Many in capital markets have long been expecting an overhaul in how their business functions from the disruptive effects of digital assets technology. So far, these effects have not been substantial outside isolated pockets where implementation has leaped ahead. But many believe we are approaching an inflection point and that dramatic changes are about to arrive for financial market infrastructure. Kate Karimson, R3's chief commercial officer, joins Lewis McLellan, OMFIF's Digital Monetary Institute editor, to discuss what these changes will look like.

In early September 2024, the European Commission published the long-awaited ‘The future of European competitiveness: Report by Mario Draghi', which examines in detail the challenges faced by European industry and companies in the single market. OMFIF lead economist Taylor Pearce hosts Bill Papadakis, macro strategist at Lombard Odier, to discuss the structural and macro trends the EU economy is contending with and how these are impacting key areas of the economy and financial system.

One of the major structural factors impacting government financing is the massive scale of public money needed to ensure the transition to a carbon neutral economy. How are trends in government debt issuance evolving as they relate to sustainability? Alex Caridia, head of public sector markets at RBC and Heather Taylor, partner, climate change and sustainability at EY, join OMFIF lead economist Taylor Pearce to discuss. The conversation is a part of OMFIF’s workstream on the Future of public money project. 

At present, in most jurisdictions, only commercial banks are able to provide final settlement of payments as the only institutions with access to central bank reserves. However, new business models have emerged that unbundle the business of creating money and payment services from the provision of credit. Should payments be unbundled from banking? Circle's chief economist Gordon Liao and OMFIF's Digital Monetary Institute editor Lewis McLellan discuss the regulatory treatment of stablecoins and consider which institutions can access central bank payment systems and under what conditions.

Around a third of the world lack reliable internet access and among the two thirds that have access, disruptions and restrictions are far from unknown. Ensuring that digital payments solutions are reliable and have the broadest reach possible requires that they can function offline. Though the need is well understood, the challenges of meeting it remain. Lars Hupel, G+D's chief evangelist, joins OMFIF's Digital Monetary Institute editor Lewis McLellan to discuss how offline capabilities enhance the effectiveness and convenience of online payment methods and share G+D's experience in this field.

Christopher Smart, former senior US Treasury and National Security Council official and managing partner of Arbroath Group, joins OMFIF's US chair Mark Sobel, to discuss the economic plans of presidential candidates, Kamala Harris and Donald Trump. They compare the candidates' differences on fiscal, monetary, exchange rate, trade and immigration policies. 

Omar Massarweh, vice president of public policy for the Middle East and North Africa at Mastercard, joins Arunima Sharan, senior economist at OMFIF to discuss key findings from the ‘Path to Morocco’ project completed by OMFIF in partnership with Mastercard, aimed at fostering public-private dialogue and ensuring that financial inclusion remains at the core of future economies. Their conversation touches on the alignment of current financial systems with the World Economic Forum's shared principles for an inclusive financial system and the areas with the greatest potential for improvement. They also explore how emerging technologies can enhance financial inclusion, the role of financial institutions in catalysing innovation and successful examples of public-private collaborations in the region.

Jeremy Cunningham, investment director at Capital Group, speaks with Arunima Sharan, senior economist at OMFIF to discuss the latest trends in emerging markets debt. They explore the re-emergence of these markets in investors' minds and how perceptions of EM debt have shifted in recent years. The conversation covers current and future opportunities in this local and hard currency EM bonds, factors contributing to higher return potential, and associated risks. OMFIF’s Q3 Bulletin on emerging markets can be found here

Vlad Rashkovan, Ukraine's representative to the International Monetary Fund, joins Mark Sobel, OMFIF’s US chair, to provide an update on Ukraine's economic and financial situation. They assess the country's progress in implementing economic reforms despite the war and the hardships facing Ukraine's people. They explore how Ukraine is using both domestic resources and international financing to maintain stability, and Rashkovan gives his views on the disposition of blocked Russian central bank and oligarch assets, the fight against corruption and reconstruction. 

Max Castelli, head of strategy, sovereign institutions at UBS asset management, and Philipp Salman, also on the team at UBS, speak with OMFIF Lead Economist Taylor Pearce to discuss the latest observable trends in central bank reserve management. They discuss investment strategies, currency and asset allocations and the factors influencing reserve managers’ investment decisions in the current macroenvironment, which UBS have been tracking for 30 years now. OMFIF's 2024 GPI report on central bank reserve management is available here.    The views expressed are as of July 2024 and are those of the author and not necessarily the views of UBS Asset Management. This podcast is a marketing communication and the information herein should not be considered investment advice or a recommendation to purchase or sell securities or any particular strategy or fund. Information and opinions have been provided in good faith and are subject to change without notice.

With the proliferation in artificial intelligence development, the landscape for fraud is changing rapidly. The technology represents a tool for both fraudsters and those whose job it is to catch them. Liyun He Guelton, senior AI researcher, and Claire Deprez, head of product management at Worldline, joined Lewis McLellan, Digital Monetary Institute editor, to discuss the new threats AI poses in enabling fraud, and the tools that Worldline is developing to thwart them.

Wolfram Seidemann, chief executive officer of Giesecke+Devrient Currency Technology, joins John Orchard, chief executive officer of OMFIF, for a discussion on why public and private sectors need to come together to pool their strengths to build a thriving CBDC ecosystem. They will discuss the advantages for both stakeholders and users, and underscore the importance of offline functionality as a key area for collaboration. Access deeper insights by also downloading OMFIF’s report in partnership with G+D: Unlocking the potential of a CBDC ecosystem  

Geoffrey Yu, senior Europe, Middle East and Africa market strategist at BNY Mellon, joins Taylor Pearce, lead economist of OMFIF’s Economic and Monetary Policy Institute, to discuss the outcomes of the European Parliament election and the subsequent market implications. They discuss the effects of a snap election in France, the potential impact of the new European Parliament on trade policy and other major market topics.

With its recent 'Finternet' paper, the Bank for International Settlements has planted its flag firmly in shared ledgers as the future rails of financial infrastructure. The idea of a single platform – a network of ledgers – providing the means for the seamless and instant settlement of many financial and non-financial assets versus tokenised cash is certainly attractive in its promise. Delivering such a complex ecosystem entails a great deal of complexity, both technically and from the perspective of governance. However, incremental steps in that direction are already delivering business value. To explain how tokenised settlement platforms are improving financial markets, Lewis McLellan, editor of OMFIF's Digital Monetary Institute, is joined by Basak Toprak, EMEA head of coin systems at Onyx by JP Morgan, and Atul Bhuchar, head of product at Partior.

Ulf Erlandsson, founder and chief executive officer of the Anthropocene Fixed Income Institute, joins Edward Maling, economist at OMFIF’s Economic and Monetary Policy Institute, to discuss the importance of fixed income markets for the climate transition. Sharing insights from AFII’s Sustainability-Linked Bond Handbook, Erlandsson explores the latest innovations in sustainable financial products, the nuances of SLBs and the potential for their continued development.

Robert Stheeman, the departing chief executive of the UK Debt Management Office, joins Burhan Khadbai, head of content at OMFIF’s Sovereign Debt Institute, to recall the highs and lows of more than two decades managing the gilt market. Stheeman discusses dealing with crises including the infamous 2022 mini budget, how the gilt market has evolved, the importance of maintaining the primary dealer system and more.

Regina Curry, chief diversity officer at Franklin Templeton, joins Emma McGarthy, head of the Sustainable Policy Institute at OMFIF, to discuss the importance of gender balance in financial institutions. They examine the necessary benchmarks, key indicators and information required to retain and encourage women in leadership positions as well as how to foster inclusive cultures and overcome barriers. 

Valentina Ion, public finance and public transportation lead at Microsoft, joins OMFIF to discuss the company's commitment to ethical and responsible artificial intelligence in the public sector. She explores the key risks posed by advanced AI systems, outlines Microsoft's core principles for ethical development and explains the importance of public-private partnerships in addressing AI safety and governance challenges. Ion also offers suggestions for how individuals can stay informed about AI's evolving landscape.

In the first of three podcasts as part of OMFIF’s project with EY on the future of public money, OMFIF’s Nikhil Sanghani is joined by Dr Carolyn Bordeaux, senior visiting scholar at the University of Georgia and former member of the US House of Representatives, and Mark Macdonald, global public finance management leader at EY. They discuss the growing fiscal constraints facing governments, the need for effective institutional structures and the importance of having better metrics to inform public spending decisions.

Pedro Duerte Neves, Adviser for the Board of Directors and former Vice-Governor of Banco de Portugal, joins Taylor Pearce, senior economist, Economic and Monetary Policy Institute, OMFIF, to discuss the global financial stability outlook. Their discussion references the IMF’s 2024 Global Financial Stability Report, and examines vulnerabilities and risks to the global financial system, including stretched asset valuations, burgeoning public and private debt and the growing probability of cyberattacks. The views and opinions expressed are those of the interviewee and do not necessarily reflect those of Banco de Portugal or the Eurosystem.

Björn Storim, chief executive officer, and Ben Pott, managing director and international head of public policy and government affairs at BNY Mellon, join Clive Horwood, managing editor and deputy chief executive officer at OMFIF. They assess the progress towards capital markets union in Europe and the need to accelerate financial market integration. They discuss the current challenges, approaches to harmonising market infrastructure and regulations and the importance of securitisation to European competitiveness.

Max Castelli, head of strategy, sovereign institutions at UBS Asset Management, joins Taylor Pearce, senior economist at OMFIF, to discuss the role of the dollar as a global reserve currency in a multipolar world. They discuss factors such as China’s rise in power, sanctions risk and the development of alternative payments systems and how these could challenge dollar dominance. They also discussed the recent surge in gold and Bitcoin prices in the context of currency diversification for institutional investors.   Whether or not the introduction of CBDCs will impact central banks’ reserve management strategies will be explored in OMFIF’s forthcoming Global Public Investor 2024 report, along with other asset and currency allocation trends. 

Taylor Pearce, senior economist, Economic Monetary Institute at OMFIF, hosts Elliot Hentov, head of macro policy research at State Street Global Advisors, to discuss the interplay between geopolitics and financial markets. Hentov outlines several risk factors that could impact markets – including geopolitical shocks, risk premium repricing and the upcoming US election – and what investors are doing as a result. 

Charles Dallara,  ex-managing director of Institute of International Finance, talks about his book Euroshock, explaining how the 2012 Greek debt restructuring  helped save European economic and monetary union from breakdown.   A conversation with David Marsh and Burhan Khadbai.

Saleha Mohsin, senior Washington correspondent for Bloomberg News joined Mark Sobel, US chair at OMFIF, to discuss her recently published book, Paper Soldiers: How the Weaponization of the Dollar Changed the World Order. She discusses how secretaries of the Treasury of past decades managed communications about the dollar and how the department developed and deployed financial sanctions based on the dollar's globally dominant role.

Cian O’Murchu, head of strategic transformation, Mireia Guisado-Parra, pre-validation product owner at Swift and Julien Lasalle, head of cashless payment monitoring at Banque de France, join Lewis McLellan, editor of OMFIF’s Digital Monetary Institute. Together, they discuss the implementation of pre-validation – a new tool developed to reduce the number of errors in payments and restore people's trust in their ability to safely pay for goods and services online.

