ESG and Of Interest News
The Fastest Growing Space Economy Sectors by 2035
May 1, 2026-Key Takeaways
Supply chain and transportation is the fastest-growing sector in the space economy, adding C$445 billion by 2035.
Food, defense, and consumer industries are major growth drivers as they adopt space-enabled technologies.
However, its eventual delisting in January 2025 highlighted fundamental limitations in the domestic ETF model. As market liquidity narrowed and key counters migrated to the Victoria Falls Stock Exchange (VFEX), replication became increasingly inefficient, while tracking error widened, amidst frequent index rebalancing.
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Source: visualcapitalist.com
The state of women's health in numbers
May 1, 2026-The women's health gap means women spend 25% more of their lives in poor health or with disabilities than men, resulting in a loss of 75 million years of life globally.
Addressing this disparity presents a significant economic opportunity, with the potential to boost the global economy by at least $1 trillion annually by 2040.
The World Economic Forum is working to close the women's health gap through initiatives like the Global Alliance for Women's Health.
Women account for half of the global population; they are essential to economic growth and societal wellbeing, yet their health still lags behind men's. And despite greater longevity, women spend more years in declining health. Here are some surprising statistics that show just how persistent the health gap remains- and where efforts should focus to close it.
75 million years of women's lives
Women tend to live longer than men, but spend 25% more of their lives in poor health or with disabilities than men. This amounts to 75 million years of life lost due to the women's health gap- diminishing well-being, reducing workforce participation and carrying substantial economic consequences.
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Source: WEF (World Economic Forum)
Fiscal Policy under Pressure: High Debt, Rising Risks
April 15, 2026-Global public debt rose to just under 94 percent of GDP in 2025 and is set to reach 100 percent by 2029- one year earlier than projected in April 2025. This accumulation is driven largely by the world's major economies. Public finances are under strain from mounting spending pressures-on social needs- defense- and strategic autonomy-and rising interest burdens.
Global headline inflation is projected to rise modestly in 2026 before resuming its decline in 2027. Slowdown in growth and increase in inflation are expected to be particularly pronounced in emerging market and developing economies.
Downside risks dominate the outlook. A longer or broader conflict, worsening geopolitical fragmentation, a reassessment of expectations surrounding artificial-intelligence-driven productivity, or renewed trade tensions could significantly weaken growth and destabilize financial markets. Elevated public debt and eroding institutional credibility further heighten vulnerabilities. At the same time, activity could be lifted if productivity gains from AI materialize more rapidly or trade tensions ease on a sustained basis.
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Source: imf.org
War in the Middle East Challenges Global Financial Stability
April 14, 2026-Markets have been broadly orderly so far—but financial stability risks are elevated
Global financial markets entered 2026 from a position of strength. Asset prices rose across major markets- volatility was subdued- and financial conditions were easy by historical standards. That benign backdrop has now been tested by the war in the Middle East.
So far- markets have absorbed the shock with a degree of resilience. While the decline in asset prices has been significant- market functioning has been orderly. Nonetheless- this resilience should not be taken at face value. Rather- it reflects cycles of escalation and de-escalation- structural improvements in the financial system- and the absence of a decisive adverse turn that would trigger sustained market drawdowns.
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Source: imf.org
Global Financial Markets Confront the War in the Middle East and Amplification Risks
April 14, 2026-The April 2026 Global Financial Stability Report assesses elevated financial stability risks amid the war in the Middle East, highlighting how multiple amplification channels could test resilience-and why decisive policy action is needed to safeguard global stability
Global financial stability risks are elevated.
The global financial system is confronting the ongoing war in the Middle East, potential inflationary pressures, rising risks of further tightening in financial conditions, and several amplification channels that could lead from market turmoil to financial instability.
Cross-border portfolio flows, largely intermediated by nonbank financial institutions, offer important opportunities but also carry risks, including heightened sensitivity to shifts in global risk sentiment.
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Source: imf.org
Energy Shock and Uncertainty Slow Growth in East Asia and Pacific
April 8, 2026--Robust support needed for people and firms, deeper reforms for jobs and growth.
Growth in the East Asia and Pacific (EAP) region is slowing in 2026 due to external shocks, says the World Bank Group's EAP Economic Update released today.
Regional growth is projected to slow to 4.2% in 2026 from 5.0% in 2025, as the energy shock due to the Middle East conflict compounds the adverse impact of elevated trade barriers, global policy uncertainty, and domestic economic difficulties.
Growth in China, the region's largest economy, is projected to decelerate from 5.0% in 2025 to 4.2% in 2026 and 4.3% in 2027, as weak domestic demand and property sector challenges persist, and the global slowdown dampens export growth. Growth in the rest of the region will slow to 4.1% in 2026 and is projected to rebound to 5.0% in 2027 as geopolitical tensions ease and uncertainty diminishes.
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Source: worldbank.org
Economic Growth to Slow in Europe and Central Asia as Risks Rise
April 8, 2026--Reforms to Build a More Dynamic Private Sector Can Bolster Job Creation and Resilience.
Economic growth in the developing countries of Europe and Central Asia (ECA) is likely to slow substantially this year because of the impact of the conflict in the Middle East, geopolitical tensions, and trade fragmentation, says the World Bank Group's ECA Economic Update, released today.
Regional growth is expected to weaken to 2.1% in 2026. Growth in Russia is expected to slow to 0.8%, while the pace of expansion elsewhere is likely to ease to 2.9% with higher energy costs tempering the growth of consumption and uncertainty affecting investment.
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Source: worldbank.org
Global Imbalances: Old Questions, New Answers?
April 6, 2026-Widening global current account imbalances are best addressed by simultaneous domestic policy adjustments. Industrial policy and tariffs offer a costly fix with unreliable effects on imbalances.
Global current account imbalances are widening again, reversing a decade of steady decline following the global financial crisis. History suggests a clear risk: widening imbalances have often been accompanied by concentrated and lower-quality growth, triggered sectoral dislocations across trading partners, and preceded financial crises or abrupt reversals of capital flows.
With the global economy already absorbing multiple shocks, such a disorderly adjustment could be exceptionally costly.
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Source: imf.org
OECD Consumer Finance Risk Monitor 2026
April 2, 2026-Consumers face a dynamic and complex financial landscape, shaped by cost-of-living pressures and evolving risks, including scams and frauds.
These challenges, combined with consumer vulnerabilities such as low financial literacy and high levels of debt, threaten households' financial well-being.
Risks stemming from the conduct of firms, such as unclear disclosures or poor financial advice, may heighten these challenges.
The Consumer Finance Risk Monitor 2026 examines trends and challenges affecting financial consumers in 60 jurisdictions, and discusses responses for policymakers, regulators and supervisors.
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Source: oecd.org
March 2026 Labor Market Update: How Women Have Closed the Other Workforce Gender Gap
March 26, 2026-The gap between male and female labor force participation has hit a record low-and it's still falling.
Key points:
In the early 1990s, men held almost 7 million more jobs than women. As of early 2026, that gap had entirely closed.
In recent months, male employment has contracted while female employment has held steady, suggesting the convergence is still accelerating.
The gender gap in labor force participation has been declining uninterrupted for decades, and hit its lowest recorded level in February 2026.
Our monthly Labor Market Update examines important trends using Indeed and other labor market data. Our US Labor Market Overview chartbook provides a more comprehensive view of the US labor market. Data from our Job Postings Index -which stood 2.2% above its pre-pandemic baseline as of March 20, 2026- and the Indeed Wage Tracker (including sector-level data) are regularly updated and can be accessed on our data portal.
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Source: hiringlab.org
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