Gas Flaring: A $100 Billion Problem with a Policy Solution Every year, oil and gas producers burn off or vent into the atmosphere roughly 8 percent of the gas they extract. Reducing this waste is not an intractable problem. It is a policy failure. And fixing ...

Cutting methane flaring is a win-win-win: more revenue for governments, better health outcomes, and real climate gains.

Yet $100B in gas is still wasted every year.

The problem isn’t technical—it’s policy.

Read more: www.cgdev.org/blog/gas-flaring-100-bil...

Education delivers some of the highest returns—but sustainable financing is still a major gap. ✏️

CGD and @gpforeducation.bsky.social bring together experts to explore how long-term, system-level financing can deliver quality education at scale.

Register today 👉 https://go.cgdev.org/4siNdIY

What Will It Take for Development Agencies to Stay Effective in a Changing Landscape? Development cooperation is entering a period of profound disruption. Rapid declines in official development assistance (ODA) have shifted the narrative from “peak aid” to “post-aid,” while geographic ...

What does effectiveness look like as development aid faces declining funding and shifting priorities?

Development agencies are being pushed to rethink how they operate—not just what they deliver.

www.cgdev.org/blog/what-will-it-take-d...

Is an IDA Health Window the Global Health Financing Solution? The global health architecture is facing intense scrutiny. There are now an A-Z of initiatives launched to lead the reform, from the Accra Reset to the Lusaka Agenda Secretariat and a WHO-led process....

What would it look like to fund health systems in a way that puts countries in the driver’s seat?

@peterbaker17.bsky.social argues an IDA health window could support more coordinated, country-led health financing.

www.cgdev.org/blog/ida-hea...

Nine Cents Well Spent: Maximizing PASEC's Value for African Education The PASEC education assessment generates benefits that far exceed its costs through four channels: (1) triggering policy reform, (2) guiding education spending, (3) enabling research, and (4) informin...

PASEC costs just 9 cents per child per year—but helps inform ~$14.5B in education spending across Africa.

Now facing a funding crunch, the question is how to strengthen and sustain its impact.

@alenestour.bsky.social and Barbara Bruns on how to make it more effective 👉 https://go.cgdev.org/4vdm2lN

Radical Simplification: What Are the Implications for UK Aid? The Foreign Secretary recently set out how the UK plans to cut aid to 0.23 percent of GNI (this figure excludes domestic refugee costs). Last year, we called for the radical simplification of aid as a...

As the UK cuts aid, how can it make the most of a smaller budget?

@rglenner.bsky.social and @siddhharia.bsky.social make the case for “radical simplification.”

That means focusing where impact is greatest—innovation, evidence-based programs, and the poorest countries.

https://go.cgdev.org/4m7fZuL

The Iran War Oil Shock Will Hit the Hungry Hardest—Cash Should Be Part of the Response The US–Israel war on Iran has already led to a spike in oil prices. While wealthier countries focus on fuel prices, for those in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), this could mean something far...

The Iran war oil shock will hit the hungry hardest.

The same food price increase can mean 3× larger income losses for the poorest households.

@leecrawfurd.bsky.social and @eeshani.bsky.social on why cash should be part of the response.

https://go.cgdev.org/47KhM36

When global shocks hit, countries already facing high debt burdens can be pushed to the brink.

What if debt contracts were built to absorb those shocks?

Join CGD to discuss new proposals for temporary debt-service suspension clauses.

📅 Tuesday, April 14
⏰ 1:30 PM ET
🎟️ https://go.cgdev.org/4sM4DyN

Bridging the MDB Shareholder-Management Divide: Private Capital Mobilization Private capital mobilization (PCM) is a central part of the MDB reform agenda. MDB heads have embraced it as well. But to deliver on this agenda, MDB shareholders and management will have to agree on ...

Private capital mobilization is central to MDB reform—but progress isn’t keeping pace with ambition.

Closing that gap will require rethinking how MDBs manage risk, use capital more efficiently, and align shareholders and management.

https://go.cgdev.org/48mtlgZ

The Iran War Oil Shock Will Hit the Hungry Hardest—Cash Should Be Part of the Response (new @cgdev.org blog with @eeshani.bsky.social)

www.cgdev.org/blog/when-oi...

A New Compact for Health Financing: From Principle to Practice Centred on evidence-informed priority setting, domestic-first financing of core services, and consolidated supplementary aid, the New Compact offers a framework to guide health financing reform. This ...

