The European Commission published its proposal for an EU raw materials initiative (Critical Raw Materials Act, CRMA) in March 2023. The proposal contains plans to open new mines in Europe and to utilize minerals found in the waste materials of closed mines. Permitting procedures for new mines are additionally proposed to be shortened, and mining companies will be required to report their environmental footprints to the EU. The European Parliament approved the Act last September. To scrutinize the proposed Act, along with its implications to mining practices and our planetary boundaries, we held a seminar series with invited experts during autumn 2023.

The seminar series revolved around crucial questions that are expected to fundamentally shape our future: do we have enough minerals in the world for a green transition? What will be the environmental impact of increasing the number of mines? Is circular economy the solution, or should we reduce our consumption?

Europe depends on imported critical raw materials for its green transition

The autumn seminars were kicked off with a thoroughly informative presentation by Henna Virkkunen, Member of The European Parliament (MEP), working on the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE). MEP Virkkunen laid out the facts: the EU is currently dependent on China when it comes to critical raw materials. While Europeans consume around 20% of the world’s critical raw materials, only approximately 2% are produced in Europe. The proposed Act supports the plan to shift this balance towards a more self-sufficient and supply-secure future. The audience raised concerns about environmental safety and environmental degradation due to the increasing volume of mining, especially considering the simplified permitting process for critical raw material projects.

Tackling biodiversity loss while increasing mining is a conundrum

Transitioning from a fossil fuel-based economy is argued to be dependent on mining more (critical) raw materials. But how to do it sustainably with minimal environmental damage, and how well are natural values considered in the short and long term when decisions are made regarding new mines? The Chairman of the Finnish Nature Panel Professor Janne Kotiaho, from the University of Jyväskylä, and environmental activist Riikka Karppinen from Sodankylä further reflected on these questions.

Professor Kotiaho’s message was grimly realistic: biodiversity loss continues at an accelerated rate in both Europe and Finland, and we are all responsible for it. He argued that at the current state of affairs, to truly halt biodiversity and nature loss, we need to implement restorative, nature-positive solutions instead of solutions based on the principle of no net loss. Karppinen expressed shock and discontent regarding the aims to facilitate the opening of new mines in currently protected areas in the name of a green transition. Karppinen has frequently spoken out against a global mining company that is planning on opening a new nickel mine near her home in an area protected by Finnish law and the EU Natura framework. During her presentation, she kindly shared her experiences regarding the residents’ struggles.

The critical raw materials are not renewable

The green transition’s burden on the natural environment may indeed be enormous. But do we have enough materials to fully shift to renewables, or are we about to reach the limits of the planet’s boundaries? Research Professor Simon Michaux, from the Finnish Geological Survey, provided astounding figures on the amounts of minerals actually required for the green transition. According to his estimates, at current energy use rates, we simply do not have enough minerals in the world to fully shift to renewables, and in fact, minerals are “the new oil”. Professor Michaux’s presentation left us thinking: if we do not have enough materials in the world to substitute fossil fuels with renewables, are our current consumption patterns simply doomed?

To better understand how the new Critical Raw Materials Act may look like in Finland, we listened to a presentation by Jarkko Vesa, Special Advisor at the Finnish Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment. He provided a thorough overview on how the implementation process began. As the Director of Sustainable Development of the mining company Terrafame, Veli-Matti Hilla further underscored: it is clear that mining has received a substantial boost from the EU institutes.

A mix of solutions is needed for a sustainable future

Director Lasse Miettinen from Sitra gave the closing presentation to our seminar series, and it ended on a rather optimistic note. He argued – in line with most of our presenters, along with our own concerns – that we are currently exceeding the limits of our planet. To imagine a more sustainable future, we need to learn to think about ecosystems in a more nuanced and interconnected way. The climate crisis, biodiversity loss, and natural resource depletion cannot be solved separately. Both biotic and abiotic resources are part of nature and managing them should be reframed accordingly. Director Miettinen argued that transitioning to a circular economy is a crucial part and precondition of the solution to our multiple crises. To reduce supply risks and ensure positive environmental outcomes, we need circular solutions, diversified supplies, and more local production beside aiming for sustainable lifestyles and biodiversity offsets. He encouraged us to think that building a more sustainable future is indeed possible.

