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As Biden unveils a $2 trillion dollar infrastructure package for the US, it’s clear that his administration are committed to strengthening the post-pandemic economy. This episode of Macro Matters discusses the key challenges of the proposal and what it means for politics, climate change and beyond.

Are higher bond yields a headwind to the economic recovery and financial markets, or justified by the improvement in economic prospects as countries recover from the pandemic? This week on Macro Matters, we look at government bond markets to understand the impact of higher yields on the economic recovery and investors.

We consider the recent sell-off in government bond markets around the world, and whether investors should see this an opportunity or a concern.

How have emerging economies weathered the Covid storm? This week on Macro Matters, we look across Latin America, Russia and Asia to understand the different challenges facing emerging markets along the road to recovery.

This week, ASI’s Vanessa Whitehead talks about the vital role compliance has to play in Responsible Investing. This includes one of the most pressing tasks currently facing asset managers in Europe – implementing the far-reaching EU regulation on sustainability. Just as importantly, Vanessa also talks about her drive for social justice and equality.

As the pandemic continues to accelerate the long-term shift away from cash transactions, central banks around the world are seriously considering digital currencies as a way to keep up with digitalisation. But what would a Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) look like? How could it change the way we all save and spend money, and what does this mean for the future of commercial banking?

Welcome to another episode of Macro Matters. This week our host Paul Diggle is joined by special guest David Oxley, Senior Economist from Capital Economics. Together with Luke Bartholomew, our in-house Monetary Economist, they discuss whether central banks should issue digital currencies.

Part 1 brings us up to speed on what CBDCs are, how they differ from cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, and what it would mean in practice for us all to have a bank account with the central bank.

Part 2 discusses the potential costs and benefits of CBDCs, focussing on the consumer and business innovations that could be possible, how CBDCs might change monetary policy, and the future of commercial banks in this brave new world.

What are the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals? In this episode, we look at how and why they came about. We also discuss how stewardship of capital can advance emerging markets’ progress towards the goals. Fiona Manning, Investment Director in ASI’s Global Emerging Markets team joins Nick Robinson to explain.

This week marks the rather grim milestone of a year since the World Health Organisation declared the COVID-19 spread a global pandemic. A year on, we could be justified in thinking we're starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel, with vaccines being rolled out in major markets, and some early signs of lockdown easing.

For investors and for policymakers, then, what will the world look like when lockdown is over? What will people do with their hard earned savings with the income that they have - bearing in mind that whilst some households have accumulated healthy savings balances during the pandemic, others have suffered financially? And what will all of that mean for growth, inflation and market returns?

Stephanie Kelly discusses the tricky question of post-pandemic economic forecasting with James McCann; meanwhile, the Macro Matters team muse on what they're personally most looking forward to in life after lockdown.

Ahead of International Women’s Day on March 8th, this week’s episode of Macro Matters focuses on gender equality. Sharing the findings from the newly published research ‘A Woman’s Place’ , the episode explores why boosting female participation in the labour force is key to unlocking long-term economic growth and what policies really work. It turns out, men are a crucial piece of the puzzle.

Ben Leonard, the co-founder of Life Moments, discusses how technology and responsible investment fit together. He also advocates the need to reimagine the role of financial guidance in our everyday lives.