What would a New Compact for health financing look like in practice?

New CGD analysis explores how external support can better align with domestically led health priorities—and outlines three scenarios for reform.

www.cgdev.org/publication/new-compact-...

Beyond Oil: The Budgetary Costs of Conflict in the Middle East In a recent blog post, we argued that the increase in oil prices spurred by the war in the Middle East—particularly if sustained—will likely have major consequences for government budgets. Many govern...

Conflict in the Middle East is putting pressure on public finances well beyond oil prices.

At ~$100 per barrel, costs could reach up to 3% in developing economies.

But slower growth, weaker revenues, and higher spending will sustain pressure past the oil shock.

https://go.cgdev.org/4bSI8B3

Image of an announcement for CGD at the 2026 IMF/World Bank Spring Meetings. Multiple national flags are displayed against a blue sky. The event is titled "Rewriting the Case for Aid: Purpose, Priorities and Political Realities" and is scheduled for April 15, 2026, at 11:00 AM ET, located at 2055 L St NW, 5th Floor, Washington, DC. A logo with "CGD" is at the bottom. To register visit: CGDev.org/spring-meetings

As the traditional model of development assistance comes under strain, CGD is bringing together global experts to rethink the future of aid.

What should ODA be used for—and how should it evolve?

📅 Wednesday, April 15
⏰ 11:00 AM ET | 4:00 PM BST
🎟️ https://go.cgdev.org/4m4s4AS

UK Bilateral Aid Should Prioritise Government-Led Expansion of Health Services Last Thursday, the UK announced cuts to bilateral aid programmes in order to meet the new budget envelope of 0.3 percent of GNI. This includes over 50 percent cuts to programmes in Africa. Guided by t...

What does it mean for the UK to shift bilateral health aid from “service delivery” to “system support”?

New CGD analysis argues government-led service delivery should be central and why current approaches fall short.

https://go.cgdev.org/4s7Mlaa

The G20 Should Pay for Results—Not Promises—To Spur Health and Climate Innovation Innovation has helped drive growth and improve lives across the G20, from advances in health and agricultural productivity to new energy sources and digital technologies. But markets often underinvest...

What if governments paid for results, not promises?

New analysis argues the G20 should rethink how it funds health and climate innovation by rewarding outcomes, not just effort.

Read more: www.cgdev.org/blog/g20-should-pay-resu...

“PISA-Shocks” in Africa When the OECD published its first international student assessment (PISA) in 2000, several countries were taken aback by just how poorly students performed. This “PISA-Shock” prompted comprehensive re...

Can test results lead to education reform?

@alenestour.bsky.social and @leecrawfurd.bsky.social show how PASEC results have improved learning in Francophone Africa.

At a few cents per child, the question is not cost but whether countries can afford to lose it.

cgdev.org/blog/pisa-shocks-africa

Global Vaccine Security Still Needs International Cooperation: Are Middle Powers the Key? “International relations” seems like an oxymoron these days, with diplomacy faint and bombs exploding. Countries that once relied on alliances and negotiation only a decade ago are disregarding the be...

What if vaccine equity depends on where production happens?

William Savedoff argues producing vaccines in smaller countries with excess capacity could reduce pressure to keep supply at home.

www.cgdev.org/blog/global-vaccine-security-still-needs-international-cooperation-are-middle-powers-key

A promotional image for the 2026 IMF/World Bank Spring Meetings. It lists event sessions with dates and times from April 14 to April 17, including topics such as debt contracts, education financing, and health policy. The events are hosted by CGD and Devex. The location is Washington, DC, with both in-person and online options.

The IMF and World Bank Group's #SpringMeetings are right around the corner!

CGD will be hosting a series of conversations with leading development experts and policymakers on the biggest challenges shaping the global agenda.

Explore the events and register to join us ⤵️
go.cgdev.org/4s2SkwY

Timing Matters: Lessons from Government Support to Firms During COVID-19 Governments around the world provided unprecedented support to firms during the COVID-19 pandemic. The World Bank’s SME-Support Measure Dashboard, for example, tracked 1,500 government measures to sup...

How much did timing matter for government support to firms during #COVID19?

New analysis finds support worked best when delivered early and phased out quickly.

www.cgdev.org/blog/timing-matters-less...

Assessing the UK’s International Development Reset Last week the Foreign Secretary set out how the government would implement the major cuts to the UK’s aid budget announced a year ago. At an event we held the same evening, the Development Minister Ba...

The UK’s aid “reset” is shifting toward crisis response.

