Speaking in riddles: The Panama Papers and the global financial services sector

In 2007, on the cusp of the economic crisis, a paper was published in Growth and Change (June 2007) entitled “Shadow Europe: alternative European financial geographies,” which began to tackle the idea of shadow finance in Europe and the size and inseparability of what was regarded as “shadow” from “normal” financial flows. A number of the observations made have proved remarkably prescient and one particular phrase stands out in the light of the recent revelations about the so-called Panama Papers in 2016: “Strategically important flows of capital derived from complex underground production systems that have seldom been analyzed in detail move through the European financial networks that connect to offshore tax havens (Christensen, 2003). These havens are not a separate and distinct entity from the financial networks that connect world cities but rather a vital counterpart on which the functioning of the cities connected via those networks depends” (2007, p. 319). The revelation of the Panama Papers constitutes a new critical juncture from which to re-visit that 2007 paper and to re-examine the state of knowledge on shadow and formal financial flows

Energy and development: the political economy of energy choices

Energy and development: the political economy of energy choice

Governance, decentralisation and energy: a critical review of the key issues

Governance, decentralisation and energy: a critical review of the key issue

Theory and praxis: co-design complexities of community energy projects in Kenya [poster]

Theory and praxis: co-design complexities of community energy projects in Kenya [poster

Green growth or ecological commodification: debating the green economy in the Global South

This article examines recent institutional thinking on the green economy and the implications of official understandings and structuration of a green economy for the global South. Assertions about the transformative potential of a green economy by many international actors conceals a complexity of problems, including the degree to which the green economy is still based on old fossil economies and technical fixes, and the processes through which the green economy ideation remains subject to Northern economic and technical dominance. The article places the intellectual roots of the green economy within a broader historical context and suggests some ways the strategic economic and ideological interests of the global North remain key drivers of green-economy thinking. The analysis is substantiated through two illustrative Latin American examples: the Mesoamerican Biological Corridor and green economy initiatives in Brazil. These suggest that, if the green economy is to address global challenges effectively, it must be conceptualized as more than a bolt-on to existing globalizing capitalism and encompass more critical understandings of the complex socio-economic processes through which poverty is produced and reproduced and through which the global environment is being transformed, a critique which also applies to mainstream discourses of sustainable development

Bringing economic development and light to those not on the bottom rung of the ladder [abstract]

Bringing economic development and light to those not on the bottom rung of the ladder [abstract

Social Inclusion: The Higher Education Sector in Chile and in the United Kingdom

The Higher Education (HE) systems of Chile and the UK are compared in terms of the ‘massification’ (Altbach, 1989) and the relevance and adequacy of the private-public provision mix. Dissimilar, each country has tried to build social inclusion into HE outreach at the same time as allowing participation of the private sector. Also included in the research are a) the role of social capital as a positive contribution for the social and economic development; b) the current state of social inequality in access to HE; and c) an in-depth analysis of the implications of both state and private roles over social inclusion in HE. Outreach programmes from each country, the Propedeutico in Chile and Aimhigher in the UK, are also analysed for lessons learned

What are the key issues regarding the role of geothermal energy in meeting energy needs in the global south?

Globally, the potential of geothermal far exceeds that of all other renewable sources together, although investment in the other sources to date has far exceeded investment in geothermal. World Energy Assessment estimates in 2000 for the global potential of all renewables (EJ/yr) were Geothermal 5000, Solar 1575, Wind 640, Biomass 276, Hydro 50, giving a total of 7541 (UNDP, 2000). When installed, geothermal plants have a far higher capacity factor than other sources (solar depends on the level of direct insolation, wind power on wind, etc.); estimates (REN21, 2009) give wind-power 21%, solar PV 14% but geothermal is at least as high as 75% and often more than 95%, given that once a plant is established it operates continuously except for routine down-time for maintenance and rare break-downs

Governing decentralised energy provision: approaches to energy transitions in Kenya [poster]

Governing decentralised energy provision: approaches to energy transitions in Kenya [poster