Stefan Nanu, head of public debt management and state treasury at the ministry of finance of Romania, joins Burhan Khadbai, head of content at OMFIF’s Sovereign Debt Institute, to discuss Romania’s long-awaited inaugural green bond, which was the most successful ever euro-denominated bond in this format by an emerging market issuer. As well as the record-breaking deal itself, they also cover Romania’s ambitious transition plan and the key features of its green bond framework

Monique Newiak, deputy unit chief, inclusion and gender, and Mariarosaria Communale, economist at the International Monetary Fund, join Arunima Sharan, senior research analyst at OMFIF’s Economic and Monetary Policy Institute, to discuss the state of gender balance in financial institutions. They examine the IMF’s gender strategy, the macro-criticality of gender equality and findings from their recent publication, 'Who are Central Banks? Gender, Human Resources, and Central Banking'.  The views expressed by the speakers in this podcast do not necessarily represent the views of the IMF, its executive board or management.

Max Castelli, head of strategy, sovereign institutions, and Philipp Salman, director of strategy and advice, global sovereign markets, UBS Asset Management, join Taylor Pearce, senior economist at OMFIF, to discuss what’s in store for global public investors in 2024. The discussion identifies opportunities and risks for reserve managers and sovereign wealth funds amid evolving market dynamics, including falling inflation, headwinds to China’s economy and a resilient US economy albeit looming political risks.   You can find the full transcript here.

Environmental, social and governance data is integral to scaling up sustainable finance and investment. With increasing regulation and demand for information, it’s also crucial for organisations and businesses. Sherry Madera, chief executive officer of CDP, joins John Orchard, OMFIF chief executive officer, to discuss how data can improve the quality of a company, how datasets are evolving to support the mobilisation of institutional investor demand in ESG assets and the importance of data to leadership.   To find out more, Madera’s book Navigating Sustainability Data: How Organizations can use ESG Data to Secure Their Future is now available to buy.

Siegfried Ruhl, hors classe adviser to the director-general for budget at the European Commission, joins Burhan Khadbai, head of content at OMFIF’s Sovereign Debt Institute, to discuss upcoming priorities for the European Union as it continues its rapid journey towards sovereign status in the capital markets. They discuss the EU’s recent launch of quoting commitments for its primary dealers and the EU Issuance Service, as well as plans to launch a repo facility and futures market. The discussion also touches on the evolution of the EU’s investor base and its status as a safe asset and global benchmark.

Gregory Makoff, author of new book Default: The Landmark Court Battle over Argentina's $100 Billion Debt Restructuring joins OMFIF US Chair Mark Sobel to discuss Argentina's nearly two-decades-long sovereign debt litigation following the 2001 default. Both review the spectacular blow-up of the Argentine economy, the litigation's timeline and the US government's role at various junctures.   You can find the transcript of this podcast here. 

To transition to a sustainable economy, new investment models are needed. Financial flows into emerging economies must be also scaled. Blended finance and public-private collaboration will be integral in supporting increased investment and mitigating risk perception. David Carlin, head of risk, United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative, joins OMFIF’s Emma McGarthy, head, Sustainable Policy Institute, to discuss transition finance, takeaways from COP28 and his expectations for the year ahead.

Vera Songwe, a non-resident senior fellow in the Africa Growth Initiative at the Brookings Institution and co-chair of the Independent High-Level Expert Group on Climate Finance, joins Katerina Atkins, programme coordinator at OMFIF’s Sustainable Policy Institute, to explore the key outcomes and challenges from the COP28 climate summit. They discuss the agreement to transition away from fossil fuels, the conclusion of the first global stocktake, the loss and damage fund, as well as the financial needs and innovative financing mechanisms to address climate change.

Max Castelli, head of strategy, sovereign institutions, and Philipp Salman, director of strategy and advice, global sovereign markets, UBS Asset Management, join Taylor Pearce, senior economist at OMFIF, to discuss macroeconomic challenges marked by exogenous shocks. They explore the short- and long-term outlook for inflation and the potential for a 'higher-for-longer' interest rate environment. The discussion touches on the equilibrium real interest rate, global factors influencing government debt dynamics, the potential productivity and growth implications of artificial intelligence and the evolving landscape for institutional investors.  

Katie-Ann Wilson, Managing Director of OMFIF’s Digital Monetary Institute is joined by Peter Faykiss Director, Digitalization, Central Bank of Hungary, Imre Kocsis, Assistant Professor, Budapest University of Technology, Laszlo Gonczy Associate Professor, Budapest University of Technology and Chris Ostrowski, CEO and founder of SODA to explore what we mean by programmable money and how it could impact how we use money in society. They also discuss the BIS’s Project Rosalind and why it is important to CBDC development, real life use cases for CBDCS using smart contracts and the technical models used.

The International Monetary Fund's Ukraine team joins OMFIF to discuss the stabilisation of the Ukrainian economy over the past year. They assess the critical role played by the Fund's programme and foreign financing for Ukraine, as well as Ukraine's progress on combatting corruption and strengthening the domestic financial system. Speakers: Mark Sobel, US Chairman, OMFIF Natan Epstein, Deputy Mission Chief for Ukraine, IMF Gavin Gray, Mission Chief for Ukraine, IMF Sanaa Nadeem, Deputy Mission Chief for Ukraine, IMF

There has been a rise in the number of people needing humanitarian assistance over recent years, resulting in disaster response public funding having to tackle immediate and longer-term socio-economic challenges. Gareth Owen, humanitarian director of Save the Children UK and Simon Inglis, partner, grants & relief funds management at EY join OMFIF’s Digital Monetary Institute editor, Lewis McLellan, to discuss the importance of accountably for grant management and how new technology can improve delivery, efficiency, and oversight transparency to maximise the impact of grant funds.

In the second part of a special mini-series on the European retail government bond market, Burhan Khadbai, head of content at OMFIF’s Sovereign Debt Institute, speaks to senior officials at the Hungarian, Irish and Romanian debt management offices about how they are developing their retail bond programmes. Zoltán Kurali, chief executive officer of Hungary’s debt management office (ÁKK), Murray McCarter, head of retail debt at Ireland’s national treasury management agency and Stefan Nanu, head of public debt management and state treasury at the ministry of finance in Romania, join OMFIF to discuss the importance of a diversified investor base that is offered by a retail programme. The discussion also focuses on how they are looking to enhance their retail products with the use of technology to attract younger customers.

In the first of two parts in a special mini-series on the European retail government bond market, Burhan Khadbai, head of content at OMFIF’s Sovereign Debt Institute, speaks to senior officials at the Belgian and Portuguese debt management offices about their record-breaking retail bond programmes this year. Rui Amaral, board member, Portugal’s debt management office (IGCP) and Maric Post, director of treasury and capital markets at the Belgian debt agency, join OMFIF to cover how both DMOs have been shifting more funding to retail investors. The discussion also touches on Belgium’s landmark €22bn transaction in September as well as whether retail demand is structural or opportunistic.  

Diala Hawila, Knowledge Policy and Finance Centre programme officer at International Renewable Energy Agency, speaks with Katerina Atkins, programme coordinator at OMFIF, about the energy transition investment required under the 1.5°C scenarios, geographical aspects and key financing tools. They both discuss the importance of innovative instruments for under-invested countries, the need to expand the definition of risk in energy asset investments and the urgency of international collaboration for a more equitable and global distribution of clean energy funding. Diala shares her expectations for the upcoming COP28, highlighting exciting opportunities arising from transition to a more sustainable future.

Whether or not they eventually go through with it, virtually every central bank will, sooner or later, at least consider issuing a digital currency. Whatever their aims and strategic priorities, they will need to go through a process of strategy formation, examination and experimentation. This process is fraught with challenges and must be carefully constructed to ensure all stakeholders are kept abreast of developments. Tom Bruls, head of professional services for CBDC at G+D, joins DMI editor Lewis McLellan to talk about the process and how to address the challenges that might arise.

Max Castelli, head of strategy, sovereign institutions, and Phillip Salman, director of strategy and advice, global sovereign markets, UBS Asset Management, spoke with Taylor Pearce, senior economist at OMFIF, about financial liquidity. They looked at how institutional investors have balanced liquidity needs with their pursuit of higher returns over the past decade and how these strategies are changing. They also discussed central banks' asset purchasing programmes on excess liquidity and how quantitative tightening will influence financial markets and investors, with a focus on the US Treasury market. 

Barry Eichengreen, professor of economics and political science at the University of California, Berkeley, and Chima Simpson-Bell, economist in the African Department at the International Monetary Fund, joined Taylor Pearce, senior economist at OMFIF, to discuss the rise of gold as a central bank reserve asset. OMFIF’s Global Public Investor 2023 report revealed a resurgence in demand for traditional reserve assets, including gold. The podcast explores the structural trends behind the increase in gold accumulation and offers insight into emerging markets’ motivations for acquiring it. It also examines the findings of the IMF publication on central banks’ post-financial crisis gold reserve growth.

Tibor Tóth and Péter Banai, state secretaries of the Hungarian ministry of finance, joined Christopher Garnett, senior adviser to OMFIF’s Sovereign Debt Institute, for a conversation on the economic outlook in Hungary. They cover labour market reform, increasing and diversifying foreign direct investment inflows and export diversification and fiscal consolidation following the pandemic. They also discuss developments in the disbursement of European Union structural and Recovery and Resilience Facility funds.

Barnabás Virág, deputy governor of Magyar Nemzeti Bank, joins David Marsh, OMFIF chairman, for a conversation on the economic outlook in Hungary. Their discussion covers the country’s short- and long-term economic trajectory. They cover inflation and monetary policy, improving productivity and competitiveness, foreign direct investment, export diversification, progress on the sustainable agenda and Hungary’s prospects for joining Europe’s economic and monetary union.  

The cryptoasset class, while battered by scams and scandals, remains a valuable and exciting asset class. But if regulated mainstream financial institutions are to interact with it seriously, they need high-quality infrastructure. Duncan Trenholme and Simon Forster, TP ICAP's global co-heads of digital assets join Digital Monetary Institute editor, Lewis McLellan, to discuss the importance of trusted institutional relationships when investing in the cryptoasset ecosystem.

In this OMFIF podcast, Vítor Constâncio, former governor of the Banco de Portugal and vice president of the European Central Bank from 2010-18, joins Ellie Groves, managing director, Economic and Monetary Policy Institute at OMFIF. They discuss the ECB’s September rate hike, the macroeconomic environment in Europe – including the difference in inflation between Portugal and Germany – and the fiscal framework that needs to be implemented to combat challenges.

Marcela Pumarino, people manager at Banco Central de Chile, joins Arunima Sharan, senior research analyst at OMFIF, to discuss the ways in which central banks can work improve gender balance in leadership positions within the financial sector. They delve into some of the specific policies that Banco Central de Chile has adopted to promote gender equality, and the importance of having diversity in leadership roles more broadly in the financial sector.