Professor of Practice in Environmental Responsibility and Chair of the seminar series, Hannele Pokka further noted that while observing how mining in Finland has developed over the years, ordinary people tend to support mining but under no circumstances do they want a mine near their homes. Finland is an old mining country, and minerals have been extracted from the land for hundreds of years. Public opinion in Finland has taken a more critical stance on mining in recent years, which has been reinforced by the Talvivaara mine environmental disaster. It has been difficult for new mining projects to gain social acceptance, and several mining projects, especially in Northern Finland are pending. If mining companies want to seek approval for their projects, mining should be reformed to incorporate a more comprehensive notion of sustainability, including new approaches and technological solutions in water management.

The seminar series, above all, taught us that what used to be possible in mining is not so any longer, and we need drastic changes to remain within our planetary boundaries.

Seminar recordings and further reading materials are available via the links embedded in the text.

Source: Mirage News

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VIA Rail Canada’s new baggage policy and reservation system introduces sweeping changes that are catching passengers and workers off-guard as rail travel gears up for the holiday season.

“Instead of making train travel more accessible VIA Rail’s new policy only complicates it,” said Lana Payne, Unifor National President. “It’s unfortunate to see passenger rail become more cumbersome at a time when ease and affordability in green public transportation is more important than ever.”

VIA Rail’s new baggage and reservation policies launched on November 18, 2023 and are already having a negative impact on passengers’ wallets and travel experience. Travelers will now encounter seat selection and baggage fees similar to budget airlines, directly leading to higher travel costs. Particularly affected are students and economy class passengers, with students losing their previously entitled second free bag and economy travelers facing stricter luggage size limits. Additionally, Sleeper and Prestige class passengers will face revised cabin baggage allowances and checked baggage limits.

“These changes hit hard when people are already stretched thin and we’ve moved so far away from VIA Rail’s original mandate of providing an affordable service to Canadians,” Jennifer Murray, Atlantic Regional Director. “Our members are on the front lines, witnessing first-hand how such policies inconvenience travelers and complicate our working conditions.”

Unifor’s Get Canada Back on Track campaign advocates for an expansion of publicly-owned passenger rail in Canada. The campaign stresses the need for a public transport system that caters to environmental sustainability, safety, and the well-being of Canadian travelers and workers.

Unifor is Canada’s largest union in the private sector, representing 315,000 workers in every major area of the economy. The union advocates for all working people and their rights, fights for equality and social justice in Canada and abroad, and strives to create progressive change for a better future.

Source : CISION

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“BUY land,” American wit Mark Twain famously quipped, “they’re not making it anymore.”

That investment advice would have proven wise in Scotland in 2020, according to a report published earlier this week.

Compiled by the Scottish Land Commission (SLC), the report found that prices for farmland in north east Scotland had risen by 58% between 2020 and 2022, 42% in the south west, and 25% in the Highlands and Islands.

Asked if investors in Scottish land could expect to continue to see such returns, SLC chief executive Hamish Trench said: “We don’t know. That’s the short answer.”

He said the skyrocketing prices were a result of “a match of very high demand and low supply”, but added that the incomplete picture we have of land transactions in Scotland makes analysing patterns very difficult.

“Getting a fuller picture of how the rural land market is working in Scotland is important, vital, to informing some of the changes in law and policy that we’re looking at in terms of land reform,” Trench said.

“What we’re trying to do here is to bring more information, a better picture, better transparency to the way the rural land market is working.”

The SLC chief said there had “long been a challenge in relation to Scotland’s land in terms of the openness and transparency of information”, raising concerns that sometimes communities were not even made aware that local land was on the market until it had already been sold.

“We know that there’s quite a number of transactions that actually have off-market, where they aren’t brought to public sale,” Trench (below) said.

“Over the last two years, we’ve started to develop new reporting approaches for the rural land market precisely because there’s been very little information giving an overview of this.

“What we see regularly, of course, are sector reports from agents operating in the market, for example, companies like Savills or Strutt & Parker.

“Inevitably, agents’ reports will focus on the parts of the market that they’re operating in. So you get different reports that focus on different sectors, for example, forestry, farmland or estates, and different sizes of transactions.

“Our report is really trying to capture all of that in a single approach that gives a better picture of what’s happening across the market.”

