An extended period of benign funding conditions has changed corporate bond markets globally. This column shows how the investment grade segment has become dominated by the lowest-rated (BBB) issuers, and these issuers have become more leveraged over time. Given the large stock of BBB-rated bonds, even relatively low transition rates – downgrades from investment grade […]
Achieving global net zero emissions requires rapid deployment of low-carbon technologies. Using online job postings from 35 countries, this column measures the diffusion of low-carbon technology-related skills from 2014 to 2022 and investigates the role of the 2022 global energy crisis in driving labour demand. The data show a significant rise in job postings in […]
Attempts to phase out coal have faltered amid fears that the transition to renewable energy would be too costly. By comparing the present value of avoided emissions with the present costs of replacing coal with renewable energy, this column estimates that the world can realise a net gain of $77.89 trillion by shifting to renewable […]
The energy transition will require large quantities of the critical raw materials mined and processed in countries that are geopolitically distant from the EU. This column documents the ownership interests in extractive companies, information essential for accurately assessing the EU’s strategic dependencies. Investors from outside the EU control a significant share of the capital of […]
