At this time last year, inflation, the pandemic and conflict between Russia and Ukraine were at the top of investor agendas globally. These three topics remain top concerns as the new year begins; however, the direction of inflation compared with a year ago has started to reverse course, the response to the pandemic has become more routine, and the war in Russia and Ukraine has less uncertainty.

We began 2023 in a period of flux. In economic terms, 2022 received a boost as we took further steps to come out of the pandemic, but with the conflict between Russia and Ukraine taking its toll on supply chains and energy markets.

The United States does not have an energy problem, it has an energy security problem. Indeed, while clean energy is frequently — and not undeservedly — in the spotlight, finding a way to firm up renewable generation remains a crucial issue. With this in mind, provisions outlined in the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) could expedite the move toward energy security as national demand for electricity begins to grow for the first time in decades.

Singapore-based SC Capital Partners has formed a data center investment program with a wholly owned subsidiary of the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA). SC Capital Partners secured commitments for the new mandate from ADIA, with the ability to scale up throughout time to $2 billion of equity.

Data centers — once just obscure buildings hosting server racks — have risen in prominence to become one of the hottest property sectors investors are looking at today. A global data center investor sentiment survey conducted by CBRE in 2021 revealed nearly 95 percent of more than 115 respondents, many of whom are among the world’s largest institutional real estate investors, were looking to increase their capital deployment in the data center sector.

There is a direct correlation between the design and maintenance of the neighborhoods where we live and work, and overall quality of life and life expectancy. This connection has become headline news in the wake of COVID-19 and the increasing threat to health brought on by climate change.