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Climate-vulnerable countries promote credit rating overhaul

A group of climate vulnerable countries is utilizing a U.N. conference this week to push for a credit rankings overhaul, arguing rankings should reflect climate strength steps, an advisor to the group told Reuters.

The U.N. meeting in New york city is the second of four to set goals for a significant finance conference in Spain next year, where heads of state will want to step up efforts to meet the world's. climate and sustainability targets.

At the leading edge of the talks are 39 so-called Little Island. Developing States (SIDS) - consisting of Cuba, Haiti, Fiji and the. Maldives - that are bearing the force of increasing tropical. storms, flooding, erosion and increasing sea levels.

Proponents of the initiative say the existing rankings system. undermines their capability to raise funds due to the fact that it focuses on. the possible financial damage from their direct exposure to the results. of environment modification.

For the first time, the credit rating issue is on the table. and it's being negotiated, stated Ritu Bharadwaj, director of. environment strength and financing at the International Institute. for Environment and Development.

Ratings given by the Big Three agencies - Moody's, S&P. Worldwide and Fitch - consider the risks and potential for economic. damage from environment modification. However, they do not generally element. in the social and financial advantages of buying environment. resilience, stated a report by the institute.

In reaction, a Fitch spokesperson described numerous files. on the business's approach but did not talk about the. criticism directly. S&P and Moody's did not right away respond.

A credit rating is important to draw in cash from the. world's biggest pools of cash-- pension funds and other. institutional financiers. But simply 13 of the SIDS have actually a. Big-Three credit ranking, and the majority of those are categorized as. sub-investment grade or 'junk'. For others, the cost of. getting one can be excessive.

Numerous countries are expected to struggle to access the personal. financing seen vital to the total yearly $1.3 trillion environment. finance goal concurred at COP29 in Baku last month.

We are pushing to redefine the credit rating and look at. the chances along with the risks, so it offers a more. well balanced view on returns on investment, Bharadwaj said.

The procedure of appointing credit rankings has come under. scrutiny in recent years. The African Union prepares to launch a. new African ratings firm, arguing the Huge Three do not relatively. assess the danger of providing to the continent.

Describing the present ratings procedure as illogical,. punitive, and backward looking, Gastone Browne, prime minister. of Antigua and Barbuda, informed Reuters he wanted to see a more. fair system that was fit for purpose.

(source: Reuters)