRUS/Taiwan records 8th child COVID-19 death since April 19

The Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) reported the death of a 12-year-old boy from COVID-19 on Friday, bringing the number of those in Taiwan under the age of 13 to die from the disease to eight.

The CECC also reported that a 5-year-old girl with COVID-19 was currently being treated in an intensive care unit (ICU) for suspected viral encephalitis, or inflammation of the brain, making her the 17th individual under the age of 10 to develop severe symptoms of COVID-19.

The 12-year-old boy whose death was reported Friday was a long-term acute care patient suffering from a nervous system disease caused by genetic mutations. He was already on a ventilator prior to contracting COVID-19, Lo Yi-chun (???), deputy head of the CECC’s medical response division, said at a daily press briefing.

According to the CECC, the boy, who was not vaccinated, was confirmed as having COVID-19 on May 21 after developing a fever the day before.

The boy passed away on May 23 from pneumonia and respiratory failure linked to COVID-19, Lo said at the CECC’s daily news briefing.

According to the CECC, the 5-year-old girl in intensive care returned a positive COVID-19 rapid antigen test result on May 22 after developing a fever of 37.6 degrees Celsius.

After developing additional COVID-19 symptoms including vomiting, muscle spasticity, and loss of consciousness, the girl was admitted to intensive care.

Hospital staff then treated her with drugs and performed intubation to relieve respiratory distress, Lo said.

She has since been taken off artificial ventilation following an improvement in her condition, but is still being treated with high-flow nasal cannula therapy at the ICU, Lo said.

Of the seven other deaths of individuals under the age of 18 with COVID-19, five had encephalitis, or inflammation of the brain, one died of septic shock, while one was ruled as caused by COVID-19 despite doctors being unable to determine exactly how the disease progressed.

Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel

Taiwan shares soar almost 300 points after U.S. rally

Shares in Taiwan moved sharply higher by almost 300 points Friday, with investors encouraged by a rally on United States markets overnight in the wake of an upbeat earnings forecast from retailers, dealers said.

Buying focused on the bellwether electronics sector on the back of a rebound staged by tech stocks on U.S. markets Thursday, following a fall in U.S. treasury yields, dealers said.

Container cargo shippers also attracted interest, pushing the local main board above the 20-day moving average by the end of the session, they added.

The Taiex, the weighted index on the Taiwan Stock Exchange (TWSE), ended up 297.39 points, or 1.86 percent, at 16,266.22, after moving between 16,075.91 and 16,266.22. Turnover totaled NT$219.44 billion (US$7.47 billion).

The market opened up 0.67 percent to pass the 16,000 point mark and momentum accelerated with semiconductor heavyweights in focus on the back of a 1.61 percent rise on the Dow Jones Industrial Average and a 2.68 percent surge on the tech-heavy Nasdaq index amid optimism about retailers’ earnings, dealers said.

Interest spread to non-tech stocks, including the transportation sector as well as the financial sector, lending additional support to the broader market which helped the Taiex overcome technical resistance at about 16,160 points, the 20-day moving average, by the end of the session, they added.

After a fall of 0.84 percent on Thursday, “the Taiex managed itself well and bounced back today as investors seized on the U.S. rally as a reason to hunt bargains,” Concord Securities analyst Kerry Huang said.

“The optimism on earnings by retailers in the U.S. market eased concerns about the growth of the U.S. economy, the largest in the world so a strong showing by American shares prompted their counterparts in Taiwan to steam ahead,” Huang said.

Huang pointed out that the electronics sector once again led the local main board out of Thursday’s weakness by rising 2.12 percent, with the semiconductor sub-index up 2.86 percent after contract chipmaker Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC), the most heavily weighted stock on the local market, surged 3.11 percent to close at the day’s high of NT$530.00.

TSMC’s gains contributed more than 130 points to the Taiex’s upturn on Friday.

Among other large cap semiconductor stocks, United Microelectronics Corp. (UMC), a smaller contract chipmaker, gained 1.62 percent to end at NT$50.20; smartphone chip designer MediaTek Inc. rose 2.16 percent to close at NT$851.00; and power management IC designer Silergy Corp. jumped 9.04 percent to end at NT$2,775.00.

“Tech stocks had been hit hard by worries over a rate hike by the U.S. Federal Reserve,” Huang said. “However, with the Fed showing signs of being less aggressive in tightening the benchmark 10-year U.S. treasury yield moved lower, which encouraged investors to hunt bargains in the tech sector.”

Overnight, the 10-year U.S. treasury yield fell slightly to 2.738 percent after the Fed released the minutes from its May policymaking meeting a day earlier, which indicated the American central bank plans to go ahead with multiple 50-basis-point interest rate increases in June and July instead of the 75 basis points the market previously anticipated.

