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Why Are Natural Gas Prices High? Because Fracking Isn’t Really Profitable.

Natural-gas prices are skyrocketing globally, flummoxing policy makers. As parts of the world emerge from the pandemic, energy demand is up and supply down after the cold winter of 2020, worsening temperature extremes, severe drought in South America, and other shortages caused by geopolitical tensions. Here in the U.S., natural gas prices are up about 100% from a year ago. In the U.K., they’re up about 500%.

Will Climate Talks Finally Yield Real Results?

The upcoming 26th UN Conference of the Parties (COP26) almost feels like a wedding. Set in Glasgow, Scotland, COP26 will bring together negotiators from nearly every country on earth to assess progress in the global fight to stop climate change. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is hosting. U.S. President Joe Biden has RSVPed yes, as has Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

OPINION: Afghanistan’s neighbours recast refugee finance formula

The US airlift of Afghanistan refugees drew parallels most notably to its post-Vietnam predecessor four decades ago, and the country’s displacement crisis has lingered among the world’s longest running and biggest at 5mn before the Taliban’s return to power. It follows the Syria and Venezuela exoduses, also of historic proportions, with international aid delivery chronically half short of pledges, and private investors grappling with economic and financial implications when market performance was not a reference in the immediate aftermath.

Surveillance: Recession Risk With Blanchflower (Podcast)

John Lipsky, Former IMF First Deputy Managing Director, says data integrity is central and critical to the IMF.

China's Self-Destructive Tech Takedown

China’s leaders think that they can crack down on the country’s private technology sector and still deliver material progress as state-owned companies take over. But by reversing the policies that enabled decades of rapid growth, they risk imperiling the unique economic model they seek to sustain.

Inflation in the 21st Century: Taking Down the Inflationary Straw Man of the 1970s

This overview of the history of, and future prospects for, undesirable levels of price inflation in the U.S. economy concludes that concerns raised in 2021 by several well-known economists and analysts – regarding the prospects for accelerating levels of inflation as a result of pandemic-era and post-pandemic fiscal and monetary policy (enacted and proposed) – is misplaced.

Revised Global Principles for Sustainable Securities Lending Issued Alongside Opening Signatories

Global Principles for Sustainable Securities Lending (Global PSSL) today published fully revised and updated principles for sustainable securities lending alongside invited opening signatories, available here.

IMF Shifts Approach to Low Income Countries and Special Drawing Rights

Fanfare exceeds reality

Before its summer recess, the International Monetary Fund board tackled two key operational issues – future concessional support for low income countries and ‘channelling’ special drawing rights.

Sooner or Later, Climate Change Is Coming for Your Wallet

Last week Gary Gensler, the chair of the Securities and Exchange Commission, made what seemed like an uncontroversial statement: “I think we can bring greater clarity to climate risk disclosures.”

CBDC-50 Years After the End of Bretton Woods

50 years ago, the Bretton Woods system of fixed exchange rates came to a sudden stop. It seemed the end of an era of multilateral and rules-based monetary cooperation considered critical to facilitate international payments.