ING THINK aloud

It was supposed to be the defining year of Climate Action. But the Covid-19 pandemic and economic destruction left in its wake have created an even more pressing emergency and some fear that climate action will become another casualty of the crisis. In this podcast, Mark Cliffe, Global Head of ING's New Horizons Hub, tells Senior Editor Rebecca Byrne what the pandemic could mean for the future of our planet.

More severe lockdowns, weaker safety nets, smaller emergency spending programmes and structural challenges pose grave risks to the economic recovery in Southern Europe. In this podcast, ING's Senior Eurozone Economist Bert Colijn tells Senior Editor Rebecca Byrne why the periphery could face a more prolonged slump than the 'core' member states.

Mass protests over the police killing of George Floyd, 100,000 deaths from the coronavirus pandemic, an unprecedented economic downturn, and 40 million Americans out of work. Rarely has an election year looked this bad for a sitting US president. And yet, the outcome remains unpredictable, with no guarantee that Democrat rival Joe Biden will win in November. In this podcast, ING's Senior Editor Rebecca Byrne asks Chief International Economist James Knightley how the turmoil is likely to influence the race to the White House.

The coronavirus, and associated lockdowns around the world, have upended all sectors of the global economy. But the car industry, which was already struggling before the pandemic, has been particularly hard hit. In this podcast, ING's Senior Economist Joanna Konings tells Senior Editor Rebecca Byrne how the industry has been disrupted, what the future holds for electric vehicles and whether prolonged social distancing could put the brakes on car sharing.

Lebanese protestors held a mock funeral for their local currency earlier this month after a financial crisis, exacerbated by the coronavirus, sent it into a tailspin. With other emerging markets also feeling the pain of a strong dollar, proponents of digital currencies are touting the benefits of a system run by algorithms rather than politicians and central banks. In this podcast, ING's Senior Editor Rebecca Byrne asks Digital Finance Economist Carlo Cocuzzo whether the economic damage caused by Covid-19 could speed up the adoption of digital currencies around the world.

As the US and UK move to ease lockdown measures, we look to countries that have already emerged from quarantine for clues about what to expect in the weeks ahead. In this podcast, ING's Head of Asia Pacific Research Rob Carnell discusses the lessons learned from Asia, how China is positioning itself on the world stage and whether the global recovery could be hampered by another trade war.

Unlike the Federal Reserve, the European Central Bank has not yet discussed adding junk bonds to its asset purchase programme. But President Christine Lagarde has signalled that this option remains on the table. In this podcast, Jeroen van den Broek, ING's Global Head of Sector Research, tells Senior Editor Rebecca Byrne why he thinks the Bank will end up buying so-called 'fallen angels' and why it could be a risky strategy.

Global oil prices have recovered some ground after tanking this week to historic lows. But the outlook for crude still looks bleak. In this podcast, ING's Head of Commodities Strategy Warren Patterson tells Senior Editor Rebecca Byrne why prices could turn negative again next month.

European finance ministers have agreed on a €540 billion package of support for the Eurozone. But the thorny issue of debt sharing remains unresolved. Can the euro project survive without it? In this podcast, ING's Carsten Brzeski, Global Head of Macro and Chief Economist of the Eurozone, shares his thoughts with Senior Editor Rebecca Byrne.

The hospitalisation of UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson adds another layer of uncertainty to the British economy, which is already suffering from an almost complete shutdown of activity. In this podcast, ING's Developed Market Economist James Smith talks to Senior Editor Rebecca Byrne about what lies ahead for the UK.