Also in the electronics sector, shares in iPhone assembler Hon Hai Precision Industry Co. rose 0.92 percent to close at NT$110.00, and PC brand Acer Inc. gained 1.78 percent to end at NT$28.60.

Largan Precision Co., a supplier of smartphone camera lenses to Apple Inc., added 2.16 percent to close at NT$1,655.00, and flat panel maker AU Optornics Corp. rose 2.36 percent to end at NT$17.35.

Container cargo shippers rode the wave of high hopes that China could ease lockdowns, which would boost demand for cargo services and push up freight rates, Huang said.

The transportation sector, where several major shippers are traded, rose 1.46 percent with Evergreen Marine Corp., the largest container cargo shipper in Taiwan, rising 1.76 percent to close at NT$144.50.

Evergreen Marine’s rivals Yang Ming Marine Transport Corp. and Wan Hai Lines Ltd. also gained 1.99 percent and 2.56 percent, respectively, to end at NT$128.00 and NT$160.50.

Elsewhere in the old economy sector, Taiwan Cement Corp. rose 1.20 percent to close at NT$42.20, and Asia Cement Corp. gained 1.57 percent to end at NT$45.20.

In addition, Formosa Plastics Corp. added 1.43 percent to close at NT$106.50, and Formosa Petrochemical Corp. rose 1.17 percent to end at NT$95.00.

The financial sector rose 2.06 percent with Fubon Financial Holding Co. rising 2.68 percent to close at NT$61.30, and Cathay Financial Holding Co. gaining 2.14 percent to end at NT$52.60 as investors put to one side massive claims by COVID-19 insurance policy holders amid a spike in indigenous infections, Huang said.

“After the Taiex closed above the 20-day moving average, the local main board has turned technically stronger,” Huang said. “But, whether the index will challenge the 60-day moving average (of around 16,890) will depend on how China’s eased lockdowns proceed.”

According to the TWSE, foreign institutional investors bought a net NT$20.33 billion worth of shares on the main board Friday.

Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel

Bay Crest Partners Welcomes Marcos Pagani as Managing Partner

Seasoned trading executive, Marcos Pagani, joins Bay Crest Partners as Managing Partner

NEW YORK, May 26, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Bay Crest Partners LLC, a technology-driven, premier agency-only brokerage firm focused on institutional clients, today announced that Marcos Pagani has been appointed Managing Partner. He brings to Bay Crest 20 years of experience in the fields of equities and derivatives execution expertise and has been a core player in the improvement and transparency of market structure. Most recently, Mr. Pagani served for nine years as managing director of BGC Partners, where he was responsible for providing execution services to institutions. Before that, he was the founding member of Momentum Partners and co-head of equities for GFI Group in the U.S.

“Marcos has significant execution expertise across all market and volatility cycles and an unrivaled client base. We are delighted that he is joining us as Managing Partner of Bay Crest for our next phase of growth. His impressive understanding of dark pools’ mechanics is apparent in that many of the best industry leaders have come to rely on him to quietly source deep institutionalized-sized liquidity in equity and options,” said William Mulligan, Chief Executive Officer, and Principal.

“We believe we have a solid foundation, and the Bay Crest team looks forward to working with Marcos to enhance our portfolio of services and deliver the next value proposition to our clients. Bay Crest continues to build out our execution capabilities across multiple product lines making considerable strides toward becoming the top technology-driven, high-touch venue for institutions looking for a true unconflicted execution partner,” said Anthony Riccio, Principal.

“I am very excited to join Bay Crest with so much growth still ahead for the firm,” Mr. Pagani said. “I look forward to working closely with William, Anthony and the entire Bay Crest team to leverage the already native execution-focused DNA of the firm while also working closely with the A.I. team on cutting-edge trading and data products. I am extremely impressed with Bay Crest’s established volumes in equities and derivatives. The firm occupies a unique position in today’s brokerage landscape: an execution model powered by technology but driven by the entrepreneurial spirit of the traders themselves. I want Bay Crest to be the place every talented trader in our industry can have a voice on how to improve execution outcomes, provide value-added coverage to our clients and be successful at it.”

About Bay Crest

Established in 1993, Bay Crest Partners, LLC is a premier agency-only, unconflicted brokerage firm focused on institutional clients globally. The firm clears through Bank of America Merrill Lynch, employs best-in-class technology, and invests in building proprietary fintech to provide a critical edge in servicing clients’ needs. Bay Crest offers clients trading execution expertise at the scale of larger firms with the high-touch service of an independent practice. Investing in innovative technology to promote connectivity and enhance execution is at the core of Bay Crest. In 2021, the firm transacted and facilitated over $800 billion in equity notional value and over sixty-five million listed equity option contracts.

