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“If you have minerals or oil under the ground, how do you come up with a price for a long-term contract? The shift to renewable energy and electric vehicles has caused a spike in the demand for critical minerals, driving these kind of loans. Adesina, whose Abidjan, Ivory Coast-based institution helps finance development in African countries, said these arrangements come with a litany of problems. Photos You Should See View All 60 Images“These are the reasons I say Africa should put an end to natural resource-backed loans," Adesina said. After Chad, Angola and the Republic of Congo approached the IMF for support, the multilateral lender insisted on the renegotiation of their natural resource-backed loans.

Persons: Akinwumi Adesina, paydowns, Adesina, ” Adesina, Glencore, Trafigura, ”, Mao Ning Organizations: African Development Bank, Associated Press, International Monetary Fund, IMF, Chartered, China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, China Railway Group, Gecamines, Alliance for Green Infrastructure Locations: Lagos, NIGERIA, China, Congo, Nigeria, Abidjan, Ivory Coast, Africa, Chad, Angola, Republic of Congo, Guinea, Ghana, Beijing, Nigerian, AP.org

On Monday, Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman, energy minister and the key climate negotiator, for the kingdom, was a no-show at the Saudi Green Initiative. "The climate finance that they have pledged at this COP28 is simply not enough," said Pakistani activist Zaigham Abbas, whose country was devastated last year by widespread flooding. Elsewhere, France and Japan said they would support a move by the African Development Bank to leverage IMF Special Drawing Rights for climate and development. This year also features the biggest-ever representation of business at the annual U.N. summit, amid hopes for more private investment toward climate causes. "The scale of the climate crisis demands urgent and game-changing solutions from every industry," COP28 President Ahmed Al-Jaber said.

Persons: COP28, Johanna Geron, Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman, Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman, Nicholas Stern, Mia Mottley, Antonio Guterres, Zaigham Abbas, Abu Dhabi, Ahmed Al, Jaber, Simon Jessop, Maha El, Al Sayegh, Alexander Cornwell, Elizabeth Piper, David Stanway, Katy Daigle Organizations: of, European Union, REUTERS, Companies, Saudi, United, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Green Initiative, Crown, Grantham Research, Asian Peoples ' Movement, Development, African Development Bank, European Bank for Reconstruction, Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners, BlackRock, HSBC, Finance, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Dubai, Brussels, Belgium, Companies UAE, DUBAI, COP28, United Arab, Saudi Arabia, Sharm el, Sheikh, Egypt, Paris, China, Grantham, Barbados, France, Japan, Copenhagen, Abu

☆ Top development banks, funds set up 'debt-for-nature' task force
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-04 | by ( Marc Jones | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Fishermen go out to sea after Ecuador's goverment expanded the protected marine area around the Galapagos Islands, Ecuador January 24, 2022. REUTERS/Santiago Arcos Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Dec 4 (Reuters) - A consortium of top multilateral development banks (MDB) and climate funds launched a global "task force" on Monday to scale up the number and size of 'debt-for-nature' swaps that countries can do. It will initially be led by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC), lenders which between them have been involved in all the recent swaps, also including Barbados and Gabon. The Asian Development Bank, the African Development Bank, France's Agence Française de Développement, and the European Investment Bank will also be part of the task force, as well as the Green Climate Fund and the Global Environment Facility. Development banks play a particularly important role in debt-for-nature swaps because they provide the credit guarantees and/or political risk insurance that make them viable.

Persons: goverment, Santiago Arcos, Ilan Goldfajn, Scott Nathan, Marc Jones, Kirsten Donovan Organizations: REUTERS, Santiago, Reuters, Inter, American Development Bank, U.S . International Development Finance Corporation, Asian Development Bank, African Development Bank, France's Agence Française, European Investment Bank, Climate Fund, Global, Thomson Locations: Ecuador, Belize, Barbados, Gabon

☆ Exclusive: World's top MDBs to launch debt-for-nature swap 'task force' - sources
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( Marc Jones | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The task force creation is the most significant step so far in showing that the global club of multilateral lenders, which between them have trillions of dollars worth of firepower, will significantly ramp up their support for these deals. Four sources involved in the plans, which are expected to be announced at the COP summit's 'finance day' on Monday, say the group will formally be called the "Task Force on Sustainability-linked Sovereign Financing for Nature and Climate". It will initially be chaired by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and U.S. government's Development Finance Institution (DFC), said three of the sources with direct knowledge of the matter. Both lenders have been involved in all the recent swaps which have also included Barbados and Gabon. At their simplest, the swaps work by buying up a country's bonds, often at a discount, and then replacing them with cheaper eco-labelled ones that come with the special MDB guarantees.

