The OMFIF Podcast

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 Philipp 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.