Insights

Covid-19 is likely to accelerate pressures for the meaningful integration of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors into the private equity (PE) industry. The twin dynamics of a greater public focus on investors’ ESG credentials and an increased scrutiny of the PE industry writ large could combine to encourage greater use of existing integration tools. With…

On July 28th, Global Counsel hosted a technical discussion between food policy experts looking at what is at stake for UK food and agriculture after the landmark Agriculture Bill as the UK pursues and negotiates trade agreements in the lead-up to exiting the European Union. We were joined by Tim Lang, Professor of Food Policy at City University of London and Emily Lydgate…

After the difficult negotiations of the longest ever EU summit, EU leaders agreed last week on a €750 billion recovery fund and at least one new EU tax. Some called it a “Hamiltonian moment” for the European Union. Practice Lead Denzil Davidson and Senior Associate Ana Martínez examine what was agreed, the politics that got us here, the disputes that still haven’t been…

Governments’ support measures for businesses hit by covid-19 have focused on maintaining liquidity through provision of emergency credit. In the UK, government-backed loan schemes have been the main protection over the past few months – but it should be equity, not debt, that revitalises the economy and pump-primes the recovery.

This US election cycle, GC team members in the Washington, DC and London offices are holding a series of conversations on the elections and wider US policy issues, and how each might impact investors and companies on both sides of the Atlantic. Below is a brief extract from the ninth conversation in the series, which unpacked two key policy developments - Joe Biden’s…

The House of Lords European Union Committee published its report Treaty scrutiny: working practices. This was prepared by its International Agreements Sub-Committee. Global Counsel Senior Director Stephen Adams gave evidence to the Committee on treaty negotiation and trade agreements. You can read the report and review its linked evidence here. 

Director Erin Caddell sits down with Alex Collins, Strategy Consultant at UNC Health Care (North Carolina’s largest health system), for a perspective on the impact of covid-19 on public health practices in North Carolina, and an outlook for recovery in the state given the recent uptick in cases there and in a number of other US states.

As governments globally introduce emergency support to combat the impacts of covid-19, there have been calls to ensure this is aligned with environmental, social, and governance (ESG) objectives. However, covid-19 has also prompted many governments to lift or suspend regulations to reduce burdens on corporates. Where does the balance lie? Global Counsel is tracking ESG…

Carbon border adjustment taxes are not a new concept. The idea applies carbon pricing to goods that enter the single market where products are manufactured offshore have avoided carbon pricing. In theory, this prevents 'carbon leakage'. Europe's energy-intensive industries, especially cement and steel, have long argued they need a level playing field against imports with…

The covid-19 pandemic has ignited calls to reallocate critical supply chains away from China which could result in policy changes that fundamentally transform the semiconductor industry. Amid rising US-China tensions and the need to reinvigorate the US economy, Congress and President Donald Trump are poised to make sizable investments in the microchip industry to enhance…

Recent years have seen important global shifts in both the policy frameworks for screening inward foreign investment and the ways in which they are applied. These shifts come against a backdrop of protectionist political rhetoric and anxieties about the impact of foreign direct investment (FDI) in traditionally open economies.

The current wave of activism around race, racial awareness and diversity is certain to impact on ESG – particularly as the ‘S’ aspect gains in prominence due to covid-19. The social components of ESG policies and strategies have in the past largely focused on attention to human rights and labour conditions, but the list of what is included is expanding. While…

This US election cycle, GC team members in the Washington, DC and London offices are holding a series of conversations on the elections and wider US policy issues, and how each might impact investors and companies on both sides of the Atlantic. Below is a brief extract from the seventh conversation in the series, which explored the impact of the widespread US protests…

In light of the ongoing covid-19 pandemic, GC has held regular weekly calls focusing on how governments are responding to the situation and what upcoming developments could look like. Global Counsel recently hosted a discussion between our Chairman Peter Mandelson, Al Cook, Executive Vice President of Equinor, Marco Alverà, Chief Executive Officer of Snam and Global…

A conversation with from a recent digital event with Frederick M. Hess, resident scholar and director of Education Policy Studies at the American Enterprise Institute exploring the challenges faced by the US education system and potential measures to mitigate them.

As many European states have mobilised to inject financial support into struggling companies, some European politicians have pointedly asked whether such support should come with environmental conditions attached. 

Oman’s new sultan faces a potential binary choice. The 65-year-old Haitham bin Tariq, who acceded to the throne in January, knows that the rial’s peg against the US dollar has guaranteed financial stability for decades. But he has also pledged to continue his predecessor’s independent foreign policy. The country’s long-time leader, Qaboos bin Said, sought to maintain good…

A growing preoccupation with the impact of foreign acquisitions on European security and autonomy has in recent years fuelled the steady growth of investment screening mechanisms, with 14 out of the EU’s 27 member states (and the UK) now having such regimes in place. The economic impact of the covid-19 pandemic has further accentuated these concerns and led to a further…