This working paper contains a review and analysis of environmental policy tools in Latin America. It contains a review of the instruments themselves and their properties are discussed in both static and dynamic contexts. The report brings together the institutional and more narrowly economic...

This technical guidance note presents orientation for project teams and clients on how to reconcile the financing of chemical plants with climate change objectives. In lieu of minimum performance criteria, it provides quantitative benchmarks by which to prioritize levels of attention. It also...

This paper attempts to establish a formal relationship between innovation and productivity using Colombian firm-level data. It is found that the production of goods and services new to the firm and to the domestic market enhances firms' sales per worker, and innovation that results in...

Some analysts rank Chile as the only Latin American economy that qualifies as a 'take-off economy,' or development economy. In a sense, Chile's enduring success and proved insulation from the 'Tequila effect' are due to its high national savings. What has made Chile's savings so high? What were...

Although the Latin American region's growth rates are at a three decade high, they have been historically disappointing in relative terms, which cannot be dissociated from the microeconomic environment in which firms operate. Policy makers may need to complement their focus on macroeconomic...

Policymakers in Latin America increasingly are turning to policies that have high economic rates of return and a favorable impact on income distribution. By providing financial services to small businesses and poor households -which normally lack such services- credit unions help secure growth...

The country studies and their background papers included in this book were prepared for the Latin America and the Caribbean section of the "Global Research Project: Explaining Growth" of the Global Development Network (GDN), a research effort conducted in association with the Latin American and...