In January 2016, the 17 SDGs of the UN’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development came into force, aiming to end such conditions as poverty, inequality, repercussions of climate change. Agreeing to these lofty goals was one thing; actualizing them is another. Further investment, to the tune of $2.5 trillion for developing economies alone, is one of the main hang-ups. Can the private sector assist its finance partners in closing the gap?
President Jair Bolsonaro assumed Brazil’s highest political office on January 1, 2019. From mid-2016 to the end of 2018, a team of experts worked diligently to improve Brazil’s integration with the global economy in such areas as relations with international organizations, domestic framework for officially supported export credits and trade policy. Their initiatives provide the new administration with a strong path to prosperity through reduction of lingering barriers to international inclusion.
The New Era of Globalization, propelled by the rapid technological advancements of the Fourth Industrial Revolution and widespread concern for sustainable development goals, would seem to be on a road undergirded by groundbreaking potential. Yet, there are potholes on the way, not the least arising from growing populist movements. What are some of the damaging risks to avoid and positive disruptive opportunities to foster along this uncharted path?
Macrotrends such as shifts in demographics, environmental awareness, urbanization are transforming one of today’s most fundamental asset classes, infrastructure. Required for the operation of any society, infrastructure is providing investors with impressive returns along with opportunities to capture the benefits of these megatrends; infrastructure investment has consequently shown impressive growth in the past decade.
Automation saves time, cuts cost and carries out routine tasks with unmatched efficiency, so who wouldn’t welcome it? Possibly the people whose income currently depends on carrying out those tasks. Digitalization is guaranteed to strip out much routine work in banking, but it will not necessary mean fewer bank jobs. Roles will be reinvented so that technology frees human staff to provide customers with excellent advice and service.
Infrastructure that is up to code is vitally important to sustaining a country’s economy, but even developed countries are falling behind in their infrastructure investment. Effective infrastructure investment needs to be a combined effort of governments, multilateral development banks and private investors, but it lags behind in its appeal to private investors. What measures can be taken to draw more private-sector financing into this crucial foundation of economic growth?
Global growth is strong, but policymakers need to navigate uncharted waters and enact complex policy changes to keep the world economy on an even keel. The main risk lies not in economic conditions, but in economic policy debates too often distorted by partisanship. We have a chance to leverage new technologies to lift living standards on a sustainable basis—but we need a more level-headed discussion to chart the path forward.
Israel, one of the 35 members of the OECD, is leading the pack in terms of economic growth, according to a recent OECD survey. And not only currently but consistently over the course of recent years. What are the reasons for the Middle Eastern country’s outstanding economic performance, and what are the factors that may hinder it
World Heritage Sites ultimately belong to all of us, so it is in everyone’s interest to sustain them. Banks have an important part to play toward protecting the most valuable but also vulnerable places on the planet, ensuring that their investments are employed with the twin goals of promoting economic growth—through, for example, energy projects—but also of safeguarding the natural resources affected.
The UK’s new Criminal Finances Act covers a broad range of issues relevant to UK financial institutions; but one area, failure to prevent the facilitation of tax evasion, is of particular concern. The fines for offenses, both domestic and foreign, are steep, with the potential for additional punishing ancillary orders; implementing effective preventive procedures is crucial.