Climate accountability
COP-27 is on us, and the organisers have stated their objectives: The hope is that COP27 will be the turning point where the world came together and demonstrated the requisite political will to take on the climate challenge through concerted, collaborative and impactful action. Read the leader article by Sharon Todd, SCI's CEO.
Energy and R&D
The energy crisis continues to cause global disruption, pushing inflation rates across many countries to levels not seen for many years. Governments are scrambling to raise interest rates to stop the rise, however interest rates are a blunt instrument, with limited impact on the cause of the inflation but substantive knock-on effects.
Biotech burnout
The US biotech sector has seen major upheaval and contraction over the first half of 2022, which is only just beginning to reverse. The pace and the numbers of employees affected over such a short period has been described as unprecedented by many observers.
Highwire act
We are now halfway to COP27 and three years after the UK set its Net Zero target. Meanwhile the UK, along with the rest of Europe, is facing a winter of extraordinary fuel bills as a result of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and its impact on the world energy markets. So where does the UK currently stand?
Renewables booming
Global renewable power is forecast to break another record in 2022, despite all the issues and concerns around higher costs and supply chain problems, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA).
Recovery funding
In the months since COP26 in November 2021, the continuing questions have been: What has happened since the discussions ended? Has any progress actually been made? Will there be a re-run of the same discussions in Egypt at the next COP?
Winners and losers
Despite the raft of new biotech company entries, the first quarter of 2022 has also seen massive job losses in the sector, particularly in the US. And the companies concerned are not just small startups, they include names in Big Pharma, like Pfizer, Lundbeck, Daiichi, Gilead and Biogen.
Critical impact
Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine has shone a stark spotlight on the inter-related, and particularly interdependent, nature of the modern globalised world. And the impact of this heinous act will have repercussions long after any resolution of the situation.
Risk awareness
As a prelude to its rescheduled annual conference (22-26 May) in Davos-Klosters, Switzerland, the World Economic Forum has published its own analysis of risks facing the global community in 2022 and beyond. Read the Leader article in C&I Magazine.
Things to come
At the beginning of any new year, the desire to look back at the events of the previous year and to make predictions about the coming year seems to be a universal human trait – and 2022 is no exception. Forecasting is as much a part of a new year as New Year resolutions, although it is to be hoped they are more enduring, and more closely related to reality.