The Global Gender Gap Report 2014
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Through the Global Gender Gap Report 2014, the World Economic Forum quantifies the magnitude of gender-based disparities and tracks their progress over time. While no single measure can capture the complete situation, the Global Gender Gap Index presented in this Report seeks to measure one important aspect of gender equality: the relative gaps between women and men across four key areas: health, education, economy and politics.
Latest blog posts >>
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5 urgent actions in the fightback against ransomware
Wednesday 12th of May 2021
• Criminal organizations are using ransomware to exploit vulnerabilities during the pandemic.
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Want investors to care about natural resources? Put a price on them
Wednesday 12th of May 2021
Covid-19 has laid bare deep divisions in society, and its impact has not been felt equally. In a similar way, we do not expect climate change and the degradation of natural resources to have equal effects on communities. The impacts will likely include uneven local effects, increasing numbers of climate refugees, relative price shocks and other opportunity costs.
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How global trade can save lives and livelihoods – and help protect the planet
Wednesday 12th of May 2021
Global trade has a role to play in saving lives in the COVID-19 pandemic, creating jobs and sustainable development that mitigates against climate change.
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Electronics can trigger a more circular, sustainable world – here’s how
Wednesday 12th of May 2021
We want a world where there is less – or ideally, no – waste. In this more ‘circular’ world, we take, make and recreate in continuous loops, preventing waste from ever entering landfills or polluting our environment.
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How insect hotels and honey highways are helping bee populations in the Netherlands
Wednesday 12th of May 2021
A lot of what we eat depends on pollinators such as bees. Three out of four crops that produce fruits or seeds for human use as food, in fact.
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In charts: how economic sentiment has changed during COVID-19
Wednesday 12th of May 2021
In our latest McKinsey Global Survey on the economy,1 executives’ views are as decidedly positive as they were in March—even as the pandemic continues to dwarf other risks to growth. It’s an especially acute risk in India, where the week after the survey was in the field, the number of daily COVID-19 cases set a new world record.2
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Mental wellbeing is not just beneficial for you – it can also lead to lower healthcare costs
Wednesday 12th of May 2021
There are many reasons why mental wellbeing is important. Not only is it protective against physical illnesses and linked to greater productivity, but the mental wellbeing of a population is essential for a country’s sustainability, long-term growth and development.
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Antibiotic-resistant bacteria is spreading from people to chimpanzees
Wednesday 12th of May 2021
Nearly half of fecal samples from wild chimpanzees contain bacteria that is resistant to a major class of antibiotics people commonly use in the vicinity of Gombe National Park in Tanzania, according to new research.
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This is where U.S. clean energy jobs can make the biggest difference
Wednesday 12th of May 2021
Clean energy is a growing economic engine for rural communities across the United States.
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Are we witnessing the decline of the dollar’s global significance? Here’s what the foreign exchange reserves tell us
Wednesday 12th of May 2021
The share of US dollar reserves held by central banks fell to 59 percent—its lowest level in 25 years—during the fourth quarter of 2020, according to the IMF’s Currency Composition of Official Foreign Exchange Reserves (COFER) survey. Some analysts say this partly reflects the declining role of the US dollar in the global economy, in the face of competition from other currencies used by central banks for international transactions. If the shifts in central bank reserves are large enough, they can affect currency and bond markets.
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Children make adults more compassionate – here’s how that could benefit society
Wednesday 12th of May 2021
Most of us assume that we tend to be kinder towards children than we are to adults. Past research confirms this assumption, showing that we’re more caring towards children, and that this effect even extends to being more helpful and empathic towards baby-faced adults.
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5 things climate-vulnerable countries need from the COP26 summit
Wednesday 12th of May 2021
The world is at a critical juncture in the fight to solve the climate crisis.
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5 things to know about the future of electric vehicles
Wednesday 12th of May 2021
While global car sales took a pandemic-related hit last year, electric vehicles (EVs) bucked the trend.
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What NBC not airing the Golden Globes means for media and diversity
Wednesday 12th of May 2021
NBCUniversal will not air the 2022 Golden Globes, the network announced Tuesday, ending a decades-long practice of covering the film and television awards show run by the nonprofit Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA).
