Carbon Pricing
What is the best way to address climate change? If too much carbon is released in the air, how can emissions be reduced? By regulating corporations or by imposing costs on consumers in the form of a carbon tax? Moreover, even if a solution is found, not all nations, and not all people within nations, will agree on how to tackle the problem. In the words of Professor Barry Rabe, author of Can We Price Carbon? “Compelling ideas from economics do not necessarily suspend the laws of politics.” On May 4, 2023, Jessica Green, professor of political science at University […]
Chemistry and the Economy
Risks are multiplying and becoming more complex. The chemical industry is intrinsically connected to the economy. Can chemistry help solve the biggest crises facing us today? On December 15, 2022, the American Chemical Society hosted a virtual webinar, “Chemistry and the Economy.” The moderator was Bill Carroll, principal of Carroll Applied Science, who spoke to Paul Hodges, chairman of the Swiss-based strategy consulting firm New Normal. In speaking about risks, Hodges does not beat around the bush. He began with what he called “the four horsemen of the apocalypse.” He stated, “First there was the pandemic and associated supply chain […]
E-Growth in Emerging Markets
What is happening in emerging markets? Are there areas where an informed investor can make a profit? What are the pitfalls to avoid? On November 22, 2022, the CFA Society of Toronto hosted a virtual webinar, “Rethinking Emerging Markets: The Case for Growth & How to Capture It.” The speaker was Kevin T. Carter, the founder and Chief Investment Officer of EMQQ Global. Carter began by providing his background. “I pray toward Omaha,” he quipped, because he considers himself an active “value” investor first and foremost, along the lines of “the oracle of Omaha,” Warren Buffett. Carter has collaborated with […]
Inflation & Wage Growth
As the U.S. economy emerges from the pandemic, inflation has been climbing. What effect has this had on average wages? Will it be a long-lasting effect? Recent research by leading economists at the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco (FRBSF) dives into these questions. “Our findings show that, since the pandemic, inflation expectations have been playing a more prominent role in wage-setting dynamics than in the past,” say the four authors of a paper released on September 6, 2022. Òscar Jordà is a senior policy advisor, Fernanda Nechio is a vice president, and Celeste Liu and Fabián Rivera-Reyes are both […]
Carbon, Cargo, Covid
As we slide into summer 2022, what are the big factors affecting the markets? Carbon, cargo, Covid. Governments and companies are starting to address the excessive carbon dioxide that is causing climate change. Interruptions of the supply chain, heavily dependent on cargo ships, continue to worsen operational risk. Meanwhile, the global economy is still dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic. On May 2, 2022, Derek Walter, head of the Institutional Asset Management Committee at the CFA Society Toronto, moderated two panelists during a webinar to discuss the underlying drivers of market changes. “We need to separate the short-term from the long-term […]
The New Interventionism
Have you noticed that governments are stepping in more often to regulate things? There appears to be renewed interest in industrial policy. In the words of the magazine The Economist, “governments around the world are becoming bossier to the private sector.” Why is this? What will be the overall effect? On January 20, 2022, Sacha Nauta, executive editor of the Economist, posed questions to her colleagues: Jan Piotrowski, business editor, and Don Weinland, China business and finance editor, in order to explore the rise of state interventionism and its potential consequences. Old versus New “There’s been an increase in the […]
The Decisive Decade
Raging, uncontrollable forest fires. Prolonged heat domes, causing hundreds of deaths. Catastrophic storms. Flash floods. These are just a few of the effects of climate change being felt this year. Are the countries of the world acting quickly enough to prevent irreversible damage? Two months ahead of the upcoming COP26 negotiations in Glasgow, two editors from the magazine the Economist discussed their expectations of this crucial conference in a webinar on September 23, 2021, before an audience of hundreds. Oliver Morton, the Economist’s Briefings senior editor, and Catherine Brahic, Environment editor, discussed the recent findings of the latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate […]
Update on the Jab
It’s a truism: bad health of the population, bad economy. What then is happening globally in the Covid-19 pandemic? When will things return to normal? The pandemic continues to rage in various parts of the world, affecting both developed and emerging markets. On July 7, 2021, The Economist, a magazine that has been running stories on vaccines and the Covid-19 pandemic each week, sponsored a webinar featuring an editor and correspondent on the pandemic beat. Natasha Lode, health policy editor at the Economist, highlighted some recent issues. She is also host of the Economist’s podcast The Jab, whose tagline reads, […]
Net-Zero Buildings
How do we build our homes and cities for a sustainable future? Climate change is such a huge, complex problem that tackling it can seem overwhelming. Fortunately, many organizations are addressing various parts of this colossal puzzle. One aspect is the “built environment.” Can existing buildings be modified to cope with climate change? Can buildings be redesigned to have net zero effect on the environment? On July 1, 2021, a panel of experts gave their thoughts on matters relating to climate change and buildings, as part of the New York Times Climate Hub series of webinars. This is the “Built […]
WTO: The Jabs and the Jab-Nots
As the covid-19 vaccines continue to be rolled out across the world, and as trade disputes continue to fester, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala has her work cut out for her as the new director-general of the World Trade Organisation (WTO). With many years’ experience in politics, economics, and vaccine production, she already has a deep understanding of the issues. On June 29, 2021, she spoke with Zanny Minton Beddoes, editor-in-chief of the magazine the Economist, about ending the covid-19 pandemic and the future of globalization. Ngozi described herself as a “trade outsider” when she first began at the World Bank, “which has […]