How are technology giants preparing for artificial intelligence disruption? Preliminary evidence suggests that AI will improve productivity growth considerably, therefore boosting standards of living through innovations across major industries. Yet, it also seems likely to spur growing inequality while also presenting serious safety risks. In this podcast with Microsoft’s Greg Wilson, world wide public sector chief technology officer, OMFIF discusses how one of the world’s AI leaders are preparing for artificial intelligence’s benefits and potential risks to the global economy.

Chad Harper, global payments fellow of Visa Economic Empowerment Institute, joins Katie-Ann Wilson, managing director of OMFIF’s Digital Monetary Institute, to discuss the VEEI’s new research on the importance of choice and trade-offs when looking at digital remittances. They discuss key trends in the global costs of remittances as well as the progress that is being made towards the G20 targets. They also touch on the pandemic’s impact on remittances and what more the public and private sector can do to promote choice and transparency. The power of choice: Options and trade-offs for digital remittances Further reading from the Visa Economic Empowerment Institute: Let’s give a voice to end users: Cross-border payments, attributes, and use cases The economic empowerment of digital remittances: How to unlock the benefits of innovation and competition

In the last year, central banks across the world have been forced to navigate persistent inflation, suppressed growth and heightened geopolitical tensions. However, these forces have been most apparent for reserve managers in Africa. Compounded with the lingering effects of the pandemic, reserves saw the greatest decrease in international reserve levels in 2022 and urged many countries into seeking further multilateral support. This has raised concerns around the adequacy of reserves in the region and the capacity of countries to withstand further protracted shocks.   Nikhil Sanghani, managing director of research, and Edward Maling, research analyst, discuss how these challenges are influencing reserve managers’ long-term strategies. Delving into the regional findings from OMFIF’s Global Public Investor 2023 survey, they discuss how the uncertain outlook is affecting reserve managers’ asset allocation decisions, appetite for further diversification and will take stock of their progress towards environmental, social and governance integration.

The Hong Kong Monetary Authority has successfully completed an experimental green bond issuance through Goldman Sachs’ digital asset platform — the bank’s tokenisation system. While the bond successfully raised $800m for the green bond programme, it was more noteworthy as the first tokenised green bond issued by a government. Kenneth Hui, executive director, external, Hong Kong Monetary Authority, and Rosie Hampson, executive director, digital assets, Goldman Sachs, joined Digital Monetary Institute editor Lewis McLellan to discuss the benefits that tokenisation offers for the green bond market and the challenges they overcame in delivering the deal.

Oliver Berger, head of Middle East & Africa at State Street Corporation, joins Taylor Pearce, senior economist at OMFIF, to discuss the key findings of the ‘Central banks in the digital age: bringing data into focus’ report. They explore the macro factors driving IT transformations in central banks and how central banks are approaching this, the challenges and opportunities of big data for reserve management and technological and enterprise-wide solutions.

Simone Utermarck, director, sustainable finance, International Capital Market Association, joins Emma McGarthy, head, Sustainable Policy Institute, OMFIF, to discuss updated ICMA’s guidance on climate transition finance, transition bond issuances and greenwashing concerns linked to transition finance. They cover the role the ICMA is playing in driving transition finance, what issuers need to consider with transition bonds and other types of sustainable products and explore how we can strive for better transparency of the sustainable capital markets.

We have entered a new demographic paradigm. Birth rates have declined in many countries, while advancements in healthcare have led to longer life expectancies. As societies age, a range of economic dimensions are affected, from labour markets and productivity to public finances and social welfare systems. Join Nikhil Sanghani, managing director of research, and Taylor Pearce, senior economist at OMFIF, as they discuss some of the key findings from the Summer 2023 Bulletin.

Despite improvements in domestic payments, cross-border payments remain too slow and expensive for end users, particularly in emerging market economies. Daniel Nagy, business analyst, CBDC at Giesecke+Devrient, joins Lewis McLellan, editor of OMFIF’s Digital Monetary Institute, to discuss how central bank digital currencies might help address the challenges of the cross-border payments market. Daniel describes the workshops and discussions G+D has conducted with central banks on the challenges and opportunities of deploying a CBDC as a cross-border solution and explores some of the different approaches central banks are taking to the problem. He also sheds light on the potential macro-financial implications of cross-border CBDCs.

Joan Prats, lead financial specialist at the Inter-American Development Bank, joins Burhan Khadbai, head of content at OMFIF’s Sovereign Debt Institute, to examine Ecuador’s recent debt-for-nature swap. They cover the highlights of the transaction, including the new credit enhancement structure and record size, the important role the IADB played in the deal and the challenges this product faces.

Feeling the heat of high inflation and weakening global growth, central bank reserve managers are steering the investment world through stormy seas. Max Castelli, head of strategy and advice, global sovereign markets at UBS Asset Management, joins Taylor Pearce, senior economist at OMFIF, to discuss the investment landscape for reserve managers, currency and asset allocation strategies and the pressure to weave geopolitics, sustainability and other factors into investment decisions.

Technology is causing rapid changes in how we use money, with private and public solutions competing and catalysing each other’s developments. Editor of the Digital Monetary Institute, Lewis McLellan, is joined by Douglas Elliott, partner at Oliver Wyman, and Larissa de Lima, senior fellow at the Oliver Wyman Forum, to discuss their views on the evolving paradigm for the future of money.

Vladyslav Rashkovan, Ukraine's representative for the International Monetary Fund and former deputy governor of the National Bank of Ukraine, discusses the country’s economic and financial situation. While Ukraine valiantly fights Russia on the battlefield, it also must maintain a viably functioning economy. Over the last year, Ukraine has made significant progress on economic stabilisation with western support. Such support must continue. Reconstruction costs will be high. 

Catalysing energy efficiency and security, while scaling clean energy production and increasing decarbonisation has been high on policy-makers’ agendas. This podcast discusses how the United Nations is working to converge regulatory and policy frameworks to support this, the tools and classifications required and the latest criteria and technological developments. This conversation will also discuss how to scale growth and economic development, while responsibly using natural resources and scaling up of capital to support renewable energy.

How is artificial intelligence impacting economies, political environments, financial markets and misinformation? In this podcast, Julian Jacobs, senior economist, OMFIF, interviews Darrell West, senior fellow, the Brookings Institution, to discuss the promises and perils that may emerge as countries embrace AI. What are the policy challenges and how can governments work to counter them? This podcast will discuss the implications of AI on economic inequality, productivity growth, central banking, financial stability and misinformation amid the rise of large language models. Darrell West is a senior fellow for Brookings' Center for Technology Innovation within the Governance Studies program and a co-editor-in-chief of TechTank. West is the former vice-president and director of Governance Studies. His current research focuses on artificial intelligence, robotics and the future of work. West is also director of the John Hazen White Manufacturing Initiative. Prior to joining Brookings, he was the John Hazen White Professor of Political Science and Public Policy and director of the Taubman Center for Public Policy at Brown University.

Though generally treated as separate, the qualities of good management of public spending – transparency, efficiency, high quality impact assessment – have much in common with the qualities encouraged in sustainable finance. Editor of the Digital Monetary Institute Lewis McLellan is joined by Eila Kreivi, European Investment Bank’s chief sustainable finance adviser, Alex Caridia, RBC’s head of public sector markets, and Mark MacDonald, EY’s global lead for public finance management, to discuss the similarities between the two areas and how technological developments are impacting both.

Brian Mangwiro, portfolio manager, global fixed income and currencies, Barings, speaks to Burhan Khadbai, head of content at OMFIF’s Sovereign Debt Institute, on the factors behind the surge in Gilt yields in weeks past. Topics also include the buying opportunities in Gilts, the Bank of England’s response in tackling inflation, lessons learned from last autumn’s liability-driven investing crisis and more. Recorded on 23/06/23

Amid persistent inflation, heightened recession risks and prolonged geopolitical tensions, central bank reserve managers find themselves confronting yet another difficult year. This challenging macroenvironment is impacting their investment strategies and, for some, it is raising concerns about the adequacy of their reserves. Join Nikhil Sanghani, managing director of research, and Taylor Pearce, senior economist at OMFIF, as they discuss some of the key findings from the 10th Global Public Investor report: https://www.omfif.org/gpi2023/.

Mike Kanovitz, chief executive officer of Jurat Blockchains, joins Lewis McLellan, editor of the Digital Monetary Institute, to discuss the challenges of making court orders enforceable on the blockchain. Traditional finance has intermediaries that can implement the decisions of courts, such as freezing assets and reversing transactions. But in a decentralised context, this is more challenging. Kanovitz explains the role of Jurat's technology in creating a means for the law to be enforced in decentralised circumstances.

How are central bank reserve managers navigating a tumultuous global economy? Are they continuing to flee to safety? Or are they shifting toward or away from the dollar? Has their approach to Chinese assets changed on account of geopolitical conflict? And, amid such uncertainty, have central bank reserve managers been able to continue to develop their environmental, social and governance initiatives? In this podcast, Taylor Pearce and Julian Jacobs, senior economists at OMFIF, present a preview of the 2023 Global Public Investor report: our flagship study of central bank reserve managers. The report offers an insight into central bank behaviour, decision-making and beliefs about the future. The report will be launched on 27 June. Find out more here.

As the world's eyes turn towards Türkiye's pivotal run-off election on 28 May, the implications reach far beyond its democracy and regional standing. The nation's economy, weathered by skyrocketing inflation rates and a plunging currency value, stands at a critical juncture. In this podcast, Erich Arispe Morales, senior director of sovereigns at Fitch Ratings, speaks with Taylor Pearce, senior economist at OMFIF. They delve into the intricate interplay between this Sunday's run-off election and the economic ramifications awaiting Türkiye.

Crypto businesses have been crying out for regulatory clarity for years. At last, regulators around the world are beginning to deliver. Andrew Whitworth, Ripple’s policy director for Europe, the Middle East and Africa, joined Lewis McLellan, editor of OMFIF’s Digital Monetary Institute, to discuss the approaches to the crypto market that regulators are taking, where consensus is emerging and the gaps that remain to be filled.

The plumbing of financial markets could soon be overhauled. Distributed ledger technology offers a new way of settling financial transactions. Lewis McLellan, editor of OMFIF’s Digital Monetary Institute, is joined by three experts on the cutting edge of this technology’s application to capital markets: John O’Neill, global head of digital assets strategy at HSBC, Mathew McDermott, global head of digital assets at Goldman Sachs, and Bertrand de Mazières, director general finance at the European Investment Bank, the most prolific issuer of blockchain bonds. The panel discusses the remarkable progress that blockchain bond technology has made in recent years, as well as the challenges remaining in implementation.

