Order from Ashes

Lebanon's grassroots solar boom has mostly benefited those who own their homes and can afford the investment—installations have plateaued at <25% of households. A new report by @verder0 offers a case study of one way the boom could become more equitable.

Since Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz on March 2, Western hawks have revived colonial-era schemes to build pipelines from the Gulf to Israel.

These fantastical proposals won’t work, and cannot solve the growing energy crisis.

New report from CI fellow @zackcuyler.

Syrian truckers successfully fought to shield their industry from the economic liberalization agenda of Sharaa's government.

Now, the Syrian business community is crying foul.

The story underlines the tense challenges facing Syria’s new leaders.

New report from @AbuJamajem

The pain that consumers are feeling from the Iran war is real, and likely to get worse. But those short-term costs are only the tip of the economic iceberg, writes CI editor-in-chief @eamonka.bsky.social in a new commentary.

Rural Lebanon’s near-total transition to solar is inspiring for emerging economies, writes CI contributor Camillo Stubenberg in a new report.

But it also carries warnings: left unmanaged, Lebanon’s unlikely solar revolution could harden into another tale of haves and have-nots.