Media Contact:
Maureen McNicholas
media@baycrestpartners.com
baycrestpartners.com

This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com.

Employer Branding Agency Launches Recruitment Tech Company

Happy Dance

Happy Dance

LIVERPOOL, England & NEW YORK, May 26, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Global Employer Brand Agency, Ph.Creative, has launched an exciting new recruitment technology company featuring a flagship enterprise-level careers website SaaS platform. ‘Happy Dance‘ is set to disrupt a sector that Ph.Creative believes has underinvested and overlooked careers websites in favor of larger technology products required to drive an end-to-end recruitment process.

“Happy Dance has evolved from the tools we use to fulfill the employer brand needs of our client partners,” says Jim Taylor MD, of the new enterprise. “We’ve been building engaging and responsive websites for years and realized there was a major gap in the market that we could fill: an enterprise-level SaaS that didn’t test the sanity of its users with less-than-adequate admin and positively zero design thinking.”

Happy Dance was originally built by Ph.Creative for its own use. “We’d perfected the system to the point where it was so intuitive, so easy to use, launching as a standalone just made sense. The existing options all come from big, back-end technology operators: they’re systems designed in the dark. By contrast, we’re from an agency world that’s purpose built to be responsive and accommodating. It’s what we do for a living, after all.”

“We’ve seen and heard so many horror stories from Employer Brand and Talent managers about systems they’d tied themselves into – the hidden costs, the clunky interfaces, the shockingly bad SEO and deathly slow load times,” continues Taylor. “We felt like we had to do something to help. I mean, why wouldn’t you?”

Happy Dance is a SaaS product, refined with input from 20+ F500 founding customers—including the likes of Dominos, DAZN, King Games and Tipico— and it is ready for launch.

“This tech is head and shoulders above anything else in the Talent Acquisition marketplace, and when you mix that with the world-class design capability, the results are a 10x improvement. I’ve used it in my last 2 companies, and I’d highly recommend it to TA Leaders serious about high performance.” Graeme Johnson, Talent Director of the Merlin Entertainment Group

Happy Dance offers talent attraction and brand leaders a flexible careers website design with all the features, functions, and integration options enterprise-level businesses need to manage the candidate experience at scale. In addition, the CMS (Content Management System) has a real next-generation capability to analyze and grade content for bias, sentiment and readability, as well as SEO; all built into the admin controls.

Users benefit from all the tricks learned from years in this sector. Happy Dance puts it all at their fingertips, maximizing the inclusivity, engagement and search engine performance of their careers website, without lengthy admin delays for updates. It’s about time!

“Our site was delivered on time, to specification and within budget—despite a tight timeline! The team really knocked it out the park.”  Nick Katsefaras, Enterprise Systems Manager, Dominos US.

SEO is nothing new to the world of marketing, yet it’s been slow to catch on significantly within recruitment marketing by comparison. It’s not down to education or understanding, it’s more likely due to the prohibitive constraints of existing career website platforms. What Happy Dance delivers is yet another innovative opportunity has been refined and fine-tuned as part of the Ph.Creative tool set – www.jobpagegrader.com.

Job Page Grader ranks a job description page according to several key criteria. It’s already freely available to anyone, delivering insights from over 100,000 submissions, collected over the last three years:

“This is big data used intelligently. It’s helped us to design a much better mousetrap,” said Bryan Adams, Founder and CEO of Ph. Creative.

The Happy Dance offering is a combination of SaaS technology with a concierge service:

  1. Get real design flexibility and say goodbye to the limitations imposed by restrictive templates
  2. Enjoy lightning-fast pages, that are 100% SEO ready, with 301 mapping to make sure they retain their search engine ranking
  3. Discover proper personalization, multilingual, quick-apply and mobile-first interface design
  4. Manage your own content, 24/7, so you aren’t waiting for an admin team in a warehouse on the other side of the world to respond to your change requests
  5. Discover pain-free implementation, delivered 100% ready to rock ‘n’ roll
  6. Get features and functions that elevate the experience and create first impressions that force candidates to apply.

According to Dave Hazlehurst, partner at Ph.Creative, the move into SaaS fits with the parent agency’s ‘experience by design’ business model: “In an industry that talks obsessively about the candidate experience, there’s been this gaping hole in the market when it came to enterprise-level business. Happy Dance is here to plug that gap.”

The feature list, which includes a tech development roadmap, prioritizes what talent and brand leaders really want. Happy Dance combines methods learned from empathetic listening with a real understanding of how candidates move through a website.

