This has been called the ‘make or break decade’ for action on climate change - perhaps the most urgent challenge of our time. COP27, the UN climate conference, has now drawn to a close. But the burning question remains. Will the commitments made by major economies prove to be sufficient?

As this extraordinary year draws to a close, records for extreme performance continue to be smashed by equity, bond and currency markets. It’s all down to the central banks and their response to runaway inflation.

The International Monetary Fund issued a stark warning over the health of the global economy, saying it saw rising risks of a recession in 2023. Hopes rose that the deteriorating economic outlook might cause central banks to be less aggressive in raising rates to smother inflation.