Nature-positive finance is rising on investors’ agendas, yet uncertainty of how to scale up nature-positive flows remains. To help drive nature-based capital, Guernsey Financial Services Commission has developed a natural capital fund. William Mason, director general and Alison Gavey, director of Authorisations and Innovation Division at GFSC, join Emma McGarthy, head of OMFIF’s Sustainable Policy Institute to discuss criteria, targets and the commercial orientation of the fund, and what issuers and investors need to consider when identifying investable nature-based projects

Research is well underway for the 10th edition of OMFIF’s Global Public Investor – our flagship publication which explores the investment strategies of central bank reserves managers. Ellie Groves, Managing Director of OMFIF’s Economic and Monetary Policy Institute, speaks to Nikhil Sanghani, OMFIF’s Managing Director of Research, on: The aims of the GPI Key findings from previous reports A sneak peak of results from the 2023 survey, based on responses from over 50 central banks at the time of recording. The full results will be revealed at the launch on 27 June. Find out more here: https://www.omfif.org/global-public-investor/

The rapid pace of technological change is matched by the ever-evolving risks to financial stability and the global economy, as presented by the Covid-19 pandemic, as well as the acceleration of climate change and the volatility of digital financial assets. It is within this environment that central banks need to harness technology to capture, handle, integrate and use new data effectively. In this podcast, we explore key findings of an upcoming report assessing the challenges and opportunities facing central banks in the digital age. Specifically, our experts will dive into the operating models, technological platforms and integrated data strategies central banks are pursuing to thrive in a digital age. Host: Lewis McLellan, Editor, Digital Monetary Institute, OMFIF Guest: Oliver Berger, Head of Middle East & North Africa, State Street Corporation The management of efficient and organic data governance How are central banks approaching data transformation? What challenges do they face when ingesting, aggregating and analysing key economic and investment data from across their key functions? Which technologies or enterprise-wide solutions could be used to help mitigate these challenges? Follow-up question on cloud migration: How do central banks manage data sovereignty laws when considering migrating data to the cloud? The intersection of Process, People and Technology (PPT) from end to end

Gregory Smith, emerging markets fund manager at M&G Investments, speaks to Burhan Khadbai, head of content at OMFIF’s Sovereign Debt Institute, about the refinancing risks that African sovereigns are facing with a wall of bonds set to mature over the next few years. Smith talks about where the risks are most concentrated and the difficulty many African sovereigns with low credit ratings will face in accessing the markets. He also talks about the debt restructuring talks in Ghana and Zambia and the role of debt-for-nature swaps as a way of reducing high debt burdens and boosting investment in environmental conservation. Recorded on 17/03/23

With strains on the public purse and the need to keep the UK’s risk premium down after September 2022’s reckless mini-budget, Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt had limited room for largesse in his 15 March budget. There were some welcome pro-growth measures to help the supply-side of the economy. But while he patched a fiscal hole, the borrowing outlook looks much tougher – meaning the hardest debt decisions await whoever’s in power after 2024. Neil Williams, chief economist and Taylor Pearce, senior economist, discuss what’s in store for the UK. See also: UK budget patches a hole but borrowing outlook much tougher - OMFIF.

As our reliance on digital infrastructure grows, the dangers posed by more frequent and sophisticated cyberattacks grow too. Nataraj Nagaratnam, chief technology officer at IBM, joined Lewis McLellan, editor of OMFIF’s Digital Monetary Institute, to discuss the growing risks to our financial ecosystem and the tools that cloud providers can offer to help mitigate them. They also explored how systems can be designed around customer preferences while still offering the highest standard of security.

Pedro Duarte Neves, adviser for the board of directors of Banco de Portugal, joins Katerina Atkins, programme coordinator at OMFIF’s Sustainable Policy Institute, to discuss the critical topic of dealing with climate risks for financial stability. They share insights into the complexities surrounding the shift towards a low-carbon economy and the role played by central banks and policy-makers in tackling climate risks both in Europe and globally. They examine climate scenario analysis and stress testing tools and how to effectively communicate the results of climate risk assessments. If you are interested in learning more about the topic and meeting key policy-makers, regulators, public and private sector investors and ESG experts, join us for the Sustainable Policy Institute symposium on 22-23 March in London. Register here: https://www.omfif.org/spisymposium2023/ The views and opinions expressed the ones of the interviewee and do not necessarily reflect those of Banco de Portugal or the Eurosystem.

Public finance management systems are a means of delivering development outcomes through a governance system, so assuring that fund disbursements are impactful is crucial. The inability of current systems to accurately measure and track key indicators creates operational challenges and overcoming them is critical in facilitating effectual public good. Representatives from USAID and EY join OMFIF to discuss some of the challenges unfolding in aid projects and how they can be resolved.

  Join OMFIF's Emma McGarthy and Katerina Atkins as they give a sneak peek into what to expect from this year's highly anticipated Sustainable Policy Institute symposium. They delve into the main topics on the agenda and look forward to the keynote speakers who will be sharing their expertise.   The SPI symposium will take place on 22-23 March in London and will examine the role of monetary policy, climate risk, regulation and disclosure. It will address practical challenges in driving sustainable financial markets to achieve net zero. The event will convene a global network of key policy-makers, regulators, public and private sector investors and ESG experts.   And the best part? You can still register to participate! Don't miss out – find more information and register here: https://www.omfif.org/spisymposium2023/

Margarita Delgado, deputy governor of Banco de España, speaks to Emma McGarthy, head of OMFIF’s Sustainable Policy Institute, on the role of central banks in efforts to bring women into leadership positions in the financial sector. They discuss the policies and frameworks required, the initiatives and strategies implemented by Banca de España to close leadership gaps and how improving diversity can drive better returns for investors. 

Markus Stix, managing director at the Austrian Treasury, speaks to Burhan Khadbai, head of content at OMFIF’s Sovereign Debt Institute, about the launch of the world’s first short-term sovereign green bond programme. Stix talks about the reception of Austria’s first rollover of green Treasury bills, plans to issue green commercial paper and how the Treasury has shared its experiences with other sovereign debt management offices looking to follow in Austria’s footsteps.

Though the battle to rein in inflation continues in most major economies, monetary authorities are now beginning the much more uncertain process of quantitative tightening. As central banks drain liquidity from the financial system and unwind their balance sheets, what impact will this have on markets and government financing? Which markets will be particularly sensitive to tightening? What are the risks that may hinder policy-makers’ ability to implement QT as planned? Bill Papadakis, investment strategist on Lombard Odier’s macro team, speaks with OMFIF Chief Economist Neil Williams and Economist Taylor Pearce on the prospects for QT.

Even as its liquidity provision passes its 25th year, the Bank of Japan looks unlikely to tighten monetary policy in step with other central banks until deflation is beaten and the Ministry of Finance can end its reliance on ultra-low yields to control government debt costs. Neither of these looks likely to happen in the new governor’s five-year term starting on 9 April, and possibly beyond it. Neil Williams, chief economist, and Taylor Pearce, economist at OMFIF, discuss the tensions around the BoJ’s yield target and the impact that even more quantitative easing may have. With central bank independence looking blurred and fiscal costs a growing consideration in monetary decisions, is Japan is the best test case we have? https://www.omfif.org/2023/02/japan-25-years-of-adding-liquidity-and-counting/

There are myriad digital currency payment projects that offer efficient settlement within their networks, often improving speed and lowering costs relative to incumbent systems. One such project, the Universal Digital Payments Network (“UDPN”), which was launched last month in cooperation with GFT, goes further and promises to deliver interoperability between digital currencies and their respective systems. DMI editor Lewis McLellan is joined by David Creer, Global Digital Assets and CBDC Lead at GFT, and Alexander Feenie, Managing Partner at Chavanette Advisors, to discuss the Universal Digital Payments Network.

OMFIF’s survey of global public pension and sovereign funds revealed there is clear appetite among public investors to increase allocations to environmental, social and governance assets. But a major barrier, noted by 75% of respondents, is insufficient data or information. Adnan Memon, chief operating officer and head of data & analytics at Citi Business Advisory Services, joins Nikhil Sanghani, OMFIF’s managing director of research, to discuss the data challenges, as well as opportunities, facing ESG investors. They explore the specific data hurdles regarding ESG investing, how investors are using data differently when considering sustainable assets and the future of ESG as a distinct asset class. They also look into the benefits of a deeper understanding of supply chains, which often isn’t limited to ESG-related risk management. Find more details in Adnan Memon’s article, which was featured in our Global Public Pensions 2022 report.

Eric Usher, head of the United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative, joins Emma McGarthy, head of OMFIF’s Sustainable Policy Institute, to discuss how the UNEP is supporting the financial sector through the challenges of increasing disclosure and reporting requirements, transition planning and impact investment strategies. They discuss how the financial sector can scale up sustainable capital and asset allocation, the need to engage policy-makers to introduce further regulatory practices for the real economy’s transition as well as the rising focus on nature finance. For a more in-depth examination of disclosure requirements, transition finance and regulatory expectations, join us in London on 22-23 March at our annual SPI symposium. To see our confirmed speakers and to register to attend, click below. https://www.omfif.org/spisymposium2023/

OMFIF Economist Taylor Pearce and Chief Economist Neil Williams delve into what to look out for in the year head in this lightning round podcast. They cover the monetary and fiscal balance for governments and policy-makers, the resulting impacts on growth, currency and asset (re)allocation and heightened geopolitics.

Siegfried Ruhl, hors classe adviser to the director-general for budget at the European Commission, talks with Clive Horwood, OMFIF’s managing editor and deputy CEO, about the European Union’s borrowing plans for 2023. He discusses the new unified EU-Bonds funding approach, efforts to improve liquidity in EU debt, the role of primary dealers and the continued commitment to green bond issuance.

Neil Williams, chief economist, OMFIF, joined Antonio Curia, senior executive director of Wimmer Family Office, to provide a quarterly update on macroeconomics and a relevant view from policy-makers around the globe.

While COP26 revolved around what needs to be done to secure global net zero by 2050, COP27 focused on how to move from pledges to implementation. Mobilising finance is critical to delivering urgent action and has become one of the key aims of Egypt’s COP27 presidency.  This year’s climate summit intended to amplify the voices of developing countries and raise the topics of sovereign debt for nature and climate investment, reducing the cost of green borrowing, scaling up financing for both adaptation and resilience, loss and damage, and ensuring a just transition.   In this podcast, OMFIF’s Sustainable Policy Institute Head Emma McGarthy talks to Alex Michie, Head of Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero (GFANZ), on the key outcomes of COP27, the state of climate finance and moving from commitments to tangible action, GFANZ framework for transition planning and driving co-operation, convergence and forging the path to COP28.

As they head into the new year, what are the primary concerns for public asset owners? Where should they expect continuities from 2022, and where will there be divergence? How will they adjust to the new reality of higher risk, more uncertainty and more a volatile macro environment?  Max Castelli, head of strategy and advice, global sovereign markets, UBS Asset Management, joins Taylor Pearce, economist, OMFIF, to discuss these key questions and delve into diversification, inflation, quantitative tightening, environmental, social and governance concerns and other priorities for reserve managers in 2023.

Sinan Yilmaz, account and content manager at OMFIF, sits down with Lewis McLellan, editor of the Digital Monetary Institute, to discuss everything related to FTX and its downfall. Including, but not limited to the domino effects, if MiCa would have prevented this, and how Enron compares to Enron in the early 2000's. If you have any requests, ideas or questions for our speakers, do drop us an email at [email protected]. 

