Europe Listens: Overhauling climate finance with Avinash Persaud 

Action on climate financing is long overdue. Inadequate mitigation and adaptation have already led to substantial loss and damage in the most vulnerable countries. But the scale of investment required to mitigate global warming is beyond the capacity of rich governments, far less developing countries. To square this circle, Barbados’s prime minister, Mia Mottley, last year made a bold proposal: the Bridgetown Initiative. 

In this episode of Europe Listens, ECFR’s Rafael Loss and Jana Puglierin welcome Avinash Persaud, special envoy on climate finance to Mia Mottley. How can the Bridgetown Initiative prevent nations on the climate frontline getting trapped in endless cycles of disaster and debt? What role can private-sector capital play in combatting climate change? And how can transformative ideas succeed in international climate diplomacy? 

This podcast was recorded on 4 April 2023.   

Other episodes of this series:

Episode 1: Europe Listens: Navigating climate diplomacy with Shauna Aminath 

Episode 3: Europe Listens: Advancing green tech partnerships with Dhanasree Jayaram

Further reading: 

Breaking the deadlock on climate: The Bridgetown Initiative by Avinash Persaud 

Speech at the opening of the COP27 World Leaders Summit by Mia Mottley 

The 2022 Bridgetown Initiative 

We’ll always have Paris: How to adapt multilateral climate cooperation to new realities by Anthony Dworkin and Mats Engström 

Subscribe to our newsletters

Be the first to know about our latest publications, podcasts, events, and job opportunities. Join our community and stay connected!