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COVID-19: What you need to know about the coronavirus pandemic on 12 May
Wednesday 12th of May 2021
1. How COVID-19 is affecting the globe
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What’s the ‘bullwhip effect’ and how can we avoid crises like the global chip shortage?
Wednesday 12th of May 2021
It started with diapers.
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This UK campaign is working to close the politics gender gap
Tuesday 11th of May 2021
On the green benches inside London’s historic River Thames-side landmark, the Houses of Parliament, sit twice as many men as women.
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This is how climate change is impacting the ocean – and what we can do about it
Tuesday 11th of May 2021
The ocean is inextricably linked to our climate. Rising air temperatures due to global warming are melting the polar ice caps and dissolving glaciers, leading to rising sea levels.
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Thinking like Leonardo da Vinci will help children tackle climate change
Tuesday 11th of May 2021
Teaching children to think like the Renaissance artist, inventor and scientist Leonardo da Vinci would better prepare them for tackling crises such as climate change, according to researchers.
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This startup is 3D-printing wood made from upcycled sawdust
Tuesday 11th of May 2021
Even though 3D-printing naturally produces less waste than other manufacturing processes, it’s unfortunately the norm for 3D-printed creations to be made of plastic-derived materials. So to combat that, a startup called Forust is 3D printing wood products — and its raw material is upcycled sawdust and other byproducts from the wood industry that would otherwise be considered waste.
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Child mortality is still high in Africa – here’s what can be done
Tuesday 11th of May 2021
Improvements in child survival globally have been remarkable. Deaths of children under five declined by 59% from 93 deaths per 1,000 live births in 1990 to 38 in 2019.
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COVID has disrupted Africa’s cotton production. Here’s how soap could provide a solution
Tuesday 11th of May 2021
Cotton is a commercial crop grown mainly for its fibre or lint, a raw material used by the textile industry. In most least developed countries (LDCs) in Africa, raw lint is widely produced for export, creating vital revenue. But, this revenue is highly susceptible to outside shocks affecting international prices.
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Why a green COVID-19 recovery is key for the future of our cities
Tuesday 11th of May 2021
Around the world, cities have paid a high price for the COVID-19 pandemic. Thousands of municipalities are facing increased pressures to provide essential services while simultaneously coping with dramatic revenue declines. The situation is particularly severe in emerging markets where resources are sparse.
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One key to getting women back to work post-pandemic: Childcare
Tuesday 11th of May 2021
Wendy Niculescu is ready to get back to work after nearly a year and a half of being a stay-at-home mom.
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Lessons from Haiti: applying innovative, affordable, and replicable solutions using drones and spatial data
Tuesday 11th of May 2021
In 2016, Category 4 Hurricane Matthew made landfall in the south of Haiti, causing destruction unseen in more than a decade during the hurricane season, with winds as high as 230 kilometers per hour and 600 millimeters of rain in less than 24 hours. The toll was very high, with a total of 546 victims, 128 missing, 439 injured, and 2.1 million people affected.
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Virgin Hyperloop shows off the future: mass transport in floating magnetic pods
Tuesday 11th of May 2021
In the desert just north of Las Vegas, a long white metal tube sits at the base of the mountains, promising to one day revolutionize travel.
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‘Exceptional new normal’: IEA raises growth forecast for wind and solar by another 25%
Tuesday 11th of May 2021
The International Energy Agency (IEA) has raised its forecast for the global growth of wind and solar by another 25% compared to figures it published just six months ago.
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Why an evidence-driven approach is the best way for businesses to support workplace mental health
Tuesday 11th of May 2021
Mental health has never been higher on the agenda for businesses. It is easy to see why, as even prior to COVID-19, anxiety and depression were estimated to cost the global economy over $1 trillion every year in lost productivity. The exodus from offices in 2020 has presented further challenges and raised big questions about future ways of working.
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COVID-19: What you need to know about the coronavirus pandemic on 11 May
Tuesday 11th of May 2021
1. How COVID-19 is affecting the globe
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Equitable vaccine delivery will fuel better global health processes
Tuesday 11th of May 2021
SpaceX, founded in 2002 by Elon Musk with the goal of reducing space transportation costs to enable the colonisation of Mars, once had an epiphany: if its team were to build a reusable rocket, they could simultaneously decrease costs and increase speed, innovation and quality.