Persons: Chico Mendes, Amanda Perobelli, MDBs, Marc Jones, Christina Fincher Organizations: Chico, Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation, Institute for, Environment, Resources, REUTERS, Reuters, Force, Sustainability, Nature, Inter, American Development Bank, government's Development Finance, World Bank, European Investment Bank, Development Bank, Asian Development Bank, ADB, Infrastructure Development Bank, Reuters Graphics, Conservancy, Thomson Locations: Pocone, Mato Grosso, Brazil, Belize, Barbados, Gabon, Beijing, U.S, Sri Lanka, Zambia, Kenya, Tanzania, Colombia, Ecuador

[1/2] International Monetary Fund Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva addresses the media on the fourth day of the annual meeting of the IMF and the World Bank, in Marrakech, Morocco, October 12, 2023. "So that is to my mind the number one priority for this COP, is to recognise that business as usual has to be dropped." Several countries were also considering using their 2021 SDR allocation on a bilateral basis alongside IMF programmes, she added. While the current average price was now around $5 a ton, "clearly there is a long, long, long way to go", she said, citing a preference for carbon taxes but openness to trading systems, as seen in Europe, or U.S.-style standards and rebates. This is ongoing work at the fund," she said, citing ongoing talks with the World Bank on how it would work.

Persons: Kristalina Georgieva, Susana Vera, Georgieva, it's, Andrea Shalal, Marc Jones, David Lawder, Alex Richardson Organizations: Monetary Fund, IMF, World Bank, REUTERS, International Monetary Fund, Reuters, Growth Trust, Sustainability Trust, African Development Bank, Inter, American Development Bank, Thomson Locations: Marrakech, Morocco, Dubai, Paris, Europe

She replaces Mafalda Duarte, who left in July 2023 to lead the Green Climate Fund. Luis Tineo, interim CEO, will lead CIF until March, 2024. "Developing countries are at the forefront of the climate crisis, and we will only meet this decisive moment by working together to scale climate finance where it is needed most," Gbadegesin said in a statement. Among the largest multi-lateral climate funds in the world, CIF offers projects highly concessional capital that can leverage development bank and private sector money to fund low carbon, climate-resilient development. As well as the World Bank Group, including the International Finance Corp, CIF invests through the African Development Bank, the Asian Development Bank, the European Development Bank, and the Inter-American Development Bank.

Persons: Mafalda Duarte WASHINGTON, Tariye Gbadegesin, Gbadegesin, Mafalda Duarte, Luis Tineo, ”, Bob Natifu, Edward Webber, Simon Jessop, Valerie Volcovici, David Gregorio Our Organizations: Global, Investment Funds, World Bank, ARM Harith Infrastructure Investments, Climate Fund, Initiative, International Monetary Fund, Boston Consulting, Africa Finance Corp, Trust Fund Committee, International Finance Corp, African Development Bank, Asian Development Bank, European Development Bank, Inter, American Development Bank, Thomson Locations: South Africa, Indonesia

☆ World Bank and kin head for a $100 bln cash call
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-20 | by ( Hugo Dixon | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

World Bank President Ajay Banga arrives for a signing ceremony with Thailand to host the 2026 International Monetary Fund and the World Bank annual meetings on the last day of this year's meeting, following last month's deadly earthquake, in Marrakech, Morocco, October 15, 2023. REUTERS/Susana Vera Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Nov 20 (Reuters Breakingviews) - The World Bank and its fellow institutions are heading for a cash call. The World Bank and its regional peers, such as the African Development Bank and the Asian Development Bank, are well placed to help developing countries craft strategies to develop in a green way. Donald Trump may seem an unlikely supporter of the World Bank if he wins. The People’s Republic, for its part, will want to increase its stake in the World Bank as part of any capital increase.

