By Rishikesh Ram Bhandary, Marilou Uy and Irene Monasterolo As countries grapple with one of hottest years on record alongside the global energy crisis now entering its “worst case scenario,” the World Bank is debating the future of its Climate Change Action Plan (CCAP) which is set to expire at the end of June. The […]
By Rachel Thrasher Note: This research follows previous GDP Center work on the USMCA review as a strategic opportunity for Mexico to increase Mexican labor incomes in alignment with the broad goals of Plan México. For more on this analysis, read the recent working paper by Sandra Polaski: “USMCA and the Need for a ‘Second […]
By Congyi Dai Minerals are the main inputs needed for manufacturing clean energy technologies such as lithium-ion batteries, solar photovoltaic panels, electric vehicles and wind turbines. They are essential resources to the global clean energy transition. China has a dominating role in mineral processing. It refines 35% of the world’s nickel, 50-70% of lithium and […]
The Boston University Global Development Policy (GDP) Center is proud to present the 2026 Summer in the Field Fellow: Luh Dewi. The GDP Center Summer in the Field Program provides a stipend to qualified graduate students to conduct field research or participate in otherwise unpaid internships for a dissertation project during the summer. The program enables […]
The Human Capital Initiative (HCI) is pleased to announce the fellows for the 2026 PhD Summer Fieldwork award to advance innovative, policy-oriented research and support PhD student-led projects that bridge evidence and policy to improve human capital outcomes globally. This fellowship engages PhD candidates currently advised by HCI Faculty Affiliates and provides summer funding to […]
By Tianyi Wu The portfolio of financiers participating in China’s overseas development finance is changing. Between 2000 and 2019, development finance institutions (DFIs), primarily the Export-Import Bank of China and the China Development Bank, dominated sovereign lending to Africa, committing over $143 billion across transport, energy and ICT (information and communications technology) sectors. Since 2018, […]
As late as 1984, half of China’s exports consisted of raw materials, including oil, coal, food and livestock. After 47 years of reform and opening, China has transformed itself from an agrarian economy into a manufacturing powerhouse. With the country’s expanding development finance and deepening economic engagement with the Global South, it has come to […]
By Tim Hirschel-Burns This blog is part of a blog series on past large-scale international investment programs and the lessons they provide for the investment push needed for development and climate action today. You can read the introduction to the blog series here, part 1 on the Marshall Plan here and part 2 on South Korea here. […]
By Mengdi Yue China and Africa’s economic relationship has continued to evolve over the last decade. Recent milestones include the ten partnership actions announced at the 2024 Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, the Green Mining and Minerals Initiative launched at the 2025 Johannesburg G20 summit and China’s most recent expansion of its […]
A series of concurrent shocks have posed significant challenges to the African continent, including the recent global pullback by the US whose effects fall disproportionately on Africa. Despite these headwinds, Africa has experienced steady economic growth since 2000. The continent’s real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth rates are projected to be 3.9 percent in 2025 […]