the_bridge_tank, auteur sur The Bridge Tank

Guangzhou, China – Round Table and Presentation on Financial Innovation and the Development of the Banking Industry

Posted on 9 November 20161 June 2020 by the_bridge_tank

As the countdown to the beginning of the COP22 conference continues, it’s important to understand what the perspectives of the major stakeholders will be. It’s no coincidence then that Joël Ruet, our well-traveled Chairman at The Bridge Tank, decided to make a trip to China this past weekend. Mr. Ruet spent Sunday, October 30, in Guangzhou, a sprawling port city and mega metropolis in the southeast of China, where he participated in a discussion on a topic that is sure to be on everyone’s mind going into the COP: finance.

The conversation was organized around a series of presentations followed by a round table discussion with experts on this area. The co-organizers were the People’s Bank of China, Guangdong University of Finance, and the Guangzhou-Tianhe Central Business District.

Mr. Ruet delivered one of the presentations with the title: “Financial Innovation and the Development of the Banking Industry Based on Global Perspectives”. His talk was split into three components: current challenges, banking business opportunities, and an action-oriented set of solutions for tackling existing obstacles and seizing present opportunities. Although the presentation took a global perspective, it was also tailored to the mostly Chinese crowd, and focused on financing green projects. This has been one of the recent research focuses of The Bridge Tank, given that it will feature as a critical issue in moving the objectives of the COP22 forward.

Mr. Ruet was then invited as one of the speakers in a round table discussion on the topic: “Opportunities and Challenges for the International Business of Commercial Banks Under the Background of RMB Internationalization”. The host of the discussion was Daner Li, president of the Guangdong-Nottingham Advanced Finance Institute. Other speakers included Mohamed Shaban, professor at the University of Sheffield; Yujing Xing, president of the Shenzhen branch of People’s Bank of China; Xingnan Wang, vice president of the Guangdong University of Finance; and Xinghua Cai, deputy director of the Guangdong branch of the Bank of China. The discussion was lively and focused on innovative steps forward.

The conference provided a preview of what’s to come at the COP22, and underlined the importance of finance and action on following up on the promises and objectives set forth in the Paris agreement last year. Mr. Ruet will be spending another day in China before racing home to share his findings with the team and prepare for the culmination of all of this work and globetrotting: the COP22 in Marrakech.

COP22 in Marrakech: “Structuring the new climate change markets: The South-South Business Models for after COP22”

Posted on 2 November 201615 September 2021 by the_bridge_tank

This conference entitled “Structuring the new climate change markets: TheSouth-South Business Models for Post-COP22”, was held on November 16 in the COP22 “Green Zone” (civil society) as the third of four conferences hosted by the Bridge Tank during the COP22 summit in Marrakech between November 7 and 18, 2016.

It proposed a new analysis of globalization after COP21 and COP22, built on a global, regional and local ecosystems approach. The question of tomorrow’s markets for sustainable technologies and services was addressed: several innovations can be deployed and profitable provided they meet the needs of emerging and developing countries. In this respect, the idea that only the economies of the North must move towards a green economy is simply no longer valid.

This conference brought together different business representatives and policy makers, who were able to discuss the challenges, develop a common understanding of the consequences of future regulations and assess the impact of COP21 and COP22 on their own areas, with a clear vision of future opportunities.

The Bridge Tank was present at this event, represented by Joël Ruet the President and Abdeldjellil Bouzidi, Managing Partner at Emena Advisory and member of the Bridge Tank’s Steering Committee. Abdeldjellil Bouzidi argued that green finance has focused too much on mitigation and not enough on adaptation. He also argued that “Debt for Climate Swaps” would be a viable financing solution for countries with large amounts of debt. He added that green bonds with an interest rate linked to environmental performance can attract virtuous investors. JoëlRuet argued that in Morocco, these green bonds with a variable interest rate should get the attention of the MASEN New Energies Group.

The speakers were Catherine Girard, energy and commodities expert at Groupe Renault, Thomas Eymond-Laritaz, executive director of APCO Global Solutions. Catherine Girard stated that electric vehicles, despite their obvious advantages, require the establishment of a new “ecosystem”.