“This is a careers website product that delivers agency-style collaboration and a commitment to getting the basics right, with robust next-generation features at the scale only SaaS can offer. We think the current choices in the marketplace are somewhat incapable of delivering on the basics well, regardless of the odd whistle and bell that’s hyped. We’re looking forward to going head-to-head with our new competitors in what is now a really exciting space,” says Bryan Adams, CEO & Founder of Ph.Creative.

Ph.Creative, known as the ‘Defenders of Happiness’, say the product brand name, Happy Dance represents that ‘new careers website’ feeling they share when they design, configure and launch something special with each new client partner.

“I’ve seen multiple clients express pure joy and happiness when they realize they are never going to have to deal with the website technology they’d spent years struggling with. This makes us all want to do a little happy dance! added Paul Mason, Head of Digital Sales at Happy Dance.

Happy Dance is available for demonstration at www.happydance.love where you’ll also find case studies and information with regards to features, implementation processes and what Happy Dance customers have to say about this exciting new technology.

Press contact
Bryan Adams
bryan@ph-creative.com

Related Images

Image 1: Happy Dance

Image 2: Ph.Creative

Image 3: Happy Dance Website

Image 4: Tipico Careers Site

Image 5: Domino’s Jobs Website

Image 6: Entain Careers Website

This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com.

Attachment

The Metals Company Publishes Inaugural Impact Report Detailing Future Operations and Strategy for Net-Positive Planetary Impact

  • TMC’s first Impact Report outlines the Company’s mission to create a carefully managed metal commons by unlocking the planet’s largest undeveloped source of high-grade battery metals amid surging demand for these materials as the world seeks to address the climate crisis
  • In the context of an accelerated transition to renewable energy and electric transport, TMC outlines the anticipated impacts and mitigation measures for its plans to collect polymetallic nodules from the Clarion Clipperton Zone (CCZ) of the Pacific Ocean
  • In addition to providing operational and environmental program details, the report breaks down TMC’s governance and stakeholder engagement, the regulatory context surrounding the nodule collection industry in international waters, and the Company’s relationships with its Pacific Island sponsoring states: Nauru, Tonga and Kiribati

NEW YORK, May 26, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — TMC the metals company Inc. (Nasdaq: TMC) (“TMC” or “The Metals Company”), an explorer of lower-impact battery metals from seafloor polymetallic nodules, today released its first Impact Report detailing the Company’s past, present and expected future ESG impacts, while providing insight into the drivers of its efforts to collect nodules from the CCZ including the global scramble to meet an estimated six-fold increase in the production of metals required for the energy transition.

The report provides a forward-looking view of the impacts of TMC’s expected operations and its efforts to reduce or eliminate these before a single nodule is commercially collected, in line with the Company’s focus on creating a net-positive planetary impact. The report outlines the case for polymetallic nodules in the CCZ as an alternative, large-scale supply of potentially lower-impact nickel, cobalt, copper and manganese, as compared with terrestrial sources, and outlines the Company’s goal of using nodule-derived metals to build up recyclable stocks of battery materials as the basis of a future circular metals economy.

Gerard Barron, CEO & Chairman of The Metals Company, said: “To build a green future, our generation will need to mine more metal than we have mined in our entire history. This will lead to more emissions, more social displacement, more habitat destruction and more biodiversity loss. The questions are: How much? Where? Who will bear the brunt of the ESG costs? Can we afford it? Can the planet? Working through these trade-offs will require realism, pragmatism and some courage. In this inaugural Impact Report, we share how we intend to navigate these choppy waters and give stakeholders a full picture of who we are, why we exist, and how we plan to execute our mission.”

Erica Ocampo, Chief Sustainability Officer of The Metals Company, said: “We share the vision set forward by the U.N. SDGs of a thriving world for all. By openly providing the information in this report we are inviting a dialogue to help drive solutions that will bring that vision to life. With nodules in international waters considered the common heritage of humankind, TMC is committed to putting the resource to work for generations to come and we welcome partnerships, including those with unlikely allies, because now is the time to act to create the future that we want.”

TMC’s Impact Report also details the Company’s corporate structure and governance, the partnerships with its Pacific Island sponsoring states, the regulatory regime governing the international waters of the Clarion Clipperton Zone (CCZ); as well as TMC’s strategy to contribute to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs). Presented on behalf of TMC and its subsidiaries, the report covers the Company’s offshore exploration activities and onshore processing trials from 2012 until December 31, 2021 and also serves as the Company’s U.N. Global Compact Communication of Progress for 2021.

For positive impacts to date, The Metals Company has focussed on:

Advancing deep-sea ecosystem knowledge
TMC is contributing knowledge of the deep ocean through a comprehensive environmental program, which analyses areas of the CCZ from the surface down through the water column to the abyssal plain. In 2021, TMC completed five environmental campaigns in partnership with world-leading ocean scientists. The data collected is expected to inform hundreds of peer-reviewed studies in the years to come and will be made available through the ISA’s public environmental database.

