This paper presents a status report of the BRICS nations (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) on two crucial development parameters—inequality and poverty—that have a significant bearing on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs; especially SDG-1 and SDG-10). The paper tracks the origins and movements of absolute and relative poverty, …
This paper presents a status report of the BRICS nations (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) on two crucial development parameters—inequality and poverty—that have a significant bearing on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs; especially SDG-1 and SDG-10). The paper tracks the origins and movements of absolute and relative poverty, …
This report examines the possible financial implications of phasing out fossil fuels in six emerging economies based on scenarios published by the International Energy Agency in its 2021 World Energy Outlook and suggests strategies for managing the transition. To comply with the Paris Agreement, the world will have to phase …
The International Monetary Fund slashed its forecast for global economic growth by nearly a full percentage point, citing Russia's war in Ukraine, and warning that inflation was now a "clear and present danger" for many countries. The war is expected to slow growth and further increase inflation, the IMF said …
The war in Ukraine has triggered a costly humanitarian crisis that demands a peaceful resolution. At the same time, economic damage from the conflict will contribute to a significant slowdown in global growth in 2022 and add to inflation. Fuel and food prices have increased rapidly, hitting vulnerable populations in …
The UN’s trade and development body has downgraded its global economic growth projection for 2022 to 2.6% from 3.6% due to the Ukraine war and to changes in macroeconomic policies made by countries in recent months. While Russia will experience a deep recession this year, significant slowdowns in growth are …
Even though Indigenous Peoples’ practices have little impact on greenhouse gas emissions and global warming, climate change and extreme weather events aggravated by the COVID-19 health crisis have had an enormous impact on their livelihoods, cultures, identities and rights. The new publication “Indigenous youth as agents of change, Actions of …
Growth in energy markets slowed in 2019 in line with weaker economic growth and a partial unwinding of some of the one-off factors that boosted energy demand in 2018.This slowdown was particularly evident in the US, Russia and India, each of which exhibited unusually strong growth in 2018. China was …
This week Kerala reported its third case of coronavirus, a student of a university in Wuhan, the Chinese city at the centre of the viral outbreak that has spread globally in less than a month. The student who hails from Kasargode is out of danger, and so are the other …
New research by the Transition Pathway Initiative finds that 29% of the largest publicly-listed industrial companies are set to align their emissions with the Paris Pledges by 2030, up from 24% in mid-2018.These companies are aligned with the emission reduction pledges made by national governments in the Paris Agreement. However, …
African swine fever (ASF), is a highly contagious viral disease of domestic and wild pigs that has become a serious global threat to the pig industry and related sectors. Its existence and rampant spread has made a significant impact on protein availability, consumption and trade. It also poses a blockbuster …
For the first time, this report brings together official data on governments’ revenues and subsidies associated with fossil fuels in Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (referred to collectively as BRICS). It offers initial recommendations on aligning BRICS's fiscal policies with a clean energy transition.
Global warming is expected to increase the frequency and intensity of severe water scarcity (SWS) events, which negatively affect rain-fed crops such as wheat, a key source of calories and protein for humans. Here, we develop a method to simultaneously quantify SWS over the world’s entire wheat-growing area and calculate …
A magnitude 6.1 quake struck off Russia’s Kuril Islands, southeast of the Kamchatka peninsula, which lies on the earthquake-prone Ring of Fire, the U.S. Geological Survey said. The epicentre of the quake, initially reported as a magnitude 6.5, was 168 miles (270 km) east of the small town of Severo-Kurilsk, …
El Niño is a local warming of surface waters that takes place in the entire equatorial zone of the central and eastern Pacific Ocean of the Peruvian coast and which affects the atmospheric circulation worldwide. La Niña refers to the cold equivalent of El Niño. El Niño and La Niña …
BERLIN: Climate change is the top security concern in a poll conducted by the Washington-based Pew Research Center, followed by Islamist terrorism and cyber attacks while respondents in a growing number of countries worried about the power and influence of the US. In 13 of 26 countries, people listed climate …
Human capital is recognised as the level of education and health in a population and is considered an important determinant of economic growth. The World Bank has called for measurement and annual reporting of human capital to track and motivate investments in health and education and enhance productivity. We aim …
Since the Paris Climate Agreement solidified an “all hands on deck” approach to climate change, cities, regions and businesses have become key contributors to mitigation, adaptation and finance efforts. These actors are pledging a range of actions, from directly reducing their own greenhouse gas emissions footprints, to building capacity for …
From Pakistan to Panama, a steady stream of countries from the Global South have endorsed China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) promoting connectivity since its launch in 2013. The trend continued this week as Senegal and Rwanda inked deals under the BRI banner during President Xi Jinping’s tour of the …
South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Friday that a private meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin this week ended with an agreement that the two countries’ governments would discuss a nuclear power deal in future. Ramaphosa told Putin that South Africa could not proceed with a nuclear expansion for …
