In the transition towards a sustainable future, clean technologies have emerged as beacons of hope in the global fight against climate change. However, behind the scenes of this technological revolution, hidden heroes known as critical raw materials (CRMs) play a vital role. These materials hold significant economic importance for the European Union (EU) yet face a high risk of ...

In our previous post, we emphasized that 2024 stands out as a historic election year, with countries representing nearly half of the world’s population expected to participate in the polls. Some key votes are closely monitored due to their significance to markets, businesses, and policies, against the backdrop of the most fragmented geo-economic landscape in decades. With the f ...

On Tuesday evening, the consulting team from Econopolis made their presence felt at Elia's national energy debate. This notable event drew energy leaders from across Belgium. The highlight was the presentation of a memorandum by Elia, prepared for the impending Belgian and European elections. The core of the evening was a pivotal debate among political parties, centering on the ...

No matter how vast their differences may be, both presidential candidates will share at least one common stance in the lead-up to the elections. Like almost every presidential candidate in the (recent) past, they will be outspoken in their criticism of the American healthcare system. This critique remains a consistent theme, whether they are campaigning for or occupying the Ova ...

Nowadays, when it comes to placing wind farms, whether onshore or offshore, an increasing number of factors must be considered. The potential energy output and associated costs are now just part of the equation. Additional critical questions include: What are the emissions impacts from manufacturing? What are the environmental impacts? And so on. As a result, commissioning wind ...

In a world focused on decarbonization and electrification, electric vehicles (EVs) are likely a primary consideration for many. However, heat pumps deserve equal, if not more, attention. Recognized increasingly as a crucial component of sustainable energy systems, heat pumps are poised to become the most critical technology for decarbonizing heating.   Heat pump basics At their ...

The Econopolis Strategy team was honored to attend the World Energy Outlook 2023 event in Brussels last Monday. The Belgian Minister of Energy, Tinne Van Der Straeten, and Dr. Fatih Birol, Executive Director of the International Energy Agency (IEA), were the keynote speakers. They shared their insights on historical and current energy developments. Below, we provide the key tak ...

At the end of last year, expectations of central banks easing their policies led to a significant drop in long-term interest rates, which are determined by market forces. This decline was a boon for the listed real estate sector, sparking a recovery rally it desperately needed. However, the situation shifted at the beginning of 2024. Interest rates started climbing again becaus ...

The critical role of carbon dioxide removal in mitigating climate change Let us start by stating the obvious: climate change needs urgent action. More specifically, even if we stopped emitting greenhouse gases today, global temperatures would not decrease for centuries. Furthermore, there are also so-called 'hard-to-abate' emissions, which are emissions that are either excessiv ...

Pessimism prevails in Europe. The continent has been hit by high energy costs and slow or even negative economic growth. The population is not business-minded and politicians and the public are risk-averse. Regulation and bureaucracy are crippling entrepreneurship, certainly when compared to areas of bustling economic activity in the US, parts of the Middle-East and Asia. And y ...