Author: Samantha Igo

Webinar Summary – How China Escaped Shock Therapy: The Market Reform Debate

By Kate Chi On Thursday, April 21, the Boston University Global Development Policy (GDP) Center hosted the third webinar in the Spring 2022 Global Economic Governance Book Talk Series. The talk featured Isabella Weber, Assistant Professor of Economics at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst and author of How China Escaped Shock Therapy: The Market Reform […]

A New Bretton Woods for Prosperity and the Planet

By Kevin P. Gallagher The last time the world economy became defined by financial instability and recession, inequality and right-wing populism, a lack of global leadership and war, leading countries came together in Bretton Woods, New Hampshire to forge a set of principles and institutions to foster stability and prosperity for a greater peace. Eighty […]

Addressing the Debt Crisis in the Global South: Debt Relief for Sustainable Recoveries

A debt crisis is looming in the Global South. High levels of public debt service and insufficient fiscal and monetary space are threatening recoveries and impeding much-needed investments in climate resilience and the 2030 UN Sustainable Development Goals. A new policy brief from the Think7 (T7) Task Force on Sustainable Economic Recovery makes seven recommendations […]

The IMF and Climate Change: Tracking the IMF’s Engagement and Leadership

While the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has long signaled an interest in contributing to combat climate change, 2021 marked a critical juncture in the IMF’s commitment to the cause. Under the leadership of Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva, the IMF accelerated the mainstreaming of climate change in its operations. Most notably, Georgieva made a concerted effort […]

Chart of the Week: Do Climate-Exposed Countries Have IMF Programs?

By Amanda Brown The International Monetary Fund (IMF) Executive Board meets today to consider the final design of the proposed Resilience and Sustainability Trust (RST). Designed to re-channel some of the $650 billion in Special Drawing Rights allocated last August, the RST has the potential to address a glaring gap in the international finance architecture […]

Macroeconomic Consequences of Climate Change in Africa and Policy Implications

Prior to the pandemic, Africa had begun to experience a slowdown in economic growth, and COVID-19 has only worsened these adverse trends. What is more, the pandemic also struck at a time when Africa was making slow and uneven progress towards achieving the 2030 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), with the continent already under […]

​Webinar Summary – The 2022 Paul Streeten Distinguished Lecture in Global Development Policy: The Future of Development Strategy

By Katie Gallogly-Swan On Wednesday, March 23, the Boston University Global Development Policy Center, the Boston University Institute for Economic Development and the Boston University Department of Economics hosted the third Paul Streeten Distinguished Lecture in Global Development Policy. The 2022 Distinguished Speaker was Dani Rodrik, renowned economist and Ford Foundation Professor of International Political Economy at the […]

India’s Energy and Fiscal Transition

At the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Glasgow, India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced India will meet a target of net-zero emissions by 2070. Now, over the next few decades, India faces a significant energy transition, as fossil fuels account for a significant share of Indian government revenues. Currently, the Indian government, both the […]