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blog / Finance How Does Green Finance Benefit Organizations and the World

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Climate change has emerged as the defining political and economic problem of this century and it is likely to stay so for the foreseeable future. Governments, investors, businesses, and private individuals worldwide are beginning to take action in response to the climate issue, especially on decarbonization techniques. Moving to a low-carbon or green economy would need extraordinary levels of fresh capital investment, notably in the form of green financing, to support activities that cut GHG emissions and assist firms in adapting to the effects of climate change. That makes it important to understand what is green finance and how it matters.

What is Green Finance?

Simply put, green finance is a loan or investment that promotes environmentally-positive activities, such as the purchase of ecologically-friendly goods and services or the construction of green infrastructure. As the hazards connected to ecologically destructive products and services rise, green finance is becoming a mainstream phenomenon.

ALSO READ: Why is Sustainability Important for Companies? Is it Really Helpful?

Why Green Financing? Types of Green Financing

Now that we have an understanding of what is green finance, let’s explore its different types:

Green Mortgages

They allow lenders to provide better terms to home purchasers of properties with a high environmental sustainability rating or if the buyer agrees to invest in enhancing the environmental performance of a property.

Green Loans

These are loans used to support environmental initiatives such as household solar panels, electric automobiles, energy efficiency projects, and more.

Green Credit Cards

Green credit cards such as Aspirations’ Zero card plant a tree every time a customer makes a purchase. They enable customers to direct their expenditure toward green finance in order to have a lasting impact on the environment.

Green Banks

Green banks operate similarly to traditional banks, but they employ public funds to spur private investment in renewable energy and other environmentally friendly initiatives. According to a 2023 research, the number of green banks in the US increased from one to 20 between 2011 and 2023, investing $7 billion in renewable energy.

Green Bonds

Green bonds account for the vast bulk of green funding. They include bond investments, the earnings from which are used to support a variety of green initiatives such as renewable energy, clean transportation, and conservation, among others.

Benefits of Green Finance Encourages Spread of Technologies and Development of Environmentally Friendly Infrastructure

Governments of developing countries are constructing infrastructure that will improve long-term resource management, increase a country’s competitiveness and channel private sector money into local green markets.

Produces a Comparative Advantage Adds Business Value Enhances Economic Prospects

Governments that promote green financing assist in protecting their societies from scarcity of resources. They do this by building and encouraging local markets for renewable energy, as well as entering new markets with high employment potential.

ALSO READ: With No ‘Planet B’, Here’s Why Sustainability in Business is Important

Green Finance: Risk and Opportunity

The shift to a low-carbon economy necessitates significant investments, which can only be funded through profound private-sector engagement. The incorporation of Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) factors into private investments transforms a risk management strategy into a driver of innovation and new possibilities that provides long-term value for the company and society. However, capital mobilization for green investments has been constrained due to a number of microeconomic obstacles. These include maturity mismatches between long-term green investments. Additionally, the typically short-term time horizons of investors also impacts capital mobilization. Further, financial and environmental policy approaches are not always integrated.

Most significantly, a standardized definition of ‘green’ and a taxonomy of green activities are required to assist investors and financial institutions in allocating money effectively and making educated judgments. To avoid ‘greenwashing’, the notion of green financing should be more explicit.

A uniform set of basic green finance criteria is also required to shift capital flows toward green and sustainable initiatives, as well as for market and risk monitoring and benchmarking. Additionally, green finance assets might benefit from disclosure standards and norms. Voluntary green finance concepts and standards, supplemented by legislative incentives, must be applied and monitored across all asset classes.

Green Finance vs Sustainable Finance

While sustainable finance refers to financial tools that serve environmental and social goals, green finance is entirely concerned with environmental objectives. According to Bloomberg, sustainability and green financing accounted for one-third of all money movements in tracked assets under management in 2023, totaling $30.7 trillion.

The great majority of emissions emitted by investors are funded or from loans, investments, and other financial activities. Funded emissions contribute 700x more to the carbon footprint of financial organizations than operational emissions do. Green financing for investments, loans, and credit cards can help cut emissions.

