The World Ahead from The Economist The Economist

Inflation in America has reached its highest level in four decades. What is the outlook for 2022? Host Tom Standage asks former US treasury secretary Larry Summers. Meanwhile, China is pushing ahead with its plans for a “central bank digital currency”. How do such digital coins stack up against cryptocurrencies?


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China is unlikely to reopen its borders in 2022 as it continues its zero-covid policy. What will the long-term impact of the pandemic be on tourism and business travel? Meanwhile, the tourist map of South-East Asia will look very different in 2022 as the number of destinations adopting the “sandbox” model is set to grow. Tom Standage hosts. 


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After a major UN climate summit, momentum behind climate policy often falters. But will that happen in 2022 in the wake of COP26? Climate cooperation is leading to some unlikely alliances and new reports on the impact of global warming underline greater urgency. Will significant action follow? Tom Standage hosts.


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Space was one of the only tourist destinations in 2021 that boomed. What are the prospects for extraterrestrial travel in 2022? Host Tom Standage talks to Sian Proctor, the first African-American woman to pilot a spacecraft, who took part in the first all-civilian orbital mission. And, how does science fiction relate to the new reality of space exploration?


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Why will 2022 be the year of the worker? Workers around the world suffered hardship in 2020 and 2021, but labour markets across the rich world have outperformed expectations.
For workers the work from home experiment has gone fairly well and they have more bargaining power than they have had for years. But how can employers ensure that the future of work is fair for all? Tom Standage hosts. 


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In wealthy and well-vaccinated countries, year three of the pandemic will be better than year two. But in countries that are poorer, less well vaccinated or both, the deleterious effects of the virus will linger. A disparity of outcomes between rich and poor countries will emerge. Meanwhile, tests and treatments for “long covid” are on the horizon and the mRNA technology used in some covid vaccines could be applied to other diseases. So could there be a “covid dividend”?


Host Tom Standage talks to The Economist's Edward Carr, Natasha Loder and Slavea Chankova.


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