An Active Member in the International Community
Ahead of the international agenda and beyond the media rush, the Bridge Tank draws from its research and brings its innovative analyses to decision-makers by hosting our own events and participating in major global fora where our members have engaged in a recurring dialogue. Based on curated and stable strategic choices defined with our International Advisory Board, we provide Reports and Policy Briefs bringing “solutions” to selected audiences, in a spirit of balanced engagement with all active parties on the issues that mobilize us. Since 2016, the Bridge Tank has also been a member of the T20 –– the G20’s engagement group, comprising of around a hundred global think tanks.
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
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
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
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
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
From Davos to New York: The Bridge Tank explores new blue finance initiatives 16 May 2023 The Bridge Tank's presence in Davos, Switzerland during the World Economic Forum 2023 and its participation to the UN 2023 Water Conference in New York set two new milestones in The Bridge Tank’s research on innovative financial tools in support of hydro-diplomacy, in the weeks following the launch of the… Read more
The Bridge Tank partners with the Technology for Change Days 2023 of École Polytechnique 9 May 2023 From April 4 to 6, the Technology for Change Days 2023 were held in Paris, organized by the Chair "Technology for Change" of École Polytechnique. Joël Ruet, President, The Bridge Tank, spoke at the Opening Conference on April 4, in a session on water access and the preservation of water… Read more
“Chronicle of Three Deaths Foretold” – A call to action for the Fouta Djallon 26 April 2023 By Erik Orsenna, Joel Ruet, & Hamed Semega. Published in Diplomatic Courier on March 31, 2023."The forested highlands of Fouta Djallon are in danger, and that means six major African rivers, including the Senegal, Gambia, and Niger rivers could dry up with devastating impacts. There are clear, actionable steps we… Read more
The Fouta Djallon Highlands: A call to action & a roadmap for preservation presented at the United Nations 25 April 2023 The Fouta Djallon Highlands – the water tower of West Africa – are dying. These forested highlands in Guinea are home to the headwaters of some of West Africa's largest rivers, e.g. the Senegal River, the Gambia River, and the Niger River. This jewel of nature provides water to a… Read more
CGTN – Joel Ruet discusses China-EU relations and Chinese growth during Boao Forum 2023 8 April 2023 During this year's Boao Forum for Asia 2023, Joel Ruet, President of The Bridge Tank, spoke with CGTN on three occasions, discussing Chinese PM Li Qiang's speech during the forum and sharing his insights on current dynamics in EU-China relations. In a first interview, Joel Ruet shared his analysis of… Read more
The Bridge Tank at BOAO Forum for Asia 2023: Advancing EU-China cooperation and energy transitions 6 April 2023 From 28 to 31 March 2023, The Bridge Tank, represented by its president Joël Ruet, took part in the BOAO Forum for Asia 2023, in Boao, Hainan, China. The Bridge Tank has taken part in the annual meeting of the "Chinese Davos" as a partner of the event since 2018.… Read more