As a key finding in this year’s EPI-scoring, air quality keeps deteriorating human health in such a manner that it is considered as “…the leading environmental threat to public health” (EPI, 2018). The exposure of pollution and its particles from e.g. heavy traffic is a contributing factor. In Sweden, the transporting sector constitutes 1/3 of the total CO2 emissions.

In February 2017, Georgia experienced the largest gap between generation and consumption in the last decade. This was followed by an even greater gap in March 2017. The size of those gaps, and the fact that the historical trend was suggesting an increase in the electricity gap, prompted policy proposals emphasizing the need to encourage investments in power generation.

Blockchain technology became a huge story last year due to the hype over cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin and Etherium. Banks and other financial institutions are rushing to adopt blockchain technology. Nowadays, about 15% of financial institutions use blockchain technology to secure and validate transactions. IBM was one of the first companies that saw the potential of blockchain use and encouraged startups related to the concept.

GEO real property market grew by 10.6% in 2017 in comparison with 2016. Annual increase was observed in all quarters, with the highest jump in Q2, 14.2% (QoQ) and 20.0% (YoY).

The Environmental Performance Indicator (EPI), a list produced by Yale University and Columbia University, has revealed the scoring of 180 countries and their performance regarding Ecosystem Vitality (the protection of natural resource services) and Environmental Health (i.e. progress in air pollution or protection of drinking waters that can endanger human health if not considered).