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Lara Merling

@laramerling.bsky.social
2.3K followers 244 following 13 posts

Economist and internationalist. Critical perspectives on 🌎 macro, debt, climate & development, and the role of money. "The purpose of studying economics is to learn how not to be deceived by economists." My opinions. 🇷🇴 in 🇺🇸 www.laramerling.com

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Reposted by Lara Merling
Mariana Mazzucato @mazzucatom.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
I’m excited to launch my new report, State Transformation for Plan México, co-authored with @laramerling.bsky.social , at UNAM next week.
docs.google.com
Pre Registro Conferencia Magistral Mariana Mazzucato
Formulario con el proposito de control y prevención. Asimismo, mantenemos nuestro compromiso de mantener la privacidad y el resguardo de cada uno de los datos y materiales compartidos, por lo que…
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The BREAK—DOWN @the-breakdown.bsky.social · 15/05/2026
From the Archive: Read @laramerling.bsky.social on economic orthodoxy and the real limits to climate action "In reality, the only true constraints lie in the availability of real resources—workers, materials, infrastructure—to meet our collective needs." www.break-down.org/real-constra...
break-down.org
Real Constraints
The finance available for climate action is limited by orthodoxy, not reality.
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Mariana Mazzucato @mazzucatom.bsky.social · 01/05/2026
The WorldBank has recognised industrial policy can deliver after decades of advising against it. But new conclusions do not automatically produce new economics. The Bank still treats the state as a fixer of market failures rather than a market creator and shaper.
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Transition Security Project @transitionsec.bsky.social · 01/05/2026
“[In] Europe’s response to the 2022 energy shock ... $1.8tn in additional costs [was mostly] absorbed by households & public budgets while shareholders charging higher prices benefited.” Our research cited by @mazzucatom.bsky.social @laramerling.bsky.social www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/n...
project-syndicate.org
A New Economics for the 21st Century
Mariana Mazzucato & Lara Merling explain why the World Bank’s belated recognition of the importance of industrial policy is not enough.
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Mariana Mazzucato @mazzucatom.bsky.social · 16/04/2026
Yesterday, spoke at WorldBank Knowledge Café w Arturo Franco & Alexia Latortue on what mission delivery requires. World Bank’s Mission ambition is welcome but now it needs to be matched by an operational architecture. Working paper w @laramerling.bsky.social sets out what needs to change.
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UCL Institute for Innovation and Public Purpose @iipp-ucl.bsky.social · 09/04/2026
🆕 A Mission-Aligned World Bank IIPP Director @mazzucatom.bsky.social and @laramerling.bsky.social's new working paper considers how the World Bank’s operational architecture & institutional design need to evolve to deliver mission-oriented development. 🔗 Read more here: buff.ly/fYhyHev
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Mariana Mazzucato @mazzucatom.bsky.social · 09/04/2026
In DC next week for Spring Meetings to share a new working paper co-authored with @laramerling.bsky.social on what a mission-aligned World Bank would actually require. The paper assesses 30 National Energy Compacts under Mission 300 and develops a framework for mission-oriented water compacts.
ucl.ac.uk
A Mission-Aligned World Bank: From ambition to delivery
Authored by Mariana Mazzucato and Lara Merling
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Lara Merling @laramerling.bsky.social · 02/12/2025
At #COP30, the failed economic orthodoxies embedded in the financial architecture got little attention. Embracing the role of the state and industrial policy are 🗝️ to scaling up climate action, as explained in this @the-breakdown.bsky.social piece: www.break-down.org/real-constra...
break-down.org
Real Constraints
Finance for climate action is limited by orthodoxy, not reality
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Moira Birss @moira.bsky.social · 22/09/2025
Transformative visions for green industrial policy in the Global South are, unfortunately, impossible without a redesign of today's international financial architecture (IFA). In a new @cplusc.bsky.social report with @laramerling.bsky.social, we explain... 1/4 climateandcommunity.org/research/gre...
Green Industrial Policy Needs a New Financial Architecture (screenshot from title page of report. White letters over purple fading into blue background.)