Report: Sustainable Development & Intellectual Property: Access to Technologies in Developing Countries

Posted on 1 November 20166 August 2020 by the_bridge_tank

Sustainable development, this meta-project that aims to secure development without harmful consequences for humankind and the environment, is of great necessity as our planet is threatened by climate change. In developing countries in particular, it requires the large-scale deployment of “clean” or environmentally sound technologies. The role of industrial property is often evoked in this deployment, either as a catalyst or a hindrance to the development of environmentally sound technologies. One aim of this study is to answer the question of the role of industrial property in the adoption of environmentally sound technologies in developing countries. Read more …

The Bridge Tank at COP22 : Programme of our Side-Events

Posted on 21 October 20161 June 2020 by the_bridge_tank

The COP 22 marks the beginning of a new cycle of COPs: COPs of action. For all stakeholders, today’s challenge is to identify the tools that will permit the implementation of the commitments made last December. Thus, this will also be the COP of innovation: innovative ideas, tools, and solutions. This is why we are organising multiple side events in Marrakesh on the sidelines of the COP 22, as a part of our InnovaCOP initiative, a platform of action and interaction for innovation. Continue reading “The Bridge Tank at COP22 : Programme of our Side-Events”

Dakar – Dinner-Debate of Implementation of the Network of Parliamentarians for the Management of Mineral Resources (RGM)

Posted on 14 October 20161 June 2020 by the_bridge_tank

The president of the Bridge Tank, Joël Ruet, was invited as a keynote speaker at a dinner-debate on the topic « The Challenges of Mineral Resource Management » in Dakar, Senegal on the 30th of September. The purpose of this evening was the launching of the Network of Parliamentarians for Management of Mineral Resources in West Africa (RGM).

Continue reading “Dakar – Dinner-Debate of Implementation of the Network of Parliamentarians for the Management of Mineral Resources (RGM)”

New York – Opening Week of the 71st Session of the UN General Assembly

Posted on 14 October 20161 June 2020 by the_bridge_tank

On the sidelines of the opening of the 71^st session of the UN General Assembly, Joël Ruet, chairman of The Bridge Tank, participated in a number of events in New York City, organized by the African Union and the IDLO (International Development Law Organization).

Continue reading “New York – Opening Week of the 71st Session of the UN General Assembly”

How Eastern Europe’s Right Deprived the World from Its First Female UN Secretary-General

Posted on 13 October 20166 August 2020 by the_bridge_tank

“As a Western European male and a Socialist, I should incidentally be very pleased with the election of Antonio Guterres as the next UN Secretary-General.After all Mr. Guterres is a seasoned diplomat, who masters several languages, and was able to gain the support of all the Security Councilmembers ,not a benign result at times when some commentators are talking of a new cold war. Hence, my full-hearted congratulations! (…) But (…) it is more relevant to analyse the election from the consciously acquired, diligently nurtured, perspective of a gender-friendly, universalist, world citizen rather than that of the accidental male I am.”

Insights into Emerging Economies n°7 : Moving Towards Sustainable and Concrete Solutions for the South

Posted on 5 October 201628 June 2023 by the_bridge_tank

The green light from the European Union for the ratification of the Paris Agreement has just been given. This is good news after 62 states have already ratified the text, including China, India, and Morocco. And an assurance that we will see the December 2015 agreement enter into force.

Continue reading “Insights into Emerging Economies n°7 : Moving Towards Sustainable and Concrete Solutions for the South”

Inaugural Dinner for the Launch of the InnovaCOP Platform in the Presence of Madam Minister El Haite

Posted on 4 October 20161 June 2020 by the_bridge_tank

On September 28^th, The Bridge Tank organized a dinner to launch the InnovaCOP platform at the Maison des Polytechniciens, in the heart of the 7^th Arrondissement of Paris. Ms. Hakima El Haite, Deputy Minister of the Environment in Morocco, was present at the event, which brought together several renowned guests: presidents and representatives of foundations, members of the management team of companies, investment funds, lawyers, and experts. Continue reading “Inaugural Dinner for the Launch of the InnovaCOP Platform in the Presence of Madam Minister El Haite”

On Europe, the UN Security Council and the race for next UN-SG

Posted on 12 September 20166 August 2020 by the_bridge_tank

The UN Security Council vote on Friday and the events of this weekend have suddenly turned the UN Secretary-General election from a marathon race into a sprint finish, with more twists and turns to come. Contrary to Ban Ki-moon’s election ten years ago, the race remains vivid. But the running league of candidates seems to be now consolidating, put aside some -hopefully ephemeral- confusion that has arisen this weekend in Eastern Europe, the legitimate region of origin of the next UN-SG…”

Read this OpEd written by Joel Ruet in The Diplomatic Courier on https://www.diplomaticourier.com/posts/europe-un-security-council-race-next-un-sg