In an essay titled “Regrets on Parting with my Old Dressing Gown”, the eighteenth-century French philosopher Denis Diderot tells of being presented with a beautiful scarlet dressing gown. The author’s joy quickly turns to dissatisfaction as, compared to his new garment, his old possessions seem tawdry and inelegant. This sets of a shopping spree, which sees him replacing his ol ...

Although the Belgian summer has been especially, well, Belgian this year, climate change has been wreaking havoc in many parts of the world. Forest fires in Hawaii and Greece, floods in Italy, and extreme heat in many regions are being reported. The urgency and severity of climate change is unavoidable at this point. Yet, many people struggle with how to turn those heartbreakin ...

In the global pursuit of a greener and more sustainable future, the Paris Agreement stands as a testament to the commitment of 195 countries to mitigate climate change. Within Europe the European Union's Green Deal was reached in 2020, shaping the pathway across various sectors to address the climate challenges ahead. The financial sector plays a pivotal role in driving the tra ...

Like some of you, I also went to see the American biographical drama film Oppenheimer, directed by Christopher Nolan. The film is based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning book American “Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer” by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin. It stars Cillian Murphy as J. Robert Oppenheimer, the theoretical physicist who led the Manhattan Proj ...

The traditional image of Belgium, characterized by its moderate climate, has been undergoing a transformation due to the effects of climate change. While recent weeks may not have reflected this trend, the overall increase in temperatures is undeniable. This rise in temperature is precipitating an interesting and potentially lucrative market shift - the growing demand for cooli ...

As electric vehicles rise to tackle the challenge of decarbonizing the transportation sector, range anxiety continues to be one of the key bottlenecks of the technology. Various technologies are emerging that may offer solutions. One of them is dynamic inductive charging, a technology that could allow our batteries to charge while driving… Transport Emissions in Belgium In Be ...

For decades economists have tried to work out what it is about natural resources that sows havoc. In their work Escaping the Resource Curse, Humphreys, Sachs and Stiglitz (three renowned economists) paradoxically state that despite the prospects of wealth and opportunity that accompany the discovery and extraction of oil and other natural resources, these resources often end up ...

The day is 28 July 2024! Yes 2024. Approximately one year ago, the financial community put an end to its peculiar game of speculating about the color of the tie worn by Jerome Powell, the Chairman of the US Federal Reserve. For over a year, a significant number of financial market participants had been fervently analyzing each and every detail they could find, attempting to acc ...

The world is constantly changing. Examples such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), e-commerce, and shifting demographics clearly demonstrate this fact. Innovation is a good thing as productivity growth is essential for economic expansion. Another area undergoing rapid change is our source of energy consumption. Since the 19th century, there have been three major energy revolutio ...

What is the role of a bank and when should you consider opening a savings or bank account? How can one earn money and make wise investments? Additionally, what exactly is the stock market? These fundamental financial concepts are often lacking in the education of young individuals, as highlighted by a study conducted by Febelfin, the Belgian Financial Sector Federation. The stu ...