The dramatic slowdown in industrial production, energy demand and transport activity in the first quarter of 2020 has led to significantly lower levels of air pollution, sparking debate over whether the coronavirus outbreak will lead to permanent shifts in consumer and industrial behaviours that could reorient economic policy towards sustainable development goals.
In 2018 Mexico’s economy ranked second in Latin America and 15th in the world in terms of GDP, which totalled $1.22trn, according to the World Bank. In 2019 the newly elected President Andrés Manuel López Obrador has pushed ahead with efforts to meet his pledge to tackle corruption and implement austerity measures within the government, to reduce costs and curb excessive expenditures.
Efforts to improve public governance are gradually bolstering confidence in Papua New Guinea’s economy, despite national performance being heavily dependent on the extractive industries. Backed by macroeconomic development plans, Prime Minister James Marape’s administration is seeking to improve debt management, reduce foreign exchange imbalances, widen access to social services and provide greater employment opportunities.
The Philippines’ cooling inflation, improved ease of doing business and increased openness to foreign participation are set to encourage more foreign direct investment. A wealth of infrastructure investment under President Rodrigo Duterte’s flagship Build Build Build programme should ease congestion, reduce regional inequality and further boost the flourishing tourism industry.
Against the backdrop of global discussions about sustainability and urban planning, Abu Dhabi is hosting a series of events aimed at addressing modern challenges of urban development and fostering new avenues for sustainable growth.
Peru has seen relatively stable economic growth and significantly reduced the number of people living in poverty. Still, there have been multiple cases of corruption, but the government of President Martín Vizcarra Cornejo, who took office in 2018, has focused efforts on combatting this and stabilising the political climate. Nevertheless, challenges to ensuring sustainable development remain.
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