Can the world avoid a global recession?

Can the World Avoid a Global Recession? | GZERO World with Ian Bremmer

This year, the annual fall meetings of the World Bank and the IMF are all about global economic doom and gloom.

How bad will it get? Are we headed toward a worldwide recession? And who will bear the brunt of the pain?

To get some answers, GZERO World with Ian Bremmer has two very special guests: World Bank President David Malpass and IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva.

Malpass tackles the elephant in the room: whether he's a climate denier. His odds of a global recession? 50/50. But the World Bank chief is more worried about the poorest countries going backwards on their development goals.

For her part, Georgieva explains the three drivers that'll likely trigger a worldwide economic slowdown next year. She also predicts that the coming winter will be bad for Europe — but the next one will be worse.

More from GZERO Media

Open Call is the heart of Walmart’s $350 billion commitment to US manufacturing, supporting products made, grown or assembled in America. The pitch event represents a unique opportunity for selected entrepreneurs to meet face-to-face with Walmart merchants and earn a chance to get their products on store shelves nationwide. Last year, finalists from across the country represented 48 states, with entrepreneurs from over half these states receiving deals. It’s all a part of Walmart’s investment in American jobs and communities. Learn more about Walmart’s annual Open Call.

Five years ago, Microsoft set bold 2030 sustainability goals: to become carbon negative, water positive, and zero waste—all while protecting ecosystems. That commitment remains—but the world has changed, technology has evolved, and the urgency of the climate crisis has only grown. Earlier this month, they launched the 2025 Environmental Sustainability Report, offering a comprehensive look at the journey so far and how Microsoft plans to accelerate progress. You can read the report here.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Kiribati's President and Foreign Minister Taneti Maamau meet after the Third China-Pacific Island Countries Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Xiamen, China, on May 28, 2025.
Tian Yuhao/China News Service/VCG via Reuters Connect

Last week, something highly unusual was spotted off the coast of Japan. In an unprecedented show of naval power, two Chinese aircraft carriers were seen cruising together near the country’s easternmost islands of Minamitori and Okinotori—far out into the Pacific Ocean.

US President Donald Trump gestures after returning early from the G7 Leaders’ Summit in Canada, at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, USA, on June 17, 2025.
REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

US President Donald Trump declared that he wants to bring a “real end” to the Israel-Iran conflict, and urged citizens of Tehran to evacuate, sparking rumors that Washington is set to get involved.

- YouTube

As the Israel-Iran war intensifies, Iran is seeking an urgent ceasefire, facing overwhelming Israeli military air superiority. "They have virtually no capacity to strike back,” says Ian Bremmer in today’s Quick Take.

Memorial outside the Minnesota State Capitol in honor of Democratic state assemblywoman Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark, after a gunman killed them, in St. Paul, Minnesota, U.S., June 15, 2025.
REUTERS/Tim Evans

Minnesota’s massive manhunt ended Sunday with the arrest of 57-year-old Vance Boelter, accused of killing State Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband, and injuring State Sen. John Hoffman and his wife.

Emergency personnel work at an impact site following a missile attack from Iran on Israel, in Tel Aviv, Israel, on June 16, 2025.
REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun

The war between Israel and Iran continued to escalate over the weekend, creating a dilemma for US President Donald Trump.

OSZAR »