‘Most of the people in the world are poor, so if we knew the economics of being poor, we would know much of the economics that really matters.” (Schultz 1980) VOXEU
Raj Chetty has an idea for introducing students to econ that could transform the field — and society. Vox
A growing number of EU member states are planning to use accounting tricks, including changes in fuel taxes introduced in the past, to claim “additional” energy savings as part of their EU climate obligations. EURACTIV
It is cities, not national governments, that are most aggressively fighting the climate crisis – and in 30 years they could look radically different. The Guardian
On the tenth anniversary of 1989, at the brink of the millennium, we could celebrate both the original triumph of the velvet revolutions and great subsequent progress. By the twentieth anniversary, in 2009, the countries of Central Europe had become members of both NATO and the EU, while political scientists described Hungary as a “consolidated democracy.” On this thirtieth anniversary, by contrast, the question that forces itself onto dismayed lips is “What went wrong?” The New York Review of Books
Russia was happy that global warming opened up Arctic oil, but the melting of permafrost poses a huge threat to its hydrocarbon heartlands. Bloomberg
There were some concrete measures. The United Nations secretary general, António Guterres, said in closing remarks that 77 countries had announced efforts to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, several asset fund managers said they would aim to get to a net-zero portfolio of investments by the same year, and dozens of businesses said they would aim to abide by the Paris Agreement targets. New York Times
Despite expectations for this summit being low, it is hard to imagine how it could have been a more effective disappointment for those looking to leaders to deliver a secure future. Climatehome
In a widely circulated memo, the 200-member organization reversed itself, writing that “shareholder primacy” is no longer the sole purpose of a corporation. Instead, corporations must include a commitment to “all stakeholders,” which includes customers, employees, suppliers and local communities. Business Roundtable
Business Roundtable announced the release of a new Statement on the Purpose of a Corporation signed by 181 CEOs who commit to lead their companies for the benefit of all stakeholders – customers, employees, suppliers, communities and shareholders. Business Roundtable
© Stefan P. Schleicher 2019
