Global Issues
Inside the tangled negotiations for a global plastic treaty
The United Nations is one year away from adopting a landmark treaty limiting plastic production – but countries disagree on how ambitious it should be.
A few days ago,…
Southeast Asia's minerals: Opportunity knocks
Minerals produced in Southeast Asia play an important role in global supply and local manufacturing and infrastructure. The region is a large-scale producer of minerals required…
The regional realignment on display at COP28
The annual climate talks get underway this week in the United Arab Emirates, marking consecutive negotiations held in the Arab world after the conference hosted last year by Egypt…
Here come the SuperApps
Southeast Asia is being transformed by the rapid growth of e-commerce. Citizens have embraced online shopping with open arms and clicking fingers. A recent study projects the…
Rise of the Redback
In August, Beijing threw a lifeline to Argentina, a serial defaulter in sovereign debt, by arranging to pay back in yuan half of a US$2.7 billion instalment of an emergency loan…
Driving the energy transition within ASEAN
The geography covered by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations is incredibly diverse. The land area totals approximately 4.5 million square kilometres, making ASEAN one of…
De-risking developing country debt
Climate change and debt present a toxic mix for many of the world’s most vulnerable developing countries. Disasters are becoming more frequent and severe. Yet many of the most…
Global Goal on Adaptation: Shaping a new framework at COP28
The annual UN climate talks, known this year as COP28, are just around the corner. A key item on the agenda will be setting a framework in support of the Global Goal on Adaptation…
Digital dominoes: Australia’s strategic play in the Pacific
Pacific Island countries, with their sprawling geography, have been caught in a digital divide. Lack of critical, digitally enabling infrastructure slows down development progress…
A fragile lifeline: India and China must collaborate on water
India and China are connected by a number of rivers that flow into each other’s territory, notably the Brahmaputra, Sutlej and Indus. These rivers are vital to both nations…