The SLC report published earlier in the week covered the years 2020-2022. Moving forward, the publication is set to become an annual date on the land commission’s calendar.

“We’re trying to do this work regularly, year on year, so that we can actually track a pattern of what is happening,” Trench said.

The SLC chief explained that one “significant driver” of rising prices had been an increase in demand for commercial forestry land, while one of the “newer factors” was companies looking to buy land for carbon investment and offsetting.

“This new report shows that although it may not be adding up to a large percentage of sales, it’s certainly significant,” Trench said. “Particularly in upland Scotland and in the estates market, where we’re seeing a new motivation of nature- and climate-driven acquisition.

“We’re seeing some corporate buyers, for example, wanting to buy land essentially to offset their own emissions within a business, examples like Brewdog or [investment firm] Abrdn.”

Trench said that data in SLC reporting could help inform work on “stronger regulation to manage those markets”.

The Scottish Government has previously said it will introduce a land reform bill “by the end of 2023”.

Asked in Holyrood in September about the bill’s progress, Rural Affairs Secretary Mairi Gougeon said the Government was “committed to introducing a land reform bill to further improve transparency of land ownership [and] to help ensure that large-scale land holdings deliver in the public interest.”

The Scottish Government has proposed a limit of 3000 hectares, above which land sales will trigger a public interest test.

Campaigners have called this “timid” and called for a 500-hectare trigger, while the SLC and others have suggested the trigger could be linked to “whether the holding controls key local infrastructure”.

This is one of the areas where the SLC’s work could inform policy. Trench said: “What’s helpful is understanding from this report that 93% of sales are under 500 hectares, and there are relatively few sales over 3000 hectares [some 1.1%]. So it helps provide some context to think about how that kind of measure would work.”

Source : Yahoo

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A control area covering Airbnb-style lets in Edinburgh has been ruled “unlawful” for a second time.

Lord Braid said this aspect of City of Edinburgh Council’s attempt at regulating short-term lets (STL) was “unfair and illogical”.

Landlords took legal action against the local authority over retrospective permission required for accommodation.

City of Edinburgh Council said it would consider its next steps following the ruling.

The STL control area rules came into force on 5 September 2022, meaning property owners leasing their homes to visitors before that date would have apply for planning permission to change them to commercial premises.

However, landlords Iain Muirhead and Dickins Edinburgh Ltd argued that policy violated existing legislation.

During the judicial review at the Court of Session, they argued council guidance could only apply to lets which started operating after that date.

In a judgement published on Friday, Lord Braid agreed, stating the planning application “actively discourages” anyone from applying who does not have planning permission or an application in the pipeline, despite this not being required in every case.

‘Unfair and illogical’

He cited the hypothetical example of two STL operators – one of which had a certificate of lawful use before the cut off date and the other who did not.

He said that an operator who had permission to run a STL for several years before the deadline would have to reapply for their licence.

However, that could then be rejected under the new legislation, which Lord Braid said would “deprive thousands of landlords of compensation”.

Meanwhile, an STL operator leasing through a site such as Airbnb could apply after the cut-off – having never gained permission before – and have it approved.

Lord Braid branded that “not only unfair, but illogical”.

The council was given power to impose the control area – the first of its kind in Scotland – by the Scottish government.

The policy was introduced amid concern over the spread of Airbnb- style properties across the city and impact on available housing stock for permanent residents.

Neighbours had also linked the rise in STL’s to an increase in anti-social behaviour.

‘Onerous and oppressive’

A separate ruling from the Court of Session in June found the legislation to be “onerous and oppressive”.

The legislation was amended as a result.

The council’s planning convener, James Dalgleish, said the local authority would consider its next steps following the ruling.

He said: “It’s important to point out that, following today’s ruling, residential properties that began being used as STLs after the control area came into force on 5 September 2022 still require planning permission.

“Those that began before that date may still need it and will be considered on a case-by-case basis.”

Source : BBC

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It has been said that foreign policy is really domestic policy with its hat on. In a sense, this is true. — former US Vice President Hubert H. Humphrey, June 29, 1966.

And the truth is that a country’s foreign policy carries all these small or large ideological, cultural and ethnic conflicts that unfold daily inside it. It incorporates, at the same time, however, the historical memory of a nation and is a sharp reflection of its positions.

