Policy Briefs

Toward Successful Development Policies : Insights from Research in Development Economics (World Bank Working Paper)
What major insights have emerged from development economics in the past decade, and how do they matter for the World Bank? This challenging question was recently posed by World Bank

Are We Building Back Better – COP26 Update
Building Back Better Update – COP26: Governments are not reorienting their economies to a green future and vulnerable nations are being left behind Although COP26 has been anticipated as an

Carbon border taxes: What are their implications for developing countries?
Although developing countries may gain significantly from global mitigation efforts in the long run, given their greater exposure to climate risks, in the short run they may have little incentive to undertake costly emission reductions. Can the CBAM incentivize them to comply?

Carbon tax, cross-border carbon leakage, and border tax adjustments
This column analyses the effectiveness of carbon taxes and border tax adjustment policies in reducing emissions and shaping firms’ decisions on abatement investment and firm location.

Food Finance Architecture: Financing a Healthy, Equitable and Sustainable Food System
Today’s food systems generate $12 trillion in hidden social, economic, and environmental costs. It prioritizes volume over nutritional value, fails to pay a living wage while creating sizeable profits for a concentrated set of players, and treats the natural environment as an infinite resource – resulting in massive waste and undermining the stability of the entire food system and global economy.

Achieving Green Growth and Climate Action Post-COVID-19 (GGGI)
The report reinforces the need for countries to develop Green New Deals for the economy post COVID-19 and offers recommendations to policymakers on the most effective design for COVID-19 recovery packages while facing budget shortfalls, rising debt, and declining tax revenues.