Faked Emissions May Send Volkswagen CEO to Prison
Bill Black examines the corrupt corporate worlds of Germany and the U.S. and how Trump ignores corporate malfeasance Click here to read full story
Major Breakthroughs on Central Banks and Climate Change
If we’re going to stop irreversible climate change, we need to decarbonise our financial system, which channels billions of pounds into fossil fuels every year. As institutions at the heart
The arts overtake agriculture as a UK economic power – but cuts continue
Theatres, libraries and museums are adding £10.8bn to the UK economy, overtaking farming as an “essential” economic contributor. Arts and culture are about as beneficial to the economy as cities
How campaigners ended revenge evictions
Today marks a huge victory for housing campaigners. The Government has announced they will scrap section 21, ending ‘no fault’ evictions in England which have caused misery and hardship for
Investors give Italian bank a wake-up call on climate change
On the day of its AGM, a group of investors are calling on Italian bank, UniCredit, to start taking climate change seriously. In an action coordinated by responsible investment charity,
Toby Jones, Bognor Regis and the coach class comedy prodding British tensions
It’s hard to tell a story about people smuggling through the lens of humour, but if anyone can do it, it’s Toby Jones and his writing sidekick Tim Crouch Click
Extreme Hemispheric Heat Waves Like 2018’s Growing More Common with Climate Change, Study Says
Heat waves are covering wider areas, and people are suffering the consequences. With 2°C of warming, most summers will look like 2018, scientists say. Click here to read full story
Money Worries Cost UK Economy Up To £51bn A Year
UK workers’ poor financial well-being is having a significant impact on productivity Savings as a proportion of income is the lowest it has been for nearly 60 years1 40% (13
Carmakers on course for $2-12bn fines for missing EU CO2 targets: Moody’s
The ratings agency warns of possible credit downgrades, while the UK’s auto lobby says ‘anti-diesel’ agenda has made targets harder to reach Click here to read full story
Fossil Fuel Trade Associations Spent $1.4 Billion on Ads in Past Decade
The American Petroleum Institute spent over half of that total on contracts with the PR giant Edelman, says Kert Davies of Climate Investigations Center. Click here to read full story
Apprenticeships system favours those who already hold skills
This morning the Department for Education (DfE) published figures outlining the number and type of apprenticeships that were started during the first month of 2019. January isn’t a big month
Judge Blocks Trump’s Arctic Offshore Drilling Expansion as Lawyers Ramp Up Legal Challenges
The ruling restores Obama’s orders putting large parts of the Arctic off-limits to offshore drilling and throws Trump’s oil and gas lease sale plans into question. Click here to read
Putin Makes Economics Lessons a Loyalty Test for Young Russians
In the coolly analytical world of economics, how do you quantify patriotic fervor? For the man who launched the careers of generations of young Russian economists, it’s become a theoretical
‘THIS CAN SERVE AS A NORTH STAR’
GREG CARLOCK EXPLAINS WHY THE GREEN NEW DEAL REPRESENTS A NEW ERA OF POLITICS In September, Carlock wrote a draft of a Green New Deal long before most people had
State legislatures shore up Obamacare with 2020 prospects uncertain
While the Democratic Party determines where it wants to go next on health care — whether it’s Medicare for All, Medicare for America, or any one of the other 2020
Krishna Bharadwaj, the Torchbearer of Economics
During her long career she illuminated many of the shortcomings of neoclassicism, and offered alternative paths. Krishna Bharadwaj, following upon the work and insights of Piero Sraffa, made substantial contributions
Plastic’s hidden journey to Indonesia
Friends of the Earth’s Emma Priestland recently travelled to Indonesia to research plastic pollution. She was horrified at what she found. Surabaya on East Java is Indonesia’s second city. It’s
A Look at REDD+ on International Day of Forests
UN Climate Change News, 21 March 2019 – Forests and their sustainable management play a key role in the global carbon cycle and in in tackling climate change. Today is
Does new economics need wellbeing?