Persons: Ajay Banga, Susana Vera, Fitch don’t, Chris Humphrey, Janet Yellen, Joe Biden, Donald Trump, There’s, David Cameron, Peter Thal Larsen, Thomas Shum Organizations: Monetary Fund, World Bank, REUTERS, Reuters, African Development Bank, Asian Development Bank, Group, FIRST, AAA, Bank, Moody’s, European Bank for Reconstruction, U.S, Thomson Locations: Thailand, Marrakech, Morocco, Washington, United States, China, Britain, Ukraine, U.S, Israel, Republic, United Kingdom, France

☆ Environmental groups urge funding halt for TotalEnergies' Mozambique project
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-17 | by ( Wendell Roelf | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

TotalEnergies signs are seen at a petrol station in Nice, France, October 10, 2022. The letter, seen by Reuters, comes at a crucial juncture for the French energy company as it prepares to relaunch Africa's largest foreign direct investment project. Activists warn the project may worsen climate change and fuel human rights abuses in the impoverished southern African nation. TotalEnergies said before Friday's letter that arrangements for project finance remain in place despite a 'force majeure' halt in 2021 when Islamist militants threatened the project site. The project delay has led some investors to reassess their previous cost assumptions in light of inflation and global gas market swings.

Persons: Eric Gaillard, Banks, TotalEnergies, Ntshengedzeni Maphula, Reta Jo Lewis, Wendell Roelf, Toby Sterling, Nellie Peyton, Forrest Crellin, Mathieu Rosemain, Yuka Obayashi, Tim Cocks, Olivia Kumwenda, Elaine Hardcastle Organizations: REUTERS, Reuters, ActionAid International, Greenpeace, African Development Bank, Societe Generale, Africa's Export Credit Insurance Corporation, Thomson Locations: Nice, France, Mozambique, Greenpeace France, Netherlands, U.S, Exim, Cape Town, Amsterdam, Johannesburg, Paris, Tokyo

☆ Lloyd's of London to invest $65 million following slavery report
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-08 | by ( Carolyn Cohn | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Signage is seen inside the Lloyd's of London building in the City of London financial district in London, Britain, April 16, 2019. The 335-year old insurance market apologised in 2020 for its role in the 18th and 19th century slave trade. The Lloyd's market is made up of nearly 50,000 people, and Lloyd's wants one in three new hires to come from ethnic minorities. Historians estimate between one and two-thirds of the British marine insurance market was based on the slave trade in the 18th century. The research also showed that Joseph Marryat, Lloyd's of London chairman from 1811 to 1824, had enslaved people, White added.

Persons: Hannah McKay, Lloyd's, We've, Bruce Carnegie, Brown, Alexandre White, Joseph Marryat, White, Garba, Carolyn Cohn, Sinead Cruise, Jan Harvey, Elaine Hardcastle Organizations: REUTERS, London, Black, Johns Hopkins University, Mellon Foundation, Reuters, Central Fund, African Development Bank, Inter, American Development Bank, UN, Equity, of, United Nations, European Union, U.S, Thomson Locations: London, City, Britain, Liverpool, Lloyd’s

☆ The World Is Becoming More African
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-28 | by ( Declan Walsh | Hannah Reyes Morales | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +37 min

Old World Young Africa As the world grays, Africa blooms with youth. The World Is Becoming More African Part one of a series on how the youth boom is changing the continent, and beyond. But while a handful of African countries are poised to ride the demographic wave, others risk being swamped by it. In the West, racists and right-wing nationalists stoke fears of African population growth to justify hatred, or even violence. The age gap between geriatric leaders and restless youth is “a major source of tension” in many African countries, said Simon Mulongo, a former African Union diplomat from Uganda.

