The four decades of neoliberalism, globalisation and financialisation have produced crises - financial and pandemic - and rising inequality. The climate emergency threatens the future of the planet. This book explores many dimensions of the background to these crises. There is the development of policy agendas to address the climate emergency. The rise in inequality is studied in terms of impacts of financialisation and the relationships between growth and inequality. The record of the neoliberal experiment in the USA is critically examined. The roles of financial institutions including public banks and micro-finance are explored, as is the need for improved financial oversight in the Economic and Monetary Union. The growth of global value chains has been a major aspect of globalisation, and the question is examined of whether such chains provide a ladder for development. Globalisation has also featured trade imbalances and large capital flows, and their causes and effects are examined with respect to China and South Africa respectively.

This volume will be of great value to students, scholars and professionals interested in political economy, economic thought, climate change, sustainability and business studies.

The chapters in this book were originally published as a special issue of the journal, International Review of Applied Economics.

Malcolm Sawyer is Emeritus Professor of Economics, University of Leeds, UK and Retired Managing Editor of International Review of Applied Economics. He is author of 12 books, co-editor of over 30 books and over 250 academic journal articles and book chapters.

Jonathan Michie is Professor of Innovation and Knowledge Exchange at the University of Oxford, UK where he is also President of Kellogg College. He is Managing Editor of International Review of Applied Economics, and Chair of the Universities Association for Lifelong Learning.