Anticipating shifts in labor market demand is, by any measure, one of the most important-and most difficult-tasks for policymakers. Vocational education, retraining programs, even university curricula: these are not easily or quickly adjusted. If anything, the lag between emerging economic trends and workforce preparation is growing. It’s for this reason that labor ministries and workforce […]
Understanding the evolution of employment in megacities is an exercise in both observation and inference. The broad narrative-manufacturing retreating, services advancing-may seem familiar, but it is the fine detail that truly matters to urban planners and labor economists. For those seeking to move beyond anecdotes and conventional wisdom, the ISIC framework, when applied at the […]
Australia’s National Anti-Corruption Commission Act (NAC Act), passed in 2022 and coming into force in July 2024, represents a major reform in tackling corruption and bribery within government operations, including public procurement and supply chain activities. The Act established the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC), a powerful and independent body empowered to investigate and prosecute serious […]
The Ocean Shipping Reform Act of 2022 (OSRA), which came into effect in June 2022, represents the most significant overhaul of US maritime regulations in decades. Passed in response to mounting concerns over excessive freight charges, unpredictable demurrage and detention fees, and opaque shipping practices, OSRA aims to create a more transparent, fair, and competitive […]
Measuring national innovation capacity has become an almost universal ambition. Governments, international agencies, and private sector actors all want to know: how innovative are we, compared to our peers? The answer is rarely straightforward. The concept of innovation resists easy definition, and the indicators usedâ€â€patents, R&D spending, skilled workforceâ€â€are themselves shaped by methodological choices. Amidst […]
The EU Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), which began its pilot phase in 2023, marks a transformative shift in how European companies disclose environmental, social, and governance (ESG) data. As the successor to the Non-Financial Reporting Directive (NFRD), the CSRD significantly expands the scope of reporting obligations, bringing thousands of large companies and, soon, mid-cap […]
The US Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Act, signed into law in March 2020 and effective from November that year, represents a cornerstone of federal efforts to protect the nation’s telecommunications infrastructure from security risks associated with high-risk suppliers. The Act prohibits US government agencies and federally funded projects from procuring, leasing, or maintaining telecommunications […]
When tariffs are announced, headlines tend to follow the drama: winners, losers, political posturing. The reality for those tasked with analysis is less theatrical and more intricate. In the food processing sectorâ€â€ISIC code 10, “Manufacture of food productsâ€Ââ€â€the effects of new tariffs are anything but uniform, and quantifying them calls for methodical work rather than […]
South Korea’s Act on the Fairness of Supply Contracts, originally passed to address imbalances between large corporations and their subcontractors, underwent key amendments in 2021 to enhance transparency and accountability across critical sectorsâ€â€including logistics. The revised law specifically targets freight, warehousing, and related service agreements, aiming to prevent unfair practices such as opaque pricing, hidden […]
The European Union’s 2024 update to the Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive (PPWD) marks a significant advancement in the bloc’s drive toward a circular economy. Building on the original 1994 Directive and subsequent amendments, the latest revision increases mandatory recycled content targets for plastic, metal, paper, and glass packaging. By 2030, manufacturers must ensure that […]
Canada’s Green Procurement Policy, revised in 2022, marks a major step forward in embedding climate accountability within public sector purchasing. The updated policy mandates that federal departments and agencies actively consider and disclose greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions associated with major procurements, including goods, services, and construction projects. This initiative aligns with the federal government’s broader […]
Economic classification systems are, by nature, a step behind the frontiers of innovation. The International Standard Industrial Classification (ISIC) system has served the world wellâ€â€providing a backbone for economic statistics, policy analysis, and international comparisons. Yet, as artificial intelligence (AI), automation, and entirely new business models blur the lines between sectors, the challenge is clear: […]
The Preventing Animal Cruelty and Torture (PACT) Act, effective since November 2022, marks a significant step in federal efforts to combat severe animal mistreatment in the United States. Although originally focused on criminalizing acts such as crushing, burning, drowning, suffocating, or impaling animals, the law has helped shape a broader supply-chain transparency culture in industries […]
The aftermath of Brexit has produced few certainties and a great many questions, not least for those charged with tracking the movement of goods and services between the UK and the European Union. For analysts, policymakers, and supply chain professionals, the challenge is to move from broad narrativesâ€â€Ã¢â‚¬Å“disruption,†“realignment,†“new corridorsâ€Ââ€â€to concrete evidence. One of […]
The European Union’s 2022 Textiles Strategy represents a landmark effort to create a circular, sustainable, and fully transparent textiles industry. A core feature of this strategy is the requirement for manufacturers, brands, and retailers to disclose the origins of textile fibers and provide detailed information on chemicals used during production. This regulatory shift responds to […]
Australia’s National Plastics Plan, released in November 2023, marks a significant regulatory advance in the country’s efforts to reduce plastic waste and promote circular economy practices. At its core, the Plan imposes mandatory upstream reporting requirements on producers, importers, and users of plastic packaging materials. The goal is to create full transparency across the plastics […]