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Mariana Mazzucato @mazzucatom.bsky.social · 04/07/2025
We don't just need conferences, more 'blah blah blah'—we need connected, joined-up action written into the operating system of our multilateral order. My latest, reflecting on #FfD4, on building a multilateralism that's greater than the sum of its parts, from Seville to Belém to Johannesburg. Link ⬇️
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Durand D'souza🍃 @dldx.org · 22/05/2025
Excellent piece in @the-breakdown.bsky.social by @laramerling.bsky.social on reframing the issue of the climate finance gap. Lots I agree with but I still wonder how we can move beyond the status quo in time to avoid climate breakdown www.break-down.org/post/real-co...
break-down.org
Real Constraints
The Global North talk constantly about the
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Lara Merling @laramerling.bsky.social · 16/05/2025
Framing climate policy as a finance issue obscures the real stakes. We need to refocus debates on mobilizing real resources, challenging economic orthodoxies, and building a more just financial system. My latest for @the-breakdown.bsky.social www.break-down.org/post/real-co...
break-down.org
Real Constraints
The Global North talk constantly about the
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Lara Merling @laramerling.bsky.social · 16/05/2025
Framing climate policy as a finance issue obscures the real stakes. We need to refocus debates on mobilizing real resources, challenging economic orthodoxies, and building a more just financial system. My latest for @the-breakdown.bsky.social www.break-down.org/post/real-co...
break-down.org
Real Constraints
The Global North talk constantly about the
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Adrienne Buller @adriennebuller.bsky.social · 15/05/2025
"Economics treats a lack of public finance as a natural constraint, obscuring how money is actually created. In reality, the only true constraints lie in the availability of real resources... to meet our needs." - @laramerling.bsky.social, now free to read online www.break-down.org/post/real-co...
break-down.org
Real Constraints
The Global North talk constantly about the
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Stephanie Kelton @stephaniekelton.bsky.social · 14/05/2025
Must read.
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The BREAK—DOWN @the-breakdown.bsky.social · 14/05/2025
The Global North talk constantly about the "Finance Gap", but finance for climate is limited by orthodoxy, not reality. @laramerling.bsky.social writes for RIGHT TURN (ISSUE #1)
break-down.org
Real Constraints
The Global North talk constantly about the "Finance Gap", but finance for climate is limited by orthodoxy, not reality.
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Benjamin Braun @benbraun.social · 10/05/2025
“it’s baffling to argue China’s success in building out critical infrastructure is simply a result of a combination of power abuses and the absence of regulations and “debating with judges.”” It is indeed. Great review.
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Isabella M. Weber @isabellamweber.bsky.social · 10/05/2025
A book with just the right ambition to provide a vision for a different future that yet misses the moment. My review of Abundance for Foreign Policy.
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Adrienne Buller @adriennebuller.bsky.social · 08/05/2025
Had a great time launching Issue I of @the-breakdown.bsky.social last night with the exceptional @geoffmann.bsky.social and Quinn Slobodian. Thanks to everyone who turned out, asked great questions and supported new climate writing. Issue I here: www.break-down.org/issues/1
break-down.org
The BREAK–DOWN
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Mariana Mazzucato @mazzucatom.bsky.social · 08/05/2025
Health is not just human capital or a byproduct of economic growth—it's a fundamental human right. Today I share insights from our WHO Council on Health For All at G20 Health Working Group on why health spending is an investment in economic resilience. Final report ➡️ www.who.int/publications...
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The BREAK—DOWN @the-breakdown.bsky.social · 16/04/2025
Issue 1 is HERE! 📖 Our first print issue launches on May 7 - join us for a LIVE podcast & party 🎉 Join @adriennebuller.bsky.social, @geoffmann.bsky.social & @quinnslobodian.com to discuss RIGHT TURN — on the afterlives of neoliberalism & climate politics in the age of the new right...
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Lara Merling @laramerling.bsky.social · 14/04/2025
📢 In DC for the Spring Meetings? Join us for an event on real economy approaches to financing sustainable development and climate action. 🗓️ April 24 | 🕐 1–4 PM | 📍 ActionAid USA 🍽️ Light lunch provided 🧭 Organized by the G-24 and IDEAs 🔗 Registration info in comments #SDGs #ClimateFinance
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Adrienne Buller @adriennebuller.bsky.social · 16/04/2025
Very excited to share that we've put together our first print issue of @the-breakdown.bsky.social feat. some incredible contributors 🥲 Join us 7 May in London where I'll be in conversation w/the excellent @quinnslobodian.com and @geoffmann.bsky.social Tix @ the link
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Lara Merling @laramerling.bsky.social · 14/04/2025
📢 In DC for the Spring Meetings? Join us for an event on real economy approaches to financing sustainable development and climate action. 🗓️ April 24 | 🕐 1–4 PM | 📍 ActionAid USA 🍽️ Light lunch provided 🧭 Organized by the G-24 and IDEAs 🔗 Registration info in comments #SDGs #ClimateFinance
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Lara Merling @laramerling.bsky.social · 21/03/2025
Interest spending ⬆️ because central banks ⬆️ rates. OECD countries mostly get to create their own conditions. Higher rates resulting in more government $ going toward interest simply illustrates another consequence of a blunt & ineffective approach to monetary policy www.ft.com/content/d69a...