Humanitarian spending is rising even as the overall budget falls—but Africa funding is set to drop by over half, with less going to the poorest countries.

Read more: www.cgdev.org/blog/assessing-uks-inter...

Global Vaccine Security Still Needs International Cooperation: Are Middle Powers the Key? “International relations” seems like an oxymoron these days, with diplomacy faint and bombs exploding. Countries that once relied on alliances and negotiation only a decade ago are disregarding the be...

When geopolitical “heavyweights” dominate vaccine production, access becomes more fragile.

William Savedoff argues middle powers must collaborate to overcome access barriers.

Read more: www.cgdev.org/blog/global-vaccine-secu...

Are Aid Agencies Paying Attention to What Works in Education? This blog is the first in a series examining evidence use among international aid agencies and national governments, as resources get ever tighter. The series will focus specifically on the uptake of ...

Are education aid projects paying attention to what works?

New CGD analysis of a decade of World Bank and FCDO projects finds growing uptake of “smart buys” like targeted instruction and structured pedagogy—but gaps remain.

www.cgdev.org/blog/are-aid-agencies-paying-attention-what-works-education

The Global Collapse in Funding for the Food Insecure On a planet that is producing more food per person than ever before, it is a moral stain that so many still suffer malnutrition or face the risk of famine. And, if sustained, the recent collapse in gl...

Global food insecurity hasn’t improved much since 2022. But aid has dropped sharply, including in countries with large food-insecure populations.

@charlesjkenny.bsky.social argues aid should be better targeted to crises across Africa, South Asia, & Central America:
https://go.cgdev.org/3MA5iDB

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The Global Fund is at a crossroads as donor support shrinks and calls for reform intensify.

In a Tough Times, Tough Choices brief, CGD experts propose three “radical simplification” shifts to protect impact and stretch scarce resources:
https://go.cgdev.org/4bSqWxl

One Year In, What Do We Know About Humanitarian and Development Spending Under Trump? With new data, we examined both obligations (commitments) and outlays (disbursements) for several of the core US international assistance accounts over the last calendar year. Across nearly every acco...

One year into the second Trump administration, new data shed light on development and humanitarian spending.

Obligations and outlays show declines across global health, migration & refugee assistance, and more:
https://go.cgdev.org/4ceD7ED

Beyond Measuring Teacher Time on Task: Increasing It In the global push to address the crisis in foundational learning, particularly across sub-Saharan Africa, the focus has rightly been on improving the quality of teaching. But even the most innovative...

Teacher time on task remains a major barrier to learning across sub-Saharan Africa. Absence from school, absence from class, and lost instructional time all play a role.

Experts examine potential solutions—and where evidence gaps remain:
https://go.cgdev.org/4qhr3G5

Don’t Scrap the UK’s Independent Commission for Aid Impact, Make It Better Last month the UK development minister discussed in parliament the possibility that she might scrap the “Independent Commission for Aid Impact”. While critics have accused her of simply trying to avoi...

The UK is considering scrapping the Independent Commission for Aid Impact. But it plays a key role in scrutinizing aid and strengthening accountability.

@leecrawfurd.bsky.social and @ianmitchell1.bsky.social propose 5 reforms to improve its value:
https://go.cgdev.org/4toR09E

Funding cuts and political backlash are threatening global progress on gender equality.

At CGD’s 10th Birdsall House Conference, participants discussed how to build a bulwark against these headwinds. Kehinde Ajayi shares key takeaways:
https://go.cgdev.org/45L3gHf

Refugees Bring Aid. Just Saying That Can Improve Social Cohesion. Hosting refugees doesn’t have to be perceived as zero-sum. When hosts see that aid strengthens their own communities and understand its connection to refugees, we see that support for refugees increas...

Many refugee-related aid programs also support host communities—but that connection isn’t always clear.

@thomasginn.bsky.social and Travis Baseler find that making the link explicit can significantly improve attitudes toward refugees:
https://go.cgdev.org/4rollmN

A Roadmap for AI That Speaks the World’s Languages For AI to benefit all people, it will need to speak their languages and understand their worlds. AI works well in English, French, Spanish, Hindi, Chinese—but that leaves 4 billion people whose native...

"AI works well in English, French, Spanish, Hindi, Chinese—but that leaves 4bn people whose native tongues & local conditions are not represented. They are being left behind."

CGD experts call for a better AI system that speaks the world's languages:
https://go.cgdev.org/4bnYHVb