Effects of climate shocks on sectoral inequality

Over the last three decades, agricultural and industrial sector workers have suffered consumption losses due to temperature rise while those in the services sector saw consumption increases. This article discusses the broad range of impacts of climate change across sectors and highlights the stark rise in inequality of household consumption due to increased temperature variability. It emphasises the need for social protection schemes, and data on the economic impacts of climate change to aid the design of adaptation policies. 

10 March 2023

Bringing skilling and productive employment closer to women

On International Women’s Day, Farzana Afridi considers a key issue in the creation of good jobs for women – the provision of skilling. She discusses the lack of physical and financial access to skill training, shortage of demand-relevant and high-quality programmes, and inefficient matching with jobs post-training. While highlighting recent government proposals to address these concerns – such as launching a unified Skill India Digital Platform – she contends that a more gender-sensitive approach is needed. 

This is why we travel

The 737 ascends over the green highlands around Addis. Intense sun and green and thousands of little bright square dots. Each is a tin roof – I have been there. Smallholders who grow coffee and beans and some have a cow. There are lakes with the typical rift valley color of muddy mineral-laden waters. Just as I get my phone ready for a pic we break the clouds and then I just get veiled glimpses from below. I am experienced, I know what the clouds are made of and what role they play for the climate. My flight will add another 3 tons of CO2 to the climate.

31 May 2022

Let's talk about wood

When we watch the news or read a newspaper article related to the forests, it often focuses on environmental problems, such as the negative effects of climate change, or the destruction of the forests. However, sustainable forestry is the opposite: it is beneficial for the environment, it contributes to mitigating the impacts of a changing climate, and it offers renewable alternatives to plastic, clothing, buildings, and more. 

29 November 2021

Let’s get into the kitchen together – Inclusive Green Economy (IGE) capacity building in practice

“Academics needs to roll up their sleeves and get into the kitchen,” says one of the IGE Fellows, Maris Wanyera. IGE researcher Richard Mulwa replies, “but the kitchen door is closed!”
We are sitting in a room with civil servants (IGE Fellows) from ministries in five East African countries and researchers from the region, and we wonder: Can our joint efforts in this IGE capacity-building program be the key to the door? 

IMF report stresses the imminent need for correct carbon pricing

A recent report from the International Monetary Fund, IMF, underlines the urgency of ending the subsidies of fossil fuels and implementing carbon taxes globally. This report contains a global, regional and country-specific update. The message is very clear: The world needs a correct price on carbon that accounts for its real costs, but currently the development is heading the wrong way.

Challenges of the fisheries and aquaculture sector in the Global South

Seafood is enormously important, both as a livelihood and as a source of protein, for people all over the globe. It is at great risk due to overfishing, but also provides great opportunities in terms of growing aquaculture, especially in the Global South. Yet, research addressing this challenge is scarce. A special issue of Marine Resource Economics is taking a lead in filling this gap. 

5 October 2021

Solar energy - the key to development in the Global South?

Producing electricity from the sun is a well-mastered technology. This is good news for the climate and an opportunity for people left out of the electrification network. But will it be enough to foster the development of emerging countries?

Now that energy prices are skyrocketing everywhere in Europe, it is comforting to remind us that the cost per kilowatt-hour of electricity produced from photovoltaic cells has never been so low.