Syrian refugees and the promise of work permits
Issuing work permits to refugees in return for donor support for jobs is seen as a “win-win-win” for refugees, host countries, and the international community. It would stem the flow of refugees to Europe, decrease the dangers of radicalization, and prevent the exploitation of refugees as a source o…
The New Economics of Cybercrime
It’s a good time to be a cybercriminal. There are more victims to target, there is more data to steal, and there is more money to be made from doing so than ever before. It would seem to follow, then, that there’s been very little progress since 2007, when hackers stole at least 45.6 million credit-…
China’s plan to cut meat consumption by 50% cheered by climate campaigners
The Chinese government has outlined a plan to reduce its citizens’ meat consumption by 50%, in a move that climate campaigners hope will provide major heft in the effort to avoid runaway global warming. New dietary guidelines drawn up by China’s health ministry recommend that the nation’s 1.3 billio…
On World Oceans Day, a reminder that climate change action must consider the oceans
Our oceans and the climate are inextricably linked: the ocean regulates our global climate, and climate change is having substantial impacts on the ocean and its wildlife. Since 1955, the ocean has absorbed over 90 percent of the excess heat building up from the release of greenhouse gases emitted f…
Global Entrepreneurship Summit to boost social business agenda
The 7th annual Global Entrepreneurship Summit (GES), set to open this week in Silicon Valley, has attracted over 1,000 conferees out of 4,500 applicants from around the world. It will be hosted by President Barack Obama who, starting with the inaugural summit in 2009, has made entrepreneurship promo…
Hunger in Shangri-La: Causes and Consequences of Food Insecurity in the World’s Mountains
Over the past decade, the number of undernourished people around the world has declined by around 167 million, to just under 800 million people. However, this positive trend glosses over a stark reality: Food insecurity is increasing in the world’s mountains. This pattern has been under-recognized b…
The Mind of The Islamic State
Two years ago, the armies of the group that would soon call itself the Islamic State, a group that already controlled large swathes of territory in Iraq and Syria, entered Mosul, the second city of Iraq. The Iraqi Army, in which the United States had invested, or perhaps wasted, US$25 billion, fled …
Dubai Is Building the World’s Largest Concentrated Solar Power Plant
They like to do things big in Dubai, including a newly-approved concentrated solar power project that will generate 1,000 megawatts of power by 2020—and a whopping 5,000 megawatts by 2030. The Dubai Water and Electricity Authority (DEWA) has announced the launch of the world’s largest concentrated s…
Sustainable Development and Sustainable Business: Two Sides of the Same Coin
The UN General Assembly committed to “eliminate poverty in all its forms everywhere” by 2030, when it met in New York last year. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were launched with much fanfare, endorsed by heads-of-state, celebrities and CEOs. Thanks, to a campaign on Twitter, Instagram and…
Youth unemployment in the Mediterranean region and its long-term implications
Europe’s Mediterranean neighbourhood has become a focal point of attention due to the refugee crisis. With over a million people arriving in Europe in the course of 2015, the question of how to address the growing immigration pressures has become a central political issue. Countries around the Medit…