News & Highlights
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
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
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
Hydro-diplomacy: Proceedings of our side event at the UN 2023 Water Conference 5 April 2023 During the UN 2023 Water Conference in New York, The Bridge Tank and Initiatives for the Future of Great River coorganized an official side event on hydro-diplomacy “Towards an inclusive, pre-emptive, and positive hydro-diplomacy”, on March 23rd. Here is a deep dive into the discussions and insights shared during the… Read more
Hydro-diplomacy: Minister Kumbaro Furxhi shares Albania’s experience with the Vjosa River National Park 30 March 2023 2 weeks after the historic declaration of Albania’s Vjosa River as a national park by the Albanian government, The Bridge Tank and Initiatives for the Future of Great River had the honour of welcoming Mirela Kumbaro Furxhi, Minister of Tourism and Environment, Republic of Albania, on the panel of our… Read more
UN 2023 Water Conference: The Bridge Tank & IFGR hold a side event on hydro-diplomacy 28 March 2023 On 23 March, Day 2 of the UN 2023 Water Conference in New York, The Bridge Tank and Initiatives for the Future of Great Rivers (IFGR) coorganised an official side event on hydro-diplomacy "Towards an inclusive, pre-emptive, and positive hydro-diplomacy." The side event's partner organisation included the French Water Partnership,… Read more