Helping beneficiary households better cope with adverse life events is one of the main assurances of social protection programs. By providing a basic income, cash transfer programs are designed to keep a household from falling further into poverty. Such poverty traps can occur, if for example, a household is forced to sell their assets or assume […]
Coal prices have been retreating from their highs in 2022 but they remain well above the 2017-2021 average. Global coal consumption levels reached an all-time high in 2022, led by India and China. On the supply side, increased exports by countries such as South Africa and Colombia—whose combined share in total European imports has been 35% […]
The effects of poor employment outcomes are not limited to those experiencing them directly. There is growing evidence of substantial benefits to broader society from the creation of better jobs. However, studies on social externalities from jobs, such as social cohesion, crime and violence, terrorism, subjective well-being, and parenting, tend to be disparate and loosely […]
In advance of the next meeting of the Sovereign Debt Roundtable on April 12, I want to provide a quick update on recent developments and reiterate my call for prompt action toward debt sustainability for debt distressed countries. In my remarks at the G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors on February 24, 2023, I outlined the […]
From January 2020 until recently, COVID-19 dominated international headlines and our thoughts. Europe and Central Asia were severely hit by COVID-19, facing among the highest excess death rates in the world. As we start to mask less and come together more, we should reflect on the ramifications of COVID-19 and how we are helping the most vulnerable […]
Our upcoming Spring Meetings will focus on Reshaping Development for a New Era – this is an excellent opportunity to take stock of progress being made to tackle the many challenges facing global development, including climate change. The World Bank’s journey to integrate climate into its development programs began decades ago and has evolved to support developing […]
The impact and effectiveness of the European Union’s new landmark digital competition law, the Digital Markets Act , will depend on the designation of ‘gatekeepers’ – or the hard-to-avoid platforms that dominate the digital economy and which will be covered by the DMA. Designation is critical since non-gatekeepers will not have to comply with the list […]
In the discussion on European Union strategic sovereignty – the idea that the EU should not be dependent on other economies – there are broadly two approaches. The first is that a certain degree of self-sufficiency (autarky) is needed, at least in ‘strategic’ industries. The second is that strategic sovereignty can be achieved by ensuring […]
Mercedes will invest billions of dollars to modernise its plants in China, Germany and Hungary over the coming years, magazine Automobilwoche reported, as the carmaker prepares to switch to electric vehicles and cut emissions. The European Union has set a goal to halve CO2 emissions per passenger car over their life cycle by the end of […]
Taiwan’s Financial Supervisory Commission will be the main overseer of crypto currencies on the island, the head of the regulator said on Monday. Huang Tien-mu told lawmakers in parliament that the Financial Supervisory Commission will initially be responsible for the supervision of payments and transactions, but will not cover NFTs, or “non-fungible tokens”. Huang said […]
