Content Type: Timely Commentary & Analysis

US climate investments are required to secure green economy and jobs

By Jeff Goldstein

For the US economy to sustainably function and continue creating jobs in the long-term, investments that help manage climate change and prevent further damage to the environment are essential economic policies.

Geopolitical change and the emergence of Chinese banking

By Elmar Hellendoorn

Although China's "Big 4" state banks remain focused on supporting domestic Chinese growth and consumption for now, they are also increasingly active across international borders. Their global expansion could seriously challenge the primacy of Western banks and may thus have geopolitical reverberations.

Baltic Sea Security Conference 2021

The fourth international Baltic Sea Security Conference (BSSC) on October 5-6, 2021, organized by the Atlantic Council Northern Europe Office in cooperation with the Swedish Armed Forces, took place with a new 2021-2025 Swedish Total Defence strategy in place. The BSSC was thus a timely platform for representatives of the Nordic and Baltic states, Germany, […]

A Digital Asset Bill of Rights

By Michael Greenwald

Even though some may say the UN is not as effective as it was set to be, its soft power continues playing a substantial role in shaping our international community. The US government should take the lead in developing The Digital Asset Bill of Rights for Non-Authoritarian Countries to set internationally the founding principles for understanding the future of modern stores of value and means of exchange.

The inaugural Trade and Technology Council Meeting — groundhog day or great leap forward?

By Barbara C. Matthews

Following the commencement of the Biden presidency, there were high hopes of a resurgence of transatlantic ties. This week's inaugural meeting of the TTC highlights that policymakers on both sides will have difficulty meeting that expectation.

Inclusive growth needs financial inclusion. Can central bank digital currency help?

By Amin Mohseni-Cheraghlou

1.7 billion adults remained unbanked as per the 2017 wave of Findex dataset, with large disparities in financial inclusion still existing across countries, gender, income, education, and rural-urban lines. CBDCs have the potential to enhance financial inclusion and reduce these disparities.

Evergrande’s debt distress: Withdrawal symptoms of China’s debt-fueled growth model

By Hung Tran

On September 24th China’s giant property developer Evergrande Group entered a 30-day grace period before being declared in default. Although they may not default, this slowdown highlights the key contradiction in China’s policy goals.

EVENT RECAP: The future of counterterrorism: Twenty years after 9/11

By Yaseen Rashed

On September 8, the Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security’s Forward Defense practice area and the Scowcroft Middle East Security Initiative hosted an event with US national security experts to discuss counterterrorism twenty years after 9/11 and reimagine the future of the terrorist threat.

Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff discusses the future of deterrence

By Jacob Mezey

Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen John E. Hyten discusses deterrence for the twenty-first century.

Afghanistan’s economy under the Taliban: the challenges ahead

By Inbar Pe'er

If their past is any indication of the future, the Taliban will find funds. But their ability to properly manage monetary policy remains to be seen. If they don’t, they’ll surely lose the economic war, and the people of Afghanistan along with it