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Think20 (T20)

In the Spotlight

  • T20 Policy Brief Outlines Global COVID-19 Fiscal Blueprint

    A new Think 20 (T20) policy brief co-authored by ADBI’s Peter Morgan and Nella Hendriyetty urges coordinated and comprehensive fiscal policies to address the pandemic-driven economic crisis. It proposes short and long-term actions, including health-related fiscal stimulus and stabilizing monetary policies. It also advocates measures that could help promote infrastructure financing, narrow income gaps, and deliver financial support to severely affected sectors to foster resilient and inclusive post-pandemic growth. The policy brief was also co-authored by former ADBI Dean Naoyuki Yoshino and the Australia-China Belt and Road Initiative’s Jean Dong.

  • T20 Policy Brief Describes Digital Financial Inclusion Keys

    Extending digital financial education to disadvantaged groups will be key to advancing financial inclusion in the digital age, according to a new Think 20 (T20) policy brief authored by ADBI’s Peter Morgan and Long Trinh and ADB’s Bihong Huang. It discusses the increasing need to address disparities in digital financial literacy (DFL) in light of pandemic-accelerated digitalization. It also details policy recommendations, including DFL standardizing measures, identification of the vulnerable, and targeted education programs delivered in coordination with Big Tech, non-governmental organizations, and financial institutions to promote an inclusive digital economy.

  • T20 Policy Brief Highlights Demographic Transition Management Strategies

    A new Think 20 (T20) policy brief co-authored by ADBI’s Deputy Dean Chul Ju Kim and Pitchaya Sirivunnabood details strategies for addressing workforce and fiscal sustainability pressures linked to accelerating demographic transition. It urges productivity enhancement by promoting inclusive labor participation via the female workforce and a higher retirement age, as well as education, training programs, and skill development. Fiscal and comprehensive social security and healthcare reforms will be crucial for achieving fiscal sustainability in the face of rapid population aging, it adds.

  • T20 Policy Brief Supports Quality Post-Pandemic Infrastructure Growth

    Innovative approaches for boosting quality infrastructure investment that could accelerate COVID-19 recovery are detailed in a new Think20 (T20) policy brief, co-authored by ADBI's Nella Hendriyetty. It explains how post-pandemic fiscal strain will make public financing of infrastructure projects increasingly challenging and outlines ways to promote profitable, sustainable, and resilient private investment. Its recommendations include spillover tax revenue schemes to lure private investors, greater financing for small and medium-sized enterprises alongside infrastructure development and enhanced natural disaster preparedness.

  • T20 Policy Brief Guides Green Growth Recovery

    Ways to accelerate sustainable energy transition to drive global COVID-19 recovery are explored in a new Think20 (T20) policy brief, co-authored by ADBI Senior Capacity Building and Training Economist Nella Hendriyetty. It emphasizes the importance of boosting private sector support for green energy development and implementation of the Paris Agreement. The focuses include G20-coordinated sustainable recovery measures, renewable energy expansion, environmental assessment and fossil fuel transition, and promotion of electricity access and efficient consumption.

Learn about ADBI’s policy innovation and leadership in the T20—The G20's research and policy advice network

T20 Italy 2021 Inception Conference Remarks by ADBI Dean Tetsushi Sonobe

ADBI T20 2020 Policy Briefs

Coordinated and Comprehensive Fiscal and Monetary Stimulus Facing the COVID-19 Crisis

This policy brief examines the need for coordinated fiscal and monetary stimulus to address challenges related to the scale of COVID-19’s spread and severe negative impact on the global economy. The aim is to encourage the G20 to develop a coordinated framework and principles to guide effective measures on a global scale. In the short-term, this approach could help contain the spread of the virus and stabilize the economy. In the medium- to long-term, it could support the adoption of policies conducive to economic growth and development.

T20 2020 Task Force 11: (COVID-19) Multidisciplinary Approaches to Complex Problems

Project Team:

  • Peter J. Morgan, Vice Chair of Research, ADBI
  • Nella Hendriyetty, Senior CBT Economist, ADBI
  • Naoyuki Yoshino, Professor Emeritus, Keio University
  • Jean Dong, Chief Executive, China Australia Belt and Road Initiative

Contact: Peter J. Morgan ([email protected])

Fiscal Sustainability and Social Cohesion in the Face of Demographic Change

This policy brief describes four proposals based on demographic stages to ensure fiscal sustainability and social cohesion. First, it discusses ways to raise productivity through human capital investment and enhanced labor participation achieved by increasing female participation, extending the retirement age, and implementing migration policies. Second, it calls for strengthening fiscal frameworks with tax reforms and thorough public spending review. Third, it urges the reform of public pension and healthcare schemes to address the negative impacts on fiscal sustainability and workers’ welfare after retirement. Fourth, it recommends investment in formal and technical education to equip future generations with the skills required in future job markets.

