Weekend edition—Life on Earth, SoftBank in India, soy sauce

Delegates from around the world will gather Monday in Madrid for the start of a week of climate change summitry. This follows a major UN report showing that the goal of holding climate change at 1.5°C above pre-industrial average temperatures—the threshold at which climate change becomes catastrophic—is nearly impossible. [Quartz Daily Brief]( Sponsored by Good morning, Quartz readers! Delegates from around the world will gather Monday in Madrid for the start of a week of climate change summitry. This follows a [major UN report]( showing that the goal of holding climate change at 1.5°C above pre-industrial average temperatures—the threshold at which climate change becomes catastrophic—is nearly impossible. The planet is on track for [3.2°C of warming]( above pre-industrial levels by 2100. To stay below the 1.5°C threshold, global emissions would need to be cut by more than 7% every year between 2020 and 2030. That means emissions in 2030 would have to be 55% lower than they were in 2018. Put another way, “peak emissions” can’t come soon enough. That’s where the Madrid meeting comes in. At the summit, countries will finalize the mechanisms for meeting their climate commitments, and at least try to stave off the worst-case scenario. One of the [main matters of debate]( will be setting rules for international carbon markets, one of the few internationally coordinated efforts to contain climate change. Many countries plan to meet their climate goals in part by buying carbon credits to offset their own emissions, paying to prevent deforestation in other countries, or planting trees. Changes in land use, including deforestation, currently accounts for [around a quarter]( of global emissions. In practice, offsets are controversial. As journalists have [reported]( for [years]( it’s hard to make sure trees aren’t harvested later. Plus, carbon credits are often too cheap to compete financially with the drivers of deforestation, like cattle ranching or mining. Preventing [double-counting of credits]( is also tricky. During the [previous round]( of climate talks, draft rules for carbon markets would have prohibited double-counting credits. The delegation from Brazil objected to this. As home to a large part of the Amazon rainforest, Brazil is likely to play host to much of the world’s carbon offsets. Being able to count projects funded by others towards its own climate target would be advantageous. The issue was put off to this year’s summit. The Madrid meeting will determine how, or whether, the promises of the Paris Agreement will be turned into action. It’s not an exaggeration to say that the future of life on Earth is at stake.—Zoë Schlanger Sponsor content by Refinitiv Here’s how every S&P 500 corporation is addressing climate change (or not). This data visualization shows current CO2 emissions of major corporations like Halliburton, Apple, and Ford. By comparing future commitments to Paris Agreement pledges, we show you who’s moving toward a sustainable future, and who’s potentially leaving humanity behind. [Make an impact with our CO2 database](. FIVE THINGS ON QUARTZ WE ESPECIALLY LIKED Walmart’s murky Luxembourg tax affairs. The world’s biggest retailer underpaid US taxes on nearly $2 billion worth of offshore cash, according to an IRS whistleblower filing [leaked to Max de Haldevang](. In 2009 and 2010, Walmart had a chunk of money sitting in Luxembourg; if it sent it back to headquarters, that would incur a large tax bill, so it transferred the cash to the UK and told the IRS it was high-taxed British money, the whistleblower said. Color balance. Earlier this month, supermodel Naomi Campbell shared photos of her second time working with a black photographer during her 33-year career. While this news might be shocking to some, the photo industry has a history of bias, both in staffing and technique (which differs for dark skin). As [Brianna Holt writes]( “While diversity and inclusion are mainstream ideas by now, in many professions it’s not yet a given that you’ll find much of either.” Instant nostalgia. How will we remember the 2010s? The things that make a decade memorable don’t always become obvious until long after it has passed—think disco and the 1970s—but [Quartz reporters]( took their best guesses at predicting how the future will look back at the past 10 years. Spoiler: It includes yoga pants, BTS, and avocado toast. Stop defending “you guys,” y’all. The debate over which second person plural is superior is decades old. But, as [Lila MacLellan reports]( one language expert believes a couple of cultural trends are now colliding that could finally push the obvious winner—the inclusive, gender-neutral “y’all” so popular in the southern United States—into common usage everywhere. Productive or problematic? In recent years, Jack Dorsey, Hugh Jackman, and other high-profile men have publicly divulged their intermittent fasting diet regimens and, in the process, have highlighted a damaging double standard. For men, the diet is now considered a productivity boost. For women, it has historically been perceived as an eating disorder. As [Hope Corrigan writes]( men are using intermittent fasting as a way to exceed a standard—not meet one, as women feel they must. FIVE THINGS ELSEWHERE THAT MADE US SMARTER SoftBank’s Indian misadventures. “For Indian entrepreneurs, SoftBank was the ultimate gift,” writes Henny Sender for the [Nikkei Asian Review](. The Japanese conglomerate has splashed its considerable cash on startups in the country, including Flipkart, Patym, Snapdeal, Ola, and OYO, making it the most prolific big-ticket tech investor in India in recent years. But cracks are starting to appear in its Indian portfolio, and the reverberations are being felt across the country’s startup scene. Money and mourning. The English Premier League is the wealthiest, most successful soccer competition in the world. The clubs and fans owe a huge debt to their counterparts 30 years ago. The Hillsborough disaster in 1989, when 96 Liverpool fans were crushed to death in a dilapidated old stadium, led to the legally enforced modernization of the sport in England. The money followed but, as the [BBC explains]( a long campaign for justice has traumatized the families of victims. California housing crisis meets the global climate crisis. As its cities become unaffordable, the state is looking to provide new permits to build homes in fire-prone areas that builders previously avoided. [For Bloomberg]( Prashant Gopal and Noah Buhayar report on a 19,000-unit development that, despite having an anti-wildfire fortress featuring an aqueduct as a moat and three fire stations, won’t be able to survive a burn. Cashing in their chips. A foundation that’s based in the US and oversees the most promising semiconductor technology, developed with the Pentagon’s help, is moving to Switzerland. The group has members from all over the world, and some of them fear the impact of US trade restrictions, write Stephen Nellis and Alexandra Alper [for Reuters](. This could lead to other globally minded organizations reconsidering their futures in the US, too. Just soy stories. The stuff you have in your cupboard, even if it’s from the local Asian store (or just your local store, if you’re actually in Asia), is probably a pale imitation of the real thing, write Suryatapa Bhattacharya and River Davis for [the Wall Street Journal](. They chronicle how the humble condiment “has been transformed into a dollar-a-drop luxury to be fussed over like a fine wine.” Our best wishes for a relaxing but thought-filled weekend. Please send any news, comments, decadent condiments, and era-defining exercise wear to hi@qz.com. Get the most out of Quartz by [downloading our app]( and [becoming a member](. Today’s Weekend Brief was brought to you by Hasit Shah, Jason Karaian, and Steve Mollman. Enjoying the Daily Brief? Forward it to a friend! They can [click here to sign up.]( Want to advertise in the Quartz Daily Brief? Send us an email at ads@qz.com. To unsubscribe from the Quartz Daily Brief, [click here](.