Persons: Lauren Leatherby, ”, Jean, Patrick Niambé, Hilton, Edward Paice, “, Keziah Keya, Keya, Paul R, Ehrlich, stoke, Lauren Leatherby “, Carlos Lopes, Burna, Weeks, “ It’s, Laolu Senbanjo, Tems, Toulaye Sy, Pritzker, Abdulrazak Gurnah, “ Africa’s, ” Long, exotica, Mulendema, Hannah O’Leary, “ We’re, Sipho Dlamini, Dlamini, Moawad, Optimists, Mo Ibrahim, Aubrey Hruby, birthrates, India’s, China’s, Akinwumi Adesina, States —, William Ruto, Paul Biya of, Biya, Wole Soyinka, Paul Kagame of, Nourdine, Nigeriens, Awade, Ali Bongo Ondimba, Simon Mulongo, Nuha Abdelgadir, Abdelgadir, gesturing, “ We’ve, ” Weeks, Abdelgadir’s, Modu Ali, Young, Saidu, Habiba Mohammed, Ms, Ha, Joon Chang, Nobody, Chang, Ibrahim, Touré Organizations: Young, United Nations, Southern, Northern, Western Asia Northern, United, Ivory Coast, African Union, Group, European Union ., Suisse, Africa Research Institute, Nigeria Mozambique Kenya “, Russia Canada Germany United, Russia Canada Germany United States Japan China Iran Egypt India Mexico Nigeria Ethiopia Ethiopia Dem, Russia Germany, China Egypt India Nigeria D.R.C, Russia Canada Germany United States Japan China Iran Egypt India Mexico Nigeria Ethiopia Dem, Bank, Nations, International, Bryn Mawr College, Angola, Angola Ivory Coast, Angola Ivory Coast Cameroon Dem, Africa Middle Africa Southern, Economic Commission, New, Citi, Spotify, Cannes Film, Burkina Faso, UNESCO, Disney, Amazon Prime, Netflix, “, Apple, Cape Town, Microsoft, Google, Infrastructure, McKinsey & Company, Pew Research Center, African Development Bank, Greek Coast Guard, Saudi, Africa Climate, Young Voters, Freedom House, University of Denver, United Arab, Japan Cuba Vatican City, Netherlands South Korea Belgium U.A.E, Islamic, Global, Center for Girls Education, School of Oriental, Studies Locations: grays, Africa, India, China, United States, Southern Asia, Asia, America, Caribbean, Northern America, Western Asia, Western Asia Northern America, Europe, London, New York, West Africa, Ivory, Abidjan, Russia, Turkey, Gulf, Nairobi, Nigeria Mozambique Kenya, Italy, Japan, Russia Canada Germany United States Japan China Iran Egypt India Mexico Nigeria Ethiopia Ethiopia, Congo Indonesia Brazil Australia South Africa Argentina, Russia Germany U.S, China Egypt India Nigeria, Brazil South Africa Australia, Russia Canada Germany United States Japan China Iran Egypt India Mexico Nigeria, Nigeria, Africa’s, Young, South Africa, Somalia, Mozambique, Mali, Gabon, Niger, Mozambique Nigeria Kenya, Kenya, Pennsylvania, Angola Ivory, Angola Ivory Coast Cameroon, Congo Algeria Egypt, Ghana Kenya Madagascar Mozambique Niger Nigeria, Tanzania Uganda South Africa, Northern Africa Eastern Africa, Africa Middle Africa, Africa Middle Africa Southern Africa, Guinea, Bissau, African, Qatar, Nigerian, Brooklyn, Target, French, Senegalese, Paris, Milan, Venice, Burkina, Tanzania, Saharan Africa, Nigeria Kenya Senegal In Lagos, Dakar, Zambia, South Korea, Sotheby’s, Lagos, Zimbabwe, Watford, Cape, Mombasa, Zanzibar, Cairo, Morocco, East Africa, Nigeria Mozambique Morocco, Sudanese, North Africa, East Asia, Thailand, Rwanda, Ivory Coast, States, Namibia, Kenyan, Paul Biya of Cameroon, Paul Kagame of Rwanda, United Arab Emirates, United States France Turkey, Germany, Russia India, Brazil, Japan Cuba, Japan Cuba Vatican City Spain Italy Saudi Arabia Qatar, Netherlands South Korea Belgium, Iran Canada, Niger’s, Niamey, Senegal Kenya Kenya, X’s, Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, Senegal, Uganda, Khartoum, Sudan, Ethiopia, Al Qaeda, Islamic State, Chad, Burkina Faso, Nigeria Nigeria Morocco, hijabs, Zaria, American, Korea, South, England

It comes amid criticism that the lending institutions are not taking climate change and the vulnerabilities of poor countries enough into account in their funding decisions. Dysfunctional because the system as a whole is too slow to respond to new challenges, such as climate change. Lee pointed to an IMF program that launched last year to help poor countries address problems like climate change. “The national policy to address climate change is lax — little or no focus is on climate change and the nexus between climate change and conflict in the Sahel is underappreciated,” Hassan said. “Go beyond the conflict itself to start prioritizing climate change as the root cause of the problem affecting these countries."

