Episodes

  • The Mirage and the Magic of Debt Swaps

    The Mirage and the Magic of Debt Swaps
    Oct 10 2025
    In Episode 4 of Power and Planet, Avinash Persaud, Special Advisor on Climate Change to the President of the Inter-American Development Bank, dives deep into the captivating world of debt swaps—often hailed as poetic solutions to complex global challenges. From the alluring promise of debt-for-nature deals to the hard truths of market realities, this episode unpacks the myths, mechanics, and potential of debt swaps in climate and development finance. Persaud explores why the grand bargain remains elusive, and how modern, market-based swaps—backed by AAA-rated guarantors—can redirect debt savings into resilience investments like reef protection and electric buses. With a bold vision for a multi-guarantor facility to scale impact, this episode is a must-listen for anyone curious about innovative climate finance.

    #IDB #Improvinglives #IDBImpact+

    At the Inter-American Development Bank we work to improve lives in Latin America and the Caribbean. http://www.iadb.org
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    13 mins
  • Why You Can’t Insure Yourself Against Climate

    Why You Can’t Insure Yourself Against Climate
    Oct 3 2025
    While disasters have traditionally been managed through insurance, climate shocks are now too frequent, too costly, and too unpredictable to insure effectively. From the staggering $30 billion flood losses in Brazil to the global funding gap for climate-vulnerable countries, Avinash Persaud, Special Advisor on Climate Change for the President of the Inter-American Development Bank, explores in this episode why resilience—not insurance—is the smarter investment. Tune in to learn why a dollar spent on resilient infrastructure can save ten in future losses, and how innovative financial tools like debt-for-resilience swaps and pause clauses could offer lifelines to countries already drowning in debt.

    #IDB #Improvinglives #IDBImpact+

    At the Inter-American Development Bank we work to improve lives in Latin America and the Caribbean. http://www.iadb.org
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    14 mins
  • The Road to $1.3 Trillion

    The Road to $1.3 Trillion
    Sep 23 2025
    In this episode, Avinash Persaud, Special Advisor on Climate Change to the President of the Inter-American Development Bank, unpacks the urgent and ambitious journey toward mobilizing $1.3 trillion in climate finance for developing countries. From the origins of the roadmap at COP29 in Baku to the innovative "Reinvest+" initiative, Persaud challenges conventional thinking around private sector mobilization and offers a scalable solution to bridge the climate finance gap. Discover how existing performing loans in developing countries can be transformed into investment-grade securities that attract global institutional investors—creating a virtuous cycle of reinvestment, trust, and climate-aligned development.

    #IDB #Improvinglives #IDBImpact+

    At the Inter-American Development Bank we work to improve lives in Latin America and the Caribbean. http://www.iadb.org
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    16 mins
  • Climate finance 101

    Climate finance 101
    Sep 16 2025
    Join Avinash Persaud, Special Advisor on Climate Change to the President of the Inter-American Development Bank, in the first episode of a series leading up to COP30 in Belém. In clear, jargon-free language, Persaud breaks down the urgent challenges of climate finance—revealing how the world has the resources, technology, and knowledge to act, but not yet the systems to mobilize them. From the staggering returns on resilient infrastructure to the moral imperative of funding climate loss and damage, this episode offers practical solutions for a more equitable and sustainable future.

    #IDB #Improvinglives #IDBImpact+

    At the Inter-American Development Bank we work to improve lives in Latin America and the Caribbean. http://www.iadb.org
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    18 mins