Green Finance in Banking Sector

Awareness of what is green finance has helped grow its relevance in the banking sector. Both commercial and investment banks are starting to take action in this regard. The actions include mainstreaming environmental factors into bank strategy and governance. It also includes mobilizing capital for specific green assets through loan origination, credit and savings product provision, and capital markets activities such as green bonds. This development is being driven by a variety of worldwide efforts, including the Principles for Responsible Banking and the Sustainable Banking Network.

Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs) also play an important role in mobilizing international climate funding and increasing financial leverage for low-carbon and climate-resilient projects. They do this through strengthening public and private investment planning, preparation, structure, financing, and de-risking. Many have made bold pledges to guarantee that their loan portfolios support conservation efforts and that natural capital and social consequences are factored into their investment decision-making processes.

Products of Green Finance

Green car loans

Green mortgages

Green home equity loans

Green certificate of deposits

Green cards

Green Finance Examples Green Bonds

These are bonds issued by governments, companies, or organizations to fund environmentally-friendly projects such as renewable energy, energy efficiency, and sustainable land use. Investors receive a financial return while also supporting projects that have a positive environmental impact.

Sustainable Investment Funds

These are mutual funds or exchange-traded funds that invest in companies or projects that have a positive environmental impact. By investing in sustainable investment funds, individuals or organizations can support environmentally-friendly initiatives while also potentially earning a financial return on their investment.

To summarize what is green finance, it can be described as a way for businesses and customers to minimize their carbon impact without burning a hole in their pockets. There are several types of green finance accessible to asset owners and enterprises. To learn more about this subject, explore Emeritus’ online courses on finance.

By Siddhesh Shinde

Write to us at [email protected]

You're reading What Is Green Finance And What Are Its Benefits?

What Is Microbial Chemistry And Its Significance?

Introduction

Microbial chemistry or microbial biochemistry can be defined as the branch of microbiology that deals with the study of biochemical reactions taking place in microorganisms which help in their growth and development of mechanisms of pathogenesis.

This branch encompasses the study of the structure of microbial cells, metabolic reactions, and interaction of various macromolecules which provide detailed skeletal aspects and the basis of function associated with life.

Biomolecules Found in Microorganisms

Various types of biomolecules constitute the structure of microorganisms. Most of the microorganisms are prokaryotes except fungi which are eukaryotes. Every microbe contains a different component in its cell wall and produces different compounds for its defense.

Fig. Virus capsid

Every class of microbe produces different cell wall components. For example, carbohydrate present in the cell wall of bacteria is peptidoglycan and glycocalyx. The cell wall of fungi is made up of glucans, chitin, and glycoprotein. Protozoans do not have any cell wall instead they contain pellicles made up of proteins. Viruses also lack cell walls instead they contain a cover called a capsid made up of proteins that cover its DNA. archaea have distinct cell walls made up of isoprenyl groups and glycoproteins.

Metabolism in Microorganisms

Metabolism in any organism may lead to growth of the organism. Microbial metabolism is the way through which microorganisms obtain their nutrition and in turn energy for growth and reproduction. Metabolic processes in microorganisms can be divided into different types based on the pathway and utilization of raw material

1) Pathway by which microorganisms obtain carbon products to increase cell mass-

Autotrophic– can synthesize their own food from the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

Heterotrophic – are dependent on others for their nutrition.

Mixotrophic – they depend on organic matter as well as synthesize food by fixing carbon dioxide.

2) Pathway by which microorganisms obtain nutrition for growth and reproduction

Phototrophic – they depend on sunlight for the synthesis of food.

Chemotrophic – Food is synthesized using inorganic compounds obtained from the soil.

Metabolic Pathway

Every metabolic action in any organism is followed by either loss of energy or there is a transfer of energy. But the transfer of energy is not 100% efficient, so to maintain a stable amount of energy, microbes must take in more energy than needed.

Inorganic molecules that are taken in by microorganisms cannot combine without any external driving force, this driving force is known as the Energy of activation which can be heat or chemical energy and a biological catalyst called enzymes.