Jana Velebova-Harvey, senior portfolio manager in the emerging markets team at BlueBay Asset Management, speaks to Burhan Khadbai, head of content at OMFIF’s Sovereign Debt Institute, on the issuance conditions for emerging market sovereigns in 2022 and the outlook for the year ahead. Velebova-Harvey talks about the challenges EM sovereigns have faced in accessing the primary market, innovative environmental, social and governance-themed debt restructuring such as debt for nature swaps and carbon-backed bonds, and Ukraine’s reconstruction and recovery.

Wenbin Wong, head of GrabFin Singapore, and Lewis McLellan, editor of the Digital Monetary Institute, discuss ‘buy now, pay later’ — a rapidly growing form of consumer lending. The ease of use and accessibility that BNPL offers could make it a valuable tool for economic empowerment, but as consumer exposure grows, it is vital that regulators keep a close eye on unintended outcomes in the marketplace. This podcast explores the benefits that BNPL can bring for individuals, particularly in south east Asia, who are underserved by traditional banking services, as well as the recent Singapore BNPL code of conduct, which could provide a framework for other jurisdictions looking to keep their burgeoning BNPL markets safe.

Geopolitical tensions were apparent even before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, clearly evident in the US-China trade war and exacerbated by prolonged supply chain disruptions due to the pandemic and surrounding policy measures. Some economists have argued that we’re entering – or that we have already entered – an era of multipolarity and global economic fragmentation. Discussing the various pillars of globalisation, Massimiliano Castelli, head of strategy and advice, and Philipp Salman, strategy and advice, global sovereign markets, UBS Asset Management, speak with Taylor Pearce, economist, OMFIF on why the deglobalisation story is more complicated than it seems, with a particular focus on emerging trends in global trade and finance. The views expressed are as of November 2022 and are those of the author and not necessarily the views of UBS Asset Management. This podcast is a marketing communication and the information herein should not be considered investment advice or a recommendation to purchase or sell securities or any particular strategy or fund. Information and opinions have been provided in good faith and are subject to change without notice.

Christian Kopf, head of fixed income at Union Investment, speaks to Burhan Khadbai, head of content at OMFIF’s Sovereign Debt Institute, about the difficult market conditions European public sector borrowers face. Kopf outlines the macro environment for fixed income and the rate hiking cycle, deteriorating liquidity and high volatility for European government bonds, and why he sees an opportunity for certain supranational and agency borrowers. Kopf also gives his thoughts on the sterling bond market and why it will take time before confidence is restored following the chaos of the controversial mini budget. This podcast was recorded on 1 November.

The Bank of England’s intervention in September to restart gilt purchases to support markets and pension funds troubled by rising rates and unfunded fiscal expansion is a warning that fiscal considerations are becoming a more potent force in monetary decisions. It could also be an early test case for other quantitative easing countries grappling with bloated central bank balance sheets, high debt and rising policy rates. Neil Williams, chief economist and Taylor Pearce, economist at OMFIF, discuss what the forces driving government funding costs will be, whether there are other measures available and how they might suit the UK. Global Public Pensions 2022, OMFIF’s survey of pension funds, is launching on Tuesday 6 December.  

With only days to go until COP27 takes place in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, there is hope that it will focus on priority issues for the African continent, including addressing Africa’s climate challenges and the deadlock on climate finance. The Absa Africa Financial Markets Index 2022, published by OMFIF, found that more African countries are implementing environmental, social and governance policies and offering sustainable financial products.   Ahead of this year’s climate conference, Katerina Atkins, programme coordinator of OMFIF’s Sustainable Policy Institute, speaks with Nikhil Sanghani, OMFIF’s managing director of research, about the findings of the report on the availability of sustainable products and ESG policy indicators across the African continent. They discuss which African countries are spearheading sustainable financial product offerings and why it is important for the continent to continue working on sustainability-focused policies.

Burhan Khadbai, head of content at OMFIF’s Sovereign Debt Institute, sits down with Tammo Diemer, member of the management board at Deutsche Finanzagentur, to discuss the unprecedented volatility and challenges facing the German government bond market. Diemer discusses the weak demand facing Bunds – including the recent seven-year auction and 30-year syndication – the Finanzagentur’s decision to tap bonds to use in the repo market, joint EU debt to fund the energy crisis, the performance of Germany’s green bonds and the outlook for 2023.

While announced as a temporary measure, the Bank of England’s purchases of long-dated gilts is another reminder of how central banks will struggle to reduce bloated balance sheets. Japan’s quantitative easing rumbles on, and the US and euro area are still at the nascent stage of addressing their central bank’s finances. QE globally has been no panacea, and the BoE has been quick to differentiate financial support from QE. Yet, by trying to suppress bond yields and signalling that money printing can be used to finance fiscal spending, it suggests fiscal considerations have in QE countries become a more potent force behind monetary decisions as rates rise. In the UK, ‘the kindness of strangers’ will increasingly hinge more on yield, currency and ratings considerations compared to Japan. Is the UK a test case for others, what are the problems and where do we go from here? Neil Williams, chief economist, and Taylor Pearce, economist, OMFIF, discuss.

Lewis McLellan, DMI editor, is joined by two representatives from Promontory, a digital asset advisory service within IBM consulting. Elizabeth Severinovskaya, senior principal at Promontory specialising in anti-money laundering, and Lorena Rosero, principal at Promontory focusing on information risk management and the mitigation of cyber risks, discuss the challenges of policing the increasingly popular digital asset ecosystem, laying out the key dangers posed by the new technology and some of the regulatory tools evolving to combat them.

In this podcast, former Italian diplomat Antonio Armellini and Silvia Dall’Angelo, senior economist at Federated Hermes, speak with OMFIF Economist Taylor Pearce about the economic consequences of the 25 September general election in Italy. They explain the factors that led to the victory of far-right Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and explore the outlook for Italy’s economic future under the leadership of the conservative coalition. They discuss Italy’s Recovery and Resilience Plan, fiscal framework and debt sustainability, and the country’s position in the euro area.

Biodiversity loss is increasingly on financial market agendas and De Nederlandsche Bank has been assessing nature-related risks financial institutions face. Saskia de Vries, Head of the International Financial Architecture department at the Financial Stability division of De Nederlandsche Bank, speaks with Emma McGarthy, head of OMFIF’s Sustainable Policy Institute, about the role of central banks in driving nature-related risk mitigation, accelerating nature-positive financial flows, and the Network for Greening the Financial Sector’s task force on biodiversity loss and nature-related risks.

Andrew Slack, strategic designer at SICPA, along with Erin Taylor, consultant, and Annette Broløs, associate consultant from Finthropology, join Lewis McLellan, Digital Monetary Institute editor, to discuss their fascinating new report on consumer behaviour in payments. They discuss the insights this research gives them into the priorities and concerns of citizens and how they can help shape digital currency policy and development. While the results gathered from this research are regionally specific and will vary between jurisdictions, some of the surprising conclusions it has thrown up shows the value of pursuing this type of research for other economies as well.  To read SICPA’s short summary report Insights for CBDC Design, click here:  https://www.sicpa.com/insights/cbdc-fostering-financial-inclusion

A fundamentally weak pound is not the best platform on which to base uncertainty about the Bank of England’s future. But, barring the withdrawal of independence, there are – after 25 years of the Monetary Policy Committee – real opportunities to make new UK Prime Minister Liz Truss’ review constructive. It must be thorough, non-political and not drag on. Uncertainty in the meantime may put even greater pressure on the MPC to accelerate rate hikes and go harder on quantitative tightening. And, if that exacerbates stagflation, Truss may not get the full-blown recovery she needs before the next general election. So, what are the issues, what are the most feasible options and where do we go from here? Neil Williams, chief economist, and Taylor Pearce, economist, OMFIF, discuss. For more, see https://www.omfif.org/2022/09/options-for-truss-to-preserve-the-bank-of-englands-independence/  

Japan is committed to achieving carbon neutrality by 2050 and reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 46% by 2030. To do so, the country has focused on developing transition finance, an approach designed to support polluting companies that are trying to reduce their carbon footprints. Satoshi Ikeda, chief sustainable finance officer at Japan’s Financial Services Agency, spoke with Katerina Atkins, programme coordinator of OMFIF’s Sustainable Policy Institute. They discussed Japan’s approach to sustainable finance and regulatory practice, guidelines for climate transition finance, transition bond issuance and preventing greenwashing.

Algorand, a blockchain company and central bank digital currency platform, join the Digital Monetary Institute’s editor, Lewis McLellan, to discuss the latest trends in CBDC development. Naveed Ihsanullah, vice-president of engineering research, Pietro Grassano, business solutions director for Europe, and Co-Pierre Georg, associate professor at the University of Cape Town and member of Algorand’s economic advisory committee, share their thoughts on some of the key themes in CBDCs: decentralisation, monetary sovereignty, privacy and financial inclusion. Many of their insights are drawn from their 2022 report, ‘Issuing Central Bank Digital Currency on Algorand’.

Dave Sissens, chief executive officer of RTGS.Global, sits down with the Digital Monetary Institute’s editor, Lewis McLellan, to discuss the possibilities for improving the quality of the infrastructure underpinning cross-border payments. They discuss the role that RTGS.Global’s platform could play in the future of the wholesale foreign exchange settlement ecosystem and how it might integrate with other payments systems, including CBDCs. They cover payment versus payment settlement, the removal of counterparty risk, the role of decentralisation and what the payments landscape will look like over the next five to 10 years.

Regulation and disclosure requirements for the financial sector are on the rise, and commitments to the net zero transition are increasing. Daniel Bouzas Luis, regional coordinator for Europe at the United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative, speaks with Emma McGarthy, head of OMFIF’s Sustainable Policy Institute, about the development of UN-convened net zero alliances, the role of European institutions in the global sustainability transition and the European Union’s green taxonomy. They discuss commitments, successes and challenges for sustainable finance, including closing data gaps and increasing disclosure frameworks.

Larissa De Lima, senior fellow at the Oliver Wyman Forum, and Erica Salinas, global technical leader for blockchain at AWS, join Lewis McLellan, editor of OMFIF’s Digital Monetary Institute, to discuss their joint report, 'Retail Central Bank Digital Currency: From Vision to Design'. They delve into the importance of clear strategic priorities when it comes to designing a CBDC for retail use. Some jurisdictions will aim to prioritise the impact on financial inclusion that introducing a retail CBDC will have. Others will be more concerned with ensuring the privacy and data security of the users. De Lima and Salinas discuss policy trade-offs that CBDCs will have to grapple with, accepting compromises based on their priorities. The range of priorities is broad, and each possibility implies a different technical architecture.

Wolfram Seidemann, chief executive officer of G+D Currency Technology, joins John Orchard, CEO of OMFIF, for a discussion on how the recent crypto crash may influence government policy regarding central bank digital currencies. They touch on the importance of security and interoperability within the payments landscape.

Simon Chantry, Bitt’s co-founder and chief information officer, and its new economist Jim Shinn, a former US government official and member of the Criteo central bank digital currency team that was one of the three winners of the Monetary Authority of Singapore’s global CBDC challenge in 2021, join DMI editor Lewis McLellan. They discuss Bitt’s experience in deploying CBDC protocols, key themes emerging in retail CBDC development and the geopolitical pressures underpinning them.

