News & Highlights
COP 28 – The Bridge Tank’s takeaways from Dubai 20 December 2023 Since 2015 and COP21 in Paris, The Bridge Tank's presence at the Conference of Parties has become an annual opportunity for our think tank to contribute to public debate on climate action and sustainable development. This year's COP28 in Dubai, UAE, was no exception, as Joel Ruet, Chairman of The… Read more
COP28 – Innovative finance for climate projects in West Africa 19 December 2023 On 3 December, Joel Ruet was among the guests at the official launch of the Climate Study Fund ("Fonds d'Étude Climat" or FEC) of the West African Development Bank (WADB), during a COP28 side event organised by the WADB with the support of the West African Economic and Monetary Union… Read more
COP28 – Our board members’ contributions to the COP in Dubai 18 December 2023 Another COP has come to an end. This year, once again, The Bridge Tank's board members hit the ground running for what was an action-packed two weeks in Dubai. We take a look back at COP28 and our board members' contributions on site. Lead picture from left to right: Raphaël… Read more
COP28 – A side event on the contributions of hydroelectric dams to the development of West Africa 13 December 2023 COP28 in Dubai has ended. As we look back on an eventful two weeks, some positives stand out. The final agreement calls for a "transition away from fossil fuels", progress has been made on loss & damages, and the issue of adaptation and its financing is gaining in visibility. These… Read more
Seeking peace in a time of rising tensions – A The Bridge Tank & CGTN Dialogue co-production 5 December 2023 During last month’s Paris Peace Forum, The Bridge Tank guest-co-produced a special edition CGTN's flagship talk show Dialogue discussing peace and international cooperation in a context of rising global tensions, echoing the theme of this year's forum: “Seeking common ground in a world of rivalry.” The conversation explored the nature… Read more
FRANCE CULTURE – A look at India’s booming growth, social challenges & cautious integration into the global economy 22 November 2023 At a time when global growth is stagnating and China's economy is struggling to get back on track, India's economic health seems to be unshakeable. With an average population age of 28, the world's most populous country and fifth largest economy is currently enjoying a 6% growth rate. But what… Read more
Summit of Minds 2023: Technological revolution, geopolitics, & sustainable finance 12 October 2023 From 15-17 September 2023, the mountain air of the French Alps fuelled creative minds and change makers from around the world who gathered for this year’s Summit of Minds “Stretching Minds – Inspiring Change” in Chamonix. Two of these brilliant minds in attendance were The Bridge Tank’s very own Djellil… Read more
CHINA: Global innovation, research and technology dissemination in times of de-risking 29 September 2023 Building on The Bridge Tank’s long-time partnership with the Institutes of Science and Development of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CASISD), China’s leading research institute, Joel Ruet was invited to hold a keynote speech at this year’s Forum on Cooperation and Governance of Global Science, Technology and Innovation. The Forum,… Read more
Accelerating the SDGs & unlocking new engagement models for the UN’s Agenda 2030 19 September 2023 Ahead of this week's UN SDG Conference on the side of the UN General Assembly, Joel Ruet took part in a roundtable discussion led by our board member Judit Arenas, exploring transformative engagement models to help accelerate the implementation and achievement of the UN SDGs.Convened on 14 July by APCO… Read more
FRANCE CULTURE – Carbon offset programs in African tropical forests : crisis or new Eldorado ? 8 September 2023 As part of The Bridge Tank's ongoing work on green finance, and our efforts within G20 to ensure that financial institutions in the South are involved in the design of green finance, Joël Ruet joined France Culture's "Magazine du week-end" for a program dedicated to carbon credits in the African… Read more
The Bridge Tank: US-China climate talks should not forget the Global South – CGTN Dialogue 2 August 2023 Following the restart of China-U.S. climate talks and the three-day visit of U.S. Climate Envoy John Kerry to Beijing mid-July, Joel Ruet joined CGTN's Xu Qinduo on “Dialogue” to discuss the importance of these talks between the two largest economies & greenhouse gas emitters on the planet and address some… Read more
The Bridge Tank at Symi Symposium 2023 – Which World in 2030? 27 July 2023 This year marked the 25th anniversary of the Symi Symposium. The annual gathering of global thinkers, founded by George Papandreou, former Prime Minister of Greece and former President of Socialist International, took place on Rethymno, Crete, from 16-20 July 2023. A regular participant and contributor, Joël Ruet was in attendance… Read more
OPENBOX TV with Alain Juillet – India/France: a strategic partnership 26 July 2023 On 14 July, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was welcomed by French President Macron as guest of honour of this year's Bastille Day Military Parade in Paris. On this occasion, Joël Ruet was invited on Alain Juillet's OpenBoxTV to discuss the strategic partnership between France and India. "India is a… Read more
A conversation with François de Rugy & the Ambassador of Kazakhstan on energy and France-Kazakhstan relations 11 July 2023 On 30 June 2023, Joël Ruet sat down with former Minister of State, Minister for the Ecological Transition and Solidarity, and former President of the French National Assembly, François de Rugy, and the current Ambassador of Kazakhstan to France, Gulsara Arystankulova, to discuss bilateral relations between France and Kazakhstan and… Read more
B20 India – Final meeting of the Action Council on African Economic Integration 5 July 2023 After 6 months of work and proactive engagement by its members, the B20 India Action Council on African Economic Integration - An Agenda for Global Business met for its fourth & final meeting on June 30, 2023. As a contributing member to the Action Council, The Bridge Tank attended the… Read more
Policy Brief – How China came to dominate the global EV lithium-ion battery value chain: Lessons and opportunities for Africa 27 June 2023 This policy brief was written by Xieshu WANG, Senior Expert, Finance, Resources and Mobility, The Bridge Tank, and was first published by the Centre for Business and Development Studies, Copenhagen Business School Policy Brief No. December 2022. For the original publication, click here. The electrification of vehicles is accelerating and… Read more
Concordia Europe Summit: European sovereignty, energy security & transatlantic relations 21 June 2023 On 15-16 June 2023, prominent decision makers from across Europe and the world gathered in Madrid, Spain for the 2023 Concordia Europe Summit. Two days of high-level closed-door conversations on the theme of Democracy, Security & Geopolitical Risk addressed some of the most pressing issues facing Europe, including cyber and… Read more
Concordia Summit: Our board member Raphael Schoentgen discusses Europe’s Energy Transition 16 June 2023 As Europe grapples with high energy prices and disruptions in its energy supply following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, working towards Europe’s energy transition has never been more pressing - but also full of new opportunities. At Concordia’s 2023 Europe Summit in Madrid, Spain, our board member Raphael Schoentgen, Founder &… Read more
T7 Japan Summit – A call for greater collaboration with the Global South and between G7 & G20 14 June 2023 With Japan presiding over the G7 in 2023, the organisation's Think 7 (T7) engagement group with think tanks met in Tokyo from 27-28 April 2023 for its yearly summit, just three weeks before the G7 summit in Hiroshima from 19-21 May. Addressing Crises, Reigniting Sustainable Development, Bridging the G7 and… Read more
The Fouta Djallon Highlands: The Bridge Tank & OMVS on a field mission in Guinea 6 June 2023 In 2021 and 2022, The Bridge Tank took part in two field missions in the Fouta Djallon, in northern Guinea. These forested highlands, commonly referred to as the water tower of West Africa, are home to the headsprings of some the region's largest rivers, i.e. the Senegal River, the Niger… Read more