These enzymes can catalyze either a synthetic pathway called anabolism or a pathway that involves a breakdown of large molecules called catabolism. In addition to all these a chemical that acts as the driving force for the reaction called adenosine triphosphate (ATP) is also required.

Generally, all microorganisms use ATP making it energy currency of all cells and aiding in energy transfer. Whenever there is a catabolic reaction takes place ATP is generated which is used by the microbial cell for the anabolic processes.

Whenever there is a breakdown of an ATP molecule adenosine diphosphate (ADP) and a phosphate ion is generated. These two will re-join to form ATP. To generate ATP three very important processes are required namely-

Photosynthesis in photosynthetic microorganisms,

Respiration in the presence of oxygen (aerobic respiration)

Fermentation (anaerobic respiration)

Significance of Microbial Chemistry Identification of Microorganisms

Correct identification is a must while studying the bacterial isolates or other microbes in the lab for the development of precise treatment measures against the microorganism. for example, during an epidemic, it is very important to correctly identify the causative organism to develop suitable measures to check the growth of the organism and eventually contain the epidemic.

Microorganisms can be identified in many ways by appearance, by examination of their metabolic and nutritional requirements, by analyzing various granular components stored by them, from the places they have been isolated, their biochemical pathway, etc. Nowadays automated techniques are available like MALDI-TOF.

Development of Drugs

Correct identification and deeper analysis of the various metabolic pathways carried out by the microorganisms can help scientists to develop effective drugs against the microorganism.

Agricultural Significance

Many microorganisms play an important role by fixing atmospheric nutrients and increasing soil fertility understanding the biochemistry of such microorganisms can increase soil fertility and crop yield with less harm to the environment.

Saving Environment

Not only do microorganisms fix atmospheric nutrients but also help in cleaning the environment by breaking down complex substances to simpler ones. For example, Pseudomonas putida is bacteria that can clean oil spills biodegradation.

Significance in Food Industry

Understanding the biochemistry of microbes can help in development of optimized conditions for their better and steady performance to get a uniform product in food and beverage industries.

Conclusion

Scientists like Urey and Millar have long back established the importance of microorganisms in the development of life on Earth. Since then, extensive studies have been going to understand the biochemical reactions carried out by them. Microorganisms have been of great use in many industries and the development of sustainable processes.

Understanding various reaction carried out by them and their interactions with the environment provide better insights for the development of drugs and environmental initiatives.

What Is Apple Lossless Audio And What Devices Are Supported?

Ahead of the upcoming WWDC 2023 event, Apple recently announced that Lossless Audio and Dolby Atmos support is coming to Apple Music. It will be available as part of the iOS 14.6 update sometime in June later this year. Now, if curiosity has led you to ask what is Apple Lossless Audio, we have got you covered with this detailed guide. We will also discuss what is Dolby Atmos, Spatial Audio, and which devices support Apple Music Lossless.

Apple Music Lossless Audio Explained (2023)

Apple has bet big on Lossless Audio and Dolby Atmos to make its music streaming app, Apple Music, a top-notch pick for music listeners. Especially the ones who are always hunting for the best tracks in terms of sound quality. But has the company checked off all the bases? More importantly, will your fancy pair of headphones or AirPods support Apple Lossless Audio? Only a deep dive can help find out the right answers. So, let’s get right into it!

What is Apple Lossless Audio?

To get a good hang of lossless audio, it would be apt to first understand what is “Lossy Audio”.

While converting audio into a digital file format, sound engineers need to compress the audio in order to reduce the file size. At the time of compression, frequencies at the lowest and highest ends can be lost, which results in the Lossy Audio. That means you do not get the complete studio-like experience with lossy audio. There are several lossy formats such as MP3, MP4, WMA, and AAC.

However, if the frequencies and bitrate remain intact even after the compression, and the digital copy is identical to the original audio, we call it Lossless Audio. The lossless popular audio formats are – AIFF, FLAC, and WAV files.

