Article source
The Guardian
Article date
Tue, Sep 24, 2013
The International Monetary Fund can play a role in protecting the planet from environmental damage, IMF head Christine Lagarde said on Tuesday, as she highlighted how an analysis of the harmful effects of energy subsidies could act as a catalyst for action.
Lagarde's speech at the United Nations on Tuesday was the most direct example yet of the IMF's foray into focusing on climate change, after it published a research paper on energy subsidies in March.
"The IMF is not an environmental organisation, but we can help here," Lagarde said, according to prepared remarks at a UN forum on sustainable development. "One example is by trying to shine a light on the murky cobweb of energy subsidies."