A few weeks back I was invited onto NEF’s Weekly Economics Podcast to talk about mental health. We discussed why we continue to focus policy on economic growth instead of
Not Trusting FEMA’s Flood Maps, More Hurricane-Hit Cities Set Their Own Rules
In flood-prone regions of the country, a growing number of cities have lost confidence in the ability of the federal government’s flood maps to recognize the increasing risks that come
New documentary “2040” uses digital special effects to show a better, more climate-balanced world
We’re intrigued by this coming documentary from Australia – a country that’s completely on the front-line of environmental crisis. Their website is here, their trailer is above, their blurb is
School Strike for Climate: What Today’s Kids Face If World Leaders Delay Action
Scientists were warning about the risks of climate change and the burning of fossil fuels when today’s world leaders were Greta Thunberg’s age. The Swedish 16-year-old, frustrated with the pace
Oil companies calling for methane regulations are part of lobbying group that opposes them
Several of the world’s biggest oil companies are voicing their support for federal regulations on methane emissions, even as the trade association lobbying on their behalf continues to back the
Britain needs a Green New Deal to revive its economy after Brexit
Britain needs a new economy that works for everyone and to move beyond the old, broken systems and status quo that left many people behind. A green new deal for
Homeless NHS patients released to streets is ‘the system failing people’
Thousands of homeless patients are being discharged right back onto the street, sparking fears that they are left to recover from major operations while rough sleeping. The data, obtained by
If you’re going to be a consultancy, then do it to help companies & organisations reduce their working week
Along with universal basic income, we have consistently supported the idea of a unilateral shortening of the working week (see archive). What is fascinating is the way that the case
Spanish Top-Tier Soccer Team Aims to Become Climate Neutral
UN Climate Change News, 13 March 2019. In an unprecedented move for a “La Liga” soccer club, Sevilla-based Real Betis Balompié has officially joined the Climate Neutral Now initiative of
Spring Statement: Chancellor fiddles while planet burns
Reacting to measures outlined in today’s Spring Statement to help combat climate change, Friends of the Earth’s head of political affairs, Dave Timms said: “Instead of putting climate change at the
“Grown in London, Portsmouth, Bristol, Doncaster….” How food plans for cities could reconnect us
If we need to reconnect to nature, in order to value it once more, then why not begin in the most de-natured places in our lives – our major cities?
Diversity and Excellence: Not A Zero Sum Game
The lack of pluralism of economic theories and methodologies has been a problem for a long time, but it became particularly obvious in the wake of the global financial crisis.
To beat a No-Deal Brexit the government and Bank of England must work together
This week marks 10 years since the Bank of England introduced its quantitative easing (QE) programme, setting in motion the creation of hundreds of billions of pounds of new public
St Mungo’s builds strategy for homeless women on International Women’s Day
Homelessness charity St Mungo’s is creating more women-only shelter spaces and improving its services for female domestic abuse victims. On International Women’s Day, the charity is launching its three-year women’s
International women’s Day 2019: What could a zero-carbon economy mean for women?
Climate change is sometimes talked about as if it were a great leveller, where the wealthy and poor, powerful and oppressed alike will suffer together. But climate chaos does not
Tackling gender inequality through investment in social infrastructure
The UK government’s response to the financial crisis brought disastrous economic consequences and unnecessary hardship. Austerity policies have hit women, BAME people and the poorest the hardest, while failing the
Economic Consequences of the U.S. Convict Labor System
US counties with prison labor often have lower wage and employment growth. While labor coercion in agricultural and preindustrial economies is well-studied, few papers address the effects of coercive institutions
