By Rachel Thrasher A controversial legal process known as investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) threatens to hamper the ability of governments to mobilize finance for ambitious climate action and a just transition. When assets are protected by international investment agreements (IIAs) with ISDS, private investors in the fossil fuel sector can bring legal claims against countries […]
A controversial legal process known as investor-state dispute settlements (ISDS) is making it difficult for governments to mobilize finance for ambitious climate action. When assets are protected by international investment treaties, like the Energy Charter Treaty, legal claims can be brought against countries by investors who feel they are negatively impacted by government policies. For […]
By Purvaja Modak On December 1, India will succeed Indonesia as president of the Group of 20 (G20), kicking off a yearlong presidency that culminates in the summit in New Delhi on September 9-10, 2023. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has recently returned from the Bali G20 Summit held on November 15-16, 2022, with a […]
In parallel to a chaotic 27th UN Climate Change Conference (COP27) in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, leaders of Group of 20 (G20) countries met in Bali, Indonesia from November 15-16 for the G20 Leaders’ Summit against a backdrop of worsening climate impacts, an ongoing energy crisis, Russia’s war in Ukraine and skyrocketing inflation. Expectations for the […]
By Perry Mehrling I wrote Money and Empire: Charles P. Kindleberger and the Dollar System to learn about global money: where it came from and where it’s going. For me, when I want to learn something, I look around for someone who already seems to have a good handle on it, and for global money, […]
Charles P. Kindleberger ranks as one of the 20th century’s best known and most influential international economists. A professor of International Economics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) from 1948-1976, he taught cosmopolitanism to a world riven with nationalist instinct. He worked to relieve the fears of his fellow citizens through education, thinking that […]
By Rishikesh Ram Bhandary At the 17th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP17), India tried to introduce a discussion on intellectual property rights, arguing that these rights were hindering the transfer of clean technologies to developing countries. However, there was no agreement on its inclusion, and because decision-making in the UN climate process requires consensus, […]
China’s flagship infrastructure project, the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), is known for being greenhouse gas intensive due to its historically large investments in fossil fuels. Chinese leader Xi Jinping announced in September 2021 that China would stop supporting the buildout of coal-fired power plants overseas, while likewise promising to scale up support for clean […]
By Amanda Brown The international system is at a crossroads, facing increasingly global challenges and struggling to meet the needs of all countries amid rising levels of unsustainable debt and climate disasters. Against this backdrop, the IMF and World Bank kick off their Annual Meetings in Washington, D.C. from October 10-16, 2022. As these institutions […]
By William Kring As a surging US dollar wreaks havoc on emerging market and developing economies already battling high levels of indebtedness, climate change and inflation woes, central bank governors and finance ministers will convene in Washington, D.C. this week for the 2022 Annual Meetings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank Group. […]