The European Central Bank has established a supervisory climate risk stress test to better understand banks’ capabilities, risk metrics, long-term risk projections and parameters in physical and transition risk scenarios. Christoffer Kok, head of the stress test modelling division of the ECB's directorate general for macroprudential policy and financial stability, joins Emma McGarthy, head of OMFIF’s Sustainable Policy Institute, to discuss the results of the stress test, approaches and methodologies taken and lessons learnt.

Melvin Khomo, general manager for financial markets at the Central Bank of Eswatini, joins Dieter Sauter, general manager of the business unit value printing at Bundesdruckerei, and Lewis McLellan, editor of the Digital Monetary Institute, to discuss what advantages a central bank digital currency can deliver. The importance of a robust means of digital identity verification as a means of improving financial inclusion as well as part of the foundation for digital currency infrastructure and the importance of creating a robust, secure platform that citizens will feel confident in adopting are also covered.

Public asset owners are at an inflection point as traditional investment strategies and business models are challenged by a rapidly changing landscape. Sovereign funds, public pension funds and central banks, which collectively hold over $40tn in assets, need to adapt to an industry in flux to achieve their core goals. In a far-reaching, survey-based report, ‘The Evolution of Public Asset Owners’, BNY Mellon finds that the majority of public asset owners are seeking new and bold ideas in search of yield, that only 6% are satisfied with their business models and a solid majority have begun operational transformation, in large part to meet the demands of digitisation and data challenges. Christine Mikolajuk, Europe, Middle East and Africa chief operating officer for global client management at BNY Mellon, joins Patricia Haas Cleveland, OMFIF US president, to discuss the report's findings.

With Governor Andrew Bailey conveying to an OMFIF gathering that the monetary policy committee ‘will, if necessary, act forcefully… no ifs and buts’ to get consumer price index inflation down to its 2% target, all eyes will be on the MPC’s August announcement. Further - and potentially heavier rate hikes - look inevitable, as the Bank reclaims its cherished policy tool, while in tandem, though not with equal force, starting a process of active quantitative tightening (gradually selling the Bank’s assets). August’s meeting thus provides an important opportunity to take the next steps - with a possible sixth rate hike since December, of at least 25 basis points and very possibly more, and a pathway for QT. To discuss the issues, Neil Williams, OMFIF’s chief economist, speaks with OMFIF economist, Taylor Pierce.

Despite other central banks flexing their muscles, Japan’s authorities have every reason to prolong a policy loosening in the Bank of Japan’s 24th year. Japan’s quantitative easing will have to continue with policy rates suppressed, leaving the ministry of finance reliant on the Bank of Japan as its monetary agent. Yet, deep in a liquidity trap, it’s doubtful easier money alone will prove any different, suggesting the late Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was right to believe that other policy strands would be needed. In the longer term, is Japan still a test case for others? OMFIF Chief Economist Neil Williams covers the issues with Economist Taylor Pearce. For more, see ‘Breaking Japan’s deflationary psychology’. (https://www.omfif.org/2022/07/breaking-japans-deflationary-psychology/)

Elia Trippel, policy analyst at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, spoke with Katerina Atkins, programme coordinator of OMFIF’s Sustainable Policy Institute, about the objectives and metrics of a social taxonomy and the process of its development in the European Union.

The European Central Bank has been slower than most to pull away the monetary rug, but it now stands ready with a key announcement on 21 July. What should we expect as it raises rates and, having stopped net purchases, sets out its stall for reinvesting member governments’ maturing bonds? Can the two levers be used in equal force, or will onus have to be on rate hikes over quantitative tightening to avoid fragmentation risk? What could possibly go wrong? How should asset allocators play it as the ECB is set aside from other central banks, having to manage a monetary union short on economic union? And, after an initial hike in July – the first for 11 years – what might we expect from the 8 September meeting and beyond? To discuss the issues, Salman Ahmed, global head of macro & strategic asset allocation at Fidelity International, speaks with Neil Williams, OMFIF chief economist. For more on the ECB’s soon-to-be-unveiled anti-fragmentation tool, see Eight thorny questions over ECB fragmentation. https://www.omfif.org/2022/07/eight-thorny-questions-over-ecb-fragmentation/

Investors, issuers and policy-makers are all trying to make sense of the war in Ukraine, a global pandemic, more than a decade of cheap money and now rising interest rates and inflation. How do the world’s reserves managers view the global macro outlook? What are the main concerns and drivers? And what are their strategies for asset allocation and integrating environmental, social and governance strategies? Max Castelli, head of strategy and advice, global sovereign markets, UBS Asset Management, joins Neil Williams, chief economist, OMFIF, to discuss these key questions and delve into reserves managers’ priorities and concerns in the future.

OMFIF Chief Economist Neil Williams speaks with Economist Taylor Pearce in a lightning-round podcast on quantitative easing. They discuss the situation regarding quantitative easing, why central banks are so slow to wind down their balance sheets and what the benefits of running QT would be. For more on this theme, check out Williams’ commentary ‘Central banks can tighten by doing nothing’.

The €800bn Next Generation EU fund – set up to help finance Europe’s recovery from the economic damage of the Covid-19 pandemic – has been operating since last June. How is its lending schedule and debt management office-like funding programme going? How has its market-changing green bond programme progressed? Who is buying its bonds? How will it operate after 2026, when its initial mandate is complete? How does it compare to other European agency and sovereign borrowers? Might it help finance the eventual reconstruction of Ukraine? Siegfried Ruhl, Hors Classe Advisor at the European Commission's budget department, speaks to OMFIF CEO John Orchard ahead of the conference on the NGEU in Singapore.

Just as economies and financial markets around the world were beginning to recover from the unprecedented Covid-19 shocks, fallout from the war in Ukraine has heightened global financial risk once again. How have the post-2008 financial crisis stability frameworks fared in response to these crises? Pedro Duarte Neves, adviser for the board of directors, Banco de Portugal, and Bill Papadakis, investment strategist for Lombard Odier's macro team, speak to Taylor Pearce, OMFIF economist, about the various facets of financial stability for the euro area and globally, including the risks associated with corporate debt levels, sustainability imperatives and non-bank financial institutions.

Though blockchain is now a well-known term, the specific qualities that make it useful are still poorly understood. David Chan, CEO and co-founder of a distributed ledger technology-based programmable money platform called eCora, joins Lewis McLellan, editor of OMFIF’s Digital Monetary Institute. They discuss the unique properties of modern blockchains and highlight the areas – like programmable digital currency for industry – where they are uniquely placed to deliver value.

Lewis McLellan, editor of OMFIF’s Digital Monetary Institute, joined Victoria Cumings, chief legal and regulatory officer at RTGS.global, at the DMI Symposium to discuss how the Financial Stability Board’s roadmap for enhancing cross-border payments is driving change in the payments ecosystem. They discussed public and private sector efforts to transform international payments and delved into how new thinking and approaches can contribute towards industry improvements.

Dennis Shen, macroeconomist and director of sovereign ratings at Scope Ratings, speaks with Taylor Pearce, economist at OMFIF, about China’s economic relations with the US and Europe in the global macroeconomic and geopolitical landscape. Shen discusses how China is balancing its political and economic interests in the face of western sanctions on Russia, assesses the future of the renminbi as a reserve currency and concludes with his outlook for China’s economy and future influence, including how China’s slowing growth may affect the country’s soft power objectives.

Xiaochen Zhang is principal manager at Amazon Web Services. Prior to AWS, Xiaochen worked with many portfolio companies in launching new offers, entering into new markets and building transformative collaborative initiatives on central bank digital currencies, sustainable development and blockchain. Xiaochen built strong collaborations with government agencies, multinational organisations and financial institutions through work with the World Bank, United Nations, Inter-America Development Bank, Astana International Finance Center, FinTech4Good and many other international platforms in the past 20 years.

Sherry Madera, senior vice president, public policy and government affairs at Mastercard and co-chair of the Future of Sustainable Data Alliance, Matthew Blake, head of financial and monetary system initiatives at the World Economic Forum, and Haleh Nazeri, platform curator, financial services, WEF, join Emma McGarthy, head of OMFIF’s Sustainable Policy Institute. They explore the need to drive environmental, social and governance talent development and acquisition in financial services and the skills required to meet net zero. They discuss how companies can fill the gaps identified in ESG talent and the tools, data strategies and policies required to create sustainability roles.  View the World Economic Forum and Future of Sustainable Data Alliance Talent Development Tool here. Download the report 'Future of Sustainable Data Alliance (FoSDA): towards consistent, comprehensive and coherent data' here. 

On this podcast, Philip Middleton speaks to Ashley Alder on regulating cryptoassets. This clip was taken from our global DMI symposium which you can view here. Ashley Alder is the Chief Executive Officer of the Securities and Futures Commission (SFC). Ashley started his career as a lawyer in London in 1984. He came to Hong Kong in 1989 with the international law firm Herbert Smith, practicing corporate and business law. He was Executive Director of Corporate Finance at the SFC from 2001 to 2004, before returning to Herbert Smith, later as head of the firm’s Asia Region. He rejoined the SFC in 2011. Ashley was appointed by the Chief Executive of Hong Kong as a Justice of the Peace in 2014 and is a Fellow of The Hong Kong Institute of Bankers. He is currently the Vice Chairman of the Board of the International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO) and the Chairman of the IOSCO Asia Pacific Regional Committee. Ashley attained his Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of London in 1982 and graduated from the University of Cambridge with a Master of Laws degree in 1983.

Øystein Olsen, governor of Norges Bank for 11 years up to 28 February, speaks to David Marsh, OMFIF chairman, about the lessons he has learned over four decades in public service, including in helping to steer the world’s largest sovereign fund. Olsen, a veteran energy economist and formerly Norway’s statistics supremo, has become a member of the OMFIF advisory council. Norges Bank is responsible for managing the Government Pension Fund Global, with $1.3tn invested through Norges Bank Investment Management. In this podcast, Olsen, who handed over to Deputy Governor Ida Wolden Bache, speaks about his long-term role in developing the fund, its investment policies in supporting corporate governance and sustainability, Norway’s place in European energy, the future of oil and gas, and the 2020 controversy over the appointment of NBIM’s new chief executive.

Wally Adeyemo, deputy secretary of the US Treasury, joins Mark Sobel, US chair, OMFIF, for a broad discussion on the US’ fiscal outlook. Their discussion will take in everything from international comparisons of recovery, sanctions review and Afghanistan.

Andrew Sentance, former member of the Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee, speaks to Neil Williams, OMFIF’s chief economist, on the 25th anniversary of the MPC. With the committee a ‘quarter century not out’, Sentance shares his experience of being one of the more outspoken members. While covering the MPC’s numerous runs scored since 1997, he also navigates the dropped catches and the strategy needed to make the next 25 years even more impressive.

