Barbara Ward Lecture 2024: Mafalda Duarte
Mafalda Duarte, executive director of the Green Climate Fund, gave the 2024 Barbara Ward Lecture on 14 May, when IIED also launched its manifesto for a thriving world.
Mafalda Duarte (Photo: Green Climate Fund)
The latest outstanding woman in development to give the Barbara Ward Lecture was Mafalda Duarte, executive director of the Green Climate Fund.
In honour of IIED’s founder Barbara Ward’s pioneering work in sustainable development and the inspiration she gave to many in the field, IIED invites members of the current generation of outstanding women in development to present their thoughts on the pressing issues of our time.
Duarte is the executive director of the Green Climate Fund, the world’s largest multilateral climate fund, since August 2023. For decades, Duarte has challenged business as usual to drive innovative and pioneering development and climate-responsive investments globally.
Before her current role, Duarte was CEO of Climate Investment Funds, where she steered a multibillion-dollar portfolio of investments pushing the frontiers of clean energy, sustainable land management and resilience across more than 70 middle and low-income countries.
IIED has followed Duarte’s work with the Green Climate Fund closely and shares the ambition to make sure climate finance reaches those most affected by the climate crises in search of a better climate future for all.
Manifesto for a thriving world
On the same night as Duarte's Barbara Ward Lecture, IIED launched its ambitious new ‘Manifesto for a thriving world’ that offers fresh answers and approaches to address the world’s vast and entrenched social, environmental and economic challenges.
The manifesto sets out six focused propositions around which IIED will organise its strengths, identifying where IIED and its partners can concentrate efforts to have the biggest impact, catalyse diverse alliances and collaborate much more.
IIED envisions opportunities for transformative action, including collaboration with social movements, reforming financial governance, promoting sustainable business models and fostering solidarity-based initiatives between diverse communities, to build a fairer, more sustainable world.
Event coverage
You can watch a recording of Duarte's lecture below or on IIED's YouTube channel.
A number of other videos from the event are also available:
- Watch the full lecture
- Watch the launch of IIED's Manifesto for a thriving world
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