This week: Syria’s first hackathon unites social innovators to support recovery; UK government backs social enterprise in public procurement rules shake-up; Alfanar’s MENA impact fund launch is “good news for impact investing”.
BRUSSELS BRIEFING: The social economy could face serious headwinds as EU policymakers shift priorities. Now is the time for social enterprises to show they can make the bloc more competitive – with added impact, writes Toby Gazeley.
The EU’s position as a leader in building sustainable economies is at risk, warn impact leaders, as complex sustainability laws are threatened by the bloc’s drive to become more competitive.
The third edition of Social Enterprise Monitor launched today in Davos by Euclid shows social enterprises want better public funding schemes and more social procurement from governments.
BRUSSELS BRIEFING: The new European commissioner for jobs – whose role includes oversight of the social economy – has been announced. Our correspondent in Brussels, Euclid's Toby Gazeley, looks at the latest news from the EU.
BRUSSELS BRIEFING: As Patriots for Europe looms large in the European Parliament, and Hungary takes on the presidency of the European Council, how might policies that favour the social economy fare, asks our Brussels correspondent.
By expressing issues such as low pay or overuse of carbon as 'externalities', we have let company directors, their auditors and investors off the hook – ignoring actions they could take using existing accounting standards, warns Jeremy Nicholls.
From aircraft safety to finance, we live our lives by standards. But many simply reinforce patriarchy – not least in financial accounting. With developments like AI exacerbating prejudices, there’s an urgent need for change, says Jeremy Nicholls.
As the elections loom, Europe’s social economy faces uncertainty about the future direction of the European Commission. Our correspondent in Brussels hints at the themes that might emerge, and dives into an analysis of the European single market.