T20 2020 Task Force 9: Migration and Young Societies

Project Team:

  • Chul Ju Kim, Deputy Dean, ADBI
  • Pitchaya Sirivunnabood, CBT Economist, ADBI
  • Yong Jun Baek, Research Associate, ADBI
  • Karen Young, Resident Scholar, American Enterprise Institute (AEI)
  • Cian Mulligan, Senior Research Associate, KAPSARC
  • Sara Lechtenberg-Kasten, Research Fellow, KAPSARC

Contact: Pitchaya Sirivunnabood ([email protected]) and Yong Jun Baek ([email protected])

Minding the Gaps in Digital Financial Education Strategies

The development of financial technology (fintech) products and services creates greater opportunities for financial inclusion but requires more knowledge on the part of consumers to understand their costs, risks and benefits. The key challenge is that there are significant digital financial literacy gaps between men and women, urban and rural residents, and small and large firms, among others. This policy brief examines these issues and digital financial literacy education strategies that could narrow these gaps.

T20 2020 Task Force 6: Economy, Employment, and Education in the Digital Age

Project Team:

Contact: Peter J. Morgan ([email protected])

T20 Saudi Arabia 2020: Featured Activities

  • ADBI to T20: COVID-19 Action Vital to Demographic Transition

    ADBI Capacity Building and Training Economist Pitchaya Sirivunnabood highlighted the importance of addressing COVID-19 shocks to avoid exacerbating demographic transition challenges during a Think20 (T20) task force webinar on 2 June. Sirivunnabood suggested the G20 and other countries create sufficient fiscal space to mitigate the pandemic’s health and economic impacts, and help confront demographic changes like population aging. She also called for inclusive measures that recognize vulnerable groups such as older people, females, and migrant workers to ensure social cohesion.

  • ADBI Details COVID-19 Financial Inclusion Guidance Before T20

    ADBI Vice Chair of Research Peter Morgan explained during a Think20 (T20) task force webinar on 20 May that greater efforts by the G20 and other governments to promote digital financial literacy could advance financial inclusion in the COVID-19 era. Morgan said the pandemic-driven acceleration of the digital economy is increasing the need for national digital financial education strategies and guidelines, developed in coordination with fintech companies. He noted that this approach could boost access to financial services and financial education for disadvantaged groups.

  • ADBI Briefs T20 on COVID-19 Infrastructure Solutions

    ADBI Senior Capacity Building and Training Economist Nella Hendriyetty discussed ways the G20 and other governments can bolster quality infrastructure growth that supports post-COVID 19 economic recovery and job creation during a Think20 (T20) task force webinar on 20 May. Hendriyetty said policy makers could address COVID-19 triggered weakening in public infrastructure funding by introducing innovative policies to attract private investment while boosting small and medium-sized enterprises for increased spillover effects to ensure sustainable growth.

  • ADBI Launches New T20 Research in Saudi Arabia

    ADBI experts introduced new research for enhancing policy in the G20 at the Think 20 (T20) Saudi Arabia Inception Conference in Riyadh on 19-20 January. ADBI Dean Naoyuki Yoshino, T20 infrastructure financing task force co-chair, described research on delivering profitable and sustainable quality infrastructure investment. ADBI Deputy Dean Chul Ju Kim detailed papers on enabling fiscal sustainability amid demographic change and private sector low carbon investment in the power sector. ADBI Vice Chair of Research Peter Morgan and T20 economy, employment, and education in the digital age task force co-chair discussed a study on addressing gaps in digital financial education. The findings will be presented at the T20 Summit in Riyadh later this year. See photos.

T20 Japan 2019: Featured Activities

  • Japan Prime Minister Abe Meets T20 Delegation

    Japan Prime Minister Abe Shinzo met with T20 Japan Chair and ADBI Dean Naoyuki Yoshino and T20 Japan Supporting Co-Chairs Kenichiro Sasae and Hiroshi Watanabe in Tokyo on 30 May 2019 to discuss the newly issued T20 Communique. Dean Yoshino will represent the T20 during the G20 Leaders’ Summit in Osaka to spotlight the communique’s cutting-edge policy recommendations.

