Niko Jaakkola
banner
nikoecon.bsky.social
Niko Jaakkola
@nikoecon.bsky.social
Associate Prof, Uni Bologna, Economics of climate & natural resources. Tweeting also as citizen, 🇫🇮/🇪🇺 and as resident 🇮🇹. Views are mine, most likely borrowed from somewhere.

Suomeksi @nikoekon.bsky.social

https://sites.google.com/view/jaakkola
Pinned
I wrote a policy piece for the EconPol Forum, together with Rick van der Ploeg and Tony Venables. We argue that decisive 'big push' green industrial policy is needed to convince firms & households that, without a doubt, the green transition is going to happen. 1/N
“Big Push” Green Industrial Policy
Carbon pricing is a central part of climate policy, but is politically difficult while the economy is still reliant on fossil fuels The long-lived green investments required to break the carbon lock-...
www.cesifo.org
Words fail. This would be funny if it wasn't so tragic, and also if it wasn't so clichéd.
November 13, 2025 at 11:00 PM
Reposted by Niko Jaakkola
For the first time since it's founding there's an actual conspiracy that indicts powerful elites and there are actual documents that actually prove it and Infowars is like "nah"
November 13, 2025 at 3:47 AM
This fascinating interview ends with a great point: if only Xi found it in himself to reset the China-US relationship (inc. refraining from trying to conquer Taiwan) to a more cooperative one, he would be hailed in the history books as a great leader.
On the latest episode of “The Foreign Affairs Interview,” Orville Schell discusses the relationship between Trump and Xi, the state of Washington’s China policy, and the contradictions that continue to roil the Chinese Communist Party.
Xi Jinping’s World of Treachery and Sacrifice
A Conversation With Orville Schell
www.foreignaffairs.com
November 13, 2025 at 6:29 PM
Reposted by Niko Jaakkola
Oh, they're talking about it now, Mr Vance.
November 13, 2025 at 1:55 PM
Reposted by Niko Jaakkola
Finnis #defence minister Häkkänen confirms (essentially) joint Nordic Air Forces are coming.

Kalmar Reunion intensifies!

www.iltalehti.fi/politiikka/a...
Pohjoismaille yhtenäiset ilmavoimat
Puolustusministeri Antti Häkkänen (kok) kertoi keskiviikkona uutisia Pohjoismaiden ilmavoimien yhteistyöstä.
www.iltalehti.fi
November 13, 2025 at 6:05 AM
Reposted by Niko Jaakkola
🎶 We didn't start the fire 🎶
November 13, 2025 at 7:50 AM
Reposted by Niko Jaakkola
Free to read. on.ft.com/4nVSV1w
November 12, 2025 at 2:38 PM
Reposted by Niko Jaakkola
Are public debts in the European Union sustainable? This recent article is a great introduction to this topic, I learned a lot by reading it.

One thing that struck me is that debt sustainability analyses typically abstract from the impact of fiscal policy on productivity growth.
November 11, 2025 at 2:38 PM
Sole authority to launch US nuclear weapons held by person whose policy statements on nuclear weapons are, um, very unclear to the top officials supposed to execute them.

www.economist.com/united-state...
November 8, 2025 at 9:08 AM
Reposted by Niko Jaakkola
In recent years, several second cousins once removed of Russian dictator Vladimir Putin have taken jobs in state-affiliated institutions, marking the emergence of a third generation of the Putin family within Russia’s governing class, according to an investigation titled Fathers and Sons.
Putin’s third generation rises to power, family now dominates state-linked posts — investigation
In recent years, several second cousins once removed of Russian dictator Vladimir Putin have taken jobs in state-affiliated institutions, marking the emergence of a third generation of the Putin famil...
english.nv.ua
November 6, 2025 at 4:25 PM
Reposted by Niko Jaakkola
A fun question. In 5 years time, what looks better? The US’s enormous bet & capex on AI? Or China’s equally enormous bet and capex on renewables?
China has made cheap, clean energy available in huge quantities. The world should take the win econ.st/4oqFszB

Photo: Eyevine
November 7, 2025 at 7:10 AM
Reposted by Niko Jaakkola
“There’s a combination of economic threats, as well as very personal delegate-level threats, including threats to visas.”
“They went from delegation to delegation . . .threatening them. Telling them to go back & speak to their capitals, warning what would happen if they didn’t change their minds”.
US accused of ‘bully-boy’ tactics to sink climate deal
Officials say ‘threats’ used to derail net zero deal for shipping industry ripped up rules of global diplomacy
on.ft.com
November 3, 2025 at 6:47 AM
Reposted by Niko Jaakkola
#China #UK #universities #Uyghur #Uighur #censorship
Human rights research halted after pressure from China