In this chessboard, Greece and, by extension, its political leadership are consistently noteworthy actors and mobilisers of developments in foreign policy. With its unwavering position on the right side of history in any conflict or conflagration in the foothills of the European continent or its wider neighbourhood.

By vigorously renouncing from the first moment the expansionism and the illegal occupation acts created by the Russian invasion. At the same time, he decisively participated in material support and various international gatherings in favour of Ukraine’s right to defend its territory.

Today, with the flare-up in the Middle East ongoing, the Government of Kyriakos Mitsotakis immediately took a position in favour of Israel’s right to self-defence, calling on the friendly country, however, not to stray from the path of International Law and International Humanitarian Law. Proposing sustainable solutions that will lead to a bloodless future and not a repeat of the past in the region.

In Europe, our country has a steady pace and a special displacement, managing to change the attitude of the Union towards Immigration, but also the way of dealing with natural disasters and climate change. With initiatives such as the vaccination certificate amid the pandemic and the now coherent external border protection policy.

In our neighbourhood, in the Balkans, Greece is a driving force of developments and their accession perspective, undertaking specific initiatives. Without, however, being the “useful idiot” of the story, but by acting as a bellwether for their obligations. After all, it proved it recently when neighbouring Albania also slipped from the European path in the Beleri case and trampled on the principles of the rule of law.

At the same time, it does not neglect to strengthen its diplomatic and defence capacity. Recently, the launch of the first Belharra frigate was on our televisions, while over the skies of the SEF, we welcomed the new Rafalle and upgraded F-16s. All this is a sample of a country constantly developing, with its feet on the ground of the harsh reality of international politics.

Now, we are talking about a new Greece. A new Greece that has apparently left the era of withering and laxity behind for good. That develops, matures and sets the course for tomorrow.

It is precisely this Greece that wears its hat and exudes the same determination and punch, both abroad and at home.

Most importantly, our country is now invited and asked for their opinion. Before the recommendations, during the decision-making process, and afterwards, not only for her region but also for the wider European neighbourhood. A country that is a real actor and not a sidekick to developments.

Source : Greek City Times

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Rishi Sunak said he plans to continue with his smoking ban after New Zealand reversed its own flagship policy.

New Zealand’s new coalition government has announced its intention to revoke legislation passed by the previous liberal administration designed to make it a smoke-free nation.

Last year the country became the first in the world to outlaw smoking for the next generation. The policy meant anyone born on or after 1 January 2009 would never be able to buy tobacco.

It provided a blueprint for Mr Sunak’s tough measures announced at the Tory party conference in Manchester last month.

The prime minister said England’s ban means: “A 14-year-old today will never legally be sold a cigarette and… they and their generation can grow up smoke-free.”

Asked whether Mr Sunak would consider following Wellington’s lead, a spokeswoman for the prime minister said: “No, our position remains unchanged.

“We are committed to that.

“This is an important long-term decision and step to deliver a smoke-free generation which remains critically important.”

It means the UK will likely have the toughest smoking laws in the world once New Zealand’s reversal comes into effect.

The U-turn in New Zealand comes after a new coalition deal ended six weeks of negotiations following the general election on October 14.

The election saw the country shift to the right, with a win for the Conservative National Party under Christopher Luxon ending six years of a Labour government.

Under New Zealand’s proportional voting system, parties typically need to form alliances in order to command a governing majority.

Some Tory MPs have criticised Mr Sunak’s smoking ban, alongside the tobacco industry.

Hailed by health campaigners, critics have described it as “illiberal”, “anti-Conservative” and compared it to “creeping prohibition”.

Former prime minister Liz Truss is among those set to vote against the move, when it goes to a free vote in the Commons.

However the legislation is likely to pass, with Labour signalling it will support the measure.

Smoking is the UK’s biggest preventable killer, causing around one in four cancer deaths and leading to 64,000 deaths per year in England, according to Dr Javed Khan’s 2022 review into making smoking obsolete.

It is hoped the policy will prevent tens of thousands of deaths and save the NHS billions of pounds.

Downing Street said it expects up to 1.7 million fewer people to be smoking by 2075 as a result.

Source : Sky News

The post Rishi Sunak’s Position on Smoking Ban ‘Unchanged’ as New Zealand Scraps Policy appeared first on Policy Print.

