News & Insights

In this paper, we present a novel idea to address issues faced by pension systems in developing and emerging economies: direct funding of pensions through international aid. In our system, aid from domestic and international donors would be used to finance matching contributions, thereby increasing the capital saved for retirement and simultaneously incentivising individuals to save. Furthermore, aid would directly arrive in a worker’s retirement savings account without passing through government budgets, allowing for strong transparency and the ability to “follow the money” by both donors and recipients. We believe that this idea addresses some of the key shortcomings of past pension policies, as well as protects pension savings from changing government priorities. This new paper is a revision from a previous publication from the Coller Pensions Institute in November 2023.

In this white paper, we introduce the concept of Ultra-Processed Animals (UPAs), a term to describe the hidden risks of intensive, industrialised animal agriculture. While ultra-processed foods are widely recognised as a health concern, the far-reaching impacts of ultra-processing that takes place before slaughter have gone largely unnoticed. We trace the legacy of the Green Revolution and show how it inadvertently fuelled today’s factory farming system, creating a cascade of threats including zoonotic disease, antimicrobial resistance, chronic illness and foodborne disease. To address this blind spot, we call for greater transparency and propose mandatory labelling of UPA-derived foods as a bare-minimum policy response. Our aim is not to call for a ban on meat, but to ensure that consumers are empowered with information and that policymakers, businesses and investors recognise the urgent need for a just transition to a healthier, more sustainable food system.

In this paper, the UK pension system is analysed, highlighting its position as the third largest globally in terms of total assets but facing significant challenges compared to other countries. The paper explores the system’s reliance on defined benefit schemes, higher exposure to bonds, and relatively low investment in the UK economy. It also identifies key issues such as low workplace pension contributions, the insufficiency of state pensions, an aging population, and fragmented funds. Solutions tested in other geographies are proposed, including pension fund consolidation, increasing state pensions, and enhancing minimum contributions.

In this paper, the UK pension system is examined, highlighting its significant challenges, including high fragmentation, low contribution rates, insufficient state pensions, and inadequate coverage for specific demographic groups. The paper traces the historical evolution of pensions, particularly the shift from Defined Benefit (DB) to Defined Contribution (DC) schemes, and discusses the impact of global financial crises. It advocates for comprehensive reforms such as consolidating pension schemes, increasing contribution rates, and fostering domestic investment. The authors also propose a more strategic, purpose-driven system to ensure financial security. This draft will be updated with a final paper before the end of 2024.

In this paper, we consider the long-term consequences of the Green Revolution, which was set in motion after World War II to address issues around resource scarcity and hunger. We accept the Green Revolution began with the best intentions and initially achieved its objectives, but we argue that its unforeseen negative impacts have been substantial. The long-term consequences have included the crucial role of enhanced crop yields in fuelling factory farming’s rise amid unhealthy higher global demand for meat and dairy products. The now-dominant factory farming sector is today directly linked to climate change, highly resistant pathogens and other existential threats facing the planet and its inhabitants.

In this paper, we present a solution-oriented idea to combine the building of a resilient pension system and the privatization of state assets: privatization through pension funds. Many countries face the challenge of establishing or developing retirement systems while seeking to professionalize the management of state assets. Under the right conditions, privatization through pension funds can contribute to both outcomes and should be considered by policymakers. The key difference to the traditional privatization of state assets is that this idea would keep ownership of the asset with the population and spread the profit among a country’s population in the form of future retirement income. Privatization through pension funds, therefore, constitutes a form of democratization of a nation’s wealth.