Category: Climate Finance

New IMF policy committee chair against fossil fuel phaseouts

African countries set their sights on an ambitious new climate finance target

Ahead of the upcoming climate finance meeting in Colombia this month, African countries have laid out an ambitious approach to the new collective quantified goal on climate finance, arguing for it to be based on the actual needs of countries and not just a political figure.

Proposed UN Tax Convention Sparks Hope for African Climate Finance

A recent UN Resolution to develop a global tax convention might stem illicit financial flows and create a more equitable and beneficial tax regime for Africa. The continent has long been championing these reforms, both to better its fiscal health and to enable domestic climate change responses.

Climate change fund replenishment falls vastly short

The latest replenishment of the UN’s climate fund, the GCF, barely moves the needle on what has been historically pledged. It also doesn’t touch sides with the amount needed by developing countries. This bodes poorly for the trust deficit between developed and developing countries at COP28.

Slow progress and small wins at the IMF and World Bank meetings

At their annual meetings in Marrakesh this month, the World Bank and IMF agreed to some incremental reforms, including increasing IMF lending resources, representation for Africa on the IMF Executive Board, and quicker administrative processes for World Bank lending. However, little was achieved on debt reform or capital increases for the Bank.

African Countries call for Finance Reform at the UNGA, but Lack of GCF Pledges is Worrying

African countries made impassioned and detailed statements on how the global finance architecture should change at this year’s UN General Assembly. The SDG Summit also highlighted key climate finance reforms needed. However, action was lacking at the Climate Ambition Summit, where GCF pledges were underwhelming.

Looking towards the IMF and World Bank meetings in Marrakech

Looking towards the IMF and World Bank Annual Meetings on 9 October in Marrakech, expectations are that climate related reforms should go beyond much needed capital increases and the re-channeling of SDRs. We discuss a recent report by the African Climate Foundation of what these reforms should entail.

Interview with Egypt’s Lead Climate Change Negotiator, Ambassador Mohamed Nasr, on Climate Finance and the Africa Climate Summit

We spoke with Egypt’s chief climate negotiator, Ambassador Mohamed Nasr, who headed the COP27 Presidency’s team and led many of the negotiation tracks at COP27 in Egypt last year, about his thoughts on climate finance, Africa’s priorities and the upcoming African Climate Summit.

Making the Global Financial System Work for Africa

Building a financing ecosystem that works for Africa requires a systemic transformation of existing approaches to debt, lending practices, the global development finance system, tax and trade. These measures should address the continent’s debt overhang, create a fairer financial ecosystem, and unlock financial flows while preserving fiscal sovereignty.

Urgent Call for Adaptation Investment Plans to Catalyse Adaptation Finance

Adaptation investment planning spur investments in prioritised projects and support the the implementation of adaptation and resilience measures in Africa. In this analysis, Sarah Wewege and Chipo Rusere discuss the advantages of this approach and how it can present a compelling case for investment.