Ottawa Public Health (OPH) is calling on the federal government to follow the example of New Zealand’s “smoke-free generation” law, which sought to ban cigarette sales to anyone born after 2008 for their entire lifetime.

Even though the New Zealand policy is now at risk due to a new government’s plans to abandon it, OPH recommended Health Canada adopt a “similar approach” as it reviews the Tobacco and Vaping Products Act.

According to OPH, current restrictions are not sufficient to protect young people from addiction. It also pushed for a federal minimum age of 21 to buy tobacco, nicotine and vaping products.

An Ottawa doctor specializing in smoking cessation called the generational ban “an exceptionally good idea,” but an expert in drug and alcohol policy warned it would repeat failed experiments in prohibition that only benefit the black market.

Last year, then-prime minister Jacinda Ardern’s government passed legislation to gradually raise the smoking age to prevent anyone born on or after Jan. 1, 2009 from ever being able to buy cigarettes legally in New Zealand. The ban was set to come into effect in 2027.

The policy also would have restricted the number of retailers allowed to sell cigarettes and limited concentrations of nicotine to non-addictive levels.

Last month’s elections produced a new coalition government in New Zealand, which this week said it plans to reverse that law, at least partly, to fund tax cuts.

OPH said it had no one available to comment on its proposals, which appeared in a report to the city’s board of health.

In that document, OPH explained that New Zealand shares Canada’s goal of cutting the smoking rate to below five per cent.

‘Abundant good sense’ or boon for criminals?

Dr. Andrew Pipe, a professor at the University of Ottawa’s faculty of medicine and an expert on smoking cessation, said the proposal “makes abundant good sense.”

He went further, saying the generational ban should apply to all nicotine products — not just cigarettes.

“It’s a very good way of restricting access to tobacco products,” he said. “You have a cohort of young people who are completely unable to purchase nicotine products, and that’s important because nicotine is the most tenaciously addictive drug we deal with in our community.”

New Zealand’s policy is “world-leading” and “innovative,” according to Sir Collin Tukuitonga, president of the New Zealand College of Public Health Medicine.

In an interview with CBC, he said there’s still time for that government to reverse itself.

He said the model is realistic for Canada and noted the United Kingdom already plans to copy it. New Zealand’s smoking rate is already low, at around eight per cent, but Tukuitonga said it can get lower.

“We think that the whole package of things — education, legislation, reducing availability through a limited number of outlets — all of those things will overall lead to a continued reduction,” he said.

Sarah Butson, public affairs and policy analyst with the Canadian Lung Association, said it’s “unnecessary” for young people to be able to buy tobacco in the future, given the harms associated with smoking.

“This is a strategy that makes a lot of sense to make sure that our younger generations simply cannot get these products in their hands,” she said.

“We know that public education, unfortunately with most health issues, only goes so far.”

Dan Malleck, a professor of health sciences at Brock University who specializes in drug and alcohol regulation, called the policy another example of prohibition — which has a long history of failure.

“Prohibition never works. This is prohibition. It’s just generational,” he said. “There’s a lot of ways to get your hands on something you want to try, and if you make something illegal, for some people it becomes more appealing.”

He noted that past experiments with prohibition provided ample opportunities for criminal networks to profit.

“There’s established smuggling networks. People will continue to do this,” he said. “It would be better for public health to focus on limiting the negative effects on others, which we’ve done fairly successfully.”

Malleck noted the proportion of young people smoking is already dropping. He said the most successful strategies for curtailing smoking rely on providing alternatives, not bans.

More vendors selling to minors, OPH says

In addition to the smoking age recommendations, OPH is also urging Health Canada to ban smoking and vaping on federal lands, like parks, trails and beaches, and to regulate nicotine product placement in streaming and social media, including by influencers.

The agency is also pushing for financial incentives for smoking cessation counselling or medication, and for smoking cessation training for tobacco and vaping vendors.

According to OPH, tobacco enforcement officers have noted a significant increase in vendors selling to people under 19 in Ottawa recently.

There have been 114 charges and seven warnings during youth access inspections so far this year, according to OPH — a new record.

Source : CBC

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From the European Union’s Green Deal Industrial Plan and the United States’ Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) to Japan’s Green Growth Strategy and the Korean New Deal, industrial policies aimed at accelerating the energy transition are proliferating in wealthy, technologically advanced economies.

