Who Will Lead Global Development Now?

The next generation of development and climate solutions is increasingly coming from the Global South, where governments are confronting the costs of climate change and the limits of existing institutions. From African mineral policy to Brazil's Tropical Forest Forever facility, countries are advancing new approaches rather than waiting for leadership from the G7. Yet turning these ideas into action faces major obstacles. Multilateral development banks remain too small to meet the scale of financing required, while weak coordination, sovereign debt distress, and shifting priorities are limiting investment. At the same time, the energy transition is advancing through trade and consumer demand, often without governments providing the coordination needed to maximize its impact. Marina Zucker-Marques, Senior Academic Researcher at the Global Economic Governance Initiative, and Rebecca Ray, Senior Academic Researcher at Boston University's Global Development Policy Center, join Eric and Cobus to discuss the changing role of the Global South in development and climate policy, including climate finance, multilateral institutions, and the financing and coordination gaps facing the energy transition. About the Podcast The Global Development Policy Podcast is a co-production of the Boston University Global Development Policy Center and the China Global South Project. Every two weeks, Eric Olander and Cobus van Staden speak with leading scholars about the research, ideas and policy debates shaping global development. Drawing on original research from GDPC, the series explores issues including development finance, trade, industrial policy, climate, energy, sovereign debt, global governance and the changing international economy.