Luxembourg is home to Amazon's European headquarters, and the country is also lobbying hard to attract Google. In the negotiations on new EU rules for the major platforms, the country has resisted overly strict regulations for the companies.
By Till Hoppe
Moving away from fossil fuels and a just transition to green technologies were the focuses of the World Climate Conference (COP26) on Thursday. Progress was made on the coal phase-out in particular — while global greenhouse gas emissions have almost returned to pre-Corona levels.
By Timo Landenberger
The Arctic is already feeling the effects of climate change particularly strongly. With dwindling ice, covetousness is growing in the region: Beijing's activities in the far north are alarming Brussels. However, the EU's special envoy for the Arctic, Michael Mann, assesses the current potential for conflict as low.
By Amelie Richter
The advertising industry, website operators, consumers, and data protectionists all have one thing in common: no one likes the cookie banners that are everywhere in front of websites. Now a solution could be on the horizon in Germany — but even that is already controversial.
By Redaktion Table
The 6th plenum of the current Central Committee will convene in Beijing next week. Under normal circumstances of the post-reform era, this would herald the end of Xi Jinping's term in office. But the latter dares to break with Deng Xiaoping and wants to anchor himself even more firmly as the "core of the CP". He also wants to lift himself even further up the all-time list of the historic party hierarchy: above Deng, next to Mao.
By Michael Radunski
The economic environment in China is becoming more uncomfortable, according to the Association of German Chambers of Industry and Commerce. Compared to the spring, German companies operating in the People's Republic are taking a more negative outlook on economic development in the coming twelve months. As a concrete consequence, they are shifting their investments to other parts of the world. The behavior of its hitherto most loyal foreign investors should give China food for thought.
By Amelie Richter
In order to cool down the overheated Chinese real estate market, homeowners will be asked to pay a hefty tax in the future. The tax will mainly hit rich citizens and speculators. Observers doubt, however, that it will make apartments more affordable.
By Redaktion Table
With the Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero (GFANZ), private banks, insurers, and investors committed on Wednesday to put limiting climate change at the heart of their work. The firms manage a combined sum of around $130 trillion. However, the effectiveness of the project remains to be seen.
By Lukas Knigge
The decarbonization of energy-intensive industries such as the steel sector is crucial for achieving the global climate targets. However, the changeover is complicated and expensive. How it can still be achieved is one of the central questions at COP26.
By Timo Landenberger
On an international level, China is regarded as a brake on climate protection. Yet the goal of reducing its emissions to "net-zero" within just under 40 years presents the country with massive economic and social challenges.
By Nico Beckert