Many developing economies are also designing and deploying state-led projects to foster green industrialisation, as competition intensifies for electric vehicles (EVs), so-called transition minerals, and clean energy.

For example, several African countries, including South Africa, Kenya, Mauritania, Egypt, Djibouti, Tunisia, Morocco, and Namibia, have enacted state-led initiatives to support the development of green hydrogen. Others, including Indonesia, Bolivia, and Chile, are implementing national strategies to stimulate industrialization based on the extraction and processing of nickel, cobalt, copper, lithium, and other transition minerals and metals.

These policies use a broad range of instruments – including subsidies, regulations, incentives, and diverse state-business arrangements – and differ widely in terms of the public and private resources at their disposal. But they all seek to tackle three crises simultaneously: economic stagnation, polarised and precarious employment, and intensifying climate change.

The revival of industrial policy is based on the logic that addressing all three crises will create a virtuous cycle: targeted investment in green manufacturing and energy will boost economic activity, create well-paying jobs, and usher in a low-carbon economy. The Biden administration’s “modern American industrial strategy,” comprising the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the CHIPS and Science Act, and the IRA, exemplifies this approach. What has been called the “Biden three-fer” is designed to boost US competitiveness in key industries vis-à-vis China, provide better economic opportunities for American workers, and accelerate decarbonization.

But the win-win narrative undergirding these new industrial strategies tends to obfuscate the risk that solving one problem may exacerbate another. In fact, the tensions between these policy objectives are already visible. For example, the decarbonisation of the economy may not create as many decent jobs as initially expected. In the US, both car companies and the United Auto Workers union have warned that the shift to manufacturing EVs, which require fewer parts, could lead to job losses. Some of these jobs will be redistributed to battery production, but this may be cold comfort for American and European auto workers, given China’s dominance over the global battery supply chain.

At the same time, the growth of green industries can result in other environmental harms. Despite aiming to generate employment and value through the production of transition minerals, the industrialisation strategies of several Global South countries tend to entrench extractive practices. For example, Argentina, Bolivia, and Chile – South America’s “lithium triangle” – are seeking to capture various stages of the lithium supply chain, from mineral extraction to processing to battery assembly. But the growth of this industry threatens to deplete water supplies, degrade soil, and disrupt habitats, often in zones inhabited by indigenous Andean peoples. Similarly, the production of semiconductors, which are at the heart of clean tech, is energy-, water-, and land-intensive and releases perfluorocarbons and other potent greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.

Finally, economic stagnation can have a destabilising impact on domestic politics, impelling governments to aim for a higher growth rate regardless of the environmental costs. For example, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak recently announced a series of U-turns on the government’s net-zero pledges. Shedding burdensome climate commitments may seem like a politically attractive strategy to boost immediate growth prospects. But – and herein lies the contradiction – longer-term growth will at least partly depend on governments ensuring that their economies are competitive in the green industries of the future.

As these examples show, industrial policy is not a silver bullet for the intersecting crises of our times. The policy objectives of environmental sustainability, industrial dynamism, and full employment are difficult to reconcile and require hard political choices about resource allocation, strategic priorities, and, crucially, the distribution of economic and social costs. Moreover, the trade-offs will grow more complex and challenging as global warming worsens and growth continues to sputter. What we call the “wicked trinity” of contemporary governance – climate catastrophe, economic stagnation, and surplus humanity – will not go away anytime soon. In fact, it will likely shape the trajectories of public policymaking long into the future.

This is not to say that policymakers should give up on designing ambitious strategies to address these crises. On the contrary, swift and effective action is an absolute necessity. Yet packaging these plans in win-win narratives that paper over the difficult trade-offs they involve significantly raises the risk that governments will lose popular support. The complex and conflicting nature of these policy objectives means that even the best-designed strategies will fall short, at least in some respects. This is unavoidable and an important component of learning-by-doing.

To avoid being seen as breaking promises, policymakers must embrace, rather than dismiss, the tensions and trade-offs at the heart of green industrial policies and subject them to public deliberation. This is essential to securing broad support for state-led decarbonisation projects. Such an approach would help build robust, transparent governance structures rooted in the principles of democratic deliberation and public oversight and control. As matters stand now, many industrial strategies are the product of top-down, technocratic policymaking processes, despite all the talk of “leaving no community behind” and a “just green transition.”

