World Growth Institute
Encyclopedia
The World Growth Institute projects itself an international NGO serving as a think tank for economic growth
issues, and it says that "Staff and contributing fellows comprise former trade diplomats and other government officials to discuss economic growth issues. Key U.S. economists contributing to World Growth studies include Professor Alan Blinder
and Dr. Robert Shapiro
, former Undersecretary of Commerce to President William Jefferson Clinton."
In fact the World Growth Institute is largely a one-man band operated by Alan Oxley, an ex-Australian Trade official who was also director of the APEC Centre, in the School of Business at RMIT University in Melbourne. His Institute has two other employees, both from the corporate/banking and trade/business-lobby sectors. Kristen Bondietti works both for APEC Center and as a Principle Consultant for Oxley's ITS Global consulting company.
Oxley is also Managing Director of ITS Global, a strategic trade, environment and communication consultancy which appears to recruit its non-Asian consultants mainly from the APEC Centre that he runs at Melbourne's RMIT University. He is also a prominent climate-change denier who appears to be closely associated with the Australian libertarian think-tank, the Institute of Public Affairs (IPA) which acts as a bridge between global corporate interests and Australian conservative governments (Liberal Coalition) in state and federal spheres.
There is no doubt about Oxley's credentials as a career trade diplomat who dealt with GATT and areas of International trade. However he now wears many hats, which make it difficult to identify which group he is representing at any one time. He tends to wear the "Chairman of World Growth" hat when he is attacking Greenpeace (which he does often), and then puts on his "Australian Trade Ambassador Oxley" hat when dealing with the media and politicians. He is "Director of APEC Centre, RMIT University" when dealing with academics, and "Trade and Asian Business Consultant" when dealing with businessmen.
He has admitted to working as a consultant for companies tied to the Asian forestry industry, and he now runs a campaign to support Palm Oil plantations against environmental activist who believe this type of monoculture in tropical agriculture is a deforestation mistake. It is notable that the World Growth Institute web site says nothing about their funders or their corporate supporters.
Economic growth
In economics, economic growth is defined as the increasing capacity of the economy to satisfy the wants of goods and services of the members of society. Economic growth is enabled by increases in productivity, which lowers the inputs for a given amount of output. Lowered costs increase demand...
issues, and it says that "Staff and contributing fellows comprise former trade diplomats and other government officials to discuss economic growth issues. Key U.S. economists contributing to World Growth studies include Professor Alan Blinder
Alan Blinder
Alan Stuart Blinder is an American economist. He serves at Princeton University as the Gordon S. Rentschler Memorial Professor of Economics and Public Affairs in the Economics Department, Vice Chairman of The Observatory Group, and as co-director of Princeton’s Center for Economic Policy Studies,...
and Dr. Robert Shapiro
Robert Shapiro
Robert Leslie Shapiro is an American civil litigator and senior partner in the Los Angeles-based law firm Glaser Weil Fink Jacobs Howard Avchen & Shapiro, LLP. Shapiro is most recognized for being part of the defense team which successfully defended O.J. Simpson in 1995 from the charges that he...
, former Undersecretary of Commerce to President William Jefferson Clinton."
In fact the World Growth Institute is largely a one-man band operated by Alan Oxley, an ex-Australian Trade official who was also director of the APEC Centre, in the School of Business at RMIT University in Melbourne. His Institute has two other employees, both from the corporate/banking and trade/business-lobby sectors. Kristen Bondietti works both for APEC Center and as a Principle Consultant for Oxley's ITS Global consulting company.
Oxley is also Managing Director of ITS Global, a strategic trade, environment and communication consultancy which appears to recruit its non-Asian consultants mainly from the APEC Centre that he runs at Melbourne's RMIT University. He is also a prominent climate-change denier who appears to be closely associated with the Australian libertarian think-tank, the Institute of Public Affairs (IPA) which acts as a bridge between global corporate interests and Australian conservative governments (Liberal Coalition) in state and federal spheres.
There is no doubt about Oxley's credentials as a career trade diplomat who dealt with GATT and areas of International trade. However he now wears many hats, which make it difficult to identify which group he is representing at any one time. He tends to wear the "Chairman of World Growth" hat when he is attacking Greenpeace (which he does often), and then puts on his "Australian Trade Ambassador Oxley" hat when dealing with the media and politicians. He is "Director of APEC Centre, RMIT University" when dealing with academics, and "Trade and Asian Business Consultant" when dealing with businessmen.
He has admitted to working as a consultant for companies tied to the Asian forestry industry, and he now runs a campaign to support Palm Oil plantations against environmental activist who believe this type of monoculture in tropical agriculture is a deforestation mistake. It is notable that the World Growth Institute web site says nothing about their funders or their corporate supporters.