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Cities across the world have been battling a housing crisis in recent decades, with many residents increasingly struggling to find affordable homes, and broader issues arising around tackling homelessness, improving housing quality, and harnessing the role of housing in climate change mitigation. This housing crisis has been exacerbated by the cost-of-living crisis that saw inflation reach record highs in 2022. City mayors can take critical action through their powers over housing, land use, and infrastructure. This paper highlights the systemic issues underlying the housing crisis in cities, and offers inspiring examples of how cities in OECD countries and beyond have been addressing these challenges. It aims to inform the 6th Meeting of OECD Champion Mayors for Inclusive Growth and drive positive change towards more affordable cities and homes for all.

This paper explores the nexus between decarbonisation and intergovernmental fiscal relations, focusing on related challenges and reform options. It highlights the significant role of subnational governments in tackling climate change. Subnational and national governments share responsibilities in areas such as taxation, spending and regulation pertaining to environmental protection, as well as climate change mitigation and adaptation, which calls for effective intergovernmental co-operation to align policy objectives and implementation strategies. The paper outlines decarbonisation requirements across sectors and discusses subnational government involvement in service delivery, investment, revenue generation and regulatory frameworks. Policy options to strengthen subnational contributions to national decarbonisation goals are presented. While focusing primarily on OECD countries, the paper acknowledges the need for improved information on subnational decarbonisation efforts in both advanced and developing countries.

As a European Green Capital 2023, Tallinn has a unique momentum to set the foundations for its transition from a linear to a circular economy. The newly created Circular Economy Department in the city administration is a signal of this transformation. The city conceives the circular economy as a means to advance environmental goals while generating opportunities for job creation and stimulating innovation through a systems approach. This report summarises the findings from a 20-month policy dialogue between the OECD, the city of Tallinn and stakeholders from public, private and non-profit sectors. It provides the main components of existing circular economy initiatives promoted in Estonia and in the city of Tallinn, key challenges and policy recommendations to help the city develop its long-term vision on the circular economy, setting targets for the future.

Digitalisation has triggered a profound transformation of the retail sector, primarily composed of SMEs. While retail businesses are embracing more hybrid practices of managing online and brick-and-mortar channels, getting more traditional SME retailers fit for the hybrid era could open up new opportunities, with far reaching implications on the local economy. Through a novel survey conducted in six OECD countries (France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Korea, and Spain) in co-operation with e-commerce platforms, this report provides new insights to better understand retail SMEs’ perceived advantages and challenges of operating online sales through these platforms, with a particular spotlight on hybrid SME retailers.

Strengthening the performance and economic contribution of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) and start-ups is central to Abu Dhabi’s goal of creating a more diversified and competitive economy. This report provides an assessment of policies, programmes and regulations relating to MSME and start-up development in Abu Dhabi. The assessment is structured around six thematic areas: i) access to finance, ii) the availability of skills and capabilities, iii) access to markets, iv) the business environment, v) innovation and digitalisation, and vi) future opportunities for MSME and start-up development. For each thematic area, an analysis of existing issues, challenges and policy approaches is provided, in addition to policy recommendations and relevant examples of international policy practices. The report was prepared by the OECD Secretariat and external experts based on information gathered by the OECD in Abu Dhabi in the form of written documentation, questionnaire responses, stakeholder interviews and roundtable meetings as well as desk research on policy practices in other countries.

This paper analyses Memorial University’s contribution to the economic development of the province of Newfoundland and Labrador in Canada, specifically focusing on the university’s contributions to the provincial ocean economy. It analyses the university’s public engagement, entrepreneurship, and collaboration strategies, programs, and relationships to understand Memorial’s regional impact.

Québec is mobilised to become an innovation and entrepreneurial leader in North America, giving higher education institutions (HEIs) a central role in this drive. HEIs are pivotal in developing skills and nurturing talent, connecting and contributing to their communities, including firms, public authorities and civil society. The Stratégie québécoise de recherche et d’investissement en innovation (SQRI) has placed HEIs at the fore front of the provincial innovation and entrepreneurship efforts, including with an explicit spatial approach, through the 'innovation zones'. This review assesses the 'geography of higher education' in Québec through the examination of ten case study HEIs. These case studies represent examples of innovative and entrepreneurial HEIs that support entrepreneurship and innovation in their communities. In particular, the case studies tell the story of the province of Québec in creating sustainable entrepreneurship and innovation, connecting actors and mobilising resources and policies. The review offers actionable policy recommendations to generate further progress in this direction.

OECD countries continue to face persistent gender inequalities in social and economic life. Young women often reach higher levels of education than young men, but remain under-represented in fields with the most lucrative careers. Women spend more time on unpaid work, face a strong motherhood penalty, encounter barriers to entrepreneurship and fare worse in labour markets overall. They are also under-represented in politics and leadership positions in public employment. These elements permeate many policy areas and economic sectors – from international trade and development assistance to energy and the environment – in which policy often lacks a strong gender focus. Violence against women, the most abhorrent manifestation of gender inequality, remains a global crisis. This publication analyses developments and policies for gender equality, such as gender mainstreaming and budgeting, reforms to increase fathers’ involvement in parental leave and childcare, pay transparency initiatives to tackle gender pay gaps, and systems to address gender-based violence. It extends the perspective on gender equality to include foreign direct investment, nuclear energy and transport. Advancing gender equality is not just a moral imperative; in times of rapidly ageing populations, low fertility and multiple crises, it will strengthen future gender-equal economic growth and social cohesion.