Persons: ”, William Ruto, Akinwumi Adesina, Moussa Faki, Patrick Verkooijen, Daniel Lee, Lee, Rwanda —, Carlos Lopes, It’s, Idayat Hassan, Ibrahim Audi, Femi, Lopes, ” Hassan, “, ” Mimiko, — Organizations: Global, International Energy Agency, International Monetary Fund, World Bank, New York Times, Kenyan, African Development Bank, African Union, IMF, Mandela School of Public, University of Cape, Center for Strategic, International Studies, Obafemi Awolowo University, Africa Climate Summit, International Rescue Committee, AP Locations: ABUJA, Nigeria, Africa, Africa's Sahel, Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Niger, Marrakech, Morocco, Rwanda, University of Cape Town , South Africa, Nigeria's, Katsina, Kenya

☆ Multilateral development banks, keen to expand lending, to meet with ratings agencies
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-10 | by ( Andrea Shalal | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Yuri Gripas/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsMARRAKECH, Morocco, Oct 10 (Reuters) - Senior executives at multilateral development banks will meet on Wednesday with the top credit ratings agencies, bank executives said, amid a broad push to expand their lending capacity and help countries brace for climate change and other challenges. The World Bank's main lending arms could expand their lending capacity by nearly $900 billion if the ratings agencies changed their processes and modified the allowance they make for callable capital, a study commissioned by Rockefeller found. Lakshmi Shyam-Sunder, the World Bank's chief risk officer, said the ratings agencies had shown some openness to considering revisions in how they treat callable capital in the banks' balance sheets. Casali said Wednesday's meeting, on the sidelines of the annual meetings of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank in Morocco, would include officials from the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank and the African Development Bank, along with the three top credit raters - Moody's, Standard & Poor's and Fitch. Currently, the ratings agencies apply widely different rules and standards in assessing the risks associated with the banks' lending and balance sheets.

Persons: Yuri Gripas, Roberta Casali, Rockefeller, Lakshmi Shyam, Sunder, Casali, Fitch, Ajay Banga, Janet Yellen, Andrea Shalal, David Lawder, Leslie Adler Organizations: Monetary Fund, REUTERS, Rights, Asian Development Bank, Rockefeller, AAA, International Monetary Fund, World Bank, African Development Bank, Poor's, World, Reuters, U.S, Treasury, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, Rights MARRAKECH, Morocco

☆ Developing countries facing a debt crunch
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

EGYPTNorth Africa's largest economy needs to repay some $100 billion of hard-currency debt over the next five years. Egypt has a $3 billion IMF programme and has devalued the pound by roughly 50% since February 2022. Its progress in restructuring both domestic debt and $30 billion in external debt has been fairly swift and it secured a $3 billion IMF bailout in May. The next tranche of a $2.9 billion IMF bailout package could be delayed over a potential government revenue shortfall. A repair plan finally appeared imminent after Zambia clinched a $6.3 billion debt rework deal with the Paris Club creditor nations and China, its other big bilateral lender, in June.

Persons: Moody's, William Ruto's, Kais Saied, Libby George, Shri Navaratnam Organizations: World Bank, African Development Bank, IMF, UAE, SRI, SRI LANKA Sri, European Union, Zambia, Paris Club, Sri, Thomson Locations: Marrakech, EGYPT, Cairo, Egypt, ETHIOPIA, Ethiopia, China, GHANA Ghana, Accra, KENYA, Kenya, LEBANON Lebanon, PAKISTAN Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, SRI LANKA, SRI LANKA Sri Lanka, TUNISIA, Tunisia, UKRAINE Ukraine, Ukraine, United States, ZAMBIA, Zambia

ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — If you listen to the African leaders addressing the U.N. General Assembly this year, the message is emphatic and unanimous: The continent is done being a victim of a post-World War II order. It is a global power in itself and must be partnered with — not sidelined. There’s also a new boldness that comes with the African Union’s G20 seat. With the largest bloc of countries at the United Nations, it is understandable that African leaders increasingly demand a bigger voice in multilateral institutions, said Murithi Mutiga, program director for Africa at the Crisis Group. As African leaders spoke glowingly about the continent as a force on the global stage, some at home said the leaders must begin by delivering the dividends of democracy to their people.

