Past events

Why now? Following Britain’s vote to leave the European Union in June, perhaps the most pressing economic question facing the UK is its future trading relationship with the rest of the world, and this topic featured prominently both pre and post referendum.

Following a 4 year negotiation process, the people of Colombia shocked the world when they rejected the terms of the Peace Accord this October 2nd, by the narrowest of margins (50.2% to 49.8%). Perhaps the most significant- and worrying- lessons of the referendum were the apparent indifference of the Colombian people, given the low margins (50.2% to 49.8%).

This round-table is in conjunction with a Canning Paper that we are releasing on this subject. In theory, the economic and financial environment across Latin America has improved dramatically over the last year. In no particular order, we have seen: Argentina’s return to global capital markets with the largest ever Emerging Markets sovereign bond issue; effectively a new and more pro-business government in Brazil, at a time that that economy may be passing through a cyclical trough; some growth in Mexico thanks to the ongoing recovery in the United States; very substantial progress towards a lasting peace deal between Colombia’s government and FARC; trialing of (what is effectively) the new Panama Canal - which will have a large and positive impact on shipping costs; and the election of technocratic President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski in Peru.

The bioeconomy in all of its dimensions (bioproducts, biorefineries, biotechnology and, more particularly, biofuels) has a decisive role to play in our economic future by providing the means for sustainable development, that is, economic and social development in line with the protection of the environment and the fight against climate change.