The UK-EU trade deal prioritises sovereignty over economics. Politicians will soon be talking about how to improve the deal. Very little about the UK’s long-term relationship with the EU has been settled, writes Charles Grant. One particular comment that I heard during the Brexit negotiations has lodged in my memory. In September 2020, a senior…
Vodafone Institute has released a new report in partnership with the Borderstep Institute and the Alliance for the Strengthening of Digital Infrastructures in Germany. Key highlights include: CO2 emissions from data centres have been declining in Europe for 5 years, despite a massive increase in processing power; Politics must invest in research and funding in areas such…
New essay published by Charles Grant of the Centre for European Reform is a must read. For the third time this century, the geopolitical kaleidoscope has been severely shaken. After the 9/11 terrorist attacks and the financial crisis, the double whammy of Donald Trump’s presidency and COVID-19 is causing further disruption to the global order. Each of…
There has never been a greater focus on the development of a clean hydrogen market. However, the focus of policy to date has been directed towards increasing production using electricity generated by renewables, ignoring the potential role of other low-carbon power sources, notably nuclear power. A new report by the New Nuclear Watch Institute analyses…
The UN Environment Emissions Gap Report 2020 published yesterday (Wednesday 9th December) shows that all countries must urgently increase their 2030 climate targets and sharply accelerate emission cuts, as with current policies we are heading towards catastrophic climate change. The report finds that, despite a brief decline in carbon dioxide emissions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic,…
The early measures taken by the EU and its Member States to counter the economic impact of COVID-19 have helped save jobs and businesses, according to the European Court of Auditors (ECA). However, the auditors also see the risk that the pandemic’s uneven impact on Member States and their differing capacities to support their economies…
Ahead of the European Council summit on 10-11 December, mayors warn that the EU 2030 emissions reduction target should be revised upwards to at least 60% by 2030. “Five years after the Paris agreement, the pandemic has shown sustainability to be a crucial issue on which we cannot fail,” says Dario Nardella, President of Eurocities and Mayor…
The European Parliament has adopted a resolution on the new Industrial Strategy. It calls for the new industrial strategy – planned for publication in March next year – to be in line with the goal of climate neutrality by 2050 and to create the conditions for an innovative, inclusive, resilient, digitalised society. In the context…
New research in Europe and the United States shows that large portions of the public still do not accept the urgency of the climate crisis, and only a minority believe it will impact them and their families severely over the next fifteen years. The survey, which was commissioned by the Open Society and the European Policy Institute, forms…
Athena, the UK’s new national team in space, formed by Serco, Inmarsat, CGI UK and Lockheed Martin UK, has today published a report with support from Bryce Space and Technology that showcases the opportunities available to the UK through growth in its space sector and how to seize the moment to do so. Ahead of…
