LSE Connect

Credit: Unsplash Octopuses, squid and cuttlefish may have evolved large brains because of the challenges posed by their environments rather than the demands of social life, according to a new study published in iScience. The findings challenge one of the most influential explanations for the evolution of intelligence: the ‘social brain hypothesis’, which argues that larger brains evolved primarily to manage complex social relationships.

This commentary article considers the sustainability and energy policy implications of India’s 2026/27 Budget. Outlook Business , 3 February 2026

Rachel Ardiff and Ingrid Udd Sundvor examine a wave of new litigation brought by oil and gas producers challenging their obligation to provide carbon storage capacity in the EU and explain what the outcomes could mean for legislation governing private actors in the low-carbon transition and for the future of industrial decarbonisation across the bloc.

Skip to content Photo: Arno Senoner, Unsplash This policy brief synthesises the findings of the Just Transition Finance Lab’s research series on ‘Emerging Best Practice for Just Transition Finance’ and identifies a critical gap: the lack of a robust, quantifiable business case for just transition finance. It highlights the need for policy leadership to set clear baselines and expectations for market practice.

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In this commentary for LSE Business Review Mathias Larsen explains how higher prices and unstable supply of imported oil and gas have led China to burn more coal in the short term. But in the longer term he agrues the security implications of relying on expensive imports through geopolitical bottlenecks will encourage China to invest even more in renewables, which will increase the pace of its decarbonisation. LSE Business Review , 25 June 2026

2nd European Economic Theory Conference In the year of 2026, the second edition will take place September 18-19 2026, in London, hosted by LSE and by the University College London. The conference will feature single-track presentations with no parallel sessions. Presentations will take place at LSE. Paper submissions have closed. Notification of acceptances will be sent on 30 April.

World Bank Gender Department, Gates Foundation and LSE’s Hub for Equal Representation in the Economy (H.E.R.).