Launch of our report- Triple Whammy: the impact of local government cuts on women
Cuts to funding for local government have created a crisis, which has hit women the hardest. Central government funding for local government fell by nearly 50% between 2010/11 and 2017/18
Microplastics found in every British river we tested
It’s been widely reported that tiny bits of plastic, invisible to the human eye, have been escaping into the environment. But we wanted to know just how widespread the problem
Carbon Tax Plans: How They Compare and Why Oil Giants Support One of Them
Not long ago, a carbon tax was the untouchable third rail of climate politics. “We have done extensive polling on carbon tax. It all sucks,” John Podesta, Hillary Clinton’s campaign
Economic update: Fighting the system
This week: Updates on the economics of immigration; France’s yellow vests join union-called general strike; demonstrations against Sackler family’s profiting from oxycontin; and New York City Council considers giving priority
Wonga has left 10,000 customers out of pocket from ‘beyond the grave’
Treasury Committee chair Nick Morgan has warned that the government may need to step in after more than 10,000 former Wonga customers were left out of pocket by the firm
Mozambique files case against Credit Suisse in the UK
Jubilee Debt Campaign has learnt that the government of Mozambique, represented by the Attorney General, has filed a case in the UK High Court against Credit Suisse International. Commenting on
Green Economy Coalition – Convenor’s Update, Feb 2019
There is a shift underway. Last year, both plastic waste and oceans broke through as iconic environmental issues. There is a growing movement in the US around the Sunrise Movement,
Record Registrations Set to Usher in Era of Ambition at Africa Climate Week
Plans for the high-level segment at Africa Climate Week in Accra’s International Convention Center are now taking shape. On the morning of Wednesday, 20 March, the week will be formally
The UK’s post-Brexit immigration regime will help business exploit migrant workers
It is true that globalisation has created benefits for consumers, businesses and suppliers. It is propelled, however, by global supply chains, or the dominant practice of sourcing goods and services
Nearly two thousand locations across England, Wales and Northern Ireland breaching air pollution limits
High levels of NO2 can cause a flare up of asthma or symptoms such as coughing and difficulty breathing. A leading cause of NO2 pollution is emissions from road traffic.
Union fight back: Skewering the rotten heart of Neoliberalism
Over the past few decades, outsourcing has increasingly defined the public sector’s relationship to workers, and has played a major part in widening the gap between the richest and the
The Black Woman Economist Who Pioneered a Federal Jobs Guarantee
The topic of government job guarantees has generated increased discussion since the 2016 presidential campaign. More recently, a number of policymakers—especially 2020 election hopefuls Bernie Sanders, Cory Booker, Kamala Harris,
Austerity is subduing UK economy by £3,600 per household this year
‘Fixing’ the public sector finances has suppressed the economy by almost £100bn, around £1,500 for every woman, man and child this year alone. Today’s public sector finance release shows we’re
A Stirling cinema is asking customers to only pay what they can afford
More people can look forward to an affordable night at the cinema thanks to the Macrobert Arts Centre at the University of Stirling, which will introduce a pay-what-you-can pricing structure
‘Woeful lack of democracy’ as Liam Fox launches US trade negotiations
MPs are set to debate four post-Brexit trade deals on Thursday, in a move likely to launch formal trade negotiations with the USA and Britain’s application to join the Trans-Pacific
Economic Update: Economics of Conflicted Mothers
This week: Updates on the government shutdown’s very important lessons; U.S. teachers oppose a declining capitalism imposing its costs on the people; and firing the big banksters leaves our big
What if public insurance covered abortion? That’s the question activists are asking now.
What if public health insurance paid for abortion? More and more people are beginning to ask that question. With support for Roe v. Wade stronger than ever before, reproductive rights
Can big agribusiness adapt to a green economy?