  • T20 Issues Communique for G20 Leaders

    The Think20 (T20), the G20's research and policy advice network chaired by ADBI under Japan's G20 presidency, issued the T20 Japan Communique during the T20 Summit in Tokyo on 26-27 May 2019. The communique details innovative policy recommendations for consideration during the G20 Leaders' summit in Osaka. The aim is to equip G20 countries to seek a sustainable, inclusive, and resilient society.

  • T20 Japan’s Guide to Disruption-Ready Education

    This compilation of innovative education policy proposals from the Think20 (T20), the G20’s advisory network chaired by ADBI under Japan’s G20 presidency, details how G20 countries can better equip people for the digitally driven job market and improve income equality, living standards, and sustainable economic growth.

  • View: T20 Summit 2019 Program

    See detailed session, speaker, scheduling and venue information for the T20 Summit 2019 at Toranomon Hills in Tokyo on 26-27 May 2019.

  • View: Read: Spotlight on T20 Summit in Tokyo

    Experts from the G20 advisory network will detail policy recommendations for G20 Leaders ahead of their summit in Osaka.

  • ADBI Unveils Think20 Policy Proposals for G20 Leaders

    ADBI experts introduced policy proposals for realizing a sustainable, inclusive, and resilient society being developed for G20 Leaders by Think20 (T20) Japan Task Forces during the Global Solutions Summit in Berlin, Germany on 18-19 March 2019. The proposals address goals including enabling small business growth via fintech, mitigating the economic impact of aging populations, and financing quality infrastructure projects that bring positive development to neighboring communities. ADBI’s summit representation was led by Dean Naoyuki Yoshino, the Chair of T20 Japan 2019.

  • Think20 Japan Ignites G20 Policy Innovation

    Global policy experts from the Think20 are addressing new shifts in the world economy heading into Japan’s inaugural hosting of the G20 in 2019. Work to develop policy recommendations for G20 Leaders to tackle growing uncertainty and sustainability challenges and opportunities began at the T20 Japan Inception Conference in Tokyo on 4-5 December 2018 (See photos). Keynote speakers included Asian Development Bank President Takehiko Nakao and Columbia University Professor Jeffrey Sachs. T20 Japan 2019 is chaired by ADBI Dean Naoyuki Yoshino and supported by 10 sectoral task forces.

THINK 20 — The research and policy advice network for the G20

Task Forces 2019

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T20 2019 Policy Briefs

Task Force 1: 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development

Since the adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in 2015, the Group of Twenty (G20) have sought effective means of implementing the SDGs using various frameworks and fora such as the G20 Action Plan on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and the G20 Development Working Group (DWG).

PB # Title of Policy Brief
1 Deliberate Next Steps toward a New Globalism for Universal Health Coverage (UHC)
2 Transforming Education towards Equitable Quality Education to Achieve the SDGs
3 Early Childhood Development Education and Care: The Future Is What We Build Today
4 Developing National Agendas in Order to Achieve Gender Equality in Education (SDG 4)
5 Measuring Transformational Pedagogies Across G20 Countries to Achieve Breakthrough Learning: The Case for Collaboration
6 Teacher Professional Skills: Key Strategies to Advance in Better Learning Opportunities in Latin America
7 Sustainable Financing for Development
8 Scaling Up Business Impact on the SDGs
9 Leveraging Science, Technology and Innovation for Implementing the 2030 Agenda
10 A Gendered Perspective on Changing Demographics: Implications for Labour, Financial and Digital Equity
11 Women’s Economic Empowerment: Strengthening Public and Private Sector Impact through Accountability and Measurement (SDG 5)

Task Force 2: International Financial Architecture for Stability and Development/Crypto-assets and Fintech

Task Force 2 (TF2) aims to promote an international financial architecture for stability and development, with a focus on Crypto-assets and Fintech.

