Reflecting back on the year, one big message emerges from the plethora of interwoven stories. This is the fact that no matter how technologically advanced and forward looking our society becomes, some fundamental things remain the same. 

In January, here in the UK and in many other places around the world, it felt as if the nightmare of recurring lockdowns and restrictions was finally over. The optimism was tangible as the streets of London finally started filling up. It was very odd to take pleasure in things like a full restaurant or even a busy commuter train. But it felt like people, companies and economies in general were starting to reboot and rebuild.

This period of optimism only really lasted for about a month as we awoke to the news of a full-scale invasion of Ukraine by Russia on 24 February, 2022. In retrospect the signs for an escalation were there at least since 2008 when Russia invaded Georgia. But the invasion still came as a real shock.

What was also almost incredible to observe is the narrative shift that accompanied the invasion. The pandemic, which had remained in the headlines since at least February 2020, was completely supplanted by war and its human and economic cost as the spectre of a wider conflict reared its head again for the first time in decades.

Pandemic years

Disease and war have shaped human history since time immemorial. 2020 brought home that disease continues to be a danger. In 2022 we realised large scale conflict was still very much within the realms of possibility. And both years brought home the fact that as we have grown closer together as an international community, their impact would be felt very swiftly and amplified by that very interconnectedness that had been viewed as a key advantage of globalisation.

The global economy has become ever more interwoven over the last two decades, benefiting businesses and consumers alike. Economic growth has helped drive down costs and lift a huge number of people out of poverty. Russian aggression, as well as China’s zero-Covid policies, exacerbated the supply chain issues that had already become a serious concern during the two pandemic years.

A functioning economic order that, despite its many flaws and shortcomings, included almost all countries, was replaced overnight by a return of the system of politically aligned blocs of nations and by the fear of famine returning to some areas of the world.

International supply chains function very well during times of peace. But they are and always have been vulnerable when geopolitical tensions are on the rise and they can become an existential danger when such tensions turn into full blown conflict.

Thinking back to December 2020, things looked gloomy. New variants of Covid were contributing to an even more rapid spread of the virus and there was a real fear that further mutation could produce an even more deadly disease. But even against this discouraging backdrop the first vaccines were already being delivered and, by the time the next year ended, it was clear that the worst of the pandemic was firmly behind us. Science, innovation and a concerted effort of people working together towards a common goal, delivered once again.

And this is where we can, perhaps, look for some signs of hope and optimism for 2023. While the world’s attention in November was focused on the grandstanding jamboree that COP conferences have become, it was already very clear that the aspirational commitments to reducing global warming were also being seriously weakened by the present day impact of the war in Ukraine on energy prices. Political will is a rare thing indeed when long term necessities meet short term imperatives.

Innovation and scientific progress

But innovation and scientific progress in the area of clean energy and environmental solutions is quietly ongoing in the background. In early December an IEA study concluded that the expansion in renewable energy would be much faster than predicted with “the world set to add as much renewable power in the next five years as it did in the past 20”.

The Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in turn announced a successful fusion ignition test in early December with the experiment generating 50% more power than that required to kick-start the reaction. Also promising is the continuous development and innovation in other areas including carbon capture, batteries, and energy efficient materials.

On a more personal level, 2021 has been a real journey for the GRIP team. We started the year in different places, but ended it working together on our new information service. GRIP started as an idea, then turned into a plan and a project, then a work in progress, and finally launched having overcome many obstacles and technological challenges along the way. This journey illustrates, in a very small way, that when good people work together, amazing things can happen.

So here is hoping that 2023 will be a year when the news is dominated by what we can do rather than by the old horsemen of the apocalypse.