Project description
How does sovereign creditworthiness interact with nature-based debt relief?
Debt-for-nature swaps (D4NS) have gained traction as a promising financial mechanism that simultaneously relieves sovereign debt burdens and redirects freed resources towards initiatives addressing the environmental crisis. Though D4NS are appealing as a win-win instrument for governments, creditors and the environment, how credit rating agencies assess sovereigns undertaking D4NS arrangements remains poorly understood. Supported by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the CLIMACRAs project aims to fill this gap. Through case studies in Belize, Barbados, Gabon and Ecuador, the project examines how rating agencies evaluate sovereigns that have used D4NS, illuminating tensions between traditional financial metrics and environmental objectives. In doing so, CLIMACRAs aims to generate evidence for policymakers to better align market behaviour with the imperatives of a sustainable future.
Objective
CLIMACRAs examines the interplay between credit rating agencies (CRAs) and debt-for-nature swaps (D4NS) amid the climate crisis. As the promotion of green finance gains urgency, CRAs’ behavior has become a matter of concern for global financial governance institutions, while D4NS emerge as tools to alleviate debt burdens in developing countries while funding environmental protection. Against this backdrop, the research addresses the following questions: How do CRAs respond to D4NS? Why do sovereign ratings vary post-D4NS? What does this reveal about CRAs’ role in green finance and D4NS’ potential in climate crisis mitigation? Focusing on the “Big Three” CRAs (S&P, Moody’s, Fitch), the project has four specific objectives: (i) situating CRAs and D4NS within the green finance ecosystem; (ii) understanding how D4NS are captured by sovereign rating methodologies; (iii) mapping and analysing the terms and conditions of D4NS; and (iv) identifying the key factors considered by CRAs when assessing countries that enter into D4NS. The hypothesis posits tension between CRAs’ financial system role and D4NS as green finance instruments. Methodologically, the study combines theoretical analysis of CRAs’ rating criteria with case studies of Belize, Barbados, Gabon, and Ecuador to assess CRA behavior in the context of D4NS agreements. By bridging theoretical and empirical gaps, CLIMACRAs will provide policymakers and global governance institutions with evidence to better align financial markets with climate goals. CLIMACRAs is hosted at SOAS University of London.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
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CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- social sciences sociology governance
- natural sciences biological sciences ecology ecosystems
- natural sciences earth and related environmental sciences atmospheric sciences climatology climatic changes
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Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
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Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
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Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
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Call for proposal
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(opens in new window) HORIZON-MSCA-2025-PF
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WC1H OXG London
United Kingdom
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