Philipp Steinberg, director general for economic policy and energy and ministry coordinator for sustainable development in the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs, joins Emma McGarthy, head of OMFIF’s Sustainable Policy Institute, to discuss Germany’s policies and strategies for reaching net zero. They touch upon regulatory frameworks – including Germany’s relationship with the EU taxonomy – the implications of the geopolitical crisis in Ukraine for renewable energy development and how capital can be reallocated towards clean energy.

Anne Simpson, newly appointed global head of sustainability at Franklin Templeton, joins Emma McGarthy, head of OMFIF’s Sustainable Policy Institute, to discuss the need for a more holistic approach to environmental, social and governance issues. They examine the convergence of standards and the impact of the newly created International Sustainability Standards Board, the role of the financial sector in achieving net zero and how to reallocate capital towards ESG investments. They explore how to prevent greenwashing, active ownership versus divestment and the increasing role that labelling is playing in investment decisions.

The advent of widely available quantum computing poses an existential threat to present techniques and standards of cryptography. William Gee, partner, innovation and digitalisation, PWC, and Andrew Cheung, president and chief executive officer of 01 Communique Lab, join Lewis McLellan, editor of OMFIF’s Digital Monetary Institute, to discuss the implications of a new, more powerful type of computing that will render present cryptographic standards obsolete. They explore the consequences of the proliferation of quantum computing, the risks it poses and the steps being taken to mitigate them.

OMFIF's Philip Middleton, Digital Monetary Institute chair, sits down with Denis Beau, deputy governor at Banque de France, to discuss whether central bank digital currencies are a necessary component of a digitalised capital markets infrastructure. This podcast is taken from our 'Future of capital markets' report launch on 31 March 2022. Watch more here.

Bénédicte Nolens, head of the BIS Innovation Hub Hong Kong, and Xiaochen Zhang, principal manager at Amazon Web Services, join Katie-Ann Wilson, head of policy analysis at the OMFIF Digital Monetary Institute, to explore how the public and private sector are using new technologies to overcome the challenges facing green finance. They discuss the process of green bond tokenisation and application of distributed ledger technology across market infrastructure, how the intersection of blockchain, cloud and artificial intelligence can address the whole value chain of climate data, and what practical steps can be taken to ensure policy-makers reap the benefits of new technologies for environmental, social and governance considerations.  

Xinting Jia, ESG investment strategist, APAC, State Street Global Advisors, joins Emma McGarthy, head of OMFIF’s Sustainable Policy Institute, to discuss the methods and tools investors use when integrating environmental, social and governance factors into their investment decisions. With sustainability-related risks increasingly on the agenda, they delve into the metrics and targets that should be used to assess physical and transition risks. They explore the main challenges in transitioning investment portfolios, ask how to manage supply chains and identify the information and data needed to conduct robust ESG analysis.

Wolfram Seidemann, chief executive officer of G+D Currency Technology, joins John Orchard, CEO of OMFIF, for a discussion about the key findings from the joint OMFIF-G+D survey on consumer attitudes to CBDC and what factors are important for CBDCs to be successful. Their conversation also addresses how G+D is providing leading technology in the digital currency space.

Robert Bench, assistant vice-president at the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, and Aman Cheema, global head of global real-time payments at FIS, join Patricia Haas Cleveland, US president of OMFIF, to discuss the key findings of the Boston Fed’s recent phase one report on Project Hamilton and look ahead to the challenges and next steps for a viable central bank digital currency. The conversation also touches on the global CBDC sandbox from FIS which is to be used by countries to assess the feasibility and viability of launching a CBDC. 

Gloria Bartoli, professor of public management at the LUISS Guido Carli in Rome, speaks with Taylor Pearce, economist at OMFIF, about debt sustainability and fiscal reform in the European Union. Drawing on her extensive experience in international organisations and the design of international policy and regulatory frameworks, Bartoli provides her view of the debt landscape in Europe and analyses the possibility of returning to a pre-pandemic status quo. The discussion explores how the Next Generation EU fund and Recovery and Resilience Facility – introduced as part of the European Union’s emergency pandemic relief measures – can lay the groundwork for more robust reform of the European fiscal framework, Stability and Growth Pact and debt rules.

Domenico Nardelli, treasurer at the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, joins Marcin Stepan, managing director of OMFIF’s Sovereign Debt Institute, to discuss the borrowing landscape in Asia. In the current potentially volatile environment, with risks of raising rates challenging market conditions, they discuss the AIIB’s issuance ambitions and strategies. They reflect on the growth of the green, social and sustainable bond market and take a look at some important developments for 2022.

The West has rolled out tough financial sanctions against Moscow with unprecedented speed, magnitude and multilateral co-operation. This move will not stop Russian tanks, but it will squarely impoverish President Vladimir Putin’s regime. Danny Glaser, global head of jurisdictional services at K2 Integrity and former assistant secretary at the US Treasury overseeing sanctions, and Christopher Smart, chief global strategist and head of the Barings Institute, as well as former US Treasury/National Security Council special assistant to the president, join OMFIF's US Chair Mark Sobel. They discuss the efficacy, historical context and the economic consequences of the sanctions across the globe. 

What impact will the emergence of central bank digital currencies and cryptoassets have on the gold market? John Reade, chief market strategist at the World Gold Council, and Bob Wardrop, director and co-founder of the Cambridge Centre for Alternative Finance, join David Marsh, OMFIF chairman, to explore this question. They expand on topics emerging from the recent OMFIF and World Gold Council paper ‘Central bank digital currencies and gold’, including those surrounding geopolitics, inflation, trust and the role of gold in a future dominated by CBDCs and cryptoassets.

Charles Goodhart, emeritus professor of economics at the London School of Economics and Political Science, talks to David Marsh, chairman of OMFIF, about his theses on the effects of demography and immigration, the revival of inflation and the threat to central bank independence. He sees this latter danger as particularly virulent from right-wing governments, including from the possibility of a re-elected Donald Trump (or indeed from a return of any Republican administration in the US).  Goodhart is a veteran central bank watcher who was a founder member of the Bank of England monetary policy committee in 1997-2000. He has warned for years that central banks may be unable to tighten interest rates sufficiently to ward off inflation because this would further exacerbate the budgetary problems of debt-ridden governments. In his prescient book from 2020, co-authored with Manoj Pradhan, The Great Demographic Reversal: Ageing Societies, Waning Inequality, and an Inflation Revival, the two authors explain the societal and economic changes wrought an ageing society.  They believe that the fall in the workforce will inevitably shift bargaining power to lower-paid workers and trade unions. Political resistance, they forecast, will prevent immigration from being large enough to reinflate the supply of labour and diminish inflationary pressures.

Following the publication of ‘The future of payments 2021’ report, Saskia Devolder, strategic programme director, SWIFT, joins John Orchard, chief executive officer of OMFIF, to discuss the financial community’s collective cross-border payments initiatives aimed at overcoming challenges to instant and frictionless payments. They also discuss predictions of what the payments space will look like in five years and the role of CBDCs in the future of payments.

Thomas Vellacot, CEO, WWF Switzerland, joins Emma McGarthy, head of OMFIF’s Sustainable Policy Institute, to discuss the role WWF is playing in biodiversity and conservation finance. They discuss how governments and private industries are developing financing solutions to protect and sustainably manage natural resources. They explore solutions to biodiversity financing and risk considerations, as well as the latest developments in carbon pricing and mechanisms for driving the transition to net zero and increasing ecological conservation. View the panel discussed in this podcast here.

With the impact of Covid-19 on international monetary and financial conditions, as well as higher energy and goods prices, Catherine Mann, external member of the Monetary Policy Committee at the Bank of England, discusses the latest economic projections for the UK. She offers her thinking on effects on inflation and the direction of monetary policy.  To view the slides mentioned in this podcast, please visit our website here: https://www.omfif.org/videos/a-macroeconomic-overview-and-the-bank-of-englands-monetary-policy/  

The digital assets landscape is growing rapidly in both scale and variety. As the first regulated digital securities exchange, Six Digital Exchange is at the heart of this developing market. Michele Curtoni, Head of Strategy at SDX, joins Lewis McLellan, editor of OMFIF’s DMI, to discuss the benefits that a new digital architecture for financial securities is starting to bring. Curtoni goes into detail on the benefits of distributed ledger technology in improving the settlement of different asset classes and the disruption that it enables. He also discusses how to solve what he calls the ‘cold start problem’ — the problem of how to simultaneously introduce digital assets, liquidity, and a dedicated digital market infrastructure.

Max Castelli and Athanasios Orphanides discuss inflation expectations in the euro area and how these impact monetary policy thinking and market behaviour. Talking to Ellie Groves, Castelli, head of strategy, global sovereign markets at UBS Asset Management, and Orphanides, who is professor of the practice of global economics and management at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Sloan School of Management, as well as former governor of the Central Bank of Cyprus and member of the European Central Bank governing council, contextualise inflation forecasts from the ECB and UBS. They explore what is in store for central bank reserves managers as they navigate investing in riskier assets and the biggest risks facing the financial community in 2022.

Randal Quarles, former member of the board of governors of the Federal Reserve System, joins Mark Sobel, US chair, OMFIF, for a broad discussion on the outlook of the Federal Reserve. Their discussion will take in everything from the economic outlook, financial stability to Randal’s reflections on his time at the Fed and as Chair of the Financial Stability Board. 

As economies around the world look for ways to foster greater financial inclusion, conversations have increased around upgrading the global payments system, both wholesale and retail. Koji Fusa, chief executive officer at GVE, joins John Orchard, chief executive officer of OMFIF, to discuss the tension between privacy and oversight if physical cash is phased out, characteristics of a two-tier (opted for by the People’s Bank of China and most other central banks considering CBDCs) and three-tier system. A closer look at the impact on tokens and contracts used to settle transactions if a new payments system is created involving using blockchain or distributed ledger technology is also explored.  View the graph mentioned in the podcast here. 

With climate change evermore on the global agenda, investors and the financial sector are increasingly having to factor ESG into investment decisions. In collaboration with Mazars, OMFIF has produced a report titled: ESG and US asset management: The future is now. In the virtual launch of the report, which includes a brief overview of key findings, panellists discuss investment approaches to ESG, data metrics and standards, the political and policy environment impacting approaches to ESG, as well as opportunities and developments in ESG processes. 

Jingdong Hua shares his reflections as he retires as treasurer from the World Bank and after an extensive career in development finance across different multilateral organisations. In a broad ranging interview with David Marsh, chairman of OMFIF, they discuss among others the role of multilateral development banks in a post-covid world, holistic approaches to tackling climate change as well as how to develop and strengthen local capital markets in emerging economies. 

As economies around the world move towards a greater degree of digitalisation and look to foster greater financial inclusion, CBDCs could prove to be crucial to safeguarding central bank money. James Wallis, vice-president, central bank engagements and CBDCs, RippleX at Ripple, joins John Orchard, chief executive officer of OMFIF, to discuss the economic benefits and risks surrounding CBDCs, collaboration between the private and public sectors, the stablecoin debate and privacy trade-off concerns.

