In a world saturated with research and policy recommendations, it’s more important than ever to synthesize evidence well. A single study in a single setting may not yield estimates of impact that can be generalized to other contexts; we may worry about spurious effects. Aggregating results across multiple studies can give us more confidence in […]
The global development landscape is undergoing seismic shifts. Foreign aid, a critical lifeline for billions, is shrinking, after becoming fragmented at an alarming rate over the last two decades. At the same time, more than half of low-income countries are deep into or teetering on the brink of debt distress, with median public debt soaring from 20 […]
The global development landscape is undergoing seismic shifts. Foreign aid, a critical lifeline for billions, is shrinking, after becoming fragmented at an alarming rate over the last two decades. At the same time, more than half of low-income countries are deep into or teetering on the brink of debt distress, with median public debt soaring from 20 […]
The competition being fought between the US and China in cutting-edge technology fields friction is also affecting basic research activities at universities and other public institutions. This column examines how innovation processes in Japan compare with those in the US and China, and argues that Japan must improve the incorporation of cutting-edge international research results […]
Strengthening existing safe assets should be a strategic priority for any new joint borrowing. Europe’s looming defence spending needs will put new demands on public policy and the public purse. To meet these demands, European Union member states and regional allies will need to work together for collective security. As new ways of building and […]
The success of ChatGPT has raised fears that the excessive concentration of generative AI technology within one or two leading US companies could reduce market dynamism. This column presents novel empirical evidence which suggests that the supply of AI has been more open than initially expected in various segments of the AI value chain, driving […]
Nature markets can boost conservation funding, but strong standards and public support are vital for lasting, equitable ecological benefits Natural ecosystems are declining rapidly, ultimately threatening economies, livelihoods and climate stability. The public funding available to protect and restore nature is far below what is needed to maintain healthy, biodiverse ecosystems that provide water, soil, pollination and […]
Policy debates around climate change frequently focus on the trade-off between the near-term costs of reducing carbon emissions and the long-term benefits of mitigating climate change. William Nordhaus highlighted the importance of aggregate productivity losses from climate change in shaping this intertemporal trade-off, but estimating these losses is challenging. This column examines both the direct […]
A confluence of negative forces – some the result of self-inflicted wounds and rising uncertainty about US policies and others relating to global developments and geopolitics – is encroaching on the ability of the US to continue its current funding model, bringing into question the role of the dollar as the world’s reserve currency. This […]
Advanced economies alone can no longer determine climate outcomes. Emerging and developing economies – home to two-thirds of current emissions and most of the world’s biodiversity – are now the decisive arena. For these countries to transition to low-carbon, nature-positive development paths rapidly and at scale, climate and nature strategies must be embedded in mutually […]
