Insights

Transitioning to green energy is critical due to increasing emissions and the eventual depletion of conventional energy sources. This study proposes and simulates a sustainable interconnection model linking Central Asia, Azerbaijan, Türkiye, and Europe via a 5 GW HVDC transmission line by 2030. The model demonstrates that Central Asia’s surplus renewable energy can be efficiently transferred through the South Caucasus corridor to Europe with minimal transmission losses. The corridor operates at full capacity and offers technical and economic benefits, supporting regional clean energy goals. This strategic model provides a viable foundation for future expansion and detailed research.
Sustainable Solutions in the Transition to Green Energy: Economic and Environmental Perspectives
Generative AI analyzing survey data from a Congolese community misinterpreted politically rooted distrust of institutions as "misinformation resistance," highlighting a critical gap between AI-generated labels and the actual context. The AI confidently and cleanly recategorized a complex, historically informed epistemic stance as a cognitive bias, a misreading only identifiable by someone familiar with the community's political and historical realities. This case underscores the risk of AI tools misframing data when users lack contextual knowledge, raising concerns about the broader implications of AI-driven interpretation in diverse sociopolitical settings.
When AI is Fluent in Data but Illiterate in Context
Nations' policies on allowing AI systems to learn from publicly available data will determine global AI leadership. Restrictive regulations on the use of public web data may push AI development to countries with more permissive rules, weakening others' ability to innovate and benefit economically. Effective policy approaches promote technical opt-outs, transparency, and safeguards against harmful outputs, ensuring responsible access to digital commons. Such balanced policies will better support the advancement of AI capabilities and associated economic growth.
Education
How Rules for Publicly Available Data Are Shaping the Future of AI
The conflict between the US, Israel, and Iran highlights the growing role of AI in warfare, including its use in intelligence, targeting, and decision support. The US military employs AI systems like Maven Smart System to enhance attack speed by prioritizing targets. Ethical concerns and regulatory challenges persist as rapid AI advancements outpace international efforts to establish laws on autonomous weapons. Experts warn that without agreements on lawful AI use in conflicts, proliferation of AI warfare is likely imminent.
How AI is shaping the war in Iran — and what’s next for future conflicts
The Arabian Peninsula and Iran rely heavily on seawater desalination plants for up to 90% of their drinking water, making modern urban life possible in one of the driest regions on Earth. These large, complex coastal facilities are strategically vulnerable as they are fixed, energy-intensive, and require specialized maintenance. Recent military strikes near Gulf desalination plants expose their susceptibility, with damage potentially causing rapid water shortages affecting millions, impacting health, sanitation, and industry. Given the water scarcity and depleted freshwater sources throughout the Middle East, the region faces escalating "desalination dependency," exacerbating risks amid ongoing conflicts.
Financial services
Iran and the Arabian Peninsula depend on desalination plants to survive – why water has become a target
Sudden climate shocks like floods or litigation trigger rapid, pronounced reactions in financial markets, impacting pensions and investments exposed to climate risk. In contrast, slow environmental changes—rising sea levels or prolonged drought—unfold gradually and often receive less immediate market attention despite significant long-term economic consequences. Neurofinance research reveals that investors focus more on vivid, immediate threats due to how the brain processes risk and time, influencing portfolio adjustments. This leads to quicker responses to abrupt events and slower adaptation to gradual climate risks, challenging long-term investment strategies such as pension fund management.
Financial services
Why a short, sharp climate shock affects your pension more than a slow, looming threat
Turkey views the EU–India Free Trade Agreement as a potential economic threat due to Turkey’s exclusion from negotiations despite being part of the EU–Turkey Customs Union. The agreement reduces tariffs between the EU and India, enhancing Indian market access to Turkey without reciprocal Turkish access to India, deepening structural asymmetries. Ankara fears this may diminish its strategic importance to the EU and exacerbate economic disadvantages, as it must comply with rules set without its participation. Turkey also perceives geopolitical risks from India’s growing ties with the EU. Consequently, Turkey strongly advocates modernizing the customs union to address these challenges and strengthen its ties with the EU amidst shifting global economic dynamics.
Armenia, Austria, Belgium, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Croatia, Denmark, Egypt, Estonia, Finland, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Honduras, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Kenya, Malaysia, Poland, Slovakia, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Taiwan, China, Tajikistan, Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Türkiye, Ukraine, United Kingdom
Ankara’s Critical View of the EU–India Free Trade Agreement
Akshay Joshi, Head of the World Economic Forum’s Centre for Cybersecurity, highlights the growing impact of geopolitics on cybersecurity, noting that cyber threats—including those linked to conflicts like Ukraine and Iran—are increasing and affecting both targeted and collateral entities. He emphasizes the significant vulnerability of supply chains due to their complexity and dynamic security postures, especially amid global geopolitical tensions and shifting trade relationships. Joshi also stresses the variable nature of critical infrastructure depending on national contexts and calls for enhanced public-private cooperation to improve resilience in the face of evolving cyber threats.
