EBRD podcasts

Listen back to the launch of the latest EBRD’s Regional Economic Prospects launched in May 2025 during the 34th EBRD Annual Meeting and Business Forum in London.The discussion covered the latest economic forecasts for the regions where the EBRD invests. The EBRD’s Chief Economist, Beata Javorcik, and leading regional experts discussed the challenges confronting policymakers amidst rising geo-political tensions and intensifying pressures on government finances. Speakers: Jonathan Charles, Strategy Advisor Sergey Guriev, Dean, Professor of Economics, London Business School Beata Javorcik, Chief Economist, EBRD Lord Jim O'Neill of Gatley

Listen to the live launch of the EBRD Transition Report launch. The global shift to net zero will require major structural changes in economies, as well as extensive change in daily lives. The scale of the transition is unprecedented: from the rush to source critical raw materials to the reconfiguration of global supply chains; from the rise of green skills in the workforce to the development of environmentally sustainable housing markets. The EBRD Transition Report 2023-24: Transitions big and small, published today, offers revealing insights into the way macro-level trends leading to carbon neutrality impact the types of job sought, household management and, ultimately, the perceived level of happiness in the regions where the Bank operates. EBRD Chief Economist Beata Javorcik said: “The change and upheaval that stems from these trends will affect people’s lives for the foreseeable future. Policymakers will need to establish a deep understanding of those effects in order to plan future stages of the green transition, as individual attitudes will both shape and be shaped by that transition process. […] “The success of the green transition will depend on winning their hearts and minds as we continue our journey towards a cleaner future. If there is one thing we have learned from 30 years of transition in the EBRD regions, it is that reforms will not last unless they have broad-based support.” The discussion features Charlotta Källbäck, Head of Internal Audit, Volvo Cars Sandra Bates, specialist on mining and clean energy with Executive and non-Executive Director experience Mark Keese, Head of the Skills and Employment Division, OECD Professor Beata Javorcik, Chief Economist, EBRD Moderated by Jonathan Charles

The much-anticipated EBRD Regional Economic Prospects were back in the new panel discussion format for a special EBRD Annual Meeting 2023 edition. The interactive discussion covered the latest economic forecasts for the regions where the EBRD invests. EBRD Chief Economist Beata Javorcik discussed with outstanding regional experts the extraordinary challenges that policymakers are confronted with in the world of relentless inflationary pressures and repeated economic crises. Keynote speaker Beata Javorcik, Chief Economist, EBRD Moderator Jonathan Charles, Strategic Communications Consultant and Broadcaster Speakers Sergei Guriev, Professor of Economics, Institut d'Études Politiques Heike Harmgart, Managing Director, Southern and Eastern Mediterranean, EBRD

Nearly nine months after the Russian invasion, the war has seriously affected Ukraine’s economy, which is facing daunting tasks. Macroeconomic and financial sector stability are essential for the continued functioning of the economy and maintaining the war effort. Supporting and stimulating the real economy are the key elements of its economic sustainability. Participants: Odile Renaud-Basso, President, EBRD Tymofiy Mylovanov, President, Kyiv School of Economics Torbjörn Becker, Professor of economics, Stockholm Institute of Transition Economics – SITE and CEPR Beata Javorcik, Chief Economist, EBRD (moderator)

This special episode in Fearonomics series looks at the economic risks of recent geopolitical turmoil. Ths live event, where the EBRD launched their economic forecasts, analysed the impact of recent turbulence on the economic outlook, including fallout from Russia’s war on Ukraine, the energy crisis and rising inflation. Participants: Beata Javorcik - Chief Economist, EBRD Sergei Guriev – Professor, Sciences Po Provost Heike Harmgart – EBRD Managing Director, SEMED Jonathan Charles (Moderator) - former EBRD Managing Director, Communications

Rate, review and subscribe to our podcast The new episode of the EBRD’s Fearonomics podcast looks at the most common fears around migration. The rate of growth of displaced people in the world is alarming. A 100 million is the latest UNHCR estimate -which equals to 1 per cent of the global population. This stark anti-record reflects the precarious state of the world we are in. The War on Ukraine, other conflicts, human rights violations, persecutions and violence are behind the unprecedented movement of people. At the same, as the Covid-19 restrictions are being lifted across the world, the economic migration is expected to bounce back to pre-pandemic levels. For centuries, the world has been living with the idea that migration has to hurt us and bring the world down. But why? Why are we so afraid of migrants? Listen to Jonathan Charles, the EBRD’s Managing Director of Communications, in discussion with Sergei Guriev, former EBRD Chief Economist and currently Professor of Economics at Science Po, and Beata Javorcik, the EBRD’s Chief Economist who is also Professor of Economics at Oxford University. Listen to the first episode of Fearonomics on iTunes, SoundCloud or wherever you get your podcasts. Review our podcast on iTunes or tweet us @EBRD #Fearonomics You can rate, review and subscribe to Fearonomics on iTunes, Spotify and Soundcloud.

