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The geographical dimension of the productivity problem

By Ron Martin, Professor of Economic Geography, University of Cambridge

In his budget speech (24 November, 2017), the Chancellor of the Exchequer made much of the need to raise national productivity.

Since 2007, and the onset of the financial crisis, productivity growt…

Reflections on COP23

It’s been a week since the Conference of the Parties (COP) in Bonn, so it must be time to start thinking about Christmas (or in my case this year, my wedding!). But before moving on completely it is worth spending some time reflecting on the events of the last few weeks.

COP23…

The tyranny of the present and how to avoid it

tyranny present

By Dr James Derbyshire, Senior Research Fellow at Middlesex University

In both our professional and personal lives, what is most available and prominent in our mind’s eye is what is already true, as represented by the present situation. Because of this availability of the pr…

The gap to 2°C: it’s narrower than most people think

Cambridge Econometrics’ projections suggest that the carbon emissions gap to 2°C might be 10 GtCO2e in 2030, notably less than projections by other research institutes, including those in the UNEP report published this week.  There is reason to be optimistic.

But …

Gender equality: the economic pay-off

The latest edition of the Gender Equality Index, published today, shows that Europe is moving in the right direction. However, as the European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE)* says, this progress has come at a snail’s pace.

The Index highlights conti…

Autonomous vehicles: location, opportunity and safety

Autonomous vehicles will change settlement patterns by removing the need to live close to our workplace or public transportation. This will enable people to leave cities, swapping urban life for peaceful, rural locations.

Accidents caused by drink driving and human error will …

Electric vehicles: what will happen to fuel duty revenues?

Electric vehicle use will impact fuel duty revenue

An issue that often arises when discussing a transition to electric vehicle use is fuel duty revenues, and how and whether governments will enforce new taxes to replace them.

How much revenue does fuel tax generate, and how long would it take for UK fuel duty revenue to reach …

Autonomous vehicles: the emergence of new business models

There is a tsunami on the horizon… autonomous vehicles are coming. The impact of this disruptive technology will ripple through the economy affecting our behaviour, our industries and our governments’ policies. The changes will be profound.

Our recent market fore…