ft.com
Government debt interest costs hit highest level since 2007
Payments surpass defence spending and have risen to 3.3% of GDP for richest countries, says OECD
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Lara Merling @laramerling.bsky.social · 21/03/2025
Interest spending ⬆️ because central banks ⬆️ rates. OECD countries mostly get to create their own conditions. Higher rates resulting in more government $ going toward interest simply illustrates another consequence of a blunt & ineffective approach to monetary policy www.ft.com/content/d69a...
ft.com
Government debt interest costs hit highest level since 2007
Payments surpass defence spending and have risen to 3.3% of GDP for richest countries, says OECD
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Lara Merling @laramerling.bsky.social · 19/03/2025
There was always an alternative to austerity and austerity was always a choice
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Albert Pinto @70sbachchan.bsky.social · 03/02/2025
"Climate change cannot be addressed as a siloed policy area. Questions of mining & energy, finance & development, migration & tech, cannot be separated out from the vast changes occurring in the world’s climate. No crisis is an island" @polycrisis.bsky.social www.phenomenalworld.org/analysis/pol...
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Lara Merling @laramerling.bsky.social · 02/01/2025
What does Trump 2.0 mean for 2025? Will tariffs escalate even further? Will sanctions impact $ dominance? Can the South successfully challenge a multilateral system long dominated by the North? @katemac.bsky.social and I break down these questions: www.phenomenalworld.org/analysis/ame...
phenomenalworld.org
America First? | Lara Merling & Kate Mackenzie
Escalations and reverberations in the trade war
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Kate Mackenzie @katemac.bsky.social · 08/01/2025
I keep thinking about this (of course). The post poses a question - not the one asked explicitly, but: at what point might climate change make those with power care enough to do something about it?
Tweet by Keith Wasserman: “Does anyone have access to private firefighters to protect our home in Pacific Palisades? Need to act fast here. All neighbors houses burning. Will pay any amount. Thank you.”
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Lara Merling @laramerling.bsky.social · 02/01/2025
What does Trump 2.0 mean for 2025? Will tariffs escalate even further? Will sanctions impact $ dominance? Can the South successfully challenge a multilateral system long dominated by the North? @katemac.bsky.social and I break down these questions: www.phenomenalworld.org/analysis/ame...
phenomenalworld.org
America First? | Lara Merling & Kate Mackenzie
Escalations and reverberations in the trade war
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Albert Pinto @70sbachchan.bsky.social · 18/12/2024
America First...and now America alone. @katemac.bsky.social @laramerling.bsky.social take stock phenomenalworld.org/analysis/ame...
phenomenalworld.org
America First? | Lara Merling & Kate Mackenzie
Escalations and reverberations in the trade war
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Tim Dunlop @timdunlop.bsky.social · 18/12/2024
This piece by @katemac.bsky.social and @laramerling.bsky.social is worth a read. Full of interesting information. "Today over half the global economy is subject to some sort of US sanction." www.phenomenalworld.org/analysis/ame...
phenomenalworld.org
America First? | Lara Merling & Kate Mackenzie
Escalations and reverberations in the trade war
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Albert Pinto @70sbachchan.bsky.social · 14/12/2024
@katemac.bsky.social @laramerling.bsky.social look at persistence of an America First stance through Clinton-bush-obama-trump biden buttondown.com/polycrisisdi...
buttondown.com
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Kevin Gallagher @kevinpgallagher.bsky.social · 12/12/2024
Global South countries will witness evermore uncertainty in exchange rates and capital flows. Important to put in place capital flow regulations to stem the time—the lack thereof has already done too much damage since 2020 and worst could be yet to come
on.ft.com
Dollar’s surge sparks biggest fall in emerging market currencies in 2 years
Developing economies also suffering from ‘confluence of bad news’
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Daniel Munevar @danielmunevar.bsky.social · 04/12/2024
Christmas has arrived early for the debt community with the release of the World Bank International Debt Report 2024 🎅 After a quick scan (still have to go through the data), two things caught my attention 🧵 www.worldbank.org/en/programs/....
worldbank.org
International Debt Report
The World Bank’s International Debt Report features external debt statistics and analysis for low- and middle-income countries and information on new bond issuance in international capital markets.
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Jon Sward @jonsward.bsky.social · 22/11/2024
Africa Group and CSO reps reject paltry offer from developed countries of $250 bn in public climate finance by 2035, as too little, too long (of a timeframe), and having no clear ‘quality’ guardrails #COP29 #NCQG Via @theguardian.com live blog: www.theguardian.com/environment/...