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This is how nature can inspire us to create sustainable cities
Monday 10th of May 2021
“Among all species, it is perhaps only humans who create habitats that are not fit to live in.” – Stephen Marshall
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Why now is the time into turn climate promises in climate action
Monday 10th of May 2021
The recently concluded U.S. climate summit aimed to steer the world away from its current warpath with nature and inject positive political momentum into the fight against climate change.
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3 steps to help manage the complex risks of climate change
Monday 10th of May 2021
A key feature of climate change is that it doesn’t pose one single risk. Rather, it presents multiple, interacting risks that can compound and cascade. Importantly, responses to climate change can also affect risk.
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What the cyber-attack on the US oil and gas pipeline means and how to increase security
Monday 10th of May 2021
The recent cyber-attack on the US major oil and gas pipeline could become one of the most expensive attacks to an economy. It’s also the latest reminder that both the frequency and severity of catastrophic digital shocks on critical infrastructure are on the rise.
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These 3 countries are 3D-printing new homes
Monday 10th of May 2021
By the end of this decade, as many as three billion people will be in need of better housing. Meeting that need would mean building 96,000 new homes every day, according to UN Habitat.
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How a system value approach can help Ireland meet its climate targets
Monday 10th of May 2021
We are in an age of climate action. More than 100 countries have committed to become net-zero economies in the next 30 years and I’m hopeful that we will see more big names on that list come COP26 in Glasgow this November.
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Keep temperatures below 2°C to avoid dangerously high sea levels, say experts
Monday 10th of May 2021
The Antarctic ice sheet is much less likely to become unstable and cause dramatic sea-level rise in upcoming centuries if the world follows policies that keep global warming below a key 2015 Paris climate agreement target, according to a new study.
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Climate change: What is COP26 and why does it matter?
Monday 10th of May 2021
This article was last updated on 11 May 2021.
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AI and nanotechnology could make cancer cell therapy affordable for all
Monday 10th of May 2021
After suffering 16 months of chemotherapy for her leukaemia, treatment options for six-year-old Emily Whitehead had run out. Her parents began to fear the worst. As a last-ditch effort, the University of Pennsylvania enrolled Emily in a clinical trial that involved reprogramming her immune cells to destroy her cancer. The results were phenomenal. Emily not only survived, but nine years later she is a healthy teenager with no cancer.
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Here’s how China can achieve economic growth without increasing emissions
Monday 10th of May 2021
Beijing suffered some of the worst sandstorms in a decade in March, caused by a combination of drought, low snow covers and high temperatures, another demonstration of the effects that climate change is already having and its potential to severely impact lives and livelihoods.
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Energy experts: Reaching net-zero by 2050 relies on these 7 things
Monday 10th of May 2021
The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) launched a preview of its World Energy Transitions Outlook on the 16th of March 2021. Dolf Gielen, Ricardo Gorini and Gayathri Prakash of the IRENA Innovation and Technology Centre give insight into some of the initial findings.
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COVID-19: how Indian doctors abroad are using technology to help their country
Monday 10th of May 2021
As India is ravaged by a crippling Covid-19 wave, members of the Indian diaspora are struggling to find ways to help. One group among them is especially distressed: doctors.
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How the pandemic has changed our use of public transport
Monday 10th of May 2021
Fears of the novel coronavirus are driving commuters off public transport and back to the car, researchers have said, urging cities to respond quickly to changing habits and lure travellers to green options.
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Why novels deserve a spot on your post-pandemic bookshelf
Monday 10th of May 2021
“If you want to get better at something, read a book about it.”
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From beer to blenders – 5 creative ways people are being persuaded to get their COVID-19 vaccination
Monday 10th of May 2021
Have you had your COVID-19 vaccination yet?
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The end of waste as we know it? 4 ways to turn waste into treasure
Monday 10th of May 2021
While recycling currently contributes only a fraction of waste repurposing, global innovators and industry leaders are finding new ways to turn it into sustainable materials or fuels. Indeed, the proverb “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure” is quickly morphing into “all trash is treasure” as waste utilization processes advance.
