Insights

General Politics

While Conservatives fight among themselves, Labour is optimistic about the next election. But is the optimism justified?

General Politics

Matt Bevington
|

There is an unusual and unfamiliar mood in the Labour Party these days: optimism. Labour has held an unbroken lead over the Conservatives in the polls for the past seven months. Since autumn of last year, Labour leader Keir Starmer has led Boris Johnson on perceptions of who would make the best Prime Minister. Labour has pulled more or less level with the Conservatives on…

Read more
Energy and commodities icon

Franco-German energy relations: Cooperation or compromise

Energy & Commodities

Jasbir Basi
|

The “trilemma” is putting the solidarity of European energy policy to the test. Member states are scrambling to shore up the security of supply for the winter, energy bills are rising, and the imperative to accelerate decarbonisation remains. 

Read more
TMT icon

Life after the licence fee - a streamer's levy to fund the BBC?

TMT

Bart Myners
|

Amidst the uncertainty of the Conservative leadership race, one of the most hotly-contested debates Boris Johnson’s successor will have to address is that surrounding the future of the BBC’s licence fee. While the BBC has historically opposed moves to abolish the licence fee, Director General Tim Davie recently signalled a change in tack at the broadcaster, suggesting in…

Read more
Energy and commodities icon

Nature: the next frontier in disclosure?

Energy & Commodities

Lucy Cairns
|

Over the last few years, there has been increasing recognition of the impact of climate change on financial performance and a proliferation of disclosure regulations as a result. Whilst reporting on climate-related financial risks is now being mandated across a range of jurisdictions, expanding the scope of these frameworks to include the risks posed by biodiversity…

Read more
TMT icon

Lessons from the DSA and DMA for the next phase of the EU's tech agenda

TMT

Jack Keevill
|

Last week, the European Parliament approved the texts of the Digital Services Act and Digital Markets Act, the EU’s flagship laws dealing with online content and online competition. Not only were they adopted by broad consensus, but they were adopted in record time – by EU standards, at least. As we come towards the summer break, and the natural breather before the next…

Read more
General Politics

Looking out for the ‘brave ones’ – investing in post-war Ukraine

General Politics

Alexander van der Wusten
|

At a conference in Lugano earlier this week, Ukraine’s government presented its post-war recovery roadmap – estimated to cost up to $750bn – to dozens of countries and international organisations. While Ukraine’s western partners remain hesitant about using confiscated Russian state and oligarch assets to largely fund the reconstruction, it is in any case clear that a…

Read more
General Politics

‘AI, captain’ – Czechia’s approach to tech and energy during their EU presidency

General Politics

Alessandro Vecchi Marsh
|

The Czech presidency of the Council of the European Union has been dubbed ‘the Crisis presidency’ as it inherits the responsibility for coordinating the bloc’s response to the war in Ukraine and the resulting refugee crisis. They will simultaneously have to balance cutting down reliance on Russian oil and ensuring gas reserves are suitable for the winter, improving…

Read more
General Policy icon

The Housing Crisis: No easy fix?

General Policy

Johnny Luk
|

On June 9th, Boris Johnson made a landmark speech aiming to reset the UK policy agenda after months of ‘partygate’ headaches. The headline policy included plans to extend the Right-to-Buy reforms first introduced by Margaret Thatcher in the 1980s, allowing more people to buy their homes at a discount, alongside a slew of other measures to encourage more financial access…

Read more
Sustainability icon

Financing of hydrogen hubs

Sustainability

Stephanie Grumet
|

On June 6th, the US Department of Energy (DOE) published a Notice of Intent (NOI) to release a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) for at least four Regional Clean Hydrogen Hubs (H2Hubs) in the September/October timeframe. The NOI outlined DOE priorities for successful applications for the $8bn authorised by the November 2021 landmark Infrastructure Investment and Jobs…

Read more
General Policy icon

US legislative outlook: with midterms quickly approaching, what can get done?

General Policy

Robert Etter
|

In addition to being a signature item for Schumer, President Biden has also prioritized this bill as one of his best chances to notch a legislative win with his Build Back Better plan stalled. While the Bipartisan Innovation Act enjoys support from both sides of the aisle, the conference committee is grappling with contentious provisions on trade and other issues that…

Read more
General Policy icon

The new non-aligned: a return to Cold War diplomacy?

General Policy

Jon Garvie
|

In a speech in London in late April, the British Foreign Secretary, Liz Truss, declared that “faced with appalling barbarism and war crimes, which we’d hoped had been consigned to history, the free world has united behind Ukraine in its brave fight for freedom and self-determination”. Revealed positions do not support the rhetoric. In the UN General Assembly Vote which…

Read more
Financial services icon

On Financial Services, the UK’s route to success is through future-proofing, not tinkering

Financial Services

Rebecca Park
|

If the UK is genuinely committed to being a leading global financial services centre then it is going to need to expand the public policy bandwidth and regulatory capacity available to manage a rapidly changing and innovative ecosystem.  

Read more
Sustainability icon

“Mini-nukes” could play vital role in decarbonization - if they can get to market on time

Sustainability

Saskia Giraud-Reeves
|

Introducing Global Counsel’s Small Modular Reactor Matrix

Read more
General Politics

Confiscating Russian assets: a new frontier for sanctions?

General Politics

Jon Garvie
|

In his speech to Davos last week, President Zelensky proposed that frozen Russian assets “should be allocated to a special fund to compensate all the victims of the war”, adding that this would set a useful global precedent in deterring future aggressors. Voices in favour of the proposal are gaining force, particularly in the US, on both moral and practical grounds. 

Read more
Energy and commodities icon

The reality facing the energy transition

Energy & Commodities

Ben Bassett
|

Although the Biden administration has prioritized the US energy transition like no previous administration has, we are seeing a surge in fossil fuel extraction, export, and use. The Russian invasion of Ukraine and pandemic-related supply chain bottlenecks have inflamed US fossil usage. But the geopolitical imperative to export energy to US allies held captive to Russian…

Read more
General Policy icon

NATO’s Nordic expansion: A recipe for enhanced security or geopolitical jeopardy?

General Policy

Ed King
|

On Wednesday, Finland and Sweden submitted official applications to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO). For decades, these countries have favoured military non-alignment. So why have they abandoned this stance, and what does it mean for NATO security and wider geopolitical relations?

Read more
TMT icon

New EU-US data transfer agreement: Reynders’ digital policy moment?

TMT

Franck Thomas
|

This week, the Trade and Technology Council (TTC), which has become the main forum for EU-US cooperation on digital policy, met for the second time in Saclay, on the outskirts of Paris. The TTC has played an important role in resetting the EU-US relationship. A tangible example of this improved collaboration was last month’s agreement in principle on a new EU-US data…

Read more
Energy and commodities icon

Permits please: three tests for REPowerEU 2.0

Energy & Commodities

Jasbir Basi
|

A core lesson across infrastructure projects is all too often the attention has been on ambitious targets, rather than the nitty-gritty of delivery. This is timely as we look ahead to the European Commission’s “REPowerEU” plan published on Wednesday. Updating a previously hastily-assembled package in March, this will accelerate plans to reduce and stop fossil fuel imports…

Read more