Issue Brief

Sep 18, 2023

Guarantees 2.0: Meeting climate finance needs in the Global South

By Ian Callaghan, George Frampton, Ken Berlin, and Frank Willey

Transforming global energy, manufacturing, and transportation systems for a net-zero future requires a huge investment, but current financial flows toward these goals are vastly insufficient.

Energy & Environment Energy Markets & Governance
A man rides a boat past toll plaza amid flood water on main Indus highway, following rains and floods during the monsoon season in Sehwan, Pakistan.

Issue Brief

Sep 15, 2023

Empowering Pakistan’s youth to address climate change risks

By Omaer Naeem

Pakistan is highly vulnerable to climate change impacts like flooding and heatwaves. Empowering Pakistani youth in climate adaptation is critical as they will face intensified effects. This brief advocates for greater involvement of youth through grassroots organization, policy advocacy, innovative solutions, and strengthening international cooperation on climate action.

Civil Society Pakistan

Issue Brief

Sep 11, 2023

The draft ended fifty years ago. Can the all-volunteer force survive another fifty?

By James L. Jones, Jr., Arnold Punaro

Retired Marine Corps Generals James L. Jones and Arnold Punaro argue that in its current form the United States’ all-volunteer force is on an unsustainable path.

Civil Society Defense Policy

Issue Brief

Sep 6, 2023

Strengthening financial inclusion in the Caribbean: Treating correspondent banking relationships as a public good

By Wazim Mowla

To bolster financial inclusion in the Caribbean, the United States must treat corresponding banking relationships as a public good.

Caribbean Economy & Business

Issue Brief

Sep 6, 2023

Alternative security futures in the High North

By David Auerswald

Climate change, combined with increasing geopolitical competition and hostilities, has focused renewed attention on national security interests in the Arctic. By 2035, how will those variables combine to influence the High North?

China Climate Change & Climate Action
Solar panels are pictured.

In-Depth Research & Reports

Sep 6, 2023

Policy memo: A NATO-style spending target could fund long-term decarbonization

By Ben Judah, Francis Shin, Rachel Rizzo, Théophile Pouget-Abadie

EU member states and like-minded allies should set national-level spending targets, each based on a percentage of their respective annual GDPs, for decarbonization-related purposes. This would provide the basis of an international coalition that would ramp up global climate spending and set a useful benchmark to anchor high-level diplomatic discussions on the subject.

Climate Change & Climate Action European Union

Report

Sep 6, 2023

Sleight of hand: How China weaponizes software vulnerabilities

By Dakota Cary and Kristin Del Rosso

China’s new vulnerability management system mandates reporting to MIIT within 48 hours, restricting pre-patch publication and POC code. This centralized approach contrasts with the US voluntary system, potentially aiding Chinese intelligence. MIIT shares data with the MSS, affecting voluntary databases as well. MSS also fund firms to provide vulnerabilities for their offensive potential.

China Cybersecurity

Report

Aug 24, 2023

The global future of nuclear energy

By Matt Bowen

Nuclear energy could play a larger global role in addressing growing energy demands while reducing the risks of climate change and air pollution.

Americas Energy & Environment

Issue Brief

Aug 24, 2023

Transitioning to the clean energy grid: A deep dive into the levelized cost of electricity

By Ken Berlin, Frank Willey

To benefit fully from the lower cost of generating renewables and to achieve a transition to a clean energy system as rapidly as possible, the United States must implement a more efficient planning and permitting process.

Energy & Environment Energy Transitions

Issue Brief

Aug 23, 2023

The case for seizing Putin regime assets

By Kristina Hook and Yonah Diamond

A coordinated asset-seizure program connected to Russian aggression and atrocities can build international consensus—increasing the effectiveness of economic responses to Russia’s war, eighteen months in.

Economic Sanctions International Financial Institutions

Report

Aug 16, 2023

The United States and its allies must be ready to deter a two-front war and nuclear attacks in East Asia

By Markus Garlauskas

This report highlights two emerging and interrelated deterrence challenges in East Asia with grave risks to US national security: 1) Horizontal escalation of a conflict with China or North Korea into simultaneous conflict; 2) Vertical escalation to a limited nuclear attack by either or both adversaries to avoid conceding.

Arms Control China

Issue Brief

Aug 16, 2023

Biases blind us to the risk of Chinese military intervention in Korea

By Jonathan Corrado

This paper examines the historical record of cognitive biases, focusing on the US intelligence community’s failure to forecast PRC intervention in the Korean War, despite collecting information and evidence indicative of that outcome.

Arms Control China

Report

Aug 16, 2023

Digital identities and border cultures: The limits of technosolutionism in the management of human mobility

By Nanjala Nyabola

A paper to better inform the conversation around technology’s impact on democracy by evaluating technosolutionism and its application to the management of human mobility.

Afghanistan Africa

Report

Aug 14, 2023

How modern militaries are leveraging AI

By Tate Nurkin, Julia Siegel

Tate Nurkin and Julia Siegel explore the implications of incorporating artificial intelligence into military operations and the challenges of the US Department of Defense’s adoption of human-machine teaming.

Defense Industry Defense Policy

Report

Aug 14, 2023

Protecting point-to-point messaging apps: Understanding Telegram, WeChat, and WhatsApp in the United States

By Iria Puyosa

A year-long project on protecting users’ data and privacy that analyzes the growing use of point-to-point messaging platforms in the United States and the implications their design and governing policies have for user privacy and free speech.

Civil Society Digital Policy
People hold a Venezuelan flag and placards as union workers, members of political opposition parties, and others participate in a protest against the government of Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro during May Day, in Caracas, Venezuela May 1, 2023

Issue Brief

Aug 11, 2023

Getting Venezuela’s historic humanitarian accord up and running

By Geoff Ramsey, Ignacia Ulloa Peters

Venezuela’s crisis has generated a large and complex global emergency. Recent negotiations have resulted in agreements between the Maduro regime and the opposition, including a $3.2 billion Social Agreement. This issue brief highlights five key recommendations for leaders in the United States and abroad to help shape the way for its successful implementation.

Democratic Transitions Latin America
Democracy Derailed - Sudan's Precarious Information Environment

Report

Aug 8, 2023

Sudan’s precarious information environment and the fight for democracy

By Tessa Knight, Lujain Alsedeg

An examination of the time from December 2018, when protests against then-president Omar al-Bashir first broke out, and December 2022, when a framework agreement between civilian and military leaders came into play.

Africa Civil Society
USA and Sudan flags

Issue Brief

Aug 8, 2023

A US agenda for action in Sudan’s information environment

By Cameron Hudson

A brief on how the United States and Sudan can collaborate on combatting disinformation and building up the African nation’s democratic potential.

Africa Disinformation

In-Depth Research & Reports

Aug 7, 2023

The on-ramp for hydrogen: The natural gas network

By Cynthia Quarterman

This Global Energy Center report examines how blending hydrogen into US gas pipelines can quickly support demand growth for this key technology for US decarbonization objectives. The report provides recommendations for how policymakers can create a favorable regulatory environment to overcome technical obstacles to scaling up hydrogen deployment.

Energy & Environment Renewables & Advanced Energy

Issue Brief

Aug 7, 2023

China Pathfinder: Will sluggish growth trigger green shoots of reform?

By GeoEconomics Center and Rhodium Group

While slow growth has caused the rhetoric around Chinese economic reform to turn more practical throughout Q2 2023, concrete actions have been insufficient.

Economy & Business Fiscal and Structural Reform
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