Green transition is the topic of the time in the west. Both the United States, United Kingdom and European Union have pushed renewable energy, electric vehicles and net zero at the top of their agendas in the last five years, with resolutions made at COP28 tripling down upon commitments made during the Paris agreement further exemplifying this global transition. Despite this global initiative being largely diplomatically led by the west, the real victor in this transition is China. China has become “the green dragon” a manufacturing powerhouse supplying the vast majority of the world’s newfound demand for renewables, furthering its economic growth and increasing global reliance on Chinese trade in the backdrop of the US-China trade war. By accepting China as the “green hegemon” the west would be left at the mercy of Chinese trade becoming reliant on Chinese technology to build and maintain a net zero economy and by extension have to make geopolitical concessions in order to maintain good trade relations. In this article our analysts assess the extent of Chinese dominance of the green industrial sector, the consequences of said dominance and policy options that could be explored by western governments to mitigate the resulting political and economic risks.

The potential for a new Balkan war is looming. The war in Ukraine, declining US influence, and a global shift towards multipolarity, has once again placed the region firmly into a potential frontline of conflicting ambition between East and West. However, accession into the EU could present a unique opportunity for preventing a regional conflict. Via frictionless borders, equalising economic development & integration, acting as a quasi-Yugoslavia, the EU could be the beacon of hope that the Balkans has been yearning for.

Your supply chain is only as strong as its weakest link: extraneous circumstances can quickly plunge even the strongest economies into disarray, as recently proven by COVID-19. Fortunately for the economies of the world, the coronavirus was indiscriminate in its economic impact, leaving the leading economies of the world with mostly the same struggles and as a result not creating significant economic-geopolitical shifts.‍ South Korea however now finds itself at the frontline of the US-Chinese trade war, where escalation could cause significant supply chain disruptions - an extraneous variable which would leave the South Korean economy in a uniquely difficult situation. The likelihood of a second Trump presidency will only reignite and accelerate the intensity of the US-Chinese trade war, with an increase in tariffs, sanctions and geopolitical escalation meaning South Korea must act swiftly.