Subjecting the economy to democratic decision-making in this way would, admittedly, constitute a radical challenge to the current system of private ownership and market coordination. But it is essential to secure and maintain popular legitimacy for green industrial policies, as well as to facilitate collective and efficient decision-making and minimise mismanagement. Otherwise, we risk a public backlash that impedes the collective action needed to safeguard our future on this planet.

Source : The Independent

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A recent indictment from the United States Department of Justice has alleged an Indian security official was involved in attempting to assassinate a U.S. and Canadian citizen in New York. The alleged target, Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, is a leader in the Sikh separatist movement and has been involved in organizing referendums for the establishment of Khalistan, a proposed independent Sikh state in northern India.

The indictment also states that there is a link between the foiled attempt to kill Pannun and the murder of Canadian Khalistani leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Surrey, B.C. earlier this year.

The Indian government said it was investigating the allegations, and had established a committee to “address the security concerns highlighted by the US government.”

This announcement by the U.S. could have potential ramifications for Indian politics, both at home and abroad. However, it is unlikely to have any significant impact on next year’s general elections, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be seeking his third term in office.

Bolstering Modi’s strongman image

Canadian allegations against India had handed Modi an excellent political platform for the next general elections.

It sent a clear message that India’s government would, under no circumstances, tolerate any threats to the country.

India’s foreign policy has become more muscular under Modi; and that’s a strategy that resonates with his supporters.

His landslide victory in 2019 had a lot to do with support for India’s “surgical strikes” in Pakistan-controlled Kashmir in 2016 in response to an attack that killed 19 Indian soldiers.

Following Canada’s allegations of Indian involvement in Nijjar’s killing, the Modi government was once again able to successfully generate a narrative against Canada in general and the Liberal party in particular.

India’s narrative consists of four parts:

• Canada is a safe haven for terrorists, extremism and organized crime, and there is a nexus between Indo-Canadian gangsters and Sikh separatists working with Pakistan’s intelligence agency.
• The Canadian government has consistently ignored repeated requests from India to take actions against Khalistani “terrorists” operating on Canadian soil.
• Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government is pandering to the large Sikh diaspora in Canada.
• The Liberal minority government is dependent on support from the New Democratic Party leader, Jagmeet Singh, a Sikh supposedly sympathetic to the Khalistani cause.

Indian news media and politicians have repeated the official discourse constantly for weeks.

While India was quick to dismiss Canadian allegations, it has adopted a much more cautious approach to the U.S. indictment. India has much to lose by alienating the Biden administration as both countries have invested a great deal in enhancing Indo-U.S. relations and making India a central ally in America’s Indo-Pacific strategy.

Meanwhile, Indo-Canadian relations have been chilly since 2015, largely due to Khalistan activity in Canada. Moreover, annual trade between India and Canada is worth about $12 billion while trade with the U.S. is worth $192 billion. In short, India has much more to lose by alienating the U.S than it does by taking a hard line with Canada.

Furthering authoritarianism

On the surface it might appear that news of the U.S. indictment could fracture India’s muscular foreign policy. However, this episode is unlikely to have much impact on India’s domestic politics. Modi remains popular with an approval rating of 78 per cent.

He is credited, among other things, with India’s emergence as a global power, with his effective handling of border issues with China, for taking on Pakistan and with the success of the country’s space program.

The 26-party opposition coalition, Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA), is unlikely to challenge Modi on this particular issue. The national defense narrative is a strong one, and India’s territorial integrity is a sacrosanct issue for all political parties.

However, among some minority communities, Muslims and Sikhs, both at home and abroad, revelations of assassination plots could raise serious concerns. The Modi government’s aggressive pursuit of a Hindu nationalist agenda, its repression of minorities and control over dissent have become more entrenched.

India’s parliament is in the process of amending its sedition laws. If the changes are passed, endangering the unity and integrity of the country could result in life-term imprisonment. These proposed changes to the already harsh and draconian penal code will only further criminalize dissent. The Modi government is ensuring that dissenting voices, particularly those of minority communities, completely disappear from Indian democracy.

Amplifying the Khalistan movement

India’s campaign of global repression of Sikh separatists could have the effect of unifying the Sikh diaspora. It was in 2018 that Pannun came up with the idea of holding a non-binding referendums to mobilize the global Sikh community.