In the last two decades the agriculture sector – particularly in the US – has become increasingly recognised as a leading driver of environmental destruction, including climate change, biodiversity loss,
Arctic Bogs Hold Another Global Warming Risk That Could Spiral Out of Control
As warming brings earlier spring rains in the Arctic, more permafrost thaws, releasing more methane in a difficult-to-stop feedback loop, research shows. Increasing spring rains in the Arctic could double
A report from the #SchoolStrike: First in our new AlterNatives strand – personal stories of making change
We’re happy to announce a new strand on the Daily Alternative – AlterNatives. We’re sharing the personal testimony and stories of those who are committed to alternative ways of being,
Science and Subterfuge in Economics
Mainstream economics has a tendency to decide on some “established” conclusions, and then hold to them, notwithstanding all evidence to the contrary. This is bad enough, but what may be
Top of the Charts: At last! The key to happiness is…
Afternoon all, Career advice time. Want to feel perky? Get the right job, not just the right salary. Florists, priests…. and politicians are near the top of the well-being curve
RBS 2018 results: Positive Money Comment
Responding to RBS’ 2018 results, which show profits doubling to £1.62bn, and a £977 dividend payment to the government, Fran Boait executive director of Positive Money said: “Another dividend payout
Is the Opioid Overdose Crisis a Story of Supply or Demand? Depends Where You Look
Economic distress in rural areas and opioid exposure in cities are key indicators of overdose deaths. Over the past two decades deaths from opioids and other drugs have grown to
A Green New Deal opportunity for America’s farmers
This month, a group of Democratic lawmakers called for an ambitious plan for the United States to reach net-zero carbon pollution in 10 years. While experts debate whether the proposal
Almost all local authorities plan to increase council tax, claims new study
Almost all councils in England will raise their council tax this year, according to a new study, after the government’s local authority spending review paved the way for rises. With
New poll: Only 9% support RBS sell-off plans
Today we’re releasing poll results which show that only a fraction of people support the Government’s plans to sell off RBS in the near future. (You can read the Guardian’s
Peru’s green infrastructure challenge
Peru faces the challenge of meeting growing demand for infrastructure in the country in order to support regions that continue to be excluded economically. Development of infrastructure is a key
Financial Regulation in Cyber Space
Rebuilding Macroeconomics’ Finance Hub held its second workshop to discuss the interdisciplinary approaches to financial resilience and stability. We focused on digital currencies and their impact on regulation and central
Green New Deal: The UK edition
Amid the drear of the Brexit endgame, as I trawl through my newsfeed my spirits have been lifted by the incredible goings-on over the pond. A quick recap: the unstoppable
What is “distributed leadership”? And can it turn “a trickle of human energy into a river”?
There’s another way to come at the possibility of viable alternatives to the toxic, frozen status-quo – and that’s through thinking about how we work, who we work with, what
Campaigners condemn Boris-backed call to slash aid budget and scrap DFID
Campaigners from Global Justice Now have condemned a new report by Conservative MP Bob Seely, released today, for proposing to “effectively abolish” Britain’s international development programme. The report, ‘Global Britain:
Blood for Oil in Venezuela?
Vijay Prashad discusses the extent to which US interest in Venezuelan oil and other natural resources is driving Trump’s policy of seeking regime change. The link is not that straight-forward,
Pret A Manger is offering homeless people a home and a job
Many a sandwich and a cup of tea has been bought from one of their stores to give to rough sleepers but now Pret A Manger is offering more to
Cryptocurrency Firm Loses Codes and Gets Hacked, Millions Lost
Recent developments in the cryptocurrency world highlight the dangers of trading in this type of “coin.” But how important is cryptocurrency to the financial world and why should we care?
Green New Deal’s path forward could lie in infrastructure legislation, experts say
Experts on issues ranging from climate change and government to labor weighed in on Thursday in response to a resolution charting the path forward for a Green New Deal. Many
#DrasticOnPlastic Timer Challenge: Can you avoid single-use plastic for a day?
Single-use plastic is still too often an unavoidable part of our everyday lives, despite huge public concern over the impact of plastic on our wildlife, and moves to ditch items
Financial regulators finally act on climate change but must go further, faster
The UK’s financial regulators are finally taking action to address the profound risks that climate change poses to the firms they supervise, and the system they oversee. But in our
WMO Confirms Past 4 Years Were Warmest on Record
In a clear sign of continuing long-term climate change associated with record atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases, 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018 have been confirmed as the four warmest years
Overheard at Davos 2019
In January 2019, the Green Economy Coalition headed to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, to convene an interactive panel of environmental economists and thought-leaders to present their visions
NHS spends nearly £500m on cancer drugs developed with public funding
3 of 5 most expensive cancer drugs to NHS come from publicly-funded research. World Cancer Day call for public to stop paying twice for medicines. Health campaigners have called for