Rate, review, download our podcast In the new episode of the EBRD’s Fearonomics podcast Jonathan Charles, the EBRD’s Managing Director of Communications, Sergei Guriev, former EBRD Chief Economist and now Professor of Economics at Science Po, and Beata Javorcik, the EBRD’s current Chief Economist, examine the threat to our economies from inflation and whether we risk an era of stagflation. Policymakers had to step up support for businesses and the population at large when Covid-19 was at its worse. The strain on public budgets was palpable – even before Russia’s war on Ukraine. The latest IMF forecast sees “war-induced commodity price increases and broadening price pressures” pushing inflation in 2022 to 5.7 per cent in advanced economies and 8.7 per cent in emerging market and developing economies. So what’s next? Destabilised financial markets? Stagflation? Is this what the future of poverty looks like? Listen to Fearonomics on iTunes, SoundCloud or wherever you get your podcasts from. Review our podcast or tweet us @EBRD #Fearonomics You can rate, review and subscribe to Fearonomics on ITunes, Spotify and Soundcloud.

Fearonomics: will global energy crisis end the shift to green? Rate, review and subscribe to our podcast In its second episode the EBRD’s new Fearonomics podcast is exploring what are the risks and solutions to the global energy crisis. Listen to Jonathan Charles, EBRD’s Managing Director, Communications, Sergei Guriev, EBRD former Chief Economist and professor of economics at Science Po and Beata Javorcik, EBRD’s Chief Economist (current) and also professor of Economics at Oxford University discussing As Europe scrambles to find alternatives to Russian gas, some countries face the prospect of rationing and even fuel poverty. Energy security, which had slipped down the priority lists of western policymakers, has made a big come back. Even before the outbreak of the war on Ukraine, the hike in energy prices had brought coal use globally to record levels over last winter, whilst clean energy use decreased- a worrying tendency. Meanwhile, the latest UN International Panel for Climate Change report warning that even if all the policies to cut carbon that governments had put in place by the end of 2020 were fully implemented, the world will still warm by 3.2C this century. The next few years are critical, say the researchers, because if emissions aren't curbed by 2030, it will make it become impossible to limit warming up of climate. Is there any way to avoid the climate catastrophy? Listen to the first episode of the Fearonomics on iTunes, SoundCloud or wherever you get your podcasts from. Review us podcast on iTunes or tweet us @EBRD #Fearonomics You can rate, review and subscribe to Fearonomics on ITunes, Spotify and Soundcloud.

System upgrade: Delivering the digital dividend Our report explores how advanced digitalisation has affected the economies where we invest. The digitalisation process is destined to continue and will remain one of the key forces shaping developments around the world – including in the EBRD regions. It is therefore quite fitting that this year’s Transition Report is devoted to that subject. It explores the size of the digital divides in EBRD countries, the digital infrastructure and its link to firm performance, teleworking, artificial intelligence and the labour force as well as fintech and banks in transition. The report also introduces a financial market development index, and features the regular analysis of structural reform. Speakers: Toomas Hendrik Ilves is an Estonian politician who served as the fourth president of Estonia from 2006 until 2016. Daron Acemoğlu is an MIT Institute Professor of Economics. Dina Matta is the EBRD Vice President, Chief Transformation Officer. Oleksandr Bornyakov is Deputy Minister at the Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine. Beata Javorcik is the EBRD Chief Economist and Professor of Economics at the University of Oxford.