Improving operational visibility for all stakeholders
TMC entered into an agreement with Kongsberg Digital on the development of its Digital Twin and Adaptive Management System to provide 3D visualization of the deep-sea operating environment and enable operations to stay within ecological thresholds. While the nodule resource lies in perpetual darkness three miles deep, these systems will enable the Company to collect nodules in clear sight of both the regulator and stakeholders.

Contributing to peer-reviewed scientific literature
When it comes to extracting the raw materials needed to combat climate change, most current solutions present themselves as difficult trade-offs. In 2021, TMC contributed to the discussion as to where these metals should come from by commissioning and publishing two peer-reviewed research papers in high-impact journals, considering both the solid waste streams from producing critical minerals and the opportunities for ethically sourcing critical metals from nodules collected from the CCZ.

Building tomorrow’s STEM pipeline
From secondary school scholarships to technical training to undergraduate and graduate scholarships, TMC is fostering STEM education in its sponsoring and developing states, with a particular emphasis in promoting women’s participation in these opportunities. In 2022, TMC is supporting nine students (eight undergraduates and one postgraduate) in their studies at the University of the South Pacific (USP) in Suva, Fiji, through its scholarship program, and two students have graduated with Bachelor’s degrees to date. Through its scholarship programs, the Company is currently supporting nine secondary school scholarships in Tonga and has provided 10 technical training scholarships at the Tonga Maritime Polytechnic Institute between 2020-2021. The Company is currently supporting nine undergraduate scholarships and one master’s level scholarship at USP.

Reducing lifecycle impacts of nodule processing
In 2021, TMC found a way to reduce the consumption of metallurgical coal during the pyrometallurgical processing phase by at least 10%, as part of the validation process for its near-zero solid waste processing flowsheet.

Supporting sponsoring state communities
Through its community grant programs, TMC supported 16 community-led initiatives and sponsorships in Nauru and 16 community-led initiatives in Tonga, focussed on five themes: ocean health and the environment; women’s empowerment; youth initiatives; sanitation and water; and healthy living and food security. In 2021, these projects included the planting of mangroves, a powerlifting championship and waste management programs.

Focusing on gender parity in the boardroom, targeted among workforce
With just 3% of S&P 500 companies’ boards comprised of 50% or more women today, TMC joined a small but rapidly growing number of companies delivering on 50% gender parity goals with the appointment of Kathleen McAllister to its board. Across its wider workforce, 35% hail from racially diverse backgrounds and 32% of TMC staff are female.

Strengthening oversight of ESG performance
TMC is developing a governance structure that firmly embeds ESG topics into its business and has established a Sustainability & Innovation Committee at the Board level to oversee and review the Company’s Sustainability and Innovation objectives as well as hired a Chief Sustainability Officer, Erica Ocampo, to establish and shepherd TMC’s strategic framework on sustainability.

TMC’s 2021 Impact Report was prepared using the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Standards as guidance. In addition to GRI, the report references additional frameworks including the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD), and Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB) for the minerals and mining sector.

To download TMC’s 2021 Impact Report, click here.

About The Metals Company
The Metals Company is an explorer of lower-impact battery metals from seafloor polymetallic nodules, on a dual mission: (1) supply metals for the clean energy transition with the least possible negative environmental and social impact and (2) accelerate the transition to a circular metal economy. The Company through its subsidiaries holds exploration and commercial rights to three polymetallic nodule contract areas in the Clarion Clipperton Zone of the Pacific Ocean regulated by the International Seabed Authority and sponsored by the governments of Nauru, Kiribati and the Kingdom of Tonga.

