Episodes
In the final part of our concluding episode, the host, Roumeen Islam revisits some of our guests' key insights. We focus on three topics: the climate crisis, transport connectivity for development and Public Private partnerships.
Published 06/09/22
Published 06/09/22
In the first part of our final episode, the host, Roumeen Islam revisits some of our guests' key insights. We focus on digital technologies and markets, addressing the digital divide and building effective cybersecurity. The energy transition, specifically financing the transition, drivers of the renewables market, and managing the economic and social impacts.
Published 05/26/22
In this episode, we learn from the experience of countries around the world the conditions that support well-functioning public-private partnerships.
Published 04/27/22
In this episode, we discuss the importance of cobalt in the energy transition, global market dynamics and a very important cobalt producer: the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Published 04/13/22
In this episode, we discuss how economic rents from different renewable energy sources may be valued and how these change with technology, market conditions, and policies.
Published 03/30/22
In this episode, we discuss potential zero carbon bunker fuels for shipping, their development implications, the investments and regulatory incentives that may be needed.
Published 03/16/22
 In this episode, we discuss the magnitude of methane emissions from active and abandoned coal mines under different scenarios and illustrate policy options to mitigate these emissions. 
Published 03/02/22
In this podcast, we discuss how the adoption of electric vehicles and heat pumps can reduce GHG emissions in different countries under various assumptions about the energy mix/source and consider all emissions from their production and use.
Published 02/16/22
In this episode, we discuss how long-term climate change and short-term weather variability may influence migration patterns and how country context is important in determining where to invest in public infrastructure.
Published 02/02/22
In this episode, we discuss the distributional impact of a carbon tax and how to design packages that compensate the people who are affected.
Published 01/19/22
This episode discusses the role of cyber insurance in strengthening cybersecurity outcomes and how the regulatory framework may affect the demand for cyber insurance.
Published 12/15/21
In this episode, we discuss various types of public-private partnerships to support the delivery of public services, highlighting some important distinguishing features of these arrangements.
Published 12/01/21
In this episode we discuss the global warming impact of methane and several ways- some with zero net costs- in which this impact can be reduced.
Published 11/17/21
In this final episode, we close the discussion on the relevance of mergers for competition policy authorities and focus on the various ways countries implement policy in the face of uncertainty and how they differ from each.
Published 11/03/21
In this second episode on Big Tech mergers, Prof. Katz and I continue our discussion on how competition authorities evaluate the benefits and costs of mergers and acquisitions, the types of indicators that matter and different views that policymakers have on the consequences of mergers.
Published 10/27/21
In this first episode of three on BigTech mergers, we discuss the impact of BigTech mergers and acquisitions on the market and on consumers; how should competition authorities think about developments in these markets if they seek to support competition and innovation?
Published 10/20/21
In this episode, we discuss the impact of digitalization on efficiency, productivity, the environment and the distribution of gains in the agri-food industry. The regulatory framework governing competition policy, property rights and information disclosure are essential to the resulting market structure.
Published 10/06/21
In this episode, we discuss the digitalization of maritime shipping focusing on the benefits in terms of faster and better service, the regulatory changes needed to advance digitalization, the types of jobs that would be created and importantly, the need for good cybersecurity measures.
Published 09/22/21
In this episode, we discuss the ships that carry grains, metals and minerals from where they are found or produced, to where they are needed. Shipping prices rise and fall with changing demand for goods; and changing supplies. Blocked passages, recessions or melting ice all affect where these ships can go, and how fast and cheaply we can buy the commodities we use every day.
Published 09/08/21
This episode brings to light the growing debt owed to electric utilities by households and small business, the choices people make when financially constrained and also the impact these bills are having on the financial condition of electricity providers. The discussion ends with some suggestions on how to handle the pandemic-induced debt burden.
Published 08/25/21
Knowledge on the impact of climate change on our lives has been increasing- more data will deepen our analysis and models. This podcast discusses some of the elements of human society and biological processes that are hard to model and their implications for climate change. Guest Prof. Charles Kolstad also suggests areas for further research.
Published 08/11/21
Commerce, the exchange of goods and services, is at the heart of economic prosperity. Goods get to us because roads and rail connect us to different places, supporting supply chains. Quality infrastructure built in the right place is important. But just building infrastructure is not enough. What is equally essential is how that infrastructure is used to provide services: the trucking, haulage, rail, and other services that carry the goods. In this episode, we discuss how the market for road...
Published 07/28/21
This episode builds on Episode 4 which presented the economic analysis of cybersecurity markets and the policy framework governing stakeholder actions. This episode considers the role of firms/organizations; it points to actions that government and businesses can take to ensure that their vital interests are secure from cyberattacks. It presents different types of risks that companies face and the tools to mitigate them, paying special attention to the interaction of business and technical...
Published 07/14/21
An increasing focus on clean energy is driving up demand for minerals and metals needed for its production. Yet, mining itself can be done in ways that harm the environment, harm communities and even contribute to global warming. Policies can ensure it doesn’t do so. This podcast discusses how.
Published 06/30/21