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COVID-19: What you need to know about the coronavirus pandemic on 10 May
Monday 10th of May 2021
1. How COVID-19 is affecting the globe
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Where carsharing is making inroads
Friday 7th of May 2021
Carsharing has become increasingly popular across the world in recent years, particularly in urban areas where people can rely on efficient public transport or cycling for the majority of their daily tasks and use a car on the occasions where it is necessary, without having to invest in ownership.
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Indonesia thinks big on forest protection
Friday 7th of May 2021
As forest fires raged in Indonesia six years ago, a thick, toxic smoke haze drifted across Southeast Asia that would lead to more than 100,000 premature deaths, destroy huge swathes of forest and threaten endangered orangutans.
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How many electric cars are on the roads and which country has most?
Friday 7th of May 2021
Despite 2020 being a sluggish year for the global automobile industry, electric car sales continued to grow. According to the latest edition of the International Energy Agency’s Global EV Outlook, electric passenger car sales climbed despite the total automobile industry contracting by 16 percent. While Europe overtook China to become the world’s largest EV market for the first time last year, China still had the largest number of electric cars on its roads last year with a total stock of 4.5 million.
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This unique, 20-year study followed the lives of 12,000 children in the developing world. Here’s what it discovered
Friday 7th of May 2021
A 20-year groundbreaking study that followed 12,000 people from infancy to young adulthood has revealed huge changes in poverty, education and expectations in the developing world.
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Four things workers want implemented by their bosses post-pandemic
Friday 7th of May 2021
Work-life balance, flexibility and mental health are front-of-mind for employees as they look to their employers for certainty about the future, according to a new report.
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Can this billion-dollar initiative save the world’s tropical forests?
Friday 7th of May 2021
Governments and global companies have joined forces as part of the appropriately-named LEAF Coalition to mobilize $1 billion in financing to protect the world’s tropical forests.
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How trust and collaboration are key in India’s last-mile response to the COVID-19 crisis
Friday 7th of May 2021
In rural Maharashtra, India – seven hours from Mumbai – the queues for COVID-19 testing and hospital beds are getting longer every day. For social entrepreneurs like Chetna Sinha, founder-chairperson of Mann Deshi Bank and the Mann Deshi Foundation, the situation is beyond heartbreaking. “We don’t know when the vaccines will come … We have a local saying that the sky has burst – we are trying to fix it with small pieces – it’s a bad situation.”
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Cybersecurity has much to learn from industrial safety planning
Friday 7th of May 2021
• Safety engineering practices can be readily applied to cybersecurity.
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COVID-19: What you need to know about the coronavirus pandemic on 7 May
Friday 7th of May 2021
1. How COVID-19 is affecting the globe
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Two key conditions for a post-pandemic economic recovery
Friday 7th of May 2021
The COVID-19 pandemic has exacted a gruesome death toll and, the stunningly quick developing of vaccines notwithstanding, the public health crisis is still far from being contained. Indeed, in spring 2021, Europe appears to be in a third wave and the disease threatens to become endemic, a structural change to which our economies will have to adapt. The pandemic has caused the deepest recession since WWII, hitting demand and supply simultaneously with different force depending on the industry (Baldwin 2020). Prospects for social-contact dependent industries have arguably changed for good.
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The world’s data explained: how much we’re producing and where it’s all stored
Friday 7th of May 2021
Ancient humans stored information in cave paintings, the oldest we know of are over 40,000 years old. As humans evolved, the emergence of languages and the invention of writing led to detailed information being stored in various written forms, culminating with the invention of paper in China around the first century AD.
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Mothers have been some of the worst affected by COVID-19. Here’s how to help them
Friday 7th of May 2021
A year ago, the world changed. While the pandemic’s effect on workers has varied worldwide, the new reality has left many mothers scrambling. With schools and daycares closed, many were forced to leave their jobs or cut the hours they worked. New IMF estimates confirm the outsized impact on working mothers, and on the economy as a whole. In short, within the world of work, women with young children have been among the biggest casualties of the economic lockdowns.
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Scientists are working on a cheaper way to produce medical oxygen
Friday 7th of May 2021
People might once have considered oxygen a human right. But the pandemic has revealed that access to oxygen – in a pure form, for medical use – is a luxury in most low and middle-income countries.