Apple Lossless Audio Codec is a compressed audio format but it does not sacrifice sound quality, which remains the same as the original recording.

What Devices Support Apple Lossless Audio?

Apple has confirmed that the Lossless Audio on ‌Apple Music‌ can be listened to on the following devices:

iPhone (running iOS 14.6 or later)

iPad (running iPadOS 14.6 or later)

Mac Mini, iMac, and MacBook (running macOS 11.4 or later)

Apple TV (running tvOS 14.6 or later)

What Devices Don’t Support Apple Lossless Audio?

Unfortunately, there are quite a few notable devices that don’t support Apple Lossless Audio. They are:

HomePod

HomePod mini

AirPods

AirPods Pro

AirPods Max

In what could seem like adding insult to injury to many Apple device owners, Android phones equipped with headphone jacks appear to be the better way to listen to Apple Music’s lossless audio tracks. You merely need a DAC and compatible in-ear monitors/ headphones to fully enjoy lossless audio tracks on Android.

Note: Apple has confirmed that Lossless Audio support is coming to the HomePod with a future update. So, you might not have to wait a little longer to stream lossless music on your smart speaker.

Why Don’t AirPods, AirPods Pro, AirPods Max, and HomePod Support Apple Lossless Audio?

Due to the limitations of Bluetooth (AAC codec), analog-to-digital conversion, and the Apple Lossless Audio codec, AirPods, AirPods Pro, and AirPods Max can’t stream in 48kHz Lossless or 192kHz Hi-Res lossless audio.

Worse, you won’t be able to get the full lossless audio experience even when you use a physical cable to plug in your $549 AirPods Max into supported devices. If you didn’t know, AirPods Max can be used in a wired state using a Lightning to 3.5mm dongle. Why don’t these headphones support lossless audio, though?

On an official support page, Apple says that “AirPods Max can be connected to devices playing Lossless and Hi-Res Lossless recordings with exceptional audio quality. However, given the analog to digital conversion in the cable, the playback will not be completely lossless.” When you stream 24-bit/ 48kHz audio from Apple Music to the AirPods Max, the audio is first converted to analog and then back to the digital format. That means audio streamed via AirPods Max in the wired state does not remain fully lossless.

The story is similar for HomePod and HomePod mini. Though Apple’s smart speakers use AirPlay instead of Bluetooth to connect to devices, they can’t benefit from Apple Music’s higher bitrate audio format.

How Can AirPods, AirPods Pro, and AirPods Max Support Lossless Audio?

AirPods are designed to stream music using the Advanced Audio Coding (AAC) standard that maxes out at 320 kbps. To enable AirPods to support lossless audio, Apple must come with its own proprietary codec like Sony’s LDAC developed to play music at a higher bitrate over Bluetooth.

Lossless Audio Quality: Difference Between Lossless Tier and Hi-Res Lossless Tier

CD Quality (16-bit/ 44.1kHz, standard lossless quality)

Lossless (24-bit/ 48kHz, better than CD Quality)

Hi-Res Lossless (24-bit/ 192kHz, requires dedicated hardware)

Bear in mind that you will need a digital-to-analog converter or DAC to support Hi-Res Lossless audio playback on your device.

How Many Lossless Audio Songs Are Available on Apple Music?

At the time of launch, around 20 million songs will support the codec. And more than 75 million songs will support lossless audio on Apple Music by the end of 2023.

How Much Does Apple Music Lossless Audio Cost?

Well, the straightforward answer to this question is zero dollars! Apple clearly stated that the Lossless Audio support is available with your existing Apple Music subscription at no extra cost. So it doesn’t matter whether you have an individual or a family plan, you will have unlimited access to Apple Music Lossless Audio for free.

Is Apple Lossless Audio for Everyone?

The real bone of contention is whether you can hear the difference between lossy audio and uncompressed lossless audio files. Well, at least those who listen to music just for the sake of listening or fun won’t notice a huge difference. On top of everything, you also have to take into account the quality of the audio hardware, especially if you want to relish lossless audio as the artists recorded them in the studio. Budget or cheap devices can’t deliver the same experience.

