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Banning Palestine Action risks feeding radicalisation and distrust in democracy
No full textIn July, Parliament proscribed Palestine Action as a terrorist organisation. Bart Cammaerts argues that this move is part of a broader authoritarian turn and an increasing unwillingness to tolerate protest and dissent within democracies like the UK. But rather than quell discontent, such decisions risk of further radicalising dissenting voices, and increasing distrust in democratic processes
Climate resilience - the benefits far outweigh the costs
No full textThere are two parts to dealing with climate change: slowing it down and adapting to its already felt effects. When it comes to the latter, climate resilience, the amount of money spent on it is far below that needed to adapt to the unavoidable impacts of climate change. Anna Beswick and Debbie Hillier argue that the UK has to accelerate its efforts and learn from how other communities around the world are adapting to climate change
What to expect from the Trump-Putin summit in Alaska
No full textOn Friday 15 August, Donald Trump will meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Anchorage, Alaska, for talks on ending Russia’s war in Ukraine. In this Q&A, Phelan US Centre Director Professor Peter Trubowitz outlines what Trump wants from the meeting, and what the summit says about his approach to foreign policy more broadly
Improving climate policy in Jordan
No full textJordan is one of the most water-scarce nations in the world and faces escalating climate change impacts, which will exacerbate drought risk while simultaneously increasing vulnerability to flooding and heatwaves. These impacts pose significant threats to the country's achievement of its development objectives and will have far-reaching implications for Jordan's water resources, agriculture, and overall economic stability. The twin objectives of building resilience to these risks and tackling underlying vulnerabilities unites climate change adaptation (CCA) and disaster risk reduction (DRR) efforts. In this evidence paper we analyze CCA and DRR policy in Jordan across five action areas: policy; knowledge; organization; stakeholders; and finance. Our analysis shows that the Government of Jordan, alongside national and international stakeholders, have taken important first steps in developing a strong and integrated approach to CCA and DRR, but that significant gaps remain. In response to these findings, we make six overarching recommendations, containing 23 suggested actions that can accelerate progress of CCA and DRR in Jordan
Sanctions and the exchange rate
No full textTrade wars and financial sanctions are again becoming an increasingly common part of the international economic landscape, and the dynamics of the exchange rate are often used in real time to evaluate the effectiveness of sanctions and policy responses. We show that sanctions limiting a country’s exports or freezing its assets depreciate the exchange rate, while sanctions limiting imports appreciate it, even when both types of policies have exactly the same effect on real allocations, including household welfare and government fiscal revenues. Beyond the direct effect from sanctions, increased precautionary savings in foreign currency also depreciate the exchange rate when they are not offset by the sale of official reserves or financial repression of foreign-currency savings. We show that the dynamics of the ruble exchange rate following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 are quantitatively consistent with the combined effects of these forces calibrated to the observed sanctions and government policies. We evaluate the associated welfare, fiscal and inflationary consequences for both Russia and the coalition of Western countries
Addressing public health and health system challenges in Greece: reform priorities in a changing landscape
No full textHealth systems are under growing pressure from ageing populations, chronic diseases, and financial constraints, compounded by challenges, such as COVID-19 and climate change. In Greece, these pressures have converged in the past 15 years, exposing structural weaknesses and testing the health system's resilience. Despite successive reforms targeting funding, care delivery, and public health, persistent structural weaknesses, poor planning, and limited monitoring have undermined progress. Most policy responses have remained fragmented and are unable to fulfil their potential to address current public health challenges or prepare for future crises. Building health system sustainability and resilience requires more than enacting reforms. The reform process demands evidence-informed policy making, sustained political commitment, strong institutional capacity, and effective multisectoral coordination. Greece offers valuable lessons for countries facing similar pressures: resilience depends not only on policy adoption, but also on the institutions, resources, and accountability mechanisms that support implementation and translate policies into sustained action
Beneath the surface: the human and environmental cost of cobalt mining
No full textEconomies around the world are deploying a wide range of clean energy technologies to decarbonise electricity supply, transport and industrial production. This has led to a surge in demand for critical minerals such as cobalt, a key component in batteries for electric vehicles and renewable energy storage. The complex and often troubling realities behind this transition are depicted in the film Cobalt Rush – The Future of Going Green, which was screened and discussed by an LSE panel, including the film’s director, on 28 November 2024. In this commentary Lea Reitmeier provides a summary of the issues covered by the film to accompany the recording of the LSE Q&A session
UK Spending Review: bold investment for a clean future
No full textDaisy Jameson and Esin Serin reflect on the Chancellor’s Spending Review, delivered on 11 June 2025, its implications for clean and resilient growth in the UK, and where the focus should now lie
Omnibus must reaffirm the mainstreaming of sustainability in corporate governance in the EU – not weaken ambition
No full textThe EU Omnibus Simplification Package as currently proposed risks weakening corporate accountability, increasing uncertainty and penalising the early adopters in the sustainability transition. As the legislative process towards approval is opened up, the opportunity must be seized instead to refocus on a framework to support companies to navigate risks effectively, write Lea Reitmeier and Agnieszka Smoleńska
