Jose Angel Gurria

“'Tax' is a bad word for politicians.”

“Most businesses do not take governments seriously when it comes to climate, primarily because many governments have inconsistent and incoherent policies and then often keep changing them, sometimes retroactively. This makes businesses reluctant to invest in greener technologies.”

“Japan's future prospects depend on ensuring fiscal sustainability over the long term.”

“The euro is going to continue to be the largest single trading block.”

“Principles of fair and equitable treatment included in many treaties are uncontroversial as general principles of good public governance.”

“I said a vote to leave would be a Brexit tax. I couldn't think of anything stronger than that.”

“It is not good to cut exports or imports.”

“Why did we lose Brexit? Why, because 60 per cent of youth didn't believe they needed to go and vote.”

“We need better measures of people's expectations and levels of satisfaction, of how they spend their time, of their relations with other people... We need to focus on stocks as much as on flows, and we need to broaden the range of assets that we consider important to sustain our well-being.”

“I have family who are British citizens and who want to be citizens of the world and citizens of the E.U.”

“The OECD should promote everything that's consistent with its mandate, which is to make the world economy work better.”

“The idea that if governments open up and become more democratic they will fall is a false dilemma.”

“Gender equality is essential for ensuring that men and women can contribute fully at home, at work, and in public life for the betterment of societies and economies at large.”

“Our leaders must get to grips with the huge risk that carbon dioxide emissions pose to the economy and the environment. As we know, carbon dioxide is a long-lived gas. It hangs around.”

“Governments must address inconsistencies in their energy strategies, consider the links with broader economic policies, and stop sending mixed signals to consumers, producers, and investors. In particular, they must assess whether the right regulatory arrangements are in place to allow clean-energy investments to compete on a risk-return basis.”

“Reforms to product and labour markets, education, innovation, green growth, competition, taxes, health - they are the things that should be the object of our primary focus in the context of a long-term strategy to restore sustained growth.”

“If the world is to avoid a collision with nature - one that humanity surely cannot win - we must act boldly on every front, particularly with respect to carbon pricing and the coherence of our economic and energy policies.”

“The City of London is always going to be there and will continue to be important.”

“It will be crucial the E.U. and the U.K. maintain the closest economic relationship possible.”

“There probably could be some mileage in running a comparative study about how best to finance electoral campaigns around the world.”