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Policy Briefs

Analysis from an LSE IDEAS academic, associate or guest contributor addressing an existing foreign policy issue or historical context theme - usually containing policy recommendations.

Recent Publications

  • data

    Energy Data Spaces and Market Power: a new challenge for data sovereignty and its governance
    January 2026

    This paper examines how the digitalisation of energy markets, driven by smart meter data and Energy Data Spaces, is reshaping competition in retail electricity services. It analyses the implications for market power, consumer outcomes, and data sovereignty, highlighting the regulatory challenges posed by data-driven business models that operate across national boundaries.

  • brexit

    Taking Stock of Brexit
    January 2026

    This policy brief derives from the Research Report "Brexit - A Critical Audit", also authored by Iain Begg.

  • rare earths

    The New Political Economy of Supply: resources, rare earths and finance | The international implications of China’s roles in the low-carbon energy transition 
    August 2025

  • minerals

    Critical Minerals and the New Industrial Order
    September 2025

  • space policy

    The New Political Economy of Supply: resources, rare earths and finance | The international implications of China’s roles in the low-carbon energy transition 
    August 2025

    This analysis traces the evolution of the space economy through three waves: first, government-driven programs focused on national security; second, the rise of commercial space ventures funded by private capital; and third, the "New Space" era since 2000, marked by investment from venture capitalists and private equity firms. It highlights how these shifts in the space economy align with changes in international relations and geopolitical dynamics.

  • trade_169

    Reflections on WTO Reform
    January 2025

    This special edition of our Expert Analysis presents four lectures (edited for publication) on World Trade Organization reform delivered by the author at LSE IDEAS during June-November 2022 and concluding in May 2023. The paper ends on a postscript reflecting on the perspectives on the different issues discussed in the lectures following the outcome of the 13th Ministerial Conference of the WTO in February-March 2024, as well as the November 2024 re-election of Donald Trump—on the basis of a disruptive trade policy agenda.


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