Edward Robinson

Politics and Policy

London (previously Brussels)

Energy, Environment and Political Economy

Edward Robinson

Politics and Policy

London (previously Brussels)

Energy, Environment and Political Economy

How are we doing on a ‘Green New Deal?’
As the IPCC publishes its new report on global warming of 1.5 degrees, we need a political and economic stock-take. Is the massive mobilisation of human and financial resources needed to cap global warming finally underway, and can coordinated capitalism save us?
openDemocracy
EU policy
Huge solar projects in north Africa target Europe, but will Brussels help?
One of the most interesting solar projects around, TuNur, hopes to generate two nuclear power plants’ worth of renewable electricity in the Tunisian desert, export it to Italy via a 1,000km high-voltage DC cable and connect it to European grids as far afield as the UK, where it could power over 2m homes.
Financial Times
Algeria seeks a route out of its budget woes
Algeria is in a tight spot. Last year, a $5bn trade surplus turned into a $14bn deficit. Hydrocarbon revenues account for around 95 per cent of exports and the government needs an oil price of well over $100 to balance its current budget.
Financial Times
is Algeria a viable substitute for Russian gas?
Events in Algeria could be about to complicate the European Union’s response to Russia’s intervention in Ukraine.
Financial Times
The European carbon market isn’t working – and social liberals should be worried
Climate change remains one of the greatest threats to liberalism in our midst. Global greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) continue to rise, albeit at a slowing rate, and their atmospheric concentration marches towards what the global scientific community considers a safe limit for human civilization.
Social Liberal Forum
The EU and Green Growth.
So far, the British debate on continued EU membership has largely avoided discussion of long-term sustainable development. But on this distinctly 21st century political challenge, the EU is doing a lot. In this piece, I survey the two flagship policies. Bestriding EU climate policy is the European Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) and the programme to reform it.
The Fabian Review
Will the EU propose the most far-reaching reporting standards yet?
One of the European commission’s more controversial decisions under president Jean-Claude Juncker’s Better Regulation initiative was to scrap the European Union’s circular economy package last year. Four commissioners will be responsible for the new package: Timmermans himself, along with the environment, internal market and competitiveness commissioners.
The Guardian
'Hollow words': why there'll be a fight over EU's plans to deal with our waste
Last week, the European commission published its long awaited plan for promoting the circular economy. With 54 separate initiatives ranging from “action on false green claims” to a revised fertilisers regulation, the roadmap may be one of the most wide-ranging pieces of legislation the EU has ever proposed.
The Guardian
Could new Extended Producer Responsibility rules help slash waste?
Edward Robinson sets out why refreshing EU rules on Extended Producer Responsibility is vital for creating a circular Europe.
BusinessGreen
EU policy
The social democratic dilemma
Centre-left parties in Europe have lost the argument for pragmatic fiscal policy and support for austerity seems to prevail. So where does this leave those who refuse to vote for more austerity?
openDemocracy
Book Review: Justice for hedgehogs
The late Ronald Dworkin (1931-2013) was an intellectual light to the American liberal left, whose ability to communicate complex ideas to the public led the great Harvard political philosopher John Rawls to liken him to a modern day John Stuart Mill.
The Fabian Review
Why has our government relaxed the criteria for granting arms exports?
Every two years in a large exhibition centre in South East London (the same venue that will host this year’s Miss World competition) one of the largest arms-trade fairs in the world takes place.
New Internationalist

About

Edward Robinson

copywriting

policy research

public affairs

communications

journalism

I am a researcher, communications adviser and writer based in London having previously lived in Brussels for a number of years. My main interests are in UK and EU politics and in sustainable economics and clean energy policy. I also have an interest in EU Neighbourhood policy - in North Africa in particular.

I am a director of environmental consultancy Culmer Raphael and have previously worked for the European Climate Foundation, Accenture Strategy and the Green Alliance think tank.

A selection of my bylines is above. A full portfolio is available on request; including copywriting work for clients.

I am currently researching for a book on British politics in the first half of the 20th Century, to be published by I.B. Tauris/Bloomsbury in 2022.