9. Michaelmas Court, 10th September 2019

The Master and Guest Speaker Cate Lamb
at The Michaelmas Court Lunch

The Company held its Michaelmas Court Meeting this morning. The Court Meeting was followed by the Company’s Michaelmas Court Lunch which took place in Armourers’ Hall .Seventy members of The Company and their guests ate an excellent lunch , and were privileged to hear a very thought provoking speech from Cate Lamb , Global Director , Water Security at CDP ( The Carbon Disclosure Project). Cate gave a wide – ranging introduction to the need for companies to be more transparent about what they take out of local water resources, invoking the old Chinese proverb “ Not only can water float a boat ; it can sink it as well .” Shareholders, from pensioners to fund managers need to think carefully about their investments as less than 2% of assets in these institutions can be classified as sustainable with 98% being at best neutral. She invited us to imagine if every loan to a company came with a water – related expectation.

The formal part of the Lunch was followed by a most convivial Stirrup Cup at which it was announced that £700 had been raised at our Lunch Charity collection for our own Charity – The Water Conservation Trust

The Master’s Consort , Judy, with Fiona Tozzi and
Andy Williamson at The Michaelmas Court Lunch

After a quick cup of tea, Judy and I were off to the offices of a certain large City law firm as guests of The Worshipful Company of Fuellers to listen to Tony Hayward, the former CEO of BP and now non- executive Chairman of Glencore, who was delivering the 15^th Ezra Memorial Lecture. 

Tony Hayward’s Lecture was entitled The Future of Energy, and it presented a somewhat disquieting view of the future up to 2050,. It is a matter of concern for example to learn that currently the nation has one and a half days supply of gas, by way of reserves, and that currently plastics consumes about 25% of the world’s oil , and that energy consumption is forecast to increase by 35% by 2050.

Tony Hayward delivering the
15th Ezra Memorial Lecture

Tony Hayward’s excellent Lecture, was followed by refreshments , and then home on an evening that had the feel about it of late summer rather than early autumn.