According to NATO figures, 2020 marked the sixth consecutive year of increased defense spending across European allies and Canada, amounting to 3.9 percent increase in real terms. While all NATO members increased their defense spending over this period, European states will likely still have difficulty conducting large-scale crisis management operations without assistance from the United States by 2030.

SOURCE: "Europe's High-End Military Challenges: The Future of European Capabilities and Missions" by CSIS's Seth Jones, Rachel Ellehuus, and Colin Wall.

Recent data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Economic Research Service (USDA-ERS) show that working-age veterans have a 7.4 percent greater risk of experiencing food insecurity than non-veterans—suggesting that existing policies and programs are no longer sufficient to support today's veteran population.

SOURCE: "Food Insecurity Among Veterans: Who is at Risk and How to Respond" by CSIS's Jamie Lutz and Caitlin Welsh.

Commercial satellite imagery of Jiangnan Shipyard shows the construction of China’s third aircraft carrier, known as the Type 003, has continued throughout 2021 alongside the production of merchant ships. This blurring of commercial and military activity is a hallmark of many Chinese shipyards—Jiangnan Shipyard is expected to deliver over 40 commercial vessels between November 2021 and 2024 and nearly two-thirds of the orders are from companies based outside of mainland China or Hong Kong.

SOURCE: "Signs Point to China's Third Aircraft Carrier Launching Soon" by CSIS's Matthew Funaoile, Joseph Bermudez, and Brian Hart.

In the first week of COP26, the United Kingdom declared that the end of coal is in sight as 46 countries have made commitments to phase out unabated coal power—including OECD countries like Germany, Poland, South Korea, and France and emerging economies like Indonesia and Vietnam. Despite these pledges, major coal producers or consumers including China, India, and Australia have yet to sign the coal phaseout pledge. These economies collectively produce and consume around two-thirds of global coal.

SOURCE: "Why Won’t Major Coal-Dependent Countries Sign on to a Coal Phaseout Deal?" by CSIS's Sandeep Pai, Jane Nakano, and Lachlan Carey.