Due to multiple external shocks since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) is facing acute debt distress and new highs in the cost of foreign capital. Concomitantly, the region needs to mobilize a stepwise level of financing to meet shared climate and development goals, under the Paris Agreement climate targets and the […]
As Group of 20 (G20) members have committed to transition to low-carbon economies, they need to adopt a carefully coordinated approach to ensure an orderly transition that considers the potential cross-border spillover risks of domestic transitions. A new Think20 (T20) policy brief by Rishikesh Ram Bhandary, Régis Gourdel, Xiaobei He, Lara Merling and Irene Monasterolo […]
Many low- and middle-income countries are struggling with deteriorating debt sustainability and external shocks, including the economic repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic, Russia’s war in Ukraine and the tightening of monetary policy in advanced economies. Amid these developments, it is crucial to explore whether the world – and its most vulnerable countries – is well […]
By Leslie Elliott Armijo and Prateek Sood Global concern over the recent acrimonious debate surrounding raising the United States’ debt ceiling – and the tenuous relief following a long awaited agreement – illustrates the US dollar’s centrality in the national and world economies. While there would be an enormous cost to the reputation and leadership […]
By Rachel Thrasher The European Union (EU) Commission recently proposed that all EU member countries withdraw as a bloc from the Energy Charter Treaty (ECT), an investment treaty with the specific goal of facilitating investment and protecting investors in the energy industry. The ECT has attracted increasing criticism for its misalignment with Europe’s energy and […]
By Mridhu Khanna On Wednesday June 7, the Boston University Global Development Policy (GDP) Center hosted a webinar on “Kindleberger and the 21st Century” featuring Perry Mehrling, author of “Money and Empire: Charles P. Kindleberger and the Dollar System” and Robert N. McCauley, co-author of eighth edition of “Manias, Panics and Crashes: A History of […]
The world needs more ambitious collective policy actions to reach net-zero emissions by 2050. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) proposes internationally coordinated carbon price floors – adjusted to levels of development – as ideal climate mitigation instruments. In reality, the implementation of explicit carbon pricing systems at required levels and scale have been limited. A new […]
Multiple global environmental agreements cover different steps in the life cycle of hazardous substances from their production to final disposal. Yet, chemicals, including many pesticides, continue to cause much harm to human health and the environment. One of the global chemicals treaties — the Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Informed Consent Procedure for Certain Hazardous […]
The global financial system is confronting a multitude of challenges, from uncertain growth and widespread debt to climate risks and beyond. Amid these constraints, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has a vital role to play as the anchor of the Global Financial Safety Net (GFSN). As the Group of 20 (G20) has called for a […]
By Samantha Igo Amid warnings from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change that it is “now or never” for climate action, policymakers meet in Paris this week on June 22-23 for the Summit for a New Global Financing Pact. With the $100 billion climate finance commitment by advanced economies long overdue, and current estimates suggesting […]