More Info 

Media | media@metals.co
Investors | investors@metals.co

Forward Looking Statements

Certain statements made in this press release are not historical facts but are forward-looking statements for purposes of the safe harbor provisions under The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements generally are accompanied by words such as “believe,” “may,” “will,” “estimate,” “continue,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “expect,” “should,” “would,” “plan,” “predict,” “potential,” “seem,” “seek,” “future,” “outlook” and similar expressions that predict or indicate future events or trends or that are not statements of historical matters. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release include, without limitation, statements regarding a net positive planetary impact, the development of and build up of a recyclable stock of battery metals or a circular economy for such battery metals. These forward-looking statements involve significant risks and uncertainties that could cause the actual results to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements. Most of these factors are outside TMC’s control and are difficult to predict. Factors that may cause such differences include, but are not limited to: regulatory uncertainties and the impact of government regulation and political instability on TMC’s resource activities; changes to any of the laws, rules, regulations or policies to which TMC is subject; the impact of extensive and costly environmental requirements on TMC’s operations; environmental liabilities; the impact of polymetallic nodule collection on biodiversity in the Clarion Clipperton Zone and recovery rates of impacted ecosystems; TMC’s ability to develop minerals in sufficient grade or quantities to justify commercial operations; the lack of development of seafloor polymetallic nodule deposit; uncertainty in the estimates for mineral resource calculations from certain contract areas and for the grade and quality of polymetallic nodule deposits; risks associated with natural hazards; uncertainty with respect to the specialized treatment and processing of polymetallic nodules that TMC may recover; risks associated with collective, development and processing operations; fluctuations in transportation costs; testing and manufacturing of equipment, including software and hardware needed to support the collection, transport and processing of nodules, including the Digital Twin and the AMS; risks associated with TMC’s limited operating history; the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic; risks associated with TMC’s intellectual property and the validity, use and ownership of any new technology or intellectual property subsisting therein; and other risks and uncertainties indicated from time to time in the Company’s Form 10Q filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on May 9, 2022, including those under “Risk Factors” therein, and in TMC’s other future filings with the SEC. TMC cautions that the foregoing list of factors is not exclusive. TMC cautions readers not to place undue reliance upon any forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date made. TMC does not undertake or accept any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements to reflect any change in its expectations or any change in events, conditions, or circumstances on which any such statement is based except as required by law.

Qommodity Will Present Their New EcoSystem at Bitcoin Bucharest 2022

Qommodity is about monetization of natural resources, adaptation of disruptive technologies supported by a cutting-edge interoperable blockchain eco system and hybrid solutions between crypto and the traditional monetary infrastructures.

Qommodity at Bitcoin Bucharest 2022

Qommodity at Bitcoin Bucharest 2022

BUCHAREST, Romania, May 26, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Bitcoin Bucharest 2022 takes place on May 30 and 31 at The Marmorosch Bucharest, Autograph Collection Hotel, being the first event of its kind in the Romanian capital that aims to bring together cryptocurrency, blockchain, web 3.0, metaverse and NFT enthusiasts. With a revolutionary approach to virtual currency, natural resources and blockchain technology, the Qommodity brand takes part in the event, where it will talk about the advantages of QAA and the solution it offers at the border between the crypto world and the traditional financial system.

The conference brings to Romania, which is the second largest country in Europe in terms of cryptocurrency users, the atmosphere and professionalism that can nowadays only be found at the big events in that field in Dubai or Miami. During the two days, all those interested will be able to discover the philosophy behind the Qommodity brand, how resources are digitized in Sierra Leone, as well as details about the particularities of the blockchain technology it uses.

The novelty of Qommodity’s participation in the event, beyond the digitization of natural resources, is the innovative method by which their value is translated into the digital world without affecting the environment. In addition, thanks to the Sourceless blockchain, users will benefit from new standards of transaction protection.

All the details about the project will be discussed directly with the brand representatives, present during the two-day event. More details about the event, tickets and the program can be found on the official event website: https://bitcoinbucharest.ro/

About Qommodity

Qommodity’s mission is to provide an innovative way to make natural resource harvesting affordable without negatively impacting the environment. The company’s business is not based on extracting resources, but uses their value to contribute to the development of local communities in the area of operation and aims to provide long-term stability. Qommodity’s goals include: monetizing resources, increasing accessibility to new opportunities for those interested, a high level of security through the use of state-of-the-art blockchain technology via SourceLess partners, diversifying methods of generating revenue and aligning with financial standards, all within a decentralized system where transparency is key.

www.qommodity.io
marketing@qommodity.io

Related Images

Image 1: Qommodity at Bitcoin Bucharest 2022

Qommodity at Bitcoin Bucharest 2022

This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com.

Attachment


Copyright © 2022 GlobeNewswire, Inc.

U.S. Polo Assn. Announced as Finalist for Best Sport Licensed Brand in the 2022 Licensing International Excellence Awards in Las Vegas

U.S. Polo Assn.

U.S. Polo Assn.

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla., May 26, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — U.S. Polo Assn., the official brand of the United States Polo Association (USPA), is pleased to announce the brand’s nomination as a finalist for the prestigious 2022 Licensing International Excellence Awards for Best Sport Licensed Brand. The Licensing International Excellence Awards honor the way brands use licensing in innovative and creative methods to further their goals, products, and marketing around the globe.

Winners in 25 categories were selected by an expert global judging panel and voted on by members of the licensing industry at large from 165 finalists around the world. With more than 800 entries received, U.S. Polo Assn. was recognized as a finalist in the category for Best Sport Licensed Brand.

