The New Bonanza: Food Delivery Services Projected to Become a $164 Billion Industry
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Source: 2020 Future of Food Report, Global Web Index
The digital revolution is causing a new global boom — food delivery services, courtesy of a proliferation of smartphone apps. Use of food delivery apps has doubled over the last five years, according to respondents to a survey on consumer habits in the food industry. And sales are expected to grow a further 22% annually in the next three years, significantly boosting restaurant revenue.
Indonesia claims the largest market — 76% of its internet users order food through an app or website on a monthly basis, the survey found. Portugal is showing the most significant growth, with food delivery services growing by 60% since Q2 2018. And in the U.S., millennial consumers — who are driving the food delivery trend — opt to order food for delivery nearly as often as they choose to dine out — 71% of the time versus 76%, respectively.
"This is a market projected to reach $164.5 billion by 2024," the report says, making it a "lucrative opportunity for an increasing number of companies lining up for a slice of the pie."
Demand for Coal Remains Resilient in Asian Countries
Source: IEA
Global coal demand fell 5% in 2020 — the biggest decline since World War II. Europe and the U.S. saw significant declines in demand, but demand for coal in Asia remained steady, according to the International Energy Agency.
Transitioning to renewable energy sources, a major drop in electricity use due to COVID-19 lockdowns and lower natural gas prices all contributed to declining demand for coal in 2020. Whereas demand for coal fell by over 15% in North America and Europe, IEA expects China's coal use to have declined by less than 1% for 2020. China and other Southeast Asian countries combined account for about 75% of global coal demand.
Despite the negative impact that coal use has on global climate goals, the IEA expects the industry to rebound in 2021 — depending on electricity demand and industrial output post-pandemic. Driven by China, India and Southeast Asia, coal consumption is expected to rise by 2.6% this year.
Cost of Solar Electricity Plummeted in the Last Decade
Source: OurWorldinData.org
Electricity prices are expressed in 'levelized costs of energy' (LCOE). LCOE captures the cost of building the power plant itself as well as the ongoing costs for fuel and operating the power plant over its lifetime.
The price of solar electricity dropped by 89% in the last 10 years, becoming the world's cheapest source of electricity. A learning curve related to the sector's technology, involving "innovation that reduce[d] the amount of labor, time, energy, and raw materials needed to produce the technology," resulted in a steep decline in its cost, according to author Ramez Naam. Offshore wind power saw a similar technology learning curve with prices falling by 70%.
The price of electricity from coal has remained nearly the same, dropping only by $2 per MWh to $109 over the last 10 years. The costs of electricity from wind and solar are now significantly lower than electricity from coal at $41 and $40 per MWh, respectively.
Increased use of solar and wind electricity would lead to more jobs, lower prices for consumers and a more sustainable environment. "The more renewable energy technologies we deploy, the more their costs will fall. More growth will mean even more growth," wrote Our World in Data.
Asia-Pacific Embraces AI, While Other Countries Remain Wary
More than half of the 20 countries surveyed believe that artificial intelligence brings value to their society, compared to 33%, which believe the technology creates a negative impact. This survey, by Pew Research Center, finds that less than half of the countries surveyed saw this technology having a positive impact on society in terms of job automation.
Views of AI were especially positive in the Asia-Pacific region, with 72% of the public in Singapore and 69% in South Korea seeing it as a good thing for their countries. Not surprisingly so, as many countries in this region have dominated the field of AI. For example, South Korea has the highest robots-to-human workers ratio in the nation, followed by Singapore. Singapore has also expressed a goal of becoming the world's first "smart nation."
The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the use of AI technologies. Half of global businesses have increased the speed of incorporating automating tasks in their workday, while many executives see this technology as a key lever for success in 2021.
Global Plastic Waste Is a Major Risk for Everyone
Source: University of Leeds
Every year, nearly 30 million tons of plastic are discarded on land, 50 million tons are burned in the air and 11 million tons are dumped into the ocean, according to a computer model from the University of Leeds, U.K.
Plastic waste predominantly comes from high-income countries; however, middle- to low-income countries have less access to waste collection services, thereby producing more poor waste management. Improving waste collection services is the most important factor in reducing plastic pollution, which will require political, societal and corporate support.
Businesses also need to cut back on plastic for global improvements to be made. The packaging industry accounts for the highest use — and waste — of plastic, at 146 million tons in 2015. There are multiple ways that businesses can eliminate waste, such as substituting plastic with compostable materials, and selling products and packaging that are recyclable.