Persons: —, There’s, William Ruto, Nana Akufo, Addo, Africa’s, Cyril Ramaphosa of, ”, Bola Tinubu, Tinubu, Murithi Mutiga, Rashid Abdi, Horn of, ” Abdi, Felix, Antoine Tshisekedi, Filipe Nyusi, Nyusi, Ibrahim Mayaki, Mayaki, Grace Agbu, Mamadi Doumbouya Organizations: General Assembly, Kenyan, United Nations, Crisis, African Development Bank, Gulf, Slave Trade, SEAT, Economic Cooperation, Development, Democratic, Africa Center, ” Locations: ABUJA, Nigeria, Africa, Russia, Ukraine, Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa, Horn of Africa, Nairobi, Europe, United States, Paris, Democratic Republic of, Congo, New York, Nigeria’s, Abuja, “, ”

☆ Africa’s Vast Solar and Mineral Resources at Risk of Being Left Untapped, IEA Warns
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-06 | by ( Will Horner | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +6 min

Energy investment in Africa needs to more than double by the end of the decade if the continent is to meet its energy and climate goals. “Energy investment on our continent has fallen short,” wrote William Ruto, president of Kenya, in the report’s foreword. Photo: Lucien Kahozi/Bloomberg NewsAll of these are pushing up the cost of capital which makes many African energy projects financially unviable despite ample local resources and proven technologies such as wind or solar power, the report said. PREVIEWCurrently, 600 million people across Africa lack access to electricity and almost one billion have no access to clean cooking fuels. African nations are seeking redress for the effects of climate change they experience despite contributing little to carbon emissions, the main driver of global warming.

Persons: ”, Fatih Birol, simon maina, William Ruto, Lucien Kahozi, Will Horner, william.horner@wsj.com Organizations: International Energy Agency, African Development Bank, IEA, Agence France, West, “ Energy, Democratic, Bloomberg, Sustainable Business, Africa Climate Locations: Africa, Paris, ” Africa, China, Kenya, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ukraine, Nairobi

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Climate change is “relentlessly eating away” at Africa’s economic progress and it’s time to have a global conversation about a carbon tax on polluters, Kenya’s president declared Tuesday as the first Africa Climate Summit got underway. He and other leaders urged reforms to the global financial structures that have left African nations paying about five times more to borrow money than others, worsening the debt crisis for many. Africa has more than 30 of the world’s most indebted countries, Kenya’s Cabinet secretary for the environment, Soipan Tuya, said. Africa’s GDP should be revalued for its assets, which include the world's second-largest rainforest and biodiversity, African Development Bank President Akinwumi Adesina said. “It is an African story, and I daresay it’s a global story, too.”___Follow AP’s coverage of the climate at https://apnews.com/climate-and-environment and of Africa at https://apnews.com/hub/africa

Persons: William Ruto, Tuya, John Kerry, Kerry, Joe Biden, ” Ruto, ”, Ruto, “ It’s, Sahle, Zewde, Akinwumi Adesina, Adesina, Martha Lusweti, Antonio Guterres, Ursula Von der Leyen, lullabies, Sierra, Julius Maada Organizations: Africa Climate Summit, European Union, Kenyan, United, United Arab Emirates, Development Bank, ”, International Monetary Fund Locations: NAIROBI, Kenya, Africa, China, United States, U.S, United Arab, United Nations, Europe, U.N, Africa's, Nigeria's Niger Delta, Uganda, Tanzania, South Africa, Nigeria, Egypt, Congo, africa

☆ Hundreds of millions pledged for African carbon credits at inaugural climate summit
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-04 | by ( Duncan Miriri | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Companies Climate FollowVitol SA FollowNAIROBI, Sept 4 (Reuters) - An initiative to boost Africa's carbon credit production 19-fold by 2030 drew hundreds of millions of dollars of pledges on Monday as Kenyan President William Ruto opened the continent's first climate summit. In one of the most anticipated deals, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) committed to buying $450 million of carbon credits from the Africa Carbon Markets Initiative (ACMI). "There hasn't been any success for an African country in attracting climate finance," said Bogolo Kenewendo, a United Nations climate adviser and former trade minister in Botswana. Many African campaigners have opposed the summit's approach to climate finance, and about 500 people marched in downtown Nairobi on Monday to protest. They say carbon credits are a pretext for continued pollution by wealthier countries and corporations, who should instead pay their "climate debt" through direct compensation and debt relief.