PB # Title of Policy Brief
1 Capital Flows and International Financial Architecture
2 Turning Sustainable Finance into Mainstream Finance
3 Regulation of Crypto-asset Exchanges and the Necessity of International Cooperation
4 Strengthening the International Monetary Fund for Stability and Sustainable Development
5 Monetary policy and Financial System Resilience
6 The Macroprudential Policy Framework Needs to Be Global
7 Designing a Governance Framework for the Global Financial Systems – Regulations and Promotion
8 Fintech and Distributed Ledger Technology: Issues and Challenges Beyond Crypto Assets
9 Forming a Cohesive Fintech Agenda for the G20
10 Review of Fintech Strategies for Financial Inclusion in Sub-Saharan Africa
11 Forming a G20 Fintech Association Forum to Broker International Partnerships Promoting Financial Inclusion in Developing and Emerging Economies
12 Central Banks and the G20 Agenda: Ensuring Policy Coherence
13 Mind the Gap: Making Basel Standards Work for Developing Countries
14 Mainstreaming Natural Capital Valuation
15 Expanding Data Collection to Streamline MSME (Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise) Lending

Task Force 3: Climate Change and Environment

The international community adopted the Paris Agreement and the 2030 Agenda for the SDGs in 2015. Today, the priority is how to implement these commitments.

PB # Title of Policy Brief
1 Strengthened Actions towards Decarbonised and Climate Resilient Society
2 Six Proposals for Future Policies towards Circular Economy and Society
3 Biodiversity – A Key Source of Technological Innovation
4 Potential of Various Renewable Energy and Its Introduction Policy in Southeast Asia
5 Promotion of Constructing Zero Carbon Society: Effectiveness of Quantitative Evaluation of Technology and System for Sustainable Economic Development
6 Energy Transition in Emerging and Developing Countries: Promoting the New Paradigm
7 Policies and Practices to Enable Business Models for Resource Efficiency and a Circular Economy
8 Addressing Critical Issues for Building Climate Resilient Infrastructure
9 Investing in Climate Change Mitigation: A G20 Action Plan for Upscaling Private Sector Contributions
10 Delivering National Climate Action Through Decarbonized Cities

Task Force 4: Economic Effects of Infrastructure Investment and its Financing

Infrastructure is crucially important to foster countries’ economic development and prosperity. Investments in infrastructure contributes to higher productivity and growth, facilitates trade and connectivity, and promotes economic inclusion.

PB # Title of Policy Brief
1 The Infrastructure Nexus: From the Future of Infrastructures to the Infrastructures of the Future
2 Infrastructure Investment Needs and Sources of Financing
3 Pursuing Quality of Infrastructure for Sustainable Growth
4 Building Resilient Infrastructure Systems
5 Quality Infrastructure Investment: Ways to Increase the Rate of Return for Infrastructure Investments
6 Sustainable Infrastructure to Secure the Natural Capital of the Amazon
7 Disaster Mitigation Social Resilience: From Humans to Infrastructure
8 Economic Effects of Infrastructure Investment from the Land-based Financing
9 Global Targets on Drinking Water
10 Policy and Institutional Framework for Delivering on Sustainable Infrastructure

Task Force 5: Cooperation with Africa

African countries still face various development challenges such as fiscal and debt management, agricultural development, and the problem of food security, as well as the need to strengthen the competitiveness of industries.

PB # Title of Policy Brief
1 Fiscal and Debt Sustainability in Africa
2 G20 Compact with Africa
3 Industrial Development and ICT in Africa: Opportunities, Challenges and Way Forward
4 Linking Smallholder Production with Value-added Food Markets
5 Sustainable Prevention of Food Crises in Sub-Saharan Africa
6 Tax Challenges of Digitalization in Africa

Task Force 6: Social Cohesion, Global Governance and the Future of Politics

Task Force 6 deals with the unprecedented crisis in multilateralism at the global level, disruption of social cohesion at the domestic level, how nations could address these issues, and what the future of politics should look like.

PB # Title of Policy Brief
1 Promoting Unity of Corporate Governance with Global Governance and Social Governance: Demanding Commitment from Corporate Businesses on Sustaining Stable Social Foundation
2 Toward Global Paradigm Change: Beyond the Crisis of the Liberal World Order
3 Bringing the Public’s Voice into Debates about the Future of Politics
4 Maintaining Social Cohesion through Democratic Liberalism
5 Improving Future Ocean Governance – Governance of Global Goods in an Age of Global Shifts
6 Regional Trade Blocs as Supporting Structures in Global Governance
7 Technology Can Help To Right Technology`s Social Wrongs: Elements For a New Social Compact For Digitalisation
8 The Urban-Rural Divide and Regionally Inclusive Growth in the Digital Age
9 Decoupling and Social Arrest: The Way Forward
10 Civil Society and the G20: Towards a Review of Regulatory Models and Approaches
11 Multilateralism with Multiple Layers and Strengthening the Base of National Capacity
12 Rules-based Global Governance at Risk: Challenges of US Unilateralism and US-China Superpower Competition
13 The G20 in Face of Politicization: Avoiding or Embracing Contestation?
14 The Digital Freedom Pass: Emancipation from Digital Slavery
15 Improving Immigrants’ Integration in Host Countries

