The OMFIF Podcast

Crypto currencies and digital assets

The continued growth in digital currencies - whether as a means of payment, investment asset or hedge against the dollar - continues to upend the traditional financial landscape. Jesse McWaters, global head of regulatory advocacy at Mastercard, joins Patricia Haas Cleveland, OMFIF's US president, to discuss the key drivers of the growth in cryptocurrencies, stablecoins and CBDCs and implications for the evolving payments system, regulatory challenges, and public-private sector collaboration.

Ahead of the ECB: is a rise in interest rates on the horizon?

As central banks navigate a world of inflation amid the Covid-19 recovery, the European Central Bank is at the heart of the debate. With the Bank of England signalling a rise in interest rates, will the ECB hold steady? Ellie Groves, managing director, Economic and Monetary Policy Institute, OMFIF, is joined by Brigitte Granville, economist and professor of international economics and economic policy in the School of Business and Management at Queen Mary University of London, director of the Centre for Globalisation Research and author of Remembering Inflation (Princeton University Press, 2013). They discuss the new environment central banks find themselves in, the expanding mandates of central banks with the risk of climate change and the political reality the ECB is operating in – especially as we get close to the French election.

Do we need programmable central bank digital currency?

Wolfram Seidemann, chief executive officer of G+D Currency Technology, joins John Orchard, CEO of OMFIF, for a discussion about the need for programmable central bank digital currency. They delve into issues such as the role of Covid-19 in accelerating CBDC development, requirements needed for a CBDC, use cases for programmability as a feature of CBDCs, where should the programmability logic lay and the potential for programmability to incentivise CBDC user adoption and to drive innovation.

Kazakhstan’s economic growth and investment potential

With a focus on green investments, gas infrastructure and economic development, John Orchard, OMFIF’s chief executive officer, talks with Erlan Idrissov, Kazakhstan’s ambassador to the UK, and James Martin, co-chairman of the board of directors at the Astana International Financial Centre, on the impact of Covid-19 on the Kazakhstan economy, it’s road to recovery and investment focus over the medium term. They discuss the need for an ESG focus and how Kazakhstan is aligning with global standards to attract investors.

Absa Africa Financial Markets Index 2021

Since its launch in 2017, the Absa Africa Financial Markets Index has shone a crucial light on the opportunities for investment in region. As Africa looks to build back better after the Covid-19 crisis, the 5th edition of the index, compiled by OMFIF, is more important than ever. It is a vital part of policy-makers’ and market participants’ toolkit in this process and a benchmark for international investors looking to commit to the region.

Recent progress in building robust financial markets in the region helped many countries withstand the economic shock, but it also revealed that there is still a lot more room for improvement. Countries’ immediate need for resources to support fiscal policies during the crisis and the rapid withdrawal of international capital emphasised the importance of building local markets with sufficient depth and liquidity to withstand external shocks.

The events of the past two years also heightened awareness of climate change, and the power of capital markets can be harnessed to achieve efforts to combat it. As a result, this year’s pillars incorporate indicators that gauge how financial markets in the region are incorporating sustainability considerations.

This podcast is an extract from the live report launch, hosted on 13/10/21.

Watch the presentations of findings here.

Download the report here. 

The Italian G20 Presidency

Ignazio Visco is a member of the governing council of the European Central Bank, the general board of the European Systemic Risk Board, the board of directors of the Bank for International Settlements, the steering committee of the Financial Stability Board, the board of governors of the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank. He is also alternate governor for Italy at the International Monetary Fund and the Inter-American Development Bank and takes part in the G7, G10 and G20 finance ministers and central bank governors meetings. In this podcast, he talks about Italy’s G20 presidency.

Building on OMFIF’s status as an independent think tank for central banks, the Sustainable Policy Institute brought together policy-makers, technology experts and investors on 29-30 September 2021 to push the boundaries of the discussion on the role of monetary policy, regulation and disclosure, as well as address key practical challenges, in driving greener financial markets to achieve net zero at a two day virtual symposium.

View more from the symposium here. 

Developing sustainable business models: driving private investment into climate mitigation

As climate mitigation gets higher on the agenda, it is becoming increasingly important that financial institutions transition to sustainable business models to meet developing environmental, social and governance requirements, and achieve net zero. Pat Woo, global co-head for sustainable finance, KPMG, and Vikram Kumar, new business manager, infrastructure and natural resources, Asia Pacific, International Finance Corporation, join Emma McGarthy, head of policy analysis, sustainability, OMFIF, to discuss the key elements and frameworks required for sustainable business models. They discuss the impacts of new requirements, such as the Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures, regulatory frameworks such as taxonomies and how private investors can leverage capital for new renewable infrastructure.

CBDC implementation models and the role of the private sector

Katie-Ann Wilson, head of policy analysis, OMFIF Digital Monetary Institute, is joined by David Mackeith, principal technology adviser, Amazon Web Services, and Craig Borysowich, principal architect, Payments Canada, to discuss central bank digital currency implementation models, focusing on the division of labour between the central bank and intermediaries. They also explore challenges of a two-tier model, how the central bank can incentivise adoption and the future of cross-border CBDCs.

Part 1: Financial services and transitioning to net zero

In partnership with the British Embassy in Madrid and the Spanish Chamber of Commerce in the UK, OMFIF convened two panel discussions on sustainable finance. Speakers focused on how Spain and the UK can work more closely to deliver the COP26 private finance hub strategy, as well as a wider global perspective ahead of COP26 in November.

In this podcast, the focus is on sustainable finance best practices in both the UK and Spain. Speakers include:

• Antoni Ballabriga, Global Head of Responsible Business, Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria
• Jose Maria Roldan, Chairman, Spanish Banking Association
• James Hooton, Programme Director, Green Finance Institute
• Ángel Martínez-Aldama, President, INVERCO

They delve into the role of sustainable finance as a potential key theme of the COP26 summit, the most impactful UK and Spanish policies for mitigating climate-related financial risks, the development of the COP26 private finance hub strategy and the role of public-private partnerships in transitioning to sustainable finance.

The video recording of the meeting can be viewed here.

 

The productivity question: working from home during Covid-19

Covid-19 has pushed many of us to adapt to alternative ways of working and these practices have gained momentum throughout the world. Sammi Cho, chief administrative officer Asia Pacific Region and chief executive Hong Kong Branch, BNYMellon, and Peter Outridge, head of people and change, Hong Kong and China, KPMG China, join Ellie Groves, managing director of the OMFIF Economic and Monetary Policy Institute, to discuss productivity when working from home, unintended consequences and the economic impact of this change and the benefits and risks for companies and employees.

KPMG professionals have produced a report which delves deeper into these topics, which can be found here.