The primary purpose of environmental impact assessments (EIA) is to provide insight to decision makers regarding the environmental consequences of their actions. Ideally, they are done to mitigate harm and modify development plans to maintain environmental quality. The use of EIAs is now commonplace in both developed and developing countries, but there are rising concerns over EIA […]
By Maureen Heydt From October 31-November 12, the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference, also known as COP26, will take place in Glasgow, Scotland. The summit seeks to bring parties together to accelerate action towards the goals of the Paris Agreement and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. World leaders, policymakers, researchers, journalists, activists […]
By Rebecca Ray On Thursday, October 28, the Boston University Global Development Policy (GDP) Center hosted a webinar book launch with Brazilian economist, Paulo Nogueira Batista Jr, for his latest book, The BRICS and the Financing Mechanisms They Created: Progress and Shortcomings, available through Anthem Press. Nogueira Batista holds the Celso Furtado Chair of Macroeconomics […]
In August, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) allocated $650 billion in Special Drawing Rights (SDRs), the international reserve asset of the IMF, to support liquidity and foster global economic resilience in the wake of COVID-19. To further these recovery efforts, a Resilience and Sustainability Trust (RST) was proposed, in part as a means of re-channeling […]
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the year 2020 saw the sharpest economic downturn since the Great Depression. In 2021, the world economy is showing signs of a broad, albeit uneven recovery. The existing gaps of vaccination rollouts, economic fundamentals, and varying monetary and fiscal responses in different countries pose challenges in the areas of financial […]
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) provides a global public good when it lends emergency balance of payments support to countries that otherwise could not access such financing at comparable terms. No country borrows from the IMF lightly, and only does so as a last resort in the face of an economic crisis. In exchange for […]
By Rishikesh Ram Bhandary The International Monetary Fund (IMF) recently approved a global allocation of $650 billion in Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) to support global liquidity, address the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and foster resilience of the global economy. While a substantial step in the right direction, the allocation falls short on two main fronts. First, […]
By Rachel Thrasher The growth of Bangladesh’s pharmaceutical sector into an economic powerhouse has helped the country meet the necessary criteria for graduation from Least Developed Country (LDC) status. But upon graduation, the country will need to begin bringing its policy landscape into compliance with the trade and intellectual property rules at the World Trade […]
Climate change and policy responses to address climate change pose significant risks to financial and fiscal stability, poverty and inequality, and the long-run growth prospects of the world economy. In the midst of a global pandemic, 2021 has already been marked by a slew of extreme weather events, wreaking havoc on countries and economies across […]
In his remarks at the 76th United Nations General Assembly, Chinese leader Xi Jinping announced China “will not build new coal-fired power projects abroad,” a major step in reducing carbon emissions during a critical decade. What does this mean in terms of global climate and development goals? How will China’s announcement affect its energy finance to […]