The multi-billion-dollar U.S. Polo Assn. brand’s authentic connection to the sport of polo has been enhanced more than ever before by a year of outstanding storytelling, partnerships, sponsorships, and philanthropic endeavors. The nomination acknowledged U.S. Polo Assn.’s growth and achievements, attributed to the brand’s nearly $2 billion in global retail sales and distribution across 190 countries through 1,200 U.S. Polo Assn. stores as well as third-party retailers and e-commerce in 2021. Additional achievements include the expansion of the brand’s global online presence, activating more than 36 websites translated into 18 different languages, as well as a global partnership with ESPN to air the top polo games in the world, including the FIP World Polo Championships in October 2022.

Stiff competition with U.S. Polo Assn. for the Best Sport Licensed Brand included notable brands, such as Formula 1, Football Greats Alliance, The National Football League Plays Association (NFLPA), Tokyodachi, World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. (WWE), and Yale University. In this extremely competitive category, Formula 1 was named the winner.

“On behalf of our global team and our licensing and retail partners around the world, we are honored that U.S. Polo Assn. was nominated for the Best Sport Licensed Brand,” says J. Michael Prince, CEO & President of USPA Global Licensing, the company that oversees the multi-billion-dollar U.S. Polo Assn. brand. “We are proud to be recognized alongside other industry-leading licensees, and we will continue to build on our long-term growth strategy to bring our authentic, sport-inspired lifestyle brand to consumers around the world.”

Prince also sends his congratulations to Formula 1 for their performance this year and their win.

Attending the event this year, on behalf of U.S. Polo Assn., was Molly Robbins, SVP of Global Licensing & Business Development for the U.S. Polo Assn. brand.

“Despite retail industry and supply chain challenges amid the global pandemic, the U.S. Polo Assn. lifestyle brand has continued to grow through product innovation, marketing, digital and public relations initiatives,” added Robbins.

The Excellence Awards were held at The LIGHT Vegas Nightclub on May 23, 2022, and hosted by George Leon, CEO and Founder of Cakewalk Entertainment. The ceremony was held in person for the first time in two years in Las Vegas, Nevada, to celebrate the best of the global licensing industry.

About U.S. Polo Assn. and USPA Global Licensing Inc. (USPAGL)

U.S. Polo Assn. is the official brand of the United States Polo Association (USPA), the nonprofit governing body for the sport of polo in the United States and one of the oldest sports governing bodies, having been founded in 1890. With a multi-billion-dollar global footprint and worldwide distribution through some 1,200 U.S. Polo Assn. retail stores, department stores, sporting goods channels, independent retailers and e-commerce, U.S. Polo Assn. offers apparel for men, women, and children, as well as accessories and footwear in 190 countries worldwide. Ranked the fifth largest sports licensor in License Global magazine’s 2020 list of “Top 150 Global Licensors,” U.S. Polo Assn. is named alongside such iconic sports brands as the National Football League, the National Basketball Association and Major League Baseball. Visit uspoloassnglobal.com.

USPA Global Licensing Inc. (USPAGL) is the for-profit subsidiary of the USPA and its exclusive worldwide licensor. USPAGL manages the global, multi-billion-dollar U.S. Polo Assn. brand and is the steward of the USPA’s intellectual properties, providing the sport with a long-term source of revenue. Through its subsidiary, Global Polo Entertainment (GPE), USPAGL also manages Global Polo TV, the world’s leading digital platform with polo and lifestyle content. In addition, USPAGL partners with ESPN and beIN Sports globally to share the sport of polo broadcasts on television and on-demand to millions of viewers around the world.  For more polo content, visit globalpolo.com.

###

For further information contact: 

Stacey Kovalsky – Senior Director, Global Communications

Phone +001.561.790.8036 – E-mail: skovalsky@uspagl.com

Kaela Drake – PR & Communications Coordinator

Phone +001.561.461.8596 – E-mail : kdrake@uspagl.com

Related Images

Image 1: U.S. Polo Assn.

U.S. Polo Assn.

This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com.