Azerbaijan, Burkina Faso, Chad, Cyprus, Ghana, Haiti, India, Israel, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kuwait, Kyrgyz Republic, Luxembourg, Qatar, Russian Federation, Seychelles, Ukraine, United Kingdom | Financial services, ICT, Health, Education
Interview of The Week: Akshay Joshi On Cybersecurity
Cancer death rates in the UK have fallen to their lowest level on record, dropping nearly 29% since 1989, largely due to advances in screening, early diagnosis, and treatment. Significant declines have occurred in stomach, lung, ovarian, breast, prostate, and cervical cancers—the latter benefiting from effective screening and the HPV vaccine. Improvements in targeted therapies, hormone treatments, and immunotherapy also contribute. Public health measures like smoking bans have played a role. However, deaths from some cancers such as skin, intestinal, liver, and kidney cancers have risen. Despite population aging increasing total cancer deaths, ongoing investments in research and healthcare suggest cancer mortality is likely to decline further in the coming decades.
Cancer deaths fall to historic low in UK – this is probably why
The US military actions against Iran have highlighted the urgent need for EU autonomy in global affairs, prompting calls for a new European foreign policy aimed at "European independence." However, the EU struggles with a contradictory stance—seeking independence to both preserve and move beyond the liberal order. While pushing to reduce dependence on the US, European governments risk focusing too much on opposing Trump rather than articulating a clear geopolitical vision. The EU shows signs of "downward coping syndrome," feeling morally superior to the current US administration while simultaneously drifting from its own liberal principles by engaging with illiberal regimes and adopting hard power approaches. To achieve genuine strategic autonomy, the EU must balance defense capabilities with proactive, values-driven diplomacy and clarify its long-term goals beyond reactionary policies.
To win freedom from Trump’s America, Europe needs to overcome its ‘downward coping syndrome’
Beliefs and narratives significantly shape skills policy, often creating a tunnel vision that overlooks alternative models. The German dual vocational training system is widely regarded as superior to France's, influencing policy reforms in both countries. However, recent research reveals that differences between the two systems are smaller than assumed, with France historically matching or surpassing Germany in certain sectors. This entrenched belief in German superiority led Germany to increase state involvement to preserve its system, while France pursued reforms that decentralized vocational training and encouraged firm autonomy. These contrasting approaches show how policy perceptions drive institutional change more than objective system performance.
Germany | Education
What skills policy can tell us about the tunnel vision of policymakers
China’s 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030) integrates industrial policy, energy transition, and geopolitical strategy, emphasizing clean technology leadership and strong domestic demand to support economic growth and tech advancement. The plan targets a modest 17% reduction in carbon intensity without capping absolute emissions, instead focusing on expanding renewable energy and domestic production capacity to enhance energy security. Concurrently, Europe is developing its Industry Accelerator Act (IAA) to boost domestic capabilities in key sectors like batteries and solar manufacturing, responding to China's coordinated industrial approach and growing influence over global value chains. This reflects a shift in Europe's economic strategy amid intensifying industrial competition.
China’s Five-Year Plan and the Case for Europe’s Industry Accelerator Act
The traditional two-party dominance of Labour and the Conservatives in the UK is declining, with emerging parties like the Green Party, Reform UK, and Your Party gaining ground. This shift fosters a more inclusive political environment by offering voters increased choice and potentially greater public engagement. While two-party systems limit political participation to voting and concentrate policy decisions among elites, multiparty competition can enhance democratic participation by making politics more accessible and responsive. However, challenges remain, including internal tensions within new parties and the constraints of the first-past-the-post electoral system. Nonetheless, the rise of multi-party politics presents an opportunity for a more vibrant and representative democracy in Britain.
Why the rise of multi‑party politics is good for democracy
Rising oil prices due to conflict in Iran are pressuring countries like Pakistan and Bangladesh to adopt emergency energy measures, highlighting the need for diversified, domestic energy supplies. China, as the leading producer of over 70% of the world’s clean technology, is well-positioned to expand its green global leadership by exporting affordable green tech and financing low-carbon projects. While China’s rapid green tech growth is challenged by overcapacity and international criticism, its improving environmental practices and emission reductions since 2014 bolster its potential leadership role. To enhance its global image and reduce geopolitical tensions, China may pivot from hard power tactics toward green diplomacy and soft power influence amid the evolving energy landscape.