We don’t think Apple Lossless Audio is a must for everyone. However, you could get a pair of budget in-ear monitors or studio headphones to get a taste of lossless audio. If you like what you hear, and notice a difference, you should invest in costlier hardware. Of course, if you are an audiophile with a rich taste in music, you would welcome this addition with open arms.

When Will Apple Music Get Lossless Audio Support?

Apple Music will get Lossless Audio support sometime in June. The Cupertino giant didn’t divulge an exact date for the rollout. Alongside Lossless Audio, Apple Music will also get Dolby Atmos and Spatial Audio support at no extra cost. So, let’s understand how these two technologies can help further elevate your listening experience.

What is Dolby Atmos Music?

On the flip side, Dolby Atmos allows music producers to mix tracks so that it can sound like the music is all around you. Instead of using two channels, a producer can separate all the instruments on distinct channels and move them around to create a 3D audio space. It will offer a transformative experience to Apple Music users.

What Devices Support Dolby Atmos Spatial Audio in Apple Music?

Since the Dolby Atmos implementation is sound-only and does not involve head tracking, you can listen to tracks that support Dolby Atmos on any headphones. You simply need to enable the Dolby Atmos setting in Apple Music on your iPhone, iPad, Mac, or Apple TV.

Bear in mind that only W1 or H1 chip equipped Apple and Beats headphones will let you automatically play tracks in Dolby Atmos – subject to availability. Here are the Apple and Beats headphones that come with W1 or H1 chip and support Spatial Audio with Dolby Atmos:

AirPods

AirPods Pro

AirPods Max

Beats Flex

Powerbeats Pro

Beats Solo Pro

BeatsX

Beats Solo3 Wireless

Beats Studio3

Powerbeats3 Wireless

While Apple says that any pair of headphones can support Dolby Atmos, you shouldn’t expect a budget pair of headphones to deliver the best experience. Simply put, most of the cheap/ budget headphones lack the technologies developed to get the best out of Spatial Audio that Dolby Atmos is known for.

iPhone 7 (or later)

Pad Pro 12.9-inch (3rd generation or later)

iPad Pro 11-inch all models

iPad (6th generation or later)

iPad Air (3rd generation or later)

iPad mini (5th generation)

MacBook Pro (2023 model or later)

How to Enable Dolby Atmos in Apple Music?

How Many Tracks Support Dolby Atmos on Apple Music?

Though Apple has not yet given the exact number of tracks that will support Dolby Atmos on Apple Music, the Cupertino giant has mentioned that “thousands of Dolby Atmos tracks” (if not millions) will be available when the feature arrives in June. What’s more, Apple has also said that it will regularly add all-new Dolby Atmos tracks to Apple Music.

How to Identify Dolby Atmos Tracks on Apple Music?

Do You Have to Pay for Dolby Atmos Tracks on Apple Music?

No, you won’t have to pay anything to listen to Dolby Atmos tracks on Apple Music. So, whether you have a family or individual plan, you will have unrestricted access to Dolby Atmos tracks.

When Will Dolby Atmos Support Arrive on Apple Music?

Though Apple is yet to offer a specific date, Dolby Atmos is likely to arrive on Apple Music sometime in June.

Enjoy Lossless Audio and Dolby Atmos on Apple Music

What Is Financial Management? Its Nature, Scope And Significance

blog / Finance What is Financial Management? Its Nature, Scope and Significance

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Finance is one of the crucial prerequisites to starting any business. Further, a sufficient corpus of funds and efficient financial management is required throughout a business’s lifetime and even when a company is sold or wound up. Therefore, funds need to be managed, regulated as per procedures, and monitored at every step of the business lifecycle.

Any business that manages its finances better experiences exponential growth, and businesses that mismanage their financial resources and activities usually undergo losses or make lower profits. Let’s delve deeper into the world of financial management.

What is Financial Management?

