The pandemic caused severe disruptions to the global business environment. This column reports evidence on how different sectors in the Middle East and North Africa have been responding. The focus is particularly on firms’ adoption of digital technologies, as well as policies that might encourage greater digitalisation as an essential business strategy to mitigate the consequences of Covid-19 for the economy.

Preserving nature is a key element in the world’s effort both to mitigate and adapt to climate change, and it also happens to be good for business. But new findings reported in this Project Syndicate column, show that much of the private sector continues to lag far behind in tackling deforestation and protecting biodiversity.

Is Covid-19 increasing inequalities in Jordan? This column outlines the main findings of a new report on the impact of the pandemic on inequality in expenditure, incomes and educational opportunities and outcomes.

The growing geopolitical and economic split between the United States and China should prompt a paradigm shift in economic thinking. In particular, as this Project Syndicate column argues, economists will need to reconsider their approach to topics such as comparative advantage, market integration and how to promote convergence.