ABOUT THIS NEWSLETTER

Subsidies — transfers of public money to private interests— are so common that for the most part they go unnoticed; they can also be arcane and complex, posing tremendous challenges for journalists. Yet, many experts believe that subsidies are one of the most critical factors in determining the sustainability of a government’s economic, social and environmental policies. By conservative estimates, over US$1 trillion is spent annually on government subsidies worldwide. That money has far reaching effects, going well beyond the stated policy goals used to justify the subsidy itself. This monthly IPS-GSI Subsidy E-newsletter is designed to help journalists identify ways in which subsidies crucially affect efforts to achieve a more sustainable future.

Inter Press Service is a global news agency producing independent news and analysis about events and global processes affecting the economic, social and political development of peoples and nations, especially in the South. IPS is the news agency of Civil Society and the South, Development Issues, The Globalisation Process and of the People Excluded from It.

IPS’ Subsidy E-newsletter is produced in partnership with the Global Subsidies Initiative, a programme of the International Institute for Sustainable Development. The GSI is a research organisation that aims to improve transparency and stimulate debate on reforming government subsidies. In addition to its research activities, the GSI has undertaken an ongoing journalists’ capacity building programme – offering grants, expertise and contacts – and designed to support journalists worldwide seeking to investigate government subsidies and their impacts.

The GSI is embarking on a multi-year research effort that aims to better quantify the scope and scale of subsidies to fossil fuels, and the impact of these subsidies on the environment.

More information
The Global Subsidies Initiative cooperates with an international network of researchers working on subsidy related issues. Journalists working on stories that involve subsidies, and who are in search of expertise, information and support are invited to contact Javed Ahmad, the GSI’s Director of Communications, at info@globalsubsidies.org.

Every month, the IPS-GSI Subsidy E-newsletter will focus on a specific theme through an analytical essay or interview with a leading expert in that field, highlighting the subsidy angle in an issue that journalists might cover regularly.