In simple terms, financial management is the business function that deals with investing the available financial resources in a way that greater business success and return-on-investment (ROI) are achieved. Financial management professionals plan, organize and control all transactions in a business. They focus on sourcing the capital whether it is from the initial investment by the entrepreneur, debt financing, venture funding, public issue, or any other sources. Financial management professionals are also responsible for fund allocation in an optimized way to ensure greater financial stability and growth for the organization.

Importance of Financial Management

The financial management of an organization determines the objectives, formulates the policies, lays out the procedures, implements the programs, and allocates the budgets related to all financial activities of a business. Through a streamlined financial management practice, it is possible to ensure that there are sufficient funds available for the company at any stage of its operations. The importance of financial management can be assessed by taking a look at its core mandate:

Availability of sufficient funds

Maintaining a balance between income and expenses to ensure financial stability

Ensuring efficient and high ROI

Creating and executing business growth and expansion plans

Safeguarding the organization against market uncertainties through ensuring buffer funds

Let’s take a deeper look at the scope of financial management to gain a greater understanding of its importance.

Financial Management Scope

Financial management in a company is governed by the principle that it must protect the financial interests of the investors, shareholders, and ensure business growth. Apart from securing their interests, financial managers are also expected to ensure greater ROI that generates more wealth for all shareholders. There are certain objectives of financial management which are universally accepted by experts and business leaders, and these clearly outline the financial management scope and functions.

Objectives of Financial Management

Certain specific and highly impactful objectives that financial managers aim to attain are:

Assessing Capital Needs

Financial managers need to evaluate factors such as cost of current and fixed assets, cost of marketing, need for buffer capital, long-term operation, human resources cost, etc. Successful businesses have clearly defined short-term and long-term financial requirement projections in place.

Determination of Capital Structure

A company’s capital structure is the framework that determines decisions such as debt-equity ratio in the short as well as long term.

Creation of Effective Financial Policies

There is a need to frame efficient financial policies that govern cash control, the lending and borrowing processes, and so on.

Resource Optimization

Great financial managers are able to navigate through different scenarios by making optimum use of the available financial resources. This would reduce the cash burn and increase the cash churn to generate maximum ROI.

Functions of Financial Managers and Advisors Fundraising

For any business to grow confidently and have a good market reputation, an adequate amount of cash and liquidity is critical. Therefore, businesses raise funds by equity or debt financing. Financial managers take decisions on maintaining a healthy balance between debt and equity to ensure that the company’s financial health is not impacted.

Fund Allocation

Smart fund allocation is as critical to a business’s financial health as fund-raising itself. The funds that a company has must be allocated in the best way possible after due diligence on:

Business size and growth potential

Whether the assets are short-term or long-term before spending on them

Mode of fundraising

Profit Planning

Unless it is a social organization, earning more profits would be among any business’s primary goals. The profits a company makes determine its financial health and future growth. Therefore, adequate usage of the money generated as profit is needed. Whether they have to be plowed back to acquire assets and expand coverage, or to be spent on marketing, acquiring other businesses, or invested to act as a buffer resource, all these considerations are made by financial leaders.

Understanding Capital Markets

A company’s shares are publicly traded on stock exchanges, and the transactions as well as the change in a listed company’s market capitalization is a constant phenomenon. Good financial managers have to be well-versed with the capital market dynamics, and the risks associated. Whether dividends are to be given to the shareholders when the business generates profits or is reinvested into the business, is one of the crucial decisions that can impact shareholders’ sentiments and the company’s goodwill.

Career Opportunities in Financial Management

Since financial management is integral to any business, and there are huge opportunities in the financial sector verticals such as accounting, banking, insurance and other financial companies, there are various career options available in the field. We’ve curated a few lucrative opportunities in financial management for you:

Corporate Finance Roles

Corporate finance is one of the financial roles pertaining to raising funds for business operations. Corporate finance professionals have to manage funding sources, investment decisions, and capital restructuring while focusing on the following parameters.

