World Bank, IMF eye ways to link debt relief to climate change spending

The World Bank and the International Monetary Fund are planning to launch a platform to advise poor countries on funding climate and conservation activities, amid a broader push that could link such spending to debt relief, according to a draft document seen by Reuters.
 

The advisers would include U.N. officials, nongovernmental organizations, private investors and even ratings agencies with expertise in sourcing investment, including grants, low- or no-interest loans and conditional debt relief, the document says.
 

The initiative reflects growing recognition that the economic turmoil of the Covid-19 pandemic has exacerbated budget constraints and debt challenges that hamper the ability