Task Force 7: The Future of Work and Education for the Digital Age

Several major technological transformations (e.g., artificial intelligence or AI, fintech, the Internet of Things, Industry 4.0) are putting the global economy on a new track.

PB # Title of Policy Brief
1 Fostering Human Dimension of the Digital Education
2 Industrialization and Growth in Digital Age: Disruptions and Opportunities for Employment Led Growth in Asia and Africa
3 The Need to Promote Digital Financial Literacy for the Digital Age
4 Lifelong Learning and Education Policies to Capture Digital Gains
5 Transformation of Economic and Social Institutions for a New Era of Self-employment in High-income Countries
6 Rethinking Pathways to Employment: Technical and Vocational Training for The Digital Age
7 Delivering Workforce Productivity Growth
8 Bridging the Gap Between Digital Skills and Employability for Vulnerable Populations
9 Leaving No One Behind: Measuring the Multidimensionality of Digital Literacy in the Age of AI and other Transformative Technologies
10 The G20 and the Reskilling Effort to Bring the Fourth Industrial Revolution to Emerging Countries: Some Insights from Latin America
11 How to Promote Worker Wellbeing in the Platform Economy in the Global South
12 New Opportunities in the Platform Economy: On-ramps to Formalization in the Global South

Task Force 8: Trade, Investment and Globalization

The world trading system is facing various challenges such as rising protectionism, unequal opportunities to engage in global value chains, and legal systems that are ill-equipped for digital trade and international trade in services.

PB # Title of Policy Brief
1 The Crisis in World Trade
2 Reinvigorating the WTO as a Negotiating Forum
3 Reforming the WTO AB: Short-term and Mid-term Options for DSU Reform, and Alternative Approaches in a Worst Case Scenario
4 The Digital Economy for Economic Development: Free Flow of Data and Supporting Policies
5 Services Trade for Sustainable, Balanced, and Inclusive Growth
6 Expanding and Restructuring Global Value Chains for Sustainable and Inclusive Growth
7 Towards G20 Guiding Principles on Investment Facilitation for Sustainable Development

Task Force 9: SME Policy faced with Development of Financial Technology

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) account for more than half of formal employment globally and are crucial for stimulating improvements in productivity.

PB # Title of Policy Brief
1 Digital Innovation Can Improve Financial Access for SMEs
2 Promoting SME R&D and Innovation
3 Fostering Greater SME Participation in a Globally Integrated Economy
4 Promoting Support for Start-ups
5 Promoting Investment in Human Capital and Labor Mobility: Making the Entrepreneurial Economy Work
6 Business Transfer as an Engine for SME Growth

Task Force 10: Aging Population and its Economic Impact + Immigration

The rising trend of aging societies, a result of decreased fertility rates and longer life expectancies, signals drastic changes in the world’s demographic structure, as Asia clearly demonstrates.

PB # Title of Policy Brief
1 Macroeconomic Impacts and Policies in Aging Societies
2 Fostering Prosperity – Investment and Demographic Transition
3 Taxation in Aging Societies: Increasing the Effectiveness and Fairness of Pension Systems
4 Role of Innovative Policies in Incentivizing Women’s Participation in the Formal Workforce: A Response to Trends in Aging Population
5 Work Capacity and Socially Sustainable Public Pension System in Aging Societies
6 Supporting Sustainable and Effective Social Security System Development in Aging Developing Countries
7 Use Evidence-based Medicine to Raise the Productivity of Healthcare in Aging Populations
8 Role of G20 in Designing Immigration Policies to Support Population Aging
9 Investment in Social Capital and Migrant Labour as a Solution for Population Aging
10 Financial Literacy, Incentives, and Innovation to Deal with Population Aging
11 Aging Population and Its Impact on Fiscal Sustainability
12 Aging, Fiscal Sustainability and Adequacy of Social Security Systems