Striking a balance between risk and profitability

Analyzing and forecasting economic trends in the industry

Analyzing the company’s reports and making improvement-related suggestions

Enhancing the value of stock

Fund management through the selection of investment portfolios

Focusing on actions that mitigate financial risks for the company

Investment Banking Roles

One of the most rewarding and reputed careers in the finance sector is in the field of investment banking. Investment banking professionals handle the financial restructuring of companies and they use data and technologies to generate insights and make impactful financial decisions. Investment banking requires a good understanding and a passion for financial markets and economic trends. Trading and stockbroking, and asset management roles are also a part of this segment. While stockbrokers make stock market transactions on behalf of their clients, asset management companies determine the investment portfolios over longer periods and diversify client investments with an aim to mitigate risk and deliver superior ROI.

A diploma in banking and finance or a financial risk management course would be an ideal value addition for job seekers in this segment.

Portfolio Management Risk Management

Financial Risk Manager

Enterprise Risk Manager

Supply Chain Risk Manager

Operational Risk Manager

Digital Risk Manager

A financial risk management course would be a perfect value addition to an accounting qualification or an MBA degree.

Financial Planning

Financial planners are in high demand these days. Individuals, as well as companies, are availing of the services of financial planners to optimize their investments and savings, to ensure future financial safety. Financial planners need to be experts in analyzing financial statements, income flows, and expenses and creating customized solutions that match a client’s needs. There are various segments of financial planning such as wealth management, tax planning, retirement planning, investments, etc. The aspirants can work as self-employed financial planners, launch a financial planning startup or work in businesses such as Knowledge Process Outsourcing (KPOs), NBFCs, Asset Management Companies (AMCs), or wealth management and financial services companies.

A master’s degree in finance or PGDM Finance along with an MBA would make a person a good hire in this arena.

Commercial Banking Sector

Banks are a key enabler of financial support to individuals as well as businesses. From maintaining savings and current accounts, debit, and credit cards, to offering personal, home, education, or business loans, the banks are a key to everyone’s financial journey. The banking jobs are respected, and offer good salaries and fixed working hours. Nowadays, having technological expertise alongside an MBA degree can make a person highly employable in this arena.

Compliance and Internal Financial Management

Companies also employ managers and financial administrators to handle various procedures and regulations such as law adherence, ethical operations, compliance with industry standards, and reputation management, etc.

These roles are best suited for people with college degrees in accounting and law. By adding a sector-specific qualification such as a diploma in financial accounting, one can grab attractive internships or job opportunities in this arena.

Explore Learning Options in Financial Management

Today, we are living in a world where hybrid educational models combining online, as well as on-campus learning options, are available in all fields including financial management. Emeritus offers numerous options in general as well as area-specific financial management specializations.

There is an extensive range of financial management, analytics, and other learning opportunities from Emeritus that can give a jump start to a career in the financial sector. Alternatively, for those already working in this field, these courses offer a significant value addition that would lead to career growth, taking up leadership roles, or helping launch the dream business that will transform the financial industry of the future.

What Is Green Screen In Video Player On Youtube

A green screen in a video player on YouTube refers to a special effects technique used in video production. It is also known as chroma keying. It allows video editors to replace the background of a video with another image or video. A green screen is typically used as the background colour because green is a colour that is not commonly found in skin tones, making it easy to separate the subject from the background.

The basic idea behind green screen is that a video is shot with the subject in front of a solid coloured background, usually green or blue. Then, the video editor uses software to remove the green or blue background, revealing the transparent background behind the subject. Then, they can replace the removed background with any other image or video they want.

Benefits of Green Screen in Video Player on YouTube

There are several benefits to using a green screen in a video player on YouTube −

Increased production value − Green screen can add a professional look to videos by allowing creators to replace the background with high-quality images or videos. This can make videos look more polished and visually appealing.

Increased creative possibilities − Green screen opens up a wide range of creative possibilities, such as adding special effects, animations, or background images that would be difficult or impossible to achieve otherwise.

Greater flexibility − Green screen allows creators to shoot videos in a controlled environment and then add the background of their choice later, which can be more cost-effective than shooting on location.

