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On November 16, 2020, The <\/span>Global Development Policy (GDP) Center<\/a>,\u00a0<\/span>an affiliated regional center at the Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies at Boston University, published a new report titled “Debt Relief for Green and Inclusive Recovery<\/a>.” The GDP Center hosted a launch webinar to celebrate the report, which was produced in partnership with the Heinrich B\u00f6ll Stiftung<\/a> and the Centre for Sustainable Finance at SOAS, University of London<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n The report proposes substantial debt relief by public and private creditors for low and middle-income countries with unsustainable debt burdens, in order to provide fiscal space for investment in COVID-19-related health and social spending, climate adaptation and green economic recovery strategies.<\/p>\n The launch webinar featured former UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown and Prime Minister of Barbados Mia Mottley as well as noted experts and report authors including Kevin Gallagher<\/a>, Professor of Global Development Policy at the Pardee School and Director of the GDP Center.<\/p>\n At the launch, Prime Minister Brown highlighted that the report is \u201cshowing how we start to build an environmentally sustainable future out of the case of COVID and out of the world, disfigured not just by pandemics, but by pollution and by poverty.” He stated that by relieving the debts of the poor and releasing the money to address climate change, we can start to change our world.<\/p>\n In her remarks, Prime Minister Mottley said, \u201cCOVID-19 has been an enormous leveler, and they say as we know, pride cometh before the fall. This is not time for hubris\u2026Good policy choices in a disaster don\u2019t come about by accident and unprecedented times require unprecedented responses.\u201d She further announced, \u201cwe join the call today for debt relief to be extended beyond the public to the private sector and beyond the poorest countries to middle income countries. Simply put, now is the time [to act].\u201d<\/p>\n The full report can be read on the GDP Center’s website<\/a>, and a recording of the launch event can be viewed below.<\/p>\n