That year, Sikh activists announced their campaign for holding referendums starting in 2021 across multiple cities. The first referendum took place in London on Oct. 31, 2021, followed by eight more referendums during 2022 and 2023 in the cities of Leeds and Luton (United Kingdom), Geneva (Switzerland), Brampton, Mississauga and Surrey (Canada), Melbourne (Australia), and Brescia (Italy).

Pannun announced plans for referendums in Punjab and the U.S, and for another round of voting in Canadian cities. In October, following Trudeau’s announcement of credible allegations against the Indian government, thousands of voters turned out to participate in a referendum in Surrey, B.C., some coming from as far as the cities of Edmonton and Calgary.

While only a small minority of the Sikh diaspora is thought to support creating a separate Sikh state, the majority were likely registering their disapproval of India and its repression of minorities. Memory of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots in the wake of Indira Gandhi’s assassination which left thousands dead remains very much alive within the entire Sikh community to this day.

But Khalistani referendum politics relies heavily on images depicting so-called “martyrs” (separatists killed by India) and Indian diplomats as the assassins of Sikh activists. The desecration of Hindu temples also has the potential to create division within the Indian Hindu and Sikh diasporas. Canadian Liberal MP Chandra Arya has accused Khalistan supporters of targetting Hindu temples.

As more information comes out, the Canadian government will need to carefully manage its relations with India and the relationship between diasporic communities here.

Source : The Conversation

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Startups can be at the forefront of economic recovery, job creation, and a more sustainable future. They are the most innovative actors in the economy and an economic force to be reckoned with. However, while they are the giants of the future, they are more often than not overlooked in policymaking. 

In the last five years alone, startups have been met with a tidal wave of digital regulation. While well-intentioned, overregulation often creates a hostile environment for innovative businesses by implementing market barriers and imposing additional operating and compliance costs.

The 2024 European Union Elections offer an opportunity to reverse this trend by ensuring that startups have a seat at the policy table so that Europe can build smart regulations and at the vanguard of startup innovation.  

Allied for Startups and its Members have published its EU Election Startup Manifesto, a standard with which startup communities and leaders will evaluate the success of any candidate, party, or group seeking a leading role in a democratic Europe in 2024.

While these policy prescriptions are a baseline of the needs of the growing entrepreneurial communities of Europe, support for these entrepreneurs and job creators must be aligned with an acknowledgment of the need for further investment in diversity, equity, and inclusion.

This integrated approach is likely the most effective pathway toward ensuring Europe’s continued growth and economic success.

What do startups need from policymakers?

Policymakers must embrace strategies and initiatives that will foster a growth-oriented environment for startups to deliver on the digital and green transitions as promised.

Hence, we propose a variety of actions, including:

Appointing a dedicated Commissioner for Digital Entrepreneurship, in order to simplify and harmonise all regulation that affects startups in a single place.

Introducing a startup and scale-up test for legislation, essential to creating regulatory frameworks that startups can not only comply with but thrive under.

Streamlining talent acquisition through an efficient EU-wide startup visa and simplifying regulatory processes with an EU company status.

Startups advocate for a harmonised level-playing field that allows them to innovate, emphasizing the importance of safeguarding net neutrality, fortifying the Digital Single Market, and strong research, investment and digital skills framework to nurture a competitive and thriving ecosystem.

What are startups’ expectations across EU institutions?

Startups’ expectations across EU institutions extend to the creation of dedicated groups and teams within the institutions, integrating startup perspectives into relevant deliberations, nominating counterparts, and emphasizing startups and SMEs in official titles.

Effectively, having a seat at every policy table.

While a new Parliament is on the ballot next year, startups recognize the importance of and positive outlook for all EU institutions to build a sustainable, lucrative future for European startups.

Prioritising startups’ needs during this election season holds the potential to transform Europe into an environment where innovation thrives, startups prosper, and Europe secures a prominent role in the global entrepreneurial landscape.

With these 10 items at the forefront of voter outreach and discussion, Europe can re-emphasise its commitment to building a strong startup community and lead the global economy.

Source : Tech EU

The post Startups Should Have a Seat at the Policy Table, Not on the Menu appeared first on Policy Print.