iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Laura Rayner @lerayner.bsky.social · 02/05/2026

For insurance/customs purposes, we’re having to list and value everything we own. I would recommend the exercise to everyone. I’ve tried to halve our possessions since we moved to Malawi but it’s still quite obscene how much we own and its value. Maybe I need to aim for two-thirds reduction instead?

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Laura Rayner @lerayner.bsky.social · 23/04/2026

1) support could be strictly tied to measurable decarbonisation and efficiency efforts 2) price signals could maintain incentives for transition 3) equal access could be ensured across Member States via EU-level financing

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Laura Rayner @lerayner.bsky.social · 23/04/2026

Instead of moving out of the fossil fuel crisis cycle, we would lock in the very vulnerabilities that have exacerbated this crisis. With my @zoe-institute.bsky.social colleagues @jschneider.bsky.social, Willem Dil & @lukasbe.bsky.social, we propose some suggestions that move us away from this cycle:

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Laura Rayner @lerayner.bsky.social · 23/04/2026

The Commission has proposed a Temporary Iran Crisis Energy Framework but it comes with big risks. It allows more generous state aid without meaningful decarbonisation conditions and ignores the unequal fiscal capacity of member states, meaning some countries will be less able to respond or compete.

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Laura Rayner @lerayner.bsky.social · 23/04/2026

The European Council meeting tonight and tomorrow will be unbelievably important for several reasons. One of them is that it should determine the EU response to the fossil energy price shock that has been triggered by the situation in the Middle East.

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Laura Rayner @lerayner.bsky.social · 21/04/2026

Something I’ll miss about living in Malawi - being able to purchase a beautiful painting on the side of the road 🇲🇼 artist Sergio Kasongo (resident of a refugee camp just outside Lilongwe, having fled from DRC in 2016)

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Laura Rayner @lerayner.bsky.social · 16/04/2026

Any grants must be tied to decarbonisation commitments. Alternatively, instead of handouts, provide loans. These can be interest-free during this crisis, with company stocks laid down as collateral. Later repayments can be funnelled into EU industrial decarbonisation funding streams.

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Laura Rayner @lerayner.bsky.social · 16/04/2026

If even more public money is given to carbon-intensive industry, it should be accompanied by strict decarbonisation conditionalities. The Clean Industrial Deal State Aid Framework is the wrong tool for this moment, especially if its already lenient decarbonisation requirements are not applied.

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Laura Rayner @lerayner.bsky.social · 16/04/2026

Now we are in this situation, there are multiple reasons why support needs to be given to companies. They need to survive this turbulence, unemployment should not spike and inflation needs to be managed. Yet we must move forward in a way that puts us on a path that will not lead back here again.

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Laura Rayner @lerayner.bsky.social · 16/04/2026

We are in this position because we did not learn the lessons that previous crises have more than sufficiently underlined. Europe needs to build back in a way that avoids another crisis like this one reoccurring in the next few years.

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Reposted by Laura Rayner

ZOE Institute for Future-Fit Economies @zoe-institute.bsky.social · 13/04/2026

Our senior policy advisor @lerayner.bsky.social is back with another Future-Fit Policy Watch blog - this time on the painful price Europe is paying for #fossilfuel dependence. 🔒 ↪️ Can the Iran war be an overdue 'Zeitenwende’ for EU energy independence? 🔗 zoe-institut.de/en/news/futu...

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Laura Rayner @lerayner.bsky.social · 27/03/2026

#proudmummoment as my son chose the importance of green spaces for communities as his passion project at school. Last night’s exhibition was the culmination of several month’s work, as well as taking action doing a litter pick at Lilongwe Wildlife Centre 🌍

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Laura Rayner @lerayner.bsky.social · 26/03/2026

Couldn’t be more delighted that these companies are going to have to stand responsible for their actions. It took me more than 2 hours to work out how to delete a YouTube account last week. Enough time for me to decide that they’re deliberately awful platforms rather than accidentally awful.

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Laura Rayner @lerayner.bsky.social · 19/03/2026

Excellent #GRANULAR Knowledge Transfer Accelerator Bootcamp today, exploring how we measure and monitor rural development in the EU. I got an opportunity to preach #BeyondGDP policymaking, and why we should always be using sustainable & inclusive wellbeing indicators to measure what matters 🌍

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Laura Rayner @lerayner.bsky.social · 18/03/2026

I guess I won’t find guys like this in the kitchen sink once we leave Lilongwe for Vienna… 🇲🇼

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Laura Rayner @lerayner.bsky.social · 11/03/2026

Self-aggrandising nonsense, clearly demonstrating that politicians always rank above the rest of the population.