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Isabella M. Weber @isabellamweber.bsky.social · 20/11/2024
If green industrial policy doesn’t speak to people’s needs, it’s doomed to fail as a political project in a time of the rise of the far right. Great G20 side event in Rio @phenomenalworld.bsky.social @cebrapazbr.bsky.social @lauraabcarvalho @pedrolrossi.bsky.social
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Daniel Munevar @danielmunevar.bsky.social · 21/11/2024
US set to forgive US$ 4.5 billion in loans to Ukraine. To place this figure in context, it’s equivalent to 4.5 times the debt forgiven to 31 countries through the IMF CCRT between 2020 and 2022 (US$ 967 million). Debt relief has always been a matter of political will. www.reuters.com/world/biden-...
reuters.com
Biden administration moves to forgive $4.7 billion of loans to Ukraine
The Biden administration has moved to forgive about $4.7 billion in U.S. loans to Ukraine, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said on Wednesday, as outgoing officials seek to do what they can before leaving office to bolster Ukraine in its war against Russia.
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Lara Merling @laramerling.bsky.social · 21/11/2024
Richard Kozul-Wright lays out the global political economy of the transition. Issues go deeper than the q of climate finance - "effective governance of the int financial & trade systems is essential to ensure climate & development goals are mutually reinforcing." www.soas.ac.uk/sites/defaul...
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Kevin Cashman @cashman.bsky.social · 19/11/2024
This is a great piece that touches on these issues and more: jwmason.org/slackwire/ch...
jwmason.org
China’s Economic Growth Is Good, Actually – J. W. Mason
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Kevin Cashman @cashman.bsky.social · 19/11/2024
I'm a big fan of denominators and I'm glad another graphic was included in this piece It shows that the article's thesis that "China is upending climate politics because it emits too much" falls apart because China's emissions per capita are very low.
A different way to look at emissions
Total emissions aren’t the only metric to consider in issues of fairness. Another is emissions per person.
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Lara Merling @laramerling.bsky.social · 19/11/2024
At #COP29, rich countries are pointing the finger at China to shift the debate away from failing to own up to their responsibilities and paying what they owe developing countries. @kevinpgallagher.bsky.social points out China is already a leader on climate finance www.scmp.com/opinion/chin...
scmp.com
Opinion | On climate finance, China is only guilty of being too modest
While China must do better in making clear its climate leadership, the rest of the world should stop looking for scapegoats and start paying up.
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Daniel Aldana Cohen @aldasky.bsky.social · 18/11/2024
Centrists say Biden admin did a great job w the economy, but working class voters only cared about culture. Fascinating. Because the facts… do not line up. PEOPLE ARE HURTING The collapse of covid benefits was especially savage. Lets have a look, courtesy of @stephensemler.bsky.social charts
Misery is higher now than when Biden started
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Matt Huber @matthuber.bsky.social · 17/11/2024
When ppl try to tell Brett Christophers “markets” really are delivering the clean energy transition. www.economist.com/china/2024/1...
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Patrick Bigger @pmbigger.bsky.social · 15/11/2024
It's not surprising that debt and IMF mandated austerity have seriously hindered climate action in Argentina, but it's very helpful to have data points that make the link crystal clear. There continues to be no route to climate justice that doesn't run through debt cancellation and IFI reform
degruyter.com
Sovereign Debt and Climate Change in Argentina – The Catalytic Role of the IMF
This article studies the interdependence between Argentina’s public over-indebtedness and climate change. It addresses the following questions: What type of productive model does the Argentine public ...
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Chirag Lala @cthelala.bsky.social · 16/11/2024
I've long wanted to push public sector research in a instrumental direction: connecting critical policy roles to specific investment formation needs. Excited to present this @cmmonwealth.bsky.social & @publicenterprise.bsky.social concept brief doing just that! www.common-wealth.org/publications...
common-wealth.org
A Compass Rose for National and Global Development: Five Institutional Capacities the G20 Can Build to Unleash Green Investment | Briefing | Common Wealth
For the G20, providing many of the most important global public goods from climate safety to development are public investment and coordination problems.
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Lara Merling @laramerling.bsky.social · 16/11/2024
For a readout on #COP29 aka "the finance COP", check out the latest @thepolycrisis.bsky.social dispatch from @70sbachchan.bsky.social, @katemac.bsky.social, and a guest contribution from myself! Find the latest update here subscribe for future updates: buttondown.com/polycrisisdi...
buttondown.com
Polycrisis Dispatch
The Polycrisis Dispatch is a test of a weekly newsletter based on The Polycrisis fortnightly essay newsletters.
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David Palomera 🇵🇸🇺🇦 @davidpalomera.bsky.social · 14/11/2024
In this starter pack nothing less than already 70 profiles on political economy and ecology (x2 compared to this morning). Let’s make it 150! go.bsky.app/KDmSHCZ
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