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Enzymatic structural material proposes a revolution in sustainable construction

On January 17, the Association Agreement between Mercosur and the European Union was officially signed in Paraguay. Despite the treaty’s historical importance, public debate around its implications has been shallow or, in many cases, virtually nonexistent.

While official statements emphasize opportunity, integration, and growth, a closer look reveals significant risks to Brazil’s domestic industry, regulatory sovereignty, and long-term sustainability.

The agreement reinforces an asymmetric relationship between the two economic blocs. Mercosur, especially Brazil, is likely to remain positioned as a supplier of raw materials, with no strong mechanisms to encourage industrial or technological autonomy. Market access is wide for European products and services, but far more restricted and tightly regulated when it comes to South American exports.

In addition, intellectual property clauses and environmental rules, designed under European standards, may act as barriers for small producers, affect access to generic medicines in Brazil, and limit the use of public procurement as a tool for local development.

What is at stake is not just trade, but the development model Brazil chooses to follow.

Want to dive deeper?

Watch the full analysis in the video and understand the key elements of the agreement and its potential economic, social, and environmental impacts.

Disclaimer: The video is in Brazilian Portuguese, but simultaneous translation and subtitles are available in multiple languages.

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News

New Tashkent: the new capital Uzbekistan wants to build

Uzbekistan is undergoing a significant shift in its economic and urban development model. The country is gradually moving away from structures inherited from the post-Soviet period and advancing toward an agenda of openness and modernization under President Shavkat Mirziyoyev.

At the center of this strategy is the New Tashkent (Yangi Toshkent) project. The plan aims to expand the capital to accommodate 2.5 million new residents across an area of 25,000 hectares, making it one of the largest urban development projects currently underway in Central Asia.

What sets the project apart from past expansions is its method. New Tashkent is not conceived as an improvised extension of the existing city. It has been designed as an integrated system, with its own planning, governance, and operational frameworks.

The master plan was developed by the British firm Cross Works and follows formal sustainability guidelines. The city will be governed by the Tashkent Code, a set of urban regulations created specifically for the project. Its management will also rely on a Digital Twin, a tool that allows authorities to simulate urban credits, flows, resource consumption, and environmental impacts before decisions are implemented.

In terms of urban design, the project seeks to bridge two approaches. On one side is Uzbekistan’s traditional social structure, based on the mahalla, which organizes community life around small neighborhood units. On the other are contemporary urban concepts, such as the 15-minute city and the prioritization of active mobility.

Despite its ambitions, the project faces clear constraints.

The most critical is water. The region experiences structural water scarcity, worsened by glacier retreat and inefficient management of rivers shared with neighboring countries. This context raises concerns about the environmental viability of a city that relies on extensive green areas and high water demand.

Financing is another key challenge. New Tashkent depends heavily on foreign capital, increasing both sovereign and corporate debt. To support the project, the government established the Uzbekistan National Investment Fund (UzNIF), tasked with structuring funding mechanisms and attracting international investors.

The expansion also has direct impacts on productive land. Part of the urban growth is planned over fertile agricultural areas, creating tensions with food security and raising questions about how the costs and benefits of the project are distributed.

New Tashkent presents itself as a large-scale urban experiment. It combines advanced planning, digital management tools, and environmental rhetoric. At the same time, it relies on scarce natural resources, external financing, and the conversion of productive land.

The central question remains unresolved: will the project consolidate itself as a resilient urban model for arid regions, or will it become a modern enclave isolated within a territory under increasing environmental pressure?