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Laura Rayner @lerayner.bsky.social · 04/03/2026

At long last, the Industrial Accelerator Act is out. #MadeInEU criteria and robust European employment requirements for foreign direct investment feature, despite political fights. ‘Made in EU’ criteria can support EU prosperity and social cohesion, if used wisely: zoe-institut.de/en/publicati...

zoe-institut.de

Strategic use of European Preference Criteria

European Preference Criteria – so-called ‘Made in EU’ criteria – are a means to support EU industries, boost manufacturing and protect employment. This paper presents a structured seven-step framework...

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Laura Rayner @lerayner.bsky.social · 26/02/2026

I’ve really appreciated the focus Martin Wolf has put on the issue of demographic change and the situation of mothers over the past few months. All of the past columns on this issue are well worth a read.

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Laura Rayner @lerayner.bsky.social · 05/12/2024

The fact that it’s an amazing photo is probably little comfort 📸

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Laura Rayner @lerayner.bsky.social · 02/12/2024

This is really excellent news, smart politics and I would hazard a guess that Ed Miliband has a hand in it #beyondGDP

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Laura Rayner @lerayner.bsky.social · 28/11/2024

“Yes there are some rigid rules, but honestly I’m not the one that wanted them. I’m not pointing the finger at anyone, but someone asked for these strict rules. Now we have these rules and the commission is asked to implement them.” Nothing like a well-placed “I told you so.”

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Laura Rayner @lerayner.bsky.social · 28/11/2024

I do enjoy the period when European Commissioners are halfway out the door. The speeches and remarks are much more telling 😆 Here is Gentiloni on the new fiscal rules:

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Laura Rayner @lerayner.bsky.social · 25/11/2024

They propose a broader set of #indicators that capture the social and environmental performance of society.

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Laura Rayner @lerayner.bsky.social · 25/11/2024

To understand how societies can become sustainable and fair, economic models need to be expanded to include a more holistic depiction of the economy within its broader context. Several initiatives such as the #Doughnut and the #SDGs have paved the way.

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Laura Rayner @lerayner.bsky.social · 25/11/2024

How can countries meet the basic needs of their citizens without overburdening the 🌍’s ecosystems? The mainstream economic paradigm is unfit to address this challenge, as it lacks a satisfactory description of how the economy is embedded within broader societal & environmental systems.

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Reposted by Laura Rayner

Colm Murphy @colmpm.bsky.social · 21/11/2024

Out of curiosity, am reading a bit about the market for farmland. This briefing is from January. "Meanwhile, non-farmer buyers – who are a mix of private and institutional investors and lifestyle buyers – accounted for 56% of sales" rural.struttandparker.com/article/engl...

rural.struttandparker.com

Agricultural land values in England reached a new record in 2023

Q4 2023 edition of Strutt & Parker’s English Estates & Farmland Market Review which shows that non-farmers bought more farms than farmers in 2023.

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Laura Rayner @lerayner.bsky.social · 22/11/2024

The moon rising over Lake Malawi

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Reposted by Laura Rayner

Resolution Foundation @resolutionfoundation.org · 21/11/2024

Mothers are working more than in the past - but are still most impacted by childcare requirements. On current progress, it would take until the 2220s to reach gender parity and close the gender parenting gap.

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Laura Rayner @lerayner.bsky.social · 21/11/2024

The biggest flaws of GDP are that it does not measure quality of life, does not distinguish between sustainable & unsustainable economic activities, ignores social inequalities & excludes the informal economy & care activities. The majority of the respondents consider these to be significant flaws.

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Laura Rayner @lerayner.bsky.social · 21/11/2024

The pursuit of GDP growth has a strong influence on the design of government policies, and this has not changed over the last five years. The most common reasons to use GDP connect to its current status & widespread use. Comparability and public familiarity with the concept are also common reasons.

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Laura Rayner @lerayner.bsky.social · 21/11/2024

Legitimacy is the main reason for preferring specific indicators and models. Only data, indicators and models that are produced by organisations that are seen as legitimate are used by EU policymakers, which tends to refer to official and conventional sources such as EUROSTAT.

