By Tim Hirschel-Burns From April 15-19, policymakers, civil society, researchers and more will gather in Washington, D.C. for the 2024 International Monetary Fund (IMF)/World Bank Group Spring Meetings. These official, high-level meetings will set the direction for the institutions, amid a plethora of panels and side events, as well as related meetings like the G20 […]
By Niccolò Manych In the past, coal has been a pivotal driver of electrification and economic development. However, the social costs of coal-fired power plants—in terms of air pollution, public health and climate change—now outweigh the benefits and a rapid phase-down is required to adhere to the temperature limits set by the Paris Agreement. Consequently, […]
By Oyintarelado Moses, Ishana Ratan and Lucas Engel From 2008-2021, China’s development finance institutions (DFIs), China Development Bank (CDB) and the Export-Import Bank of China (CHEXIM), provided approximately $500 billion in overseas development finance (ODF), an amount nearly on the scale of World Bank lending during the same time period. The Boston University Global Development […]
The Global China Initiative (GCI) manages a suite of five interactive public databases that collectively track hundreds of billions of dollars in Chinese loans and investment to a variety of sectors, including energy and other infrastructure development. GCI manages and updates these databases in a bid to provide transparent information to aid research, education, policymaking, journalism and […]
By Claire Paul Following the hottest summer on record, policymakers, representatives from international financial institutions, researchers and civil society will gather for two key global summits from September 4-6: the Africa Climate Summit (ACS) hosted in Nairobi, Kenya, and the Finance in Common Summit (FiCS) hosted in Cartagena, Colombia. The FiCS seeks to reinforce commitments in […]
By Cecilia Springer and Joanna Lewis A dramatic scaling of renewable energy (RE) is needed to achieve global climate goals, while developing countries are simultaneously facing a financing gap for low-carbon infrastructure that can meet both climate and development goals. China has emerged as the world’s largest bilateral lender for development finance, and is increasingly […]
A dramatic scaling of renewable energy (RE) is needed to achieve global climate goals, particularly in the Global South. However, increasing geopolitical tensions between the United States and China have spilled over into the realm of climate cooperation, stymying collaboration and climate action. Time is of the essence for finding ways to leverage American and […]
Multiple and overlapping crises have intensified debt vulnerabilities of emerging economies in recent years. In 2023, more than 60 countries are at or near significant debt distress, according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). Despite continued efforts by creditors and international communities, significant challenges remain for systematic and […]
By Yangsiyu Lu, Cecilia Springer and Bjarne Steffen Increasing infrastructure finance is high on the agenda for achieving sustainable development targets and climate goals in developing countries. Many development finance institutions, including the World Bank, Asian Development Bank and Global Environment Facility, have identified cofinancing as a key tool for mobilizing more financial resources, which […]
By Christina Duran Last month, countries met in Egypt for the 2022 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP27) to discuss progress on achieving climate goals with a focus on the Global South. The presence of one country in particular loomed large at the conference – China. While it is presently the largest carbon dioxide emitter, […]