Economy

A Promising New Financing Model to Accelerate Social Innovation and Improve Government Performance

Current approaches to government funding of social services create significant barriers to innovation. Funding streams tend to emphasize inputs rather than program objectives and are often overly prescriptive, requiring grantees to use a particular delivery model. In many cases, program outcomes are not rigorously assessed, allowing unsuccessful initiatives to persist for years.

The sun is waking up from a long quiet spell. Last week it sent out the strongest flare for four years – and scientists are warning that earth should prepare for an intense electromagnetic storm that, in the worst case, could be a “global Katrina” costing the world economy $2,000bn.

The Libyan Investment Authority owns 3% of the FT, 7.5% of Juventus and a host of prime London properties

Libya's vast oil reserves have enabled it to invest more than $70bn (£43bn) around the world – making it a major shareholder in companies such as the Financial Times, Fiat and Juventus football club.

Investments in cleantech made through the Recovery Act (Stimulus bill) through the end of 2010 have created or saved nearly 1 million green jobs, according to a report released today by the Economic Policy Institute and the BlueGreen Alliance. 

One man’s quest to tap Afghanistan’s taboo biofuel

In a world of More, Better, Faster, Cheaper, studies are starting to trickle in about multi-tasking that, frankly aren’t looking so hot.

It’s an odd world we live in, isn’t it?

Rising political risk sees Russia and Pakistan join Somalia, DR Congo and Iraq in Maplecroft's ranking of 10 most volatile business environments

Financial crisis always present opportunities for economists and forecasters to make a name for themselves. There were several who burnished their personal brands by fairly accurately calling the financial meltdown of the late 2000s. Nouriel Roubini, Robert Schiller, Meredith Whitney and a few others can lay claim to that status.

By Guest blogger Dr Steve Collins, 

In these challenging economic times, a massive international investment opportunity is being largely ignored by the corporate sector. Traditional models that approach the treatment and prevention of malnutrition from the perspective of corporate social responsibility or charity, are not only failing to address the problem, they are also missing major opportunities for revenue growth.

In a direct response to increasing consumer demand for sustainable products, some of the world's leading corporations and non-profit organizations announced today their support for the development the first global consumer label identifying corporations and products made with wind energy.