Development finance in a post-aid world: the case for country platforms: With the Trump administration slashing US Agency for International Development budgets and European nations shifting overseas development aid budgets to bolster defence spending, the world has entered a “post-aid era”. But there is an opportunity to recast development finance as strategic investment: “country platforms”. …
South Africa’s finance minister wanted to raise VAT: the pros and cons of a tricky tax: South Africa’s finance minister, Enoch Godongwana, cancelled the unveiling of the country’s 2025 budget as it was due to be released. The move is unprecedented in the country’s history. The reason for the abrupt cancellation was the failure of …
Has finance for green industry had an impact in Africa? What’s happened in 41 countries over 20 years: The African continent finds itself in a predicament. Advanced economies in the rest of the world developed through industrialisation: their economies transformed from mainly agricultural to industrial. This involved burning fossil fuels like coal, generating greenhouse gas …
Mortgage rates are falling but borrowers are still feeling the squeeze – a finance expert explains how to cut your repayments: Cast Of Thousands/Shutterstock Around 5 million households have seen their mortgage interest rate change since the Bank of England base rate started to rise in late 2021. Over the course of the 2023 alone, …
China is already paying substantial climate finance, while US is global laggard – new analysis: Finance is poisoning international cooperation on the climate crisis. There is no longer any credible debate about the need to act on climate change, but tensions are flaring around the question of who should make the immense investments necessary to …
South Africa’s smallholder vegetable farmers aren’t getting the finance they need: this is what it should look like: Fresh efforts are being made to increase the share of black ownership in South Africa’s agricultural sector. This follows decades of missteps and badly designed interventions that have failed to significantly change the ownership patterns in the …
Western firms still doing business in Russia finance the war – here’s how to recoup the huge cost to taxpayers: eamesBot/Shutterstock In Russia this summer, you can still enjoy a Cornetto, but you can forget about eating a Tunnock’s tea cake or a Big Mac. This is because Cornetto’s UK-headquarted parent company, Unilever, is still …
My favorite open source tools for personal finance: My favorite open source tools for personal finance Don Watkins Tue, 02/21/2023 – 03:00 There are tons of open source personal finance apps out there. These apps are useful because they help you take control of your finances. I find it much easier to use an app …
What ancient wisdom can teach businesses about sustainable finance: Sustainable finance. MEE KO DONG / Shutterstock The world of business tends to prioritise concepts of profit maximisation, economies of scale and the importance of shareholder value. As the industry has developed over centuries, these concepts have become deeply embedded in global financial systems. You can …
Banking reforms could make the UK a sustainable finance hub, but also threaten financial stability: Relaxing some banking rules could affect the stability of the UK's financial sector, largely based in the City of London. Dmitry Naumov / Shutterstock The UK government wants to rewrite the rules designed to keep the country’s banks and financial …
Global climate finance leaves out cities: fixing it is critical to battling climate change: African continent is urbanising very fast and among the most vulnerable geographies to climatic change GettyImages Under the Paris Agreement, which came into force in 2016, countries agreed to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions and work together to adapt to the …
Climate finance for Africa: the key challenges and what needs to be done about them: Activists demand compensation from rich countries at the COP27 climate conference. Photo by Sean Gallup/GettyImages Climate change is a significant threat to development across Africa. Important sectors, such as agriculture, health and water will feel a considerable adverse impact from …
Kenya’s new finance minister has good credentials but he can’t work miracles: Yasuyoshi Chiba/AFP via Getty Images President William Ruto has nominated Njuguna Ndung’u to head Kenya’s National Treasury. A Central Bank of Kenya governor for eight years between 2007 and 2015, Ndung’u is also an accomplished researcher and a University of Nairobi academic. He …
How bonds work and why everyone is talking about them right now: a finance expert explains: The Bank of England is buying bonds again. Just as it was about to start selling the debt it had accumulated as part of its last effort to support the economy during the COVID-19 pandemic, the central bank has …
How to finance marine conservation without harming local communities: Subject to overfishing, marine megafauna – such as sharks, rays, and turtles – are among the world’s most threatened species groups. Somewhat paradoxically, these species also have widespread appeal. Tourist activities, such as scuba diving place considerable economic value on these species. One study values global …
Climate finance for a transition away from coal: a chance to change history in South Africa: Aerial photo of a power station and coal stockpile in Johannesburg, South Africa. Shutterstock In the opening days of the COP26 international climate conference, a financing partnership was announced between South Africa and a consortium consisting of France, Germany, …
South Africa in the news: COP26: ‘Borrowed to our eyeballs’ and facing ‘debt traps’ – poor countries call for more help with climate finance: It comes as negotiators at the Glasgow climate talks COP26 prepare to discuss today two highly sensitive issues for developing nations: funding for adaptation and for loss and damage.: “South Africa” …
Climate finance: it’ll be cheaper in the long run if poorer countries receive it as a matter of urgency: Climate finance can help developing countries cut their emissions. Prashanth Vishwanathan (IWMI) / flickr, CC BY-NC-SA The almost mystical Green Climate Fund is back in the headlines at the COP26 climate summit in Glasgow. The fund …