Robots v Covid-19: the future of work? Rate, review and download our podcast “Telecommuting”, “quaranteams”, “doomscrolling”, “upperwear” and curating one’s Zoom background have all become a part of our new remote working reality. If we were unnerved by the way digital technology was transforming our world before the pandemic, Covid-19 has only made the speed of change even faster, It is estimated that in the next five years close to 85 million jobs may be displaced by algorithms, artificial intelligence and robotics. According to the World Economic Forum Jobs Report 2020, “automation, in tandem with the COVID-19 recession, is creating a ‘double-disruption’ scenario for workers. Technological adoption by companies will transform tasks, jobs and skills by 2025. Time spent on current tasks at work by humans and machines will become equal.” The report also estimate that 97 million new roles may emerge as the new division of labour between humans, machines and algorithms emerges. Our presenters Jonathan Charles and Kerrie Law discuss what the Covid-19 transformation means to the future of work in the latest episode of our podcast Pocket Dilemmas. They are joined by: Jason Furman, the Aetna Professor of the Practice of Economic Policy jointly at Harvard Kennedy School (HKS) and the Department of Economics at Harvard University. He is also a nonresident senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, Beata Javorcik, our Chief Economist and Professor of Economics, University of Oxford. Is the future of work already here? What is a bigger threat to our future: Covid-19 or robots? All of this and more in our latest podcast. Like what you hear? Review our podcast on iTunes, email us at dilemmas@ebrd.com, or tweet us @EBRD #EBRDdilemmas You can rate, review and subscribe to Pocket Dilemma on ITunes, Spotify and Soundcloud, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Rate, review and download our podcast On the 15 April 1991, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development opened its doors for business for the first time. It was conceived by its founders as ‘a new and unique structure of co‑operation’ for a continent still recovering from the shock of the collapse of communism. Its mission then, as now, was to further progress towards market-oriented economies and promote private and entrepreneurial initiative. So, at the age of 30, how is the EBRD doing? What are the challenges for its future? What has the EBRD taught some of its former staff? This special discussion brought together four EBRD Chief Economists, past and present, who shared their insights into the Bank and its influence on the countries where it works, global development and the world of international financial institutions. The inaugural Chief Economist of Asian Infrastructure and Investment Bank, Erik Berglof, talked about the technical banking skills which are unique to the EBRD as well as its knowledge of its regions. These are particularly important as the Bank helps them overcome the impact of the Covid-19 crisis. “Technical skills, structuring projects, infrastructure or financial… All those skills we assume in the models, but when you live with them on a daily basis…, it is both humbling and reassuring,” he said. “At this point most economies are still on life support. Nobody knows what the real state of the economy is… Then we will see the first firms fighting for survival. And the true test will be: will the firms close to the governing elites be bailed out?,” said the current EBRD Chief Economist Beata Javorcik in a stark warning of the challenges ahead. Lord Stern, IG Patel Professor of Economics and Government and Chairman of the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment stressed some positives that the coronavirus pandemic has brought about, such as people being less averse to change and a unified willingness to build back better. Sergei Guriev, now Professor of Economics at Science Po in Paris, highlighted the importance of digitalisation for inclusive recovery, especially when some of the EBRD regions enjoy only partial internet coverage. The discussion was joined by EBRD President Odile Renaud-Basso and chaired by EBRD Communications Managing Director Jonathan Charles. Like what you hear? Review our podcast on iTunes or tweet us @EBRD #EBRDEconTalks.

Rate, review and download our podcast Inequality is emerging as the “biggest policy challenge” during and after the Covid-19 pandemic, with the World Bank estimating that extreme global poverty is to rise for the first time in over 20 years. “The coronavirus pandemic is possibly the first so-called ‘global event’”, said Professor Branko Milanovic in the latest EBRD Economics Talk. Sir Angus Deaton, Nobel Prize laureate, also took part in the discussion on the nature of inequality and how it will be aggravated by the pandemic. EBRD Chief Economist Beata Javorcik sounded the alarm about coronavirus’s impact on emerging markets across the EBRD regions. What’s next? How can our societies be made more equal? What are the roles of the state and the private sector in combatting inequality? Professor Angus Deaton is a Nobel Prize laureate in Economics and Senior Scholar at the School of Public and International Affairs, Princeton University. His latest book “Deaths of Despair” is co-written with Anne Case and is a ground-breaking account of how the flaws in capitalism are fatal for America’s working class. Professor Branko Milanovic is a Presidential Professor at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York and a senior fellow at the Stone Center on Socio-Economic Inequality. Beata Javorcik is the EBRD Chief Economist and Professor of Economics at the University of Oxford. The discussion was joined by EBRD President Odile Renaud-Basso and chaired by EBRD Communications Managing Director Jonathan Charles. Like what you hear? Review our podcast on iTunes or tweet us @EBRD #EBRDEconTalks