Central Asian economies, particularly Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, are pursuing increasingly ambitious goals for renewable energy. Apart from China - an established player in the market - it has increasingly been Gulf countries that have been implementing respective projects, particularly Saudi...

In this paper, we evaluate the potential of digitalisation to drive structural transformations toward a sustainable economy. We apply an index decomposition analysis (IDA) to understand the factors influencing energy demand in a panel of 31 high-income countries from 1971 to 2019. The IDA...

In sheer quantity, the five original BRICS countries appear impressive. They account for a substantial share of the world's population, economy, trade and muster large militaries. In January 2024, BRICS gained even more steam, by admitting four new member states that participated in the most...

The Ethiopian Government has recently implemented several initiatives aimed at addressing challenges within their food systems. These challenges lead to high levels of malnutrition and micronutrient deficiency, as well as widespread food insecurity. Despite some progress, the March 2023 national...

China has become a major global player in energy finance, infrastructure development and clean technology exports. This report explores the changing nature of China's engagement in energy transitions across Africa, with a focus on three key cases: Kenya, Mozambique and South Africa. Between 2010...

In 2023, between 713 and 757 million people were estimated to be undernourished and nearly 3 billion people were unable to afford healthy diet. The FAO predicts that by 2030, over half of those facing hunger in the world will be concentrated in Africa. Yet, 14% of food is lost and a further 19%...

We propose a novel empirical structural inflation model that captures non-linear shock transmission using a Bayesian machine learning framework that combines VARs with non-linear structural factor models. Unlike traditional linear models, our approach allows for non-linear effects at all impulse...

How does electricity market integration affect cross-border electricity flows, wholesale prices and renewable electricity generation? We employ a synthetic control method to contribute to literature on electricity market integration using the 2018 integration of Ireland's Single Electricity...

Both World Bank shareholders and the Bank's management have emphasised the need for large-scale private investment to achieve development and climate goals. For the World Bank Group, this means collaborating more closely between its different institutions, an issue that World Bank President Ajay...

A good way to think about human history is that it has two distinct scales. On the small scale we have the churn of daily events — the stuff of endless individual exploits. And on the large scale, we have the long-term evolution of human societies — a scale so sweeping that the actions of...

In my last post, ‘The Half Life of Empire’, I charted the rise and fall of the British and US empires, as measured by their share of world energy use. Afterwards, several readers requested that I apply the same methods to the rise and fall of the Soviet Union. Here’s my attempt to do so.

As decarbonisation efforts accelerate globally, the role of large-scale underground storage for energy and climate-related gases - natural gas, hydrogen, and carbon dioxide - is becoming increasingly important. While the demand for natural gas as a transition fuel is expected to rise at least...

This paper examines two literatures that try to understand the biophysical constraints placed on the economy and economic growth. Firstly, exergy economics uses the second law of thermodynamics to examine the aggregate exergy conversion process to the useful stage. This shows the dependency of...

This paper estimates the effect of electricity prices on firm performance, focusing on firm productivity, sales, and employment. Using the World Bank Business Pulse Survey data for a sample of 24 emerging markets and developing economies during 2019-23, the paper estimates the average effect and...

Both World Bank shareholders and the Bank’s management have emphasised the need for large-scale private investment to achieve development and climate goals. For the World Bank Group, this means collaborating more closely between its different institutions, an issue that World Bank President...

The EU has consistently tackled the challenge of energy poverty (EP) through various legislative and non-legislative measures, particularly in the context of ongoing energy crisis, but it should also support the reduction of income inequality that might accelerate EP. The aim of this study is to...

This paper examines two literatures that try to understand the biophysical constraints placed on the economy and economic growth. Firstly, exergy economics uses the second law of thermodynamics to examine the aggregate exergy conversion process to the useful stage. This shows the dependency of...

Decarbonizing ports is essential for reducing the marine industry's environmental impact and improving urban areas, while also attracting investors. Port authorities are investigating methods to reduce carbon emissions to comply with increasing environmental standards. Ports can achieve a...

Energy efficiency potentially reduces global carbon emissions, whereas the need of emerging countries to maintain economic growth and development entails a sharp increase in energy consumption. However, to meet this, current energy systems need to be transformed. Several studies find different...

In this paper, we evaluate the potential of digitalisation to drive structural transformations toward a sustainable economy. We apply an index decomposition analysis (IDA) to understand the factors influencing energy demand in a panel of 31 high-income countries from 1971 to 2019. The IDA...

In sheer quantity, the five original BRICS countries appear impressive. They account for a substantial share of the world's population, economy, trade and muster large militaries. In January 2024, BRICS gained even more steam, by admitting four new member states that participated in the most...

How does electricity market integration affect cross-border electricity flows, wholesale prices and renewable electricity generation? We employ a synthetic control method to contribute to literature on electricity market integration using the 2018 integration of Ireland's Single Electricity...

The study of energy and climate has become of primary relevance for policymakers in central banks and other institutions. Current analyses for Chile suggest medium to strong direct physical effects, with some studies pointing to relatively higher impacts in the northern and central regions....

We propose a novel empirical structural inflation model that captures non-linear shock transmission using a Bayesian machine learning framework that combines VARs with non-linear structural factor models. Unlike traditional linear models, our approach allows for non-linear effects at all impulse...

Central Asian economies, particularly Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, are pursuing increasingly ambitious goals for renewable energy. Apart from China - an established player in the market - it has increasingly been Gulf countries that have been implementing respective projects, particularly Saudi...

The link between ESG and financial performance is still under debate. In this study, we explore which aspects of ESG specifically drive market valuations through both systematic and idiosyncratic risk channels. We analyze the impact of the three core ESG pillars, 10 subcategories, and associated...

This report describes the assumptions, methodology and data used to produce the supply maps of the EU Energy Atlas from the EUROSTAT national energy balances. The results consist of a series of gridded maps of the EU showing an estimation of the supply of the main categories of energy products...

This research investigates the integration of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into the business practices of the Portuguese energy giant EDP Group. We analyse the company's annual reports, sustainability reports, and public statements to explore the motivations, challenges, and key...