Improved engagement − Green screen can make videos more engaging by adding visual interest and dynamic elements, which can help increase engagement and views.

Increased reach − Green screen can help creators reach a wider audience by making their videos more visually appealing and engaging, which can help increase views, subscribers, and revenue.

Cost-effective − Green screen is cost-effective compared to other alternatives such as shooting on location, it allows creators to produce high-quality videos at a lower cost.

Improving creativity − Green screen can help creators to express their creativity by adding new elements and backgrounds to their videos.

Making it easier to produce videos − Green screen can make it easier for creators to produce videos, by eliminating the need for expensive equipment and complicated lighting setups.

Overall, green screen is a powerful tool for video creators on YouTube, and it can be used to enhance the visual appeal and production value of videos, making them more engaging and more likely to reach a wider audience.

Wrapping Up

Green screen is a powerful tool for video creators, but it can be challenging to use. It requires specific lighting conditions, the background should be evenly lit, the camera should be calibrated and the subject should not wear green clothes. This is a technique that requires practice and experience to master.

On YouTube, creators use green screen in order to create a more engaging and dynamic video by adding special effects, background images, or animations. It can also be used to create a more professional look for the video by adding a studio-like background or a location that is difficult or expensive to access.

Feature Stores: What Are They & Their Benefits In 2023?

According to a survey by Anaconda, data scientists spend nearly half of their time on data preparation.

Figure 1. How long does it take to put a trained model into production?

Figure 1: The time it takes for trained models to put in production, Source: Algorithmia

Organizations have started to adopt MLOps practices to overcome the challenges of model development and deployment processes and to streamline the machine learning lifecycle. One of the key components of MLOps are feature stores, which are used by companies like Uber

What is a feature?

A feature is an independent variable that affects the prediction of an ML model. For example, when predicting the delivery time of shipping, a feature can be the stock status of the product, the current workload of the shipper, the weather conditions, etc. Since raw data is rarely suitable to be used as an input to ML models, these features that are relevant to the problem at hand must be created through feature engineering.

A feature can be offline or online:

Offline features are variables that do not vary too often. For instance, in case of order shipping, the preparation time of the order is relatively constant if the ordered item is in stock. These types of features can be recalled via the data warehouse.

Online features are variables that change often and need to be updated in real-time. For instance, the weather condition is an online feature when predicting the delivery time.

In order for an ML model to function efficiently, both kinds of features should be considered.

What is a feature store?

Cleaning and extracting data through feature engineering, and the creation of data pipelines are complex operational processes. As the number and complexity of ML models increase, the time and computational power required to accomplish these processes also increase.

A feature store enters the picture at this point. It is a platform that

Stores the created features to be accessed and reused in future problems,

Enables the management of all features from a centralized place and makes them accessible for different teams,

Provides the metadata of a feature.

Feature stores enable businesses and data science teams to:

Creating features is a time-consuming process that requires domain expertise about the problem. Feature stores help data science teams to store the features that are created for a problem and reuse them for another problem. For example, the processed data about the average shipping time of a company or the standard delivery time of a restaurant can be utilized by various models. Reusability of features helps ML teams to accelerate ML model development process.

Improve collaboration

Different teams can use the same feature for different purposes. Storing features in a centralized platform makes them accessible to different teams developing different ML models. This improves collaboration between ML teams such as data scientists, data engineers, or MLOps engineers.

Make model training and model inference consistent

Feature stores can help eliminate the “online/offline skew” problem. This problem refers to the difference in model performance during model training and during inference due to the use of different features in these settings. By improving accessibility and reusability of features, feature stores eliminate this problem and improve the consistency of model performance between training and inference.

When to use a feature store and how to get started?

Feature stores can benefit all ML projects but if you have different teams that develop and manage multiple ML models, a feature store is a must-have tool. Scaling ML and AI projects across your organization requires a systematic approach such as MLOps and feature stores are often a part of MLOps platforms.

Alternatively, you can build your feature store with in-house resources if you have specific needs. However, this can also be a time-consuming process and often preferred by large companies.