Tackling the debt, climate and nature crises together

Debt has long been a major concern for many developing countries. Repayments mean that vast amounts of money are diverted from action on the climate emergency and biodiversity loss as well as education, health and infrastructure. With the economic impact that will follow the pandemic, the urgency and pressures of debt on developing countries is even greater as millions more women, children and men are being pushed into poverty.

The use of climate and nature programme swaps would benefit lender as well as debtor countries. 

Project objectives

• Produce analysis on how debt relief can be addressed through climate and nature programme swaps.
• To facilitate a coalition of creditors and debtors to take forward debt relief for climate and nature programme swaps: this requires an engagement strategy to be developed and implemented.
• To support the rollout in selected countries of debt for climate and nature programme swaps: this involves country analysis of the key aspects of a country-level debt for climate and nature programme swap.

IIED’s role 

• IIED is liaising with possible coalition members among creditors and debtors, including the IMF, UK and Swedish governments. 
• IIED is advocating with the G7 and G20 for its members to support debt relief for debt for climate and nature programme swaps.  
• IIED is working with UNDP to engage with possible countries particularly small island developing states (SIDS).

In November 2021, IIED hosted a high-level event at the Resilience Hub as part of the UN climate change conference (COP26) that enabled dialogue between debtor governments and creditors to reach political commitments for more large scale, programmatic debt swaps for climate and nature. Watch key excerpts from the event in the video below or on IIED's YouTube channel.

Also at COP26, an event was held at the 2021 Development & Climate Days that focused on emerging approaches to address the debt, climate and nature triple crisis, why they are needed and what lessons are being learned, alongside the roles of different actors in these approaches. Watch an edited recording below or on IIED's YouTube channel.