Persons: William Ruto, Ruto, Bogolo Kenewendo, Bogolo, Kevin Kariuki, Patricia Scotland, Esa Alexander, we've, Hassan Ghazali, Britain, Sultan Al Jaber, COP28, Duncan Miriri, Simon Jessop, Jefferson Kahinju, Aaron Ross, Hereward Holland, Angus MacSwan, Susan Fenton Organizations: United Arab Emirates, Africa Carbon Markets, United, African Development Bank, Reuters, International Monetary Fund, REUTERS, Climate Asset Management, HSBC Asset Management, Debt, Green, Thomson Locations: NAIROBI, UAE, Nairobi, Africa, United Nations, Botswana, Muloza, Mozambique, Blantyre, Malawi, Liberia, Tanzania, Germany, Kenya

☆ Factbox: Developing countries in the grip of debt problems
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +8 min

In June, it clinched a $6.3 billion debt rework deal with the "Paris Club" creditor nations and its other big bilateral lender China. Another part of the domestic debt plan has faced delays, though, with a key deadline on a Treasury bond exchange delayed three times and now set for Sept. 11. Failure to complete the domestic debt overhaul by then could result in delays both in terms of IMF disbursements and talks with creditors. The government recently agreed to tackle roughly $4 billion of its domestic debt via a pension fund debt swap operation and a dollar-denominated bonds exchange. Cairo has a $3 billion IMF programme and has devalued the pound by roughly 50% since February 2022.

Persons: Adnan Abidi, Nandalal Weerasinghe, Kais Saied, Nayib Bukele, William Ruto's, Donald Trump, Libby George, Marc Jones, Mark Potter Organizations: REUTERS, China, SRI, SRI LANKA Sri, Sri Lanka Development, Sri, Monetary Fund, IMF, UAE, Observers, European Union, SALVADOR, World Bank, African Development Bank, Presidential, Republican, Thomson Locations: New Delhi, India, Delhi, ZAMBIA Zambia, SRI LANKA, SRI LANKA Sri Lanka, China, GHANA Ghana, Zambia, Ghana, PAKISTAN Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, TUNISIA, North, Tunisia, EGYPT Egypt, Cairo, Salvador, KENYA, Kenya, UKRAINE Ukraine, Ukraine, Russia, LEBANON Lebanon

☆ Subomi Plumptre: A woman on a mission to build prosperity in Africa
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-31 | by ( Susan Williams For Cnn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

However, one woman says she has made it her life’s mission to empower Africa’s squeezed middle class. She is the co-founder of Volition Cap, an investment cooperative that aims to help Africans build wealth and financial stability. But the middle class are the ones that create the most small and medium scale enterprises. So my focus on the middle class is actually very deliberate, because I realize that the middle class is the economic destiny of Africa,” Plumptre told CNN. That was what happened to my parents.”This tragedy made Subomi realize that she, like many middle class individuals, lacked a safety net when faced with critical emergencies.

Persons: Africa’s, Cap, Plumptre, ” Plumptre, “, ” Organizations: CNN, African Development Bank Group, International Labour Office, World Bank, SEC Locations: Nigeria, Africa, Europe, America

LONDON/JOHANNESBURG, July 25 (Reuters) - Gabon launched what is set to be Africa's first debt-for-nature swap on Tuesday, with a plan to buy up at least $450 million of its government debt and switch it to an eco-friendly blue bond. The February 2031 maturity rose 2.203 cents to 83.702 cents and November 2031 maturity jumped 2.129 cents to 83.573 cents, compared to Gabonese government's offer to buy back the bonds for 85 cents per $1 of the bond. ,The 2025 maturity rose 1.194 cents to 95.4 cents, also still below the offer price of 96.75 cents.. Ecuador pulled off a record $1.1 billion debt-for-nature swap in May, freeing up $18 million annually for the next 20 years for conservation of the Galapagos Islands. The African Development Bank and European Investment Bank are interested in providing credit guarantees.

Persons: Marc Jones, Rachel Savage, Gerauds Wilfried Obangome, Karin Strohecker, Ed Osmond, Tomasz Janowski Organizations: London Stock Exchange, Republic, Industry, U.S . International Development Finance Corporation, African Development Bank, European Investment Bank, Bank of America, Thomson Locations: JOHANNESBURG, Gabon, Gabonese, Ecuador, Belize, Galapagos, Sri Lanka, Indian, Libreville

☆ Zambia poised for debt restructuring deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

PARIS, June 22 (Reuters) - A deal on Zambia's debt restructuring is expected to be announced later on Thursday at a Paris summit on easing poor countries' debt burdens, four sources familiar with the matter said. “There has been agreement by creditors on the debt restructuring," one of the sources said. The head of the Paris Club of creditor nations Emmanuel Moulin said on Wednesday that Zambia's creditors were close to being able to propose the terms of a debt restructuring deal at the summit. "On debt restructuring, today we will talk about Zambia which I think is a great case of celebration," IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva told a panel at the summit. Zambia is seen as a test case for a 2020 G20 common framework for restructuring poor countries' debt, which has faced much criticism for being two slow.

