3261 publications
A Strategy for Solving Europe’s Imported Deforestation Problem
The European Union (EU) is the world’s main trader in agricultural products, with imports totaling €142 billion in 2020. These imported agricultural products include commodities – palm oil, beef, cocoa, coffee, soy, etc. – that are responsible for deforestation in producing countries and thus create an “imported deforestation” problem for Europe.
Developments in Japan’s Defense Strategies and Readiness: Is the Glass Half Full or Half Empty?
On December 18, 2018, the Japanese government issued its latest National Defense Program Guidelines (NDPG), marking another step in Japan’s defense planning and the readiness of the Japan Self-Defense Force (JSDF).
The Missing Guest: Energy Efficiency in the Multilateral Energy Arena
Since the 1970s, energy efficiency has gained visibility as a low hanging fruit – its potential impact on critical issues such as climate change, energy security, or competitiveness is now widely acknowledged, even more so in times of higher energy prices.
Asia-Pacific mega trade deals (RCEP, CPTPP): Which role for the US, and what are the implications for the EU?
While it has long been reluctant to engage in institution-based regional economic integration, East Asia is now home to two mega trade deals: the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP).
Strategic Calculation: High-Performance Computing and Quantum Computing in Europe’s Quest for Technological Power
Computing power plays a key role in enabling machine learning, for scientific research, and in the military domain. Therefore, the race for computing power has become a key element of the US-China technological competition, and it is also a strategic priority for Europe.
A Changing Germany: The Party System Tested in the 2021 German Federal Elections
The German federal elections of September 26, 2021 were marked by the departure of the outgoing chancellor, Angela Merkel, who was not seeking re-election. The scattering of the vote and the high volatility of voters have led to a redefinition of the landscape and geography of parties in Germany.
AUKUS Rocks the Boat in the Indo-Pacific, And It’s Not Good News
For anyone who still harbored doubts, Washington made crystal clear from the announcement of the new trilateral alliance with Australia and the UK (AUKUS) that countering China is its number one priority, and that it will do whatever it takes to succeed. Much has been said about the consequences of AUKUS on the French-US relations, but the strategic implications for the Indo-Pacific nations (including France), and for China especially, are also critical to consider.
Namibia’s Fair-Weather Friends and One All-Weather Friend
The relationship between Namibia and its historical partners has evolved over the last thirty years since Namibian independence. As in many countries, Namibia has been going through transformation, influenced by the process of globalization. This created new sets of geopolitical challenges and opened up new opportunities for Namibia's small and poorly diversified economy which has relied heavily on the mining industry.