This research provides a materialist deconstruction of AI hype, arguing it facilitates power concentration rather than just misrepresenting technology. It details how "hypers" manufacture urgency and capture credibility. The paper offers a playbook for resistance through contestation, undermining legitimacy and building collective agency to challenge AI entrenchment.

This report examines the critical role of Multilateral Development Banks in driving growth and resilience. It highlights challenges from declining official aid and geopolitical fragmentation, while proposing reforms to scale financing, accelerate project delivery, and target concessional resources toward the world’s poorest and most vulnerable nations.

This report analyses poverty in Scotland, revealing that 17% of people live in poverty. It highlights missed reduction targets, particularly for children, and argues for radical local government reform. The research emphasises the need for stable funding and improved public communication to effectively address deepening economic hardship.

The Agribusiness Atlas 2026 details the unprecedented concentration of corporate power within global food systems. It examines how dominant firms influence policy, drive environmental degradation, and impact food security. The report advocates for democratic food governance, fair pricing for farmers, and public sector alternatives to curb corporate control.

This report examines the transition towards nationally led crisis response in East Africa. It identifies barriers within international aid structures while highlighting progress in sub-national governance, social protection, and civil society. Recommendations focus on strengthening state accountability and equitable partnerships across Kenya, Somalia, Uganda, South Sudan, and Ethiopia.

This research examines the rapid expansion of international credit to Africa since the Global Financial Crisis. It highlights the rise of Chinese lending under the Belt and Road Initiative, the dramatic growth of international bond issuance, and the continued dominance of governments as borrowers in US dollar-denominated markets.

This NBER working paper examines the impact of air pollution on 10 million US high school students. It finds that moderate pollution levels reduce annual learning by 19 per cent. Disadvantaged students experience three times more harm, significantly widening racial and socio-economic achievement gaps.

This report analyses disability employment quota systems across Indonesia, ASEAN, and East Asia. It identifies five legal models, ranging from binding levy-subsidy architectures to voluntary incentive-based approaches. Recommendations for Indonesia include clarifying calculation methodologies, establishing structured incentive frameworks, and implementing graduated compliance pathways to improve inclusive employment outcomes.

This ILO research brief examines how multinational enterprises and supply chains drive the transition from informal to formal economies. By leveraging market incentives, technology transfers, and innovative procurement, MNEs can improve working conditions, social protection, and productivity for lower-tier MSMEs, supporting global decent work objectives.

This research examines GSE fee waivers for lower-income first-time homebuyers, revealing that lenders pass through less than 40% of these savings. Intermediaries captured over 60% of the $1.5 billion benefit. High-cost loan officers and non-banks show the lowest pass-through, highlighting significant market power and search frictions.

This report analyses the impact of 3G expansion on employment across 52 countries from 2004 to 2023. It finds that while connectivity increases participation in low-income regions, it is associated with declining employment in mature economies. Gender gaps remain persistent, particularly regarding youth disengagement in poorer contexts.

This report is part of a series providing an analysis of labour market and social developments within the European Union. It examines the relationship between job quality, productivity and economic performance, evaluating dimensions such as earnings and job security to inform evidence-based policymaking across Member States.

This research article identifies three backlash archetypes that threaten to derail sustainability and justice transformations during critical transition phases. To navigate these risks, the authors propose developing three transformative capacities: harnessing hope and imagination, hospicing with dignity, and enabling radical collaboration while holding paradoxes.

This research outlines foundations for a scalable First Nations investment market in Australia. It identifies systemic barriers and proposes a theory of change focused on representation, systems alignment, and capital flows. The report recommends embedding cultural authority into governance and utilising blended finance to support First Nations economic self-determination.

This technical report proposes a framework for international climate coalitions, focusing on emissions-intensive industries such as steel and aluminium. Modelling indicates that coordinated carbon price floors could reduce annual emissions by up to 584 million metric tons. It introduces an 'effective carbon cost' metric to balance global competitiveness and equity.

This report assesses the capacity of artificial intelligence and robots to automate ageing workforces across 135 economies. While automation could offset demographic pressures, its effectiveness is limited because ageing often occurs in sectors with low automation potential, such as health and agriculture, particularly in several fast-ageing advanced economies.