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What do the World Bank and IMF Spring Meetings mean for climate?

E3G Media Advisory

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A woman walks past the IMF Today Production box during the 2022 Annual Meetings at the International Monetary Fund. Photo by International Monetary Fund on Flickr.
  • The World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF) Spring Meetings, a gathering of Finance and Development Ministers and officials from around the world, run from 10-16 April in Washington, DC. 
  • This year’s Spring Meetings come as political pressure ramps up for the global financial system to evolve to tackle the development and climate crisis at hand.  
  • The Spring Meetings are a chance to drive some urgent changes in how the World Bank and IMF evolve, shaping the global consensus for reform to accelerate this evolution.   

Story

Leaders have been calling for the transformation of the global financial system for many years. The evolution of the World Bank and IMF has started. The Bridgetown Initiative has sparked real hopes for change. However much more is needed to deal with big economic shocks from the climate and other crises that are affecting us (the “polycrisis”) and to navigate the transition.  At the Spring Meetings, the leaders of the global economic system can answer these calls by setting out ways to address debt crises, promoting economic resilience and providing additional financial resources to address these challenges.  

The IMF can play a vital role in supporting fragile economies that are increasingly at risk from climate change, and provided hope for many during the Covid crisis, injecting liquidity into the global system, and setting up the Resilience and Sustainability Trust. However, despite the vision of Kristalina Georgieva, its inspiring leader, much is still to be done. The Springs will be a chance to see how the IMF can step forward and be the guardian of global financial and climate resilience.  

The World Bank and the broader MDB ecosystem should be ready to deliver the necessary financing into those economies. The World Bank Evolution Roadmap, the recommendations from the G20’s Capital Adequacy Framework review, and fresh injections of capital into the MDB system are needed to ensure that these institutions can support the world to deliver climate mitigation, support adaptation and fund loss and damage from climate change, as well as drive progress on development challenges. But the current Evolution Roadmap proposal is insufficient. The World Bank and IMF Spring Meetings are a chance to drive ambition. 

Available for comment

Sonia Dunlop (EN, FR, IT), (Public banks, MDBs)  
+44 7970 795 278, sonia.dunlop@e3g.org 

Dileimy Orozco (EN, SP), (Macroeconomic policy and IMF)
+44 7876 301 615, dileimy.orozco@e3g.org  

Danny Scull (EN),  (Evolution Roadmap, World Bank Group) 
+1 (301) 787 0942, danny.scull@e3g.org   

Franklin Steves (EN, RU, ES, FR), (Bridgetown Initiative and CAF reform)  
+44 7484 815 434, franklin.steves@e3g.org  

Note to Editors

  1. E3G is an independent climate change think tank with a global outlook. We work on the frontier of the climate landscape, tackling the barriers and advancing the solutions to a safe climate. Our goal is to translate climate politics, economics and policies into action. About – E3G 
  2. For further enquiries email press@e3g.org or phone +44 (0)7783 787 863 
  3. Watch our 30 March press briefing here: World bank and IMF Spring Meetings press briefing – E3G 
  4. Register for our WhatsApp briefing service: E3G WhatsApp registration for journalists – E3G 

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