Interest rates are on the rise as the ‘transitory’ rise in inflation appears to be more persistent than previously thought. Max Castelli, head of strategy, global sovereign markets, UBS Asset Management, talks with David Marsh, OMFIF chairman, about the European Central Bank’s policies ahead of the all-important end-of-year governing council meeting on 16 December, where the central bank’s 2022 asset purchase strategy will take centre stage. The podcast features findings from UBS’ research on reserves management, including reserves managers facing potential losses on their fixed income portfolios for the first time in a very long while and how they are diversifying away from government bonds to better respond to this challenging reality.

As innovation in fintech continues to accelerate, it is important to understand the needs and expectations of consumers, how the evolution of technologies may improve financial access and health, and the conditions and requirements for responsible and equitable innovation. How will current approaches and frameworks evolve as the speed, infrastructure and providers of financial services rapidly change? Usman Ahmed, head of global public policy and research at PayPal, and Ivy Lau, lead manager of global public policy and research at PayPal, join Patricia Haas Cleveland, US president of OMFIF, to discuss the future of fintech innovation.

Pietro Grassano, business solutions director for Europe at Algorand, delves into the issue of tokenised money and the need for tokenisation to occur on a domestic and cross-border level. The podcast comes ahead of the release of ‘Future of cross-border payments’, a report OMFIF created in partnership with Algorand. The podcast broaches topics such as the definition of tokenisation in relation to payments, the features of payment tokens that can help mediate cross-border frictions, the issue of blockchain centralisation and decentralisation, and the next steps for global coordination. Enjoyed this podcast?  For the launch of OMFIF’s ‘Future of cross-border payments’ report, the Digital Monetary Institute is convening a panel titled 'The future of cross-border payments' to explore the potential role of digital currencies in cross-border payments, the future role of traditional payments providers and networks, the role of distributed ledger technology in upgrading wholesale payments and remittances, as well as next steps for global coordination. Register here.

In this end-of-year podcast, Eila Kreivi, head of capital markets at the European Investment Bank, reviews the European borrowing landscape in 2021, the launch of the Next Generation EU fund and the development of the green bond market. The discussion focuses on the impact of the European Union as a major issuer, lessons learned by the EIB on debt issuance, the role of green bonds and the extent to which the EU taxonomy on sustainable finance is fit for purpose. Enjoyed this podcast?  Register for our virtual panel on the outlook for European sovereign borrowing 2022 here. Read the commentary titled 'Investors seek ‘transparency, engagement and open dialogue’ in green bond issuance' here.

The transition to digital currencies continues at a rapid pace and has inevitably been accelerated by Covid-19. As the economy moves towards a greater degree of digitalisation, a retail CBDC could prove important in safeguarding central bank money as well as protecting the interest of consumers and vendors online. The main topics of discussion for this panel include the unbundling of financial services and the impact on commercial banks, the ECB’s balance sheet implications under a two-tier model, the role of central banks in supporting digital evolution and how a programmable euro could safeguard the EU’s technological competitiveness. The need for a digital euro, the growing role of fintech and the potential division of labour under a two-tier retail model also come under consideration. This podcast is taken from the virtual conference 'European payments and digital assets: promoting sovereignty and integration through digitalisation'. Catch up here.

Richard Berner, clinical professor of finance at the Stern School of Business, New York University, joins Natalia Ospina, deputy head of reports, OMFIF. They take a deep dive into the climate stress testing methodology that he developed with Nobel Prize in Economics winner Robert Engle and Hyeyoon Jung, financial economist at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, which gauges the resilience of financial institutions to climate-related risks. They discuss in detail how climate change could lead to a substantial increase in systemic risks in the banking sector. Financial institutions could find themselves looking to raise $70bn-$90bn, or between 20% to 30% of their equity to restore their prudential capital ratios as a result of climate change.

With COP26 completed and new commitments established, what more can be done to reduce carbon emissions, reach net zero and implement measures to protect natural capital? In this podcast, Emma McGarthy, head of policy analysis at OMFIF’s Sustainable Policy Institute, talks to David McNeil, director and head of climate risk at Fitch Ratings, on the latest developments in carbon-offset markets and the work Fitch is doing in this space. They discuss pricing, tools and policies required to scale the market, how carbon credits fit into capital markets as a financial instrument and the role carbon-offset can play in emerging markets to meet the costs of adaption and mitigation.

Daniel Hardman, principal ecosystems engineer at SICPA, joins Philip Middleton, deputy chairman of OMFIF and chair of the Digital Monetary Institute, for a discussion centered around the lessons learned in their work with offline CBDCs. They delve into several topics including the models which facilitate the offline exchange of digital cash, the impact of the pandemic in increasing the need for offline payments and making offline payments secure against digital counterfeiting, fraud and other types of cybersecurity risks.  

With SWIFT’s plans to fully adopt the common electronic data interchange platform underway, what are the implications of the ISO20022 standard on the wider financial industry? Rishi Tinaikar, business innovation lead in Asia Pacific at SWIFT, joins Jamie Bulgin, relationship director within OMFIF’s Institute for Economic and Monetary Policy, to consider why adoption is important, some of the likely innovation possibilities the standard provides as well as the broader impact on banks and other financial institutions.  

Following a steady deterioration in China-US relations over four years under President Donald Trump, global attention turned to President Joe Biden and the direction he will take the relationship in. The new administration has been far more hawkish than many experts predicted, maintaining the hard-line policies of the Trump era. While the rhetoric has changed, explicit criticism of Beijing has continued on everything from Hong Kong to the treatment of the Uyghur community in Xinjiang. While Biden concentrates on strengthening US influence in the Indo-Pacific, the impasse continues with competition standing in the way of even clear areas of alignment. This panel discusses the economic and geopolitical outlook for China, as well as the risks that the country faces going into 2022. Speakers: Dave Rank, Former Chargé d’Affaires, US Embassy in Beijing George Magnus, Associate, University of Oxford China Centre Helen Qiao, Managing Director and Chief Economist for Greater China and Head of Asia Economics Research, Bank of America Merrill Lync This is taken from a live panel, recorded on 03/11/2021. View the recording here. 

In partnership with the British Embassy in Madrid and the Spanish Chamber of Commerce in the UK, OMFIF convened two panel discussions on sustainable finance. Speakers focused on how Spain and the UK can work more closely to deliver the COP26 private finance hub strategy, as well as a wider global perspective ahead of COP26 in November. In this podcast, the focus is on net zero and the future of green finance: Alex Michie, Head, Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero Marta García de Oteyza, Responsible Banking Senior Manager, Banco Santander Ángel Martínez-Aldama, President, INVERCO   Hugh Elliott,  British Ambassador to Spain and Andorra,  British Embassy in Madrid Simon Thompson, Chief Executive Officer, Chartered Banker Institute They delve into the role of sustainable finance as a potential key theme of the COP26 summit, the most impactful UK and Spanish policies for mitigating climate-related financial risks, the development of the COP26 private finance hub strategy and the role of public-private partnerships in transitioning to sustainable finance. The video recording of the meeting can be viewed here. Listen to part 1 here.   

The continued growth in digital currencies - whether as a means of payment, investment asset or hedge against the dollar - continues to upend the traditional financial landscape. Jesse McWaters, global head of regulatory advocacy at Mastercard, joins Patricia Haas Cleveland, OMFIF's US president, to discuss the key drivers of the growth in cryptocurrencies, stablecoins and CBDCs and implications for the evolving payments system, regulatory challenges, and public-private sector collaboration.

As central banks navigate a world of inflation amid the Covid-19 recovery, the European Central Bank is at the heart of the debate. With the Bank of England signalling a rise in interest rates, will the ECB hold steady? Ellie Groves, managing director, Economic and Monetary Policy Institute, OMFIF, is joined by Brigitte Granville, economist and professor of international economics and economic policy in the School of Business and Management at Queen Mary University of London, director of the Centre for Globalisation Research and author of Remembering Inflation (Princeton University Press, 2013). They discuss the new environment central banks find themselves in, the expanding mandates of central banks with the risk of climate change and the political reality the ECB is operating in – especially as we get close to the French election.

Wolfram Seidemann, chief executive officer of G+D Currency Technology, joins John Orchard, CEO of OMFIF, for a discussion about the need for programmable central bank digital currency. They delve into issues such as the role of Covid-19 in accelerating CBDC development, requirements needed for a CBDC, use cases for programmability as a feature of CBDCs, where should the programmability logic lay and the potential for programmability to incentivise CBDC user adoption and to drive innovation.

With a focus on green investments, gas infrastructure and economic development, John Orchard, OMFIF’s chief executive officer, talks with Erlan Idrissov, Kazakhstan’s ambassador to the UK, and James Martin, co-chairman of the board of directors at the Astana International Financial Centre, on the impact of Covid-19 on the Kazakhstan economy, it’s road to recovery and investment focus over the medium term. They discuss the need for an ESG focus and how Kazakhstan is aligning with global standards to attract investors.

Since its launch in 2017, the Absa Africa Financial Markets Index has shone a crucial light on the opportunities for investment in region. As Africa looks to build back better after the Covid-19 crisis, the 5th edition of the index, compiled by OMFIF, is more important than ever. It is a vital part of policy-makers’ and market participants’ toolkit in this process and a benchmark for international investors looking to commit to the region. Recent progress in building robust financial markets in the region helped many countries withstand the economic shock, but it also revealed that there is still a lot more room for improvement. Countries’ immediate need for resources to support fiscal policies during the crisis and the rapid withdrawal of international capital emphasised the importance of building local markets with sufficient depth and liquidity to withstand external shocks. The events of the past two years also heightened awareness of climate change, and the power of capital markets can be harnessed to achieve efforts to combat it. As a result, this year’s pillars incorporate indicators that gauge how financial markets in the region are incorporating sustainability considerations. This podcast is an extract from the live report launch, hosted on 13/10/21. Watch the presentations of findings here. Download the report here. 

Ignazio Visco is a member of the governing council of the European Central Bank, the general board of the European Systemic Risk Board, the board of directors of the Bank for International Settlements, the steering committee of the Financial Stability Board, the board of governors of the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank. He is also alternate governor for Italy at the International Monetary Fund and the Inter-American Development Bank and takes part in the G7, G10 and G20 finance ministers and central bank governors meetings. In this podcast, he talks about Italy’s G20 presidency. Building on OMFIF’s status as an independent think tank for central banks, the Sustainable Policy Institute brought together policy-makers, technology experts and investors on 29-30 September 2021 to push the boundaries of the discussion on the role of monetary policy, regulation and disclosure, as well as address key practical challenges, in driving greener financial markets to achieve net zero at a two day virtual symposium. View more from the symposium here. 

As climate mitigation gets higher on the agenda, it is becoming increasingly important that financial institutions transition to sustainable business models to meet developing environmental, social and governance requirements, and achieve net zero. Pat Woo, global co-head for sustainable finance, KPMG, and Vikram Kumar, new business manager, infrastructure and natural resources, Asia Pacific, International Finance Corporation, join Emma McGarthy, head of policy analysis, sustainability, OMFIF, to discuss the key elements and frameworks required for sustainable business models. They discuss the impacts of new requirements, such as the Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures, regulatory frameworks such as taxonomies and how private investors can leverage capital for new renewable infrastructure.