Governance

La devastadora invasión rusa a Ucrania ha acaparado la atención mundial. Aunque el mundo se centra, con razón, en el número de víctimas y el sufrimiento, la crisis ha puesto de manifiesto la necesidad de acabar con la dependencia del petróleo y el gas rusos. 

John & Ken had another fascinating interview with environmentalist Bjorn Lomborg, president of the Copenhagen Consensus and a visiting fellow at Stanford University’s Hoover Institution.

Has the war in Ukraine and a reliance upon Russian fossil fuels prompted western European nations to reconsider their respective energy strategies? Bjorn Lomborg, a Hoover visiting fellow and environmental researcher, discusses ways for developed nations to reduce energy independence and battle climate change without necessarily devastating economies and lifestyles.

Nezávislost Evropy na Ruské ropě a především plynu žádné obnovitelné zdroje nezajistí. Pokud to myslíme s odstřižením od ruských trubek vážně, musíme hledat jiné alternativy. Ta hlavní naděje se skrývá třeba ve frakování, píše exkluzivně pro Finmag.cz dánský statistik Bjørn Lomborg.

Mens verdens fokus er på de menneskelige kvaler og lidelser i invasionen af Ukraine, har krisen sat behovet for og afhængigheden af russisk olie og gas på spidsen. For at løse dette problem skal vi være pragmatiske og investere i fornuftige alternativer, ikke beskæftige os med ønsketænkning om vedvarende energi.

The devastating Russian invasion of Ukraine has captured global attention. While the world’s focus is rightly on the human toll and suffering, the crisis has highlighted the need to end reliance on Russian oil and gas. To achieve that ambition, we must be pragmatic and invest in sensible alternatives, not engage in wishful thinking about renewable energy.

Bjorn Lomborg was asked if Russian President Putin was benefitting from Europe's green agenda. He explained that because the EU doesn't want coal or fracking, and its biggest economy Germany decided to phase out nuclear power, Europe has become very dependent on Russian gas, because wind and solar cannot provide reliable energy around the clock.

Of course, no government, no matter how rich or powerful, can do all things. Even President Akufo-Addo will have to prioritise which policy areas his second term will focus on. But digitisation is an excellent place to start.

Ghana's economic growth has been rapid since the start of the new millennium, reaching 14% in 2011, but economic performance has been relatively lower since then, particularly from 2013-2016. Important factors for the slowing of development are the huge infrastructural deficit and the limited fiscal space, but Ghana has the potential for improvement thanks to its large natural resource deposits.

Digitising public administration at the local level improves efficiency and productivity. Faster and simpler revenue collection, especially, boosts transparency and increases municipalities’ autonomy by enhancing their ability to generate more local income in a systematic manner.