This Week in ESG and Impact Investing

As an intern at Creative Investment Research and an Asian woman pursuing an undergraduate degree in economics, I had the privilege of attending the Spring Meetings 2023 organized by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank in Washington, DC, from April 9 to 16, 2023. The event convened experts from around the world to address pressing global economic issues. Notable attendees included World Bank Chairman David Malpass and Bank of Korea President Lee Chang-yong. Over the course of a week, I participated in eight events and three networking sessions, discussions regarding the global economy. First, engaging in conversations with economic experts, including high-ranking professionals from various countries, was an invaluable experience for me. The exchange of ideas among economists with diverse cultural backgrounds and perspectives provided unique insights and fresh outlooks. Consequently, I gained a broader understanding of not only the economic landscape but also its int...

As a young African professional, immersing myself in the World Bank/IMF Spring Meetings was a remarkable and enlightening experience. My internship at Creative Investment Research in Washington DC allowed me to attend these meetings in person, providing me with invaluable insights into the global economy and a connection to my African roots. I had the opportunity to attend several significant events focused on the African continent: On Tuesday, 11 April 2023, I participated in the discussion on "Challenges and Opportunities in the Rollout of the African Continental Free Trade Area Agreement." This event emphasized the importance of collaboration among African leaders to ensure the successful implementation of this historic agreement and unlock its full potential. On Wednesday, 12 April 2023, I attended "Political and Economic Reforms in the Extractive Sector as a Catalyst to African Development." This event addressed the pressing issue of human rights within the Afr...

The Blockchain, Cryptocurrency and Africa panel discussion was hosted on April 10th at the African Union Representational Mission, Washington D.C. The discussion aimed to introduce blockchain and cryptocurrency to the Diaspora and African delegates in town for the Spring Meetings of the World Bank and the IMF. During the discussion, issues including defining what is blockchain and cryptocurrency, how blockchain changes the nature of money , a forecast of the development of blockchain and cryptocurrency in Africa, the impact of government regulations, current barriers to the use of these technologies and many other issues were brought up. Cryptocurrency is internet-based money not bound by geography; transactions are stored in a database called a blockchain , a group of connected computers that record transactions in a ledger in real time. Many experts say the conditions on the African continent are great for cryptocurrency. Interest in cryptocurrency in Africa keeps incre...

IMF Annual Meetings Small Is Beautiful – Regulatory Approaches for Non-Systemic Banks October 14, 2017 Question about Black banks at a session on: How can a more proportionate approach to regulation of small banks be applied to align more closely with their size and business models? Questioner: William Michael Cunningham Creative Investment Research Speakers: David Lipton, First Deputy Managing Director, IMF Michael Gibson, Director of the Division of Banking Supervision and Regulation, Federal Reserve Board

We attended the IMF/World Bank Spring Meetings and heard nothing that would make us revise our 2017 Economic Forecast for Businesses under Trump as noted in my  talk to the Greater Houston Black Chamber of Commerce  on February 14, 2017. As I noted then, we expect economic growth to continue for most of 2017. The IMF confirmed our forecast: global economic growth is projected to rise from 3.1% in 2016 to 3.5% by the end of 2017. The IMF expects global economic growth to reach 3.6% by 2018. Total global investments are expected to continue to grow from today's $212 trillion. These are stunningly good figures, and mark a complete reversal from the Fund's earlier, pre-Brexit 2016 economic forecast. Recall that the IMF predicted economic doom and gloom were Britain to exit the EU. They have softened their view, to say the least. This is not to suggest that the Fund has suddenly become a champion of the rosy scenario. (We think their growth forecast is too optimistic, by ...

In April, 2000, 10,000 protesters gathered outside the World Bank/IMF Spring Meetings to express passionate disapproval of globalization and to express concern about growing income inequality. Chaos erupted and upwards of 1,000 people were arrested. Seventeen years later, at this year’s World Bank meetings, there are no protesters to be found in Foggy Bottom. The World Bank has attempted to incorporate some of the protesters’ concerns into their Spring Meeting event schedule: they have increasingly emphasized income inequality and other issues. This progress was displayed at the Civil Society Organization (CSO) Roundtable on April 18: CSOs posed their questions directly to World Bank executive directors. The questions were direct, opening with “How can the bank do more to provide relief in wars and other crises ?” Executive director Merza Hasan brought attention to the relief efforts of the past, but suggested there was room for improvement. The comments were in line with World ...