The civil service doesn't just need more scientists – it needs a decision-making revolution

Jan 24, 2020 05:42 am UTC| Insights & Views Politics

The UK governments chief scientific adviser, Sir Patrick Vallance, recently said he was mounting a drive to recruit more scientists and engineers into the civil service. His comments echo the much-discussed call by the...

How political party data collection may turn off voters

Jan 24, 2020 05:41 am UTC| Insights & Views Politics

The data collection practices used by political parties could pose a threat to voters engagement in the democratic process and could have negative implications for Canadian democracy. British Columbias Privacy...

Climate Change Series

Climate crisis: we are not individuals fighting a faceless system – we are the system that needs to change

Jan 24, 2020 05:39 am UTC| Insights & Views Nature

Climate change no longer seems just a future threat. In 2019, major fires in Australia, Russia and California burned over 13.5 million hectares of land an area four times greater than the size of Belgium. Major floods and...

Central Banking Series

Quantitative easing now looks permanent – and has turned central banks into pseudo governments

Jan 24, 2020 05:38 am UTC| Insights & Views Economy Central Banks

After a pause of a few months, the worlds leading central banks are printing money again to try to bolster their economies. Commonly known as quantitative easing or QE, the European Central Bank (ECB) resumed its programme...

Big Tobacco wants social media influencers to promote its products – can the platforms stop it?

Jan 24, 2020 05:37 am UTC| Insights & Views Business

Big Tobacco likes to stay ahead of the curve it has to in order to survive. Its fundamental problem is that one in two of its long-term users die from tobacco-related diseases. To hook a new generation into addiction, it...

Ramaphosa's famous negotiating skills have failed him. Here's why

Jan 24, 2020 05:36 am UTC| Insights & Views Politics

When Cyril Ramaphosa took over as president of South Africa in early 2018, there was a great deal of talk about a new dawn. But his term in office has failed to deliver, raising the question: has the legendary deal-maker...

Climate Change Series

Climate-linked financial crises loom, but the fix isn't up to central banks

Jan 24, 2020 05:35 am UTC| Insights & Views Economy

The Bank for International Settlements the central bank for central banks made headlines this week with a report outlining how the next major financial crisis may come from unexpected climate risks. The book calls...