BWC Blog

Global Economy in 2023, Outlook for 2024

2023 has recently concluded — leaving behind economic behavior of households and companies that have adapted to the highest nominal financing costs since the early 2000s.  

Global platforms to tackle global environmental challenges

One of the key themes in the COP28 conference in Dubai held this year is the creation of new mechanisms and platforms for financing environmental projects to counter climate change. Thus far it has mostly been about ad hoc efforts of countries to produce additional funds and contributions to the environmental cause.

How multilateral development banks can deliver climate action

The 2022 Annual Meetings of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund in Washington, DC will take place against perhaps the bleakest background in decades, from the aftermath of COVID-19 to the war in Ukraine, climate change and inflation pressures. 

IFI’s as Game Changers for a new Economy

By: Herman Mulder, Former ABN AMRO Bank; co-initiator of the 2003 Equator Principles; Chair True Price, Impact Economy Foundation; Chair SDG Netherlands.

It’s Time to Rethink the Conventional Macroeconomic Policy Framework

Paul James Sheard is an Australian-American economist. He is Senior Fellow at Harvard Kennedy School's Mossavar-Rahmani Center for Business and Government.

Legitimacy, Accountability and Inclusiveness: Are The Bretton Woods Institutions “Democratic”?

Professor Susanna Cafaro has taught European Union Law and International Law in the University of Salento (Lecce, Italy) since 2001.

Lessons of the FTX Collapse

The collapse of FTX in many ways is an example of the problems associated with a weakly regulated financial enterprise, as much as it is a demonstration of the problems associated with crypto finance in its current state. 

As a financial enterprise, the bankruptcy of FTX shows the major failings that can arise in an organization with an exceptionally weak governance structure as regards internal financial controls, record-keeping and the oversight of an independent board of directors. There also appear to have been shortcomings in the scope and scrutiny of its outside auditors.

MDBs Loans: a New Asset Class Collateralized Loan Obligations

Multilateral Development Bank balance sheet management with structured financings is still in its infancy but a number of path-breaking deals show the way. Two are by the African Development Bank (AfDB) and one by  International Finance Corporation (IFC) though there have also been some others. These  MDB transactions involve about $13 billion in public and private sector MDB loans. The two from the African Development Bank are both synthetic.

Memo to Congress on why the United States should better Support International Financial Institutions

Background: US foreign affairs programs underpin US soft (nonmilitary) power, which is in decline as these programs have been underfunded. In FY2020, the United States spent $57 billion on international programs, activities, and institutions.

Multilateral Development Banks Need to Play a Bigger Role in Closing the Climate Finance Gap

Read the Climate and Energy Transition Finance Team's Latest Brief Here.

How a new climate accelerator in the World Bank can help