Business needs a radical overhaul, say British Academy Fellows touring UK
Two Fellows of the British Academy are touring the country to make the case for a radical overhaul of business. Sir Paul Collier and Colin Mayer argue that we must
The Big Issue responds to government figures showing drop in rough sleeping
The number of people sleeping rough in England fell for the first time in eight years between 2017-18 – but experts across the homelessness sector, including The Big Issue, have
My experience meeting the governor of the Bank of England
2019 got off to an exciting start at Positive Money, with our first ever meeting with Mark Carney, the Governor of the Bank of England – one of the most
Campaigners condemn aid minister’s plan to slash the aid budget
Call for a development secretary ‘who actually believes in department’s mission’ Responding to press briefings this morning that Penny Mordaunt believes Britain’s aid budget to be ‘unsustainable’ and is proposing
Sign on the dotted line? A new rental contract: Final report
The private rented sector has grown substantially over the past two decades. It is now home to 20 per cent of households (4.7 million). Many more people now expect to
The Natural Rate of Interest Is Anything But
In contrast to Keynes’s emphasis on the monetary nature of interest rates, the modern theory of central banking focuses on a benchmark rate for monetary policy that reflect “fundamental forces”
Globalisation and Labour Share
According to the Karabarbounis and Neiman (2014) the global labour share of output fell from 65% in 1980 to 59% in 2012. Over the same period, US labour productivity has
Walking in the footsteps of giants
Every once in a generation an iconic leader emerges, someone who embodies the principles and the spirit of the times, overcoming adversity and showing how to navigate forward against seemingly
The post-levy Apprenticeship regime is finally taking shape
Another year, another round of worries about the impact of the Apprenticeship Levy. Are the number of starts continuing to fall; are they all being converted to MBA-level courses; and
The UN agreed a Declaration on the Rights of Peasants/Workers in Rural Areas to have “seed sovereignty”
“Sovereignty” is a febrile word at the moment. It’s invoked by national communities of all sizes – whether large one trying to free themselves from old ties, or smaller ones
Sadiq Khan launches ‘rent control’ strategy to tackle London’s rent crisis
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, will develop new rent control proposals for the capital to tackle spiraling private rent costs. Labour MP for Westminster North Karen Buck is to
New York passes DREAM Act, becomes 4th-largest state with financial aid for undocumented immigrants
New York became the fourth-largest state to pass the DREAM Act on Wednesday. The bill, which will provide college financial aid for undocumented immigrants, was passed by both chambers of
Brexit and the future of tax havens
This week the Tax Justice Network’s John Christensen spoke at this event at the European Parliament organised by the European Free Alliance of the Greens on Brexit and the future
We asked Davos – what is wealth?
For decades, we’ve been getting wealth all wrong – and now our societies and our planet are paying the price. This January, the Green Economy Coalition headed to the World
There Still Is Time to Limit Global Temperature Rise To 1.5 °C
The Paris climate agreement includes the aim to pursue efforts to limit global mean temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. However, we are now so close to
The Unreal Basis of Neoclassical Economics
Ten years after the financial crisis, we still find mainstream economists engaging in overly simplistic analysis that does not accurately capture the dynamics of the real world. People studying economics
Tight labour market breaks new ground on jobs
The UK labour market continues to confound. It seemed as though the seven year spurt in employment that began in late 2012 had come to an end in 2018. The
Bank of Canada research finds digital cash could improve social welfare
A Staff Working Paper published by Canada’s central bank last week concluded that a central bank digital currency (CBDC) could address the issues arising from the digitisation of our money
How ethnic minorities are still discriminated against in the UK job market
Britain was one of the first European countries to pass legislation prohibiting racial discrimination. There has been a series of Acts in 1965, 1968, 1976, 2000, 2006 and 2010 which
Circular Economy Crucial for Paris Climate Goals
UN Climate Change News, 22 January 2019 – The world can maximise chances of avoiding dangerous climate change by moving to a circular economy, thereby allowing societies to meet the
Brexit is driving the housing market to a record low
The housing market is set to see its worst three-month period in two decades as forecasts suggest it will be driven down by Brexit uncertainty. This follows calls from homelessness
Escaping growth dependency, one step at a time
Positive Money’s report Escaping Growth Dependency, published in early 2018, drew a link between the current debt-based monetary system and the escalating ecological crisis. The report also offered reforms and
Mass pollution at Texas coal plants poses major threat to human health and the environment
Virtually every coal power plant in Texas is leaking pollution into nearby groundwater, imperiling the environment and the health of neighboring communities, according to new data analysis released this week.
How Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s Allies Supplanted the Obama Generation
The Green New Deal, which in the past month has come to define the progressive cause in Washington, exists in its most authoritative form as an eleven-page Google Doc. The