Attachment

EV Technology Group Announces Platform for Sustainability, Setting the Stage for Further ESG Investment

Beyond de-carbonization: EV Technology Group also supports high-quality employment in local communities and corporate governance best practices

Beyond de-carbonization: EV Technology Group also supports high-quality employment in local communities and corporate governance best practices

TORONTO, May 26, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — EV Technology Group Ltd. (“EV Technology Group”, “EVT Group” or the “Company”) (NEO: EVTG, DE:B96A) launched its sustainability platform today, including an articulation of its ESG aspirations and purpose — to drive the adoption of electric vehicles (“EVs”). EV Technology Group’s sustainability platform outlines how it plans to support decarbonization and its approach to overcoming environmental, societal and governance issues that can create obstacles to eliminating CO2 emissions. EV Technology Group is leading the way for positive change in this space through strategic investments in electric vehicle brands and invites further ESG investor interest in the Company’s growth story. The detailed platform is available for download today on EV Technology Group’s website at: https://evtgroup.com/sustainability-platform

EV Technology Group’s sustainability platform begins with its commitments to the environment — notably to reimagine existing internal combustion engine (“ICE”) vehicles as EVs, thereby contributing to de-carbonization. EV uptake, to date, has largely been amongst early adopters who are excited to be at the vanguard of change.

For lovers of automotive experiences, for whom driving is about much more than getting from point A to B, the homogeneity of many EV designs is a barrier to adoption. By helping to bring iconic brands such as the MOKE to the electric age, EV Technology Group’s products speed overall EV adoption by bringing the next wave of consumers from ICE to electric. Going forward, EV Technology Group’s environmental ambitions are not restricted to de-carbonization, as the Company seeks to implement sustainable procurement and supply chain practices, and explore use of NFTs to safeguard environmental standards.

“With transport accounting for more than 20% of total CO2 emissions, and road transport more than 70% of that, the importance of shifting away from internal combustion engines cannot be overstated,” said Wouter Witvoet, Founder and CEO of EV Technology Group. “We believe car lovers will only convert to electric vehicles when they promise the character, unique style and visceral driving pleasure historically delivered by iconic classic car brands. In this sense, as an EV pioneer, EV Technology Group has sustainability at its very core. We are also determined to maintain the highest standards in terms of both our societal impact and corporate governance.”

EV Technology Group’s sustainability platform also has a clear focus on social and governance commitments. Through its investments, the Company will sustain communities and the skills and expertise that will help them thrive into the future. As a company listed publicly on the NEO and Frankfurt Exchanges, EV Technology Group transparently adheres to all governance reporting standards required by these exchanges and is committed to implement data protection and privacy clauses for its customers.

Picture 1

Beyond de-carbonization: EV Technology Group also supports high-quality employment in local communities and corporate governance best practices

EV Technology Group’s sustainability platform sets the stage to articulate an ESG vision — particularly for the growing pool of investors who prioritize contributing capital to companies that contribute to a lower-carbon future. The platform also discloses the future ambitions of the Company to continue improving its ESG credentials over time. Through this plan, EVT Group positions itself as a leader in supporting greener transportation and a carbon-neutral world, and is supporting these global efforts by creating EVs that people want to drive.

EV Technology Group
EV Technology Group was founded in 2021 with a vision of electrifying iconic brands — and a mission of redefining the joy of motoring for the electric age. By acquiring iconic brands and bringing beloved motoring experiences to the electric age, EVT Group is driving the EV revolution forward. Backed by a diversified team of passionate entrepreneurs, engineers and driving enthusiasts, EVT Group creates value for its customers by owning the total customer experience — acquiring and partnering with iconic brands with significant growth potential in unique markets, and controlling end-to-end capabilities. To learn more visit: https://evtgroup.com/

Media
Rachael D’Amore
rachael@talkshopmedia.com
+1519-564-9850

Investor Relations
Dave Gentry
dave@redchip.com
+14074914498

EV Technology Group
Wouter Witvoet
CEO and Chairman of the Board
wouter@evtgroup.com

Forward-Looking Information

This news release contains forward-looking statements including, but not limited to, EV Technology Group’s ESG platform; future investments in EV brands; EV Technology Group operations, expectations, and future actions. Often, but not always, these Forward-looking Statements can be identified by the use of words such as “estimated”, “potential”, “open”, “future”, “assumed”, “projected”, “used”, “detailed”, “has been”, “gain”, “planned”, “reflecting”, “will”, “containing”, “remaining”, “to be”, or statements that events, “could” or “should” occur or be achieved and similar expressions, including negative variations.

Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the Forward-looking Statements, including those factors discussed under “Risk Factors” in the filing statement of the Company. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in Forward-looking Statements, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results to differ from those anticipated, estimated or intended.

Forward-looking statements involve significant risk, uncertainties and assumptions. Many factors could cause actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from the results discussed or implied in the forward-looking statements. These factors should be considered carefully and readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements. Although the forward-looking statements contained in this news release are based upon what management believes to be reasonable assumptions, the Company cannot assure readers that actual results will be consistent with these forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements contained herein are made as of the date hereof and the Company disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or results or otherwise, except where required by law. There can be no assurance that these forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements.

THE NEO STOCK EXCHANGE DOES NOT ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/3705b433-48ff-47f9-873a-67505006c8d9