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From 1980 to 2022, climate-related disasters caused losses of €650 billion across Europe, around €15.5 billion per year. According to a World Bank study, after severe climate and environmental disaster episodes non-performing loan (NPL) ratios increase by 0.37 percentage points. The European Central Bank is encouraging banks in the region to integrate climate risk in

Climate change will have an outsized impact on the agriculture industry; agri-food systems are very vulnerable to climate change. We are seeing the impacts of drought, flooding, and increased incidence of pests and disease. Climate change will disrupt traditional farming practices. In some regions, traditional crops are no longer suitable, and farmers must find alternative

  Countries that signed the Paris Agreement agreed to work together to decrease greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to limit the increase in global temperature to 1.5 degrees Celsius. Many projects that will mitigate global warming by lowering GHG emissions are underway and in development. These projects need significant financing.   As well as mitigating global

Climate, biodiversity, and economies are inextricably linked. Half of global GDP, $44 trillion, is heavily dependent on nature’s ecosystem services —such as pollination, providing water, or growing timber. A healthy natural environment contributes to healthy people and healthy businesses. However, human activities are decreasing the planet’s biodiversity. To protect Earth’s wide variety of animals, plants,

Cities generate more than 80 percent of global Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Cities also account for 70 percent of global carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. The World Bank Group estimates that another 2.5 billion inhabitants will be added to cities by 2050. Urban growth of this scale, combined with the immediate action needed to mitigate and

COP27 took place in Sharm El-Sheik, Egypt, in early November 2022. COP27 was the 27th annual “Conference of the Parties,” that is, the meeting of delegates from countries that are signatories to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). At COP21, held in Paris, France, in 2015, delegates agreed to a legally binding

Through ratifying the Paris Agreement, 189 countries agreed to work together to invest in a low-carbon future, lowering greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions enough to limit the average global temperature increase in this century to 2 ̊C or less. In 2016, 5% of global GHG emissions were generated by solid waste management. This is a small

In 2015, representatives from 196 country members of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) met in Paris to develop a global approach to mitigating and adapting to climate change. The resulting plan is known as the Paris Agreement. The primary goal of the Paris Agreement is to limit global greenhouse gas (GHG)

Climate change is already affecting almost all sectors of the global economy. Heatwaves and droughts are reducing crop yields and increasing demand for electricity. Flooding and higher sea levels are stressing shoreline infrastructure. Storms and temperature swings are straining buildings and transportation networks. The World Bank estimates that by 2030, climate change may push 130

Through ratifying the Paris Agreement, 189 countries agreed to work together to invest in a low-carbon future, lowering greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions enough to limit the average global temperature increase in this century to 2 ̊ C or less. As well as traditional climate-smart solutions, investment is needed to finance low-carbon solutions to maintain and

Through ratifying the Paris Agreement, 189 countries agreed to work together to invest in a low-carbon future, lowering greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions enough to limit the average global temperature increase in this century to 2 ̊ C or less. One area where there is significant opportunity to decrease GHG emissions is the transportation sector. Transportation

Around the globe, buildings account for 28 percent of energy-related greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Meeting the goals of the Paris Accord to limit global warming to an increase of 1.5 C will require practice changes in the building sector. New buildings must be energy efficient, and many existing buildings must be retrofitted to use less

COP26 was held in Glasgow in early November 2021. COP26 was the 26th annual “Conference of the Parties”, that is, the meeting of countries that are signatories to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). This year’s COP marks the beginning of a shift of these conferences from making rules and identifying the

Through ratifying the Paris Agreement, 189 countries have agreed to work together to invest in a low-carbon future, lowering greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions enough to limit global temperature increase in this century to 2 ̊ C or less. Achieving this goal will require the use of new, climate-friendly sources of energy. Significant financial resources from

Through ratifying the Paris Agreement, 189 countries have agreed to work together to invest in a low-carbon future, lowering greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions enough to limit global temperature increase in this century to 2 ̊ C or less. Significant financial resources must be mobilized to meet this commitment, from the public and private sectors. One

IFC’s new Green Banking Academy (GBAC) is an online banking knowledge initiative designed to help financial institutions and the private sector in Europe and Central Asia (ECA) learn about green banking and build green portfolios. Along with concern about climate change, demand for financing for climate-friendly projects is growing. Through knowledge, training, advisory and investment

Through ratifying the Paris Agreement, 189 countries have agreed to work together to invest in a low-carbon future, lowering greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions enough to limit global temperature increase in this century to 2 C or less. Significant financial resources must be mobilized to meet this commitment, from both the public and private sectors. To