sustainability policy

The International Institute for Sustainable Development has published an analysis examining the Global Stocktake, the UN process for assessing worldwide progress on climate action, with a focus on health impacts. It connects rising temperatures, air pollution and extreme weather to public health risks, and underscores calls for health to feature more prominently in international climate negotiations and national policy responses.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has announced a new sustainability plan, using the occasion to stress the growing risks posed by climate change. The announcement signals his government's positioning on climate and environmental policy, though details of the plan's measures and funding have not yet been widely reported. Observers are watching how the plan will balance climate commitments with economic and industrial concerns in Germany.

A newly launched group, the Partnership for a Competitive Puget Sound, argues that Washington must overhaul its tax system to stay economically competitive. The coalition says the state needs tax structures that are simple, fair and competitive, while also securing sustainable revenue. The argument reflects ongoing concern in Washington, one of the few states without an income tax, over how regressive its revenue system is and how to fund public services long term.

The US dollar has climbed to a 16-month high against both the euro and the Swiss franc. The rally comes as investors await key US economic data that could shape expectations for the Federal Reserve's interest rate policy, with US Treasury yields also rising. Traders are positioning ahead of the releases, betting the data may keep US rates higher for longer, sustaining demand for the dollar against European currencies.

Economists increasingly believe the world economy is entering a period of persistently high interest rates, reversing the era of cheap borrowing that followed the 2008 financial crisis. Higher rates raise the cost of mortgages and loans, cutting home buyers' purchasing power. Debate is focused on how buyers, renters, and builders will adjust, and what sustained expensive credit means for housing markets and policy.

Legumes improve soil fertility, nutrition, cropping diversity and climate resilience, but their potential in Africa remains largely untapped. Poor seed systems, biotic and abiotic constraints, weak policy support, post-harvest losses and uneven research investment are cited as the main barriers. The argument calls for stronger investment and policy attention to unlock legumes' role in African food security.