Climate Change

Climate Goals and Debt: A Fiscal Balancing Act

Christine Richmond, Raphael Lam November 28, 2023

Global warming is wreaking havoc on so many levels, but climate action is costly and presents policymakers with difficult tradeoffs. High debt, rising interest rates, and weaker growth prospects make public finances harder to balance and climate goals harder to achieve. Economists Christine Richmond and Raphael Lam work on climate policy and the annual publications of the IMF Fiscal Monitor. In this podcast, they say governments now face a policy trilemma between achieving climate goals, fiscal sustainability, and political feasibility.

Climate Change / Environmental policy

Ian Parry: Carbon Pricing and the Power of a Good Idea

IAN PARRY November 21, 2023

Carbon pricing is steadily emerging as one of the most viable solutions to reducing global emissions, but shedding its contentious past to build a global consensus is still a work in progress. Ian Parry is the principal environmental fiscal policy expert in the IMF Fiscal Affairs Department and has made it his mission to present- on behalf of the institution, the benefits of incorporating climate risks into the cost of doing business through a carbon tax.

Nadia Fettah and Jihad Azour: Morocco Gives Voice to the Global South

Nadia Fettah May 26, 2023

Like so many countries across the Middle East and North Africa, Morocco faced successive shocks over the past three years including a devastating drought. But the country managed well thanks to an aggressive reform agenda.

Climate Change / Fintech

Helping African Farmers from the Sky

Hamza Rkha Chaham May 9, 2023

Agricultural productivity in Africa has lagged behind for decades, and now climate change is making things worse. But for Hamza Rkha Chaham, the prospect of helping African farmers increase crop yields prompted him to launch a startup that is transforming lives.

Climate Change / Climate policy

David Cutler on Cities After the Pandemic

DAVID M. CUTLER December 8, 2022

David Cutler says cities now need to put more emphasis on public health to keep economies healthy.

Climate Change / Energy transition

Daniel Yergin on Energy's New Map

DANIEL YERGIN July 14, 2022

The energy crises of the early 70s, the 80s, and the early 2000s all had their challenges, but none were so intertwined with other emergencies like a war in Europe, climate change, and a global pandemic.

Climate Change / Climate policy

Andrew Steer: Fighting Climate Change with Innovation

ANDREW STEER September 3, 2021

Climate action, once believed a trade-off to economic growth, is now seen by many economists as an opportunity to drive innovation and increase efficiency.

Climate Change / Climate policy

Kristalina Georgieva and Lord Nicholas Stern Talk Climate

KRISTALINA GEORGIEVA February 22, 2020

Mitigating the effects of climate change takes a multifaceted approach with economic policy playing a pivotal role. In this podcast, we hear from two influential people at the very center of where economic and environmental policies meet.

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About IMF Podcasts

IMF Podcasts are the views of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) staff and external officials on pressing economic and policy issues of the day. The IMF, based in Washington D.C., is an organization of 191 countries, working to foster global monetary cooperation and financial stability around the world. The views expressed are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the views of the IMF and its Executive Board.

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