Gone with the Headwinds: Global Productivity
April 3, 2017--Productivity growth-the key driver of living standards-fell sharply following the global financial crisis and has remained sluggish since, adding to a slowdown already in train before.
Building on new research, this note finds that the productivity slowdown reflects both crisis legacies and structural headwinds. In advanced economies, the global financial crisis has led to "productivity hysteresis"-persistent productivity losses from a seemingly temporary shock.
Behind this are balance sheet vulnerabilities, protracted weak demand and elevated uncertainty, which jointly triggered an adverse feedback loop of weak investment, weak productivity and bleak income prospects. Structural headwinds-already blowing before the crisis-include a waning ICT boom and slowing technology diffusion, partly reflecting an aging workforce, slowing global trade and weaker human capital accumulation. Reviving productivity growth requires addressing remaining crisis legacies in the short run while pressing ahead with structural reforms to tackle longer-term headwinds.
view the IMF Discussion Note: Gone with the Headwinds: Global Productivity
Source: IMF
World Bank-More Action Needed to Meet Energy Goals by 2030, New Report Finds
April 3, 2017-The current pace of progress on three global energy goals- access to electricity, renewable energy and efficiency- is not moving fast enough to meet 2030 targets, according to the latest Global Tracking Framework (GTF) report released today by the World Bank and the International Energy Agency as part of the Sustainable Energy for All Knowledge Hub.
The report shows that the increase of people getting access to electricity is slowing down, and if this trend is not reversed, projections are that the world will only reach 92% electrification by 2030, still short of universal access.
Source: World Bank
BlackRock's active funds navigate rough seas
April 2, 2017--The asset manager insists it is sailing, not bailing, says Stephen Foley.
Source: FT.com
Social Investing Grew to $23 Trillion in 2016
March 31, 2017--The U.S. accounts for 38% of global sustainable, responsible and impact investments assets
Global assets professionally managed under sustainable and responsible investment strategies soared to $23 trillion in 2016, a 25% increase from 2014, the Global Sustainable Investment Alliance reported this week in its biennial review.
Source: thinkadvisor.com
Active investing: a new hope
March 31, 2017--Loophole gives the true stock pickers a chance to beat their low-cost rivals
Source: FT.com
Revisions to the global systemically important banks assessment framework proposed by the Basel Committee
March 30, 2017--The Basel Committee on Banking Supervision today released a consultative document entitled Global systemically important banks-revised assessment framework. This document presents proposed revisions to the Committee's 2013 methodology for assessing and identifying global systemically important banks (G-SIBs).
The broad aim of the G-SIB framework is to reduce the probability of failure of a G-SIB by increasing its going-concern loss absorbency.
Source: BIS
Wealth managers play 'robo advisers' at own game
March 30, 2017--Automation and big data mining are helping human planners compete.
Source: FT.com
Investors drawn to environmentally friendly bonds
March 30, 2017--Big companies are tapping the debt market for renewable energy projects
Source: FT.com
Insurance sector tunes into artificial intelligence
March 29, 2017-Start-ups in AI and the internet of things attracted the most new investment in 2016
Source: FT.com
Progress report on banks' implementation of the principles for effective risk data aggregation and reporting issued by the Basel Committee
March 28, 2017--The Basel Committee on Banking Supervision today published its latest progress report on banks' implementation of the Principles for effective risk data aggregation and reporting.
The Principles, issued in January 2013, aim to strengthen banks' risk data aggregation and risk reporting practices to improve their risk management practices, decision-making processes and resolvability. They are applicable to firms designated as globally systemically important banks (G-SIBs). Firms identified as G-SIBs in 2011 and 2012 were required to fully adopt the Principles by January 2016.
Source: BIS