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Laura Rayner @lerayner.bsky.social · 21/11/2024

Barriers related to structural factors in governance & policymaking are considered as most difficult to overcome. These include path dependencies in governance systems (e.g., consolidation of GDP), short-termism & prioritisation of urgent issues in policymaking, & an unfavourable political context.

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Laura Rayner @lerayner.bsky.social · 21/11/2024

Survey results show that important drivers include growing acceptability among general public, improved scientific knowledge, growing global momentum for moving beyond growth, and pressure from grassroots initiatives.

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Laura Rayner @lerayner.bsky.social · 21/11/2024

As an approach that brings together diverse stakeholders, it is rich in concepts and ideas for alternative metrics and future pathways. However, to enhance the uptake of this approach, it is important to understand stakeholders’ awareness and perceptions of #beyondGDP concepts and metrics.

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Laura Rayner @lerayner.bsky.social · 21/11/2024

#BeyondGDP refers to an approach advocating the use of alternative indicators and accelerating a sustainability transformation to move away from the current dominance of #GDPgrowth. It suggests adopting alternative metrics that better capture wellbeing, social equity & environmental sustainability.

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Laura Rayner @lerayner.bsky.social · 21/11/2024

Achieving #Agenda2030 requires a comprehensive measure of human progress that does not focus solely on GDP but goes beyond it. To address this challenge, many competing indicators and policy frameworks have emerged.

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Laura Rayner @lerayner.bsky.social · 21/11/2024

This fascinating MERGE project report presents the findings of survey & interview data which explored the significance of GDP in policymaking, the use of metrics, datasets and models, awareness of #beyondGDP concepts and the barriers and drivers of moving #beyondGDP. mergeproject.eu/survey-report/

mergeproject.eu

A Survey Report on the Perceptions on Beyond-GDP Approach - MERGE

Achieving the 2030 Agenda and the EU’s policies on environmental and social sustainability requires a comprehensive measure of human progress […]

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Laura Rayner @lerayner.bsky.social · 19/11/2024

#JUST4ALL project webinar today on empowering and engaging marginalised people in the #justtransition giving me an opportunity to talk about the wonderful Fair Energy Transition for All Project and its valuable lessons on integrating vulnerable people in policymaking fair-energy-transition.eu

fair-energy-transition.eu

Fair Energy Transition for All

Our project paves the way for more widely accepted climate policies by listening to those who are often left out of the debate.

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Laura Rayner @lerayner.bsky.social · 18/11/2024

I’d naively hoped that the trolls polluting Scottish political discourse on X was mainly bot-fed but, looking at your feed, it’s really upsetting to see that apparently there are that many people who are so awful. Thoroughly depressing.

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Laura Rayner @lerayner.bsky.social · 16/11/2024

The potential Stephen Flynn v Kate Forbes battle will be one to watch, though I doubt I will be watching it as a party member.

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Laura Rayner @lerayner.bsky.social · 12/11/2024

I don’t know enough anymore about the seats or the abilities of the current representatives to comment. Though I feel confident enough to say that this candidate selection contest will be vile.

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Laura Rayner @lerayner.bsky.social · 12/11/2024

I suppose, also, that if he wants to become SNP leader and potentially FM then he needs to make the jump between parliaments. If he doesn’t do it now and if there are not Holyrood elections for a couple of years after possibly losing his seat in W’minster in 2029, that may make it harder for him.

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Laura Rayner @lerayner.bsky.social · 12/11/2024

That very much depends on your expectations for SNP success in the coming years. You’re more optimistic than me clearly. But yes, agreed, it’s a very significant risk either way.

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Laura Rayner @lerayner.bsky.social · 12/11/2024

True but if he thinks he’s likely to lose the FPTP Westminster seat in the next election then it’s worth a shot. If he gets elected to Holyrood he can either do both roles if the rules allow or stand down at Westminster and remain employed as MSP. Cynical yes 🤷🏻‍♀️

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Laura Rayner @lerayner.bsky.social · 06/11/2024

In Malawi, the letter L and the letter R are pretty much interchangeable. In one US election when Obama was elected, the front page of the national newspaper led with the headline, “The Great US Erection.” Shame that this time it is such a turn off.

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Laura Rayner @lerayner.bsky.social · 27/10/2024

The study analyses the strengths and weaknesses of the current system for monitoring and evaluating EU social spending and proposes improvements which we would like to see enacted in this new European Commission mandate. Read the report here 👇🏼 www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etud...

europarl.europa.eu

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