Bahrain, Bangladesh, Bolivia, Cambodia, Canada, Denmark, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan, Philippines, Poland, Singapore, Taiwan, China, Thailand, Uganda, United Kingdom, Venezuela, Viet Nam, Yemen | Financial services
Oil price escalation could help China grasp more green global leadership
Africa faces a paradox where widespread support for democratic institutions contrasts with growing dissatisfaction in their capacity to deliver inclusive prosperity and accountable governance. Citizens’ assemblies, rooted in indigenous practices of deliberation and consensus-building, offer a promising approach to address complex policy challenges. Drawing on case studies from Mali, Malawi, The Gambia, and insights from South Africa, the paper presents an analytical framework to assess these assemblies’ strengths and limitations. It emphasizes context-sensitive strategies that leverage Africa’s civic traditions to enhance democratic innovation and improve governance outcomes across diverse settings.
Africa
Deliberative Democracy in Africa: Learning from Past Citizens’ Assemblies & Guidance for Future Action
Donald Trump’s second term reshaped US-EU economic relations from a longstanding partnership into a transactional dynamic, with the US leveraging market access to pressure Europe. The Turnberry framework serves as a model for ongoing geoeconomic coercion rather than conflict resolution. The Trump administration employs a deliberate strategy of calibrated escalation, manufactured uncertainty, and linking trade with security policy, exploiting Europe’s vulnerabilities while sustaining US domestic support. This trade-security nexus imposes a “double jeopardy” on Europe, forcing it to endure tariff-related GDP losses alongside increased defense spending, undermining near-term strategic autonomy. Europe must accept US leverage dominance, optimize its position within constraints, and view persistent friction as normal.
Geoeconomic Turn in the US-EU Relationship
Linking government emissions reporting with corporate climate disclosures enhances consistency and trustworthiness in climate data. Compliance-based MRV systems focus on installation-level emissions for regulatory enforcement, while corporate disclosure standards like ISSB’s IFRS S2 integrate emissions into financial reports for investors. Survey results reveal institutional fragmentation and capacity gaps that impede alignment between regulatory and financial frameworks. Effective climate data governance requires structured mechanisms that maintain institutional roles yet improve cross-system comparability.
Climate Data Governance in Asia: Institutional Divergence and Structured Interoperability—Evidence from an ADBI Survey
Digitalizing industry in Southeast Asia requires tailored approaches that match firms’ varying readiness and capabilities. In Indonesia, digital adoption is uneven, with most firms using basic digital tools and only a few integrating advanced technologies. Effective support should be differentiated: early-stage firms benefit from skills training and affordable solutions, intermediate firms need shared facilities and co-financing to reduce investment risk, while advanced firms require R&D partnerships. Coordination across ministries and alignment of standards and incentives are crucial to avoid fragmented policies and improve access to finance. Broad-based gains depend on building capabilities and inclusive digital transformation, reflecting lessons from successful programs in China, Japan, Korea, and Thailand.
Bangladesh, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Republic of Korea, Senegal, Singapore, Tanzania, Thailand, Viet Nam | Financial services, Education, ICT
Digitalizing Industry in Southeast Asia Needs a Tailored Approach to Ensure All Firms Advance
AI adoption can be approached through a three-level playbook: automation, answers, and advice. Automation handles routine tasks like scheduling or sending reminders, freeing up time without changing existing workflows. Answers provide direct information, while advice—considered the highest level—enhances problem-solving by helping users think creatively and effectively. Effective AI use hinges on asking the right questions, positioning AI as a collaborator that supports thoughtful decision-making. This framework applies broadly across AI technologies, aiding organizations in strategically integrating AI to augment human capabilities.
Podcast: Automation, Answers, and Advice—a Playbook for AI Adoption
The recent US-Israel strikes on Iran have escalated Middle East conflicts, with Iran targeting oil exports and infrastructure to disrupt economies. A prolonged war could close the crucial Strait of Hormuz, through which 25% of global seaborne oil and 20% of LNG pass, severely impacting Asian countries reliant on this route. China has banned fuel exports, while poorer Asian nations with limited reserves face acute shortages. Oil prices have surged, with Brent crude exceeding $100 per barrel and prompt Middle Eastern oil reaching over $124. Shipping costs have tripled, pushing delivered oil prices near $150 per barrel. Some Gulf producers have cut output due to storage limits. Historical naval escorts to protect shipping may be reconsidered, alongside massive strategic oil reserve releases. Despite these measures, sustained supply disruptions risk prolonged economic strain.
Bahrain, Israel, Oman
These are shaky times for oil markets. An expert explains what a prolonged war will mean for prices

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