Persons: Emmanuel Moulin, Kristalina Georgieva, Akinwumi Adesina, Chad, Leigh Thomas, Elizabeth Pineau, Chris Mfula, Susan Fenton Organizations: Paris Club, China, IMF, Development Bank, Thomson Locations: Paris, Zambia, Ethiopia, Ghana, Lusaka

☆ Explainer: What is the 'Bridgetown Initiative' asking for at Paris summit?
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/2] An aerial view shows the Seine River and the skyline of La Defense financial and business district near Paris, France, June 19, 2023. REUTERS/Stephanie LecocqPARIS, June 22 (Reuters) - President Macron hosts a summit in Paris starting Thursday to discuss reform of the world's multilateral finance institutions in the face of climate change and other development challenges. A key topic of discussion will be suggestions from a group of developing countries, led by Barbados, dubbed the 'Bridgetown Initiative'. They should simplify and harmonise the way countries can apply to access loans across the world. The international financial institutions should also finance development plans that help protect shared resources.

Persons: Stephanie Lecocq PARIS, Macron, Simon Jessop, Leigh Thomas, Christina Fincher Organizations: La Defense, REUTERS, Bridgetown Initiative, Monetary Fund, Rapid, IMF, World Bank, African Development Bank, Development Association, Growth Trust, Resilience, Sustainability Trust, World Trade Organisation, International Financial, Thomson Locations: Paris, France, Barbados, Bridgetown

☆ Explainer: What is the 'Bridgetown Initiative' asking for at Paris financial summit?
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

[1/2] An aerial view shows the Seine River and the skyline of La Defense financial and business district near Paris, France, June 19, 2023. REUTERS/Stephanie LecocqPARIS, June 20 (Reuters) - President Macron hosts a summit in Paris this week to discuss reform of the world's multilateral finance institutions in the face of climate change and other development challenges. A key topic of discussion will be suggestions from a group of developing countries, led by Barbados, dubbed the 'Bridgetown Initiative'. Simplify and harmonise the way countries can apply to access loans across the world, and provide more support in the process. The international financial institutions should also finance development plans that help protect shared resources.

Persons: Stephanie Lecocq PARIS, Macron, Simon Jessop, Leigh Thomas, Christina Fincher Organizations: La Defense, REUTERS, Bridgetown Initiative, Monetary, Rapid, IMF, World Bank, African Development Bank, Development Association, Growth Trust, Resilience, Sustainability Trust, World Trade Organisation, International Financial, Thomson Locations: Paris, France, Barbados, Bridgetown

☆ World Bank suspends $1 bln worth of project funding in Congo
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( Sonia Rolley | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The suspension will affect more than 600,000 beneficiaries, including victims of sexual violence, the World Bank told Congo's finance minister last week in a letter seen by Reuters. A World Bank spokesperson confirmed its authenticity. On May 4, Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi dissolved the structure, the "Social Fund of the Democratic Republic of Congo", by presidential order and created another public fund. A spokesperson for Congo's finance ministry said he was waiting for the go-ahead from the presidency before he could comment. Four of Congo's main opposition politicians wrote to the leaders of the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank and the African Development Bank last week asking them to conduct an audit of their funds in Congo, saying they suspected misuse.

☆ African Devt Bank proposes 'fast track' compensation for Zimbabwe white ex-farmers
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | by ( Nyasha Chingono | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

HARARE, May 15 (Reuters) - The African Development Bank (AFDB) has developed financial instruments to "fast track and front load" $3.5 billion in compensation to white farmers whose land was taken from them by Zimbabwe's government, the bank's president said on Monday. Zimbabwe agreed in 2020 to compensate local white farmers whose land was taken by the government from 2000 onwards to resettle Black families, in one of the most divisive policies of the Robert Mugabe era, while foreign white farmers were allowed to apply to get seized land back. Adesina said the new proposal to former white farmers would "help leverage the capital markets to fund the compensation without adding debt to Zimbabwe," without providing further details. Adesina said that 91% of Zimbabwe's multilateral debt and 61% of its bilateral debt is in arrears. "The government takes full ownership of the debt process and the implementation of reforms," Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube told the press conference.

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