Leading professor at Sheffield Hallam told to cease research on supply chains and forced labour in China after demands from authorities

via AmyHawkins

www.theguardian.com/education/20...
UK university halted human rights research after pressure from China
Exclusive: Leading professor at Sheffield Hallam was told to cease research on supply chains and forced labour in China after demands from authorities
www.theguardian.com
November 3, 2025 at 6:24 AM
Reposted by Niko Jaakkola
Looks like extraordinary cowardice. "...following pressure from the Chinese state and a separate defamation law suit against the university, Sheffield Hallam decided not to publish a final piece of research by Prof Murphy and her team into forced labour." www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
November 3, 2025 at 6:29 AM
Astounding by @pmdfoster.bsky.social @attractamooney.bsky.social @kayewiggins.ft.com: the US resorts to personal threats against the negotiating civil servants (and other dirty tactics) to torpedo a climate deal. Time for other countries to band together against this kind of nonsense!
US accused of ‘bully-boy’ tactics to sink climate deal
Officials say ‘threats’ used to derail net zero deal for shipping industry ripped up rules of global diplomacy
www.ft.com
November 3, 2025 at 6:38 AM
Reposted by Niko Jaakkola
This is from Autocracy, Inc, about how modern autocratic propaganda works.

I consider this every time I decide what to share and how to frame it.
November 2, 2025 at 12:04 PM
I've nothing to say about Carney / Canadian politics. But we all use a model when we do *anything* in this world, whether we think we do or not. A model may be an explicit mathematical simplification of the world, or it may be a casual, plain English prediction of "what would happen if I did X?"
The key to understanding Carney‘s politics is, as an economist, he sees the world in terms of models. That’s what he meant when he promised to “govern in econometrics.” But that only works when a) your model somewhat reflects reality, and b) one remembers that models are simplifications of reality.
Will Carney’s budget finally reveal where the prime minister is taking Canada?
The Liberals won the election on Carney’s promise to “win” the trade war with Trump. So now what?
www.thestar.com
November 2, 2025 at 2:21 PM
Reposted by Niko Jaakkola
What the WaPo has become:

"The White House cannot simply be a museum to the past. Like America, it must evolve with the times to maintain its greatness. Strong leaders reject calcification."

The MAGAfication of the language.
Opinion | In defense of the White House ballroom
Donald Trump vs. the NIMBYs
www.washingtonpost.com
October 26, 2025 at 2:02 AM
This is shocking but not very surprising. Farage's right hand man *caught* being on Russia's payroll. Should keep in mind that Farage himself has been a regular visitor on Russia Today. These guys should be kept as far from Westminster as possible.
November 1, 2025 at 6:16 PM
Please let oil pieces go down because of falling demand. Good for climate, bad for Russians massacring Ukrainians.
"The global oil market may be at a tipping point as signs of a significant supply glut emerge" writes the IEA.

Tepid demand due to "subpar economic conditions, increasing vehicle efficiencies, & robust electric vehicle sales in many markets." 😮

www.iea.org/commentaries...
As oil market surplus keeps rising, something’s got to give – Analysis - IEA
As oil market surplus keeps rising, something’s got to give - A commentary by Toril Bosoni
www.iea.org
November 1, 2025 at 1:02 PM
Reposted by Niko Jaakkola
"The global oil market may be at a tipping point as signs of a significant supply glut emerge" writes the IEA.

Tepid demand due to "subpar economic conditions, increasing vehicle efficiencies, & robust electric vehicle sales in many markets." 😮

www.iea.org/commentaries...
As oil market surplus keeps rising, something’s got to give – Analysis - IEA
As oil market surplus keeps rising, something’s got to give - A commentary by Toril Bosoni
www.iea.org
October 27, 2025 at 7:24 AM
This, so many times this by @economist.com.

Europe needs to understand that is is stronger than Russia, as long as it acts together. Funding Ukraine's defence only seems expensive if you don't compare it to the available alternative options. This is also the fiscally conservative choice.
Why funding Ukraine is a giant opportunity for Europe
The bill will be huge. It is also a historic bargain
www.economist.com
October 31, 2025 at 11:47 AM
Gunvor seems like a blatantly obvious Kremlin front, no? What's the deal with not sanctioning it?
Lukoil agrees sale of international assets to Gunvor after US sanctions
Buyer has close ties to Russia and was co-founded by one of Vladimir Putin’s closest associates
www.ft.com
October 30, 2025 at 9:45 AM
Reposted by Niko Jaakkola
1/n - Trump says something about nuclear weapons tests...It’s hard to know what he means. As usual, he’s unclear, all over the map, and wrong.

1. The United States has more Nuclear Weapons than any other country.

Wrong. Russia has more nuclear weapons than the United States.
October 30, 2025 at 6:22 AM
Reposted by Niko Jaakkola
“In my work with the (Nuremberg Trial) defendants, I was searching for the nature of evil, and I now think I have come close to defining it. A lack of empathy... a genuine incapacity to feel with their fellow men. Evil, I think, is the absence of empathy.”

- Captain G.M. Gilbert, US Army
October 29, 2025 at 9:37 PM